November Favs!

Here's a quick list of things I've been loving in the month of November!


My favorite flavor, Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew. It has 180 calories and if I'm in a rush I'll eat one for breakfast or a mid-morning snack. It tastes like the ultimate indulgence!


I use this mask in the shower. I hadn't been using it that often, but lately I've felt the need about once a week. It drenches my hair in moisture and is so soft after I use it. Here's a quick review:


The friend that helped to create me addiction to coffee and coconut creamer, has passed on another addiction. This creamer is rich and creamy. Heath or Skor is one of my favorite candy bars and the toffee flavor in this creamer tastes like Christmas to me:) Some days it's the other thing that gets me out of bed. 


The picture does not do it justice, but this is the blush (pin up) I've been reaching for most. In reality, it's a dark brown with plums running through it. I apply to the upper part of my cheek bone, then add a bright pink to my apples. 


This has been my go-to foundation for November. I have it in two shades, buff beige and natural beige. It gives the perfect glow. It doesn't have sparkles or anything, just adds the perfect amount of illuminating light. I think it's great for those not so sunny days in November. 


Ah, my favorite guilty pleasure for the month of November. I usually don't get into these until December when I make them myself as gifts, but Menards had them pretty cheap on Black Friday. Even better, they are mini pretzels! The boys and I have been munching on them after dinner. Perfect combo of sweet and salty. 

And the one thing I've been missing most this November:

I love my Bethenny yoga dvd and my body really misses it. It will be my goal in December to pull Bethenny out at least once a week, if not more. The routine just keeps my body from aching, especially when I'm not sleeping well because of my GOUT! 

Ask and You Shall Receive

Someone in our lives is getting this little gem for Christmas. I think they asked as a joke, but I think it'll be great!


Other fun flavors:)

Gout. Ew.

I had a hard time just writing the title of this blog post. "Ew" is exactly what comes to mind when I hear the word "gout". Now that I know a little more about gout because of my own unfortunate flare-up, gout itself isn't really "ew", but the word still is. Kind of like "panty" and "moist" to my friend who cringes when those words are spoken.

So, 1 a.m. I'm awoken by a horrible pain in my big toe. This happened a few months ago also. The last time it happened I got up, clipped my toenail because I was convinced it was growing into my skin and that was causing the pain, took some advil and went to bed. Problem solved. This time there was no toe nail to clip and after actually accessing the pain, I realized it wasn't coming from the toenail area at all. The pain radiates from the base of my toe, between my toes and from the pads of my feet. This time the advil wasn't cutting it, elevation was doing nothing, so I decided to google this "pain from my toe that only happens at night" and my result...gout. My initial reaction, "nope, don't have gout, that's gross."

After two sleepless nights and a doctor's visit, I do have gout. Gout is a little mysterious and if you are dying to know more, google it, but mine is probably caused by a medication I was taking which was blocking the release of my uric acid. Fascinating, huh?!?!

Other than that amazing discovery, the boys also caught a large, wild cat in a trap last night. They had put out some traps, because that's just what they do, and caught a cat. Fun! So, the cat is in a larger cage, in our garage and we're feeding it in hopes that it'll decide to stay around our house and eat our mice. It's big, has creepy eyes and has the loudest "meow" I've ever heard, but I find myself really wanting it to like us:) On another cat note, we made an executive family decision to forego the name we had originally given our kitten "Honey Boo Boo" and officially name it "Kitty" since that's what we call it. Kitty is still attacking our faces and her teeth are very sharp. We'll be removing her claws very soon:) Merry Christmas Kitty!!

Our Thanksgiving was wonderful and the entire week was a great mix of relaxation and productivity!

Yummy Lunch Idea

I don't know about you guys, but thinking, preparing and actually eating the lunch I take to work is a struggle! If there are left-overs the thinking isn't so hard, the preparing is pretty easy the night before, but the eating part may be an issue. A co-worker and I decided it would be a good idea to bring a lunch for the other one, then we'd have a better chance of wanting to eat it.

So, the purpose of this post is not to talk about not eating our lunches, it's about finding something that doesn't take a lot of thought, is easy to prepare and I actually look forward to eating.

