Days of Whine & Noses

Talk about Whine!

2009-10-14T09:53:00.002-07:00

I've got some whining to do....

Took my 4 year old to the doctor last Monday...she has bronchitis. They gave her Amoxicillin...it gave her diarhea.

I have been sick this week myself. Went to the doctor yesterday ('cause I want to be able to have some cocktails in Vegas!) and am finally feeling better today but I have been having some trouble with my right ear since July. There is fluid in it and it is red inside and I haven't been able to hear very well. Doctor told me I will probably have to see an ENT and it's a possibility I will have to have a tube in my ear! FREAKING OUT! Didn't think this happens to adults! My kids never had ear infections!

Today my 4 year old woke up with a rash on her face. Checked her entire body and it is faintly on her tummy and her left hand. Doctor said it's another reaction to the antibiotics! OMG! Can we get a break here so I can feel OK with going off to Vegas for the weekend for Sitscation!

There. I whined. I feel a little better.

I Want to be 4 Years Old...

2009-09-18T09:22:00.004-07:00

So I can sleep in this Cinderella Pumpkin/Coach Bed, too!

This is my youngest daughters room. She has no idea how lucky she is to have such an adorable bed/room!

She's had the bed since she turned 3 last year and we moved her out of her crib. I have spent the past year searching for great princess room decor at bargain prices and now I need to actually finish the room with the things I need to hang on the walls!

I have missed my laptop and am happy to finally have it back!

Friday Photo Flashback

2009-08-27T23:19:00.000-07:00

I love my old photos and finding something new to share here with everyone.

I am taking part in Friday Photo Flashback over at More Than Words today.

This is probably my dad's favorite photo of me in childhood. He took it. This is a scanned copy and the original is in much better condition than it looks here. I am guessing I am maybe between ages of 3 and 5?? I don't know.

The great thing about my childhood pictures is that whenever anyone sees them they ask if it's my 4 year old! She was looking at a baby picture of me this week and asked if it was her! I do find it a little creepy sometimes when I see my own face in my girls. Weird.

BTW...my 4 year old makes this same face. Must run in the family.

I Don't Want to Say Goodbye!

2009-08-27T16:23:00.004-07:00

OK, I am having a real problem over here. I know I have already mentioned last week that I need to send my laptop to Sony for a repair. They have sent someone to my home to repair it TWICE since the beginning of July and I am still having trouble with it. I've only had it since around Christmas time!.

Sony sent me a box with a prepaid shipping label to mail the laptop to them. The problem is that I have had the box since Monday and today is Thursday. I have yet to put the laptop in the box. I want it fixed before the warranty is up but I am having such a hard time parting from it. I was told that I would have it back in 2 weeks time! TWO WEEKS!

So I have to just bite the bullet, put it in the box and ship it off.

This is going to be hard! I think I'll wait until Monday...or Tuesday...maybe I can just wait until Wednesday...

MckLinky Blog Hop: Time To Laugh

2009-08-24T22:51:00.007-07:00

I'm always looking for a good laugh and a way to meet new people, especially in the blogworld. So I decided to take part in this today.

I have literally had tears coming down my face the first time I watched this video. If you have ever watched David Blaine, you might or might not find this amusing. There are actually a few parts to it but I will just show you part one.

(if you are easily offended by the F word...beware)

David Blaine Street Magic Spoof-Part 1

Happy 60th Birthday to My Teen Idol!

2009-08-23T00:00:00.008-07:00

Today is Rick Springfield's 60th birthday. I have loved him since 1982 when I was 13 years old.

My dad took me to every single one of Rick's shows when he came to Chicago. I remember standing on the chairs, as all the teenagers did back then, my dad looked at me and said, "maybe you should sit down." My dad tells me to this day that he will never forget the evil look I gave him when he said that....and I remained standing on the chair.

This is a photo of me in 1983 in my very tiny bedroom in the attic apartment I grew up in in Chicago. I was 14 and told my dad I would marry Rick Springfield and I didn't care that he was 20 years older than me! The picture below is also featured in Rick's CD booklet for Venus In Overdrive! I sent it in with tons of other fans and it's in there along with many other fans!

The first picture above was taken in 2004 at the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix, AZ. I had been living in AZ for less than a year at that time. I bought two tickets for this show and had my mom fly in from Chicago so I'd have a girl to go with me. No way will I ever be in the same room as Rick AND my husband! Something happens to me when I am in the same room as Rick, it's scary how I feel about him...not in a creepy stalker kind of way, I swear.

My mom & I arrived at the Celebrity Theater for the show and I decided to leave my purse in the car and just take what I thought were the 'essentials' in with me (camera, debit card, some cash, ID). I was sure I wouldn't be needing my cell phone or lipstick.

When we walked in the door, I turned to my right and low and behold...the concert souvenir table! We immediately went to it being that we had an entire hour to kill before the actual show started. Then I noticed a guitar hanging above the table on the wall, with a sign stating that if anyone bought one of the guitars that Rick plays and smashes on the stage that night (only 2 were being offered for sale), you were given 2 BACKSTAGE PASSES AND GET TO MEET RICK!

Then I started to hyperventilate and immediately took out my debit card and asked the person at the table how much and if anyone bought them yet. Are you ready for this???

$500! CASH ONLY! Heart sank. Yet I was determined not to let anyone or anything stand in my way for a chance to meet Rick after all these years of supporting him as a fan! I mean at this point my 4th row tickets for the show meant NOTHING to me! I NEEDED THAT GUITAR AND THE BACK STAGE PASSES!

My mind was churning, there was an ATM machine inside. I took my debit card, swiped it. Machine then informs me that I am only allowed to withdraw $150 at one time!!!! WTF??? Are you freaking kidding me! I need my $500 NOW, b@*!# (like I said, I get crazy when it comes to Rick). It was like my own little horror movie! I was trying not to freak out. I get the $150, had to say 'yes' to accept the $5 transaction fee and then I swiped the card and did it all over again...3 more times until I had taken out enough cash to pay!

Then I decide to call my new husband (we had been married June 2003...this was now May 2004). I called from the payphone. I explained the situation about the guitar, passes for back stage, etc and the cost and how much it would mean to me if I could do this. He tells me that if what I'm looking for is his permission, then he can't give that to me. So I politely say to him, well I'm sorry you feel that way but this is something I have to do. I placed the phone back on the hook and persued my dream since 1982!

So I did it. My mom was a bit shocked during the entire process of what I was doing. I didn't care about the show anymore. He did come out in the audience by us, my mom touched his leg (moms!) and all I was thinking was: I WANT TO GET BACKSTAGE! Normally him being as close to me as he was during the show would be enough but not now! Now I was going to actually be able to talk to him, even for just a tiny moment but he would look at me and hear me!

We still had to sit through the concert first. After the show was over, we went to get my guitar, duck tape and all, my passes to get backstage and made our way to where I thought heavens gates would be opening up for me.

Then it dawned on me...I didn't PLAN to meet Rick Springfield that night! I had no lipstick, comb or brush to freshen before heading backstage! Ugh. But I wasn't going to let that stop me.

There was a small line of people waiting to take their pictures with him (some won that privilege from radio stations). As we were waiting, Rick looked over at ME and did a little nod because he saw that I was holding the guitar. OMG, I know I melted a little bit.

Then it was finally our turn. Here is the picture of me and Rick May 2004.

Do you think I look just a wee bit excited?
Do you see what he wrote: WITH LOVE!

I will say I left there felling many things...he gave me a huge hug, signed the guitar to me and what did I say to him: My husband is going to kill me when I get home! Yes I said that. To Rick Springfield. My teen idol. I was kicking myself all the way home and for the next week. But he was nice about it. He asked me how long we'd been married and when I told him 11 months, he laughed. Then as I was walking away, he stroked the back of my hair all the way down my head. I melted into the carpet.

I need a do-over so I can get out the right words...not sure what they should be but I know it shouldn't be that my husband is going to kill me!

Guitar is hanging on the wall in my family room with the picture and another one that includes my mom plus the ticket from the show and pictures of the backstage pass because I can't find it anywhere now!

Now how cool is that!

So happy birthday, Rick! Keep on rockin'! You are still hot at 60!

Banana Pancakes with Walnut Honey

2009-08-22T00:00:00.005-07:00

I just bought a new cook book this week and this is the first recipe out of it that I have tried.

This comes from the Flat Belly Diet Cookbook. I am not following their diet however, I thought the recipes would be good to try so I bought the book. Plus I am truly hoping some of the recipes will help me flatten my belly :)

Let me start by saying that my 4 year old LOVED these pancakes(minus the walnuts of course) and helping me mix it all together.

I made pre-made their recipe for Easy Pancake Mix the day before, You will need to make this for the banana pancake recipe.

Here is the recipe for the mix:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I did not have the pastry flour so I just used the whole wheat flour I had in the pantry)

6 tablespoons yellow cornmeal

6 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine the all-purpose flour, pastry flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and mix well. Store in a cool, dry place.

This mix contains more fiber than a box mix from the store and the book says it can be used in their waffle recipes as well. Plus you know exactly what you are eating....no additives :)

OK so here is the recipe for the banana pancakes:

PANCAKES

1 1/3 cups EASY PANCAKE MIX (recipe above)

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

1/4 cup water

1 egg

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large banana, halved lengthwise and cut into thin slices

WALNUT HONEY

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/3 cup honey

1 tablespoon water

1) To prepare the pancakes: combine the pancake mix and cinnamon in a large bowl. Combine the buttermilk, water, egg, oil, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl. Whisk into the pancake mix and stir until smooth. Fold in the banana. Set aside.

2) To prepare the walnut honey: combine the walnuts, honey and water in a small bowl

3) Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium heat. Add the pancake batter in scant 1/4 cupfuls and cook, in batches, for about 2 minutes or until the pancakes have puffed and the undersides are lightly browned. Turn the pancakes and cook for about 2 minutes longer or until lightly browned. Serve with the walnut honey.

This is supposed to make 4 servings (3 pancakes each) but I think I ended up with 2 or 3 short of that myself.

Wow! The Comment Love is Overwhelming!

