Easy Appetizer

Ok, I know I've been lagging on writing all the posts I promised I'd write...but life has been pretty crazy cray lately, with Christmas and New Year's and 2 kids under the age of 2 (almost)! Anyway, I made these pinwheels as an appetizer for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and they were a HUGE hit - super tasty, not too filling, and really easy!

Christmasy Pinwheels (Even though they ARE Christmas colors, I'd make them year round - they are THAT good!!)

4 large spinach tortillas (I found some Spinach Garden Herb flavored tortillas - YUM!)
8 oz. package cream cheese, softened at room temp.
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions (If you don't want a strong onion flavor, only use the green parts. The white parts of the green onion have a much stronger flavor.)
1 cup Craisins

Combine all ingredients except for tortillas.
Spread cream cheese mixture all over each of the 4 tortillas evenly.
Roll up each tortilla tightly, then wrap with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Remove plastic wrap, slice tortillas into pinwheels (mine were about 1 1/2 inches thick) and enjoy!

YUM! I want some more right now... :)

time for an update, and a revamp!

Wow...can't believe it's been so long since I posted anything!
Sometimes it's hard to keep up with the blog because I don't know if anyone is actually reading, but then I remember how much I like to write, and how I like to document my days, and then I get motivated to post something! I can only hope that one day I have some readers/followers that are interested in what I have to say!
SO...what has changed since my last post? Well, baby #2 is here! He's healthy and happy, his big brother is LOVING having another little guy around, and I have not slept since he was born 5 weeks ago. (I'm only SLIGHTLY kidding...) I'm adjusting to life as a mom of 2, and also adjusting to the fact that I don't think I want to be a stay at home mom forever. Does that make me a bad mom? I dunno, but it's the truth. Staying at home is pretty lonely! I miss adult interaction - and not just the few moments spent chatting up the cashier at the grocery store...
It's 7 days until Christmas - I haven't sent out ANY Christmas cards like I planned, haven't done ANY Christmas shopping, haven't EVEN DECORATED FOR CHRISTMAS YET. And at this point, who knows if I even will?
Since we've moved back to SoCal, we've had some serious financial problems. I won't go into it, but it's been tough, to say the least. We're just not that excited for Christmas this year because we can't afford to do the things for our families that we want to do. So I'm trying to find inexpensive gift ideas that aren't really lame.
ALSO, now that I'm no longer prego, I have the motivation to work out and eat healthy and get back to losing weight again! (Okay, I don't know that I really have the time to work out just yet, but whatevs, I'll pretend like I do.) Gotta get back on the healthy bandwagon! Going to post lots of pictures (probably more cell phone pics than I'd like to admit, but hey, I don't have time to get out the camera and USB cord and all that junk...) and going to post recipes, crafts (when I have the time!) and hopefully some fun stuff that ya'll are going to be interested in.

WGON (What's Going On Now): Both boys are napping on our bed right now (it's a Christmas miracle! They haven't napped at the same time in, well, ever.) and I am sitting on the couch with my laptop watching Food Network and listening to the rain outside, surrounded by Hot Wheels that I'm trying not to step on and get hurt by.

I PWO-MISE (baby talk for promise) to post more often! That's my New Year's Resolution :) Another resolution? Lose 100 lbs by this time next year. Yeah...about that...more like 105.6lbs to get to my goal weight, but 100 lbs is a nicer number to look at I suppose. We'll see if THAT happens.

 

Oh yeah, did I mention that I'm getting over a cold that hasn't gone away in WEEKS?! So over you, Mr. Cold.

D's birth story.

So, I've been meaning to document D's birth story for a while now. (Uh, hello, he's almost TWO! It's about time I write it all down!!) Today I visited a friend in the hospital who had just had her first child (a boy) and reliving the experience with her made me want to write D's birthday story...so here it goes...

My due date was September 6, 2010. Pretty close to our 4 year anniversary, which was September 8, 2010.

It was Thursday September 7, 2010 - still no contractions, nothing progressing, and I had a doctor appointment scheduled for September 8. My OBGYN had talked about scheduling me for an induction, due to the fact that my blood pressure was high and there was no need for me to keep carrying the baby past my due date. I was hesitant about being induced, but ultimately I knew I needed to do what was best for the baby, although I secretly hoped I would go into labor on my own.

So September 7, the day after my due date, was nothing special. I don't remember what we did that day, but that evening, after dinner, we decided to watch Brokeback Mountain (the hubs had never seen it before, and I thought it was worth seeing again...) so we stayed up later than normal to finish the oh-so-romantic movie. We finally went to bed around midnight.

At around 4am on September 8 (our 4 year anniversary - yay!) the hubs got up to go to the bathroom, and accidentally woke me up when he turned on the light. A few seconds later, our home phone rang. I decided not to answer it since 1) we didn't have caller ID, and 2) I really didn't think it was going to be important. A few seconds later, I checked my cell phone (which happened to be on silent, but was sitting on the nightstand next to the bed) and saw the incoming call that I recognized as the hospital phone number. Being half-asleep and completely oblivious, I thought it was my mom calling to tell me my grandma was in the hospital for some reason. I answered the phone right away.

Me: Hello?
Woman: Hi, is this Julianne?
Me: Yeah...
Woman: Where are you? You were supposed to check in to the hospital last night to be induced! We are still holding a room for you.
Me: Whaaaa...? No one told me!
Woman: Okay, we'll hold the room for you until you get here. Your doctor ordered an induction. Take a shower, grab something to eat, and come right to the hospital.
Me: Uh, okay. (Hung up the phone, turned to the hubs...) We're going to the hospital! We're having the baby now!

After some explaining, we jumped out of bed and proceeded to get ourselves hospital-ready. Luckily, my bag was already packed, and I took a shower, got dressed, ate a PB&J, and away we went.

Happy Anniversary! It's hospital time! (Not sure why our dog's ears made it into this photo...)