I guess it would go by the name "Tuna Salad", but it's a little different than the normal tuna salad I grew up on with a cup of miracle whip in it! The recipe is below. I got it from MM@L on YouTube. They make a big batch at the beginning of the week and eat it for lunch, dinner or snacks. If you're going to make a big batch then you'd double or even triple the recipe below.

Tuna Salad:
1 can of tuna (drained)
Chopped cucumber
Sliced pickle
Red onion
Mustard
Salt
Pepper

Now, if you're not a fan of mustard, this recipe isn't for you. Or, you could use miracle whip or mayo instead, but you're adding quite a bit of calories. This recipe can really be whatever you want it to be. If I have red onion, I'll throw it in, if not, no biggie. Sometimes I don't have a cucumber so it's just tuna and pickle. I either eat this with saltine crackers or I'll put it on a piece of whole wheat bread. Yesterday I ate it on a crescant, mmmmm.

I think both tuna and mustard can be an acquired taste, but I love both and I hope you do too!!

P.S. Yesterday I chopped up a boiled egg and mixed that in, very tasty!!

Weekend Fun

Happy Monday! Maybe if I type those words I'll actually start feeling it:) My Monday could really go either way at this point.

My weekend was from one extreme to the next. Friday night was really fun. Margs and mexican food with the ladies. We had a pretty big group, eight of us, which was a lot of fun. I was lucky enough to get a pic with these lovely ladies:)

Crystal and I. All I see in this pic is hair:)

This is the infamous Lisa Eurek. She's my hero:) So much drive, motivation and determination in this one! Beyond that, she's hilarious and really keeps everyone laughing all night!! She's the karoeke queen, her alias is "Wendy":) 

This was my outfit for the evening. Actually, my second outfit:) 

Jacket: Blu Pepper from Hautelook

Shirt: F21

Jeans: Big Star from Buckle

Boots: Kohls

After dinner we danced the night away! There was a really good band at Cunningham's. It's the best cardio work-out! 

On Saturday Trevor and Cody went hunting and Tyson had a friend over to play. That night we all went out to eat, then rented some movies and picked up some hot chocolate. Cody and I watched "The Campaign" which was pretty funny. Sunday morning I stayed in bed with some coffee and a couple other movies, "Why Did I Get Married Too?" and "Black Swan". Two movies I'd wanted to see for a while. I loved the first "Why Did I...", but this one left something to be desired. I felt like the acting was off and the plot line was exaggerated. "Black Swan" on the other hand, WTF?? It left me on edge the entire time. No wonder she won an Oscar. So, she had to kill the white swan to become the black swan, right?? Obviously she went crazy in the process. Probably malnourished:) 

The rest of Sunday consisted of swimming at the Y, ice cream, grocery shopping and a Bridezilla marathon:) I made ribs in the crock pot, but opted for nachos and oreos for supper:) Cody liked the ribs though. 

Friday - OOTD!

Sorry about the quality of this photo. I need to look at my settings on my phone.

Feeling a little tired and worn down from the week and it has carried over into my closet. Even though "jeans" are not allowed on Friday, these are as close as it gets:)

Top: Old Navy
Skinnies: F21
Booties: Target
Scarf: Deja Vu boutique
Watch: Shoplately.com
Hair: 1 1/2 inch curling iron. Opened the clip, wrapped the hair around, didn't close clip. Slip curl off, held in my hand for a sec, then twisted the curl and let fall.
Makeup: I did a cat eye with no eye shadow today. I'm going out this evening so I'll just do my eye makeup later and not have to worry about creasing.

Wasn't happy with the end result because my hair felt too "ratty" so I brushed it out for a softer look.

Blog title

Like my unique blog title? Yep, not only am I drawing a blank on the title but the post itself.

I'm all out of whack today because I traveled for work.

Highlight of the day: 90% off Halloween costumes at Kmart. Yes, I did purchase a creepy clown costume for $3.00. I think the costume was the highlight of Cody's day too after I showed it to him. I also grabbed some devil, vampire and witch essentials. Tyson likes to dress up all year long so they'll go to good use even if not used for Halloween.

