11 Randoms

Over here in blog world there has been this things going around 11 Random Things about you. I happened to get tagged so I guess I should follow the rules for my blog friends. And well my mom took little miss for a couple hours & it keeps me distracted from having to clean! ;)

RULES:
1. Post the rules
2. Post a photo of yourself & 11 random things.
3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post.

My Random 11:

1. I'm officially training for my 2nd marathon (but this time I'm enlisting running buddies a.k.a my sister) Yes, I am a sick person I actually like to run.

2. I love love love boiled eggs

3. I find showering to be the biggest waste of time (but yes I still do it)

4. I love camping & the great outdoors

5. My guilty pleasure is The Bachelor(ette). & don't even get me started on what happened on the finale last night! But yay! Emily is coming back!

6. I find 30 to be a very awkward yr. I suddenly do not know what is age appropriate anymore & am often asking my 4 yr olds advise on outfits (its better than my husbands! lol)

7. I have Restless Leg Syndrome which makes me sound like an old lady! hate it. prolly from all the running.

8. I am a crazy planner & often go overboard! (you should see my folders for our trip in a couple weeks! LOL)

9. I love having the windows open. ahhh. love this weather!

10. Writing comes easy to me but talking is another story. The psychology theory that girls use more words than guys... not in my marriage! Have you met my husband?! 

11. My newest dream is to move to a farm. Rehab an old barn as my house. get some horses, cows, chickens & live a simple life. someday... as for now I'm a city girl.

Questions from Mrs G:

1. Have you ever been to Disneyland? If so, what is your favorite thing to do there? If not, do you plan on going in the near future?

We are taking  Karly there the year before she starts KG. Every kid needs that cool, what did you do over the summer story...Cannot wait! I have been, but its been a long time!

2. Ocean or Mountains?

ooh why not both?!  But if I had to choose-- Ocean!!  It is one of my favorite places on earth. 

3. A memory from your childhood.

Saturday mornings with my sister, Tracey.

4. Your favorite piece of furniture in your home.

my bedroom set. it is old & kinda outdated for todays standards, but it was my parents 1st furniture set they could afford when they got married. And it just seems extra special to me. I can't wait to pass it to my daughter some day.

5. A picture that you treasure.

Are you kidding me. I have thousands!!! But my most fav was the 1st picture we took when Kar was born. I was holding her & Jason was kissing her head & you can see in his face he was holding back all his tears. There is so much emotion in that one moment.

6. An evening with no plans would be spent: 

blogging. lol. 

7. Camp fire or fireplace? Why?

campfire. I love the outdoors. I love to camp. Being outside, under the stars just makes you feel so small. Oh & don't forget roasted marshmallows!!!

8. Something you wish you could buy at half price (either a one time purchase or something you have to buy often). 

There is a house Jason is rehabbing, that is my dream home. If it was half price we could

afford it! And I'd paint the front door yellow!

9. You get to go back to high school and re-live one day. What day would it be? 

Chicago trip. I met a certain boy who I wish I'd never met. 

10. You're at your favorite restaurant. What do you order?

I have a lot of favs. But my most fav is Lombardo's--toasted ravioli, house salad, filet with white pasta. It is to die for! But oober $$$.

11. Mama always said:

"You'll see once you have kids how fast time flies" -- she was not kidding!

Mommy Workouts

If you follow me on Facebook you may know that I have recently been really discouraged with my workout/ fitness routine. Well, lets be honest here... I was freaking out! For a week everyday I was gaining at least one lb & sometimes more. Between tues & Sunday I had gained 7 lbs- very abnormal for me! Well I have readjusted my workouts & my calorie intake, along with how often I am eating & I am well on my way to getting back to normal. Not really sure what happened but it was SO NOT COOL! Growing up I never had to even think about what I ate- I was a stick & I ate like crazy! Since giving birth everything has changed. I was lucky enough & worked my booty off to lose the 57lbs of baby weight I gained (UGH! that hurts to type) & no I did not go buck wild- I lived on Gingerale, apples & pretzels & still managed to gain 57+lbs! But now I really have to be careful because I can gain weigh really quick now. I'm a slave to my scale ;)

