Barefoot Blue Jean Life

Coffee Date and Pizza Making with Tristan

2013-04-03T09:25:00.001-04:00

My new schedule gives me almost 2 hours more with Tristan a night. I am loving it! He is loving it! Last night we went to Starbucks and got coffee. Decaf for him. Then we went home and made pizza. From scratch, ignore my messy counter and the fact that he doesn't have pants on.

Feels Like Spring

2013-03-11T09:18:00.003-04:00

We had a beautiful weekend. Sunday went something like this:

(Text Conversation)

Steph: Hey if you are feeling better we are going outside to play for a bit. *(I was sick Sat night)
Me: Yup. We are on our way. Give me a few minutes to shower.

That turned into 6 hours outside and 2 more hours inside and a hell of a grilled dinner.

Showering really means I do my make-up. Stephanie always looks PERFECT!

Dinner is served.

You know it's getting serious when three types of Moonshine (I do live in the country) get pulled out. That is Pineapple, Apple Pie, and Cherry.

Oh then my favorite drink.

You going to nurse that 3rd bottle, or drink it?

Beautiful Sky:

Silly Hat:

Playing Titanic?!

Bourbon chicken

2013-02-19T14:53:00.000-05:00

I cut the crushed red pepper in half and it was still super spicy, but oh so good. I am not sure of the original source of the recipe as it came through a friend.We love Chinese food, this recipe is quick, simple and tasty.

Package of boneless chicken breasts (usually the 3 in a pack) cut into bite-sized pieces
1-2 tablespoon olive oil
Small bag of frozen broccoli florets
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ginger
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup apple juice
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce
corn starch

Directions
1. Mix ingredients from garlic down to soy sauce.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet.
3. Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned.
4. Remove chicken and set aside (keep warm)
5. Add liquid mixture, reserving a small portion. Heating over medium heat.
6. Use liquid mixture that was set aside and add corn starch. Stir with whisk and add to the pan. This will help thicken the sauce.
7. Add chicken and bring to a hard boil.
8. Add frozen broccoli florets (as little or many as you like. I never use the whole bag).
6. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Serve over brown rice and ENJOY.

WW Elf on a Shelf- Armin

2012-12-05T11:06:00.001-05:00

Our elf appeared on our stairs after a long day out December 1st. I read the story to Tristan around 11pm. He named his elf Armin. These are his adventures so far!

Tristan was so excited that Santa left him his very own elf.

Armin is messing around on the fish tank.

Armin just hanging around you know.

Tristan found Armin in an old milk bottle hilarious this morning.

Tristan wasn't happy Armin was riding his dragon.

Beefy Cheesy Taquitos

2012-11-24T17:06:00.001-05:00

Tristan is addicted to guacamole and taquitos. I usually make chicken, but when he asked for them today I only had ground beef thawed. So I opened punch fork on my iPhone and searched "Beef Taquitos" one of the few recipes that came up was this one. Tristan and I loved them. He said "it's not chicken, but it's yummy. It'll do!" So I say that's a 5 star review from my 4 year old.

Source: For the love of cooking

Ingredients-

1 tsp olive oil
1 lb of lean ground beef
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp onion powder
Dash of red pepper flakes
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
Corn Tortillas
Shredded Cheese

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and break the meat into crumbles. Add the onion as well as the seasonings then cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the drained and rinsed can of black beans to the beef mixture then stir until well combined. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Wrap 10 corn tortillas in damp paper towels for 1-2 minutes in the microwave to soften. Place a bit cheese in the center of the tortilla then top with a bit of ground beef mixture and roll. Place, seam side down, on a baking sheet that’s been coated with cooking spray. Finish rolling the rest of the taquitos, then spray each of them with cooking spray.

Place in the oven and bake for 5-6 minutes then turn over and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.

Cinnadoodles

2012-11-19T16:19:00.001-05:00

Cinnadoodles

I love a good snickerdoodle, who doesn't. Tristan loves helping me roll them in the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Then we sit around while they bake and talk about how fantastic the house smells. This recipe is from the book Cookie Cravings. The cinnamon chips add a nice touch. They were excellent.

Cinnadoodles

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup of cinnamon chips
3 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. Put butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. Add in cinnamon chips.

