Short Of Breath...

Seen at the gym last night:

If at any time during exercise you feel faint, short of breath or are experiencing heart palpitations stop exercising immediately and seek the help of a physician.

Hmmm, every time I exercise I am short of breath but I'm pretty sure my physician would say to get my tush back up on that treadmill.

Remember this hilarious music video by OK Go? I can't NOT watch it:

Especially the guy in the skinny red pants.

How fun would it be to start doing the treadmill dance the next time I'm at the gym?

I'm sure I would be slightly out of breath and definitely feeling faint.

A

Roasted Garlic Goodness...

I am currently attempting to make this recipe. The Pioneer Woman has some uber delicious looking recipes on her cooking site, I highly recommend you go and look around...

So my house is smelling deliciously garlicky. However, I am all of a sudden reminded how my husband *ahem* processes garlic, and let me tell you it is not good. Not good at all.

We actually have a rule about garlic in our house:

Any consumption of Garlic Fries ( Kidd Valley, Safeco Field - Kidd Valley, Red Robin or any other eating establishment) must have a 3 day wife barrier window.

Meaning, if he eats the garlic fries and is around me in the following 3 days I will seriously injure him. And have to evacuate and fumigate the house.

So that leaves his hunting trips for him to partake...which means, along with his father and brothers, they have a garlic eating festival and have to live with the results while driving in an enclosed vehicle for four hours. The punishment fits the crime.

Also let's mention that Lance's dental patients may not be too thrilled with his general aroma those next three tortuous days post garlic fries consumption.

So, the consumption of these roasted garlic dealybobs will be done in moderation. I'm hoping to use them in recipes for some extra yummyness. I'm thinking garlic mashed taters, amazing bruschetta and adding it to my crock pot dinners.

The house is SUPER garlicky now...maybe this should be reserved for summer (aka open window season).

Any other ideas for my roasted garlic?

A

Toddlertainment...

First of all, I am digging these word smooshing titles. Just so you know.

On to the subject of the day. I often have a hard time coming up with fun projects for Bubbalu during the day. A wise mother recently let me in on the time-honored, well known formula:

Toddlers + Water = Hours of entertainment

Here's my easy to follow recipe...

Ingredients:

one kitchen sink
water
dining room chair
beachtowels
measuring cups
bottles
toddler

camera
dryer

Directions:

1. Fill sink 4-5 inches with warm water.

2. Set chair in front of sink.

3. Locate ALL beach towels and drape counter, floor and chair generously.

4. Place diaper-only clad (and socks I guess) toddler on chair in front of sink.

5. Dump measuring cups and bottles into sink.

6. Tell toddler to have at it.

7. Hold tongue when toddler splashes to his hearts delight.

8. Take pics of toddler giggling contagiously.

9. Drain sink and wipe down toddler when he starts to shiver.

10. Wipe up all splashed about and puddled water (there will be copious amounts)

11. Throw towels in dryer

12. Be prepared for an extra long nap as toddler giggled and splashed himself into exhaustion...

A

Gym IPodiquette...

So having recently joined a local gym for therapy and to get more points on the "Are You Healthy?" quizzes in magazines I have some Gym IPodiquette I would like to share:

• If I keep my ear buds in and don't make eye contact with you, assume that I either A. didn't see you (which is actually highly improbable, being that I scan the room constantly to avoid staring at the slowly moving numbers on the treadmill) or B. did in fact see you but don't want to talk. I am here to sweat, not chat. Doesn't mean that I don't love you, I just need to lose some excess baby poundage.
  
  
• If I keep ONE earbud in and don't stop my playlist (which I keep on maximum volume so I don't hear anyone else talking or the annoying sports game on TV...or my conscience saying, "Amanda...stop running/lifting/crunching...you are hungry...eat something yummy.") then I am OK with a quick hellohowareyoui'mfinedidyouhaveababyyeahshe'sgreatnicetoseeyoubye!
  
  
• If I keep ONE earbud in and STOP my playlist that means I am STILL OK with the quick hellohowareyoui'mfinedidyouhaveababyyeahshe'sgreatnicetoseeyou...but I'll actually ask you how YOU are doing and listen to what you have to say. Cause I'm nice like that.
  
