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.

Fall Craft

I have a fun job and I'm constantly looking for new fun things to do. And one of my favorite activities to do with Little Miss B is storytime at our local library. I highly recommend it for anyone who is looking for something fun and free to do with their little one. Our library is packed so pre-registration is required but so many libraries are not.

And during one of our storytimes, the librarian mentioned a great way to develop fine motor skills was to rip paper. Who knew? I thought it only caused a mess.

So I started turning the wheels in my mind and thought a Fall Craft with Little Miss B would be fantastic. She would love it.

So I cut out a tree from brown paper and glued it on a piece of yellow paper and let her go to town and start ripping. We put some glue on an extra piece of paper and had her dip the pieces in the glue. She LOVED it. And then I gave her a green crayon and told her to draw grass, and Voila!

Our first refrigerator masterpiece:

Crafty Mamaheada Tip: Don't be afraid to do something that may be "messy." I was afraid of the mess. But instead we were actually able to do this craft at the park without even a drop of mess! And I went on her schedule. I didn't force her finish her craft. She ripped some papers at first and then went away for a few minutes and came back full force. And just let them go to town. :)

Thanksgiving

Photo courtesy of http://southeastvirginia.blogspot.com

Thanksgiving could quite possibly be my favorite holiday of the year. I love it. Just the fall accents and decorations, the smell of pumpkin pie and turkey in the kitchen, the cold air hitting your cheeks. Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm. Love it.

Growing up, my family's tradition was always to spend Thanksgiving out with my great-grandma in her trailer. Thanksgiving was HER holiday. She loved having everyone over, we'd all bring a dish and it was always fun to catch up with everyone. I have many fond memories of the Thanksgivings spent in Hemet. 

Then I went away to school. I didn't always have the luxury to fly home for Thanksgiving and tradition wasn't the same. I came home here and there but the occasion was sparse.

Then I got married. The week after Thanksgiving in 2007. We spent our first Thanksgiving (in Hawaii) dividing our time between M's family and my family. It seemed ideal. And M's stepfather made a deep fried turkey to DIE for. Life was gonna be good.

Then 2008 came. 

And then we got pregnant.

And then we moved. 2500+ miles away.

And then my parent's split up.

Life changes so fast.

I was a newly minted, pregnant housewife. My due date was less than 6 wks away and I had already been in pre-term labor two times before. I wasn't going anywhere out of a 25 mile radius of the hospital for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving was gonna have to come to me.

And it did. 

I researched how to cook a Turkey. I picked up all the goodies. Invited my grandparents, mom and brother over and thus started the Mamaheada Thanksgiving Tradition. It was delightful. And from then on out the Thanksgiving honors were bestowed upon me. 

And when it becomes around this time, I always start to stress, hate and cuss myself out since I have NEVER written down my Thanksgiving menu or recipes. So frustrating when you are trying to plan this year's meals after last year's successes. ERR!!

So here's the menu for 2010:

Baked Turkey stuffed with stuffing

Deep Fried Turkey (courtesy of M)

Sweet Potato Casserole

Green Bean Casserole

Mashed Potatoes

Butter Rolls

Homemade Gravy

Cranberry Sauce

Creamed Spinach

Corn

Homemade Pumpkin Pie

Apple Pie

Sweet Potato Cheesecake with Marshmallow Sour Cream Topping

I'm salivating just thinking about it. And can you believe I got everything for the meal for less than $150!!! Awesomeness.

Lots of fun and yumminess to ensue this week. I'll be sure to post recipes when I get the chance ;)

Zucchini Beef & Pasta

I really have no idea what to call this since it basically was a last minute, thrown together meal that turned out yummy. So...Zucchini Beef & Pasta it is. :D

It all started with this blog that a friend sent my way. Some of the recipes sounded so different, so yummy and even affordable that I just couldn't pass it by.


A post in the archives caught my eye called "Stuffed Zucchini."


It sounded different. And we're on a huge zucchini kick right now, so it sounds yummy enough. I figured I would give it a try.


For some reason though I read the post's intro and somehow thought it was a zucchini bake. Idk, what I was thinking or reading. Who knows. I'm tired and barely surviving the days. 


So I had in mind that I would just bake it. With a few adjustments.


Then five o'clock on Friday night rolled around and I had a hungry husband and a screaming toddler asking for noodles. I had to act fast.


So here's I ended up doing:
(Please keep in mind that sometimes I go along as I cook and didn't measure much)


Zucchini Beef & Pasta


Ingredients:
3 medium sized zucchini
1 lb. ground meat
Italian Seasonings
3/4 small onion, chopped
garlic, chopped
2 small tomatoes, chopped
oregano to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1 can (15oz) Italian stewed tomatoes
sherry
egg noodles


Directions:
I put about a tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in the wok and a threw some garlic in. While the garlic was sauteing, I chopped up an onion and threw in about 3/4 of it and let it sweat while I washed the zucchini and chopped it up. After the garlic and onion had cooked for a few minutes and were starting to make my kitchen smell heavenly, I threw in the ground beef, added some Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt & pepper to taste and browned it. It was beginning to smell yummy.


