A beautiful ending

Every year, we celebrate the end of the year with the birth of our beautiful Miss B. It's a beautiful way to end the year and begin the new one. Motherhood wasn't something we planned. Infact it was quite a shock to us, but when M and I look back at our 4 years together, we can't imagine life any other way. 

2010 was a year that at times, felt to drag on. But we spent it all together, in good company and with great friends and family. So there can't be too much to complain about. 

Katie, over at Sluiter Nation, does awesome Top Ten Tuesday posts that model David Letterman's top ten list. I love it and love reading her ideas and lists. She also gives her readers the opportunity to link up and write their own top ten lists. What a great idea. I've been wanting to join in on the fun for awhile and today seems like a good week to do it.

So here it is...

Mama Heada's Top 10 of 2010

10. I became a Blogger

I kickstarted January 1st, 2010 off by once again entering the blogging world. In what feels like another life, years ago, I had various blogs that documented the daily sagas and dramas of my life. This time around I decided my blog needed to be my sanctuary. A place for me to get out my thoughts and feelings and just write. It's evolved over the year and I've linked up with some pretty cool ladies because of it. Some posts have been drama. Some I can't post because they aren't very nice. Some have been huge hits.  It's a great place for me to "get away" to and I love all those that comment and follow along. Thanks for joining me for the sometimes bumpy, but fun ride!

9. We almost bought a house

We signed and and sent over an offer letter in the last days of December 2009 on a cute little three bedroom, 2 bath condo. We got the ball rolling, got into escrow and BOOM! Got slammed from the left and right with all sorts of drama from the sellers. We stayed in escrow for almost 6 months before finally canceling our offer, dropping out of escrow and instead moving out of my grandparent's home and renting a little house of our own. Everything turned out perfect. As it always does. And I learned that buying a house is a headache!

8. We rescued a new puppy

One of our dreams pups has always been a black lab. I would love to have two if I could. I imagine them galloping around playfully in our yard and letting Miss B and any other future children pull, tug, poke them without a care in the world. So one day while pursuing the thrifty girl's dream website (aka Craigslist), I just so happened to open up the Pet section to find an ad for a black lab puppies that were rescued from a litter of 10 before being dropped off at the shelter. The dad had accidentally impregnated the mom before they could get him neutered. The entire situation seemed like it may be too good to believe. I got in contact with the lady and low and behold, the dog was infact real and we could adopt her or her sister anytime. We would have taken them both if we could have but chose the spunky dog with the pink color and white patch of hair on her chest. And life as pet owners, has never been the same. We love her and are lucky to have her in our family. Not to mention is amazing with B.

7. Miss B started walking

It was St. Patrick's Day. After months of standing and teasing us with the idea of walking, the princess, at almost 15 months, got up and took off. And I've been trying to catch up ever since. Walking sure does make parenting a whole new ball game. Fun but oh, so tiring.

6. I lost my GG and watched other family's members health decline

Our biggest loss of 2010 was the loss of my Great Grandma Dorothy. We knew it was coming and even though we got to say our goodbyes, getting the text, processing the death and attending the funeral was difficult. I don't know that anyone is ever fully prepared to lose someone. And that loss made us realize that we are all surely getting older, including those that have been influential in both mine and M's lives. It's definitely been a process as we prepare that time is precious and if not a visit, then just even a phone call is important. Life is short. Time is fleeting.

5. I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety

Likely caused by the wave of hormones after pregnancy and decreases in breastfeeding, I began battling high anxiety in late 2009. It didn't take me long to realize, this was a problem. What I didn't realize was that it was going to be a longterm problem. With the anxiety came depression. And when the depression subsided the anxiety would come back. It seems like a neverending cycle. Will it ever end? I don't know. I can only take one day at a time. (Currently working on this)

4. My best friend's getting married!

He was the one. The proposal was imminent. I knew it. I could just feel it. So it was no surprise when my dearest and oldest friend called me at 1A to excitedly spill the news. I didn't answer that night but when I called her back the next day, the first words out of my mouth were, "You're engaged aren't you?!?!" And indeed she was. Tears flowed down my face and continued to roll down my face when she asked me to be her Matron of Honor and for Miss B to be her flower girl. I couldn't imagine supporting her in any other way. And wedding planning got into full swing.