Stopped at a McDonald's drive thru on the way to buy 2 water bottles, drove to the hospital, and arrived just before 6am. The semi-annoyed nurses checked me in, led me to my room, instructed me to change into the hospital gown, which I would wear for the next 2 days while my (excuse my French) ASS hung out for everyone to see...and started the IV. Boy, did that thing annoy me! I was then informed that my doctor's office hadn't faxed over my medical records, and we would need to wait until the office opened at 9am for them to begin any sort of induction procedure...

At some point in the morning, my mom came to be with us in the hospital. (Besides the hubs, I wanted my mom in the room with me. What can I say? Sometimes you just want your mama! Especially because she knows what you're going through, right?!)

The view from the labor & delivery room - not bad, huh? :)

The next few hours were sort of a blur...lots of check ups from the nurse, asking how I was, what I needed, my pain level, etc. Finally my records must have been faxed, because they began the Pitocin (or something like that) in my IV to get my contractions going. Eventually a doctor on staff (who happened to be the same doctor that delivered me) came in to put the Cervadil (or whatever pill) in my cervix to help things progress. A few hours later my OBGYN came to break my water, and a few hours later, the contractions began to get more intense.

My birth plan? To not really have a plan. Just sort of go with the flow...and that worked for me. I wasn't against getting an epidural, but I wanted to see if  I could go au naturel. I definitely didn't WANT a c-section, but again, whatever happened was going to happen. Eventually though, I did decide to get the epidural, as my contractions were IN-TENSE and I hadn't dilated much.

Oh, the anesthesiologist was my best friend. Even though the first attempt he hit bone. And the second attempt there was a kink in the tubing and he had to redo the epidural needle. But soon enough, he brought me sweet, sweet relief from those horrid contractions! :)

See? Those were my contractions. The nurses seemed to be pretty impressed with my pain tolerance. I decided that taking pictures of my contractions on the monitor was a good way to distract myself...

Sometime during labor, I developed a fever. (We think this was because I was being given erythromycin, an alternative to penicillin, in my IV. I had tested positive for Group B Strep, which is a bacteria, and the treatment is an antibiotic, usually penicillin, in the IV during labor to prevent the baby from getting sick when traveling through the birth canal. Since I'm allergic to penicillin, I was given the alternative antibiotic, which I am allergic to as well. The doctor thought it best to treat me for an allergic reaction as opposed to risking the little guy getting sick...) Around 3:30am or 4am, the nurses checked me and told me I was fully dilated, but the baby hadn't moved down, and I would need to push him down or (doctor's orders!) they would have to turn off the epidural. (NOOOOO!!!) Needless to say, I pushed that little guy down FAST. The nurse actually told me to stop so she could call my doctor and tell her to get her booty back to the hospital!

Ready for the little guy!

With each contraction (that I could somehow still feel...), I felt the urge to push. The nurse told me I could push A LITTLE, but, to anyone that's been in labor, you know - when you gotta push, you're gonna push. And that's THAT.

After what seemed like hours, but was really only about 30 minutes, my doctor arrived, and she couldn't put on her gloves fast enough! She pretty much set her bags/purse down, put on some gloves, sat down, and I informed her, "I'm gonna push now, K?!"

I have to say, myself (and the nurses) were pretty impressed with my pushing skills. But, HELLO! They had told me they were going to take away the epidural if I couldn't push, so you KNOW I pushed like I was a pro! So, 20 minutes or so later, just after 5:00am, my little miracle was born. Daddy cut the umbilical cord, and he was put on my chest, and it was LOVE.

Because of my fever, D had a fever as well (106 degrees) and an accelerated heart rate. They called in a specialist, and he was taken to the nursery to be monitored for 90 minutes to make sure his fever subsided and his heart rate calmed. That was the LONGEST 90 minutes of my life! I sent Daddy with little D to the nursery, and I was left in the room with my mom. It was the strangest feeling knowing I had just given birth to my little guy, but I couldn't see him or hold him or kiss him! :( Soon enough though, I was moved to the recovery room, and the nurse brought in my little man, and all was well in our world. <3

Overall, my experience was great - the nurses and doctors were wonderful, and so sweet. I would do it all over again (which I will be doing in 2 months!) for this gift.

 

 

Coming soon...our love story. It's unique, fun, and crazy!

i feel like i'm The Machinist.

Yeah, this one. If you haven't seen it, it's a pretty good/creepy movie.

Why do I feel like I belong in this movie right now? Well, for the past 3 days I haven't slept. Like, at all. Which is EXTREMELY rare for me. I usually never have a problem hitting the hay right after my little man. But for some reason, the past 3 nights, I haven't been able to sleep. (Note: it's currently 2:44AM and I've been laying in bed trying to sleep since 10PM.) Last night, I was awake until 7AM, and fell asleep for a mere 1 1/2 hours until the little man woke up.

WHY? WHY? WHY????

I am SO TIRED, but my mind won't stop RACING. I know I'm not the only one with this problem, but how do you deal when you're 7 months pregnant, can't take any medicine, have a toothache, and are so restless you just can't fall asleep?!

Speaking of being Prego, a friend of mine went into labor yesterday. So exciting!! It's always a miracle when a new little one is welcomed into this world, and it makes me so excited to welcome our Miracle #2! Which brings me to the fact that I've sort of been in denial about being pregnant this go-round. I'm not sure why. Maybe because I'm dealing with a toddler in the terrible two's where everything is SO. MUCH. HARDER. THAN. I. THOUGHT.

Creepy Mc Creeperson - BUT I was trying to take a picture of the blood vessels that suddenly burst/popped up on my face yesterday, all around my eyes. This is probably due to a horrible bout of throwing up in the morning when I got so upset about not sleeping. And yes, this was in a bathroom, Chuck E Cheese's to be exact.

I don't even know if this post is making any sense. What did I start out writing about? Oh yeah, not sleeping. Who knows, maybe this will be a new productive thing for me! If I don't sleep, then I have an extra 8 or so hours a day to do chores (HA!) or craft (okay...) or whatevs! :) It's called, The Bright Side people, and I've gotta start looking on/at it.

Tootles...

Crafty crap!