2. Stir together cinnamon and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into round balls; roll in cinnamon sugar. Space 3 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or a Silpat.

3. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Don’t overbake. Let cool on cookie sheet for a minute or two, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Tokyo in city DC Food Truck Review

2012-11-16T13:07:00.001-05:00

Find them on twitter: Tokyointhecity
Find them on the web: Tokyo in the city
Find them in DC: Food Truck Fiesta Tokyo in the City

I give them a 5 out of 5 for food, 4 out of 5 for price, and 5 out of 5 for service.

Total score: 14 out of 15.

Tokyo In The City serves Japanese and Korean Bento Boxes. If you love Sushi and you are in DC then this is the truck for you. A coworker and I took a walk to the park to get our same old same old Friday truck, when out of the corner of our eye we saw a bright pink truck. Anyone that knows me knows I LOVE pink.

We walked over and were excited to discover a bento box truck. We waited in line, which moved fairly quickly and they do take credit cards. Boxes start at $7. For $15 I got the Shrimp Tempura Box, a really cool sangria soda that had a marble in the top and was fun to open and drink and the chef's special spicy crab hand roll. All boxes include salad, fried shrimp shumai fried sweet potatoes and a fresh orange.

Like I said the truck is cute and my favorite color and the food is AMAZING. Check them out next time you are in DC. I can't wait until they come to Franklin Square again.

Some more pictures of my food and the truck:

Low-Country Gumbo

2012-09-28T10:47:00.000-04:00

Low-Country Gumbo

This was another amazing recipe from the Weight Watchers One Pot Cookbook. I have made 1/4 of the book and nothing has disappointed me yet. Everything is fairly quick and easy, plus healthy too.

This recipe makes 6 servings and is 7 Points Plus per serving.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 pound low-fat chicken sausage, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 (14 1/2 oz) can reduced sodium chicken broth
1 (14 1/2 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
1 (10 oz) package frozen sliced okra
1/2 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
3 cups hot cooked rice (brown)

Instructions:

Heat oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, turning until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl.
Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic to pot; cook, stirring, until onion is golden, about 8 minutes. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Gradually stir in broth until mixture is smooth.
Add tomatoes, thyme, salt, black pepper, cayenne and bay leaves to pot; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until flavors are blended, about 20 minutes.
Return sausage to pot along with okra and shrimp. Simmer, covered until okra is tender and shrimp is just opaque in center, about 10 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Spoon 1/2 cup of rice into each of 6 soup bowls. Ladle gumbo evenly over rice.

Cincinnati Four-Way Chili

2012-09-10T10:04:00.000-04:00

I bought the Weight Watchers One Pot Cookbook and we love it. This is the third thing I have made. I mistakenly put in 1 tsp of cayenne instead of 1/4 tsp. YEAH it was SPICY. But still so good.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons canola oil
1 pound ground lean beef (7% fat or less)
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cinammon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
4 cups hot cooked whole wheat spaghetti
6 tablespoons shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
6 tablespoons red chopped onion

Directions:

Heat oil in medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef adn cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring until onion is softened about 5 minutes.
Stir tomatoes, water, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, cocoa, chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, and cayenne into beef mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer partially covered, stirring occasionally, 1 1/2 hours.
Divide spaghetti evenly among 6 plates. Spoon about 2/3 cup chili over each serving of spaghetti. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese and 1 tablespoon onion.

Nutritional Information:
289 Calories
8 g Total Fat
3 g Saturated Fat
0 g Trans Fat
51 mg Cholesterol
303 mg Sodium
34 g Carbohydrates
4 g Sugar
7 g Fiber
23 g Protein
153 mg Calcium

8 Points Plus per serving

I had to add light sour cream because of the cayenne snafu. It was just so spicy!

Sweet Cream Coffee Creamer

2012-09-06T09:53:00.001-04:00

Mrs. Happy Homemaker posted a vanilla coffee creamer recipe today. I made it with out the vanilla and it tastes like coffee mate sweet cream creamer. So easy, tasty and inexpensive. I can't wait to play with it more.

This taste like a popular name brand version but it way cheaper to make and I can pronounce all the ingredients in it. I like that!