2009-08-21T00:00:00.001-07:00

I want to say thank you to everyone who stopped by yesterday on my SITS day! I loved reading every single one of the very many comments but I'm not sure I can reply back to all of them in a timely manner but I will try my very best....
be patient!

I appreciate the support so much. I teared up myself reading some of the comments.

Please do come back and see me. Even if I take a break from blogging due to laptop issues (I will be sending it in to Sony to be looked at next week and they said I will be without it for 2 weeks!....all of this after 2 in-home repairs!) I also take a break whenever I am out of town or just extra overwhelmed with life.

I am also trying to go through my followers to try to follow back! I will get through all of them!

Thanks again and stayed tuned....

Welcome SITStas!

2009-08-20T00:01:00.008-07:00

I am so excited to be the FB today over at SITS! They are such an incredible group of women who support each other as bloggers. Go over and check them out if you have no idea what I'm talking about.

My profile over to the left is quite long. I don't know how to keep it short. I spend all of my time with my 4 year old so talking to adults makes me ramble a bit.

I started blogging less than 8 months ago. I started to blog as a sort of therapy to get me through the grief process that I have been going through since summer 2008. It helps me to concentrate on happy thoughts as much as possible. I am better since last summer but still have a long way to go.

I am a SAHM of 2 girls (14 years old...just started high school this week) and 4 years old (starting preschool this month)

I enjoy pina coladas and getting caught in the rain. I have become a coffee addict since having my youngest. She's a handful (I'm praying for her teachers). I love technology. I can't help myself, it's in my blood. My dad has been a computer geek/technology buff all my life.

I love taking pictures and scrap booking (I am a Creative Memories snob).

I enjoy reading on my Kindle late at night and a good glass of red wine when all the house is quiet.

I love cooking for my family and trying new recipes I find mostly in Cooking Light Magazine.

I despise doing laundry (the separating of the clothes into piles, taking them out of the washer, putting them in the dryer, taking out of the dryer, hanging and folding!) too much work!

I grew up on the north side of Chicago approx. 1 mile from Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs! We have been in the Southwest for 6 years now. I have had a very hard time becoming a fan of any sports teams here. I think Chicagoans are true to their teams no matter where they live.

I am a night owl by nature and now it seems that late-night is the only time I have to myself anymore.

Please take a look at the right column for the recipes I love to make for my family.
I also have a new button over there. Feel free to take it and post it on your blog :)

I have some of my fav posts on the left column under: Things I Like to Whine About.

I am looking forward to seeing all of your comments and hope to see you come back to say hello another day!

PS...follow me and I will most likely return the favor :)

Writer's Workshop: What to do? What to do?

2009-08-20T00:00:00.005-07:00

This is my very first time participating in Mama Kat's Writers Workshop.

The Prompt:

1) What will you be doing now that the kids are back in school?

First off, let me tell you that I have a 14 year old girl and a 4 year old girl.

My oldest just started her Freshman year of high school THIS WEEK! My 4 year old will get her very first taste of authority outside of her home at the end of August when she starts preschool for the first time.

As for me, I have been thinking of this moment of new freedom for approx. 4 years. Now it is upon me, I am excited and nervous at the same time. Preschool is only 3 hours a day 4 days a week.

THINGS I WANT TO DO:

1) go back to the gym...I did a full six months of gym time last year and since last summer haven't been able to get back into my 'groove'. This will be especially nice that I won't have to stop whatever I am doing to go and wipe a certain 4 year olds butt.

2) sit at a Starbucks or another friendly neighborhood coffee shop, drink a cinnamon dulce latte and read something on my Kindle...WITHOUT HAVING TO STOP TO WIPE MY 4 YEAR OLD'S BUTT!

3) meet a friend for a coffee (yes, I'm addicted, I know) again without having to wipe any part of my 4 year old

4) get a massage or pedicure...oh how nice that would be right?

THINGS I WILL MOST LIKELY DO IN REALITY

1) go to the gym...get on an elliptical machine and think about my 4 year old and who will be wiping her butt since I am not at school with her...picturing her sitting there on the tiny preschool toilet calling for me to wipe her (I am hoping she saves going #2 for at home)

2) make my coffee at home, adding come vanilla caramel liquid coffee-mate, look through my cooking magazines/books and find new things to make for dinner

3) go grocery shopping (at least my 4 year old won't be there telling me that SHE can push the cart and run into all the grandmas there)

4) dream about a massage/pedicure on my way to pick up the kids

I think I will still try to fit in a coffee with a friend whenever possible...spending too much time alone will not be good for me!

I have been in isolation for 4 years. We have no family here and only a few friends which makes isolation quite easy to do. Plus it is in triple digits here still and there's not much to do outdoors when it's that hot.

This will be a big change in my life and I really hope I learn to make the most of it for myself.

Honk (or in this case...comment) If You Are the Mom of a High Schooler!

2009-08-17T08:08:00.004-07:00

Today is the first day of high school for my 14 year old daughter. I can imagine all the excitement and nervousness she was feeling all morning.

She has never used an alarm clock to wake up for school, until today. I have been her alarm clock BUT she wants to get up at 5am! No one in this house is up before 6:15am so last night we had a lesson in how-to-set-the-alarm-clock-that-has-been-sitting-on-your-table-f0r-two-years.

I can say that all went well this morning. I heard her get up at 5am, go in bathroom and shower. She's always been an evening shower-er until now.

I picked up some really cool Ed Hardy folders and notebooks for her. She picked out a backpack. She had her first-day-of-high-school outfit.

I can not believe how fast she seems to be growing up.

I can't wait for her to come home today so I can try to pry out of her how the day went. I'm guessing I'll get a shoulder shrug and and an OK from her. Teenagers!

Now it's just me and my 4 year old again at home...that is until the end of August when she will enter preschool for the very first time (sob)!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

2009-08-11T21:42:00.003-07:00

OMG! I have been so freaking busy since the beginning of July! I was out of town for 3 whole weeks and did not have internet access for the most part. Being the techy person that I am, that is always hard for me!

Now I am trying to catch up with getting school clothes, supplies, filing out the rest of the forms, doctors appointments, etc, etc.

So I am hoping to get back on track in my blogging world in the next few weeks!

Been On Vacation!

2009-08-03T09:38:00.002-07:00

I have been away for over 3 weeks and hope to get back here ASAP!

Flashback Fridays

2009-07-17T00:00:00.001-07:00

I am participating in Flashback Fridays over at More Than Words again.

This is a picture of my mom and me. I am guessing that I am around 4 years old here but I'm not sure but it was taken in the 70's somewhere in Chicago.

Flashback Friday

2009-07-09T22:25:00.001-07:00

I am participating in Flashback Fridays over at More Than Words.

This comes you to via circa 1970's. It is a photo of my mom and her long-time boyfriend (they have been together for over 30 years now and STILL do not live together!)

I was always so jealous of my moms beauty when I was growing up. She sure looked great back then, didn't she???

Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

2009-07-08T22:50:00.002-07:00

I love lemons! One of the best things about living in Arizona is the fact that I have fruit trees in my own backyard. My lemon tree being my favorite. It's beautiful to look at when it's full and my family loves it when I make homemade lemonade.

I had so many lemons a couple of months ago (the season is over now) so I was using them in all kinds of recipes, this one was one of my favorites.

This comes from Cooking Light Magazine and let me tell you they taste just as good as they look! Aren't they gorgeous?!

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 large egg
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 cup blueberries
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (flour through nutmeg) in a medium bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Combine buttermilk, egg, and rind; stir well with a whisk. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moist. Gently fold in blueberries.

Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until the muffins spring back when lightly touched. Remove muffins from pans immediately, and place on a wire rack to cool.

Combine lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Drizzle glaze evenly over cooled muffins.

Note: You can make these muffins up to 2 days ahead and glaze them the day of serving

Nutritional Information
Calories:187 (23% from fat)
Fat:4.8g (sat 2.7g,mono 1.4g,poly 0.3g)
Protein:3.7g
Carbohydrate:32.6g
Fiber:1g
Cholesterol:30mg
Iron:1.1mg
Sodium:264mg
Calcium:59mg

Zing Zang Zoom!

2009-07-05T22:44:00.006-07:00

I recently went to see the latest Ringling Bros Barnum & Bailey production with my family. We all had lots of fun except for the fact that my 3 year old wasn't feeling good that night and we had to leave after the 1st act but not before she got to enjoy her cotton candy!

She had a fever almost 102* when we got home!

She did ask a couple of days later if we could go back because she really missed a lot of it and just didn't feel good at all. My teenager was actually disappointed that we had to leave early. Go figure.

If you can catch the Zing Zang Zoom show when it hits your town, go for it!

Mom Central has partnered with Feld Entertainment, the parent company for Disney On Ice and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®, to provide a special family ticket package offer in select cities across the country.

A SPECIAL OFFER FOR YOU!
Purchase a 4-pack of tickets for only $44 by logging onto
www.ticketmaster.com and entering the coupon code: MOM.**

**Get 4 tickets for $44 by entering the code “MOM” in the MC promotion code box on Ticketmaster. Minimum
purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each. Offer not valid on Rinkside or VIP seating. Cannot be combined with other offers. Service Charges, facility & handling fees will apply.

Technical Difficulties

2009-07-01T10:55:00.001-07:00

I have major computer problems, a part is on order but not sure when it will actually be repaired yet!

Stay tuned...

It came upon Hollywood in 3's...

2009-06-25T15:39:00.004-07:00

First Ed McMahon, then Farrah Fawcett and now Michael Jackson.

This is a sad week for Hollywood.

Flashback Friday

2009-06-12T00:00:00.001-07:00

I am participating in Flashback Fridays over at More Than Words. This is my first time doing this.

An old friend emailed this picture to me this week. I believe it is from winter of 1989/90???

Ah, the 80's, big hair, big shoulders (remember shoulder pads) and big trouble (for me, oh, if I could only remember all the crazy things I did!)

My friend was OBSESSED with the band Warrant (Cherry Pie; Heaven) back then. We chased them all over Chicago whenever they were in town. This was somewhere outside of Excalibur nightclub in Chicago. I spent WAY too much time there in the early 90's!

This is a photo of me, an old friend and the lead singer from Warrant, Jani Lane.

My hair and Jani's blend together....gotta love those 80's perms!

Really??? I. Don't. Think. So.

