Lifeables - Memories Captured. Lifetimes Shared.

This week I had the opportunity to try out a cool new site that let's you collect the memories & moments we share with our "networks" -- Lifeables 

In this time of hyper socializing -- Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, you-name-it -- who's got any time left to pull all the memories together to save for the future?

I tweet about my boys first days of school, instagram photos of their baseball games, and assemble holiday albums on Facebook - but will my boys ever explore these memories scattered across cyberspace? Or will they be buried in the stream of cyber socializing.
There are least two plastic storage bins stuffed full of photos & mementos collecting dust in my basement, right next to the bin of untouched scrapbooking supplies I swore would become "real" baby scrapbooks for the Baron & Master.

What is Lifeables? 

It's a safe & secure place to collect & organize those moments you've shared via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Picasa. (They promise more social network options to come.)

Getting started is super simple -- register . . .

Link your accounts . . .

Give your kids an identity . . .

Then let Lifeables' computers do the rest . . . in a matter of seconds Lifeables had found 275 "moments" for me to save or skip.

You can also upload photos & videos from your computer.

Drag & drop is all it take to create your Lifeable!

It took just a few minutes to put together a Back-to-School Lifeable to share via Facebook, or email to those non-Facebooking family & friends.

I love anything that saves time and makes life simplier, and Lifeables fits that criteria perfectly -- searching my linked social accounts and serving up "memories" for me to save or discard.

You can even set your notifications so Lifeables will send you an email when they spot a possible lifeable moment you may want to save!

While exploring Lifeables, there were a few features I hope they'll consider as they expand the site.

• simple photo editing, like cropping
• rearrange the order of items in a Lifeable album, right now you can only sort by when the item was posted to Lifeables or the item's date
• the ability to add a spouse or partner to your family's profile
• the ability to link a spouse or partner's social accounts to your family's account
• upload tweets and status updates not located by Lifeables

Lifeables will soon be offering a variety of products to displace & share your Lifeables.

And for non-blogging new Moms, Lifeables offers Baby Blogs!

I sure wish Lifeables was around back when the Baron & Master were wee! They might actually have baby books now!

Check out Lifeables (it's my favorite price - free!) -- play around, save & share, and let me know what you think.

Disclosure -- I  received consideration from Lifeables for trying out their site, but all opinions in this post are my own and were in no way influenced by said consideration.

Super Simple Spicy Pickled Green Beans

This month's Everyday Food had a slew of terrific culinary inspiration - including a recipe for Spicy Pickled Green Beans.

I love pickled green beans, but they aren't something you often find in your neighborhood grocery store. And when I do find a jar, they are generally of the "gourmet" sort, and sportin' a gourmet price tag.

I've never pickled anything before (except myself on occasion), but Everyday Food has rarely steered me wrong.

Spicy Pickled Green Beans
(adapted from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food)

Just a few ingredients and a few simple steps is all it takes.

Ingredients

• 1# green beans, trimmed
  (I opted for the more slender french green beans.) 
• 3 cups white vinegar 
• 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced 
• 2 Tbs coarse salt 
• 1 Tbs black pepper corns 
• 2 tsp sugar 
• 2 dried red chilies
  (My local market didn't have any whole dried chilies, so I substituted 1/4 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes. Adjust peppers to your taste. We Weekses like spice.)

Directions

• Put green beans and garlic in a clean jar.
• In a saucepan, bring remaining ingredients to a boil. 
• Pour liquid into jar, seal closed and let cool to room temperature before refrigerating.

These emerald beauties will store in the fridge for up to one month -- though they don't have a chance of lasting that long in my household.

My first batch turned out so zingy & crunchy delicious, I was making a second batch as I nibble the last few beans.

Friday Funny: Too Cool? Or just a Fool?

Source: thechive.files.wordpress.com via Fortuitous on Pinterest

Oh how I long for those pre mom-mobile days -- toolin' around town in my dream wheels!

It will be some years before I can reclaim my cool, (ok, let's pretend I had some cool to begin with and my current lack is all the mini-van's fault), so I'm thinkin' I need to find me a "I used to be cool" bumper stick for my mom-mobile.

iPhone Photo Fun with olloclip Lens System

I love my Nikon D80 and it's oh-so-versatile partner, my 18-200 lens. This dynamic duo takes amazing photos!

