Green with Envy....

As soon as I took this picture...I was in love!

I entered the Epiphanie Camera Bags Picture It photo contest. http://bit.ly/xN3Pqc

From Drab to Fab: Dressing Up Easter Baskets

I am going to be doing guest posts at Mom It Forward in their crafts sections.  I am very excited about it!  Here is my first post over there, so go and check it out and see how to turn ordinary into extraordinary: How to Dress Up Your Easter Baskets

Crunchy Baked Tilapia and Smashed Red Potatoes

So for dinner the other night I decided I wanted something hearty and healthy.  While these two words do not usually work harmoniously together, I decided to make it work!  I am a fish girl!  And if I could eat fish every night, well I would, and I am not bias in the fish department.  Last night however all I had on hand was some frozen Tilapia, so I defrosted it and decided it was the winner (by default, but don't let the fish know!)  I also wanted a carb since they will be my potential downfall.  I used red potatoes because they are the healthy cousin of the "naughty" potatoes and I wanted to keep it healthy.  I boiled them and then baked them, and for the fish I whipped up a crunchy crust and baked them as well.  The recipes are below or download a PDF with both recipes on it here: Crunchy Baked Tilapia and Smashed Red Potatoes

I Heart Faces --- Beautiful B&W

I just love my son's expression in this photo so I am entering it into I Heart Faces "Beautiful B&W" challenge.   You should check it out and enter to, and you can win some great prizes!

The Voice & Cakes...the Diaper Kind.

So I completely forgot about The Voice since I was watching American Idol, but luckily E! had a marathon today so I am all caught up! And I watched The Voice tonight as the battle began and I am such an emotional mess. I get so attached to people and and their emotions that I ended up crying like a baby during these types of shows. I think all the judges got it right tonight. Everyone that blew me away and really evoked an emotion with me was chosen so that is exciting!

I also wanted to share another fun craft that I enjoy doing for friends and family. I love to make diaper cakes for baby showers. I have been doing them for about 5 years and I had came across a site that showed one and I knew I could attempt something similar so I did just that. At the time I had never seen them done and I thought it was one of the best gifts. You gift them diapers and whatever little gifts you want to include. I know as a new mom it is a great gift. Plus it is a great showpiece during baby showers. Here are just some that I have created in the past:

March Beginnings....and American Idol

Can you believe it is all ready March!?!   It is craziness...but I move on.  My little man is loving this weather and makes me take him outside to play.  Although he would do it everyday if he could, whether it be rain, snow, sunshine, or storms.   He recently discovered our outside faucet and he loves to stick his finger in it and pick up all the wet leaves under it, usually he tries to eat them.  Guess that's a good way to get those greens in!  We had tons of fun, like always!

So the finale of American Idol was on tonight and most of the people that America picked I completely agreed with.   I was shocked that Jermaine made it through but his story really touched my heart so I know he got a lot from the sympathy vote.  But whatever works.   I thought his rendition the night before was sweet.  Without a doubt my favorites are Colton and Jessica, and Elise and Joshua close behind.  I also love Hollie, Phillip, and Heejun.  Honestly I think they all have some potential and I can't wait to see how this all pans out.

Leap Day

This winter has been such a crazy one but I can't complain because we are loving the warmer weather.  I wish it would stay like this year round...but alas that will not happen.  Will probably get snow this summer as payback...lol!   Since we had an extra day this year, my sweet baby boy and I enjoyed it by acting a fool, which is what we really do best.  I can't believe that this child of mine will be 2 this summer....ahhh!

Hello again!

I have been a super busy bee and I am going to try my hardest...again to try and keep this blog more up to date. I think it will help me once I get more into routine. So I have been busy launching my own photography business and also a graphic design business. I am so excited and I just love doing it. Besides that I have been busy with my little man. He is growing up far too quickly and I miss him being a baby all ready.


What's on my TV tonight?

