Peek Into My Palace...

Cancer strikes...

2011-04-05T16:16:00.000-04:00

I've not been blogging for almost a year, and it seems as though I always have something going on to where I cant sit down and concentrate for more than five minutes at a time. I never assumed that the recent turn of events would bring me back to blogging, or that I would blog about such a personal journey. I have cancer. Its so weird to say, and I cant wait to say, "I beat cancer". But here I am, at the beginning of my fight. I am undergoing treatment, which will include a total hysterectomy; at 26 years old. My mother and I will go through menopause at the same time, which is insane to me. I wondered how funny a blog could be about menopause of a twenty-something year old, because vaginal dryness is sure to get a snicker out of someone right? Then my friends pointed out that this might help someone going through the same thing I am going through. I was sold. So, here we are. Blogging through menopause! Get your fans out and your hormones ready ya'll, its going to be a bumpy ride!

Missing You Like A Fat Kid Misses Cake!

2010-04-19T00:59:00.000-04:00

Oh blogging world, how art thou? I haven't posted in what seems like forever! Alas, I let life take me away from my couch and laptop and into the outside world... You know the one with people and pollen, swimming and t-ball? Yup that is the one!

I'm working on a few things as of right now, which I promise I will abandon the sunshine and fun and curl up on the couch and finish.... SOON! A book review, a clothing review, and a few rants are waiting for me to finish them, so I better get on it!

Blithe Bambinos

2010-03-24T16:48:00.000-04:00

New segment for my blog...Kids say the darnedest things, they really do! Here are some things that my babies have said that make my day...

Was changing LB's diaper when Kaden gasped. "Momma sissy's pee pee fell off, we need to find it NOW!" He is currently running around the house yelling "Sissy's pee pee, where are you?!?!

Jalen- "Presley is crying mom do you have your listening ears on?"
Me- "Yes son but she has to wait a minute."
Kaden- "Well hurry up mom she wants to eat your boobs again!"

Bambinos have capes on, (Blankets attached to their shirts) and are running in circles yelling "I'm super I'm super"

Had to get onto the twins for acting downright crazy. So after having to YELL to get their attention Jalen tells me "That's not cool mom don't yell" and Kaden tells me to use my "inside voice". Hmph.

Kaden decided to be nice and share his snack with his fire truck. There is peanut butter all over the truck and he says "momma da fire truck made a mess! Don't make a mess fire truck!" Hmmm bet the fire truck spilled his milk too!

Presley is pooping and the boys are telling her "you is disgusting and gross and YOU STINK" And she is so very amused she is just smiling away.

So, my kids are really sweet, but Kaden needs to stop calling me baby momma. He tells me, "I love you baby momma!"

Watching the boys talk to Presley. "hello my Preswey, my name is Kanan and that's Jalen. I's your broda. Where's my Preswey's toys? I find them. Lets play my princess Preswey" ♥

We were eating dinner and Jalen says, "Mom I love you" out of the blue (melted my heart) so then Kaden starts saying "I love you" to me, his dad, but most importantly all of the food on his plate "I love you noo-noo's, I love you chicken, I love you biscuit"

The kids are ordering food like I am a short order cook. "I want cookies and cheeseburgers and milks and cheese"

My Kaden is a cheater, and Jalen is TOO gullible! We are having races down the hill and Kaden fakes and injury EVERY time so Jalen turns around and asks what's wrong brother? And then Kaden bails and wins the race!

Stay tuned for more witty remarks from 2 year olds!

Manic Mondays!!!!!!!!!!

2010-03-22T12:38:00.000-04:00

What a weekend! Swimming, shenanigans, homework and cleaning took up all my time! Here are the answers to the questions that were submitted by Friday.....

Dear Jess,

How can I spice up my life again in the bedroom for my hubby. He seems uninterested after I've had the 3rd baby.
Love, Desperate for love making...LOL

Dear Desperate for Love Making-

Men are really just overgrown children; tell him what to do and he will do it, especially if he has an award or incentive. ;) Put the kids to bed when he is away, answer the door in a corset and thong,(Checking the peephole first of course,, although answering the door half nude could make your UPS packages come on time from now on) and demand he goes to the bedroom.. Be prepared for a naughty night! Make him think about nothing but you.. Text and picture messages full of sexual innuendo and NUDITY. Men are visual creatures; walk around butt ass naked and that should get his attention. Be aggressive with him- "that Jalepeno pepper is mine and I am taking it amigo!" And if all else fails, no man I know can turn down a B.J!