One of these days I'm gonna video tape my workouts (not for watching me) but to show you all my 4 yr old. She gets WAYYY into it! "Faster Mommy, squeeze tighter, you need heavier weights, come on, that is NOT your best, you better not quit, You can do this!" And now, when I'm doing floor work she bends down next to me & puts her hands on my abs to make sure they are tight! It cracks me up! She just might be the next Jillian Michaels. Today while eating lunch she said "Now mommy how many calories are you eating?" Nothing like having my 4 yr old be my accountability! LOL. I love it, it really does keep me motivated & its a good reminder. I also love that I am not just telling her the importance of being healthy but I am actually showing her. I have always loved working out (even though I don't like starting, once I start I am sold!) My workouts use to be a time to myself to help me refocus & rejuvenate. Things are a little different now, with Karly barking orders at me & the dog chasing my ponytail or running off with my weights, its now me trying to find my focus & stay there in spite of the chaos! The people out there who think stay at home moms have all the luxuries in the world-- please come to my house for just a day! I do love staying home with her, but trust me when I say it is NOT luxurious! :)

Jason & I are celebrating our anniversary with a trip to Hawaii in April so I have HUGE motivation to kick it into high gear. Crossing my fingers, working hard & praying I hit my goal in 6 weeks! Wish me luck now I am off to workout ;)

My Cozy Kitchen

There are so so many things in life that I love to do, problem is, I get bored with things very quickly. It is a piece of my personality that drives my sweet husband crazy! I love to accomplish things & move on! One thing I never get tired of is cooking. I love to cook!

Cooking is an outlet for me, everything in my life can be crazy, but there is peace in my kitchen :)  I have no 'real' skill, no education, just a really good taste testers (aka Big Daddy & lil bug). The downfall is- my waistline. My theory is if you cook it, than the calories you consume do not count for you- seems fair to me! IF ONLY...

I remember always helping my mom in the kitchen. I always enjoyed spending that time with her. It is so much fun to now get to share those moments with my sweet girl. The minute I say "its time to cook", she grabs her stool & runs in to help. She is a very good helper. Every night she sets the table & gets drinks ready. Not only do I love getting to teach her about cooking but she is also more willing to try food she helps make. On Valentines Day, she made brownies all by herself! I gave her the tools & she knew exactly what to do- I was so proud of her! There are times when having two extra little hands can create a bigger mess or can slow me down, but at the end of the day the mess can be cleaned & these moments are priceless.

Kar cutting peppers for the 1st time with a REAL knife.  She thought she was such a big girl!
(Please excuse the bottle of cleaner on the counter! :) this is a real house- things don't always get put away! ;)

Sampling her Brownies :) DELISH!

I DO. (10 yrs later)

 10 years ago today I stood in front of God & 400+ friends & family to say "I DO" to a man that would forever change my life.  Its amazing how much life can change in 10 yrs!

I have to admit that hasn't all been love & roses. At 20 yrs old & very naive to what 'real' life was all about- I had a a lot of learning to do & quick. I think we made it about 3 or 4 days (the memory is a little blurry) before we had our 1st BIG fight, yes that is correct on our honeymoon! 


He had this 'great' idea to rent snowmobiles & drive them through the mountains... sounded fun at first. Until he took off & I could no longer see him. It was just me, the tall snowy pines, and in time, tears that were turning to icicles on my face. I could not drive this huge thing & if I got off I would sink in about 20ft off snow! I am a pretty adventurous girl. I love adrenaline. But I can tell you without question that I HATE snowmobiles & no, they are nothing like jet ski's! Don't worry we eventually worked it out. Once I found him & quit yelling at him, I jumped on his & we left mine in the mountains. The rest of the ride was great! Well except for when he sank us! LOL. Lets just say we will not be doing this, ever again!!!

the snowmobile that won us our 1st fight ;)

I remember the flight home, feeling so in love and at the same time so nervous to start this new life. I should tell you that I have 2 sisters. I have never lived with a boy in my life! I learned quickly that boys are VERY different! 

We would be coming home to our 1st new house. 