And not only her, but we celebrated other friends and family members weddings, pregnancies, graduations, promotions, births, job changes, moves, etc with many other friends as well. Sometimes it's just as joyous to watch your dearest friends live their life and support them through it all as it is to live it yourself.

3. We went to the Happiest Place on Earth

For the second year in a row, we were lucky enough to be able to visit the happiest place on Earth; Disneyland. We packed in everything we could,  rode all the rides, got to see the Christmas parade and the park lit up and decorated for the holidays. What a fun family day. And even better, my mom and brother joined us as well. 

Other fun memories of the year, trips to the aquarium, bike rides around the park and along the Santa Ana river, park picnics, afternoons spent swinging in the swings, a day at the zoo, etc. We have a million fun memories. 

2. Celebrating M's new job

After almost a year and a half of searching high and low for a job with a little more stability, the job market and opportunities were looking bleak. We decided there was nothing to do but go with the flow. Until one day I found a company online. It was a huge company about 15 miles from home (compared to his 100+ mile a day commute) that would be an amazing opportunity for M. I had my fingers crossed when I submitted the resume for M, not even telling him about it. Low and behold, a little over a week later we found out the person hiring for the position was actually someone we were acquainted with. The interview process was short and sweet and a few weeks later, M was blessed with an amazing senior position, with a short commute, great benefits and a 20% pay raise. Life has a great way of always working it self out I guess.

1. Our first family trip to Hawaii

When M and I started dating and eventually got married, we weren't faced with the dilemma of how to divide our holidays equally with our family. Infact it was more like, how are we going to afford to go see the other family at all? It was a difficult and being in Hawaii didn't make it much easier. Airfare was expensive and the outlook was bleak. We were close to M's family and mine was 2500+ miles away. The fact was that we were divided. Life changed quickly and a year after we had started dating, 6 months after we got married, we were 6 wks pregnant, packed up and shipping out to CA, where we'd be closer to my family. We planned to visit when we could. But realistically, it never worked out. Until this year. When I finally told M, it's time to use the money we have and go. We'll have a great time and it's time. And you know what, it was an amazing vacation and it was great to visit with everyone and introduce B to our other home. 

Honorable Mention:

1. My baby turned 1

We kicked off 2010 as we leave and kickstart every year with the celebration of B's birthday. One of the funnest things about 2010 was the journey into toddlerhood. Talking, tantrums, baby giggles, independence, etc. Life is never dull, that's to say the least.

And there you have it. My top 10 of 2010. Now time to go snuggle up with my love, enjoy my glass of bubbly and take a shower at midnight to cleanse myself and start my year off so fresh and so clean. 

Happy New Year my friends! 

Much love,

Turkey Sloppy Joes

I have to admit. I'm in a slump with this cooking business. I just cannot find my groove with it and it is frustrating the hell out of me. I think it's because it's like starting from scratch. Dedicating the time to find all new recipes, try them out, adjust my budget accordingly, etc. It's not that I don't want to do it, but let's face it, the holidays have had me busy slammed. So trying to juggle it all...just wasn't working.

So finally the day after Christmas, I reevaluated how I was going about this and what I was going to do about it. And even though I hated sloppy joes as a kid. Decided I'd give them a whirl another time around. And you know what, not so bad.

Here's my spin on Turkey Sloppy Joes.

Turkey Sloppy Joes

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1 pkg McCormick sloppy joe seasoning mix 

1 lb ground turkey

1 (6oz) can tomato paste

1 1/4 cup water

buns

Substitutions: You may substitute 1 (15oz) can of tomato sauce for the paste and water

Directions:

Brown meat in skillet. Drain fat.

Stir in seasoning, tomato paste and water.

Bring to a boil. Reduce and simmer for 10 mins, stirring occasionally.

Serve with buns

Alternative servings:

According to the McCormick website, you can serve this in hot dog buns or tortillas. 

You can also use it as a topping for pizza, cornbread, pasta or rice.

Mama Heada thoughts:

I mentioned before and I'll say it again, I never liked sloppy joes growing up. Something about them freaked me out. So when I found a bunch of different ideas for them online, my first thoughts were, oh no, no way. But they actually looked yummy. And there are a lot of different great recipes out there on how to make them more homemade without the seasoning packet but let's face it. Sometimes we are in a time rut and need to get dinner on the table because we have a hungry, hardworking husband on his way home from work and a screaming toddler tugging at our leg. Is this a picture of my house? Not at all. ;) jk. This is what my house looks like on a daily basis.

