Happy Holidays!

Taking a break from blogging for the rest of the year. Hope you enjoy this little clip. This was pretty much our experience this year with our kitty, Lola.



Have a wonderful Holiday!

Kitchen Inspiration

Over at Apartment Therapy, they listed the year's best kitchen transformations. I instantly fell in love with #2 and had to learn more. Check out the complete transformation of this AMAZING kitchen remodel over at Whatever. I love everything about this kitchen, The hardwood floors, the cabinets, the windows and the cozy chic furniture (the kids and dog are pretty cute too). L.O.V.E.

Before

After

Bravo, Meg! After reading your FAQ's, I know it was a crazy three months (and you lived there the entire time????), but the results are oh so fabulous!

Another kitchen filed in my inspiration folder.

Financial Lessons For A Richer Life

As this year winds down and we think about the year ahead and the resolutions we want to set for ourselves, I thought I would pass this on... This article is a couple of years old, but the advice is timeless...

I ignored most of this advice in my twenties, but from about age 29 and beyond, it finally started to sink in... In my career, I spent so much time around people trying to outdo each other with the size of their engagement rings, how much square feet their house had, and what label of clothing their kids wore. It was exhausting and mind numbing. I got caught up in it too... I was earning a great salary, I had no dependents, and impulse purchase was my middle name... I was also the unhappiest and most unfulfilled I have ever been.

I live in a small home, the majority of my daughter's clothing is off the sales rack, my wedding band was also my engagement ring... and I've never been happier. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate quality over price. I believe in spending a little more on the stuff that will last, even if that means being patient and saving until we have the money to buy it. We'll eventually get into a larger home, we'll probably do some renovations and we'll still buy nice things, but we won't be a slave to our paycheck. My favorite quote from the article, It's not the house that you buy, but the home you make with your family inside it that matters. This is so true. Wish I would have realized more of the lessons from the article earlier on in my life. Glad I get it now.

Hope you find the article as interesting as I did :)

Friendship and Chocolate

Shelly and I joined the Cleveland district at J&J about the same time... I knew the instant I met her we would become great buds. Nearly 11 years later, multiple company changes, moves to different cities, weddings, babies and both becoming stay-at-home mamas, we've still managed to stay in touch...

One of my favorite memories of Shelly is Christmas, 2000. It's the year she taught me how to make chocolate candies. It became an absolute obsession. We spent a good two weeks making chocolates at each other's homes for our physician accounts. With wine flowing, Christmas music blaring and devouring bags of Hint of Lime Tostitos, Shelly and I would work well into the wee hours of the night coming up with different flavor combinations and decorating candy boxes. The chocolates turned out to be an absolute hit with our accounts. Ever since then, I've made chocolates at Christmas. I make them just the way she taught me:

• Use Merckens chocolate wafers (they are the best)
• Invest in the white candy boxes and beautiful ribbon
• Use paper wrappers to hold the chocolates and designate a different color wrapper for each flavor
• Favorite mix-ins: Cashews and raisins, rice cereal, pretzels, marshmallow, caramels, and crushed up peppermint candy canes
• Christmas music must be playing in the background... Wine and Hint of Lime Tostitos, optional.

Every time I make chocolates, like I am this week, I always think of my former co-worker turned dear friend, Shelly. Turns out she's making them this week too... In her beautiful kitchen in sunny, gorgeous Florida.

Here's a crowd pleaser for homemade chocolate peanut butter cups:

Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Ingredients:

1 C creamy peanut butter, divided

4 TBSP butter, softened

1/2 C confectioner's sugar

1/2 tsp salt (feel free to omit if using salted butter)

1 lb chocolate wafers (I like Merckens)

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine 1/2C peanut butter, butter, confectioner's sugar, and salt. mix until smooth. Set aside.

Melt chocolate wafers in either a double boiler or in the microwave. Add remaining 1/2 C peanut butter and stir well.

Drop teaspoonfuls of chocolate mixture into paper lined muffin tins (or in paper liners on a parchment lined baking sheet). Top with a little dollop of peanut butter mixture. Top off with chocolate mixture. Refrigerate till set. Store in airtight container. Try not to devour every single one of them.

Should yield about 3 dozen.

Still My Favorite

Yep, still my favorite Christmas song EVER... I listen to it at least once a day during the holidays...

How can you not love Elton John in all his 70's glory?

13 Months

My girl could live on just kiwi and Cheerios....

This month she...

Can make the signs for "milk", "banana", "please", and "thank-you"

Will sing if you sing

Can now make the sounds of a piggy, elephant, and owl

Went to her first Christmas party

Is exclusively walking

Ate chicken for the first time

Is now on whole milk

.... Is still not sleeping through the night...

Has five teeth

Holds her hand to her ear and smiles when asked, do you want to call Grandma?

Still in cloth diapers half the time...

LOVES her baby dolls, Baby Bella, Baby Stella, and Dolly...