2009-06-10T19:00:00.001-07:00

I am truly speechless after seeing this infomercial one night this week.

Have you seen this?

Check out the girl in the pink bra who looks more like she's doing an 'adult film' than an infomercial!

Did you see it? Really? That stick is going to make my boobs do that!?!

Hmmm, stocking stuffer??? A girl can dream, right?

Well, I need to get out my Rejuvenique Mask, put on my Snuggie, get my PedEgg out and scare my kids.

And that's all I have to say about that.

6 Years

2009-06-08T09:45:00.003-07:00

Today is my 6 year wedding anniversary.

It got me to thinking about how much our lives have changed living away from everyone we know and love for the past 6 years.

We met at the end of January 2002 and had our first date on 02/02/02.

He was told by the company he worked for that he had to move to Arizona to the corporate office or lose his job. This was October 2002. We had been dating for 8 months.

He called me at work to tell me this news. I was upset by the news but also by the fact that he told me over the phone while I was working. He said we needed to talk to which I replied that there was nothing to talk about. I wasn't about to pick up my life and move to away from everything I knew and loved. Plus I had a daughter, 7 years old at that time. Long distance relationship was also out of the question for me.

I cried at my desk at work and told my two good friends in the office about it to which they replied: Well he just won't go! To which I replied: Sounds to me like he's serious about going.

Later that night, we talked...a lot. I had made the decision to go with him under the condition that we make a commitment to each other in marriage being that I had a young daughter and would not risk picking up both of our lives for him to have it end when we move (it happens).

We planned a wedding, I left a job and working for a company that I really loved, sold my condo & bought our house in AZ all by June of 2003. I had refused to move sooner than that because my daughter was having her first communion that April and I wanted her to finish 2nd grade at her school before we moved which gave us the summer to get settled in AZ.

Here's a picture of the room we were married in...I loved it! It was so beautiful.

There were velvet benches and seats around the room for the guests. The chairs were for our parents and grandparents.

The 3 of us boarded the plane with my 3 cats in tow. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I've never lived anywhere else.

My daughter made friends easily. For me & him, it was much harder. I made every effort to know my neighbors (something that can be hard to do in AZ, believe it or not, because you hardly ever see anyone out of front of their houses).

I worked part time for the first time in my adult life. Until we had my youngest girl.

I have been a stay at home mom since she was born almost 4 years ago.

I will tell you that one of the hardest things was being in the hospital with my newborn baby with no visitors. I was happy to have the new baby but so sad that my mom wasn't there to see her like she was with my first one.

But this is our life. We don't like being so far away from everyone but this is the way it is now.

Last June, we went to Vegas to renew our wedding vows with Elvis. This was the first time since we were married that we were away from the kids (his dad and stepmom flew in to stay with the kids while we were gone).

It was so much fun to do that I'm thinking we might have to do that every 5 years!
Elvis walked me down the isle! He was so much fun! He sang 3 of my favorite Elvis songs, too.

6 years has taken us far away from our family longer than I'd like.

It has given us a very small handful of new but great friends.

It has given us another beautiful daughter to love and made my oldest a big sister (something I will never be)

It has taken us places we might not have ever seen (the Grand Canyon, Sedona) and given us the opportunity to take road trips together to California & Nevada that we wouldn't have done otherwise.

It has introduced us to creatures that we have learned to live with but don't necessarily like!

In 6 years we have seen death touch our family 6 times, one that effects our lives daily.

It has taught us that like it or not, we only have each other to count on.

It has shown me that even when we don't like each other, we still love each other.

One Lovely Blog Award!

2009-06-04T22:20:00.004-07:00

Lola at Lola's Diner has given me a One Lovely Blog Award and so to her I say: Thank you, thank you very much (in my best Elvis voice).

Rules:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.

2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you have newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Since starting this blog in January, I have come across so many blogs that are worth sharing so here I will give you 15 of them in no particular order that you should check out!

1) Confessions of a Moody Mommy

2) Crumbs in the Minivan

3) One Fish, Two Fish, Three, Four, Five Fish

4) Sweet Serendipity

5) Two Pretty Little Skirts

6) Words From a Bust SAHM

7) Pak Adventures

8) My Semblance of Sanity

9) More Than Words

10) Inspiration of the Moment

11) Baby Boogers

12) All Things Cherished

13) A Simple Kinda Life

14) A Party of Six

15) Our Wonderful Life

Summertime in the Southwest

2009-06-03T16:40:00.008-07:00

Do I even need to say anything more! Honestly! I hate these SOB's! So freaking creepy! This is a bark scorpion, in case you didn't know. They are poisonous and they are the only (as far as I have been told) scorpions that can crawl up walls, etc.

My husband found it today in this glue trap in our garage.

Last summer when I was putting my youngest in her car seat in the garage, I saw one crawling on the garage floor. Guess what I did? What any other sane person who hates these @?*! things! I got in my SUV, pulled back onto the driveway and lined up the tires as well as I could from the view I had of it and ran his little creepy a** over! Happy Ending.

My husband thought it would be a good idea to get it out of the glue box (it was alive) and put it in a container to show our family who will be visiting in less than 2 weeks! WTF!?! Are you freaking kidding me??? I made sure he smashed the heck out of that thing and got rid of it.

Another happy ending.

(sorry for the 'language' but I seriously get so upset whenever I see these things!)

Summer in the Southwest.

GoGo Pets Invade Phoenix!

2009-05-29T10:59:00.011-07:00

I was fortunate enough to receive a new toy from Cepia and Mom Select to test out. It has only been put in select stores in the Phoenix area as the test market.

GoGo Pets are electronic hamsters. Let's face it, every kid asks their mom for one EVENTUALLY! I know I did but was never allowed to have one so I finally had my first hamster when I was 20 and I named him Cujo. Cujo died suddenly and very shortly after I got him. I was so upset.

Anyone who has been reading my blog knows that my 14 year old just suffered the loss of her pet hamster, Thumper, recently. She had him for a year and a half. He made such a mess and smelled AWFUL! I was CONSTANTLY yelling at her to clean his cage.

The great thing about the GoGo Pets Hamsters is this: the don't poop, smell, or die! (well you will have to change the batteries but that's much easier than having a burial service).

My 3 year old (almost 4) LOVES this thing! The habitrail is really cool and fun. It's the first thing she plays with when she gets out of bed!

The only thing I can say that I don't like about it is the fact that it takes up SO MUCH room! We will have to get a storage box and take the habitrail apart which is not fun to have to put back together every time she wants to play with it PLUS the fact that as soon as she sees me taking it apart to put away, she starts crying tears!

There are different hamsters each with their own personalities. They have the cutest names, too: Num Nums, Chunk, Pipsqueak & Mr. Squiggles. You can check then out more at the Mygogopets.com

Check back next week because I will be giving away one GoGo Pets Hamster along with one piece of the habitrail (the garage and car). It is so cool how they get into the car and take off all by themselves!

I have a feeling this will be at the TOP of every 4 year old's Christmas wish list this year! If you live in the Phoenix area, they can be found at Toys R Us and Walmart stores.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Show Coming to Town!

2009-05-19T12:55:00.005-07:00

Come experience the all-new Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents ZING ZANG ZOOM playing US Airways Center in Phoenix with your family!

Show Dates:
Wednesday June 24: 7:00pm
Thursday June 25: 11:00am, 7:00pm
Friday June 26: 11:00am, 7:00pm
Saturday June 27: 11:00am, 3:00pm, 7:00pm
Sunday June 28: 1:00pm, 5:00pm

A SPECIAL OFFER FOR YOU!
Purchase a 4-pack of tickets for only $44 by logging onto
www.ticketmaster.com and entering the coupon code: MOM.**

**Get 4 tickets for $44 by entering the code “MOM” in the MC promotion code box on Ticketmaster. Minimum
purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each. Offer not valid on Rinkside
or VIP seating. Cannot be combined with other offers. Service Charges, facility & handling fees will apply.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents ZING ZANG ZOOM
Through the mystery of magic and the mastery of skill, audiences will be spellbound as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents ZING ZANG ZOOM, a thrill-filled, mind-blowing circus spectacular where family fun is no illusion. Magical Zingmaster Alex and his assistant, the alluring Levitytia, lead audiences through a kaleidoscope of color and imagery revealing extraordinary worlds of fantasy, flight and phenomena that celebrates the uplifting spirit of the circus and wards off a cynical Mr. Gravity and his team of “heavies” who try to bring everyone down.

Be mesmerized when a four-ton elephant disappears before your eyes, and a gravity-inducing nemesis transforms across species into a ferocious tiger. Stand in awe as a dazzling trapeze artist performs a perilous, anatomically unimaginable one-arm speed-spin high atop the arena floor, and two formidable, female human cannonballs are blasted through the air in a daring, awe-inspiring display of bravery. Become electrified as the dangerous double wheel of steel, the gasp-inducing high wire and soaring gigantic swings defy both gravity and logic.

Fun-filled magic merges with traditional circus arts to create a world of infinite possibilities where apprentice illusionists levitate their parents with a wave of a wand, and audience spirits keep rising as the high flying circus is (literally) turned upside down.

Perhaps the most magical of all, watch in amazement as an incomparable array of exotic animals including a herd of majestic Asian elephants, magnificent Bengal tigers and elegant Arabian and Friesian horses join forces with our human performers to create an experience that will surprise and delight Children of All Ages, rendering us speechless and reminding us that the magic of The Greatest Show On Earth® lives forever in our hearts and imaginations.

OMG! Please take off your shoes as not to get my new blog dirty!

2009-05-18T23:59:00.003-07:00

I am BEYOND excited to have my new blog design! Shannon at eightcrazydesign is AWESOME!

She has the patience of a saint I tell you! I can be picky and I am sure it can be frustrating for her to make something from nothing just through emails back and forth but I am so happy with it!

Please tell me how much you love it!

The Thoughtful Teen

2009-04-20T22:53:00.009-07:00

My teenager surprised me.

Not once but TWICE today.

I took her out with me after dinner tonight just to get out of the house for awhile together. We went to a mall, I got a decaf mocha (I'm 40 and I can't drink caffeine at night, I already have problems sleeping) and what did she get? A Monster drink (you know, the energy drink!)