Lesson of the day: working out or lack of working out REALLY effects my mood. I did already know this, but am just being reminded this week. I'm coming home right after work to stay with Ty while Cody makes another attempt at Bambi's dad. Yes, good (depressed) wife.

On another note, I found another all time fav lipstick that I lost in the deep dark hole called a purse, pink pout by revlon. I even layered it on during our mini-walk because I was so excited.

Pesto? What's Pesto?

This summer I was introduced to pesto in a dip. I loved it, yet had no idea what it was. After a brief ingredient read in the grocery store, a purchase, and an extended stay in my pantry, I made something with it! There's really no recipe, just dropped some pesto on chicken and baked it at 425 until the chicken was done, added mozz slices, then broiled until bubbly. I also roasted a spaghetti squash and poured a glass of wine. The true test, will the hobby like it??



I wrote the first part of this blog last night while I was eating alone and the boys were off watching deer, but here's a little update on the dinner. Cody really liked it! He commented on how great it smelled and decided to dip his in some marinara, which I thought was a good idea. We decided to make pizza with it next!!

A friend once told me that all I ever talk about is food and I'm starting to believe her. This blog is going in that direction, but that's how I am. I live life in spurts. Right now I'm really into healthy eating and finding some new recipes. Next week I'll be bored with that and I'll go on a 7 day fast-food binge and my blog posts will become depressing and lethargic. Tee hee.


On another note, someone asked me if I was teacher today after I kept telling everyone that I looked like a school marm in this outfit (what's a school marm anyway? Am I even spelling that right?). It was fun though and the tights kept me warm. My kids always look at me funny when I wear a dress, "Where are you going??"
Dress: Old Navy (pink belt came with).
Cardigan, Tights and Booties: Target
Hair: This link

Have a great Hump Day!

When The Craving Hits

I crave Chinese and Thai food stronger than any other food. I swear they marinate, saute and sprinkle it with crack!

So, when I can't kick the craving, but I have enough will-power not to hit-up the mall or Suwanee, I'll make this at home. 

It's a recipe adapted from this link:

Spicy Thai Noodles

I use the same sauce in the link (yesterday I used agave syrup instead of honey because I couldn't find the honey). I also used whole grain, skinny spaghetti instead of linguine and I highly recommend it! 

While my noodles were boiling I chopped and cooked some cube steak. It's not my favorite to use, but I didn't have any of the meat we use for fajitas and I wasn't feeling chicken. When the noodles are cooked and the sauce is done, I combine them, then throw the meat in and cook some veggies in the same pan I cooked the meat. Yesterday was broccoli, green beans, sugar snap peas and green peppers. When they're done I throw them in the pot as well. Pretty easy and pretty darn good. A little too spicy for the kids, but that's what corn dogs are for;)

I finished off the rest for lunch today. Mmmm!!

Hope you give it a try:)

Anger Management

When I think about hard boiled eggs I go to a very dark place. I have never mastered the art of boiling an egg to allow easy peeling. Yet, every holiday I think I need to attempt hard boiled eggs, yet again. And the day prior to the holiday, while I'm attempting to peel my boiled eggs, I end up becoming so angry that they won't peel that I take the stupid little eggs in my hands and squeeze them out of rage. Thus, the title of this blog.

Yesterday I had a little time to kill and thought to myself, "Maybe I should do one of the twelve million things I've pinned on pinterest." But how do I choose? Well, my stomach said, "I'd like a hard boiled egg." My heart began to race, my palms started to sweat and I got that weird twitch in my eye. Memories boiled to the surface of hard boiled eggs of the past. Then I remembered!! BAKED hard boiled eggs. Or, I guess it would just be baked eggs.

I gave it a try and guess what?!! No fits of rage, no smashed eggs, no crying either:) It totally worked. Also, the eggs I used were farm fresh, meaning, Trevor brought them to me either that same day or a day or two before. Fresh eggs do not peel well! But these did:) Ahhh. I feel so accomplished and I wanted to share this moment with you.

Here's a link to muffintinmommy if you'd like to give it a try. Maybe not though, maybe you've mastered this art.
Hard Boiled Eggs - In a muffin tin

Besides this amazing discovery, we had a pretty fun weekend! In summary:

Ty got a haircut

Trevor and Dad didn't shoot a deer

Stay tuned though. I have faith that there will be a deer blog post very soon!

