Long overdue...

Well goodness, it seems that it's been a while since my last blog.  I'll blame it on life. 

I went out to dinner with a friend of mine (from middle school and high school) a couple weeks ago.  We had a really good conversation.  She's been a housewife for a little over a year.  She is currently going through certifications to be a Community Patrol officer for her neighborhood.  Listening to her tell me about all the classes she is taking and what she will be doing once she is certified was so exciting.  She spent the last year trying to figure out what she wanted to do with her life.  She has two degrees (undergrad and a masters) but didn't know what she wanted to be when she "grew up".  Which got me thinking, what do I want to be when I grow up?  I've always wanted to be a mom.  Always.  When I was in elementary school I dreamed of getting married, having kids and being a stay at home mom.  Check, check and check.  Although, don't tell my dad that, he would be disappointed that he spent so much money on my college education.  Ha! 

Some days I wonder what I'm doing with my life. When I run into people from my past and they ask "What's new?" I don't really have an answer.  Because there isn't anything new.  It's the same old stuff every day.  I mean, sure there's variation to my days (do I go to Publix today or Target?).  But for the most part, it's the same old same old.  The kids wake up, I get them breakfast, I help them get dressed, I make Katie's lunch, I take Katie to preschool, Ellie and I run errands (or go home and hang out), I make Ellie's lunch, we pick up Katie from school, we run errands, I put the kids down for nap/quiet time, I clean the house, I make dinner, the hubs comes home, we eat dinner, we hang out as a family, we put the kids to bed, etc, etc, etc.   The weekends are spent running errands and/or hanging out as a family.  That's my life, at least for the forseeable future.  So I wonder is staying home with two small children enough?

My friend told me that night, that was I was doing - raising two children to be well adjusted human beings- was important.  I know that.  It is very important.  Teaching my girls how to be compassionate, thoughtful, caring members of society is my job right now.  I am doing the very best that I can...but I sometimes miss working outside of the home.  I definitely miss bringing home a paycheck.  I miss adult interaction on a daily basis.  I miss critical thinking.  I miss having an identity outside of being Katie and Ellie's mom.  At times, I feel like *I* get lost.  For all those reasons, I'm so glad that I get my nights out with my friends, or my afternoons away to myself.  It's so nice to recharge as just me, where I don't have to cut up my kids' food before I can eat mine, where I can just do things for me.   I don't want to come across like I am whining about my life or even that I have a case of the "poor me's".  I love my girls and my family.  I am very grateful that my husband makes enough money for me to stay home with my girls.  My girls make me laugh on a daily basis and I cherish all those precious moments when they are just as sweet as they can be. I sometimes wonder if it's the whole "the grass is greener" because I'm sure that if I had to work outside of the home, I would be wishing that I was home with the girls. 

I think about the future, when the girls are in school.  What am I going to do? I really don't know.  I could do the "volunteer at their school/PTA thing" or I could get a part time job, or maybe a full time job?  I really don't know.  I don't know if I would be good at the PTA thing.  I'm fairly introverted and not very good at the chit chat with other mom's at Katie's preschool, so I don't know how I would do.  My degree is in political science and I've always been interested in government, the law, and criminal justice.  At dinner the other night, my friend mentioned paralegal work.  It piqued my curiosity and I looked into it.  So that's an option too.  But I have several years until I need to make a decision.  So in the mean time, I will continue doing what I do- raising my little girls and deciding between going to Target or story time at the library. 

Recipe review

I found a recipe for Crockpot Ranch Pork Chops on pinterest.  It had me at "three ingredients" and "crockpot".  I'm all about easy meals, so only three ingredients (well, actually four if you include the water) and being able to dump it in the crockpot, turn it on, and four hours later- BAM! Done.  Sign me up. 

Sadly, the hubs and I weren't fans of it.  The pork chops were very dry.  The flavor was good but once you started chewing, the pork chop turned to saw dust.  I added a can of water, instead of doing the second can of Cream of Chicken soup.  So the sauce was very runny.  I should have just done two cans of the Cream of Chicken.  But I don't think that modification would save this recipe.  The pork chops were just too dry.  I will not be making it again.  Bummer.

My new color.