I had everything I needed and it took me less than 20 mins to fix it up and serve with a bowl of salad and a roasted cauliflower. I placed about 1/2 of the turkey mixture on Oroweat Honey Wheat sandwich thins and we were good to go. M and Miss B enjoyed their meat mixture over a bowl of hot rice. And you know what? It was actually good. Albeit it was a little plain (we are trying to eliminate as much salt as possible from our diets), it was good and light but filling. One of the more filling meals we've had actually. I was impressed. Next time I think I'll add some garlic, yellow peppers and onion to it to give it some variety. But all in all, it was yummy. Like, really yummy. Like the kind of yummy when I actually eat leftovers. And I NEVER like to eat leftovers.

And the best part? According to myfitnesspal.com, for half a cup of McCormick ground turkey sloppy joes mix, this is the nutritional values:

Calories	122	Sodium	521 mg
Total Fat	3 g	Potassium	0 mg
Saturated	0 g	Total Carbs	4 g
Polyunsaturated	0 g	Dietary Fiber	0 g
Monounsaturated	0 g	Sugars	3 g
Trans	0 g	Protein	17 g
Cholesterol	28 mg
Vitamin A	3%	Calcium	1%
Vitamin C	3%	Iron	3%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Say what?!?! My kind of meal! Add in another 100 calories for the Oroweat sandwich thins and you have a sloppy joe for less than 250 calories! And did I mention it was yummy? :) Another one for the new cookbook!

Please note that the nutritional values listed on here are courtesy of myfitnesspal.com and are used as a guideline. Values may or may not be completely accurate. 

Changes

I'm so excited to announce changes coming to my blog soon.

One of the big ones is that after this post, I'll be launching my blog from my new domain: www.mamaheada.com!! Hopefully the transition will be easy and those of you that follow along will continue to (easily) join me for the ride. So if you have my blog bookmarked or saved, please take a moment to redo everything. I'd really appreciate it. :)

And as a one year blogoversary gift to myself and my outlet, I'm treating my blog to a makeover by Lindsay at Happy Housewife Designs. I'm excited to see what she does with my ideas and how she "runs with it." I started this blog thinking I'd design it all myself. But let's face it, I'm a busy mama. And I'd rather be spending my time doing other fun things. So I'll leave the fun design work to Lindsay.

I'll also be launching a Mama Heada facebook page and hosting my very first giveaway. Ok that sounds WAY more exciting that what it really is. Honestly, I have something I bought double of and I'm way too lazy to return so giving it away. It's pretty awesome though. :D

Hopefully you'll all continue on this crazy bumpy ride with me. It's gonna be a good one!

Hi Mama

It's been a long time coming so it really was no surprise.

 I take a lot on my plate.
I'm a perfectionist.

Because of this, I don't delegate my to-dos because I like to be in control of them. 

I usually have a clear cut simple way I want things done. If it doesn't happen like that I freak. 

I'm meticulous about EVERY little detail. 

I don't like to let people down. 

I accommodate everyone I can and usually give more than I can handle {and many times, afford} 

I overbook myself and as an end result, stress myself out.

I worry about everyone and everything

I replay scenarios over and over in my mind.

I constantly work through my head how to organize and what to do with the house,

without every being able to put plans into actions. 

I get anxiety at one wrong word someone may say to me.

Or anxiety whenever I get into my car to drive.

Or anxiety when I have too much on my plate.

Hell, I have anxiety now writing this.

I deal in my own ways.

Crying.

Screaming.

sometimes drinking.

Whatever helps me get through it all.

I have a bubble that I don't like invaded.
I value those that I call friends.
I hate being let down and/or lied to.
Because of the above stated, I hate being put on the spot and lying.

I have a hard time finishing projects because I'm thinking of my next project.

I obviously get overwhelmed easily....

if you couldn't tell :/

I suffer from depression and anxiety and even though it's not diagnosed...I'm pretty sure some OCD too.

And this past weekend, I reached my breaking point.
I've felt it boiling up to a head the past month or so.
I kept telling M, "I think I'm going to have a mental breakdown."
"I think you might need me to take me to the mental hospital."
"I am getting bad."
But even though I said it.
I refused to believe it.