First up is American Idol and it's Guy's night! I have so many favorites on the show and I can't believe they are cutting them in half. All I know is I love that they brought the "Gentle Giant" back. It broke my heart to see him get sent home last week. He is just so sweet! Good luck gentleman.

I also love Tim Allen's new show "Last Man Standing". It's refreshing to see some better television on again and Tim Allen is hitting it out of the park. Reminiscent of "Home Improvement" except he has three daughters in the new show. It's great and you should be watching it.

I am currently watching "Tabatha Takes Over". I just love her. Her bluntness and honesty, her style, and her demeanor. She's classy and yet she is bold! I have loved her since she was on "Shear Genius". And some of these salons are just jokes. I can't believe that some people lack so much sense when running a business. I just love that she is helping others. Right now there is an emotionless robot running a business and he has no idea about anything with his business. He is probably the least receptive owner I have seen on her show. I love watching this and "Kitchen Nightmares" and all their business "nuggets" that they give. Plus the both have awesome accents.

I am so excited to also watch "Dance Moms". I love that show. The ladies are crazy, the kids are talented and adorable and Abby is one bad ass mama-jama!

Best Face Photo from 2011

My Photography Site

This photo was submitted to the I Heart Faces photo challenge – www.iheartfaces.com

Our First Week of January

Oreo Croissants | Recipe

So tonight I was really craving something sweet and a little savory, and after raiding the kitchen I decided to whip up some Chocolate Croissants.  Then I realized I still had Oreos left and I figured that they would taste much better than just chocolate! I mean what is better than combining two of my favorite treats: bread and Oreos!  By the way the reminded me of Fried Oreos...my guiltiest pleasure.

Ingredients

Oreos

Croissants

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Spray pan or lay down wax paper.

2. Pop open your can of croissants and roll out.

3.  Place half an Oreo per each roll.

4. Roll up croissants and space evenly on pan.

5. Bake until golden brown, about 10-15 minutes.

6.  Remove from oven and enjoy!

I've been a Naughty Girl this year!

Well life has been keeping me busy and I have severely neglected this blog.  I decided to redesign it slightly for now, and in the future I plan to redesign again. I also plan on not neglected this.  I mean if this was my child, they would have all ready turned me in and taken it away!  I have been very bad.  I guess working on starting my own business has drawn me away from here.  But for this new year, I plan to come back full forced...well as much as I can allow.  I mean...Hello.  I have a crazy one year old, a business I am working on launching, a house to take care of, and trying not to lose my mind!  Wish me luck!

The Day Baby Was Born

I recently stumbled upon a new web app (thanks to Social Moms)  called "the day baby was born" and it is presented by tommee tippee.  I am so jealous this wasn't available when I first got pregnant.  It is basically a storybook that you create and share digitally.  I, for one, am all about the digital age.  And when I got pregnant, I attempted to write in one of those pregnancy journals, but I just couldn't keep up to date with it.  It is something I regretted.  However I am definitely using this app for the next pregnancy.

The first thing you need to know is that you must have a Facebook page in order to create a storybook, because that is the only sign in option.  Luckily most people have a Facebook page so that isn't a big deal.  The reason behind having the Facebook page is that you are able to share your posts on Facebook and this app will save all the comments made and capture them for you.  I know some people may not want to share their pregnancy journal with the whole Facebook community...and that is fine because this app is so customizable and easy to work with.  You get to pick what you want to share and you also choose what content you would like to have in the storybook.

This is such a great idea that really streamlines the whole pregnancy journal and I can't wait to get pregnant again to be able to use it to it's full potential.  This app is designed to use with newborns and not everything works with older children but it was still fun to try out and see what all it was capable of.  When you are done with your storybook you can share it with everyone on Facebook or you can simply download a PDF file so you can keep it forever.  The Day Baby Was Born actually hosts your storybook up to a year after you are last inactive...because we all know that after having a baby, sometimes we get a little sidetracked.  I would highly recommend at least trying this app out, since it is free, to help track your pregnancy journal!