Minutes to Prepare: 5

Number of Servings: 28

Tips

Add vanilla for a french vanilla flavor

Ingredients

14 ounces milk (I use 2%)
1 small can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

Directions

mix all ingredients in an airtight container. Shake well. Keep in the fridge.

Serving Size: 28 (2 tablespoon servings)

Number of Servings: 28

Nutritional Info

Servings Per Recipe: 28

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 100.5

Total Fat: 11.0 g

Cholesterol: 4.8 mg

Sodium: 22.3 mg

Total Carbs: 8.6 g

Dietary Fiber: 0.0 g

Protein: 1.6 g

1 Points Plus Value per Serving

Southern Style Chicken & Dumplings

2012-09-04T09:03:00.000-04:00

I am 100% into Fall. It is coming. So soon. I love the smell of Chicken and Dumplings cooking on the stove. It makes my house feel warm and cozy. It was 87 degrees yesterday with 80% humidity and I still made this. After all I have to get ready for fall, right? Sounds like a good excuse. I remember my grandmother making these as I grew up. That makes me a happy girl. I sure do miss her.

SOUTHERN STYLE CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS

1 stewing chicken, cut up (We like dark meat so we use leg and thigh quarters cut up, I find it more flavorful)
4 celery stalks
4 med. carrots, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 sm. onion, sliced
2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
5 c. water
1/2 c. Bisquick

In large pot place all ingredients except 1/2 cup Bisquick.
Bring to boil and cover, lower heat and cook for 2 hours or until chicken is tender.
When done, make dumplings.
Take chicken and vegetables out of stew.
Bring stew to boil and add the 1/2 cup Bisquick to make the gravy.
Let boil until all lumps are out, stir to keep from sticking.
When ready, drop dumplings in gravy, push in with fork to coat the dumplings.
Cook for 10 minutes. De-bone chicken in meantime.
Put chicken and vegetables back in gravy with dumplings and cook 15 minutes more.

OLD FASHIONED EGG DUMPLINGS:

2 c. Bisquick
2 eggs
2 tbsp. milk

Mix thoroughly with fork.
Drop dough by tablespoon into gravy.

Ahh traveling with children

2012-08-05T10:27:00.001-04:00

My 6 hour drive to remote WV took 9 hours. We had to stop at many places including a creepy as hell gas station for the kids to potty. I was nervous, then the owners were super nice.

I always travel from 2 am to 8 am so the kids sleep. Then they wake up usually right as we hit WV and we eat breakfast and they are fine.

This time I had to adjust my plans for other people. So the 3 year old (Tristan), 5 year old (Cheyenne), and the 10 year old (Savannah) were awake the WHOLE time.

In the beginning when we stopped people would comment how well I handled the three kids. By the end people looked at me like a crazy lady.

If I can get my iPhone to do this correctly (I don't have internet in the sticks) here are some pictures from our trip out.

I don't know what order the pics will post in. Have a blessed day.

Me and this boy

2012-08-01T14:57:00.000-04:00

Will have 9 wonderful days of vacation.

Big Road Trip Coming Up

2012-07-30T10:24:00.001-04:00

Tristan (my 3 year old son), Cheyenne (my 5 year old niece), Savannah (my 10 year old niece) and I will set off from my house to my Mom's. Sometime next weekend. I don't like giving 100% specifics on the interwebs. LMAO!

Mapquest gives me three options. The funny thing is it use to only give 2 but I always took the third and Tom Tom kept me from getting lost on the way down. But I never paid enough attention so I couldn't find my way home. I will show you the options and my pros and cons of each because I really can't decide which to take. I always travel late at night, leaving between 2 am and 4 am. Making the 7 ish hour drive, for two reasons the kids sleep and less people are on the roads.