Love, MWLTF

Dear Jess, Where do words come from?

Once upon a time, there was an alphabet that was 26 whole letters long… Every time the alphabet would take a poop, words were formed! ;)The End!

Love, Jess

Dear Whitty Whiner,

My husband is a complete douche lord and thinks he can do no wrong! How can I knock him down a few pegs and put him back in his place. His head is in serious need of deflation before he POPS! (or gets popped)

Love, The Pin to his Bubble

Dear Pin to his Bubble,

When he is asleep, use that little tube of crazy glue that we all keep in our junk drawer and glue his penis to the inside of his leg. His first morning wood will hurt so bad he might consider being a decent person! When he freaks out just tell him he must have used the crazy glue to jerk off instead of his lube! Visine in his drink will keep him on the toilet, and make him realize how full of shit he is... Although I have heard of people being convicted and going to jail for doing this since it has such a hard toll on the body, so unless you're ready to go to the bing for big-head, I would skip that one! You can start acting like he does and see how he likes it! Or, if all else fails, smack the shit out of him ;)

Love, Whitty Whiner

Dear Jess,

I am going to a wedding next month, the theme colors are pink and light green. I never liked wearing dresses, what color of a dress would you choose and would it be a long dress be appropriate?

Love, Undecided

Dear Undecided,

If you don't like wearing dresses, DON'T! Especially if you know you are going to turn into "that girl" from the wedding who gets tossed and winds up showing her underwear (or lack thereof). There is no rule that says you have to wear a dress! Express has really cute tops and bottoms, and I have always been in love with the female type fitted tuxedo look, but, I digress; if you feel like you want to wear a dress you can. I suggest something comfortable, and your length can range from mid-thigh (especially if the groomsmen are cute and you are single) to just below the knee. Unless the wedding invitation specifies that it is a "formal" affair, I wouldn't wear a floor length dress that makes you look like you were left out of the wedding party and are holding grudges! Wear whatever color you want, except white! The bride might feel like smacking you for trying to steal her color! Have a cocktail for me, and send me a picture with what you wear!

Love, Jess

I < 3 Udder Covers

2010-03-15T12:04:00.000-04:00

As a mom there are certain things that you cant live without, and my number one item right now happens to be my Udder Cover. I have breastfed all of my kids, and feeding in public used to make me especially uncomfortable. I no longer have anything to worry about, as the udder cover has made breastfeeding in public a breeze! The udder cover goes over your head just like an apron would, and has a rigid neckline so that you can maintain eye contact with your baby. They have chic patterns that the most trendy mommas will appreciate. I would have killed for this product when I was breastfeeding the twins! The price for one udder cover is $32.00, and i would gladly pay that amount for the use I get out of this product. HOWEVER, they have an ongoing coupon code that can be entered at checkout , and all you pay is the $9.00 shipping. Amazon also offers the Udder Covers Nursing Cover - Pink. This will be my baby shower gift for all my breastfeeding mommies from now on, as I cant imagine life without it!!!!!!!!!!!

P90X is giving me anxiety!

2010-03-15T02:44:00.000-04:00

Its 2:32 in the morning, so technically its the day that I start hell week. Technically, its hell days, 90 to be exact. I am starting the p90x program and I am so anxious its not even funny. I'm not even going to sugar coat it, Im about one Snicker bar away from emulating Kirstie Alley after she falls off the wagon errrr ice cream truck, but that's neither here nor there. The reality is that my fat ass has to get up everyday at 6 am and work off all three babies, whoppers, and all the crap I shove down my piehole and I am not happy about it. I'm not happy about my size and I have to do something about it. Gotta make sure I do not turn into the fat chick who USED to be cute, if only she would lose some weight. I'm going to blog my weight and inch loss, along with whine about how much pain I am in... If you don't feel like hearing about how bad my butt cheeks hurt, you may want to ignore my blog for the next 90 days... I have to keep track of progress because I don't want to be that kid who starts something and doesn't finish it, and is full of excuses... Every time I think about eating something that I am not supposed to I'll remember that I have to explain my insane cravings to an audience (that's you) and maybe it will make me stop! Or maybe not.. Either way I'm ready to get this crap started before I have to start shopping for a swimsuit! With this program I want to lose 20 pounds. I want to lose my muffin top, and I want my husband to not be able to keep his hands off me! So here we go people, bring on the soreness and make me look good naked!!!!