That wasn't the surprise.

She had money burning a hole in her wallet (it was her birthday last week). We went to a couple of stores. I saw a necklace and said how pretty it was. She tried on a top and went to the register to pay for it while I was looking around. I went over to the counter when I saw her and she told me to go away. I was like, WHAT? Why? Then it occurred to me that she was trying to buy me that necklace on the sly.

I felt terrible. She has NEVER spent her money on ME! I told her to put the necklace back, I didn't need it. She should keep her money for herself. The necklace was $25. That is a lot for a 14 year old to spend on her mom as far as I was concerned. Plus if I wanted the necklace, I could just buy it myself.

I was so surprised by her doing this . I think my jaw is still on the floor at this moment. She has bought her 3 year old sister little things to surprise her but has NEVER done that for me. I was shocked and proud to be her mom at the same time for thinking of doing something unexpected for someone else.

As if that wasn't enough for me to pull out a thermometer, take her temperature and make her stay in bed for a week (or start drug testing her)...

...after we got home, she was listening to her iPod in her room. I went in to see what she was doing and she said: Listen to this song, it reminds me of you. So I sat to listen to it and tears started streaming down my face.

The song was: Butterfly Fly Away by Miley Cyrus from the Hannah Montana movie. Do you know it?

If you don't know it, here are the lyrics:

You tucked me in, turned out the light
Kept me safe and sound at night
Little girls depend on things like that

Brushed my teeth and combed my hair
Had to drive me everywhere
You were always there when I looked back

You had to do it all alone
Make a living, make a home
Must've been as hard as it could be

And when I couldn't sleep at night
Scared things wouldn't turn out right
You would hold my hand and sing to me

Caterpillar in the tree
How you wonder who you'll be
Can't go far but you can always dream

Wish you may and wish you might
Don't you worry, hold on tight
I promise you there will come a day
Butterfly fly away

Butterfly fly away(butterfly fly away)
Got your wings, now you can't stay
Take those dreams and make them all come true

Butterfly fly away(butterfly fly away)
You've been waiting for this day
All along and know just what to do

The past 9 months in particular have been difficult between my teenager and me (click here for a little insight on that) and she has pushed me away at times so this was really truly a lot coming from her especially all in one day.

I did, as I usually do, try to make her birthday special last week. I even took her to see the new Zach Efron movie (17 Again) yesterday. Maybe she appreciates me more than I think she does. I don't know. I'm trying to figure her out.

I needed to document this day because tomorrow she will most likely wake up and start rolling her eyes at me just for being in the same room as her!

It was a good day to be a mom to a teenage girl and feel like maybe I am doing something right after all.

My Review of the Disney on Ice Show!

2009-04-15T19:49:00.013-07:00

WOW! That's a great description in one word. I have a teenager and a preschooler so it can be very difficult to find things to do all together at times that makes them both happy.

Anyone with a teenage girl will tell you that there is a lot of eye-rolling, arms crossing and foot stomping (simultaneously) going on when you say: Guess what??? We are all going to the Children's Museum!

Now my 3 year old would LOVE that but the teenager, not so much.

We had the good fortune of attending the Disney on Ice show last week as a family. I am very pleased to say that both girls loved it. I think all you have to do is say: Blah, blah, blah, Disney, blah, blah, blah. They only need to hear the word:DISNEY no matter how old they are! Heck I'm 40 and I get excited when I hear it myself!

This show was called Disney on Ice Disneyland Adventure. It starts out with The Incredibles going on a road trip to Disneyland as the 'average' American Family, the Parrs. They take you through the best rides such as: The Haunted Mansion; Pirates of the Caribbean; The Tea Cups. They even have a little bit of the Electric Light parade! It was so cool!

This show really made me feel like I need to get in the car and head to Disneyland when I got home. It's been a few years since we've been there and I have loved it my whole life. Our 3 year old has not been there yet so now I am itching even more to take her after seeing that show.

It was so nice to see both my teenager and preschooler so happy and smiling watching this show.

My little one ate half a bag of cotton candy and wore the Dash mask & light-up wrist bands while she was watching the show and was very concerned about Mickey & Minnie (don't want to give anything away for anyone who hasn't gone yet)....Syndrome trys to cause some trouble which is where The Incredibles come in to help.

We had a great time as a family that night. My 3 year old fell asleep 10 minutes before the show ended and woke up in the car. The first thing she asked us in the car was: Did The Incredibles save Mickey & Minne? It was so cute.

So if you are looking for a family-fun night out and can't afford to take a trip to Disneyland, this show just might be the next best thing.

Here is a way for you to get discounted tickets (4 for $44) in select cities across the country by using the coupon code MOM.

Disney On Ice presents a Disneyland® Adventure

2009-03-24T09:55:00.008-07:00

Catch the next ride to laugh-out-loud fun with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse on a trip to the park in Disney On Ice presents a Disneyland® Adventure. Swing to the beat on the Jungle Cruise™ with Baloo, have a blast with Buzz Lightyear on Space Mountain™, and take a wild spin on the Mad Tea Party™ with Alice and the Mad Hatter! You’ll see Snow White and Cinderella during the Main Street U.S.A.® parade and thrill to “Incredible” edge-of-your seat excitement when everyone’s favorite superhero family shows up to save the day!

Come experience Disney On Ice presents Disneyland AdventurePlaying Us Airways Center with your family!

A SPECIAL OFFER FOR YOU!

Purchase a 4-pack of tickets for only $44 by logging onto http://www.ticketmaster.com/ and entering the coupon code: MOM.**

Phoenix Show Dates:

Thursday, April 9: 7:30pm

Friday, April 10: 10:30am, 7:30pm

Saturday, April 11: 11:30am, 3:30pm, 7:30pm

Sunday, April 12: 1:30pm, 5:30pm

**Get 4 tickets for $44 by entering the code “MOM” in the MC promotion code box on Ticketmaster. Minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each. Offer not valid on Rinkside or VIP seating.

Cannot be combined with other offers. Service Charges and handling fees will apply.

And the winner is...

2009-03-11T11:44:00.002-07:00

Melanie from Adventures of the Reluctant Housewife!

She has won my first ever giveaway as part of the SITS Spring Fling yesterday!

Melanie has won a wonderful book for anyone who loves boutique gift items but doesn't want to spend the money on them. This book will show her how she can make her own!

Crafty Mama Makes 49 Fast, Fabulous, Foolproof (baby & toddler) Projects by Abby Pecoriello

It was an exciting day going all over blogland checking out everyones blog and giveaways!

Spring Fling Giveaway!

2009-03-10T08:50:00.010-07:00

The girls over at SITS are doing a Spring Fling today and there are a ton of giveaways going on. I was not going to do my own since I am so new at this whole blogging thing but then decided, what the heck!

So here it is....I am giving away a brand new copy of this book: Crafty Mama Makes 49 Fast, Fabulous, Foolproof (baby & toddler) Projects) by Abby Pecoriello. This is a book that shows you how to make things you might find in expensive boutiques!

THIS IS NOT A BOOK OF PROJECTS TO MAKE WITH KIDS, IT'S A BOOK OF PROJECTS TO MAKE AS GIFTS (like things you might find in boutiques)...you can look it up on amazon.com for more details, if needed.

All you have to do to be entered to win is leave me a comment for a random # drawing to be announced on Thursday! (maybe you might decide to become a follower while you are here!)

Because this is part of SITS Spring Fling, the Giveaway ends Tuesday, March 10th, at 11:59pm Pacific Time

Chicken Potpie

2009-03-09T18:21:00.006-07:00

Who doesn't love pie? Especially chicken potpie! My mom used to buy those little frozen ones when I was a kid and I loved them but I couldn't tell you the last time I had one.

I came across what looked to be a fairly easy recipe to make it myself. Not only fairly easy to make but a low-calorie and low-fat version. This is the first time ever in my life I have made this and it was a hit in my house! The picky toddler had hers on a plate instead of a bowl. She looked at it and said, "I don't like this chicken and what is this?" (holding up her circle piece of pie crust)
Anyway, she ended up licking all of the gravy off of every single piece of chicken on her plate and finally ate a few pieces AND even some of the pie crust! She then stated to all sitting at the table that she liked it! What a surprise! I was glad she finally ate some of it and ended up liking it afterall.

This comes from Cooking Light (it is like my Bible for the kitchen that magazine!)

I decided it would be easiest if I just copy and paste the recipe from their website and include my own pictures. I also put in a few notes next to some items in the recipe.

Also, this makes 3 potpies, I just cut-out 4 circles instead of 3 from the pie dough and put a little scoop of the filling on a plate for my 3 year old since I figured she wouldn't be eating much anyway.

Because the piecrust topping cooks on a baking sheet and is then placed over the filling, you don't need to use ovenproof bowls for the pies. Use a bowl or ramekin as a guide for cutting the dough. You can use 2 cups chopped leftover chicken in place of chicken breast tenders.

I traced the top of my bowls (which were 4" across) with a knife around the dough which is why they fit right on top of the bowl. Everyone just pushed their crust into the filling themselves.

Yield
3 servings (serving size: 1 pie)

Ingredients
1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie dough (such as Pillsbury)
Cooking spray
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces chicken breast tenders, cut into bite-sized pieces (I used 1lb and doubled the coating for the chicken)
1 1/4 cups water
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup mushrooms, quartered (I did not use these..no one eats them in my house!)
1 (10 1/2-ounce) can condensed reduced-fat, reduced-sodium cream of chicken soup

Preheat oven to 425°.
Cut 3 (4-inch) circles out of dough; discard remaining dough. Place dough circles on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat dough with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Pierce top of dough with a fork. Bake dough at 425° for 8 minutes or until golden.
Combine flour, sage, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a zip-top plastic bag; add chicken. Seal bag, and toss to coat. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chicken mixture; cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Stir in water, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in vegetables, mushrooms, and soup; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and cook 10 minutes. Spoon 1 cup chicken mixture into each of 3 (1-cup) ramekins or bowls; top each serving with 1 piecrust.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 374 (27% from fat)
Fat: 11.4g (sat 4.8g,mono 4.2g,poly 1.2g)
Protein: 24.1g
Fiber: 4.6g
Abby Duchin Dinces, Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2003

All Hamsters Go To Heaven

2009-03-01T21:10:00.010-07:00

At least that is what we have been saying today because my teenager's hamster died today.