And on Saturday,
I started snapping at M
and ended up sitting there
in the car
with a blank black mind
and cried in the car,
sitting in my garage
for two and a half hours.
Not just a little crying.
BAWLING.

In fact I remember
sitting here
having an outer body experience,
looking at myself,
thinking
"Is this what you have become?", "What in the world is wrong with you Heather?"
Screaming at myself
"SNAP OUT OF IT!!!"
And I couldn't.
I seriously thought that was the end.
Like the world was closing in on me.
Mentally
I just was not all there.

I cried myself into oblivion.
M sat there and wiped away tears
I barely even recognized he was there.
Was this going to be my life from now on?
Insanity?

I cried. I weeped. I heaved.
I was in my own personal hell.
My demons eating me alive.
"I'm having a breakdown"
I whispered softly to M.
He nodded and held my hand.
"I don't know what to do"
he confessed.
I nodded.
I didn't either.

And in a simple second
time stopped.
Two simple words changes everything.

"Hi Mama"
my sweet baby girl sang
as she carefully held onto the door,
 lowered herself down the stairs and came into the garage.

She moved her face into my view
smiling a bright smile
with chubby cheeks
and eyes full of love and wonder.

"Hi Mama"
she sang again as she climbed into the car and grabbed my hand.
She pushed my hair away and looked at my face smiling
Then reached down and took a tissue and wiped the tears from my eyes.

"Mama eye. Mama nose"
she said as she gently wiped my eyes and nose
And there I was
stunned in a bath of my tears
stiffling giggles.

How did my 23.5 month old babygirl know?
How did she know exactly what I needed?
How did she know how to snap me out of it?
How did the roles reverse between us?
Her becoming the little caretaker and me needing the caring for.

What kind of mother am I and what kind of example am I setting?

How did I become this?

She smiled.
So pure and innocent.
"Hi Mama"

Hi baby. Mama's back.
Thanks for saving her.
Over and over again.

Chicken Fajitas

I wasn't really excited about these when I read them. But I thought I'd try them because I had all the ingredients close by.

I got this one from the AHA low-fat, low-cholesterol cookbook. Which I have to say, these books have some pretty yummy sounding recipes. I can usually tell within the first couple bites if a recipe is a success or not just by M's facial expression. And this was a hit. And it made me so happy that this was night #2 that chicken breast didn't let me down. And we've actually been doing ok with our meals and stuff. Hallelujah.


And can I just add in how incredible I feel? OH. MY. GAWSH.
Incredible. I feel like I already lost 5 lbs. It's amazing. I'm not really hungry in between meals. And I just watch my intake of calories and fat levels throughout the day. I feel great. Now if only I could kick this damn soda habit.

AHA Chicken Fajitas
Serves 4

Ingredients:

8 6-in corn tortillas or low-fat flour tortillas
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, all visible fat discarded
1 large onion (any color)
1 large green bell pepper
1 tsp acceptable vegetable oil
vegetable oil spray

Marinade:
3 tbsp low sodium worchestershire sauce
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice
1 tsp acceptable vegetable oil
1 medium garlic clove, finely minced
1/2 tsp black pepper or to taste

Directions:

Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil. Set aside.
Cut the chicken lengthwise into 3/8-inch strips
In a large bowl, stir together the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken to the marinade. Stir to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 10 to 20 minutes, stirring at least once.
Meanwhile, cut the onion and bell pepper into 1/8-in strips. Put the vegetables in a small bowl. Stir in 1 tsp oil.
Heat tortillas in oven for 8-10 minutes.
Meanwhile heat a large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Remove from the heat and lightly spray with vegetable oil spray (being careful not to spray near a gas flame). Return the skillet to the heat. Put the chicken in the skillet, discarding the marinade. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the onion and pepper slices. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the onion is slightly brown and the chicken is no longer pink in the center, stirring constantly.
To serve, place equal amounts of the chicken-vegetable mixture on each tortilla. Roll the tortilla around the filling.

Before rolling, add shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, salsa and fat-free or low-fat sour cream if you wish.

Mama Heada thoughts:
I added 1 green, red and yellow pepper. Yummmmmy. I also used about 1/4 of a red onion. I added a little bit more chicken and more garlic, let it sit for about 15 minutes and threw it all in the sprayed wok. Cooked for a few minutes and threw in the peppers and cooked until it was all cooked through. The smell was aromatic. The taste was scrumptious. It's a keeper being filed into my new low-fat, low-cholesterol cookbook that I'm planning on buying :)

Happy eating!