  
• If I take BOTH earbuds out and stop the playlist it means I either A. haven't seen you since moving back to our hometown and really do need to catch up with you B. am bored and sick of my workout anyways or C. am related to you and can't get away with ignoring you because you might disown me.
  
  

If I forget my IPod at home I'm sunk. I'm much too chatty. I may even ditch the gym and head over to the restaurant and obey my conscience. Because sometimes?

That girl knows what she's talking about.

A

Favorite Find Friday: Bra-lets

Want a good deal? Of COURSE you want a good deal.

Should you hide the girls from prying eyes? Of COURSE your should you hide them from prying eyes.

Are you breastfeeding and need easy access to the girls? Ok, you may or may not be breastfeeding, but if you are these can help.

This is what I'm talking about:

I call them Bra-lets. Why? I don't exactly remember right now. They are half bra, sorta tank top and all sorts of wonderful. They are perfect for layering without adding a ton of bulk to the midsection (cause we all just loooooooove extra bulk in the midsection, right?).

They are designed to be a sports bra in and of themselves, but I choose to buy them a bit big and wear them over my regular bra as a kind of camisole when wearing deep V or flashing tops (you know the kind...where you lean too far forward and the world gets a show) to keep my modesty intact. With 2 littles running around I can't always stand in my perfect model pose. I'm usually crouched down wrestling the squirmy crying 2 month old into the car seat, hiking up my jeans and blowing my hair off my face and telling Bubbalu to JUST HANG ON! JUST ONE MORE MOMENT!! all at the same time.

Leaving the house is a chore y'all. It takes about two hours. Seriously. Just typing that makes me shake my head in disgust. TWO HOURS. Why why WHY did I schedule their pediatric appointments for 8 in the morning 1/2 an hour away? Because I'm all sorts of crazy, that's why.

Anyways, back to the bra-lets.

You can buy a 3-pack for only $9.88. That's a deal folks, a REAL deal.

Also? They come in multiple color packs and different styles as well....

Pinks:



Crisscross in Blues:



Racerback in pink, grey and white:



Crisscross in Black, White and Red:



And where to find these multiple colored and styled wonderful low priced bra-lets? Why, do you even have to ask?

DUH.

Have a wonderful weekend...

A

Just Keep Swimming...

Hi Mommy, thanks again for the cute swim outfit that I get to wear all year long. I enjoyed using it all summer and early fall, and am thrilled to keep it at Grandpa and Grandma's house so we can play in the (cooled down) hot tub whenever we come and visit.



However, have you ever heard of a little thing called a swim diaper? You really should look into getting them, cause I just peed on the floor.

A

Tomato Milk...

For all you breastfeeding Mamas out there, have you ever had to severely restrict your diet or eliminate a certain food because it caused issues?

I know breastmilk is often 'flavored' from the foods you eat, ex. garlic, and is seen as an introduction of sorts for the baby to get used to the normal diet of the family. Neat huh?

However, I have noticed with Lil Chick (Bubbalu had this too) that whenever I eat a tomato based sauce she is extra fussy and has a hard time settling down for her naps and bedtime. So I've been trying to remember to back off on tomato.

Here is a neat link with a Q & A about foods nursing mothers should and should not eat, with scientific (evidence based) answers. They even addressed my tomato issue:

Can acidic foods that mom eats be "too acid" for baby?

No. Acidic foods like citrus, tomatoes, etc. can not change the acidity of breastmilk.

And I understand that, but it doesn't hurt me to avoid something that may or may not be causing Lil Chick some distress.

So, being the good Mom that I am, I was all confused why Lil Chick was SO unsettled Monday evening...until I remember I ate an ENTIRE can of Tomato soup for lunch...

DOH!

A

Baby Girl Quilt Episode Four...And Finale!!!

The last time I posted about Baby Girl Quilt was November 1st. Oh my. We had just a wee bit going on in between then and now.

When we left off on Episode Three (find Episode Two and One here) I had just finished piecing the quilt top and made my quilt sandwich, getting ready for the machine quilting.

