December 2009
Dear Friends and Family,
Greetings from the Chiodo family! We hope this letter finds you happy and healthy during this holiday season. We have much to be thankful for as we reflect back on this past year. Here are a few highlights to share with you.
The biggest change for us this year is that we became homeowners again! After renting for two years, saving, and planning for the future, we bought a home in August on Blueberry Lane in Stratford, CT. For several long months, we house hunted and made offers on various homes. We tried a few times at getting a bank-owned house or a fixer-upper that had many offers on it. But we trust that God knew what He was doing, and the door finally opened up for us to turn this house into our home. We love the location, the quiet street, and the big yard for the kids. Our house was outdated (hello 1965!) and needed some updating before we could move in. We gutted the kitchen right away and remodeled it from top to bottom. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into getting the house ready for us…or I should say a lot of paint, spackling, and trips to Home Depot! We’ve been here for 3 ½ months now, and while the need-to-do list is still quite long, we have made some big improvements that have made a considerable difference. It feels goods to finally have a sense of permanence.
Abby turned 4 in July and is in her second year of nursery school. We switched to a different preschool for her due to the move, but she loves her teacher and new friends. Within the first month of school, she knew the Pledge of Allegiance, “God Bless America”, and started learning Bible verses. Abby loves to color and do any kind of art project; she loves to ‘play’ her new guitar she got for her birthday; and she is constantly sounding out words and wanting to know how to spell…everything. Reading-here we come! She tells us frequently that when she turns 5, she is very excited to go to kindergarten, and she is going to lose her teeth and grow new ones.
Ben turned one in July, and he is 100% all boy. The kid never stops moving! He definitely keeps us on our toes. He averages about one new boo-boo every other day, and has figured out how to climb on basically anything in the house. Ben loves to ride on his truck, play with any kind of ball you roll his way, and enjoys playing with his big sister (when he’s not grabbing a handful of her thick curly hair). He is also a big cuddler and gives plenty of sloppy kisses and squeezy hugs. He and Abby play well together and it warms our hearts to see them having a good giggle together.
Jason continues to work at BG Lubricare as a sales representative. He thrives with the flexible schedule and the challenges that come his way. Jason and his dad are also working on their fifth rehab house project. Earlier this year, they finished one from top to bottom and it was sold within one week! He loves getting in his workout every morning and keeping up with the latest news on Investors.com.
Jenn continues to work part-time at Yale-New Haven Hospital in the OR Recovery Room. I work two twelve-hour shifts each week which allow me to enjoy being at home with the kids the rest of the time. I keep busy with the everyday mom stuff…laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning-with a monthly dose of book club with the girlfriends thrown in for good measure.
This year we were able to travel to Oklahoma in April to visit Jenn’s family. Jenn’s mom also came out in July to celebrate Abby’s and Ben’s birthdays with a big picnic at the park. We also took a family vacation this year in November out to California. We enjoyed visiting our dear friends, the Lignos family, out there while seeing the sights at SeaWorld, Disneyland, and the beach.
We’ve had a good year with its ups and downs, but we are blessed with wonderful family both near and far, strong friendships, a supportive church, happy and healthy children, and a God who loves us unconditionally. We hope that you have many blessings to be thankful for as well for this past year and the year to come.
With Love-Jason, Jenn, Abby, & Ben Chiodo
Saturday, December 12, 2009
The 5th Annual Chiodo's Top Ten Favorite Things
The 5th Annual Chiodo’s Top Ten Favorite Things List
1. Allrecipes.com: I could just about throw out most of my cookbooks, thanks to this awesome recipe website. I use it A LOT when finding good ideas for a quick dinner, a party, or something for the crockpot.
2. Pottery Barn Kids Anywhere Chair: Each of our kids have a red one with their name embroidered on the back. They love them! They are perfect for a child to have as their little comfy spot to call their own. The cover comes off and can be thrown in the washer/dryer. Here’s a hint: you can buy the PBK foam inserts on ebay for much less than they sell them at PBK. It comes brand new, wrapped, and sealed in a PBK box-from an ebay seller!
3. Windex All Purpose Cleaner: Now that my remodeled kitchen has granite countertops and stainless steel appliances, I had to find out how to clean these surfaces. A friend told me about the all purpose cleaner from Windex. Sure enough, the back of it says it’s great for stainless steel and granite plus many other things. And it’s green! Since I seem to use it by the gallon, I’m quite happy with the price and the shine in my kitchen.