Christmas Decorating

So Christmas. Christmas. Christmas. Holy crap when did it become CHRISTMAS 2010?!?! I'm still stuck in the past remembering Christmas' past :(

ANYWAYS, Christmas. OMG, I love it. I love decorating. I love the smell of fresh trees. I love giving gifts. I love seeing Little Miss B's face when she opens up her gifts. I love finding the perfect gifts for M. I love giving. I love the food. I love the cold weather. I love the lights. EVERYTHING. I love Christmas!

So I was busting at my seams to decorate this year. You see, our first Christmas together we were in living in Hawaii and we spent it away from home in Missouri, Vegas and back in So Cal 

Look at us! That was the first time I was ever in falling snow. Beautiful! Our first Christmas together. We didn't have a tree. We celebrated it with my family and just enjoyed our time together.

Our 2nd Christmas we were together, we lived in a small apartment and didn't have much money to decorate with. We were getting ready for the birth of Miss B (the stinker was due New Years Day!) and were planning on spending the day with my family, so we just decorated with lights, a small fake tree and mini stockings. It was so cute. And for the life of me, I can't find photos. Damn crashed hard drive.

Last year we were living with family. We had a tree with all my grandma's ornaments on it. And we celebrated at my mom's house and also at my grandma's house. It was nice. But nothing really OURS.

So this year, I was busting at the seams to get started. I seriously was driving M crazy. So the 1st wknd of December, I got his butt in gear and made him hang icicles lights from the house and buy a tree for me. I was like a little girl at the tree lot Home Depot. And so was B.

We got home and got everything together here's how I decorated for Christmas this year:

First off I took the bottom branches off our tree and decorated our mantle. It's a beautiful brick mantle, perfect for the holidays. I made sure to pick up stockings on Black Friday at Walgreens for about $20. (That damn Elmo stocking was $10 in itself, but once Little B saw it in the store there was no way he wasn't coming home with us!) The mantle hooks were about $20 at Target. I had all the white strings of lights, so I strung those up and put my candles out and I decorated with the tree branches and pinecones. So festive!

One of my most favorite things in the house right now, is the way that the house smells. OMG. So delicious. Walmart has the BEST home warming scents. They are SO yummy. Have you ever walked by The Body Shop in the mall and smelled their aromas they have burning? It's usually like Sastuma Orange or something. Smells heavenly. Well Walmart has their own line of that stuff. For MUCH cheaper. Infact. That black votive holder I got for $4. The votives were like $2 for 100 and I bought the scent Cinnamon Vanilla for like $4. It makes my house smell like the holidays without being overpowering. I love it. And I also bought Cranberry Mandarin for the bathroom. I've gotten so many compliments. Seriously, think about investing. You'll find it all by the incense in Walmart!

And of course, I had to get some candles. These are from Walmart too. I burn through candles TOO fast to buy anything too expensive. These were about $6-8 for all three. I got Cinnamon, vanilla and a berry scented one. The combination is yummy.

And the beautiful 6-7 foot Noble tree M let me buy this year. It is gorgeous and only cost us $40. Woohoo! We bought a new star for the top and M did the honor of putting it on top while I had a blast decorating. And see the M H B ornaments near the top? That might be my favorite part of the entire tree. M bought me those last year for babygirl's first Christmas since he knew how much I love ornaments and making a tree our own. We collect ornaments for each year, so those were a great thoughtful touch. They always make me smile.

And you know what's great about where the tree is? It's at the window that faces out to the street and I've gotten some great compliments from our neighbors about it already. I LOVE it!

The holidays are a beautiful time of the year. I can't wait to see the looks on B's face when she opens all her gifts. And this year is special as it's about new beginnings for our family. Not just us, but our entire family. I love it. The holiday season is addicting. 

Garlic Chicken Fillets w/Balsamic Vinegar

So if you're following the Mama Heada journey, you know we are making some changes in our house and diet. Good changes. But changes. And sometimes changes need a little getting used to.

I have a major headache. M is super exhausted and has battled a migraine all day. And we're struggling with wanting the good bad foods and adjusting. M did awesome though. He downloaded the My Fitness Pal app to his iPhone, set up a 2400 cal diet to help manage his weight and daily intakes of everything that is put in his mouth and actually did really awesome. I'm really proud of him. 