I sporadically worked on the machine quilting, as it takes up a good chunk of time. I stipple stitched the inside white border and lined the triangles that make up the pinwheels:



Stitching the layers together gives it that nice puffyness, see?:



Next up the binding, which is always a chore. I hand stitch the back of my double thickness binding which creates a finished look that will stand up through multiple washes.

I pulled the last stitch through right about when Jack Bauer was kicking in the door to Marika's apartment on 24. Good times.

And now, I present the final finished project:

>

I am thrilled to have finished it when Lil Chick is 2 months old, compared to Bubbalu's quilt, which I finished one week before his 1 year birthday party.

I actually used the exact same pattern for both quilts just girlified it this time around.

Now I just have to figure out what my next sewing project will be...have any fun ideas?

A

The Almond Doesn't Fall Far From The Tree...

I am not a very culinarily daring person. I prefer to make and eat the very same things over and over and over. I want to eat what I know I'll like. However, I recently tried something new and am overjoyed with how well it turned out. Maybe time to stretch my food wings?

My Mom performed a major pantry overhaulin' and (minus Chip Foose) managed to completely reorganize and clean. She called me to come over and take home a bunch of pantry items she wasn't going to use. One of the random things included this:



For those of you who can't read extremely tiny out of focus print it says 'Just Hazelnut Meal - Great for Baking and Breading.' She gave me two bags of this weird fluffy mealy stuff. One is Hazelnut, one is Almond and she purchased them at Trader Joes.

Now, being a good little Dutch Girl, I love almond flavored everything. Almost ALL of our cookies taste like almonds, and many also have slivered almonds in them. My favorite chocolate even has almonds in it. I had to try this almond meal stuff. My ancestry commanded it.

The label says it is great for baking and breading and to substitute it for up to half of the flour in a recipe. It will add extra flavor and texture.

So last Friday Bubbalu and I made some Valentine's Day heart cut-out cookies using this Almond Meal stuff. After baking and frosting the cookies, Bubbalu helped me decorate.

First off, shake 18 million tiny sprinkles on the counter and floor and maybe 100 sprinkles on the actual cookies:



Then proceed to lick red hots and smash them into the frosting:



And we're done! Oh wait, repeat the process AGAIN? More sprinkles:



and more pre-licked red hots:



And finally FINALLY, we are done. Bubbalu got to eat one small cookie after we were done and despite the funny look on his face, he very much enjoyed it:



These cookies are AMAZING y'all, AMAZING. Cut-out cookies are already mighty tasty in my book because butter, sugar, flour...what's not to like? Then add in some Almond Meal? Positively divine.

And yes, I do realize that ground up almonds add a fair amount of fat, but as they say, it's a good fat. Because yes, that is what runs through my head when I can grab blub around my middle..."it's OK! It's a GOOD fat!". Um, no. We'll be eating these treats in moderation folks. Cause that's what's it's all about...(thank you for the insight Mr. Hokey Pokey).

I am anxious to try more of the Almond or Hazelnut Meal in other baked goods, maybe muffins or biscotti.

Anyone else baked with these Meals before? And if so, please leave a comment with any good hints, tips or recipes...

A

Happy Heart Day!

Happy Valentine's Day internets! I was woken up this morning (after sleeping in!) by 2 of my Valentines for breakfast in bed...although a certain really short Valentine of mine swiped most of my scrambled eggs.

My sweet husband once again made me my Valentine's Day card this year. It's kind of a tradition of ours. He goes and raids my scrapbook supplies and I pretend to not know what he's doing. He does an AWESOME job every single year and once again, he came through.

My littlest Valentine is sporting her very own handmade Valentine's Day bib thanks to her talented Great Auntie Jan.

Thank you Aunt Jan!

She gave me a HUGE smile after I took that photo. So I tried to capture it for you:

I missed.

In the spirit of hearts, love and all things cupidish Lil Chick is sporting a cute pink jumper from her Grandma. Of course, she was supposed to fit into it at Christmas, but she just curled up in one leg because she wasn't even five pounds.

I'm glad it fits now, and I'd say she looks pretty cute in it...or at least her backside does:



And you know my favorite gift of the day? Bubbalu said, "I Love You Mommy" for the very first time.

It doesn't get much better than that...

A

Wallyworld Picks Episode 3...