My Storybook Example

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Tommee Tippee blogging contest for a chance to get a gift pack worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here

A Baby, Breakup Rumors, and a Big Shake

What's going on in today's world?

Ben Afleck & Jennifer Garner are expecting a third child! I was so happy to hear this news, as I am a fan of this gorgeous couple, and their even more gorgeous children. So it is such great news to hear they will be adding another one to their brood. They all ready have two little girls, Seraphina and Violet, so I am hoping for a mini-Ben.

Also a story regarding a split between the Hollywood Power couple, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith, started to circulate. As soon as I saw this pop up on my Twitter feed, I was almost in disbelief. They seem like such an amazing couple and to hear that their marriage was dissolved was disheartening. Although there was no official word from either couple that his story was true, it was still a hot topic. However the couple did release a statement later on sating that their marriage was "intact". I was thrilled to read that because they are definitely my "married couple role models."

And the top story today would be the earthquake that hit the East Coast earlier this afternoon. Actually the story broke out on twitter before other news sources, sign of a media age. According to USA Today, the earthquake lasted 45 seconds, measured 5.8 magnitude, and the epicenter was in Mineral, VA. It came as a shock since the East Coast is somewhat virginal in the earthquakes, although in West Coast standards, it was a "baby" quake. I am in the MidWest and we rarely have earthquakes here also. However about 3 years ago, there was 5.2 that's epicenter was less than 20 miles from where we live and it shook enough to wake this sleeping baby up. I thought at the time my husband fell out of bed because he wasn't by me, but he was up getting ready for work...hehe! It was definitely an interesting experience and I can't imagine how the West Coast handles them so well. They really put a shock in your system!

The Mom Challenge - Mascara & Eyeliner

Today's Mom Challenge was to put on mascara and eyeliner.  I wear mascara a couple time a week but eyeliner only comes out on special occasions.  I have a fear of poking my eyeballs out.  I actually have to take about 10 minutes to put contacts in because I blink like crazy when something comes near my eye.  Needless to say eyeliner can be a bit of a challenge!  All that aside I did it anyway and I always feel so much more productive and definitely prettier when I doll myself up a bit!

iDee 5.0

iPhone + iPad + iMac = iDee

The first time I saw an iPhone, it was love at first sight. I couldn't believe all of the capabilities that is was able to achieve. The iPhone was way ahead of the current market, and since I am kind of a tech junkie, I dreamed of owning one. Eventually I did, after recycling through one bad phone after another. I originally got an iPhone 3G since that was the newest one available and I was so excited to play with it and test it out. While it does have some kinks (i.e. apps that crash, camera takes a while to load, freezes sometimes), it still was the best phone I have ever owned. And with Apple constantly updated their operating system, the phone is always improving. The phone is one of the easiest and most streamlined phones I have ever owned. No extra buttons to find menus and such, just click "Call" to make a phone call, and "Messages" to text, so it is super simple. It's unfortunate that some people think it is complicated because of the touch screen and all of the icons, but it is perfect for all age groups. I believe if they would try it, they would love it. I have obviously upgraded since then and now own the iPhone 4 which is such an improvement on it's predecessor.

After the iPhone came out, Apple manufactured a tablet called iPad, and after seeing the first advertisement, I thought I would love to own one! And to my amazement my husband bought me one for Christmas, even though I never asked for one and wasn't expecting it. I was so excited to play with it and test it out. I loved how similar it was to the iPhone, which made it easy for me to figure out. I mainly use the tablet to write(I'm writing on it as we speak!), to sketch or edit photos, read books and magazines, and play games. It is so convenient to just flip it open and play with it. Shortly after Apple introduced their iPad 2, with the addition of the camera, and although I would love to have one, I am content with my iPad.