The last time we saw it before we left for the honeymoon they had just finished drywall. Our flight arrived back to STL really late. We were walking in just as the cleaning crew was walking out. We walked into a big empty house, no furniture, no towels nothing. Just a mattress on the floor & thank God Jason's mom was kind enough to leave a set of new sheets for us or we would have slept on a cold matress. I remember this night like it was yesterday, lying on the cold white sheets feeling like I was in a dream. This house was mine! This boy is mine! AHHHH. (I hadn't decided yet, if it was a good or bad dream!;)


We say that the 1st year we were married we both thought we had made the biggest mistake of our lives. It can all be summed up in working long hours, lots of tears, lots of arguing, false expectations.... It was a lot! (I won't get into all that) But I will say that it makes for great stories of locking doors, throwing a wet rag (ps- I don't recommend that! No one likes getting a soaking wet rag whizzed at their face. Didn't go over so well! LOL), I still have a hole in my basement door from ones of this great 'discussions'! (Ok so maybe I had a bit of an anger problem, cause all that was just things I did! baaahaaahaaa.) Jason is more the silent but violent type. He would get at me by not talking or leaving. Needless to say we both a lot to learn to this marriage thing. So for all you friends out there just now trying to figure it out, the best advise I can give you is don't give up when times get hard! All of those fights have made us better, stronger. They do not even hold a candle to all the incredible things marriage has to offer.


Over time, a few marriage seminars & counseling sessions later I can honestly say that I have never loved anyone more than I love this man. He knows me oh so well! He always lets me know how much he loves me & tells me that I am more than enough to him. He has shown me what true unconditional love really is. He has taken me on so many adventures- hang gliding, white water rafter, hot air balloons, taught me to drive a motorcycle, surfed the waves of Barbados, witnessed to people on the streets, lead a 80 student youth ministry, started new businesses, 6 years of infertility, finding a new church home, full time student & graduation, getting a dog, returning the dog, getting a new dog. remodeling the house, finally getting pregnant & having a baby, 18 months with no paycheck (that was an adventure!), 3 best friends moving away, big music breaks...(all that was in no particular order ;) We have been through it all & I am so glad that I had his hand to hold! He adds so much to my life. 10 years ago when we went through our pre-marriage classes, they told us that we were so opposite that we would either kill each other or be the perfect balance for each other. They were so accurate! The 1st few years we about killed each other & now I think we are the perfect balance. We have learned to appreciate each others differences & have learned from each other. He has taught me to be more sociable & light hearted and I have taught him that structure is good & I greatly improved his style! ;)

for your viewing pleasure:

hang gliding over the TN mountains

a fresh coconut from the trees of Barbados

Rock Climbing in Barbados

A monkey I wanted to bring home

Our catamaran ride.
  I spent puking my guts out the entire ride.
 ;/ UGH.

Baby girl is on her way!

Karly Love entered our world

family christmas

my marathon run with lots of support from my hubs!

So incase you can't tell I like this man A LOT. 

"Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads, which sew people together through the years."

Here we are back in the day...

And now...

I love you Big Daddy, thanks for taking this journey with me & loving me thru it! I can't wait to see where the next 10 take us?! As you always say, "Marriage is like wine, just gets better with time!"

The Pioneer Woman.

My sister recently introduced me to my new best friend, The Pioneer Woman. Ever heard of her? Holy cow I've only known her a couple days & she has changed my life!!!


Last night I made her Cheesy Corn Chowder recipe. Holy Cow was the best soup I have ever eaten- EVER!
Recipe for Cheesy Corn Chowder
I had a last minute idea to run to bread co & pick up a few bread bowls. We love bread in this house! Once I poured them into the bread bowls I placed a pieces of pepperjack cheese on top & popped it under the broiler. (Oh & I omitted the green onion because I find it to be repulsive). Man I wish I would have taken a picture! It looked AMAZING & better yet, it tasted heavenly. I think my husband went back for 4th's maybe even 5th's!! It was really simple to make. Made it in less than 30 mins. This will be a new staple in our house! I am already dreaming about the left overs in my fridge (the very small bowl of leftovers, thanks to my hubs!;)


As if the soup was not life changing enough she has an iced coffee recipe. The real way to my heart is coffee, iced coffee that is! Iced coffee is my love, its almost sad how much I love it. I really think I would curl up in a ball & die without it. My sis & I are always trying to find new ways to create iced coffee- nothing worse than watered down coffee or lukewarm coffee..eewww. No matter what the circumstance, I want ICED coffee. I am not a fan of the hot stuff. It can be 15 degrees & snowing and I find my iced coffee just as soothing. This woman, the pioneer woman, understands my pain! Her recipe was like one I had never seen & if it worked would mean, I could have a month worth of iced coffee for a total of $4! See why I love her?! 