Source: Uploaded by user via Fortuitous on Pinterest

Source: imaging.nikon.com via Fortuitous on Pinterest

But they are a weighty and bulky combo, so when Mama is loaded up like a yak heading out on a Himalayan expedition, they often get left behind, my trusty & ever-present iPhone stuffed in my pocket.

Source: google.com via Fortuitous on Pinterest

I continue to be impressed with the images I capture & create with this humble smartphone and my favorite simple photo editing apps (SnapSeed, PhotoCollage, Instagram), but there are times when what I want to capture is just beyond the iPhone's photographic range, so I've been exploring the selection of iPhone lenses.

The two lens systems I've been coveting . . .

olloclip

Source: olloclip.com via Fortuitous on Pinterest

The olloclip sports three lenses -- wide angle, fisheye and macro -- in one sleek, simple and reasonably priced ($69.99) unit that slip into a microfiber bag/lens cloth.

iPro Lens System

 

Source: iprolens.com via Fortuitous on Pinterest

The iPro Lens System Pro also offers three lenses  -- 2x tele, wide angle and fisheye lenses -- as well as a rugged iPhone case with built-in tripod mount that the lenses attach to, and a nifty handle/lens case, but it also comes with a heftier price tag of $299. There is a Duo - 2x tele & wide angle - for just $219.

I'd love to grab both set ups to play with, but Mama's got an annual blogging budget that's already been blown (and then some!), so I had to make a tough choice. 

Surprise, surprise -- I choose the more affordable olloclip to start off with.

Here are a few super snaps I took on our Saturday morning hike.

olloclip pros -

• small, slips easily into my shorts pocket
• microfiber pouch stores unit & cleans lenses
• I loved having a wide angle option in my pocket!
• great photos - rich colors, super fine details

olloclip cons -

• no telephoto
• have take iPhone out of case to slip on the olloclip unit
• if I want to attach my iPhone to a tripod (like a GorillaMobile) and be able to use my olloclip, I have to purchase a separate mount (like the Glif for $20-$30)

Source: joby.com via Fortuitous on Pinterest

Source: studioneat.com via Fortuitous on Pinterest

Another reason I opted for the olloclip first -- it offers a macro lens (which I'm looking forward to trying out for some of my foodie posts), while the iPro Lens System does not offer a macro lens.

As far as a fisheye lens goes -- it's not a tool I need in my photography quiver. Maybe I'll play with it a bit, get a few quirky shots, but it's not something I'm all that excited about spending money to get, so I'd probably save a few $$ and go with an iPro Lens Duo ($219) instead of the pricier Pro.

These days are you snapping most of your photos, or precious video moments, with your iPhone?

Are you using external lenses with your iPhone? I'd love to hear what you're liking (or not) & why.

Note: I received no consideration or compensation from the manufacturers of the products mention in this post. This is just little ol' me playing with a new toy and dreaming of others.

Fortuitous Fishing

Early yesterday morning my guys headed out for a day of fishing on Narragansett Bay (RI) with Daddy's friend, Ian.

How the day would go nobody knew.

Seasickness isn't something we Weekses worry about -- there's a long history of seafaring via my Cape Codder husband's family -- I was more concerned about youthful attention spans, adult nerves and if the fish would be biting.

Turns out I had nothing to worry about -- except for the Handsome Husband getting the Baron & Master home a bit late on a school night.

This poor fish's expression cracks me up!

Little did I know I would be presented with a whole blue fish filet upon my fishermans' 8pm return! (Thanks to Ian, for the skillful filleting!)

I started to slip the package into the fridge for Monday night's dinner, but the HH was charmingly adamant -- we could not miss enjoying such a super fresh supper.

Papa herded the Baron & Master off to their bunks, leaving me no one to argue with, so I got to work.

A squeeze of fresh lemon juice, let the fish sit & got the rice going, then a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic and onto the grille -- flesh side down for about 5-8 minutes, then skin side down for another 8-10 minutes.

