There Is No Clear Topic In This Post.

Its true. There really is no clear topic in this post so I couldn't think of a more fitting title than just that.

As I type the hubby is sitting at our kitchen table building a computer. I love my computer nerd savvy husband. This isn’t just any old computer either. This is a “super” computer as he puts it. What makes it super? Yeah, I’ve got no idea. But either way I know it’ll come out nicely because he’s got a talent for this kind of stuff. To me, it all looks like a random assortment of wires, bolts and metal bits. Looking into that box I may as well be staring into the human brain. But combined it obviously becomes something pretty darn neat or he wouldn’t be sitting there like a kid with a new toy.

Today was a fairly productive day. Snuggle Bug spent the morning at daycare while I ran to do some errands. Managed to save just about $15 bucks on groceries for the week, go me. I think I’m finally getting the hang of this coupon stuff. Maybe one day I’ll be one of those women who walk into the store and walk out with a cart full of groceries for $10 bucks. It’s pretty impressive I must say but I’ve got a while before I reach that power shopper status. Then I went to Target, 25 miles away in the next town because our town isn’t cool enough for a Target apparently, to get Snuggle Bug a new pair of sneakers. Her tiny feet are FINALLY starting to grow. The kid turns two in less than a month and she is finally wearing size 4 shoes. I blame those itty bitty feet on her late walking. I mean who can walk on such tiny feet; it’s like a balancing act! Then again I suppose all walking is a balancing act. I think I read somewhere that with every step we take we’re just moments away from falling on our face. Something to think about.

In preparation for our impending move we finally managed to get one of the dogs to the vet to get her shots updated and get more of her Heartguard. I feel like such a terrible pet owner because the year the hubby was deployed I wasn’t able to get the dogs to the vet. At that point I refused to put Snuggle Bug in any sort of daycare situation and the dogs are both so big it can be tricky to handle them and a baby. So unfortunately the last year their veterinary care fell by the wayside. On a more positive note, the vet said that Daisy is healthy, but slightly overweight, which we knew. I love that dog but she is so darn lazy. Getting her to get up and play, especially in the cold or heat, is a challenge. She much prefers to lay there and stare at you with those “why are you bothering me you moron?” eyes. Yeah, good dog. Peaches is the next to go in tomorrow and hopefully we’ll get the same positive healthy results from her check up too. She is my sweet, snuggly and extremely hyper little dog. She has a special place in my heart for the fact that she was adopted and returned to the rescue center so many times they were losing hope on her ever finding a forever home. How can you pass up a dog like that? I’ve always had a soft spot for the underdog. But I digress….

Anyway, it’s time for me to make my family a yummy meal! I’m making a tasty and simple balsamic chicken that I’ll be sure to post the recipe for soon. It always comes out great!

Late Night Mommy Musing

Do you ever have nights where you just can’t sleep? Yeah, so do I. So here I sit in bed next to my snoring hubby with my laptop typing the night away while the rest of my family sleeps. I love my family. Despite the moments where I want to lock myself in the bathroom for a few spare moments of silence, pay no attention to the constantly running toilet, I still love that they are mine.

When my curly haired toddler runs up to me with snot running down her nose, hugs me as she wipes her nose on my shoulder and then runs of giggling I’m reminded of why God gave us children….to give us a sense of humor.

How can you be serious when you’re wandering around with snot on your shoulder, mashed peas on your shirt , sipping stale cold coffee and yelling “Don’t shove that crayon in the dog’s nose!” while your child squeals in delight? That’s right, you can’t. Because if you try you’re going to get wrinkles and I don’t need any more factors that lead to wrinkles. Instead I’ll take rolling around on the floor with my baby laughing at her silly faces and enjoying motherhood.

I make the mention of snot not because Snuggle Bug has a perpetually runny nose but rather because the poor thing has been dealing with a cold for the past few days that has made my sweet girl a snot factory. That is part of the reason I’m still awake. Because if tonight follows suit with our last two nights she will be awake in just a few hours crying because she can’t breathe through the abundance of mucus in her nose. Which will prompt me or the hubby, me if I’m awake, to come in with the snot sucker thingy to clear her nose. Then we rock for a while and try to get her back to sleep.

Maybe after that I’ll think about going to bed. Or maybe I’ll do some laundry, who knows?

Potty Training

Yes, it’s that time in toddlerhood…potty training. Well, technically, this is potty training take two. A few months ago we started and were making good progress. She peed in the potty twice and seemed to be having a fun time with the entire thing. Then we began traveling, a week in Colorado, two weeks in California. Then the holidays came and went and in all that madness potty training went on the back burner. I really should have tried harder but I just got lost in everything there was to do. But here we are just a few weeks away from Snuggle Bug’s second birthday and it’s time to pull the pink potty out and get started again! Our chart is all ready and by her potty. She LOVES her sticker chart! There is a spot for a sticker each time she goes into the potty, tries to go potty, pulls her pants up and down, washes her hands and so on. Those little colorful stickers make her so proud! The only problem we really had during that time was the problems we had with the pull-ups giving her a rash. She has such sensitive skin it can be tricky to find things that won’t irritate her skin. Do they make cloth pull-ups that are actually absorbent? We attempted the cloth training panties but they were so thin that her first accident soaked all over the place. Needless to say we put those to the side for when she has a bit more bladder control. I guess I’ll be keeping my eyes and ears out for something that will work for us.