I remember seeing a pin of a grapevine wreath that I really liked a few weeks ago. I thought I had pinned it, but apparently, I had not. Oh well, it's super easy to do, and it looks really nice! I wanted something to hang on our front door that wasn't too crafty looking, and wasn't too feminine. (I am, after all, the ONLY female in this house...except for my dog and one of my cats, but they don't count.)

Here are the supplies needed...

Cell phone pic - sorry for the horrible lighting!

A grapevine wreath (they come in lots of different shapes & sizes - I'm pretty sure they can be found in the floral section of most craft stores)
Wooden letter (I chose "L" for my future last name. You could also do your house number too.)
Hydrangea (fake/faux/silk whatevs. I chose white & green, but you really could use any type of flower in any colors you like!)

Paint for wooden letter
Glue gun
Scissors

I pretty much just painted the wooden letter grey (I'm really having a grey moment...or is it spelled gray?) and hot glued the letter onto the wreath where I wanted it. I then cut the white hydrangea in half (because it was expensive for 1 stem, so I didn't want to buy 2!). Cut off the stem, positioned the flowers where I wanted them on the wreath, hot glued them, and BAM! All done. :) See, pretty easy peasy, right?!

Now that it's finished, I just need to get the man to hang it!

unproductive.

This is why I am not getting ANY work done right now...

Lame excuse, right? Whatevs, it's SO WORTH IT right now. The man took the little man for a few hours today and I am enjoying my peaceful time at home ALONE. The only time I'm ever alone is after everyone goes to bed and I decide (for some terrible reason) to stay up late and watch awful reality shows or paint my nails or whatev. And even then I'm not really alone (I have a baby in my tummy, after all...)

So right now I'm supposed to be doing dishes, laundry, vacuuming, organizing, and working on some samples for this new company that I'm selling (more on that later). What am I REALLY doing? Sitting at the dining room table, with my laptop and cell phone, blogging away and sipping on my not-so-healthy-but-pretty-damn-delicious homemade frappe/frappucino/frap-a-what?

(Insert smart sounding word here...like, digree. Ex: I digress.) <--- Makes me feel smarter already! I kid, I kid.

Anyway...you want to make a delicious & refreshing cold coffee slushy drink too?! Alrighty, well here is what I threw into my blender...

2 scoops of chocolate fudge brownie ice cream (I NEVER said this was low cal, ya'll!)
1/4 cup cold coffee (I brew a bunch of cheap coffee really strong, throw it in a pitcher, and put it in the fridge for occasion such as this...)
Splash of caramel macchiato coffee creamer
1/4 cup milk
1 Tablespoon malted milk powder (Just because I had it, and I felt like it!)
handful of ice

Blend away until nice and frothy, pour into a glass, and top with whipped cream if you feel like adding some more calories to this beverage! Voila! Yumminess!! :)

I definitely won't be making any more of these drinks after I have this baby...it's back to calorie counting, working out, and talking about how NOT FUN it is to watch what you eat ALL. THE. FRIGGIN. TIME. But, this baby is not due for another 2 1/2 months, so I will enjoy the non-calorie counting for now. (Plus, I'm still down 5 pounds or so from my PRE-pregnancy weight...not sure how that happened, but I think I have my little 2 year old guy to thank for that. LOTS of running, chasing, playing around with him is my workout secret I suppose...)

FAIL Friday!

Like I promised, here is a Pin that I attempted...and obviously, it failed. But it's fun to see, right?!

Fruit Tacos...from here

This is what I found when I took them out of the oven. Not quite what I had in mind...apparently the paper towel roll covered in foil decided to roll over and flop the cookie dough onto the side of the pan.

Voila! Decided to just bake the cookies the regular way, added whipped cream & macerated strawberries (cut up strawberries & sprinkle with sugar, let sit in fridge for a few hours - they will get nice & soft and syrupy!) and made strawberry shortcake sandwiches. Not exactly what I had planned, but it was delicious anyway!! :)

Fail/Fabulous Friday...

I decided that I'd start posting some of my Pinterest fails. Why? Because it's funny, and because I like to know which Pinterest ideas are a waste of time & money! Some ideas seems way too good to be true, and I'd like to save (my already limited time) for projects that really, REALLY work.
I'll try to post these attempts on Fridays - hence the title "Fail/Fabulous Friday". If the idea I attempt is successful, well, then it will be a Fabulous Friday! If it's not? Well, then we'll have a good time laughing about the Fail Friday! :) You with me? Alright...

I hate cleaning toilets. Like, I'd rather clean up my own vomit than scrub a toilet. But it must be done. I usually wait until I really shouldn't wait any longer to get on my knees (that's what she said) and scrub the damn thing, just so I can relish in the fact that I don't have to do it for another few weeks or whenever. So when I found a pin about cleaning toilets WITHOUT having to scrub anything, I thought, what the heck? Might as well try it!!

FAIL.

The pin claimed that to eliminate odor & have a sparkling clean toilet bowl, all you had to do was pour 1 cup of baking soda in the toilet, let it sit for 1 hour, then flush, and like magic, your toilet would be clean. Too good to be true, right? Correcto.

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Toilet before - not too terrible. There was a slight ring around the top of the water, though.

See? Sprinkle the baking soda in the toilet...looks like I'm trying to flush some drugs...nevermind.

I waited for an hour (or more), flushed, and wasn't too happy with the results. The ring was still there, and I still had to get down on my knees and scrub the toilet. EWIE. Welp, can't always get what we want.

I'm sure if there was a horrible odor or terrible stains or something then this baking soda thing would work. And I guess it wouldn't hurt to try for yourself since baking soda comes in huge boxes and I never find a way to use the whole thing before it expires...

Was that fun? No? Okay, I'll try something more interesting next time so I don't have to take pictures of toilets. :)

Any pins you'd like to request that I try? Let me know in the comments!

linky love

I don't know about you, but I love to "pretend" online shop. That is, I like to go to various websites, add all the items to my cart that I'm dying to have, then quickly close the window before the hubs (or my wallet) sees the damage that could be done. I have no business buying any more home decor accessories or clearance clothing or that bracelet that I just HAVE TO HAVE. I have plenty as it is already, and with baby #2 on the way, I should be saving all my pennies! Lord knows we need it.