It really does annoy me when the Handsome Husband is right, but last night he was OH SO RIGHT and I was not in the least bit annoyed. 

The Blue Fish was AMAZING!

And my glass of Sauvignon Blanc was the perfect compliment.

Sunday Supper Share: Turbo-Charged Tabbouleh

Summer is jammed with picnics and barbecues, and tabbouleh is a Weeksworld favorite that we're always sharing with family & friends.

Tasty and nutritious -- chalk full whole grains and summer ripened tomatoes and cucumbers -- it also travels well -- no mayo to spoil if an ice chest fails.

I like to kick mine up a couple of notches, adding chickpeas and crumbled feta for protein -- it's practically a meal unto itself.
In the summer, I like to serve tabbouleh with some simple grilled chicken -- hot off the grates or cold from yesterday -- and we've got a tasty & healthy meal.

There are still plenty of tomatoes & cucumbers at local farmer's markets, and now there are lunches to pack, so here's my recipe for . . .

Turbo-Charged Tabbouleh

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Bulgar Wheat
• 2-4 Tomatoes, such as Roma, seeded & diced
• 1 medium Cucumber, peeled, seeded & diced
• 3-4 Scallions, chopped
•  1.5-2 cups fresh Parsley, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh Mint, finely chopped
• 14oz. can Chickpeas
• 8oz Feta Cheese, crumbled
• 3 Tbs fresh Lemon Juice
• 3 Tbs Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Ground Cumin Seed
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper

Directions:

• In a large bowl, add two cups boiling water to bulgar wheat, cover, let soak 1-2 hours. Wheat should be softened when fluffed with a fork.
• While wheat soaks, chop tomatoes, cucumber, scallions, parsley & mint.
• Drain & rinse chickpeas, then add to vegetables.
• In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, salt & pepper.
• When wheat is done soaking, add vegetables, dressing and crumbled feta and mix well.

As a side dish, this recipe serves a crowd -- easily 8-12 servings.

Or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for several days -- it actually tastes better with time.

You will want to remix after it's been sitting for a while to redistribute the dressing and accumulated juices from the tomatoes.

Enjoy!

Friday Funny: Back-to-school fun?

They're finally back in school

So why the hell am I the one with all the damn homework!

If I show them my diplomas, will they leave me alone?

And all this forming filling out is ruining Mommy's back-to-school celebratory cocktailing - I'm afraid of what the forms might look like otherwise. 

Homework ain't no fun when you're a Mom in need of a cocktail!

The Back-to-School Countdown is Done!

After a lovely week on the Cape with great friends - beaching, boogie boarding, biking, and crawling inside an inflated whale (at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History) then cruising (with Dolphin Fleet) out to be surrounded by humpbacks swimming and diving on Stellwagen Bank - we returned home Friday and got right into the thick of back-to-school preparations.

Arts & crafts, hold-over and new school supplies were purged, organized and sorted. Backpacks were loaded and names written in new lunch boxes.

By mid-day Sunday I was proudly pronouncing we Weekses "ready"!

When Tuesday dawned tho' things were not right in Weeksworld - Mama had once again been struck by some evil bug that had no respect for the importance of the coming days.

A trip the doctor confirmed it - strep, again!

While waiting for my prescription, the Handsome Husband casually mentioned the Master of Mayhem had complained earlier that morning of a sore throat.

What?!

I trotted everyone back upstairs to the pediatrician's office and pleaded with the kindly receptionist to squeeze my boys in.

Both the Master and the Baron of Boredom failed the rapid strep test! Thankfully, the doctor said their strep was caught early, and the penicillin would have just enough time to work it's magic so they wouldn't miss their first days.

I sent the HH back to the grown up doc for a strep test of his own. He passed, but the doctor took pity on him, living in a strep infested house, and gave him an Rx as well.

Once the penicillin kicked in and the fever fog thinned a bit, I checked the forecast for the next few days.

Rain, showers, thunder storms, rain.

Not again! A flash of last year's first day fun - the Worst First.

Does the universe not realize, not respect my impending joy - both boys in school five days a week!

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Celebratory margaritas at noon don't sound nearly as appealing when one can barely swallow.

One can only pray the penicillin works its magic swiftly!