Route #1: Est. Fuel Cost- $42.55

Pros: Fastest
Cons: Why go north west to go south east? I just can't get around that. Plus it puts me on the Capital Beltway and I really hate that!

http://www.mapquest.com/?version=1.0&hk=2-zAWYHb6a

Route #2: Est. Fuel Cost- $37.75

Pros: This is the route I always take and love. I just kind of winged it though.
Cons: It is lots of woods and small two lane roads at times. So the speed limit drops and you have to be vigilant looking for deer.

http://www.mapquest.com/?version=1.0&hk=4-gQOLb6nU

Route #3: Est. Fuel Cost- $46.53

Pros: I am not sure of any.
Cons: I have never take this route. It is the longest.

http://www.mapquest.com/?version=1.0&hk=8-tjkVesAH

Introducing Belle

2012-07-24T15:20:00.000-04:00

Who has lovingly replaced Oliver.

2012 Dodge Avenger SXT Sedan

Included Packages

UConnect Voice Command w/Bluetooth ($395): Bluetooth Streaming Audio; Remote USB Port; Rear View Auto Dim Mirror w/Microphone

Wheels: 18" Aluminum ($295): Goodyear Brand Tires

Engine: 2.4L I4 PZEV 16V Dual VVT ($0): 18.5 Gallon Fuel Tank

Additional Options

California Emissions
Premium Cloth Bucket Seats
Quick Order Package 26U
Transmission: 6-Speed Automatic

Features

ENTERTAINMENT FEATURES: Radio data system; Wireless phone connectivity; MP3 decoder; AM/FM radio; Speakers: 6; Steering wheel mounted audio controls; CD player

SEATS AND TRIM: Max seating capacity: 5; Rear seats: bench; Front seats: bucket; Front center armrest: w/storage; Power driver seat; Rear seat center armrest; Split folding rear seat

WARRANTY: Basic warranty: 36 months/36,000miles; Roadside assistance coverage: 36 months/36,000miles; Powertrain warranty: 60 months/100,000miles; Corrosion perforation warranty: 60 months/100,000miles

CONVENIENCE FEATURES: 1-touch down; Driver vanity mirror; Tilt steering wheel; Auto-dimming rearview mirror; Air conditioning; Front beverage holders; Speed control; Illuminated entry; Rear door bins; Telescoping steering wheel; Automatic temperature control; Rear beverage holders; Power windows; Passenger door bin; Remote keyless entry; Passenger vanity mirror; Driver door bin

BODY EXTERIOR: Door mirrors: body-color; Power door mirrors; Bumpers: body-color; Heated door mirrors

LIGHTING, VISIBILITY AND INSTRUMENTATION: Outside temperature display; Tachometer; Trip computer; Front reading lights; Delay-off headlights; Variably intermittent wipers; Compass; Rear window defroster; Low tire pressure warning; Speed sensitive wipers; Rear reading lights

SAFETY AND SECURITY: Traction control; Brake assist; Electronic stability; Adjustable head restraints: driver and passenger w/tilt; Dual front impact airbags; ABS brakes; Perimeter/approach lights; Security system; Dual front side impact airbags; Anti-whiplash front head restraints; 4 wheel disc brakes; Panic alarm; Overhead airbag; Ignition disable

Tech Specs

POWERTRAIN: Fuel economy city: 20mpg; Horsepower: 173hp @ 6,000RPM; Fuel economy highway: 31mpg; Variable valve control; Engine liters: 2.4; Manual-shift auto: AUTOSTICK; Sequential multi-point fuel injection; Fuel tank capacity: 18.5gal.; Cylinder configuration: I-4; Engine location: front; Recommended fuel: regular unleaded; Torque: 166 lb.-ft. @ 4,400RPM; Variable intake manifold; Drive type: front-wheel; Number of valves: 16

SUSPENSION/HANDLING: Front tires: 225/50HR18.0; Rear tires: 225/50HR18.0; Wheel size: 18"; Four wheel independent suspension; Rear anti-roll bar; Power steering; Front anti-roll bar; Alloy wheels