I did ok. I just cannot drop my soda intake right now. I'm craving Pepsi or Dr Pepper ALL day long. I know I can cut it out since I've done it before, but I just don't want to yet. Need to get on that. And I totally caved and ate a hearty, no good lunch with my mom. She wanted to grub and I'm thinking that she may not be allowed over here anymore if she is going to tempt me like she did today. Just kidding Mom. Needless to say I definitely didn't do as great as I could have or as good as M did.

And when M got home I knew I was in for trouble since I had NO idea what I was going to cook. Luckily I had all the great American Heart Association cookbooks to reference and had picked up some chicken breast at the store last night as well. So I looked up some recipes real quick and decided Garlic Chicken Fillets in Balsamic Vinegar sounded right up our alley.

 

And you know what? They really were. It had a tasty sauce to pour over the chicken and rice. It was tasty but light. And I left dinner feeling full but not FULL. Does that make sense?

So without further ado, here's the recipe.

Garlic Chicken Fillets w/Balsamic Vinegar

Serves 8

Ingredients:

8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (almost 4 oz each), with all visible fat removed

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 tsps olive oil

6-8 cloves garlic, minced, or 3-4 tsps bottled minced garlic

vegetable oil spray

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

Freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp cornstarch

Directions:

Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry. Dredge breasts in flour, shake off excess.  Heat large, nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add oil and swirl to coat. When oil is hot, add breasts. Cook on one side for 2-3 mins or until golden. 

Add garlic. Spray top sides of breasts with veg oil spray. Turn breasts and continue cooking about 2-3 minutes, or until brown.

Add broth, balsamic vinegar and pepper. Reduce heart to med-low and cover. Cook for about 5-10 mins or until chicken is tender. (This will depend on the thickness of the chicken) Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm.

Pour water into a cup or small bowl, add cornstarch, stirring until it dissolves. Add cornstarch mixture to skillet and boil for 1-2 minutes or until thick and smooth. Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

Served with:

White rice, sauteed herbed carrots and a side salad w/spritzed dressing.

Mama Heada thoughts:

It was so yummy. I wasn't sure about it, but man I was impressed. I hate cooking with chicken breast. I always feel like it gets so dry so fast. And I just hate white meat. But this was really moist. The "breading" I felt needed a little work but was still yummy. And it was delicious paired with the rice, carrots and salad. M was in heaven after a long day of trying to find a good balance for himself.

And the best part? We weren't overly full afterwards. We were just the right amount. And not bloated from all the salt and other junk. It was light, tasty and filling. And M even asked to add it to the new recipe book I'm starting. :)

Nutritional Stats 

(according to AHA Cookbook)

Calories per serving: 183

Protein: 26 g

Carbs : 9 g

Total Fat 9 g

Sat Fat: 1 g

Poly Fat: 1 g

Mono Fat: 2 g

Cholesterol: 62 mg

Sodium: 65 mg

Please note that all opinions are my own. I was not compensated in any way and the AHA and My Fitness Pal have no idea who I am :)

Starting Over

I wish I could say I was being dramatic with my title, but I don't feel dramatic at all. In fact I'm still pretty overwhelmed and emotional about it all.

 A few weeks ago I forced sent M in for his physical. This guy, I tell ya. What a pain in the butt he can be. It was his first doctor appointment in YEARS. And he fought me long and hard about going. But I'm praising God that he did. He went for some blood work and found out yesterday that his cholesterol levels are extremely high. For someone who's pretty active, not overweight and only 31, I was pretty shocked. Cholesterol is something I've heard my grandparents talk about....not people in my age group. We don't eat a lot of red meat. Infact, we barely eat it once a week. We're chicken people. And then add in the fact that the person who HAS the high cholesterol is my husband, my best friend, the father of my baby? I've been a hot damn mess.

So I researched stuff online and asked some friends and got some really awesome advice. Like really awesome. I honestly can't even tell Kelli & Melissa thank you enough. I was able to find 7 books at the local library to read through and get more information about high cholesterol and get recipes from the American Heart Association cookbooks. M was put on meds immediately and goes into the doctor for a followup after a couple months on the meds. 

So today, kinda starts our "starting over." I made a low sodium, vegetable tofu stirfry and am working on incorporating some of our other favorite foods into the menu as well. I haven't had my own cholesterol tested yet so that's in the future as well. Life is short as it is. I can't imagine not making it thru it just because I didn't make a few changes here and there when I could.