Beef Dips

2010-03-08T00:54:00.000-05:00

This recipe was amazingly easy and delish!

Ingredients:
4 Pounds Chuck Roast
3 Bay Leaves
1 TBSP Dried Rosemary
1 TBSP Minced Garlic
1 Cup Soy Sauce
2 Beef Bouillon Cubes
6 Cups water
Fresh Hoagie Rolls
Sliced Provolone Cheese
Butter

Instructions:
Add beef, bay leaves, rosemary, garlic, soy sauce, bouillon cubes, and water to crock pot. Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10. I sliced the hoagie rolls, spread butter and a bit of minced garlic and broiled until golden brown. Added meat and cheese after the bread was cooked. Serve with a side of Au Jus from the crock pot and this is one easy meal! Enjoy!

Cooking with the Kiddos

2010-03-08T00:39:00.000-05:00

While most people think I am NUTS for allowing two toddlers in the kitchen, I have come to enjoy letting my boys cook with me. When Presley arrived, the dynamics of our household changed, and I often notice the boys craving my attention. Allowing them into the kitchen is beneficial to the three of us because it gives them time with me, since Presley is never in the kitchen. It also teaches them real life skills, such as attention to detail, measurements, and the ability to follow directions. If you know me personally as a mother, you know that I feel everything from bath time to a ride in the car can be a learning experience, and I love to teach the twins new things. The things I allow them to do seem to make them feel very important, and does the trick for getting them to "take turns". If I am following a recipe, I divide all the ingredients in half so that each of them can put an ingredient in while following the recipe. They love to add things to the pot, and stirring is their favorite part (aside from licking the spoon or bowl if we are baking of course!).

I like to keep them away from the hot stove or anything that can harm them, so baking or using my crock pot is the ideal time to invite them into the kitchen. Although it takes longer, and is five times messier than it normally is, cooking with my babies is becoming a favorite part of our day.

Children are to be RAISED not TRAINED

2010-02-27T11:10:00.000-05:00

So, I came across this article, and was absolutely sickened by what I've read. These people, the Pearls, need to be shown what their brand of 'child rearing' feels like. NO CHILD should have to endure what these people call discipline. By all means, copy and paste this article, along with the following links, in your own blog, on your myspace and facebook pages. Email them to your friends and family. GET THE WORD OUT.

"Many of you have probably heard about the little girl who was killed by her parents this month as a result of them following the Pearls’ advice in “To Train Up a Child.”

I wrote about it here if you’re not familiar with it.

People have been silent about the Pearls for years, even though they have been linked with a child’s death in the past and they advocate practices that many of us feel are heartless and abusive. A few bloggers have spoken out against them and some (like me and many mothers I know) have boycotted some sites who were affiliated with them.

Too many of us have stayed quiet, though. Some people think parents have a right to use this sort of “discipline” even if they don’t agree with it while others are just uncomfortable with the thought of speaking out against it. People are finally starting to vocally call this system what it is, though — abuse — and are standing up to it.

I listed quite a few of them and quoted them here.

The book is online and I read parts of it to see if it was being misinterpreted, as some people are claiming. People have said it contains “good things” too, but I didn’t see a speck of anything good. It gave me a stomach ache and made me hurt for all of the children being raised in these methods.

There are triumphant stories of beating the author’s 4 month old baby with a willow branch until she learned not to try to crawl up the stairs, proud stories of the author’s daughters telling a neighbor mother that she needed to “switch” her 7 month old baby for crying because “if he’s old enough to pitch a fit, he’s old enough to be switched.”