4. Biggest Loser Workout DVDs: Okay, we don’t even watch the show. But we had to come up with a way to realistically workout since the cost and inconvenience of joining a gym wasn’t a good option for us. So we started off with the Exercise TV option on the Free On Demand with Comcast Cable and found Bob’s Biggest Loser Workout and Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred. Buy a couple of sets of weights, put on the tennis shoes with the pajamas in the morning, and you have yourself a good little workout in the comfort of your home. And you get to have quality time with the family since the kids like to participate too!
5. Superyard Metal Gate: Did I mention my son likes to climb and get into everything? Since the fireplace seemed to have this natural magnetism for our Ben, we bought the mommas of all mommas gate to kindly remind him to stay away from things like the fireplace, the bookcases, the Christmas tree. It stretches out wide, encloses in a circle-gives several options for the mobile child. Now if only I could find something to keep him off the top of the dining room table….
6. Melissa & Doug toys: I love good quality toys. And nothing says good quality like Melissa & Doug. They are simple which draws out the creativity in the kid; they are wooden and durable; and they have such a fun selection to choose from-puzzles, games, easels, blocks, etc.
7. DCWV Vinyl Wall Quotes: I am a lover of quotes. I probably could put them all over my house and drive my husband crazy with them. I hold myself back…but not completely. You can find these online or in places like Target or Kohls in the wall art section. They go on very easily-just a little measuring and then rubbing the words right onto the wall. It can transform a room instantly. Big fan.
8. Bud Light Lime: Yes, I’m recommending a beer. No, you can’t judge me. It’s my Top 10 list. I have a general distaste for beer. In my mind, it’s what horse urine would taste like. But I gave this one a try, and I must say…it’s pretty good. I don’t have one on a consistent basis. But when we were working on our house in August when it was hot, dusty, dirty, and overwhelming to the verge of tears…this did the trick at the end of the long work hours.
9. Crest Little Grippers Toothbrush: Found this little doodad in the travel toiletries section at Target for a buck. You get a cute little kid toothbrush with suction cups on the bottom to have it stand up straight by the bathroom sink. And it comes with a travel size kids toothpaste-perfect for little hands to use. Great idea for a party favor, stocking stuffer, or everyday use. My kids love them.
10. Restaurant.Com: This is a great website! You can go on here and purchase gift certificates to use at any number of local restaurants. The gift certificates are usually cheaper to buy than the actual cost of them for the restaurant. (Like you can buy a $50 certificate for $25). But the kicker is this-they have sales on top of their sales. One day, they had a 90% sale on their gift certificates. So you find a local restaurant you like, you see the $10 price for a $20 gift certificate. But, for 90%, you pay $1 (90% off of $10) for a $20 gift certificate! Awesome! Bought several this way and use them for an inexpensive date night or meal with the family.
1. Allrecipes.com: I could just about throw out most of my cookbooks, thanks to this awesome recipe website. I use it A LOT when finding good ideas for a quick dinner, a party, or something for the crockpot.
2. Pottery Barn Kids Anywhere Chair: Each of our kids have a red one with their name embroidered on the back. They love them! They are perfect for a child to have as their little comfy spot to call their own. The cover comes off and can be thrown in the washer/dryer. Here’s a hint: you can buy the PBK foam inserts on ebay for much less than they sell them at PBK. It comes brand new, wrapped, and sealed in a PBK box-from an ebay seller!
3. Windex All Purpose Cleaner: Now that my remodeled kitchen has granite countertops and stainless steel appliances, I had to find out how to clean these surfaces. A friend told me about the all purpose cleaner from Windex. Sure enough, the back of it says it’s great for stainless steel and granite plus many other things. And it’s green! Since I seem to use it by the gallon, I’m quite happy with the price and the shine in my kitchen.
4. Biggest Loser Workout DVDs: Okay, we don’t even watch the show. But we had to come up with a way to realistically workout since the cost and inconvenience of joining a gym wasn’t a good option for us. So we started off with the Exercise TV option on the Free On Demand with Comcast Cable and found Bob’s Biggest Loser Workout and Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred. Buy a couple of sets of weights, put on the tennis shoes with the pajamas in the morning, and you have yourself a good little workout in the comfort of your home. And you get to have quality time with the family since the kids like to participate too!