As many of my longer term readers know, I love to browse for clothing...actually anything...online. And I also don't mind posting what I've found because why not spread the shopping joy around? I am thrifty and practical at heart, but also love some frillyness and fun.

In light of the HORRIBLE!!! CRASHING!!! THE WORLD IS ENDING!!!! economy that we are all SO very aware of (thank you newspeoples, we are sufficiently freaked out already, let's just have some happy stories for today, k?) we are keeping things on a budget today.

Wallyworld is one of my online faves so here we go...

As you all either know from firsthand experience or have heard, your body changes a wee bit after having a baby...or two. And yes, I can testify to the truth in that statement. I would say these changes are ones I can live with...some good, some not so good.

Either way, I'll work with what I've got because I am not a member of the Free Annual Plastic Surgery Club. And if you have THAT little membership card tucked into your back pocket, please let me know how I can become a member. Well, maybe not, I'm not a huge fan of pain. And I recently watched an E! True Hollywood Story on plastic surgery gone wrong so I'm a little freaked out about it.

ANYWAYS, enough blabbing, back to the point. At this point in my postpartum reshaping plan, I am only looking for tops that would look good with my JOPS.

What are JOPS?

I have a certain pair of jeans that I am eager to fit into again. They are my Jeans of Perfection Svelteness. I may or may not be fitting into them in the next oh 4-6ish months, but we'll see.

So here we go, tops for my JOPS that I would buy:

First off this lovely Sequin Trapeze Tank for only $10.00 in a midnight Blue:



and I am actually digging it in green:

Of course it would require a jacket or light sweater of some sort unless you have some sort of amazing internal heating element. It's still 36* here after all.

Next up a lovely Shirred V-Neck Jersey Top for $14.00:

And a gray Short Sleeve Pocket Cardigan for $20.00:



However it would require a long sleeved undershirt of some sort, so how about this Button Long-Sleeve Tee for only $3.00:



And this last top, which I am surprised I like, is the Cap-Sleeve Trompe L'Oeil Necklace Tee for $9.00:

Could someone please buy this for me? Really. It's a Juniors, so maybe a large. I think it's quite cute. In a 'I'm a funky Mom who wants a teeny bit of style but still want uber comfort' kind of look.

Of course it would look great with some shiny black stilettos and my JOPS. With some black chandelier earrings and the always posh accessory of a sweet baby girl who is just starting to smile at her Mama.

Oh wait! I already have those things! Now I just need the shirt.

I've got the black stiletto's waiting...

A

Sid Rocks My Playlist...

Is it weird that I want to add the Sid The Science Kid 'Looking For My Friends' song to my workout playlist?



Yeah, I thought so...

So you must also think it's a little strange that I dance to the song while doing my hair in the morning and Bubbalu's watching the show.

And sometimes he's not even in the room and I keep it on just so I can hear the song.

Yep, carhazzzy over here, but at least we're having FUN.

A

Boppy Talk....

As a nursing Mama, my Boppy pillows are essential for comfort. Yes, pillows. I have two. I bought them off craigslist for $15 bucks prior to Bubbalu's birth and washed the snot out of them. (NO not literal snot, I'm just using it as an analogy. )

I used one in Bubbalu's nursery and kept one for use in the living room. They are also useful for propping the babes up whilst Mama showers and beautifies as demonstrated below:



This time around I was pining after the Boppy pillow that matches the crib set I picked out, as it is beautiful and wonderfully cute. (On a completely random note, I saw this Boppy in the background on an episode of 'House'. I was very excited to have identified it, but Lance failed to see the brilliance of it.)

Alas, the designer Boppy cost $49.99 and I had to give up the dream. Still, here's the pic of it so you can see what I'm talking about:



'Tis beautiful, no?

So, as I have written about before, I sewed my own 2 Boppy covers from pink and white polka dot flannel fabric I had laying around.

Remember?



And yes, the new covers are holding up well and are pleasant enough to look at. Actually, they are adorable and I'm pleased as punch about them.

So I was just scanning around Walmart's baby website just playing around when I found an interesting Boppy pillow...

And I have just one question.

Will someone please tell me why this Boppy is wearing underwear?



