New Affiliate Link and Various Other Ramblings

New Affiliate Link
I've now been approved to be an affiliate for the Brown Bag Gourmet Goodies company . . . check out the new link to the left! They have some very yummy-looking stuff, and lots of good-sounding coffees (for all you coffee drinkers) and teas. I'm working on getting set up with another store or two, as well.

TV Turn-Off
Jim and I decided that August is going to be our personal "turn off the TV month." Not that we really watch much of it anyway . . . in fact, we don't currently watch ANY TV, since we don't have cable and don't get any local channels without an antenna. But we do watch a lot of videos and DVDs, having a lot of our own, and also a huge free selection at our local library. So we decided to challenge ourselves to a movie-free month and see if we can do it. Hopefully we'll be able to do some other fun things in the evenings, such as play a game, go for a walk, play outside with Sam, etc. Maybe a lot of our time will be taken up with moving . . . wouldn't that be nice! I'll let you know how we do. :) I think videos and DVDs will seem like a lot more of a treat, after not seeing any for a while.

The Big Boy
Sam proved he is on his way to being a big boy tonight. We had gotten him a potty seat to go on the regular toilet, a few months ago. Sat him on it once in a while, just for the fun of it, but he never "did" anything. :) He has a huge fascination for the toilet, loves to flush it, etc., so at least he's not scared of it. Well, tonight before his bath, we sat him on it again, trickled a little warm water over his tummy, and voila! It worked! We tried to make a really big deal out of what a good job he did. :) We'll probably try this approach every night before his bath, and then around 18 months I hope to start a little more aggressively with potty training him. It sure would be nice to have him completely trained by the time he's two. OK, maybe I'm dreaming here . . . I can hear all you experienced moms chuckling at my delusions . . . but it's a nice goal, anyway! :) Possibly attainable!

Another bit of progress for Sam is that he is in the process of getting 4 new teeth . . . so no wonder he is constantly chewing on his hands and whatever else he feels like! I've seen two of the top ones, a white dot that I think signifies a bottom one, and his gum on the other side also feels swollen, so I really think there is a total of four. Poor guy! He's had a bit of a cold (which may be related to the teething) this week, but has remained fairly cheerful in spite of it. His sleep patterns are continuing to improve; he is still usually waking up once a night, but goes back to sleep quickly, especially if Jim is the one who goes in to him. Last night he was really crying as if he was in pain, so I think probably his teeth were bothering more than usual, but he still settled down pretty fast.

Something else new that Sam did tonight was to say "I love you" quite clearly! Of course, he only did it twice (before switching back to the usual mumble that sounds like "ahvoo"), and he wouldn't say it when Jim came in to hear him, but I know he did say it! It's fun to hear his speech develop little by little.

Recipe Corner
Jim grilled chicken for our supper tonight; we've tried a few new grilling recipes this summer that have turned out really well! This was yummy. It's from the Hellman's mayo website. Here's the recipe in case anyone wants to try it.

Succulent Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken

1/2 cup Hellman's mayo (it calls for real, but we use the light and it turns out just fine)
2 T. mustard
1 T. honey
1 t. apple cider vinegar
1/8 t. ground black pepper
pinch salt
2 green onions, chopped (I forgot these tonight and it was still good)
4 boneless, skinless cheicken breast halves (about 1 1/4 lbs.)

I. In medium bowl, combine all ingredients except chicken. Reserve 1/3 c. mayonnaise mixture.
2. Grill or broil chicken, brushing frequently with remaining mayo. mixture, until chicken is thoroughly
cooked, turning once. Serve chicken with reserved mayo. mixture and garnish, if desired, with additional
chopped green onions.
I promise I don't work for Hellman's . . . :) But I have to say I recommend their light mayo. We had been buying a store brand regular mayo most of the time, but then I read a review of Hellman's light mayo that made me want to give it a try. We don't use mayo all that much, but when we do, I would like it to have less fat and calories! Anyway, it does cost about a dollar more than the store brand, but I really think it's worth it (at least for us). It doesn't taste "fake" as a lot of light things do.

Soon I'll have to post the recipe for the blueberry pie I made this weekend. It turned out so delicious! And it wasn't that hard to make, either. But for now, I need to get ready to post this and then head for bed. Oh, before I forget, I want to share a blessing for today--I keep forgetting to share a weekly blessing, as I had intended--but here's how God blessed me today. I heard from THREE good friends that I hadn't been in touch with for a little while! Two by email, and one by phone. It was such an extra special encouragement. I'm so thankful for all my friends, and thankful to be able to keep in touch with them even though many are scattered around the country and the world. Thanks, guys--you know who you are--for helping make my day brighter! :)