During all of these Apple love, I had converted my husband into a Apple user, so he felt we needed an iMac. We have heard so many great things about their computers and since we loved their phones and tablets, we knew it would fit perfectly. We got an iMac less than a year ago, and it is so easy and simple to use, but being a PC girl it has been so hard to make the switch. I have grown accustom to using Windows and leaving it behind has been hard, so I still use the PC for designing and editing. But my husband is in love with the iMac. He hated all the extra "junk" on the PCs and loves how clean the iMac is. He is the primary user of it but I still like to jump on and do other stuff when I am working on the other computer. The biggest bonus is how secure the iMac is compared to PCs. It gets far less "baggage" from the internet than it's competitors.

The Mom Challenge - Favorite Song

I joined a facebook page called The Mom Challenge  and I thought it was such a cute idea that I couldn't resist.  They describe it as "Reminding moms to take care of themselves... one small step at a time."  Well today's challenge was to find your favorite song as a teen and sing like no one is listening.  Although this song is actually older than I am, it was in my parent's CD collection, so I stumbled upon it and instantly fell in love with this song.  You better believe if I hear it on the radio I will belt it out(despite my horrible off key singing voice).

Journey- The Wheel in the Sky

Holiday World...Round 2

So for the second time this summer, the entire family went to Holiday World.  I was going to...then I didn't want to...but we ended up going and it was a blast.  My little man can't ride many rides yet but that doesn't stop us.  He rode the carousel and he semi-enjoyed it.  He hated when it wasn't moving, but once it got going , he was all smiles.

I really didn't ride much rides this time.  I was too busy playing with Colton.  We went to the Hollidog land and there is a water spouting area in the middle that the kids run around in.  Well since my son isn't exactly the best walker right now(He's a weeble wobble), he crawled around in it and loved it.  The only downfall is that the ground rubbed his toes and feet almost raw and it bled!  EEk!  He didn't even seem phased by it.  So we decided to go to the water park area after that.  And that is my son's favorite place.  We went to the wave pools and he just enjoys it so much.  He will definitely be a swimmer because he tries to jump in the water and paddle right now....too cute!  We left pretty early because my husband is on call and he was thinking he may have to go to work soon.  But we ended up snapping a picture with the Santa Clause statue before we left.

The best part is that my son is always worn out and sleeps like...a baby!

Shame on Me!!!!

I promised myself I would not be to hard on myself if this happened...but oh well.  Shame on me!  I haven't kept up with my postings!  I just have been so busy and invested in other ventures right now that I neglected my poor blog.  So sorry blog!  I promise to you and myself I WILL POST MORE OFTEN!

Weigh In Wednesday [Inspiration & Motivation]

My Workout Inspiration Board

I created an inspiration board to help motivate me when I feel like giving up.  I picked out pictures of bodies that had a quality that I wanted to work towards.  My goal is not to be stick thin, but to be healthy.  And most of the people who motivate me have some bit of curve to them.  I think my body was definitely made to be an hourglass shape, which I used to have not that long ago.

I had done really good on my diet, and making sure I was tracking what I was eating.  Then I got an overwhelming craving for sugar and sweets and carbs (Oh they are my weaknesses)!  One of the many downfalls during my monthly visit would be these cravings.  I succumbed and now I feel super guilty.  But I won't beat myself up over it because that usually leads me to want to give up.  I will just accept it and try harder.  Hope everyone else is leading a healthy life!

My long-term goal:  Start eating healthier and exercising more, encompass a healthy lifestyle.

My short-term goal: To lose 10 pounds within the next two months.

Previous Weight: 201.0 lbs.
Current Weight: 197.6 lbs.
Amount Lost: 3.4 lbs.

Accomplishment: I kept my food journal for over a week.  I also did pretty well on my diet...
Problem: Until I started craving sugar and carbs...realized it was time for Aunt Flo's visit.


Monthly Measurements: Taken on 7/13
Bust: 45 in
Waist: 41 in
Hips: 46 in