Hmmmm...

A

My Toddler Sleep Solution Update #1

First of all, I am listing this as the first update, as I am certain there will be many more to follow.

The first toddler sleep solution post mentioned how Bubbalu had started to get out of his truck bed and wander hither and yon instead of sleeping. It has now been two weeks since that post, and a sleep update is warranted.

First of all, I still have the gate on the outside of the door, so that if he DOES get out of bed, his escape is thwarted. He does not like this. Mama doesn't either. Mostly because she can hear him protesting...and we have an open floor plan...and it echoes.

Second of all, I have the Pack 'n Play set up in his room. It is always ready for sleep with a pink crib sheet and cozy blankets.

(I'm sitting here thinking why in the world haven't I changed that pink sheet out for one of the 3 blue crib sheets that I have? It's not like I have a boy-themed crib sheet deficit, I'm just lazy, that's why. And I forgot. For 2 weeks....but whatever.)

Anyways, the story goes like this...Bubbalu is put to bed for nap/night, we recite our sleep rules:

1. We stay in our bed
2. We close our eyes
3. We are quiet
4. We do not jump or kick the walls
5. We go to sleep

and he is told that if he gets out of bed, he will be put into the Pack 'n Play to sleep. Two weeks ago I reported him crying after being transferred unwillingly into the Pack 'n Play after getting out of bed.

Now? Bubbalu goes right to his Pack 'n Play at nap time or bedtime and tries to climb in by himself.

So, either he already knows he will disobey and is just eliminating a step (aka the middle man) or he is liking the security of the Pack n' Play.

My vote is he is liking the security of the Pack 'n Play. He gets in, snuggles in and goes right to sleep. No crying, no gnashing of teeth...occasional singing. Not bad.

So where we stand right now I am not going to fault my child for wanting a little more secure sleeping environment. Some Moms warned me about regression in older siblings when a new baby arrives. If this is his only regression, that is fine by me.

Bubbalu is sleeping well full-time in his Pack 'n Play, he is safe, he is rested, end of story...

...or, we'll see what happens in a few weeks...

A

Milestones & Fart Commercials - A Perfect Mix...

Lil Chick is 2 months old today. I am so excited that she looks normal now, with appropriate chubbiness. There's nothing like a chubby baby and knowing your milk made them that way... a super ego boost.

I love Daddy and Daddy loves me:



Lil Chick being 2 months old means Bubbalu is now almost 2 years and 2 months old. He LOVES 'Baby Sithster' (he REFUSES to say her name) and tries to comfort her when she cries. He also loves her activity gym and will often hang out with her under it:



Of course, notice he still is holding a car. Or in this next picture, a random piece that goes with his tool set:



He is growing by leaps and bounds, learning new things daily. I would say he is an information junkie at this point, copying almost every word, phrase, or sentence we say. Time to crack down on our comments, jokes and adult metaphors. Cause you know when they whip those doosies out, right? Grocery store, Grandma's house, CHURCH. "Mommy said FART! Fart Fart FART!".

That SO makes me laugh. Why?

Well, this commercial, that's why:



Why why WHY do I think potty humor is so stinking hilarious? (Hee hee hee, ignore puns, really, for your own sanity.) I'm supposed to be all classy and refined, but this completely cracks me up! Please tell me I'm not alone in this.

ANYWAYS, back to Bubbalu...

He is obsessed with letters and numbers and asks to do his letters and numbers puzzles ALL DAY LONG. I am frankly quite sick of em, but he is so excited to do them I just can't say no to him. He is also starting to do more reading on his own:



And spends an enormous amount of time standing on the windowsill, freaking out the neighbors and just taking it all in:



He's only fallen twice...that we know of. And when he does, he's just so ticked off about the whole thing he jumps right back up there. No "get back up on that horse Son" from us. Actually, Mama is usually trying to distract him from crawling up there again.

So, two months ago? Here's where we were:



And today? Feeling 'completely and incandescently happy'...

A

One Month Ago...

Only one month ago Lil Chick was discharged from the hospital.

I was positively ITCHING to get out of there with her. I was pacing the room the entire morning packing up and getting ready to go. They did her last blood draw (note cotton ball and tape on head), gave her last IV antibiotics (note IV on foot) then took her IV out and finally FINALLY discharged us.