I decided to not drain the meat (there was hardly any fat to drain) and instead, threw in the chopped up zucchini, tomatoes and stewed tomatoes. It was looking yummy but something was missing. I had originally planned on serving the dish over rice but at this point began wondering if noodles might work as well. Then I remembered this dish, that was served on noodles and tasted heavenly with wine as an ingredient. So I brought down my cooking sherry and decided a tbsp or two couldn't hurt. Only problem was, I had already had a glass or two of sangria, and a tbsp or two became almost 1/2 cup. Oops.


But it turned out delish. I added some more salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and oregano to taste. Cooked up some egg noodles al dente, drained and threw them in. And voila! Dinner was ready in less than a 1/2 hour.


I wasn't sure how the final outcome was gonna be but I always feel good when the first words out of M's mouth after the first bite are "MMM baby, this is good!" We ended up eating the entire pot full and raving about how yummy it ended up being. 


I wish I took pictures of it. But I was crunched for time. I'll definitely make this again. And when I figured out the price. Probably less than $10 for the meal. That's my kinda budget! ;)

Kidkraft Pink Kitchen

So quite a few weeks ago on a Thrifty Mama Thursday, I posted about how I had found the cutest retro pink refrigerator ever at Goodwill. And initially I thought it would be ADORABLE to put my hardworking husband to work and have him handcraft me B a cheap DIY play kitchen to play with. But as you know, I get in WAY over my head and have a million projects for myself and M to complete. So when I saw the complete Kidkraft Retro pink stove sold solo on Target, I was sold. I needed to buy it. ASAP.

For a little over $80, I could manage it.
It would be pink.
 It would be matching.
Everything was going to be ok.

Until GASP
I logged on to Target a couple weeks ago to take advantage of a Free Shipping promo going on
and Target no longer sold the stove separately. I was gonna have to purchase the set for $150+.
What the heck was Miss B gonna need TWO refrigerators for?

Cue anxiety.

So I started to freak out. M assured me it wasn't the end of the world but I was sure this was the impending Armageddon. How could this be? How could they only sell it as a set? I missed my opportunity. I was doomed. I started scouring Craigslist like a mad woman. Surely SOMEONE had to have one they were looking to get rid of. I mean, C'MON PEOPLE!

But nothing. Except one douchebag guy who was looking to make $700 on an identical set from Pottery Barn. Um, yea. NO thanks, I'll pass.

I was sure Miss B was only going to be destined to have pretend frozen dinners and nothing else. How was my baby ever going to learn how to become a domestic goddess?


And then early last week, the Heavens decided to shine light my way. I found a set on Craigslist. For $80. Practically brand-spranking-new. And she'd throw in some Melissa & Doug pots and pans for $5. WOOOHOOO.


I harassed called her immediately and set up a pickup for the next afternoon. Luckily she was totally sweet and didn't sell it out from underneath me when someone tried to swoop in and offered MORE money for the set. WHEW. That would have ensured a riot I'm sure.


And now I Miss B will be the proud owner of a Kidkraft Pink Retro Kitchen set for Christmas. Complete with 100s of play food items. 
*sigh*


Thrifty Mamaheada tip: Don't give up hope! Keep scouring!

Oh, and the 2nd refrigerator, I posted it on Craigslist for double when I paid for it with some lady coming by tomorrow to pick it up. SWEEEEET!

Diaper Cake

A few months ago, when a mama friend of mine had a baby, our mommy's group banded together to organize a baby shower to celebrate our "newest {and youngest} member"

Plans were thwarted when baby L decided to come three weeks early and arrived days before her shower!

But that didn't stop us from celebrating her mama's pregnancy and birth.

And to help make the event a little more joyous, I put together a small diaper cake for mama and baby to get lots of use out of.

For being my first diaper cake, I LOVED it. I'm seriously considering going into business making these since it was SO fun.

 I love the way the Luvs Diapers added some cute color to go with the pink. 

And the cute cloche and booties on the top? Yea you bet, I crocheted those, as posted on Monday! Woot woot!

All together the cake was less than $20. Can you believe that? LESS than $20. And it probably took less than an hour to put together and maybe a few hours to crochet up the cloche and booties.

Totally awesome shower gift; I can't wait til someone has another baby so I can make another one!

J. Crew

So as I've said before, our local Goodwill is amazing for clothes. I think it has to do with the surrounding areas and the fact that many people aren't lacking money.