A few weeks ago, I posted about how I was going to color my hair.  Well, I did it.  It's red.  Very red.  I'm not sure if I like it.  I think it's too dark.  I didn't get blonde highlights because my stylist didn't want to add any bleach to my hair (my hair is somewhat damaged from hair loss due to my weight loss).  So it's all one color and it's dark.  But I figure, red fades very quickly and maybe it will grow on me.  So here's a before and after picture.  What do you think? Too dark? 

Recipe Rave!

Goodness, it's been a while since I last posted.  So here's a recipe rave for you.  I found a recipe for Penne Pasta with Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce on pinterest.com.  I made it last night and added shrimp.  It was delicious.  My girls loved it.  They both had seconds and thirds.  My husband and I both really liked it.  In fact, we are looking forward to the leftovers tonight.  I tweaked the recipe just a bit because I used a full pound of pasta, instead of the 8 oz. that the recipe called for (I like to have leftovers, less nights that I have to cook, the better- ha!).  I also added a little more garlic powder and dried basil to account for more pasta.  It was easy to make, not a whole lot of clean up, and tasted delicious.  I sauteed the shrimp with a little olive oil and Italian Seasoning, then added it to the pasta/cream sauce.  I will definitely make this again.  Maybe next time, I'll add chicken instead.  Big fan, over here. 

* Recipe and picture from www.verybestbaking.com

I'm old.

Want to know how I know I'm old? Because I can no longer drink alcohol like I could when I was 23.  I went out for drinks on Friday night.  I met some of my former co-workers for happy hour.  I was the first one to get there at 4:50.  The next person to show did not get there until 6:15.  So looking like a total loser, sitting at a table for six by myself, I decided to just drink.  I was on my third beer when my friends showed up.  I then proceeded to drink another three beers, a Malibu and diet Coke, and a shot (some fruity concoction) through the course of the night.  I had a great time.  I really did.  But then I woke up Saturday morning....totally hungover.  And I stayed hungover all day.  I was miserable.  Every time I stood up, I was dizzy and nauseous.  Basically, I was in a horizontal position either in my bed or on my couch all day.  The hubs was so sweet.  He took the girls out for a few hours and told me to go back to bed. 

At 3 o'clock, I was able to stand up long enough to get dressed for our date night (dinner and going to see The Hunger Games with another couple).  Normally, the text I received from my friend would have been awesome.  She texted me a couple hours before the movie to let me know that she was bringing water bottles full of Diet Coke and Malibu rum (for us to enjoy during the movie).  I felt nauseous just thinking about drinking it.  Needless to say, I passed on the offer.  The good news was that by the time the movie started at 4:45, I was feeling better.  Thank goodness.  But I have learned that I am no longer 23 and my body is not a fan of drinking that much anymore.  It's official, I am old.  Ha!

I hate when my kid doesn't nap.

I really hate when my kid doesn't nap.  She goes into her room like she's going to take a nap.  Then five minutes later, I hear her door open.  She'll stand there, completely still, and wait.  That's usually when I tell her to "go lay down and take a nap."  But I can't say it too loud because then my youngest will wake up.  Rinse and repeat for the next 30-45 minutes.  I don't so much care that she isn't taking a nap.  I just want her in her room and quiet, so I can have a few minutes to myself, to have just a few precious moments of silence.  You know what I'm talking about, the moments that aren't "Mom? I want a drink."  "Mom? Can we play outside?" "Mom? Is Daddy working?" "Mom? What are we going to do after I wake up tomorrow?" "Mom? I want a snack." etc, etc, etc. 

As a stay at home mom, those moments of silence are gold.  It's my time to recharge my batteries and veg out, whether that means surfing the internet, blogging (as I'm doing right now), reading a book, or taking a nap.  It's just my time without my kids.  And it is glorious.  Because let's be real, I can't start drinking this early, can I?  It's 5 o'clock somewhere, right? Right? MOTY, right here. 

Recipe review: Lemon Orzo Salad with Asparagus and Tomatoes

I found this recipe on pinterest the other day and had to make it.  It looked and sounded delicious.  I made it tonight. It was fairly easy (although there were more pots/bowls to wash than I wanted).  I added shrimp to it because today is Friday, and it's Lent, and I can't eat meat.  I have to say, I really liked it.  The lemon zest, lemon juice and garlic were perfect.  It gave it a really good flavor.  Plus, the parmesan cheese- delish!  My kids weren't thrilled with the tomatoes or the asparagus but they are three and 20 months old, and I didn't expect them to be.  I ended up using 16 oz. of the orzo pasta (instead of the 12 oz. that the recipe called for) because I didn't want to keep the remaining four ounces in my pantry.  Besides, I have a feeling I'm going to really enjoy the leftovers tomorrow.  Yum.  I would definitely recommend this recipe.  I think chicken would be good with it too. 