I took my teenager with me to Costco this afternoon and when we came back this is what transpired:

Me: (in the kitchen putting away things from the store and getting stuff out to make dinner)

Teenager: comes into the kitchen, face beet-red, tears flowing uncontrollably and says nothing

Me: What happened? OMG! You can't come in here like this and not speak! Tell me what's wrong!

Teenager: I think Thumper died!

Me: How do you know? (this happened once a few months ago and it turned out he was just sleeping)

Teenager: He's not moving and it looks like he's not breathing!

Teenager and I go to her room. I look into the cage. He is definitely dead. Poor little guy :(

Me: I'm so sorry. There was nothing we could have done to prevent it. You loved him. You had him for a really long time (she had him since August 2007)

Teeenager: sobbing loudly

Toddler: What's sissy crying for?

Me: Thumper died. He isn't going to be able to wake up again (she doesn't get it, just really hates to see big sister crying)

Toddler: gives her big sister a big hug, tells her she'll be OK (too sweet)

We finally convinced my teenager that we need to get him out of his cage because it is really going to start to smell bad. We take a cute little wooden box with a top that slides closed and put him in it. We let her say goodbye to him and had my husband take him to the garbage outside the house (without toddler seeing this). We live in the dessert, no grass, etc so we really couldn't dig a hole in the ground to bury him. It was sad. I still feel awful for her. There has been a little talk already of getting another one but I keep telling her that the next one might not last as long as this one did, we have no way of knowing.

We love our pets. We have 3 cats and when their time comes it is going to really, really suck.

Rest in peace, Thumper. You were loved.

Funny How Things Work Out Sometimes...

2009-02-25T14:15:00.002-07:00

This is an update to my preschool registration dilemma yesterday.

The 2nd school called me back yesterday and said that I needed to get in there today(Wednesday) to be put on their waiting list! All I could think was, GREAT ANOTHER WAITING LIST!

So I made my husband work from home this morning so he could go with me and our little one to put her on yet another waiting list just to get into a preschool.

We get there, I tell the lady my name and what I'm there for and right away she tells me that they were just talking about me and were getting ready to call me because they had someone drop out this morning! That meant our daughter was IN! No more waiting list!!!! I almost fell over with relief!

So we took a tour of the school, which has a very good reputation as far as preschools go (so did the 1st place we went to).

No more worrying about preschool registration! Thanks for listening to me whine about it! I just felt so bad that every place I called had a waiting list! So crazy! But we are happy! Seems like this was the place that was meant to be for her in the end.

Did I Screw Up????

2009-02-24T12:04:00.006-07:00

I am beyond upset right now. I registered my youngest to start preschool in the fall. She will turn 4 in August. I went to the preschool over a month ago (in January!!!). They told me she would be in either 3 or 4 days program depending on how many people register, etc, etc.

So I left there telling her how much fun she's going to have (I showed her around the place). We've been talking about it a lot to make her excited about going.

Well today I decide to call the preschool to find out what program she will be in (3 days or 4 days a week). Turns out she is now #12 on the waiting list for ANY program!!!!

My heart sank in my chest and as soon as I hung up the phone the tears came. I feel so disappointed in myself for not registering elsewhere in case something like this happened. I didn't think something like this would happen. I gave them a deposit check last month, I thought she was in. The check has not been cashed yet. I am so upset.

Right away, I try to pull myself together enough to call another preschool that I thought about before after I quickly filled out an application online and hit the submit button. The lady there took my name and number and said she'd call me back to let me know about availability.

Now I am sitting here, sulking, thinking I am usually a better planner than this and I should have registered other places. I truly thought January was early enough for the following fall to register!

Either way, now I'm hoping more for the 2nd place to call me back with good news because now I'm holding a small grudge against the 1st preschool (not sure why...maybe I"m just too upset right now)

OK, vented publicly now. Keeping my fingers crossed that my little one will not miss out on preschool before Kindergarten because her mother didn't plan very well :(

Anyone remember the movie with Steve Martin (Parenthood) when he had a vision that his kid is in a clock tower at a school shooting people because he made him play 2nd base in baseball? I have had nightmares of screwing up that badly with my kids!

Fabulous After 40? Don't Pressure Me!

2009-02-23T00:00:00.012-07:00

I celebrated my 40th birthday last month (January 29th). I had no problem with turning 40, even wrote a blog about it.

But yesterday, I came across a blog with a link to an article that said: Fabulous After 40. Then it hit me. That's me. I'm in that category of women now. Women who are told that if they want to stay in shape, we'd better be ready for a challenge because after 40 a number of things happen. The one that I have a real problem with is that our metabolism slows down dramatically! This really sucks! Now I had been under weight as a kid all the way to my early 20's. I was teased my entire life for that...people called me Olive Oil (you know, Popeye's all too slim girlfriend) in school...except I am nowhere as tall as she is. Kids find things to tease about.

Then I gained 50 lbs with my 1st pregnancy! Wow that was hard! It took me quite a while to lose all of that extra weight. But even then, things never really seemed to go back where they used to be.

Then 10 years later, I had my 2nd baby. I was diligent about exercise this time around and only gained 26 lbs. But I was 10 years older and my body just has things sagging all over the place even more now. I mean clothes honestly hide alot! And I am thankful for that!

I just don't like feeling the pressure of trying to get into shape. I know I am really putting the pressure on myself. I have been known to be hard on myself. It's not like I'm over weight. I am 5'5" and 121 lbs. But I am out of shape. Those can be two different things. It means that I have more fat than muscle.

It is hard no matter what our size. I have been blessed (ya, right) in the large behind(I'mnot talking J-Lo large, but larger than I'd like) and small breast departments. Oh yes, I do feel lucky (not). I will never undergo cosmetic surgery, it's just not who I am. But I have always had a large behind and it just seems like it would be so much easier to balance out my body if I just had bigger boobs! (sigh)

All my life, I dreamed of having bigger breasts. Not Dolly Parton breasts but at least some that could produce some cleavage! But now that I am older the thought still crosses my mind when the rare occasion comes up that I have to wear a fancy dress and have nothing to fill the top with. I look at the bright side....my breasts and my knees shall never know each other! :) Hey, it's the only bright side I can think of!

Growing up, my Aunt would always joke and say to me, "what do you want, a metal or a chest to pin it on?" Do people say that anymore?

When my teenager was 4 years old, she took out one of my tiny bras and put it on and said to me, "Mommy, when I get big-girl boobs can I wear one of these?" To which I replied, "Sweetie, if you take after Mommy, you will NEVER have big-girl boobs but you'll be able to fill out a pair of jeans!" Of course she didn't really know what I was saying but now she gets it.

Don't we all kind of go about life feeling younger on the inside than we really are?
I kind of feel like Mulan (you know, the Disney cartoon movie?). When she sings that song: Who is that girl I see, staring straight back at me, when will my reflection show who I am inside. This was one of my oldest FAVORITE movies when she was 3 in 1998!

I find myself looking closer at my face in the mirror, searching for signs of turning 40 that I might have missed a few weeks ago. Gotta love a chin hair, too, right? I've had one for years and it now grows in white! EEK!!!! (is that T.M.I.??) All I can say is thank you to whomever invented the tweezers!

I look how I look. Some days better than other days. I'm no super model but I'm not a complete Ugly Betty either. I hope to surprise myself and look fabulous at 50.

Wine Bottle Serving Tray Giveaway...

2009-02-21T12:36:00.002-07:00

My friends over at The Not-So-Blog Blog are giving away a Wine bottle tray.

Click the link and check it out!

http://thenotsoblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Giveaway

Kindle 2 Available from Amazon Next Week!!!

2009-02-20T09:00:00.005-07:00

I knew this day would come! I just didn't know when!

The newest version of the Amazon Kindle is going to be released February 24th. I received an email from Amazon last week telling me that I can order the Kindle 2 and be pushed to the front of the line for shipment when it is ready (this was an offer for exisiting Kindle owners and we had to place the order by Feb. 10th) SO I had no choice! I need it! I want it!

I have seen many a post on Amazon of people complaining that Amazon hasn't offered early Kindle adapters a discounted price on this new version. I agree with everyone who has told them they need to just be quiet!Technology evolves daily so when you purchase any kind of electronics, you should be aware that the next model is right around the corner and might or might not be better than the model you are going home with!

I am soooo incrediby excited to get this new Kindle. I did love the original one but knowing the newest model will be in my hands in a matter of days, I had no problem taking $225 in cash from a stranger who bought my old Kindle off of Craigslist :)

The 1st generation Kindle had very large next page/previous page buttons that I was CONSTANTLY hitting by accident. The cover that Amazon provided with it was not worth having since it didn't actually stay in the cover without two hands...it would slip right out.Regardless of it's flaws, I was thrilled with having it and never regretted for a moment that I spent $359 on it.

I do love to read and I have an addmitted addiction to electronic gadgets (most of which I do not NEED but could not imagine living without)! Which is why I'm happy to have sold it for as much as I did so I won't be forking out another $359 for the 2nd one!

I did have a book on pre-order with amazon.com that actually came in the mail a couple of days ago (While My Sister Sleeps by Barbara Delinsky). I will admit that it is a bit different to hold a large hardcover book compared to my beloved Kindle.... I have to find a bookmark, make sure my 3 year old doesn't knock it off the table and make my bookmark fallout, get a big pillow propped on my lap so I can hold the big heavy book without tiring my hands. I know, I just love the Kindle now! This book was not available for the Kindle and I really wanted to read it. So far, I like it.

One thing I thought was extremely cool was that when I went online to my amazon.com account to deregister my 1st Kindle, I was able to transfer all of my books from my account to my 2nd Kindle THAT I DON'T EVEN HAVE YET! It will arrive with my entire library already in it! Just open the package, turn it on and wella! I will see the same books I had on the 1st one! I love technology!

My sleepless nights will be spent reading books again, something I kind of put on the back burner for a few months.My love of electronic gadgets started at a young age. My dad is a computer/gaming nut. His job is computers. He wanted ME to have a career in computers and of course I did not! I wanted to be a teacher by day and a writer in my spare time! I had dreams!