Michael Pearl tells parents not not even wait until their children do anything wrong before hurting them because then they won’t be properly trained. He teaches that his methods (whipping with plumbing line, branches, rulers and other instruments) should be used until parents have “100% compliance.” He has advised parents they should continue until children are “too breathless to protest” and has said “if she can cry out for you it’s not hard enough.”

People online have said that they respect other parents’ rights to use these methods. It should not be okay to respect a parent’s “right” to terrorize and abuse children.

I’d like to challenge everyone who has a blog or writes a column to add your voice on behalf of children against these cruel teachings. If you don’t have a blog, speak out about it on online parenting groups, post against the Pearls on Facebook, bring it up in play groups and churches.

Let’s flood the internet and our communities with people speaking out and calling a spade a spade. It’s not a different discipline method, it’s child abuse. It’s not Christian. It’s evil.

Thanks for listening, speaking up and being the kind of parents who give me back some faith in the world."

http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2006/05/25/the_pearls/index.html

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-23788-Mankato-Attachment-Parenting-Examiner~y2010m2d24-Another-childs-death-linked-to-Pearls-and-To-Train-Up-a-Child

Is Helping Haiti Harming America?

2010-02-25T20:59:00.000-05:00

A massive cloud of dust rises above the city of Port Au Prince on January 12, and was not the result of a riot, construction, nor an accident; it is the aftermath of a series of earthquakes ranging from 6.3 - 7.0 magnitudes (Than, 2010) that shook Haiti and its people to their core. As the dust begins to settle on startled and injured faces, the extensive damage begins to come to light, and devastates the people of Haiti. Thirty five seconds ripped the lives of nearly 3 million people to shreds, and set into motion a humanitarian effort to put the pieces of Haiti’s puzzle back together again. Americans rallied to help Haiti. The President of the United States pledged our troops and financial support. The people of the United States donated via text message, phone calls, and sent checks in the mail to help the people of Haiti. Other nations around the world pledged their time and support as well. Within hours of the intense earthquake that killed thousands and injured just as many, Haiti was on its way to being restored.

Approximately 3 million people were affected by the earthquakes in Haiti, which is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. (C.I.A., 2010) The number of dead has still yet to be confirmed as roadside graves are dug and filled with human remains daily. The number of injured citizens is in the tens of thousands with more to come, of this I am sure, and the earthquakes left approximately 1.2 million Haitians homeless, hungry, and scared (Time, 2010) Included in these staggering statistics are soldiers and officials from the United Nations. UN has had an active presence in Haiti since 2004 to carry on the Minustah Operation, a peacekeeping mission that utilizes over 9,000 multi-national peacekeepers. The States Department confirmed U.S. deaths now number 60, and another 37 Americans were killed but their identities have not yet been officially established as of yet (State Department, 2010).
With the criticism of Bush’s extremely poor response to Katrina on the back of his mind undoubtedly, President Obama pledged to help the people of Haiti with $100,000,000 of funding (Shear, 2010) from an already stretched United States budget and a military that is bearing the weight of two wars, with more financial support to come as well. This brings the question; will helping Haiti harm America and its people? The victims of Hurricane Katrina are still waiting for their homes to be fixed, for their aid to come through, yet the American government is shelling out money and support to victims of national disasters and widespread government corruption worldwide. Can we help others when we as a nation are a broken vessel? How much will that cost us? Why can’t private donors and other parts of the world be sufficient means of assistance? Heavy questions that will surely bring answers that the humanitarians in each of us to our knees- we simply cannot afford to help Haiti.
The American Red Cross’ one month report on the situation of Haiti states that their organization alone has raised more than $255 million dollars for relief in Haiti. (American Red Cross, 2010) They have provided meals, water, funding, established hospital and mobile medical response teams, and sent upwards of 600 volunteers to Haiti. (American Red Cross, 2010) Other not-for-profit organizations have raised millions of dollars themselves on behalf of the American people. American Airlines have sent over four relief flights of food and water and are offering mileage incentives for contributing to the Red Cross. Jet Blue is flying relief workers to the neighboring Dominican Republic free of charge. Spirit, United Airlines, and Delta are all offering monetary donations, as well. Doctors without Borders have been on the ground and providing medical attention to Haitian citizens in need of medical help. (Doctors Without Borders, 2010) These are just a few of the charities and companies that are donating time, money, and effort into helping Haiti to stand on its own two feet again.
Tracking the immense amount of pledges and donations is a daunting task, but the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is giving it its best shot. According to the latest total, the funding received thus far exceeds $1,877,097,594 USD. The uncommitted pledges received so far exceed $903,346,125 USD. (OCHA, 2010) The cost for the United States to help logistically, with the transportation of troops and supplies are already exceeding $234,000,000 USD (OCHA, 2010). America is in the middle of trying to dig ourselves out from a recession, yet we are spending money we don’t have to help Haiti. I know Haiti needs help, and I am proud of the American people for giving so generously to help those who are in need worldwide. However, there comes a time where we need to step back and let others step up, and now is that time. America must be able to get itself on track before we are in a position where we can’t even help ourselves.
Haitian refugees are being shipped to America to receive medical treatment. Hospitals are reporting a saturation of refugees and cannot handle the volume of patients being seen or that are requiring treatment. We are residing in a land where a hardworking mother with medical issues that could result in death and orphaned children does not qualify for social services or Medicaid because they make too much according to the government. Meanwhile, a Haitian refugee is given priority medical treatment at the cost of the United States government, and will never see a bill for those services, we as Americans will pay for their aid with taxes. I am not saying that Haitians don’t need or deserve our help, I am merely stating the obvious, that America is doing a great disservice to its citizens by helping others to the extent at which it currently is.