The Perfect Iced Coffee Recipe


I gave it a whirl & wahhlaaa! Like magic. In my hands is one of the best iced coffee's I have had in a long time.  I highly recommend the sweetened condensed milk tip. Gives a whole new level of greatness to iced coffee! Also, don't throw away your grounds!!! My sister pulled out a beauty tip-- save your grounds & use them for exfoliation. That is right, turn your coffee grounds into:
Exfoliating Perk It Up Facial (no pun intended!) lol.
1/4c grounds
1 egg
mix. rub all over face. let dry & then rinse with warm water.


or


Bust that Cellulite Away. (At least your can get rid of the calories you just drank!;)
Those expensive cellulite creams have one ingredient in common: caffeine! You can make your own cellulite treatment with caffeinated coffee grounds that works beautifully. Here’s how:

The used grounds.

2. Mix about a quarter-cup of used coffee grounds with a tablespoon or so of olive oil. I recommend doing this in the shower or putting newspaper down on the floor...and apply the coffee mixture to your cellulite areas using your hands or a loofah mitt. Don’t worry if a lot of the coffee mixture falls; enough will stick to your skin to do the trick.


3. Allow to remain on for several minutes. (you can wrap the area in plastic wrap if you want to be productive while you wait, but I say grab a book & enjoy a few minutes of quiet time!)

4. Remove wrap and brush off excess coffee mixture. Shower with warm water.5. This procedure is most effective when repeated twice a week.


 Other ideas for the grounds:


Deodorize with Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds will also get rid of the oniony, garlicky, or fishy smells that cooking leaves often behind on our hands: just rub a handful of used grounds all over your hands and then rinse with warm water. You can also fill a muslin bag with used grounds to deodorize yourself all over in the bath or shower
.
Plant Food: Use grounds to 'top off' the soil in houseplant pots, or mix it with potting soil before planting. Most plants love coffee


 Insect repellant. Sprinkle old grounds around places you don’t want ants, or on the ant piles themselves. The little buggers will move on or stay away. Used grounds are also said to repel snails and slugs.

Dye. By steeping grounds in hot water, you can make brown dye for fabric, paper of even easter eggs

Cleaning product. As they’re slightly abrasive, grounds can be used as a scouring agent for greasy and grimy stain-resistant objects.

Furniture scratch cover-up. Steep grounds and apply a bit of the liquid to furniture scratches with a Q-tip.

Kitty repellent. To keep kitty from using the garden as her personal powder room, sprinkle grounds mixed with orange peels around your plants.

Boost your carrot harvest. Mixing fresh grounds with the tiny seeds makes them easier to sow and may repel root maggots and other wee beasties. 

ok so incase you can't tell the Pioneer Woman is my new best friend (even though she doesn't even know I exist!) I am just thankful she does! :)

For the love... Of homemade cleaners!

Yes, it's valentines day! One of my favorite days of the year, mostly because I get to eat my favorite treat all day long & not feel the least bit guilty! Which got me thinking about all the other many things I love:
My crazy-fun-loving husband
My little love, Karly Bug
Our almost grown up, Noelle
My endearing mother
Wild & hilarious father- who should be named Mr Gorilla Glue, for finding more uses for the product than the inventor intended
My sisters (real & ones I've adopted)
My Best friends
Iced coffee- it is beyond addiction, it is love!
My bed
Rainy days
My grill- yes I am crazy about my BBQ grill!
Lazy days in the pool
Corn on the corn (with tons of butter)
The first snow of the season
Sweet tea & Fried Zuchinni
A good heart to hart talk
Jillian Michaels
McCarthurs Cake
Pedicures
Pretty handwriting
The beach
a song that speaks to my heart
Dancing with my girl (she is the only one I dance for)
Spending the day alone
A clean house
New Sheets
Finishing a work out
A perfect brownie
Pasta house cheesecake - so much of what I love includes food. Must be why I'm always working out ;)

I could go on but I'll spare you...