5. Superyard Metal Gate: Did I mention my son likes to climb and get into everything? Since the fireplace seemed to have this natural magnetism for our Ben, we bought the mommas of all mommas gate to kindly remind him to stay away from things like the fireplace, the bookcases, the Christmas tree. It stretches out wide, encloses in a circle-gives several options for the mobile child. Now if only I could find something to keep him off the top of the dining room table….
6. Melissa & Doug toys: I love good quality toys. And nothing says good quality like Melissa & Doug. They are simple which draws out the creativity in the kid; they are wooden and durable; and they have such a fun selection to choose from-puzzles, games, easels, blocks, etc.
7. DCWV Vinyl Wall Quotes: I am a lover of quotes. I probably could put them all over my house and drive my husband crazy with them. I hold myself back…but not completely. You can find these online or in places like Target or Kohls in the wall art section. They go on very easily-just a little measuring and then rubbing the words right onto the wall. It can transform a room instantly. Big fan.
8. Bud Light Lime: Yes, I’m recommending a beer. No, you can’t judge me. It’s my Top 10 list. I have a general distaste for beer. In my mind, it’s what horse urine would taste like. But I gave this one a try, and I must say…it’s pretty good. I don’t have one on a consistent basis. But when we were working on our house in August when it was hot, dusty, dirty, and overwhelming to the verge of tears…this did the trick at the end of the long work hours.
9. Crest Little Grippers Toothbrush: Found this little doodad in the travel toiletries section at Target for a buck. You get a cute little kid toothbrush with suction cups on the bottom to have it stand up straight by the bathroom sink. And it comes with a travel size kids toothpaste-perfect for little hands to use. Great idea for a party favor, stocking stuffer, or everyday use. My kids love them.
10. Restaurant.Com: This is a great website! You can go on here and purchase gift certificates to use at any number of local restaurants. The gift certificates are usually cheaper to buy than the actual cost of them for the restaurant. (Like you can buy a $50 certificate for $25). But the kicker is this-they have sales on top of their sales. One day, they had a 90% sale on their gift certificates. So you find a local restaurant you like, you see the $10 price for a $20 gift certificate. But, for 90%, you pay $1 (90% off of $10) for a $20 gift certificate! Awesome! Bought several this way and use them for an inexpensive date night or meal with the family.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Abby's favorite book right now is Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. She loves reading about the town of ChewandSwallow. She actually thinks ChewandSwallow is the name of the book. I can't seem to convince her it's not the real name. Anyway. We read this book a lot. I wanted to take her to see the movie when it was in the theater, but that didn't happen.
So in November, I was the Mystery Reader for one day of storytime at Abby's preschool. It was a surprise to the kids to guess who was coming. I thought I would bring Abby's favorite book and read it to the kids. And, of course, I had to have a treat to go along with it. But what do you serve with a book about meatballs? Aha! Spaghetti & Meatball cupcakes! Genius. I found the idea online and it was easy breezy to make and oh so cute. I even impressed myself with how they turned out. And the kids loved them.
Here's the recipe:
1. Make a batch of cupcakes with a yellow cake mix.
2. Put icing (I used the soft yellow cream cheese kind) in a decorator thingy (like Pampered Chef). Make squiggly lines with the icing on top of the cupcake.
3. In a separate bowl, mix strawberry jam with a round chocolate candy (I used whoppers since they are peanut free...other recipes use Ferraro Rocher balls).
4. Put 2-3 whoppers with the jam on top of the icing. Voila!
So in November, I was the Mystery Reader for one day of storytime at Abby's preschool. It was a surprise to the kids to guess who was coming. I thought I would bring Abby's favorite book and read it to the kids. And, of course, I had to have a treat to go along with it. But what do you serve with a book about meatballs? Aha! Spaghetti & Meatball cupcakes! Genius. I found the idea online and it was easy breezy to make and oh so cute. I even impressed myself with how they turned out. And the kids loved them.
Here's the recipe:
1. Make a batch of cupcakes with a yellow cake mix.
2. Put icing (I used the soft yellow cream cheese kind) in a decorator thingy (like Pampered Chef). Make squiggly lines with the icing on top of the cupcake.
3. In a separate bowl, mix strawberry jam with a round chocolate candy (I used whoppers since they are peanut free...other recipes use Ferraro Rocher balls).
