Yesterday and today I worked on writing down my ideas for a cheap menu that still offers the calories we need. I haven't actually priced this out at the store, but it should come in pretty low. The menu comes to just over 1800 calories (1862 w/my calculations), but will be more or less depending on the type of bread etc. that we buy or make each time. This menu doesn't really include dinner or much fresh produce. I was focused on cheap, filling calories and I'm hoping we'll get our garden planted this next week so we can add our own fresh vegetables. Adding a roast chicken, soup, or hot dogs to the baked fries for dinner will add more variety and calories without costing an arm and a leg and frozen vegetables are a good addition as well. So without further ado, the menu (listed as amt. per person)
Breakfast:
1 c. milk
2 biscuits (made from Krusteaz pancake mix: 1 c mix combined with 1/3 c water should make
about 8-9 biscuits)
1 tbsp gravy mix (I calculated the calories by 1 tbsp dry mix, may be more if mixed w/milk)
1 shredded potato cooked in 1 tbsp butter
Snack/Brunch:
pb and jelly sandwich (2 slices bread, 2 tbsp pb and 2 tbsp jelly)
Lunch:
1 c. rice
1/4 c. canned beans (we prefer black beans)
Snacks:
Homemade apple pie (1/12th of the pie)--this little slice makes up a whopping 286 calories so if you don't want to or can't make it, substitute something high calorie like maybe two pop-tarts or some spaghetti)
1 c. milk
Baked fries (1 potato cut in long strips, covered in 1 tbsp oil, sprinkled with salt and baked)
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
A Story and a Spare Key
I was just reminded of one of my unpleasant moments of motherhood. It came when my 2 year-old daughter locked me out of the house and her in the house. Specifically, she was stuck in our small laundry room terrified and crying while I ran to borrow a phone and a ladder, even something to break a window. I did refrain from breaking the window, but twice I came very close. I knew she was pretty safe in there even though she was scared so I was able to impatiently wait about 30 minutes before my husband Kyle made it to rescue her (and me). Luckily, young kids are very resilient and are blessed with shorter memories, but if you don't have a spare key in your garage or outside your home, you might want to get one. It's not an experience I recommend.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
The Winners at Accommodating Kids
My kids are 3 and 1 and shopping with them isn't always a party for me and sometimes not for others at the store either. These are my winners for having/doing the little things that make it easier:
I love it when I can get a shopping cart made for two kids. Costco is my hero in this department because every cart is that way and they still push together in the cart corral. The car shopping carts at Lowes and I think Fred Meyer are more entertaining and I love when we get one, but they are in short supply and more of a pain to push.
The stickers Walmart employees give out at the entrances/exits have proven to be more entertaining for my little girl than you would ever think a sticker could be. Thank you Walmart.
Family restrooms. The other day I pushed my entire two-seater Lowes shopping cart into the restroom and parked it (kids included) in front of the stall and I was still a little worried about my kids. I like the family restroom at Target where my kids can come in and we're not all squished. To anyone without young kids, that might be too much info, but hey, that's life.
My local mall: The womens' restroom has a lounge. I haven't ever had to use the one at the mall with a baby, but what a perk! Contrast that with feeding my infant sitting on the floor of a restaurant's bathroom and well, it seems like a big step up. (Yes, I'm much shier than many women)
Barnes and Noble: I don't know if they have it up right now, but playing with the store train set last year before the holiday season was a fun, free getaway for the kids when we needed to kill time or just needed out of the house.
And now a shout out to the people who have opened doors for me, helped me get stuff to the car, pleasantly tolerated their crying and other noise making, and cleaned up their messes in stores and restaurants. Every little thing counts.
I love it when I can get a shopping cart made for two kids. Costco is my hero in this department because every cart is that way and they still push together in the cart corral. The car shopping carts at Lowes and I think Fred Meyer are more entertaining and I love when we get one, but they are in short supply and more of a pain to push.
The stickers Walmart employees give out at the entrances/exits have proven to be more entertaining for my little girl than you would ever think a sticker could be. Thank you Walmart.
Family restrooms. The other day I pushed my entire two-seater Lowes shopping cart into the restroom and parked it (kids included) in front of the stall and I was still a little worried about my kids. I like the family restroom at Target where my kids can come in and we're not all squished. To anyone without young kids, that might be too much info, but hey, that's life.
My local mall: The womens' restroom has a lounge. I haven't ever had to use the one at the mall with a baby, but what a perk! Contrast that with feeding my infant sitting on the floor of a restaurant's bathroom and well, it seems like a big step up. (Yes, I'm much shier than many women)
Barnes and Noble: I don't know if they have it up right now, but playing with the store train set last year before the holiday season was a fun, free getaway for the kids when we needed to kill time or just needed out of the house.