Many states are confronting the inevitable influx of refugees from Haiti. Late January, Floridian officials stopped medical flights from the Caribbean, after a letter from the Governor was sent to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, stating that “their state’s health care system is reaching saturation with hundreds of patients whose care is expected to cost millions of dollars.” (Florida Governor Charlie Christ, 2010) New Jersey democrat Ray Lesniak stated that "The federal government is under a moral obligation to provide the resources," in a recent interview with ABC News. He also stated that the State of New Jersey would be reimbursed dollar for dollar for all expenses by the federal government. (Star-Ledger, 2010) New York is also preparing for the influx of Haitian refugees, and will no doubt be seeking retribution as well.

The government is extending a temporary protected status (TPS) for the 100,000 – 200,000 Haitian nationals who were currently here in the United States when the earthquakes struck. (American Visa Bureau, 2010) Temporary Protected Status is not a right to enter, but is the right to stay for those Haitians who are already here; even if it was under illegal pretenses. TPS also gives them permission to work for the duration of their acquired status. Estimates have not been given to the amount of refugees who will come to America to escape the damage in Haiti, but the United States is bracing itself for the refugees. The individual states are fine with this, as long as they receive federal funds to cover expenses. Since the States are willing to help as long as reimbursement is coming their way, are they thinking into the future and considering where it will come from or how we will come up with the funding to pay those who shelled out millions in order to help? The federal funding that they are looking for comes straight out of the hardworking citizens pockets. So whether or not you donated to Haiti, somewhere down the line you will be supporting and paying for the refugees, and the pledge that America made to help the disaster ridden country.

It is time to run numbers and see where exactly where America stands financially. All numbers are approximate running totals reflecting from Feb of 2010, and all were retrieved from the government organization in which is referenced. The United States National Debt is over $12,000,000,000,000 (U.S. Treasury, 2010) alone. This means that of the $308,704,727 (U.S. Census) approximate population of the U.S., and the $109,391,900 (Internal Revenue Service, 2010) reported taxpayers, the debt per taxpayer is $113,191 (Federal Reserve, 2010). $3,847,048,600 (U.S. Treasury, 2010) is the amount we currently owe foreign countries. American citizens have a total personal debt exceeding $16,600,000,000,000. Over $14,214,479,000,000 is owed in mortgage debts, $2,453,860,313,000 is consumer debt and $852,118,100,000 is owed in credit card debt. These debts total $53,993 per citizen, while the documented average family income is $61,701. (Federal Reserve, 2010)

Americans and the government need to take a step back and recognize how badly of a situation we are actually in. We are close to bringing in less than we are earning. America is officially “living outside of our means”. The humanitarian thing to do is to help Haiti. The smartest thing to do is to allow private organizations, charities, and corporations the ability to assist Haiti and its people on their own time, their own dollar and of their own free will. America needs to let other countries step up to the plate and donate more time and resources in our place. If another National disaster were to occur, where would we get the funding? Can America afford another Hurricane Katrina? Seeing as Louisiana isn’t rebuilt yet, we truly couldn’t afford the first one!