Cardmaking, part 2

So last month I posted about my cool Crafty Mommy group that I joined that does monthly cardmaking and crafts.

Johnna posted a great post with pictures on our groups batch of cards last month.

Photo courtesy of Johnna at www.domesticateddelight.blogspot.com

Aren't they adorable??? The only thing that's missing is Johnna's card:

Photos courtesy of Johnna at www.domesticateddelight.blogspot.com

Seriously, how cute is her card?? I think her's might have taken the cake.

So this month, the theme for our card was a "Thank you" card. With the adjustment period after our vacation and the holidays sneaking up on us,  I hardly remembered to get it done. I kinda of had an idea what I wanted to do. But in the end, it was really just something I threw together last minute.

And the worst part? I ran out of paper so I had to eventually use the polka dot paper for the hearts. Ugh. Not my best. I did end up liking them. Just not the best. Boo.

Black Friday

Black Friday kills me for so many reasons. 

A short list why:

1) I never understand people who camp out for things. So trying to understand why people camp out all Thanksgiving day to be the first in the store on Friday...not comprehendible to me.

2) Once people get in the store, holy cow! Do people have no manners or common courtesy? People push, and hover and generally invade my bubble. And that seriously drives me over the edge.

3) I'm usually still recuperating from being in the kitchen and in a food coma from the day before. Warm and cozy in my bed. 5A comes too early.

4) Every year the sales start earlier and earlier. I'm getting older and let's face it, I'm not a morning person and can't keep up. This year were contemplating doing Toys R Us at 10P on Thanksgiving, Walmart at midnight and then Target and/or Toys R Us (again) at 5A. Madness.

5) As stated in #4, it's obvious that insanity that ensues on Black Friday and every year I go back and forth on whether I should join in or not. I contemplated this again this year.

And you know what...
I almost caved and went.
My mom warned I would need a xanax and I panicked.
Did I really need all that stuff??

So I scoured the ads and realized Walmart was gonna be a looney bin which would probably send ME to the looney bin, so that was vetoed. Besides, I don't even like to shop at Walmart on a regular day. What was I thinking?

So Walmart was checked off the list.

And Target? Did I really need more crap to clutter my house. I mean, yea those kitchen appliances looked great but where the hell were they going to go? And did I need more movies? And did B really need those Elmo slippers for $5. Umm, no. So that was quickly crossed off the list as well.

And the only reason to go to TRU at 5A was for the cheap boxes of diapers and wipes. Let's face it those get expensive. But to make it worth my while, since B is pretty much potty trained, I would have to buy the limit of 3 boxes of diapers. And B hasn't even gone through a whole box of diapers (just wearing them at night) since August. And wipes...No.

So the lone wolf standing on our Black Friday agenda was TRU. Did you all see the ad? My gosh some of those deals were amazing!! I started making a list. Imagine the list that Santa Claus has. You know, the one that is a million feet long...yea, imagine that with TRU toys on it. You get the picture.

Then I realized
WHOA
TRU offered their Black Friday prices
ON THEIR WEBSITE

Pick your jaw up off the floor!
It's true!
On their website.
BEFORE they even opened.
It was like the Heaven's opened up and light shone down on me
Not really but kinda.

I ordered everything.
Their stuff was awesome
Especially when you are trying to pimp out your daughter's play kitchen set
that she is getting for Christmas
B ended up with toaster, a blender, a coffee maker, a microwave and a 50 piece dish set.
WHOA!

And I was able to buy our friend's baby a Christmas present & Birthday present, our niece & nephew both Christmas presents AND something for my brother.

All together my total was less than $100. LESS THAN $100. I was in heaven. And how much did it cost to ship? About $2 an item, so like $20.

So I spent less than $100 on everything, $20 on shipping and didn't have to take a xanax?
TRU you might be my new hero!

Kale Chips

A couple weeks ago my mommy's group paired up with a local farm and started getting bi-weekly Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes. One of the veggies packed in the box was Kale.  

I had NO idea what to do with it. I had heard it was bitter and an acquired taste.

I was nervous.

Then I remembered a recipe I had read months ago about Kale Chips. A friend had mentioned she had made them too and that they weren't too bad. Since they were just sitting in a plastic bag in the fridge I figured, what the heck?!