Below are links to the items I just HAVE TO HAVE (in my pretend world) this week...

These candlesticks are AMAZEBALLS and I've wanted them for A LONG TIME... here

I saw these bracelets while shopping for more important things at Target, and because the hubs was with me, I didn't want to act TOO interested in jewelry...so I came home, found them online, and am thinking about buying them all. FO REAL. They are too cute. (BONUS: they are about 7.5" long, which is PERF for my fat, large wrists!) here

Who needs a drink dispenser? Um, I do. For all those parties I throw? Maybe not, but I do want one, and this one is affordable AND cute... here (It's not available online...sooo...maybe I'll go to the store tomorrow and stare at this beauty until I decide that a. I need it b. I don't need it c. I should just buy it.)

Is it tacky to register for a dining room table for your wedding registry? Probably so, but that might not stop me from registering for this... here

I love me some clothes. But being pregnant AND overweight doesn't make me too excited to shop for clothes. But seeing a shirt like this one does make me happy. LOVE IT!

Those are some of the link I'm lovin' this week. If you have some you're loving, share!!

easy storage for those pesky scarves that have no home.

I <3 scarves. Not quite sure why/when/where my love affair with scarves began, but it began. I always forget what scarves I have and where they are all hidden, and I've never quite found a good storage solution for them...until now!

All you need is a hanger, some shower curtain loops (not sure what they are really called, but I found mine at Walmart on clearance for 50 cents).

Put shower curtain loopy things onto the hanger, then tie a scarf onto each one. Then hang in your closet and enjoy all your pretty scarves! :)

 

beer cake, for the birthday boy.

Just 2 days ago it was the man's birthday. (Or should I say, MY man's birthday? I dunno, it sounds weird. His name is Eddie, he's my fiance, baby daddy, roommate...let's just call him The Man?) ANYWAY...he said all he wanted was a CD. Well, that's just boring. (Of course he got the CD, but my mom gave it to him...I wanted something a little more fun.)
Let's just say The Man loves beer. Not surprising. He doesn't love cake. Once in a while he'll get a hankerin' for something sweet, but overall I'd say he prefers beer to cake. I came across this idea online & thought it sounded super easy (which it KIND OF was) & super creative, so I went for it.

The picture is pretty self explanatory I think...since he turned 31, I bought a 30 pack of beers (needs to be cans so they will stack, obvi!) and I bought 1 nicer beer in a bottle for the top. This took a little bit of planning beforehand to make sure I had the right configuration to use all the beers, and to make sure I could stack them. I think I used 15 cans for the bottom layer, 10 for the middle layer, and 5 for the top (plus 1 bottle). To help support the cans, I cut out a round piece from the box the beers came in, and placed them on top of each layer. After I had stacked the beers, I tied ribbon around each layer. (Is this making any sense?? Just go with it...) I added a few finishing touches (a bow on top and a balloon...The Man speaks Spanish and it's kind of a joke for us, hence the Feliz Cumpleanos balloon...) and voila! BEER CAKE! The Man was definitely surprised & excited when he woke up on his birthday morning to find this on our dining room table. Thankfully the beers were warm, otherwise I'm sure he'd have grabbed a beer & popped it open (Breakfast Beers were very popular in my college days...lol).

And for that sweet tooth? Just in case he felt like he was missing out, I made him a donut sundae for breakfast...

I got the idea for this at our local fair. Glazed donut, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, sprinkles, a cherry, and a candle! I think this is going to be our new tradition for birthday mornings - it was a hit!

Fancy Name Casserole

Ok, so it's not THAT fancy. I found this recipe online a while ago and had been meaning to make it, but I just never did until recently. It's a twist on Chicken Cordon Bleu, which is just a fancy way of saying chicken stuffed with Swiss cheese and ham. I've never attempted to make the real thing, but I am pretty sure this casserole is WAY easier - and it has all the same flavors!

One day I'll learn to take prettier food pix...until then, just deal with it, kay? :)

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole (or you can call it, Fancy Name Casserole!)
Recipe adapted from here

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Spread 2 cups cooked rice in baking dish. (I used white rice but next time I'd try wild rice or brown rice for more flavor.) Season with salt and pepper.

On top of the rice, add 3 cups cooked chicken that has been shredded or chopped. (Shortcut: use a rotisserie chicken & chop that sucker up!)

Layer 6 slices of Swiss cheese on top of the chicken. Then add 10 slices or so (I used more) of chopped ham on top of the cheese.

In a large bowl, mix 1 can cream of mushroom soup (or cream of anything soup), 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup sour cream, stir until combined. (I also added about 2 Tablespoons of Dijon mustard - it was yummy!!)

Pour soup mixture on top of ham.

Sprinkle top of casserole with 1 cup or so of seasoned bread crumbs.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 22-25 minutes or until nice and bubbly. (Since the casserole is sort of all one color, I served it with a nice green salad full of veggies. Or, you could add a layer of frozen mixed vegetables into the casserole for a one dish meal!)

And there ya have it! Hope ya'll enjoy!!

an update...or two.

This was practically in our backyard - YIKES!

So, I know it's been a while since I've posted ANYTHING...and seriously, so much has happened, but life has been CRAY-ZAY! (is it ever NOT crazy for anyone???)

I am now sitting quite comfortably on my couch in our fresh new living room in beautiful, relaxing, amazing, and wonderful SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. YUP, we finally moved. No more posts complaining about mountain/boonie life! We've been here about 2 weeks and it's finally starting to feel like home (again).

Lots of pictures to post, lots of new recipes to share, DIY attempts (and fails!), and more.

Right as we were packing up our Uhaul and getting ready to Uhaul it outta the woods, a wildfire started just a few miles down the highway from us (see pic above). We were able to make it out safely, as was pretty much everyone else (the fire burned mostly in the Trinity Alps National Forest), and we made the 14+ hour drive down to So Cal...only to be informed that 2 wildfires had started in the foothills near Temecula (where we now live). Excellent. I can think of lots of things that I'd LOVE to follow me around, but wildfires? Not one of them.