*recipe and picture from abigmouthful.com

Time for a change.

I'm ready to do something new to my hair color.  I am currently rocking a strawberry blonde with highlights.  It's very faded at this point, seeing as I last had it colored in September.  Gah, my roots are in desperate need of some color.  My only problem is I have no idea what color I want.  Here's what my hair looks like today:

I'm thinking of maybe going red.  But not Ronald McDonald red.  Maybe something like this:

or this

or this

or this

or this

Honestly, I don't know.  I think maybe the red would be too dark.  And my stylist doesn't want to add any blonde to my hair because I am trying to rebuild it.  My hair is severely damaged due to my recent weight loss.  It's falling out and a little fried.  So we're trying to stay away from any bleach/blonde for a few more months while my hair grows back in. 

I have an appointment in two weeks.  Hopefully, by then I'll have made a decision.  Any suggestions? Blacks and dark browns are out.  Otherwise, I'm open to suggestions.

My laminated list.

Here is my laminated list (in no particular order).  (Now keep in mind that this list does not include the RSTLNE {think Wheel of Fortune, you know, the givens} like Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Ryan Reynolds, Matt Damon, and Ben Affleck)  Commence swooning and drooling. 

Bobby Flay

Simon Baker

Josh Lucas

Mark Ruffalo

Adam Levine

So who is on your list? 

What the hell happened to my three year old?

I know the time change due to Daylight Savings can be a pain in the ass.  But can it cause my three year old to morph into a totally different kid?  The last two mornings she has woken up in the pissiest moods.  In fact, this morning, she walked out of her room, realized that I was making her lunch for school, yelled downstairs that she wasn't going to school, stomped back into her room and shut the door.  What the what??  Homey don't play that. 

When she finally did come downstairs, she was just mean to her sister.  There was a lot of "Don't look at me"s and a few "Go away, I don't want to play with you"s thrown around.  Ugh, if she's like this at three, Lord knows how's she'll be in her pre-teen and teen years. 

Thankfully, I did get her off to school.  I figured once she got there she would have a good time.  However, when I picked her up, her teacher informed me that she started crying after lunch and said "My Mommy isn't coming back."  Gah! That just kills me.  Of course, mommy always comes back. 

I really hope she's just out of whack because of the time change.  Because otherwise, I have no idea what is going on with her. 

I went MAC crazy.

Yesterday, my mom and I took my girls to the mall.  We decided to get our makeup done at the MAC counter at Macy's.  Normally, I'm a Clinque girl but I figured I'd branch out a bit.  Seeing as I'm trying to cultivate my style I figured some new makeup would help do the trick. I certainly hope so, considering I dropped a small fortune on it.  Plus, buying makeup just makes me feel pretty. 

I bought foundation (the palest they have- NC15), concealer in NW20, powder in Light, two different shades of eye shadow in Soft Brown and Swiss Chocolate, eye liner in Stubborn Brown, and some samples of the primer.  The sales lady swore that the browns would make my blue eyes "pop". 

I tried to watch and pay attention as she was applying the makeup (which was difficult to do as my two toddlers were running around and dancing like crazy people in the aisle) because I lack skills in the application department.  Hopefully, when I go to put it on tomorrow I won't completely muck up my face.  I guess, if all else fails, I can google tips for applying eye shadow, right? There's got to be a youtube video out there for someone like me. 