It already feels like it happened many months ago...or that maybe it was just a bad dream.



Never was I so happy than to take my Lil Chick home from the hospital for a second time. We gave her a bath right away to wash the hospital off of her:



You have to wash newborn babies in your sink...it's like a law:



She is healthy: eating frequently, gaining weight (just hit 8lbs!) and sleeping well. What more could I ask for?

A

Sweet Lemonade...

Tiff over at Still Seeking Sanity was sweet enough to give me the Lemonade award! Thanks Tiff! The Lemonade award goes to those who show great attitude and/or gratitude.



Here are the rules for receiving the Lemonade Award:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!
3. Link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link your post to the person from whom you received your award.

And the nominees are....

1. Esther at 3 Girls and a Guy
2. Laura at Living Life Through The Eyes Of Laura
3. Megan at her private blog...
4. Rebecca at Brown Eyed Girl
5. Jessica at The Jagers
6. Lisa at Growing Up Mo'
7. Tina at So Very Blessed
8. Lora Lynn at Vitafamiliae
9. Missy at It's Almost Naptime!!
10. Christy at Real Life Adventures

Hmmm, looks like I ran out of numbers already! Thanks again Tiff!

A

Soup For You!

This is the best. soup. ever.

Seriously? Want to impress anyone? Not that talented in the kitchen? Short on time?

This IS the soup for you.

I actually made 6 batches while 7 months pregnant to freeze and use when Lil Chick arrived. It is actually thawing nicely in my refrigerator at the moment. My lovely Sister in law requested this recipe for her husband, who dubbed it "crack soup", it is THAT good.

Enjoy! Really, PLEASE enjoy:

Pasta Fagioli Soup

12 ounces chicken sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced (Sun Dried Tomato Basil or similar flavors work well).
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup bow tie pasta
2 cups (or more) coarsely chopped zucchini (about 2 small zucchini)
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tsp oregano
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Dash of pepper

Heat sausage, stirring constantly, over high heat in large pot for 2 minutes (or until sizzling nicely). Add broth and pasta and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes. Add zucchini and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer another 2 minutes. Stir in oregano and kidney beans, give a good dash of pepper, cover and simmer 3 minutes or until pasta and zucchini are tender.

Serve with shredded asiago or Parmesan cheese.

I get the chicken sausage at Costco, which is really flavorful. I've doubled the recipe except for the sausage and it still tasted wonderful.

Also very good with my favorite and easy Cheddar Garlic Biscuits to dip into the yummy broth.

You're welcome...

A

A Sweet Gift...

Lil Chick sends her thanks to her nice friends in Phoenix...you know who you are!



Bubbalu keeps looking at Lil Chick in this outfit and saying, "H" over and over. Seems he thinks the little rabbits with ears are actually the letter H. He also says it in a deep man-voice. It's quite hilarious...

A

Chick vs. Monkey...

Last week Mama took her Lil Chick on a trip to visit family and play with her cousin Monkey...

So Lil Chick, meet your cousin Monkey, who you haven't seen in over a month :



So Lil Chick, what do you think about Monkey? :



Monkey (with a rather stunned expression), "can you believe that!? She yawned! She thinks I'M boring!?" :



Monkey, what do you think about Lil Chick? :



Lil Chick,"He yawned! He thinks I'M boring!? That makes me mad!". She begins to cry...

However, Monkey decides to ignore Lil Chick's protest :



That just ticks Lil Chick off, so she decides to give Monkey the dreaded cold shoulder :



And that makes Monkey feel bad. Very bad. Monkey, "I'm SO SORRY I called you boring, PLEASE forgive me!?



In the end, Lil Chick and Monkey call a truce and all is well. Drama drama drama!

We'll see what happens next time...

A

They Keep You Humble...

Why you should always check your child's homework...



(Here's the reply the teacher received the following day)

Dear Mrs. Jones,

I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer. I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit. I told her we sold out every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room, and that several people were fighting over who would get it. Her picture doesn't show me dancing around a pole. It's supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot. From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Smith

Hee hee hee...

A