Renters fo' Life.

When we initially decided to move to Central PA, we considered buying a house.  However, with my line of work requiring some moving around once I get my degree, and we do not want to sell a house in 4 years.  No thank you.

That said, we weren't interested in an apartment anymore.  Elliott needs a yard, I need an office, and Jason needs a kitchen he can actually play in.  We found all this (and more!) in an adorable house in the perfect location.

It has a functioning attic, office, bonus room that is actually a huge closet, big kitchen, and a yard!  That's aside from the cute touches that make the house something special.  My favorite is the stained glass in the family room and attic.

This is all incredibly exciting, but I'm most psyched about the decorating!  My class ends tomorrow, so for the rest of the summer, I'm going to document the things I do with the house.  Most of them will have the tag "DIY," so if you  miss some, check out that tag.

I also have some crochet projects to show off and other things, but this class and the commute takes up so much time.  Yeesh.

- M & J

Upheaval.

Boy, oh, boy have the Yingers had changes in their lives this last month since I posted.  Yeesh.

First, we moved.  Apparently, moving is one of the most stressful life events, and we've done it almost every year for the last five years.  And this move isn't even permanent!  We're living with Jason's parents until we have a new place to live, which should be in the next month or so.  We can actually start looking because...

Jason got a new job!  It even uses his degree, which anyone in the liberal arts can tell you is a big deal.  He'll be working for a company that makes and sells collectible items (coins and the like), and he'll be writing copy and doing research for them.  We are beyond thrilled, and it will hopefully make our lives easier.

Elliott is taking some time to adapt to this newest change in his life.  This is the biggest change probably since he moved into his own room back in September, so we'll just help him through it.  He doesn't nap well, and is having some other minor issues.  Hopefully once Jason starts his new job and our schedule is less hectic (read: Elliott gets more Mama and Daddy time), he'll feel less insecure.

Most of our changes have been positive, but one has definitely caused negative stress.  Jason's grandma passed away almost two weeks ago, and I know its been stressful on everyone, especially Jason's dad.  My parents, along with friends and neighbors, have been so helpful by cooking food or taking Elliott so we didn't have to cancel classes and such.  The amazing people we know and love in Central PA have come through yet again for us.

We've already had some nice evenings with friends here, including a night on the porch with J's friends and a game / homemade goodies night with my PSU buds and their families (there were 5 kids there!).  We know there are nights at the pool, more beers, and more games to be had this summer and we can't wait.

I will post pictures soon of EVERYTHING.  I haven't posted monthly photos of Elliott in forever, and we've had other adventures as well.

- M. & J.

Working Mamas.

I only partially consider myself a member of the population of working moms.  I'm lucky enough to have a job that allows me a flexible schedule so my son never has to attend day care.  My husband takes care of him while I'm at work, and then we switch off.  I only went to my workplace 4 days a week, about 5 hours a day.  Right now, I'm on a very short break between Spring and Summer session 1.  Still, I'm pretty lucky that my needs were accomodated.  When I was nursing, I had office hours and very short days.  When I was pregnant, I organized my appointments around my work schedule.  My boss was very kind to hold my place for the spring, and when I decided I wanted to come back earlier, he was able to give me some classes.

That all being said, most working women aren't so lucky.  The link below takes you to the study that grades states on how they help working moms.  The most interesting, but sadly not surprising, trend is that the states that preach the importance of "family values" and pro-life ideals generally have the worst grades.  We live in an economy where to provide for our families, big or small, both parents generally need to work.  If we want moms to do what is best for their children, we need to support them in the workplace.

The Study

Courtesy of Mother Jones magazine

Something to think about.

- M. and E (who is a lucky little boy)

Oops!

Sorry for the unexpected hiatus!  These past few weeks have been a flurry of visitors, packing, grading, and crocheting.

Many of my followers are already aware, but I opened an Etsy shop two weeks ago.  If you're looking for cute and colorful crochet creations, look no further than Peachy Colleen Crochet.

We're going on our March for Babies walk tomorrow, and we are especially excited because we (slightly) exceeded our fundraising goal!  Our team, which covers more than one state and has a lot of members, raised over $23,000 for the March of Dimes.  My friend Liz is one of the top Philadelphia fundraisers.  We are walking in memory of her nephew, Dylan, and in honor of all the babies born too early or with other issues.  Our (thankfully brief) time in the ICN at Penn showed us what kind of work is being done to help all babies thrive, and we feel very connected to the cause.  If Elliott had stayed much longer in the ICN, I'm sure we would have benefitted from the March of Dimes in some way.  Anyway, we are so glad  we could help Liz and her family honor her nephew in such a big way.  Pictures coming soon.

Better get to bed!  Early morning and a full day.  As much as I love relaxing, more memories are made on full days.  :)

- M.

One prolific chef.

Jason put up another recipe!

Cocoa Rubbed Steak and Baked Potatoes made for a delicious Saturday night dinner.

 - M.

Banana Cheesecake Muffins

Jason's first recipe posted over at One Sleepy Chef!  These muffins were amazing and fairly simple to make.

Mmmmm.

- M.

My sleepy chef.

Jason, who isn't a frequent writer here, has created a food blog to document his adventures in the kitchen. He is the far superior cook in our family, mainly because while I love eating, I don't really enjoy cooking. Fortunately, Jason loves to try out new and delicious recipes.  Check him out at One Sleepy Chef!

I'll also be posting links to the individual recipes.

- M.