Tomorrow we leave for a quick trip for a family funeral, but upon our return, prepare to be bombarded with posts/crazy thoughts/recipes/ideas/blah blah blah!!!

i hate it when...

my favorite bloggers don't post as much as i want them to. oh wait, i do that too? well, i guess i should be understanding - but hey, when you wanna read about someone's awesome/crazy/boring/normal/weird day/life, you just wanna read about it, right? (oh, and as for capitalization - i'm over it. it's BO-RING.)
ANYWAY...so much has been going on the past few weeks (or is it months?) that i don't even know where to begin...got engaged on Mother's Day (i think i mentioned that...), spent 2 weeks visiting family with my little guy while the fiance stayed at home and worked (WOW - can you say exhausting, much?! single moms are rockstars if they can do it!), found an apartment in So Cal, got approved for it, and we're moving July 15th!!!!!!! (WEEEEEE! i am SO EXCITED to be back in So Cal where i feel like i belong!) on Father's Day, my fiance's sweet uncle passed away, found out that we're having another boy (i'm going to be outnumbered! not sure how i feel about that...) and since then we've been organizing, packing, planning, and are busy been stressed out! (at least i am)

yes, this is what i feel like. and look like too, prob.

is it even possible to NOT stress out when moving? especially when you are literally moving from one end of the state of  California to the other?? i believe the correct answer is NO.
how was everyone's Fourth of July? we didn't do anything...surprise, surprise! (we sound like fun, don't we?) actually, in our area, most people camp out for a few days and drink until they pass out, so it's not really a kid friendly holiday. (or even a pregnant person holiday, for that matter.)
i can't think of anything else important (not that the above mentioned is important, but whatevs.) so for now, i'm outta here! time to make the fam bam some dinner.

Farewell, toes.

Goodbye toes...won't be seeing you for much longer!

Oh what? Did you think I was cutting off my feet? Well, not exactly. This is my view of my feet as of today, when my stomach suddenly decided to pop out even further. I'm only 22 weeks! I don't remember this happening that quickly with my last pregnancy?! *sigh* Oh well, at least I can still tell what color my toenail polish is... :)

things i'm loving this week...

1. Pinterest (is that surprising?) - I find more ideas, recipes, tips, etc. on Pinterest than anywhere else on the internet. I've been trying to convince my bestie (that's best friend, folks) to sign up for Pinterest for MONTHS, and she hasn't. Not gonna lie, it kinda makes me feel like we have nothing to talk about or can't be best friends...kidding, kidding, but seirously, sometimes that's how I feel.

2. printables - BEFORE Pinterest, I really didn't know what printables were or that there were so many free printables available online. But AFTER Pinterest, I've learned that I can pretty much find a free printable for A-N-Y-THANG. (This Sunday is Father's Day - search for "Father's Day printable" on Pinterest and you will get lots of great gift ideas & printables!)

3. cold water - yes, I'm loving cold water. Why? Because I learned that after painting your nails, dip them in a bowl of cold water for about 30 seconds and...BOOM! You have dry nails. Amazing, right?! Especially when you never seem to have the time to actually wait for your nails to dry. (Speaking of, I just painted my nails and used this trick - they are totally dry, but of course I messed up one finger while trying to turn on my laptop...grrr...)

4. random commercials - like the one I recently saw for Poise pantiliners or whatever they are, with Kirstie Alley as the spokeswoman. All I really remember about the commercial was the tagline "Don't be freakin' cuz you're leakin'!" Thanks, Kirstie, I'll remember that next time I contemplate buying adult diapers.

5. TJ Miller - he's a comedian, he's on Chelsea Lately a lot, and he's just funny. (See video below - it's random humor, but still humor!)
Trust me, I used to be a lot of candles.

6. being pregnant - besides the obvious reasons, I like having an excuse for the reason as to why I was wearing my pants inside out...which I didn't do purposely...and discovered while in the middle of cooking a lovely Father's Day dinner for my fiance...yeah, it's because I'm pregnant. Right????

7. copycat recipes - ever since I first tasted Cheesecake Factory's avocado egg rolls (with AMAZING dipping sauce), I've said that I would request those if I were on death row and had to choose a last meal. (I'm being 100% serious here - I've said that exact thing MANY TIMES.) So when a strong craving hit for avocado egg rolls, and I realized the nearest Cheesecake Factory was about 630 miles from where I live, I decided to search online for a copycat recipe. And what did I find?! Just what I was looking for, obvi. They turned out DELICIOUS. Recipe & pix to follow - if you've never had them, you MUST MAKE THIS RECIPE. And beware of other restaurants that are trying to copy the OG avocado egg rolls!

I'm sure there is more that I'm loving this week, but right now, I'm loving that it's 10:10PM and I'm about to go to bed! SAWEEEEEET. :)

it's time...

...to break out the maternity jeans! I'll be 20 weeks tomorrow, and it seems like my belly just popped out overnight...yikes. I don't remember when this happened with my first pregnancy, but this seems a little soon, no?!

Does anyone REALLY have legs like this when pregnant? Jealous...

Besides the fact that I can now barely see my feet, I'm having the WEIRDEST pregnancy dreams - EVERY NIGHT. If I wasn't so exhausted by bedtime, I'd probably be scared to go to sleep...anyway...just wanted to share. :)

Grandma's vinaigrette

Maybe it's because I'm pregnant, or maybe it's because I just really like food, but I can't stop thinking about recipes!

This is a simple vinaigrette that my grandma has always made, and she usually keeps a jar of it in the fridge. I was lucky enough to spend 2 weeks with her recently, and I CRAVED this stuff. It's so simple, but so good, and I'm tempted to never buy another store bought salad dressing again!

Red wine vinegar...in case you don't know what it looks like, apparently?!

Grandma's vinaigrette

3/4 canola oil or vegetable oil
1/4 red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp mayo
pinch of sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients and whisk vigorously. Place in fridge for at least 1 hour to chill and let the flavors mingle. (I like to save glass food jars and their lids for this purpose.)

Mmmmm...just thinking about this makes me want some salad! (That's a good thing, isn't it?) My fave is a salad of butter lettuce or mixed greens, avocado, celery, carrots, and green onions with this dressing on it - YUM!