I turned to All Recipes and read some recipes and decided to make two batches. One sea-salt roasted and one chili-roasted.

The recipe? So easy I could scream.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper. Cut your kale into desired chip sizes. Toss in olive oil and spices (in one bowl I used sea salt and the other bowl I mixed chili powder and sea salt). Line chips on your cookie sheet and bake! You have to watch them. you definitely want them crispy. But there is a fine line between crispy and brown. So beware! I set my timer for 5 mins but realistically they were probably in there for about 8. And I wish, for the sea-salt ones. that I had done them for about an extra min or so. 

They were pretty tasty. Different. Light. Reminiscent of nori, without a fishy taste. Yummy. I made a special trip to the store today to see if I could find some more since my mom and I ate it all in one sitting. but no such luck. I need to find some more! Hopefully our CSA boxes will have them in this next delivery!

Organization

I could quite possibly be, one of the messiest people alive. And it's a really odd and ironic seeing as how I suffer from OCD and major anxiety. And mess and not being able to find things FREAKS. ME. OUT. 

I wasn't always like that. Infact, M so sweetly likes to remind me that when we were dating and got married I used to be quite neat. Always folding the laundry and putting mine and his clothes away. Always making sure I had an empty kitchen sink and clean countertops. And I'd almost daily, swiffer and/or vacuum our tile floors.

Then I became a mom. And somewhere in the shuffle, I lost the "clean gene" (and gained a few others.) I'm not sure what it was. M attributed it once to our move back to my hometown. He said moving home brought out the kid in me again. That could maybe be it. My room was never clean when I was a kid. But I don't know. 

The point is I'm not the most organized person. I've come to hate folding laundry and doing dishes. I swiffer and vacuum when I get a chance. And when I try and organize, I feel like I'm making a BIGGER mess. Which sometimes, makes me break down and cry. And then when I do get something organized well, I can never find it. Case in point and the reason I'm writing this blog, I can't find my knitting needles right now and it's driving me batty. I feel like I turned my house (which by the way, isn't even that messy right now) upside down and they are staring at me from somewhere nearby, mocking me. It is driving me CRAZY. Where the hell are you needles??

So tell me please, how do you organize? How do you keep the clutter to a minimum? The paperwork and the mail and all the crap that comes day to day. How do you do it? How do you keep it from piling up high? How do you keep on top of it all? Share with me and help me. I need help before I'm buried alive!

The Day I Married My Best Friend

Three years ago today, M and I woke up at 7A to the boom of thunder and lightning.

please note: this is NOT a photo of the storm on our wedding day :)
Photo courtesy of http://elliotbhubbard.com

There was a serious downpour. Our kitchen was flooding. FAST. It was humid and storming and it continued on for the next few hours.

We were to be married at Lanikai Beach at 10A.

What Lanikai is supposed to look like
Photo courtesy of http://shangqiuedu.com

We panicked.

Again, NOT me.
Photo courtesy of http://conexshuns.blogspot.com

We bought a bunch of umbrellas.

Photo courtesy of http://wallpaperstock.net

We drove around til we found a beach with easy access.

We called the judge.

And no, NOT Judge Judy.
Photo courtesy of http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com

We called the photographer.

We called our friends.

Everyone got lost.

We did a run through at the Kalapawai Market.

About to take the plunge! We look so young.

 

We drove over to Kalama Beach Park.

We kicked off our shoes.

Walked through the clearing.

This is us running back to tell everyone to Hurry Up!
We wanted to get married!

And there we were.

Yes, there we were
And don't mind the hideous hair color & style
That's a post for another time.

The rain had stopped.

The skies slightly cleared.

And we eloped.

On an empty beach.

And afterwards

We ate lunch with our friends at Roundtable Pizza

Before heading to the Royal Hawaiian

The view from our room

for an all-paid-for short "honeymoon"

  

Photos courtesy of me
We look so young.
And please pardon all the robe shots.
It's no wonder I ended up pregnant 4 months later ;)

It was amazing.

That day was amazing.
(And we got to do it all over again 6 months later!)


Our marriage is amazing.

 

Engagement & 2nd wedding photos courtesy of Dennis Layne Photography

Baby shower photos courtesy of RK Photography

We are amazing.

And the life we have grown into together and what we have become is amazing.

Photos courtesy of Jerry at Hawaiianpix

I love you baby.