SPECS AND DIMENSIONS: Compression ratio: 10.50 to 1; Engine horsepower: 173hp @ 6,000RPM; Rear legroom: 919mm (36.2"); Turning radius: 5.6m (18.3'); Passenger volume: 2,837L (100.2 cu.ft.); Exterior height: 1,483mm (58.4"); Front shoulder room: 1,430mm (56.3"); Wheelbase: 2,766mm (108.9"); Exterior body width: 1,849mm (72.8"); Towing capacity: 454kg (1,000lbs); Engine bore x stroke: 88.0mm x 97.0mm (3.46" x 3.82"); Rear hiproom: 1,341mm (52.8"); Rear headroom: 973mm (38.3"); Air Pollution Score (AP): 6; Interior maximum cargo volume: 382 L (13 cu.ft.); Front legroom: 1,077mm (42.4"); Greenhouse Gas Score (GG): 5; Engine displacement: 2.4 L; Exterior length: 4,892mm (192.6"); Engine torque: 166 lb.-ft. @ 4,400RPM; Rear shoulder room: 1,422mm (56.0"); Interior cargo volume: 382 L (13 cu.ft.); GVWR: 2,087kg (4,600lbs); Front hiproom: 1,336mm (52.6")

Saying Goodbye to Oliver

2012-07-23T09:59:00.000-04:00

I bought Oliver in 2004 when he was a small boy. I then lovingly put over 270,000 miles on him over the past 8 years. Oliver decided Saturday that he didn't want to play well with others anymore. Seemingly me! So Oliver must go. Tristan is very sad about this. Even though Oliver hasn't had working air conditioning in 2+ years. Mama is sad to see him go too. But I need more room. Especially with a growing boy.

In 2008 I sat in him by our house on the bay and watched a hurricane come in.

Also in 2008 I trusted him to cart around my newborn baby boy.

He had a loving home in the garage.

He got to see double rainbows.

I even let him stay inside when we got 22+" of snow in the winter of 2010 in a 3 day period.

We sat in tons of traffic together over the years.

I took him on many adventures.

Sometimes I was a bad Mom and accidentally left him in the snow.

We saw lots of beautiful skies together.

I took lots of fun pictures while driving him.

He took good care of Tristan.

We saw many odd things on the road. I am not sure which of these is worse!

I had a ton of fun with Oliver and I will miss him.

Hat Day at School

2012-07-20T13:19:00.001-04:00

In the summer months they have spirit day at Tristan's school. He couldn't decide which of his 3 favorite hats to wear so he took and wore all three. Love my little man.

ISO/Shutter Speed Basic Training

2012-07-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

Full PDF of this week's lesson: http://sites.google.com/site/biowbiow002/02-ISOShutterSpeed.pdf

Short Recap:

ISO, or film speed, is really just a setting to determine how quickly an image will be captured by either the film or digital sensor. The higher the ISO, the quicker the image will be captured and the less light that is required.

The lower the ISO, the longer it takes for the image to be captured and the more light you will need.
general rule of thumb:
100 - 200 sunny and outdoors
400 in the shade, overcast, indoors with good light
800 - 1600 indoors, low light conditions, sports or action

Shutter Speed

After you’ve considered your ISO it’s time to think about shutter speed.

Your shutter speed is how quickly the shutter, or the little door that opens in front of your film or image sensor, operates. It can range from several seconds (or minutes on the Bulb setting) to 1/1600 of a second or faster. It might help to visualize your shutter literally as a door, with your shutter speed controlling how fast or how slow the door opens and closes. A faster shutter speed will freeze action whereas a slower shutter speed can create a blurred effect (or can just be downright blurry.) When you set your shutter speed on your camera, you’ll see numbers like 60, 120, 250, 1000 and so on. These actually represent 1/60th of a second, 1/120th of a second and so on. So the higher the bottom number on the fraction, the faster the shutter speed. The smaller the number, the slower the shutter speed. You will also see shutter speeds for seconds, indicated by inch marks ("). For example, if the display says 1"5, that indicates a shutter speed of 1½ seconds. If the display says 30", the shutter will be open for 30 seconds.
general rule of thumb:

use a tripod or flat surface to steady your hand for anything 1/50th or under
if you are handholding, use a minimum of 1/60th. Hold your breath while taking the photo to reduce camera shake.

fast moving objects require at least 1/1000 to freeze the action.

Weekly Challenge: Kitchen Sink Test

Set your camera to Shutter Speed Priority (S or TV mode). If you are inside, set the ISO between 1000 - 1600.

1. Find your kitchen sink (that shouldn’t be too hard.)

2. Now locate an object that is going to obstruct the water flowing from the faucet, like a cup. Place it below the running water.