Loves to look at all the picture Christmas cards we have been receiving

Keep Calm and Carry On Parody

By now, almost everyone has seen the Keep Calm and Carry On posters that, in some people's opinions, are past their peak. Whether you love them or loathe them (I, for one, like them - carry on I say!) I think you'll get a kick out of these parodies featured on Apartment Therapy.

Etsy Love: Clothespins...

Yeah, you heard me.... Clothespins...

Let me explain....

Growing up, my mom hung our clothes outside in the warmer months. Crawling into a bed with linens that were dried outside smelled heavenly. I haven't yet found a dryer sheet that can recreate that.

At my request, JG hung up a little tiny clothesline outside (it was hidden from the public) that I used this summer to dry Sweet A's diapers and our pillow cases. It worked out beautifully. We have one in our basement as well that we use to dry our workout clothing. With all the different fabrics and their wicking capabilities, I don't want to mess with ruining them or shrinking them by putting them in the dryer. I just play it safe and hang them to dry.

I stumbled across these clothespins, from The Papered Crown (Check out their other lovely items) and thought they were so adorable! I love when someone takes something so simple and plain and makes it pretty. I then look at the price and think, why the heck didn't I come up with that idea? Oh well, glad somebody had the creative vision.... I bet they would make my hanging laundry look oh so chic ;)

A few ideas I have for these clothespins.... How about hanging a little ribbon in a child's playroom and use these clothespins to hang their works of art? I also think they would make great "chip clips". For an upcoming baby shower, get a specific color and hang little baby clothes from them (that's my mom's idea).

Any other ideas?

Teeny Tiny Tutu

Thank-you Papa Z and Grandma Tina for my super fun outfit :)

Photos Du Jour

These two pictures are of Sweet A's play area... As you can see nothing too crazy but looks fun, right?

And the following pictures are of what she chose to play with this morning....

Playing with her coat as daddy put on his coat

Post It notes

My slippers....

The laundry

Gorgeous Homemade Christmas Decorations

Like many families out there today, we've had to tighten up the purse strings. Going down to one income has taken some getting used to, but getting the chance to become a stay-at-home mom for our daughter has been worth every single sacrifice. We still get to do things we enjoy, we still go out on the occasional date night and yes... I still get the chance to visit my beloved Sephora every now and then. But there have been some areas where we've cut back. One area? Holiday decorations...

Back in the day, if I wanted that gorgeous holiday garland from Pottery Barn, I bought it. Also throw in the cute door mat, the $75 wreath and Christmas mugs designed for that particular year and I was set. Expensive gourmet treats too? Yes, please.

Kinda different these days being on a budget... but not in a bad way. I have to say, the scaled down lifestyle we're living has been very positive. Honestly? I kinda like it. I have such a different perspective on things and a greater appreciation for the little things in life. It has been a blessing... But, trust me, I won't mind when the day comes and we can loosen up those purse strings just a little bit ;)

That being said, I'm not ordering online from Pottery Barn this year... instead we're making many of our own holiday decorations this year. It's been fun, and I kinda like that I am getting reacquainted with my long lost creative side that has been stifled for so many years. It's also been fun doing some of these things with JG after Sweet A goes to sleep. Kind of a modified date night if you will... Not exactly dinner at Cabin Club, but we still get to have wine, great conversation, and the best part? Hang out in our comfy clothes.

Here are a few ideas that I've come across that I think you'll like too!

Super cute (and clutter free) ways to display your holiday cards

Make your own Christmas bulb wreath ( I love this idea)

Modern paper ornaments

Clever ways to decorate with cranberries

Cranberry popcorn garland (A nice little treat for the birds, post-holiday)

Pucker up and make your own kissing ball

Image via Design*Sponge

Thanks Target!

Unbeknownst to us, Target sends out their packages in it's original packaging. Case in point... JG ordered me a sweet new camera for Christmas. UPS left it on our doorstep... Trouble is, I'm waiting for packages too... Had to look at package. Saw the camera name in big letters right smack on the package. Happy Early Christmas to me! JG had me open it up and start playing around with it. So. Much. Fun.

Best Christmas surprise (even if it's three weeks early) ever. Thanks, babe!

A few highlights from our weekend, courtesy of my new toy:

Ahhh yes..... The famous "Proud Potty Picture"... It's me as a toddler and, thanks to my family, it has been brought out and shown to people over the years... Including the photo montage played at our wedding reception... Thanks to my parents' neighbor, it's now a Christmas tree ornament. JG made it the crowning glory of our sweet little tree....

Lola....

Sweet A taking her friends for a little spin....

One of Sweet A's favorite pastimes... Eating Cheerios

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful Sister-in-law, JC!

JC, I hope my big brother has something pretty fabulous in store for you today! No pressure, big bro.

Funny Confession #4

I just spent $105 on groceries this afternoon and I have no idea what to make for dinner....