And now a shout out to the people who have opened doors for me, helped me get stuff to the car, pleasantly tolerated their crying and other noise making, and cleaned up their messes in stores and restaurants. Every little thing counts.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Resumes and Cover Letters
Below are some tips for writing resumes and cover letters. I used the "track changes" feature of Microsoft Word to add these comments to my husband's resume he used for job applications and the statement of purpose he used to apply for graduate school. Here they show up as footnotes and the highlighting is a result of selecting sections to comment on. I replaced some of his personal information so some of it will sound silly. Just in case anyone is wondering what my qualifications are for offering advice, they are these: I wrote most of my husband's resume and statement of purpose and he got 2/2 job offers and he got accepted to the only grad school he applied to. I know we were very blessed and these pieces of paper certainly weren't the only reason, but they helped give the right impression. I also have a BS in English with an emphasis in professional writing. I'm not a professional resume writer though so I don't guarantee miracles. Although the second section is a statement of purpose, the comments are for a cover letter. I wish you happy reading and success in job hunting.
888.888.8888 ◦ email@gmail.com ◦ 1800 Resume Ln. Lost, CA 11111
The college I went to, Aug. 2005-Dec. 2009, Geology major with a Chemistry minor
Hydrology - Studied groundwater flow, determined storativity using
Aqtesolv
Organic Chemistry - Reproduced chemical reactions forming carbon –
carbon bonds, studied reactions to produce and break carbon chains
Biochemistry - Studied enzymes and how they affect carbon chains
Applied GIS - Generated maps using ArcMap, Created a geodatabase
using ArcCatalog
Research Assistant, ABC Company, Feb. 2009-present
♦ Collect water samples, depth to water, and sensor data
♦ Translate data into visuals using LogPlot, Adobe Illustrator, and Excel
Assistant Researcher, Ronald McDonald, Professor, Apr. 2006-Dec. 2007
♦ Researched water flow and well quality in Ashton , ID
♦ Maintained Ion Chromatograph, Hydrolab, and Quanta equipment
♦ Wrote equipment maintenance procedures and developed data sheets
♦ Collected and analyzed water samples
Teacher’s Assistant and Computer Lab Assistant, the college I went to, Jan. 2006-Dec. 2007
♦ Teacher’s Assistant for Hydrology and the Intro to Geology Lab
♦ Lead Assistant for rock and mineral lab
♦ Developed testing procedures for rock and mineral lab
Deck Supervisor, The Swim Club, Apr. 2003-Aug. 2004
♦ Trained swim instructors
♦ Maintained pH for the pool
Representative for LDS church, foreign country, Aug. 2001-Aug. 2003
♦ Trained new representatives
♦ Presented lessons to individuals and groups
♦ Learned and taught Spanish
Outstanding blah blah blah Student, the university I went to, 2007
Eagle Scout, Boy Scouts of America, year, what I did to earn it
[AP1]Make sure all your contact information is included. You want to make sure the employer remembers your name and can contact you if they want to interview you or offer you the job. Putting the contact information horizontally across the top is a space-saver if you have a lot of experience to squish onto the page, but if you’re stretching to fill out one page, you can put each piece of information on a different line. Resumes should only be one page for every 10 years of working in your given field.
[AP2]I think starting with the education category is always a good choice if you’re in college or a recent graduate because your education is your greatest job qualification at this point. Don’t just list the courses you take. It’s too vague and everyone applying for the job has probably taken the same classes. Itemize what you did in those classes that helped you prepare for the job you want or increased your skill set in any way. Start sentences with verbs as much as possible. Make sure to include every college you attended, the dates, your major or degree and your GPA if it's over a 3.0—you can show your overall GPA or your GPA in just your field of study—whichever shows you in the best light and/or what the job application instructions ask for.
[AP3]In the experience category, list job positions you’ve held starting with the most recent one. Include the location of the company you worked for and the employer’s city and state. Put the official title of your position and list what your responsibilities were. Start sentences with verbs as much as possible. If you have more job experience than will fit on one page, only list the most relevant positions. If the employer needs a complete job history, they can ask for it. If you had a job you only held for a month or two or if you were fired, you don’t have to volunteer that information unless it’s specifically asked for. A resume doesn’t have to be a confession.
[AP4]Other categories can include Awards, Publications, Special Skills. Tailor your resume to fit the job you’re applying for. If you have skills that really set you apart or that are very applicable to the job, start with the special skills category at the top, even above the education category maybe and list languages you know, computer programs and equipment you’ve mastered.
1800 Resume Lane
Lost, CA 11111
email@gmail.com
888.888.8888
Graduate School
PO Box 22222
University I want to go to
City, state, zip code
I have been interested in water remediation since I was a student at a community college in California. My Chemistry professor explained some surface water remediation she was doing and her comments interested me. However, groundwater research drew my attention more than surface water. It must have been my memories of iron-rich well water that pushed me in that direction.[AP4]
I helped a professor for two summers in Cityville where nitrate contamination had shut down city wells in previous summers. I assisted in determining wells to test, sampling, and testing of the samples. I determined the location of contaminant plumes, lithologic contacts, and produced several cross-sections representing the plain in the Cityville area as a senior project. Information from the State Department of Water and the sampling we did helped to determine locations of increased contamination. New wells were picked to determine the extent of contamination. Driller’s logs were obtained to produce cross-sections and lithologic contacts. This work in Cityville helped solidify my interest in subsurface geology and groundwater remediation.