Hope you guys try it and love it as much as I do! :) Now I have to go make the most of my little guy's nap time by finishing up some laundry...yuck...

YUMMY & easy side dish: zucchini coins

Growing up, this was one of the only ways my mom could get me to eat zucchini. (Sound familiar? Apparently I didn't like much that was green, so my mom had to think of ways to cook veggies.) As an adult, I actually LOVE zucchini, but it's not my fiance or my son's favorite, so I make this as a side dish. And they LOVE it as much as I do! It's super quick & easy, and really delicious.

Serves approx. 4 (as a side dish)

3-4 medium sized zucchini
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp olive oil

Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling

In a medium saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion to the pan and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes.
Slice zucchini in 1/4 inch thick "coins", discarding the ends. Add the zucchini to the pan and cook, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic to the zucchini mixture and heat through.
Remove zucchini from the heat and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.

There you go - one of my favorite side dishes with very few ingredients and lots of flavor!!

Pregnancy cravings, oh my.

Cheesy Gordita Crunch from Taco Bell

See: above. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Don't know how long they've been around, but I have never had the desire to try one until recently, when I wanted something soft and crunchy (oxymoron, but ok...). I browsed the menu at Taco Bell, and VOILA! The Cheesy Gordita Crunch popped out at me.
And. It. Was. Delicious.
I wish I had one now. Except, I kinda don't. Something about that Taco Bell "meat" grosses me out...

Also interesting news...according to my last doctor's appointment (which was 3 days ago), I'd lost SIX POUNDS. Excuse me, WHAAAA?? I'd like to pretend that I've been doing prenatal yoga and eating wonderfully, but I haven't. Usually my meals are leftovers that my son didn't eat, and my only form of exercise these days is chasing this little guy around, which often feels like a marathon must feel like.

I'm out from under my Pinterest cloud!

Excuse me while I dust myself off and stretch for a bit. I've been hibernating in my Pinterest cave of ideas, recipes, crafts, and all things creative! What do I have to show for it? Not a whole lot, yet. Whoopsie.

WARNING: Feel free to skip this post entirely if you don't want to listen to me complain and rant about my stressful week. :)

So...to fill you in...if you didn't leave already...

Mother's Day - we took a little day trip to the Redwoods National Park and had a picnic lunch by the beach and took a little hike (which was impromptu and led by our VERY active 1 1/2 year old...). We finished the night off by getting engaged, and having a nice candlelit homemade dinner. That's right! We got ENGAGED! :) He couldn't have planned it better being that it happened on Mother's Day <3

Threw a 60th Surprise Birthday Party for my AMAZING Mom - this was a few months in the works, and it was planned by me and my mom's best friend. The trick for this party is that I live a 12 hour drive away from my mom, and I was going to surprise her by being in OC with my son for the party! (Cue: lots of white lies, gas station pit stops, and temper tantrums by said son.)

After this party, my crazy eventful 2 week "vacation" without my fiance (SO WEIRD to say that word!) began...lots of late nights, early mornings, temper tantrums, and exhausted mom/Grandma/Great Grandma/Grandpa later...we survived and returned back home to our little casa in the mountains.

Did I mention my crazy eventful 2 weeks? Oh yeah. Let me begin with my car. Decided it was time for new tires, but what did I know? I'm just a GIRL...so I made the appointment and took my car in to get spiffy new tires. Picked up my car, drove it home, and noticed a MASSIVE crack in the windshield. GRRRRUMPH. Because of the Memorial Day weekend, the tire store had (conveniently) closed, and I couldn't reach my car insurance company due to the holiday. Meanwhile, I had noticed a mole on my chest that had suddenly changed. (Note: I am EXTREMELY fair skinned, have reddish hair, freckles, and my dad had melanoma about a year ago.) I was able to get an appointment with my mom's dermatologist only because someone had canceled (THANK YOU PERSON!)...after lots of tears and freak outs (probably due to my crazy pregnancy hormones) I found out that all my moles were good, for now.
So back to the car...eventually I noticed the tires looked TINY on my SUV, and I thought they'd put the wrong size on...had to make ANOTHER appointment to get them checked out only to find that no, they were not the wrong size, and I could have just checked the owner's manual for the size and compared it to the size that is printed on the tires. (Well, I'm a girl, DUH!)
Back to the windshield - was able to make an appointment to have someone come to me to replace the windshield (and by this time, the crack had almost tripled in size and my entire windshield was in danger of shattering at any second). I waited patiently for the nice man to come on my appointment day, and when he showed up, what did I hear?! Just that he didn't have the right size windshield, and would have to return the next day between 8AM AND 5PM!? What?! In the midst of all this, my son developed a fever (which he's NEVER had), I had a POUNDING headache, and my fiance and I were in the middle of a crazy irrational "disagreement" with his parents because we had informed them we were planning to move back to Southern California prior to the arrival of our second baby! Talk about STRESS OVERLOAD.

So...car fixed. Fever & headache gone. Had a fun day at the park with my son and my dad - until some kid ran into me with his skateboard and tore the skin off my left heel! (Shoutout thanks to the kids that informed the skateboarder that there is NO SKATEBOARDS ALLOWED at this particular park...good lookin' out!) :)

Next, spent a day with my mom and drove about 1.5 hours to the apartment complex we are looking to move to...only to have the leasing office be CLOSED. For NO REASON! GRRRR. (I guess I'll give myself a tour of the complex, thankyouverymuch.)

Ended up having to cut my trip short because I realized I had scheduled my doctor's appointment the same day I was supposed to return home...tried to complete a charity walk with my son, only to have him decide that that was the morning he would want to sleep in and be cranky once I woke him up to go walk! We got about 500 feet before having to quit... embarassing, much?!

OK...seriously, that was a pathetic post. But I HAD to get it out! So many more things went wrong this past week, it started to become comical. Among them, I broke my toe with a baguette (Yes, the bread), I had to pay for a night at the hotel I was staying at that I didn't even use, I drove 20 minutes out of my way to get food I was craving - and the restaurant was closed for construction. BOO.