So a few months ago, when the weather was hot and I was looking for perfect summer dresses to wear, I shouldn't have been shocked to see this  J.Crew dress sitting on the shelves:

How cute is that dress? I mean, Come on! And it's J. Crew? I can't even LOOK at their stuff without feeling poor. How could this be? I really shouldn't be shocked, seeing as how there are designer names EVERYWHERE in Goodwill but I was. I snatched that baby up in a second.

M looked at me funny, in a way only a man could look when he doesn't understand :/

"Babe. Look how cute it is!!! And it's J. Crew. You can't pass up something like this," I told him. He smiled a half smile (the kind I've come to realize means, Sometimes I really don't understand you Heather) and said tightly, "It's nice baby. But is it your size?"

My heart sunk. I had found an adorable dress and somehow, in my excitement, I had forgotten to check the size. I felt my eyes get wide and could feel myself start to pout. 

It was a Medium.

Medium.

The days of Medium have been long gone around here. Especially since the birth of B.

My heart sunk and I felt my eyes start to tear up as I noticed a lady eyeing the dress in my hands. There was no way this dress was going back on the rack to go home with someone else. This dress was coming home with ME. Whether I wore it or not!

So I bought it, figuring that if it didn't fit I'd pass it along to my mama. It'd surely look cute on one of us.

And when I got home, I rushed to try it on.

Only to realize that the days of Medium may have returned. 

:)

I was so happy I could have cried.

The tie belt was missing but that's ok. It looks fantastic with any belt accessory or without it. And whether it's paired with cute slippers or a pair of sexy black heels, it's adorable. I love it.

Thrifty Mamaheada Tip: Always be sure to try things on. Sizes are different for everyone depending on the brand. Especially when browsing thrifty shops since everything is pre-worn.

Pot Roast & Gravy

A few years ago, when I embarked on being a domestic goddess, one of the first things I wanted to learn how to make was a roast. I mean, come on, how could you be a domestic goddess without having a simple roast recipe in your cookbook?? :rollseyes: 

So I searched and searched. And this one caught my eye almost immediately. I don't really remember why exactly, but it just did. Maybe because the gravy sounded yummy? Let's face it, I love gravy.

Anyhow, this is quickly became one of my favorite recipes. I love the taste. I love the gravy. I love the meat when cooked to perfection. Mmm, mmm, mmm.

Sounds perfect, especially with all this cold weather we've been having. 

Without further ado:

Awesome Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Ingredients:

2 (10.75 oz) cans condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 (1oz) pkg dry onion soup mix

1 1/4 cup water

5 1/2 lbs pot roast

Directions:

In a slow cooker, mix cream of mushroom soup, dry onion mix and water. Place pot roast in slow cooker and coat with soup mixture. Cook on High setting for 3-4 hours or on low for 8-9 hours.

Here's what I do differently:

The original recipe sounds amazing, but when I initially browse for new recipes, I always make sure to read through any reviews and comments.  And one of the things commented was to try a tri-tip roast, brown the meat and also to use Cream of Mushroom with Roasted Garlic soup. Since I didn't know much about meat and a vague ingredient like "5 1/2 pot roast" doesn't help a novice, I went with tri-tip. And OMG. When cooked right....delish. And also, ALWAYS on sale at my local grocery store, which is awesome when on a tight budget. (I just freeze the meat and defrost the night before) And since we like things tasty (to say the least) I went with the COM w/Roasted Garlic. 

Since one of the tips by a commenter was to season and brown the meat to keep in flavor I figured that sounded like common sense and decided that was a must-do. I can't vouch otherwise and like the way it tastes this way. So I season the roast with garlic, salt and black pepper and brown the meat with olive oil. It makes the house smell heavenly. 

When browning, I get the gravy ready. Sometimes I use one can of soup and sometimes two. Sometimes I dilute the soup a little and sometimes I don't. Just depends the mood I'm in. :D When I first did this and smelled the soup and dry onion pkg, I was pregnant and not too sure about the smell of this gravy. But give it a try, I promise you'll like it.

Once the meat is brown on all edges, I toss it in the crock pot, cover it with some of the gravy, cover and let it sit. I always have to play with the cook time, but I usually have approx 3-4 lbs roasts and just let it cook on low for a few hours. Your house will smell so warm and yummy. Make sure to whip up some yummy mashed potatoes for sure. You'll thank me, I promise!

Crochet Newborn Cloche and Booties

A few weeks ago I decided to throw together a quick cloche and booties I found on the internet for the birth of a friend's baby. How cute did it turn out? The colors were pretty cute too and it didn't take too long. So fun!

HI 2010: Family Photos

Here are some amazing photos done with us and Myka's family by Jerry at www.hawaiianpix.com. He was so efficient and his asst was GREAT with Brooke which was much-needed when you have a toddler and are trying to get family photos done.