My plans for graduate school were delayed when I obtained a post-bachelors position at ABC Company as a research assistant. My work at ABC includes water sampling, borehole interpretation, aquifer testing, and subsurface modeling. I hope to continue working for ABC as I pursue my Masters degree at this University. Environmental Engineering provides the flexibility to continue my interest in Hydrology and groundwater contaminant flow. I look forward to furthering my education.[AP6]
Sincerely,
Fred
[AP1]Put your personal contact information first followed by the employer’s contact information. Use the same spacing between lines as shown on this example. It’s more professional if your email address is boring like your name or something to do with your field. Some employers at a job fair he went to said they don’t like to see email address like “hotlips44” etc.
[AP2]I inserted this comment here simply to explain the difference between a cover letter and a statement of purpose. This example is a statement of purpose, but the formatting is the same. Cover letters are very succinct. You identify the position you want, your qualifications for that position, your confidence in contributing to the company, and your intention to follow up on this application later. Statements of purpose are more like personal essays. You give a little more background information on how you became interested in the field, how you got where you are today academically and with extracurricular activities and also what your career/life goals are relating to the field. You can get more personal, but not too much. You’re still focused on the job, not spilling your whole life story.
[AP3]Ideally, the job application instructions will specify who to address, but “to whom it may concern” works or a title like “dear director of…” if you know the person’s position that will see your application.
[AP4]The first paragraph should catch the employer’s attention so start strong. This statement of purpose was part of an application to graduate school, but for a job it is best to mention the position you want in this paragraph. You could say something like---ABC’s job listing in the newspaper caught my attention. I recently received my masters degree in environmental engineering and would like to join ABC’s environmental team. I am confident my qualifications would be a positive contribution to your success in bioremediation. (Do your research and know what the company is involved in and as much as you can about the position you want)
[AP5]Go on to explain what your qualifications are. This is essentially summarizing and giving a little more depth to your resume.
[AP6]End restating your interest in the position and confidently (but not arrogantly) state that you expect to hear from them again and you can add that you will be checking back in a week or two to see if they’ve come to a decision or to see if they need more information. Don’t say things like “I’m grateful for your time” or sound desperate in any way. Then sign “sincerely” and leave space to actually sign your name in between “sincerely” and your printed name. Generally that’s four spaces but I think I cut some corners on this page.
25 Things I've Learned in 25 Years
To kick things off with my new blog, I'm stealing a friend's idea and listing 25 things I've learned in 25 years, but not necessarily in order.
1. My family loves me
2. Some embarassing moments are very hard to live down
3. Sometimes when you jump you fall hard.
4. Public speaking is a serious weakness of mine.
5. A smile and self-confidence can make up for a much less than perfect appearance.
6. Sometimes you're meant to enjoy other people's talents.
7. There are usually exceptions.
8. Each decision can change your life forever
9. Good friends are priceless
10. Saying no can be a very good thing
11.When you want an answer, you have to listen
12. Being dumped sucks
13. Roommates, travel, and family life are often the best educators
14. The most hospitable people are those who have little to give
15. It is possible to get two Bs and an F in the same course
16. You lose today when you think too much about yesterday or tomorrow
17. God loves children and their pain hurts Him too
18. Be grateful for those who cheer for you when you don't deserve it and set you straight when you do
19. Good intentions and ideas don't breed success by themselves
20. I hate carpet
21. Bad habits are hard to break and easy to acquire; good habits are the opposite
22. There's nothing much worse than seeing your child in pain
23. Being a parent is a lot of work
24. People surprise you and you can surprise yourself
25. "Common sense" isn't always common
1. My family loves me
2. Some embarassing moments are very hard to live down
3. Sometimes when you jump you fall hard.
4. Public speaking is a serious weakness of mine.
5. A smile and self-confidence can make up for a much less than perfect appearance.
6. Sometimes you're meant to enjoy other people's talents.
7. There are usually exceptions.
8. Each decision can change your life forever
9. Good friends are priceless
10. Saying no can be a very good thing
11.When you want an answer, you have to listen
12. Being dumped sucks
13. Roommates, travel, and family life are often the best educators
14. The most hospitable people are those who have little to give
15. It is possible to get two Bs and an F in the same course
16. You lose today when you think too much about yesterday or tomorrow
17. God loves children and their pain hurts Him too
18. Be grateful for those who cheer for you when you don't deserve it and set you straight when you do
19. Good intentions and ideas don't breed success by themselves
20. I hate carpet
21. Bad habits are hard to break and easy to acquire; good habits are the opposite
22. There's nothing much worse than seeing your child in pain
23. Being a parent is a lot of work
24. People surprise you and you can surprise yourself
25. "Common sense" isn't always common
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