A goal - accomplished

Yes, it's been a goal of mine to figure out a way to like avocado, without it being guacamole. My reason being, I know how good they are for you. This little masterpiece, which happens to look disgusting has helped me accomplish my goal. Whole wheat toast and half an avocado mixed with salt and pepper. I loved it as a snack so much that I hate the other half. I think this would make a great breakfast too. My next task will be to mix it with hard boiled egg. I hope it's good! Stay tuned. 

Better late than never

I actually did mean to post this on Saturday, but you know how crazy those are!
I just spent some time going through my older posts and it helped me remember why I started this blog in the first place. It's a way to keep track of history. I've shared pictures, funny things the boys have said, movies and just about anything that's going on in our lives. All those memories are printed here, in the history books, for my boys to go back and read some day. I love that! I don't care if anyone reads my blog, I only care that I keep track of these memories. 

Take care of all your memories. For you cannot relive them. 
Bob Dylan 

You Do What?!

I hear that phrase a lot after I tell people I knit and crochet

You? Really? Hm...wouldn't have pictured that. 

Do I not look or act like someone who knits?? What would that person look like? Old, chunky, grandmaish?

Anyway, stereotypes aside, I love it! I had a friend who invited me over for a playdate and while the kiddos played she taught me how to cast on, knit and purl (the essentials of knitting). I did the knit stitch for an entire project, hated the project, but felt good about my "knitting" skills. I set the hobby aside for a year and then got really serious about it last winter. It was a challenge I had to accomplish. It drove me crazy that I couldn't ever "finish" a project or would get stuck when I didn't understand the instructions on a pattern.

Then I found youtube and I'm a changed woman. I realized I'm a very visual learner and have a hard time following a written pattern. I need to see it! Youtube has great tutorials from some very, young and hip, knitters and crocheters. Here's my latest project. This I actually crocheted. I made it for Chase and Sara's baby, coming this January!! 

Baby hat and baby cocoon. 

Little bear posing in the outfit:)

I've done a few other scarfs and I recently finished a couple ear warmers (by request). The only problem - I get so obsessed with projects that I can't stop. I want to start and finish and until I do, I can't think about anything else. Nothing - cleaning, cooking, showering, nothing. Then, when I'm done, I can't start a new project until I feel like it again. Usually a cold day will bring on the urge. 

The Big 5!!

Here are a few pics from Tyson's family birthday party last night. My mom went above and beyond to help. She made beef and noodle and chili soup. She also knocked out the amazing red velvet cake (from scratch). When I got home the house was decorated with balloons and a banner. She's the best!

Batman remote control motorcycle from Grandma Connie and Papa Kevin

Spiderman from Gma Ginny and Gpa Dave

Logan, Gma Eileen, Gpa Ron, Chase and Sara

Posing by the cake. Ty loves cherries!

Group pic, things got a little wild!

Just a little taste:)

Well, I can't believe Ty is already five, but to me it doesn't seem to matter as much because he will always be my baby:) I still see him the same as I did the day he was born. Cody and I joke that we both have a clone of ourselves and Tyson is definitely mine, for now at least. I love hearing the stories he tells, even if they're mostly far-fetched. His smile melts my heart and I just have a hard time telling him, "no". Love you to the moon Ty man. 

OOTD and a Big Day!!

Feeling a little patriotic in this blue shirt from Old Navy. Grey skinny jeans from F21. Brown boots from Target (online). Watch from Shoplately.com and statement necklace from F21. Earrings are Lia Sophia. 

Enjoy this Wednesday!!

I'll be sharing mine with this birthday boy!! He turns five today. 

He's all grown up now:(

God's nector

Look at this glorious fruit. I tasted it and it tastes even better than it looks. I discovered my love for grapefruit this spring. No sugar, no stevia, just plain. Mmmmm. Great for a cleanse and they boost ur metabolism. My favorite part is they take me hours to keep, which keeps me full all morning. My least fav part, I have to wear a bib to eat it bc it squirts everywhere!

Current Favs!