My dad bought me every kind of handheld video game there was in the 80's (Atari, anyone)! He still always has the newest gaming system. He bought me my 1st Polaroid instant camera (I can't remember how old I was...I think I was 9 or 10) which just fed my love of photography.

Oh the good ol' days! Technology has come so far and I LOVE trying to keep up with it! Now if I could only find a really easy way to pay for my gadgets without my husband complaining! ;)

check out the newest Kindle here: http://www.amazon.com/

Ground Beef Stroganoff

2009-02-19T14:21:00.004-07:00

I have been away for a couple of days due to a modem that stopped functioning without any warning! So now I am back with a new modem and a recipe that is so easy & much better than Hamburger Helper!

This comes from the Cooking Light 5 Ingredient/15 minute Cookbook

(although this one does have more than 5 ingredients and was done in maybe 30 minutes)

Ingredients:

8 ounces wide egg noodles, uncooked (I use whole wheat because my family is used to it and it makes it an even healthier dish)

1 lb ground round

3 green onions, sliced or 1 cup chopped onion

1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms (I do not use them...not a single one of us in my house likes them!)

1 (12-ounce) jar beef gravy (fat-free if you want...I don't like anything fat-free but low-fat is better)

1 (8-ounce) carton sour cream (fat-free or low-fat)

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon dry sherry (optional but I do use it)

Prepare noodles according to package directions, omitting salt & fat.

While noodles cook, cook meat, green onions & mushrooms in a large nonstick pan until meat is browned, stirring until it crumbles; drain (I don't remember where I saw this clever way of draining but I use the butt-ends of my loaf of bread and soak up the grease from the pan without actually removing meat from the pan!)

Return meat mixture to skillet; add gravy & next 3 ingredients, stirring well. Cook over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Stir in sherry, if desired. Serve over drained noodles.

CAL: 367 FAT: 7.6g(sat 2.4g) FIBER: 3.9g

New Contest at www.mommytalk.com

2009-02-19T14:08:00.002-07:00

Mommytalk is having a Thomas & Friends giveaway! Go to www.mommytalk.com for more info!

Chicken & Basil Cazones

2009-02-11T09:00:00.001-07:00

I have to start by saying that my 3 year old is the 2nd pickiest eater in my house (the #1 spot belongs to my husband). I was nervous about making this dish because she always picks things out and says, "What's this?!" and proceeds to pick through to see if there is anything she thinks she might be able to tolerate.

To my complete surprise, the only thing she picked at was the pizza dough! Huh?! She did not give a second thought to all the chopped up fresh basil! I was shocked and very pleased to watch her eat the chicken mixed with the basil & cheese.

This was a very easy and fairly quick meal to prepare. It comes from my favorite place for recipes, Cooking Light Magazine.

I have never used ground chicken in any dish. The recipe calls for it but it can be easily replaced with ground sirloin, if you like. We were all very happy with this recipe using the ground chicken.

Ingredients:

Cooking Spray

2 garlic cloves, minced (I love garlic so I used at least 4)

1 lb ground chicken breast

3/4 cup prepared pizza sauce (any you like, I used Boboli)

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (this I left out just because of how picky my 3 year old can be)

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1 (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough (I used Pillsbury)

1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 425*

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add garlic & chicken to pan; saute 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, stirring to crumble. Stir in pizza sauce & pepper. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in basil. Let stand 10 minutes.

Unroll dough onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; cut dough into quarters. Pat each portion into an 8x6-inch rectangle. Divide chicken mixture evenly among rectangles; top each serving with 2 tablespoons cheese. Working with one rectangle at a time, fold dough in half over filling, pinching edges to seal. Repeat procedure with remaining rectangles.

Bake at 425* for 12 minutes or until golden.

Calories: 459 Fat: 7.1g Protein: 39.1g Fiber: 3g

I served this with a Caesar salad and more warm pizza sauce on the side in case anyone wanted extra for dipping! It went over very well so I will be making this one again! I love it when the whole family likes my meal!

Might as Well Face It, I'm Addicted to Blog

2009-02-10T09:49:00.003-07:00

Hello. My name is Rhonda and I'm addicted to blogging. It started out as one blog, then two, then three and suddenly I have at least four more blogs in 'draft' waiting for me to click the 'PUBLISH POST' box.

I knew about the blogging world for quite sometime now but have never looked into it too much before I started this one just a couple of weeks ago.

I check my dashboard numerous times a day for any comments that need to be moderated. I check out other blog sites that tell me how to become even more addicted to blogging a few times a day as well. Yes, I am addicted. It didn't take long. Maybe this is a good thing.

I needed something besides my children to distract me from the things that keep me awake at night. Although I have always enjoyed writing, over time I feel like I have lost a lot of my ability to be creative. I am desperately trying to get that part of me back.

I like this world so far. It was a little scary at first, not knowing who I would meet there and what they would say to a newcomer but to my surprise, I have been welcomed with open arms!

I have been sucked into the blackhole called Blogging. Rather quickly and very unexpectedly, I might add.

I was just typing this and my husband came peeking over my laptop to see what I was doing. I quickly shooed him away and blocked any glimpse he might catch of my closet obsession. The funny thing is, as he walked away he started laughing at me and said, "What, are you blogging or something?" There is no way he could possibly know! I have not told him about it at all! Unless he's been sneaky and checking out my laptop when I haven't been looking! For his sake, I hope it was just a lucky guess.

I guess I should just come clean now. But that would mean he would be reading every single word I have written and every single word I will write in the future. The fear of what the people I know and love think of my written word has been part of what held me back when I had dreams of becoming a writer in my younger days.

Should I just bite the bullet? Let him read my blog? I am 40. I am comfortable with who I am, or at least who I am trying to get back from deep inside myself. The me that has been lost somewhere between Chicago and Phoenix.

Maybe I shouldn't give too much thought to what anyone thinks about what I have to say, afterall, it's my blog and I will write if I want to, write if I want to (sung to the tune of "It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want To")

Maybe I can use my blog as a weapon if he reads it! If he makes me mad, I'll just blog about him! :) I'm sure it happens everyday to seemingly innocent husbands here in the blogging world...

Cough Cough, Sniff Sniff, Oh What an Annoyance it is...

2009-02-09T15:07:00.003-07:00

Three out of four of us in the house have been sick the entire month of January. Now after we thought it was finally going away, it is February and we are still coughing up what seems to be our lungs.

There are tissues thrown all over every room (this is the 3 year old who takes a tissue out of the box, balls it up in her hand, wipes it ACROSS her face and then tosses it where ever she is standing!) I say to her, "Can you please try to blow your nose instead of wiping the snot across your face!" It's like talking to a, well a 3 year old! They just don't get it! Or maybe they do but they choose to see how crazy it makes the mom.

I myself have just finished with 15 days of being on antibiotics. Just a small cough hanging on.

It isn't the croup, or whooping cough. It isn't strep (I've had my 3 year old tested for it already). It's just a cough that seems to linger.

Needless to say it is making me crazy! We are doing much better but when will it end?! And what is even more annoying is that my husband didn't get one single symptom??? How did he manage to dodge it?

We are just riding out the tide and hope that we will not be waking in the middle of the night much longer to the sound of hacking up something from within.

The teenager has already pulled the 'I can't cough like this all day at school' card. But I'm the mom that sends her to school unless I see vomiting or a fever. I know, I'm mean.

I guess in the mean time, we will keep drinking our hot tea and eating cough drops by the bag full.

Quick Chicken-Corn Chowder

2009-02-08T19:35:00.010-07:00

We rarely get a day living in the Southwest when the temp outside makes us feel like a nice warm bowl of soup. Today was open of those rare days for us.

So I made a soup that we love in my house. It comes from Cooking Light Magazine and it is sooo good and not only quick but very easy.

(I do leave out the jalapeno pepper due to the fact that my kids eat this soup otherwise I would love to add it in)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped celery

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups 2% reduced fat milk
2 cups chopped roasted skinless boneless chicken breasts (approx. 2 breast halves)....I take a short cut and buy a pre-cooked rotissorie chicken from the store and take the skin off

1 1/2 cups fesh or frozen corn kernels

1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt

1 can (14 3/4-ounce) cream-style corn

Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, celery & jalapeno; cook for 3 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.

Add flour; cook 1 minute stirring constantly. Stir in milk and remaining ingredients

Bring to a boil; cook until thick (about 5 minutes).

Calories: 257 Fat: 8.1g Protein: 19.1g Fiber: 1.9g

Makes 6 1-cup servings

I serve this with a nice crusty bread for dipping! So good!

Broken

2009-02-07T00:05:00.003-07:00

That's me. I am broken. Inside. I have been for a long time. More now than ever it seems. Going to a support group twice a month with my 13 year old daughter has shown me that we are not alone in our grief and that every single one of us is broken. Every single person in the world.

I wonder how many times I have talked to a friend or a family member and had no idea how much pain they could be in on the inside. I know that's what is happening when they talk to me. Most times I am very good at hiding it. Then there are the times when it is just too obvious and no matter how hard I try, it still shows on my face the pain I'm in.

Some days all it takes for me to break down is for someone to hug me or simply ask how I'm doing.

We experienced an unexpected death July 2008. The circumstances around that entire week have been too difficult for me and my daughter to bare. I decided to write this to see if it could help me somehow to deal with all the feelings I am having. Feelings that I never wanted to feel and feelings that I can not explain to the people who love me and want me to 'feel better'.

I have to go back to fill in some blanks for those who might be reading this and not have a single clue about me or my family or our tragedy of last summer.

My exhusband died without warning, homeless and alone. The first man I truly loved & married. The father of my first baby. Age 38.

We had been apart for 7 years and I have been remarried for 5 years now. My ex husband and I were together for a total of 10 years (we met in 1991) and have a 13 year old daughter. To make a very long story as short as possible to bring you up to present day, my ex had mental health issues that he had never really been able to get the right meds for. He had an anxiety/depression disorder and was manic depressive.

When I filed for divorce after being together for 10 years, it was not because I wanted to but because I needed to think about our daughter and the life we were in at the time. Let me try to paint a picture of my life at that time: He was never home. We worked at the same company. He would go out after work and drink, whatever, and I would pick up our daughter, do the grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, pay the bills, help with school work, take out the garbage. I did everything. I felt like a single mother and never felt more lonely in all of my life and I was married.