3. Set your shutter speed to 1/80th of a second (indicated by the number 80.) Turn on the water and take the picture.

4. Now set your shutter really high (around 1/1000 of a second or higher) and take the photo again.

***Bonus points: Grab your tripod and set up your shot again using a really slow shutter speed, such as half a second, indicated as 0"5, or 1 second, indicated as 1". What effect does that give you? In what situations can you use this effect?****

1/60:

1/1000:

.05:

Aperture Basic Training

2012-07-11T09:33:00.000-04:00

12 Weeks to Better Photos
by Joanna Bolick (Two Peas in a Bucket)

Week #1: Aperture basic training

One of the most necessary but oftentimes least understood parts of photography is Aperture. The size of the aperture, or f/stop, of a lens determines how much of your photograph is in focus. Generally, when you hear someone talk about f/stop, they are referring to aperture -- the terms are often used interchangeably. The f/stop on a lens can go from 1.2 to 22 or sometimes higher. (It’s not really important to this class for you to understand the mathematical basis for these numbers, but instead to understand what they mean to your photography.)

F/stops can be confusing at first. The f/stop numbers refer to how open or closed the aperture on the lens is. The wider the opening of the lens, the greater the amount of light that enters your camera at one time – which means that when your aperture is wide open your focus will be shallower and fewer things in your photo will be in focus.

The WIDER the aperture, the more light that comes through the camera -- because a lot of light is flowing through the aperture opening LESS of your photo will be in focus. A low f/stop, such as f/1.4 or f/2.8, is considered a wide-open aperture.

The SMALLER the aperture, the less light allowed -- because there is very little light flowing through the aperture MORE of your photo will be in focus.

The smaller the opening on the lens, the smaller the amount of light that is allowed to enter your camera at one time – which means your focus is deeper and more of your photo will be in focus.

The confusion for most people arrives when you try and put the f/stop number with these scenarios. In terms of aperture openings, f/1.4 would be a wide-open aperture on most high-end lenses, whereas f/22 would be a virtually closed aperture.

Basically, when you use a low f/stop, less of your photo will be in focus. When you use a higher f/stop, MORE of your photo will be in focus.

WEEKLY CHALLENGE: Exploring Aperture

First of all, we want you to operate your camera in Aperture Priority mode (often
indicated with an “A” or an “Av” on your camera dial. (Don’t worry about shutter speed as the camera will take care of that for you.) The goal of this challenge is to discover what different f/stop settings on your camera will produce for you and to become more
comfortable with selecting these settings to fit your subject.

The easiest way to do this is to find a fixed subject such as a flower, a tree limb, or in our case, a birdbath. (If you are outside in daylight, set your ISO to around 400. We highly recommend you try this first challenge outdoors, if it’s not too cold for you! If you are inside, you may have to set the ISO on your camera much higher like 1250 or even 1600. Your photos will be grainy, but you should still be able to tell what your aperture setting is doing to your photos.)

1. Set your f/stop (often accomplished by turning a dial, but check your manual if
you’re not sure) to the lowest setting it will go. Compose your image and use
either the manual focus or autofocus to focus on one particular spot of your
subject (the subject of our photos was the frontmost rim of the birdbath, and
we made sure to focus on this for all 3 photos). Take your picture.

2. Move your aperture setting to something around f/8. Compose and
refocus on the same element again. Take your picture.

3. Move your aperture setting to the highest setting it will go to (most likely
f/22). Compose and focus on the same element again. Take your picture.

Now bring these pictures into your image editing program and look at the differences in the composition.

1. On the first image, you will have very little outside the initial focus point in focus.

My Example: F/3.5

2. On the second image, you will have more of your subject in focus, but still will maintain a pleasing background blur that separates your subject from the background elements.

My Example: F/8.0

3. On your final image, you will most likely have virtually everything in front and behind your subject in focus.

My Example: F/22.0

Photography Tutorials: DSLR Basics Switch from Auto to Manual

2012-07-10T11:35:00.001-04:00

I am starting a new series of tutorials teaching people how to go from auto to manual. TRUST me shooting in manual will give you a ton of creative control. So come along and learn with me. My first post will be tomorrow on Wednesday and I will try to post weekly.