One thing I really love is SAVING $$$! I love love a good sale! Not too long ago I stumbled upon Ways to make my own household cleaners. I've tried many recipes in the past & never thought they worked as well... I decided to give it another try and I have to admit... I'm in love!

Here's are my recipes
Because I am really frugal I just use all my leftover bottles when the 'real stuff' runs out I just fill them with my recipes. It takes literally seconds to make these. I've had people say, you have too much time on your hands to be making your own cleaners.... Uh no! I actually save time by not having to run to the store every time I'm out of something.

Windex Multipurpse Cleaner:
1/8c ammonia
1/4c rubbing alcohol
1 t laundry detergent
Fill the rest of the bottle with water

Clorox:
1/4c Bleach
1T laundry Detergent
Fill rest of bottle with water

Wrinkle Spray: I use this all the time now! I hate to iron!
All equal parts vinegar, fabric softener & water

Shower Cleaner: this ROCKS!!!
1c white vinegar
1c dawn
Heat it up in the micro for about 30 seconds, give it a stir & pour into bottle.

I absolutely love theses recipes! They work awesome & when you divide it all up the most you a paying is 16 cents a bottle!!!! Initially it will cost about $20 to buy all you need but it should last you a year's worth (or longer) of cleaning supplies.

Today I ran out of laundry detergent so I got adventurous! After reading lots of blogs & doing a little research I decided to take the plunge!

Powder laundry detergent:
3 bar of soap (shred it with a food processor or cheese grater). Sounds harder than it actually is. Took me like 5 min!)
1/2 box Borax
4 boxes Baking Soda

That's it!!! I have done 4 load of laundry with it today & I have to say that I am impressed! If I calculated right, this amount should last me over 6 months & was less than $10!!!
It's this simple things that make me happy. Cheap & clean- what's not to love!?

PS: I'm still looking for a great hardwood recipe so if anyone out there has one that works send it my way!!!

What makes you pretty?

I always knew that being a mom would mean making difficult decisions, but I was not prepared for this. This morning I had to leave early for church & Jason had to bring the girls. I told them that I laid clothes out & it should be easy. Boy was I wrong!

"Mom I am an athlete, I do not wear fancy clothes, only sweats!" I hear this phrase on a daily basis from my little miss, but today was followed by... "I do not like myself today! Look at this outfit!"  You have to understand that while she is saying this, she has HUGE crocodile tears & she is VERY upset.

I have a confession, I have often judged the parents who let their kids just wear whatever they want to. I have had many strong opinions about this. It was a peeve of mine & I said I would not be "that parent". Boy am I about to eat those words. I get it now. I often struggle with knowing what battles to pick- in one aspect I absolutely do not want to raise a spoiled brat, but on the other hand does it really matter if her clothes match or if wears sweats?! Might sound silly but it is a real battle for a control freak like myself. But today solidified it for me- hearing my 4 year old tell me that she does not like herself broke my heart. I want more than anything to raise a confident strong young lady, yet I am implying that she must do this under my terms & that is not ok.

It is funny how one day she just woke up with a personality all of her own. I guess I just always expected to have this girlie girl who loved pink, purple, tutu's & all that glitters. I never expected to have a little tomboy who'd have grease in her nails from working on the car with her Daddy, who would want a super hero party & if there are sports on the TV she suddenly has no interest in anything else around her. It is a bit endearing & a bit repulsive to me all at the same time :)

So Kar & I sat down today & I asked her, "Kar what is it that makes you pretty?" She very sweetly pointed to her heart, "its on my insides, BUT you think I am pretty when I wear snazzy things." It hit me in that moment that this was a mommy lesson- I had messed up... ouch that hurts!

 I went on to promise her that from today on, she could choose her own outfits, even to church! And that what she wore could never make her MORE beautiful to me. I was saddened by what I was teaching her, yet proud that even though I had messed up she got the bigger picture. So please, do not judge me when you see my child & she looks ridiculous- I would much rather her look crazy now if it means gaining confidence in who God created her to be, than be crazy later in life & confused about who she is. So here is to raising a confident little lady & not always getting it right as the mom.