When we was home, I never knew what kind of mood he was going to be in. Divorce was difficult for me (I became Catholic in 1994 and finally knew about Catholic guilt) but I knew I had to do it to make a safe home for my daughter and myself. We had been in marriage counseling for a year and a half while living separately off and on. He did not want the divorce(but neither did I in all reality) He just never seemed to get his life on track after we divorced.

He was using drugs and lying to me and everyone else he knew. There is so much but too much to type. We lived in Chicago and 5 years ago when I remarried, I moved to Arizona along with my daughter and my new husband. Since then, he had moved to AZ approx. 3 1/2 years ago but feel into drugs even deeper, much harder drugs and never even had a job while living here.

He called me one night and asked if he could come to our house because he was going to Texas(from AZ) the next day to live with his sister. So my husband and I let him spend the night in our home and say goodbye to our daughter and took him to the airport the next day. He would've just left AZ without saying goodbye to our daughter. I don't really know why I never suspected drugs. I think looking back that I just assumed it was the fact that he still needed me (which he made me feel since the divorce) and that his anxiety and depression were just out of control.

He ended up in rehab in Texas and seemed to be doing better. He went from there to a half-way house and then moved back to Chicago in 2006. He wasn't holding down a job and finally became homeless in April 2008. I was devastated for him. We both cried on the phone together because it was such a big hole he was in and I was so worried about him. I felt in my heart that he wouldn't be able to get himself out of this. I didn't see how he could survive this alone. That phone conversation, he told me as we cried together that he had been having dreams with me in them. In the dreams, he was searching for me and couldn't find me. It broke my heart. That is when I started the not sleeping cycle that I am still in now.

His family had been helping him out financially and finally said 'no more'.
He was in a homeless shelter until the end of June and then he had been staying on a couch of a friends ex-girlfriend the two weeks leading up to his death.

I didn't get a call from him for a week, I called his friends to check on him and make sure he was OK and that he was in contact with them.

We had a trip to Chicago planned in July. We were visiting family and friends for 2 weeks. He called me on my cellphone on Wed. from a payphone to see when we could get together so he could see our daughter. I asked him if he'd be able to call me the following Monday(which was 5 days from then) to go to lunch because my husband was going back to AZ that Sunday and I was trying to make it more comfortable for the 2 of them and my daughter. He was very embarrassed of his situation and I know he was going to have a hard time seeing me with my husband.

He died that Saturday, 3 days after our conversation. He died in this girls apartment. I received an email on my Blackberry from one of my cousins that Monday morning. She was telling me that she was here for me and my daughter and to call her when I saw the email. In my heart, I knew what those words meant. But how could she know something happened to him?

I called her and told her that her email was freaking me out. She thought I found out he died because my cellphone was turned off so no one coudl call me but I had it turned off because I was sleeping.

She saw someone the night before who knew my ex and they told her that they heard he had died over the weekend! I was in shock. I told her I needed to call his sisters. They should know if he died. They would be able to confirm it for me.

I called one of them and asked her when she spoke to him last. She told me it was on Thursday and that he sounded good. I told her that I had spoken to another friend of mine & my ex's the day before and that he didn't show up for a party for a friend's son's birthday. I thought that was unlike him at the time, he had mentioned to me that he was going.
I told his sister what my cousin told me. Between my cousin and myself, we found my ex was at the county morgue by calling to see if he was there. It is very shocking to find someone that way when no one knows where they are or what happened.
His family found out he was lying dead in the morgue by his ex wife. Me. I had to tell his family he died. They had no idea. He was dead in the morgue for 2 days before any of us knew. It was unreal to me. Then I had to break my daughter's heart. This was too much for me to comprehend.

I went to the morgue to ID him with his brother-in-law and my cousin because I felt in my heart I needed to see him with my own eyes before I could break the news to my daughter. I just didn't want it to be true. He was too young, only 38.

I have been filled with so much guilt. I have so much in my life and he had nothing, and he didn't even get to see our daughter before he died (he had seen her last summer when we visited). I know he was leading an unhealthy life but does that mean he was not a worthy human being? He was the father to my daughter. I always told her that just because he made bad decisions does not make him a bad person. He had a big heart and he loved our daughter and he loved me.

I had an extremely hard time at the funeral. It was held at the church where he and I were married and the priest who did the funeral mass also married us (he is a friend of my ex's family for 20 years now). I left the church in full blown sobs. All I could see was the 2 of us standing there in 1994 taking our wedding vows, so young and happy. Then our entire life flashed before my eyes. My daughter has cried maybe twice but has been acting 'normal'. I believe she is still in denial. I can't just ignore it. I know it will hit her at some point and she will explode.

I have hardly slept at all since then and feel so much pain every day. I will say that since my daughter and I started going to a support group, I have some days where I don't cry at all and feel like I can open the blinds on the windows and let the sun in. But I am still having very many days where I don't want to open those blinds or even take a shower and leave the house. I guess my 3 year old helps me in that respect. Her being here all day long forces me to do things that I might not otherwise have the strength to do.
At first I felt that everyone would question my grief because I divorced him but to my surprise, friends and even his family have been worried about me and asking me about how I'm doing and not just about my daughter. I am just so filled with guilt for the divorce and how his life turned upside down. He always made me feel like he needed me to hold his hand through life. His mother told me he was always going to need someone to hold his hand through life and that it wasn't my fault. I feel guilt for having a nice home and a good life with my new husband and my 13 year old and her 3 year old sister. I just had always hoped that my ex would find his way in this life. For our daughter's sake. I'm not sure how to deal with all the guilt I am feeling. No one else seems to understand my guilt and I don't know how to reach out to my daughter without her pushing me away. He had such a good heart, he deserved better in life. I don't think I will ever find peace in his death. He was only 38 years old.
Even though he wasn't father of the year, at least he was in the world for my daughter. Now he isn't even in the world anymore. This was so hard to write. I am just trying to get the words out. Part of me is also angry with him for putting me in positions over the past 17 years to make hard decisions that I wish I never had to make. I do believe in God however, I am not one who believes that everything happens for a reason. That doesn't mean that I believe that if anything bad happens to you or your family that it is a 'punishment' from God. I just believe that some things that happen in the world are just plain senseless. Like a friend of mine years ago was coming home one night and parked in front of her house and was pushed back in by a stranger who raped her right there in her own car in front of her house. Was I supposed to tell her that everything happens for a reason? We all know the answer to that one. Sometimes things are just senseless.
I've lost many loved ones (friends and family) over the years in death. Most of them were age 30 or below. Two people in my family committed suicide at the age of 16. There was no purpose in that. Just in their own minds maybe but not mine or anyone else's that loved them.
My ex was a very loving person. He was always trying to make people laugh even in his darkest hours when he didn't know where his next meal was coming from or where he was going to sleep at night. On the inside, he was constantly struggling in a way no one else will ever know. I know partially because of the 10 years of being with him in a way that no one else was.
The only peace I can find in his death right now is that he is in a better place where he doesn't have to worry about how to get through the day with a mental illness. It tortured him on the inside. He did not use those words ever: mental illness. But isn't that what an anxiety and depression disorder is? I could be wrong. But I think that is what a manic depressive has.

I wrote this in hopes to lighten my heavy heart. I need to be a strong mom for my daughter. I am all she has now. More stress to make sure I am here a very long time. Keep her and her sister on the right paths in life as much as I possibly can.

I know this all might sound like rambling because it probably is but I know I need to get it out and will maybe sleep tonight a little longer than I did last night.

I want to quote a portion of a song that cuts right through my heart when I hear it these days:
LOVE REMAINS THE SAME by: Gavin Rossdale

Drink to all that we have lost
Mistakes we have made
Everything will change
Love remains the same

I believe those last 2 lines more than anything....everything changes but love always remains.

Cherry Almond Angel Roll Cake

2009-02-06T12:40:00.011-07:00

This was a difficult cake to photograph well for me. So it really looks much more impressive in person and tastes so incredibly good!

I made this for my Bunco game night last night and everyone was truly in awe of the beauty of it and thought it must have been so hard to make! Plus they all LOVED it after they tasted it and asked for the recipe.

This recipe comes from Pampered Chef.

Ingredients needed:

1 package (16oz) angel food cake mix

1 package (2.25 oz) sliced almonds, chopped

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup cherry preserves

1 (8oz) container sour cream (I used LIGHT sour cream)

1 (8oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed (I used LIGHT Cool Whip)

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

4 drops red food coloring (optional)

1 (3.4 oz) package white chocolate instant pudding & pie filling

additional powdered sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 350*

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour batter over parchment paper, spreading evenly. Chop almonds (I used a mini chopper), sprinkle over batter.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched with fingertip. Remove from oven.

Sprinkle powdered sugar over cake. Place an additional 18-inch piece of parchment paper over cake. Invert a cooling rack over paper. Carefullly invert cake, remove pan. Peel parchment paper from bottom side of cake and discard. Starting at short end of cake, roll up cake in parchment paper jelly roll style. Cool completely (approx. 2 hours)

Unroll cake and place on a large cutting board. Spread cake with preserves. In a large bowl, combine sour cream, whipped topping, almond extract and food coloring, if desired; mix well. Add pudding mix and whisk until thickened. Spread filling over cake to within 1 inch of edge; roll up cake. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Sprinkle cake with additional powdered sugar, if desired. Slice using a serrated bread knife.

Now I had been avoiding this recipe like the plague for a few years and fianlly decided to put on my big-girl apron and just give it a try. Afterall, any recipe I have made from Pampered Chef has not been difficult. Once you make this cake, you will have renewed confidence in your baking skills!

Let me know if you attempt it!

Waking up 40

2009-01-29T08:57:00.010-07:00

Today I woke up to the big 4-0! I am fine with the number. It doesn't bother me. Especially since I have experienced the loss of many friends & family before some made it to 2o, 30 or 40 themselves. I should be grateful to be here on this earth to have another birthday and I am grateful.

I am 14,610 days old. What did I do with all of those days? So many things. Some I remember and some I don't. Some things are worth remembering and some are not.