Take me out to the ball game

2012-06-24T22:59:00.000-04:00

Tristan and I attended a minor league game with my work on Saturday night. It was Star Wars night and we had a blast!

How amazing is this

2012-06-21T07:08:00.001-04:00

Sky! Tristan is becoming a pro at snapping iPhone pics.

Happy Thursday. It's going to be 100 in Washington DC with a much higher heat index. Hello summer. Coming in like a lion. Hopefully going out like a lamb.

Father's Day 2012

2012-06-18T13:03:00.000-04:00

I will have to add a few pictures of Rick and Tristan I took. But I don't have them right now. It was a fantastic weekend.

Tristan dressed himself. I think he did great.

We had the first local peaches of the summer. They were juicy and delish!

Chilling in his carseat waiting for the train to pass.

The Train

Taking a 3 hour nap.

I love living in Amish Country.

Sleeping before school on the steps this morning. He was so worn out.

Tristan got a library card..

2012-06-14T10:21:00.000-04:00

His first. It was so exciting to him.

Taking a walk before going to the library for story time.

Being goofy at story time at the library.

Tristan's first library card.

So excited he has his own library card.

Tristan signed his own name. He can write it better but he was super excited.

Pirates.

After Library Snack

We had a great time. I will post about the books we rented. Kind of a review.

Simple Steps to Healthy Living Linky Party

2012-06-13T00:00:00.000-04:00

Kristina at From City Corporate To Suburb Mama is having a new linky party called Simple Steps to Healthy Living. Check her blog out and the rest of the co-hosts. I am sure you will find wonderful tips. Have a great day!

We try to be green in all aspects. Sometimes it may seem more expensive but let me tell you, over time the money and earth resources saved it worth it. I am going to share some of my favorite products. I have used them all and recommend them 1000%.

I cloth diapered Tristan as a baby. It was easy and the prints were so fun!

We used Happy Heiny. I had lots of cute prints and bright solids.

They have great starter kits. I ordered the all for ones but found as a little bitty the sized pockets were better. Here is Tristan in a few. How cute are they? I love that it keeps the chemicals off my baby. Plus I have them all washed and stored for the next baby. So I am not buying disposables over and over and filling land fills.

Another amazing change I made was switching from paper towels to cloth towels. It saves so much waste since our recycling doesn't take paper towels. Then I just got a cute wet bag (a bag that is lined and waterproof to put dirty towels in until laundry day.)

Wet Bag (Sorry its dark and a cell phone pic I snapped for this)

I ordered my bag, towels, reusable snack bags and more from MamaMade on ETSY.

The best part is the towels can be put on a regular towel holder. Plus once again tons of cute prints are available.

MamaMade also makes great place settings that come with a cloth napkin that teaches Tristan how to set the table.

A Note from out host:
Welcome to my first ever linky party! I'm so excited you're here and I cannot wait to see what you have to share with us.

If you're a regular on my blog, you know that I'm passionate about making things easy, especially if I'm really committed to it. I rarely follow a recipe if it has more than 5-6 steps and I'll rarely make something a habit if it seems to hard or overwhelming!

One of my goals when I first started blogging was to show that it's possible to overhaul your lifestyle, one step at a time so that it doesn't seem too overwhelming. I hope that I accomplish this when I do my simple steps to healthy living!

I'm so excited to share this journey with you! And have you share what you've learned as well! And I'm thrilled to have some wonderful ladies with me today co-hosting!

Laura @ Our Reflection

Kim @ Singledou[b]t

Pamela @ Our Heavenly Treats

Diana @ Diana Meredith Designs

Chrystal @ Barefoot Blue Jean Life

Of course, there must be a few rules...but I'll try to keep them simple :)

1. Follow me and all my co-hostesses

2. You can post about anything you want, as long as it's a simple step towards a healthier lifestyle including tips for "green" living. I will ask that you avoid the following:

no processed foods

no artificial ingredients

nothing from a box

3. Share the love. Check out at least 3-4 other posts and introduce yourselves. The thing I love most about linky parties is that you get to meet so many amazing people!

4. Have fun!!

And thank you so much for participating!! I'm thrilled that you're hear and sharing with the rest of us!