Album - Lumineers
Song - Ho Hey by The Lumineers or Pursuit of Happiness Remix by Kid Cudi
Fruit - Oranges
Blog - LoveChugs
Online Shopping Obsession - Hautelook
Time Suck - YouTube, hair/makeup/fitness tutorials
Productive Hobby - Usually knitting, but I've been crocheting lately
Lip product - Smith's Rosebud Salve and Revlon soft nude
Breakfast Choice - Oatmeal with walnuts and pecans mixed in
Drink - Iced green tea
TV Show - Long Island Medium
Perfume - Daisy - Marc Jacobs
I also included my OOTD. The necklace is my new fav accessory.

More Than Just a GNO

G.N.O - Girl's Night Out

Seems pretty simple, right?

Well, it's so much more than it seems!

The original GNO started with of mix of these ladies:

I'm a big believer in the importance of friendships in our lives. My mix of friends includes some of my oldest and dearest and others who are new to my life, but I have the best time with!

Here are a few pics of friends I couldn't live without!

Most of these ladies are teachers, which would make you think they're responsible and mature, right? Wrong!! :)

A twist on GNO, this was our GDL (Girl's Day at the Lake). This day will definitely become a tradition. 

It's very sad that this is the most recent pic I can find with this gal! Katie and I began our friendship in college and it's never stopped! We've been in very different places in our lives throughout our friendship, but we've always remained friends. Even if we go spurts without talking, we always pick back up right where we left off!

When I first met Amy, almost 10 years ago, I never would have imagined we'd be as close as we are today. Amy is a rock - to me and to many others. She's a sounding board with wisdom beyond her very young, 27 years:) I joke that Amy will always be 27 to me because that was her age when we met. There are few people in your life that you can say really formed you into the person you are today and Amy is one of them to me. 

Kristin and I go back to high school! Thank goodness she finally broke up with that loser so our friendship could grow. That loser was my brother:) Kristin has the heart of an angel and she's always been a role model to me. I'd love to bottle little parts of Kristin and drink them to become a better person. 

There's no one in the world like Crystal and I'm so lucky to have her in my life. Our friendship started in LK (cue the tutorial about how LK creates life-long friendships). It's true though. Crystal is a breath of fresh air. I never have a bad time with her and there are times I wonder if we knew each other in a past life. Just a different connection...

Nikki to many, Naughty Nikki to some:) Nikki is the sister I never had. We have a love/hate relationship:)

Nikki is another friend I sparked an immediate connection with. It helps that our husbands work in the same industry and like to hang out together. I tease Nikki a lot, but I only tease those I love:)

Family makes the best friends!! I've always been proud to call Hilary my sister-in-law, but I'm so blessed to be able to call her my friend too. Hilary is the sweetest, kindest person and she'd do anything for anyone. My boys adore her and we always find ourselves sad when she has to leave for Lincoln on Sunday:(

Sarah and I should have met in high school, we would have tore it up! I consider myself beyond lucky to have such good friends at work and Sarah is one of them! We've spent many a Monday morning talking "bitching" about our husbands, kids, weekends, jobs, etc...Sarah and I have the kind of friendship where neither of us is afraid to tell the other one anything. ANYTHING. It gets pretty ugly, but so much fun!

There you have it!! Many of these lovely ladies keep my world spinning on a daily basis and I cherish each one of their friendships in a different way.

A birthday and a commitment

It's the real deal. I'm writing this from my phone, which means I downloaded the blogger app, which would lead one to believe I'm getting serious about this blogging stuff. Serious enough to make a commitment? Why yes, a blog post a day for 30 days. I'm doin it!
Today's post, Tyson's 5th bday celebration! We celebrated by going to Omaha. A little shopping, swimming, and a lot of eating! Famous daves and cracker barrel in one weekend bring me to cleansing Monday. Ugh.


Mom and Ty enjoying some bbq at Famous Dave's!

Doing a little jig at CoCo Keys

Ice cream sundae for the birthday boy!! It had a huge sparkler in it, but mom's too slow with the camera.

And last, but not least, this little princess:) CoCo Keys is is favorite place on earth and I think you can tell in this video. You could call this revenge in about 12 years:)