What really sucks about today is the fact that I have been fighting this upper respiratory infection since last week. I started taking the Z-Pak (which is a 5 day antibiotic) on Monday and I should be feeling better by today but I do not. I just want to be able to use both nostrils to draw air in and out of my body instead of just one.

I went to open the blinds in the living room when I got up this morning and when I looked out the window, I noticed some balloons in front of the bushes. What was that?! So I go outside, looking like I just rolled out of bed because I did with my nose red and crusty from sneezing continuously, wearing cropped sweatpants a jacket and slippers.

Turns out my husband made up signs for my birthday all on his own. I was a bit surprised. He's never done anything like that before. I guess I'm not thrilled with the idea that the entire neighborhood and everyone who might drive though it today will see my name and my age as big as day right in front of my house! However, I think it was very thoughtful of my husband to do such a thing. I guess he really does love me or does he...depends on if you think it is cruel to put up such things in front of ones house.

We have reservations at one of my very favorite restaurants tonight but I don't know how much I will enjoy it since I am really pretty sick. My mom is here visiting from Chicago and we are having a party with friends at a nearby restaurant this weekend. I just don't know when I am going to start to feel better!

I did realize yesterday while filling out papers at the doctors office that it was the very last time I could put down '39' next to AGE on the form. 30 anything for that matter. Now I will write the #4 first for the next 10 years!

I grew up when the first VCR was introduced and I remember people talking about Betamax and Pac-Man & Donkey Kong. Heaven knows how much time and quarters I spent at the arcade back in the day. I also remember when CD players came into the world. I spent $400 on an Onkyo one-disc CD player back in the late 80's (I think...you know the memory is always the first thing to go!) That is unheard of now of course! But it was the new technology, something which I have ALWAYS been drawn to.

There is one thing I do not like about aging. The fact that my parents along with my aunts & uncles are all aging too. I don't want them to leave me. Ever. I will never be ready to let my parents leave this earth. No matter how old they are and no matter how old I am. I know this is the circle of life and we can not stop it from happening but I don't want to face it either.

We all feel younger than our calendar age on the inside, right? It's the mirror that reminds us that we aren't as young as we used to be or the falls on the ice when trying to ice skate with our children that we realize that fall is much farther from the ground than it used to be and much more painful than we remember!

I do remember when I was maybe 10 years old and my mom was in her early thirties. I recall telling her how old I thought that was. I look at my kids now and wonder what they see when they look at me. Their mom. Do they think I'm old? Do they think I look old? I don't know and I am definitely not about to ask them! Kids can be brutally honest and honestly is not what I need from them in regards to my appearance!

With age comes wisdom (and the desire to make my hair even blonder) and I do sometimes think if I only knew then what I know now! If I could go back in time and tell my 18 year old self anything it would be this: I know you are feeling a lot of pain but you are stronger than you think. You don't need a man to be happy. You might not fulfill all of your dreams but you will do good with your life. Oh and BTW...when you are 35, you will FINALLY meet Rick Springfield! :)

Not much advise I could go back and give myself I guess. If I went back in time and did that, it might change everything and I don't think that's what I want because all of the mistakes, all of the love and loss and everything in between is what made me who I am today, good, bad, right or wrong. Plus I might still have two kids but they wouldn't be these 2 kids and I love these 2 kids that I have.

I have been reflecting on my life quite a bit for the past 6 months. Mostly because of the unexpected death of my ex husband in July 2008. He was only 38 years old. We have a 13 year old daughter together. It has been more than I can bare along with our daughter. He was never father of the year but he loved our daughter. He also loved me. This much I knew of him. Looking back at when we met and dated and our marriage, we never saw how much our lives would turn in such different directions. It is unfortunate but we can't change it.

When you get to a milestone birthday such as 40, try not to look back and think about what you could have done differently. I am desperately trying not to do that. Instead, look at what you have accomplished, look at what you have learned from your mistakes. Push forward and plan for the future no matter what life throws at you. We all make mistakes as children to our parents, as students to our teachers, as parents to our children, as husbands/wives to our spouses and just as human beings trying to find our place in this beautiful & cruel world.

Age is nothing to be afraid of. I can embrace 40. I just wish I looked 25!

Mustard-Crusted Pork Roast and Browned Potatoes

2009-01-27T16:11:00.003-07:00

So I have had a couple of books sitting a shelf for quite sometime. They were both given to me as gifts and I like them but just never pulled them out to try a recipe, mostly because I have become a Cooking Light Magazine snob and rarely cook anything that doesn't come out of there!

So one day around Christmas, I took one of the books down and found a recipe that I thought sounded too good not to try. Why didn't I see it before? It is in the book entitled: Christmas with Southern Living 2002. Yes, that's right. I said 2002! So it was about time I actually tried something from it!

The best part about this recipe is that it all cooks in one pan in the oven. Easy-shmeazy!

INGREDIENTS

1 (4-5 lb) boneless pork loin roast(note...I buy a couple of these at a time when on sale for $1.99/LB)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup coarse-grained mustard (what is that?! I found Grey Poupon Coarse ground mustard and it worked fine for me)

8 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

2 lbs new potatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Garnish: fresh rosemary sprigs (optional but really impresses people!)

Place pork in a roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Rub with 1/4 teaspoon each salt & pepper. Combine mustard and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl; spread evenly over pork.

Peel a crosswise stripe around each potato with a vegetable peeler, if desired (I didn't do this). Cut each potato in half length-wise. Toss potatoes with 2 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add to roasting pan around pork.

Bake at 375* for 1 hour to 1 1/4 hours or until thermometer registers 160*. Let stand 10 minutes. Transfer roast to a serving platter. Surround pork with potatoes. Garnish, if desired.

Not just a mom?

2009-01-27T09:22:00.001-07:00

I am more than a mom, right?

I remember when I was pregnant with my now 13 year old. I was 25 years old and almost 6 months pregnant that Christmas. I was also still newly married (we divorced after 10 years together in 2001 and he actually passed away unexpectedly in July 2008 at the age of 38).

My husband(at the time) bought me a Christmas present. Looking back, I know he had the best of intentions but it was not at all a gift I expected OR wanted. He gave me a foot spa. You know, one of those things that you put water in and plug it in and put your feet in. It was because my feet were getting so swollen and sore with the pregnancy. I didn't mean to seem ungrateful but I really felt like being pregnant that I was somehow losing the person I was before I was pregnant.

Don't get me wrong here, I was ecstatic about being pregnant and couldn't wait to be a mom but there were still things I wanted to do with my life someday. I was ready to put dreams on hold of course, which I did, however, I couldn't help feeling like everyone I knew was now only looking at me as a 'mom'. Not that this was wrong necessarily but I really wanted to be MORE than a mom. Plus I was still only 25 and really kind of wanted something romantic from my husband, little did I know that most men are not as romantic as us women would like without a little help from us! I just still wanted him to look at me like I was sexy and 25.

Now, I am remarried for almost 6 years and have a 3 year old too. I will be 40 this week and let me tell you that having a teenager and a toddler makes me truly feel my age. I still want to be more than a mom on the inside but I know that on the outside, I look like a mom, I talk like a mom and I react like a mom. I felt much more beautiful when I was pregnant with my now 3 year old. I was 10 years older than the first time I was pregnant and knew more about what to expect.

My 13 year old's friends look at me and call me Mrs..... That truly makes me feel old but I also know that it goes with the territory of being an adult, something which I am whether or not I feel like an adult on the inside or not...we all still have the kid in us deep down.

So I guess I am trying to find myself again. The person who could still dream and make it happen instead of dreaming and thinking it's too late. Age is just a number after all or at least that is what I have heard since I turned 30 and now again that I am turning 40. It is not a barrier for keeping us from things we still feel in our hearts that we would like to do. Who says that a 40 year old mom of 2 can't do something else or better yet, something brand spanking new and unexpected by everyone who knows her.

I guess at 40, I know more of who I am but am still trying to find my 'place' in the world. Am I making sense? Not sure. I'm a mom, true. I am also a wife and a daughter but I am also a woman. But a mom most importantly.

When my kids are fully grown and leave me to make a life of their own, I will have to be more than a mom, like it or not because I know I will be lucky if they call me or answer the phone when I call to check on them 10 times a day! I will want them to come home and visit often because I know that our family dinner table will not be the same unless they are sitting there with my husband and me. So when I am forced to be more than a mom at that time, I will still be expecting them to say to me, "Mom, I'm coming over, what's for dinner?"

Try something new and you just might like it

2009-01-25T18:59:00.001-07:00

I will start by telling a bit about myself. I am a SAHM of two girls ages 3 and 13. I became a SAHM when I had my 3 year old so it has been quite an adjustment.

Before I married my husband, I was a single mom, working fulltime and never had time to cook. When I married my husband and moved to Arizona almost 6 years ago, I really started to make dinner time a family time. My daughter was 8 years old and we were all adjusting to a new life with each other in a new place without any family or friends.

I made it a rule that we eat dinner together every night. Something my daughter and I did back home but usually out somewhere and not in our own house. I was a newlywed so wanted to find meals that all 3 oof us would enjoy eating and make sure they were healthy and easy to make.

Cooking Light Magazine became a staple in my house. I started to make new recipes all of which turned out fantastic and most all 3 of us loved. I was trying a couple of new recipes every week and after awhile, we were eating a bunch of them on a regular basis. I still try new recipes from the magazine as much as possible and I really have learned to love cooking. I am not a person who can create a recipe on my own but really need a recipe to follow and I can be a bit of a perfectionist, especially when it comes to the meals I make.

I am also an avid scrapbooker so it is only natural for me to take pictures of my food.....I take pictures of the things I cook and I take pictures of some of the food I eat at restaurants, especially if it really looks beautiful! So I will post pictures here as well as my favorite recipes.

I hope to use this blog to share MY personal favorite recipes from Cooking Light Magazine and tell the world that they should pick up the magazine, try a bunch of recipes and soon you'll be eating healthy and loving it! I will also post great recipes that I make and love from other sources that I make into a healthy version by changing it up just a bit just by changing to low-fat items, etc.

So please be nice and bare with me as I dip my toe into the world of blogging.

I am in no way affilated with Cooking Light Magazine, I just LOVE them!