4. Put 2-3 whoppers with the jam on top of the icing. Voila!
Little Pilgrim Girl
Abby's preschool had a big Thanksgiving feast for the kids right before Thanksgiving. They wanted the kids to dress up as a pilgrim or as an Indian. Since I thought the fair skin, blue eyes, and red hair would pass only as a kidnapped Indian, I found a cute pilgrim costume for her. I even had to hem the dress (have never done that before...I felt like quite the homemaker.) I actually bought the no-sew stuff that you iron on-worked perfectly. She loved being a pilgrim! Wasn't a big fan of any of the Thanksgiving food (no mac-n-cheese available), but I could've just squeezed her for all her cuteness with that bonnet on her head.
Puddin' for My Puddins'
Just a few 'life at home' photos. I made pudding the other day and I think the kids enjoyed it way too much! :) And some fun pics with their daddy too.
Friday, December 11, 2009
California or Bust!
Okay-vacation pictures! I have a lot to put on here...just fair warning. We decided to get away for some fun this fall after everything in our life started to slow down. We thought one last hurrah of warm weather would be nice before our New England winters blew in. In the end, I found some cheap plane tickets to San Diego, we called up our dear friends, Peter & Liz Lignos, who live there, and before you know it, we were headed to the West Coast. Our trip was from Thursday to Tuesday (oh how I love the flexible scheduling as a nurse!) so we really had Friday-Monday to plan the fun stuff.
First, we rented a Toyota Sienna while we were there. Giving the whole minivan idea a test run. It was fabulous. We were able to fit 4 adults and 4 kids with carseats in it with room leftover. I was impressed.
On Friday, we loaded up and headed to Sea World! The kids had a great time! There were only a small crowd of people there so we basically got to get into anything we wanted right away. No waiting in lines at all. The day was gorgeous! We all enjoyed the animals, the Shamu show, and even a little face painting at the end of the day.
The next day we hung out at their house and spent a few hours at the beach. It wasn't really the sunbathing kind of day...cloudy, big waves, and a bit chilly. But that didn't stop my daughter from stripping down to her swimsuit and jumping right in. She was fearless! She saw all the surfers out there and just assumed she could do it too. Thank goodness we didn't have a surfboard cause she would have tried! Ben ate the sand and hung out with me while Jason and Abby got wet from head to toe.
On Sunday, we loaded up again and headed for Disneyland. Tickets were bought and we had to go on this day. Only problem was that my dear daughter had a fever and wasn't feeling well at all. She was a trooper-rode all the rides, had fun...but I think this day was a bit fuzzy for her. She doesn't remember much after it was all said and done. There was a much bigger crowd here so we waited about 20-30 minutes for each ride. Plus we came right when they were switching over to Christmas from the Halloween stuff. So the whole Small World area was closed, and they were filming Stevie Wonder there that day to open up their Christmas Spectacular. A little crazy, but we had fun. We did meet three princesses when we first got there-Jasmine, Belle, and Ariel. That was a highlight for the girls.
First, we rented a Toyota Sienna while we were there. Giving the whole minivan idea a test run. It was fabulous. We were able to fit 4 adults and 4 kids with carseats in it with room leftover. I was impressed.
On Friday, we loaded up and headed to Sea World! The kids had a great time! There were only a small crowd of people there so we basically got to get into anything we wanted right away. No waiting in lines at all. The day was gorgeous! We all enjoyed the animals, the Shamu show, and even a little face painting at the end of the day.
The next day we hung out at their house and spent a few hours at the beach. It wasn't really the sunbathing kind of day...cloudy, big waves, and a bit chilly. But that didn't stop my daughter from stripping down to her swimsuit and jumping right in. She was fearless! She saw all the surfers out there and just assumed she could do it too. Thank goodness we didn't have a surfboard cause she would have tried! Ben ate the sand and hung out with me while Jason and Abby got wet from head to toe.
On Sunday, we loaded up again and headed for Disneyland. Tickets were bought and we had to go on this day. Only problem was that my dear daughter had a fever and wasn't feeling well at all. She was a trooper-rode all the rides, had fun...but I think this day was a bit fuzzy for her. She doesn't remember much after it was all said and done. There was a much bigger crowd here so we waited about 20-30 minutes for each ride. Plus we came right when they were switching over to Christmas from the Halloween stuff. So the whole Small World area was closed, and they were filming Stevie Wonder there that day to open up their Christmas Spectacular. A little crazy, but we had fun. We did meet three princesses when we first got there-Jasmine, Belle, and Ariel. That was a highlight for the girls.
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