Sea World

I took my two girls to Sea World of Orlando yesterday.  We have passes and this was the second time we've gone this year.  I was pretty excited because we would be seeing the Shamu show for the first time.  I know when I was a kid, I loved Shamu.  It was one of my favorite shows.  I  loved watching Shamu swim around and jump out of the water with the trainer on its nose.  The big splashes and the crowd cheering.  I just loved it.  Well times have changed.  The trainers no longer get in the water with the whales.  I assume it's because of the trainer death a few years ago.  And it makes sense for safety reasons, I get it.  But the show just isn't the same.  Thankfully, my girls don't know the difference.  They enjoyed it.  My youngest was clapping her ass off and my oldest had the biggest smile on her face.  It was awesome.  And me being Mother of the Year, didn't take any pictures.  Bummer.  I brought my camera but I forgot to take pictures.  And then I got flustered halfway through the show, when my youngest knocked over my large Coke Zero (that I just spent $6.99 on- it's a refillable cup with a straw that I can bring back all year- refills are $0.99) and it spilled all over the ground and then proceeded to drip down the concrete to all the levels below us.  I can only hope no one had their nice bags on the ground by their feet because they would be saturated in Coke Zero.  Ugh.  I was praying no one turned around and gave me the evil eye. 

We also went to The Shark Encounter.  That was also a little disappointing.  I kept comparing it to my experiences when I was younger and it just didn't measure up.  But I have to remember I am no longer 12 and I have a different perspective on what is exciting.  That said, my girls enjoyed it.  They got to see a whole school of "Dori fish" (the fish from the movie Finding Nemo) and a bunch of sharks.  They kept yelling out "Look!" with a look of pure joy on their faces.  It was awesome.  (Again, no pictures.  MOTY, right here.)

Lastly, we saw the Whale and Dolphin show.  Now that was awesome.  It did not disappoint at all.  The trainers got in the water with the dolphins, lots of big jumps, splashes, flips, and tricks.  I loved it.  My girls loved it.  (side note: Dolphins are one of my favorite animals.  Tigers and Otters are the other ones).  We'll definitely have to see that again another time.  Hopefully, next time my kid won't spill all 22 oz of my drink within 10 minutes of me buying it.

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

I tried a new recipe last night.  It was the Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole recipe floating around pinterest.  My family and I liked it.  Although, the hubs and I felt we could have added diced tomatoes or even sun-dried tomatoes for a little extra oomph.  It was easy to make (which I really liked) and my two somewhat picky toddlers enjoyed it (which I like even more).  I added a little more than 8 oz of spaghetti (which is what the recipe called for) and I added a little extra garlic powder.  Oh and I also used Cream of Chicken and Herbs soup (instead of Cream of Mushroom soup).  I don't like mushrooms, so when I can leave them out, I do.  Shhh! Don't tell my husband, he loves mushrooms.  Overall, I'd say it was pretty good and I'll most likely make it again. 

I need a style.

After reading my last post, I realize I don't really have a "style".  I'm sure Clinton and Stacy would have a field day with me.  I want to dress cute.  I want to look good for my age.  I want to have a sense of style.  I'm just not sure how to do all of that.  My "style" is casual.  My last post is a perfect example of what I wear on a day to day basis.  I'm trying to add some color into my wardrobe.  Hence, the rose colored t-shirt from Old Navy.  And I recently bought these Christian Siriano wedges from Payless.  But I feel like I'm losing the fashionista battle.  Ugh.  When the weather was cooler, I was rocking some skinny jeans and brown riding boots.  But it's March in Florida, and jeans and boots weather is pretty much gone until maaaybe, November.  So what's a girl to do?  Anyone have any tips? Or want to throw out some suggestions?  I should probably start scouring pinterest for ideas.  That place is a total time suck but I love it.  ::skips off to pinterest and polyvore::

Oh dear.

Should a 35 year old mother of two be shopping in the Juniors section of Kohls?  Probably not.  But I did anyway.  I found a cute pair of jean capri's.  Yes, they are Candies.  No, I'm probably not pulling them off.  Thankfully, they are stretchy so there is a little give to them.  Lord knows, I need a little give in my pants.  Ha!  I paired it with a rose colored plain crew neck t-shirt from Old Navy.  I also had a good make up day.  I *think* I look cute.  Excuse the crappy cell phone pic.  So what do you think? Should I stop shopping in the juniors section or what?  (Disclaimer: this is the first time I have shopped in the juniors section in eight years, so there's that.)

Hey there!

Well here we go. I decided to create a blog for me and my interests. I have a family blog already. But it's really for my extended family and in-laws, so they can keep up with our family of four. This blog will be just for me. Don't get me wrong, I will definitely be talking about my family. And I'm sure there will be pictures. But mostly, this will be about random stuff that I like. Stuff like what I'm reading, recipes I've tried recently, and just the shenanigans of my every day life. So welcome! Pull up a seat and stay a while.