A child born in the United States today starts out life owing approximately $38,000 - about the price of two years of college. If you spent $10 million every day towards payment of the national debt for the next 2000 years, you still would not pay off the debt. Today, every American household owes about $7600 to the Chinese. Scary facts aren’t they? But they are real, and they need to be addressed. When an individual is in debt, there are certain actions that must be taken in order to reduce debt. You can either increase income, decrease spending, or both. My proposition is not for Americans to stop helping Haiti, it is for the American government to step back and allow others who can help do so. Those who can and want to donate should, whether it be monetary or physically.

Private organizations and charities are there for a reason, and could help Haiti in amazing ways and continue to make a huge difference. Any and all agencies and other governments willing should work together and take over logistically. Send the Peace Corps instead of our tired troops, as they are stretched thin and are constantly away from their families as it is. The cost of having them over there can be saved and applied to the money we owe other nations. Whenever in a situation of helping others, always ask yourself how they would survive without you, or who would help if you were unable to. The truth of the matter is there are plenty of people, organizations, and other nations that are willing to donate more time, money, and resources if they have to. If America steps back, I would be willing to bet that someone else would be willing to step up and take their place.
Our government needs to take responsibility for its actions, whether or not they were made with good intentions, with a humanitarian mission in mind, or with politics and earmarks playing a heavy hand in the matter. If your account is overdrawn, you can’t pull money out to pay bills, or do extracurricular activities. I feel like this is the same approach that America needs to take with our current spending. Sure, Obama pledged $100,000,000, and we had that in the bank, but we owe so much more than that it is almost inconceivable. We have more than doubled that number in costs already, and are barely 30 days out from when Obama the pledge. The longer we stay in Haiti, the more refugees that flee here, the more America and its citizens will pay the price.

It is often said if you have time to complain about something you better be able to offer up a solution. So what do I propose; how do we fix this? How can we fathom just walking away from something we have already started? America has come through monetarily as we pledged. I suggest we slowly pull out of Haiti, leaving only private organizations in place alongside other nations who are willing to rebuild Haiti. We need to consider coordinating with other countries to see if Haitian refugees would be able to flee to their locations as well. This would ensure that America is not taking the brunt of the wave that is sure to increase as time goes on. President Obama already signed the temporary protected status, but we need to ensure that it stays temporary. The Temporary Protected Status for the refugees from the Tsunami still is in place.

Charity begins at home. America as a whole has a deep need for its own people and our financial situation requires immediate attention. As much as America and its people would like to contribute to Haiti, we need to take a realistic view at what is actually going on and realize that we cannot afford to do this. If a national disaster were to strike America now, we would not have the financial resources needed to recover; we still have yet to recover from Katrina. As selfish as it sounds to some, you have to ensure that you are taken care of before you can take care of others, and this is most definitely the approach America needs to take from here on out. Americans can still help Haiti. They can volunteer their services, or they can donate money to organizations that will ensure Haiti is on its way to being put back together again. Once America is out of the recession, out of debt, and we don’t have a vast amount of citizens homeless, hungry, and deprived of a life outside of poverty, that is the time to address poverty and disasters worldwide.

Crockpot Chicken Chili

2010-02-25T10:06:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

3 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks
2 cans northern beans
1 large yellow onion chopped
1 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp cumin
3 tbsp chopped garlic
2 small cans diced green chilies
1/4 cup jalapenos chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
Mont. Jack cheese and extra sour cream to top

Instructions:

In crock pot, combine all ingredients except sour cream and beans. Cook on low for 6 hours, or longer (the longer it cooks the better it tastes!) An hour or so before serving, add sour cream and beans. Top with cheese, sour cream, and extra jalapenos if you would like!