It probably doesn't sound like it, but there was LOTS of good times with family and friends!

Alrighty...moving along to happier and better posts... :)

Giveaway update...

WELP, no one entered the giveaway, so, no winners to announce! We'll try it again later, once more items are posted into Perfectly Peacock's store. No hard feelings!! :)

And I promise, more posts are coming soon, and with more regularity! Been a crazy last few weeks I tell ya...

a Pinterest success! (finally...)

A few days ago I posted about how I have experienced some...well...failures, due to my love of Pinterest. T-shirt bracelets and bitter orange chicken aside, I decided to try another recipe I'd found on Pinterest - blackened chicken w/cilantro & lime quinoa. The best part of the recipe? I already had ALL the ingredients in my pantry/fridge except for the limes. So I thought I'd give it a shot for dinner tonight. Let me just say - the boyfriend LOVED it (so much that after he declined seconds, he actually went to the fridge and ate most of the leftovers...) and I thought it was pretty good (but I noted a few changes that I would make the next time around). And the best part was that I REMEMBERED to take a picture...however my food-picture-taking skills are seriously lacking - so I apologize in advance. :)

I found the original recipe on Pinterest (HERE) and below is the adjusted recipe that I found suited my tastes/needs better. (Example: the original recipe called for 1 cup of quinoa, when cooked, serves about 4 or 5 people. Since I was just making this for 2, I reduced the amount of quinoa.)

Adjusted recipe - serves 2


2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I always keep this in our freezer, so I just thawed out 2)
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (I didn't have any - I used chili powder)
1/4 tsp onion powder (again...didn't have any, I used garlic powder)
1/4 tsp cumin
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup quinoa
juice & zest of 2 limes
salt & pepper to taste (for the quinoa)
3 Tbsp cilantro, chopped

Combine dry seasonings in a small bowl & mix together. Pat chicken breasts dry and season both sides of chicken w/seasoning mix.
Add olive oil to a grill pan (or large skillet) and heat on medium high heat. Add chicken to the pan and cook for 6-7 minutes on each side with the lid on the pan. (I don't have a lid for my grill pan, so I covered it with foil.)
Meanwhile, add the chicken stock & quinoa to a medium sauce pan. Bring to a simmer then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until all the stock has been absorbed.
Once the chicken has cooked through, remove from the pan and set aside. Let them rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
After quinoa has cooked, add the lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, and salt and pepper. Mix to combine.

To serve, place the sliced chicken breast on top of the quinoa.

Optional: Puree an avocado w/3-4 Tbsp sour cream for an avocado cream sauce to drizzle over the chicken.



My version - it was pretty tasty!

UPDATE: For those that want nutritional info, here it is! (This info is per serving, and it's approx.)
563 calories, 19g fat, 34g carbs, 3g fiber, 4g sugar, 61g protein

Want free stuff?

A few days ago, I posted about a giveaway that Perfectly Peacock was hosting as they got their shop up and running...and all you have to do is "LIKE" their page on Facebook, and you will be entered to win any item from their shop! (You can even choose a custom handstamped necklace! They are super cute.)
So far, no one has entered...so if only 1 person enters, they will automatically be the winner...am I getting anyone interested?? :)
Just click on the link below, or log in to Facebook and search for "Perfectly Peacock" and "LIKE" their page to be entered to win! You have until May 12 - so get on it! Free means FREE, ya'll!!

LIKE Perfectly Peacock on Facebook to be entered to win!


UPDATE: The giveaway has been extended until May 31 - the winner will be announced on June 1!

my love/hate relationship with Pinterest.

Let me first start by saying that the majority of the time I LOVE Pinterest - I just can't get enough. Tons of ideas, tons of recipes, tons of everything. I don't think it's very easy to describe Pinterest to someone who has never used it or seen it. Like, for example, my boyfriend. He doesn't understand what Pinterest is all about, nor does he think it's worth the time I spend zoning out in front of it. (Although he doesn't complain when I make a tasty dinner and I proudly proclaim "I found this recipe on Pinterest!") He likes to walk around the house making jokes like, "Oh, that's Pinteresting."
SO...why do I hate Pinterest sometimes?? I hate it when I find an awesome idea/recipe/craft/whatever, buy the supplies/ingredients/whatevers for this idea, and upon completion, it's a FAIL. I have to say this has happened quite a few times.
So the other day, I was super excited to try a recipe for crock pot orange chicken. It sounded yummy, wasn't much work, and I hadn't had Chinese food in FOREVER. So after patiently waiting the 3-4 hours for my crock pot to do it's THANG, I served up my dinner. Let me just say...EW. It tasted like a bitter orange swamp mush - not the yummy dinner I had in mind. Luckily, I was able to trick my dog into eating the rest of the chicken (after I had rinsed off the orange goop) and mixed it in with a little bit of her regular dog food. I was going to take a picture, but I was much too irritated to go find my camera. Has this happened to any of you?? Please, tell me it has, because it would make me feel better. :)
Another time I tried to make a bracelet out of a t-shirt...I had to learn to do this hand-finger-knitting-weaving-strange-concept...after I THOUGHT I had mastered it, I attempted to make the bracelet - and it was hideous!! I took pictures of the bracelet...if I can find them, I'll post them!
I've decided that from now on, I'm going to take pictures of every Pinterest-inspired project I embark on. That way, if it turns out fabulously, I can be proud. :) And if it's a fail - well, then, I can post it here for everyone's entertainment. (Personally, I think it's hilarious when I see the actual results of Pinterest projects!)

UPDATE: OK...I found a picture of the bracelets. Maybe they don't look so bad in the picture, but I'm telling you - in person, they look like, well, some t-shirts that I cut up and braided funkily together. Not a good look.

GIVEAWAY!!

Now who doesn't love a giveaway?! Our friends at Perfectly Peacock have offered 1 lucky reader a chance to win ANY ITEM from their online store. They are still updating and adding more items to their Facebook page, but they currently have adorable vintage items and handmade accessories. SOOOO...what do you have to do to enter? All you need to do is "LIKE" their page on Facebook! Easy, huh? You have until midnight on May 12 to "LIKE" their page. A winner will be randomly selected and will be announced on May 14 on this blog. Any questions? Just ask! Click the link below to enter...