It is hard to believe that we’re already at this stage. It seems like time is going buy so quickly and before I know it she’ll be grown! But until then I’m going to enjoy every toddler minute I can with my baby, get every snuggle, every kiss and soak up all the memories. I love being a mommy!

Upcycling

Over the past couple of days I have been overflowing with creative ideas. My most recent ideas have involved upcycling. For those of you who don’t know what that is, upcycling is taking an item that has been discarded or that no one has use for anymore and turning it into something better. I LOVE upcycling! Earlier this week I did a run to Goodwill and found some wonderful gems to work with. Now Snuggle Bug has some brand new items for her wardrobe.!

This skirt was made from a bedskirt that cost $1.99. There is still lots of fabric left that i'm not sure what to do with. Maybe a purse?


These pants are from a Tshirt that was on the 99cents rack.




I’m also working on an adorable shirt dress for Snuggle Bug which I’ll post just as soon as it’s done.

My other latest projects have been kanzashi flowers. Such simple but beautiful little cloth flowers that can be used to embellish your craft projects! A wonderful tutorial can be found at http://www.mookychick.co.uk/diy_ethic/kanzashi_tutorial.php

Here are a few that I’ve made recently.




They are so simple and fun to make. Definately a great way to use up those tiny fabric scraps!

I've got so many different projects that i'm working on and I can't wait to share them as I finish them!

Cold Winter Day

It was a cold, snowy day yesterday. One of those days that makes you want to curl up next to the fireplace with a nice warm blanket. So what is a better thing to do on a cold dreary day than bake cookies! Sugar cookies happen to be one of the hubby’s favorites so that is what I made.



Sugar Cookies
1 cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
granulated sugar



Cream butter; beat in sugar gradually. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla extract; stir to blend. Combine and sift flour, baking powder, and salt; add gradually to creamed mixture, mixing thoroughly.. Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls. Place 2" apart on greased baking sheet. Flatten with bottom of glass that's been greased and dipped in granulated sugar. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to racks immediately to cool.



Don’t they look yummy?




They didn’t last very long in this house either!


For our yummy snowy cold winter’s night dinner I made Clam Chowder with crescent rolls. It was so yummy!

Clam Chowder

1/2 pound bacon, cooked them crumbled
5 unpeeled potatoes, diced
2 celery stalks, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 (6.5 ounce) cans chopped clams with juice
2 (1.8 ounce) packages dry leek soup mix
1 quart half-and-half
1 Bottle Clam Juice

Place the bacon in a large pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisped and browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings in the pot. Crumble then set the bacon aside. Stir the potatoes and celery into the bacon fat. Season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Pour the juice from the clams into the pot, bottle of clam juice and add enough water to just cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are just tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
Stir the leek soup mix into the potatoes until no lumps of soup remain. Stir in the clams, reserved bacon, and half-and-half cream. Cook and stir until the chowder returns to a simmer and thickens, about 10 minutes more.

Thank goodness there are leftovers from last night or I think I’d have to make this again soon!

Jose Cuervo Cookies

Jose Cuervo Cookies

1 tsp baking soda, 1 cup of sugar,1 tsp salt,
1 cup of brown sugar, 1 cup of butter, 4 large eggs, 1 cup nuts, 2 cups of dried fruit,
1 bottle Jose Cuervo Tequila

Sample the Cuervo to check quality..

Take a large bowl, Check the Cuervo again, to be sure it is of the highest quality,Pour one level cup and drink.

Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter In a large fluffy bowl.

Add one peastoon of sugar. Beat again. At this point it's best to make sure the Cuervo is still ok, try another cup just in case.

Turn off the mixerer thingy.

Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit.

Pick the frigging fruit off the floor.

Mix on the turner.

If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaters just pry it loose with a drewscriver.

Sample the Cuervo to check for tonsisticity.

Next, sift two cups of salt, or something. Who geeves a sheet. Check the Jose Cuervo. Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.

Add one table.

Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find.

Greash the oven.

Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over.

Don't forget to beat off the turner.

Finally, throw the bowl through the window, finish the Cose Juervo and make sure to put the stove in the wishdasher.

Dinner and Home Staging

The house smells so yummy right now! I’ve had stew simmering in the crockpot all day and the longer it cooks the better it smells. I’m going to toss some cornbread in the oven before too much longer. Beef Stew and cornbread, now that is a yummy cold day meal! <---I wrote that about three hours ago and it tasted just as yummy as it smelled! I started my blog entry earlier today but got a little distracted with finishing dinner, getting everyone fed and getting the little one into bed. But now the kitchen is clean, the house is quiet and the little one is fast asleep. Time for a little blogging and quiet time before bed.

The meeting with the realtor went well today. He seems like a knowledgeable person who will do a good job. I hope this turns out better than our last attempt at selling this house, 2 showings in a 6 month period…..not good. Tomorrow I’m going to start the staging process but I’m running into one little problem, toys. Everything I read about staging says to put the toys away which is easier said than done with a toddler. Since her bedroom is upstairs it is hard to keep everything up there when we spend most of our day downstairs. Not to mention her bedroom is already overflowing as it is. She is quite a blessed little girl! Staging is pretty tricky when you’re still living in your home. Our house is filled with family photos and special keepsakes that make our house feel like a home. I hate the idea of living in a generic house but if it helps then we’ll do what we have to.

Here is a little home staging inspiration.







Now, how do you get a house to look like that when there is a toddler, two dogs and husband running around?