LIKE Perfectly Peacock on Facebook to be entered to win!

On a side note...
I've been feeling extra crafty lately...but I need some inspiration! Any ideas?? Please and thank you. :)

UPDATE: The giveaway has been extended until May 31 - the winner will be announced on June 1!

The 1 1/2 minute breakfast!

I can remember my mom making these breakfast sandwiches for me while I was growing up. They are fast, easy, delicious, satisfying, and pretty healthy too! (Oh yeah, and they only have 3 ingredients!) You could make these sandwiches a ton of different ways, but the way I prefer is...

Makes 1 breakfast sandwich

English muffin (whichever is your favorite)
cheddar cheese (or another cheese, if you prefer)
Morningstar Farms sausage patties (yeah, I know these are meatless - but they are really yummy and have lots of protein!)

1. Wrap the sausage patty in a paper towel and microwave on high for about 30 seconds (or until heated through).
2. Cut the English muffin in half and slice (or grate) enough cheese to put on both sides of the muffin.
3. Assemble the sandwich...meaning: English muffin top, cheese, sausage patty, more cheese, and English muffin bottom.
4. Wrap sandwich in the paper towel, microwave on high for 30-45 seconds (or until heated through and the cheese is nice and melty!) :)

And there ya have it! Super fast and super simple. I make these almost every day for the man, the little man (he loves to dip his in ketchup!) and sometimes for myself, too.

I know this isn't rocket-science, but it's just something I wanted to share!

whoopsie.

First off, I want to say... IT'S MAY ALREADY?! Where has the time gone?! One thing is for sure - I've been TERRIBLE at posting/updating/blogging/rambling/writing. But I PROMISE that will change!! Lots and lots of things have been going on over here in our neck of the woods...er, mountains, whatever you wanna call it.
The reason I've been too busy to keep in touch? Well...

I found out about 7 weeks ago, and since then, it's been a whirlwind of doctor's visits, hospital admittances (more on that later...), family visits, and Easter.
Lots of recipes, photos, crafts, etc. to post - so stick around!! (Oh yeah, and that giveaway I mentioned a while back? It's still gonna happen! Technical difficulties, my friends.)

Day 25 - green

This dino's green right? My little guy LOVES to ride around the house on this thing, and I think it's adorable too!

Day 24 - inside your bathroom cabinet

This is under the sink. Ugly, right? The left side is supposed to be mine and the right side is supposed to be my man's, but, as you can see, I've sorta taken over both sides. On the left you'll see the jumbled cords to my hair dryer, curling iron, straightener, wave iron, and who knows what else. In the middle is my lonely bottle of developer used for hair dye (I am a license cosmetologist, mmmmmkay?) and on the right is some cotton balls, my retainer in a case (that I still wear once a month - my dad IS a dentist after all...) and some lovely feminine products in the basket. Bet you wanted to know all that didn't ya?!

Day 23 - your shoes

YEP, I wore these today. We went on a mini vay cay (vacation, ya'll) to Mt. Shasta to play in the snow, so what better time to whip out the rain boots? Plus, they make me happy. :)

Day 22 - where you work

Since I'm a stay-at-home mom, our house is pretty much where I work. (Don't go judging - this is just a rental, and if you've read any of my previous posts, you are fully aware that this house was built for someone who loves wood paneling, shag carpet, and terrible wallpaper...not me.)

Day 21 - a fave photo of you

This is not necessarily my FAVE photo of myself, but I do LOVE the mustache. :)

Day 20 - handwriting

My handwriting...on my (not yet finished) grocery list...and the yeast is to make some homemade bread (in case you wondered) because I recently read an article that freaked me out about what's in the bread sold in stores...yeah, no.

Day 19 - something you hate to do

LAUNDRY...well, not the actual loading and cleaning and washing and drying part - it's the folding and putting away part that I hate! But what can ya do?

Day 18 - drink

After some outside playtime with the little guy, I got to relax indoors with my new US Weekly and a Rockstar and a water...oh the excitement!

Day 17 - time



Here is our lovely Jimi Hendrix wall clock...I'm not a fan of this decor, can you tell? Nothing wrong with Hendrix, but, I'd rather not decorate the house with music memorabilia...it was a gift, so I'll have to put up with it for now! (Right? What does one do when you receive a gift for your home that you don't happen to like...? Must you display it?)

Day 16 - something new

Here are a few somethings...picked them up while grocery shopping, of course. Some candles & a cheap frame for a DIY project (which I'll post later!).

Day 15 - phone



Here is our home phone. Interesting, right? I couldn't think of anything else to take a picture of that looked cool and could be considered a "phone"...lol.

Day 14 - heart



Here is the V-day breakfast I made for my Valentine - a banana berry smoothie, heart shaped bacon, and a heart shaped eggs in a basket (or eggs in a hole, whichever you prefer).

Day 13 - blue

This was an early Valentine's Day gift from my mom - a peacock blanket. I <3 anything and everything peacock, and now I can (literally) wrap myself up in it!! :)

Rainy day craft (or i-just-wanna-make-something craft)

So, I love my crafts. They don't always turn out the way I'd hope/expect, but sometimes, they do. I'm pretty sure I saw this online somewhere (or I just want an excuse for why I'm crafting with toilet paper rolls...). ANYHOO...this one is pretty self-explanatory. I'm sure there are all kinds of things you can do with the cardboard from the inside of a roll of toilet paper, but this is what I did with it...

HOOTIE-HOO! (I'm an owl, I hope you can tell.)

There ya have it! A (practically) free craft that is quick, easy, and fun. Maybe you won't be winning any crafting awards (is there such a thing?) with this, but hey, it's a great thing to do with your kids, right?!

Day 12 - inside your closet

Don't stare too long - you might see something that you shouldn't! I have to admit, my closet is mostly full of shoes and purses...my clothes usually end up shoved into a drawer in my dresser. (Organization is not my strong suit...obv!) But at least there are, like, 3 blouses on hangers, right? Do I get a LITTLE credit?