** You can alter the amounts of chili powder, cumin and jalapenos depending on the amount of spice you would like. I used more, but I like it SPICY!

Sports Themed Diaper Cake and Centerpieces

2010-02-19T15:30:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

96 Diapers
96 Rubber bands (I used the ones that you use for your hair)
5 cans of formula (optional)
Curling Ribbon
1 1/2 inch decorative ribbon with wire
1/3 inch decorative ribbon (sports themed)
Double sided tape
Cake toppers (I used matching balls)Platter to set the cake on

Creating Your Cake

1. Take diapers and roll, tab side first. Secure roll with rubber band.
2. Create center by placing can of formula on platter and placing diapers around the can, secure with double sided tape. Be sure to use just enough so that the mom isnt pulling tape off the diapers forever!
3. Continue to add diapers until the base is the size you would like it to be.
4. Secure with ribbon using double sided tape. I used wooden balls to hide where the ribbon met around the cake
5. Add the second can of formula directly on top of the previous one. This is the center for your second tier. Add diapers and secure with tape until the width you want is achieved. Add ribbon.
6. For the top layer, take 5 diapers and create the top tier. Decorate with ribbon.
7. Add "cake toppers"
8. Repeat the process for the centerpieces, just using 2 tiers instead of three, and add curling ribbon in between the bases.

Step One

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Finished Products

Grocery Shopping Stinks!

2010-02-16T10:11:00.000-05:00

I used to love grocery shopping! Now, I could most definitely live without it; I certainly don't look forward to it like I used to. Who thinks dragging 3 kids around a grocery store is appealing? Not I, and if you do please let me know what you are taking or smoking prior to walking up and down all those aisles with screaming kids and a smile on your face ;) I would like to partake in some of that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I now have it down to a science. Quite a few people have suggested I share my tips about grocery shopping, so here I type, some of my grocery goodies for you to read! For a family our size, I usually spend about 60 dollars per week on groceries, totaling 240 dollars a month. Not bad!

Buying in Bulk
I ALMOST ALWAYS buy in bulk. It saves so much money and makes my life easier. Thank you to the creators of Sams Club and Costco, you are my heroes. Diapers, cleaning products, ziploc bags, food, toilet paper, paper towels are just a few of the things I buy in bulk.

I buy large amounts of meat and veggies at a time, and cut and separate them into the portions that are needed for a meal, and store them in freezer bags in the deep freezer (I use a sharpie to label them). This makes life so much easier when it comes time to cook!

Meal Planning / Shopping List
Before I go grocery shopping, I make a list of meals that I want to cook for the month, right down to side dishes. I go through the ingredients I will need for each meal, check the cabinets to see what I already have for those particular meals and add the missing ingredients onto my shopping list. I also keep a list on my fridge and as I run out of things or see I am low on something I scribble it down so that I remember to add it to my shopping list. I usually shop at the same locations each month (Sams Club and Super Walmart) and I know those stores like the back of my hand. I organize my shopping list by store and by set up. In other words, I group all of the similar items together (fruit, veggies, meats, sides, seasonings) so that way I don't miss something on the list and have to constantly double back.

After shopping, I hang the meal plan on the fridge and pretty much abide by it. I don't always stick to it, but it is helpful not having to run to the store for missing ingredients every other day, or trying to figure out what to cook. Sometimes I find it really difficult to find 30 meals I want to cook for the month, but www.allrecipes.com is my best friend, especially since you can save the ones you love and toss the ones you hate. In the colder months my crock pot is my best friend, and the same can be said for the grill as soon as I wont freeze my tush off using it!

Generic Brands
There are some things that I would NEVER buy the generic brand of, but some items simply don't differ too much from the generally more expensive national brands. I do warn you, I have noticed that some generic brands can be more expensive than the popular ones, but for the most part they are much less expensive. Switching some of my grocery items to the generic brands has saved a bunch of money!

I hope some of these tips are helpful to others, as getting into this routine has been great for me- I can do MAJOR grocery shopping in a snap as long as I plan correctly....and my kids behave!

What to make with leftover steak!

2010-02-15T21:44:00.000-05:00

So occasionally I will be posting recipes for all those that are following. Not to toot my own horn, but I am an amazing cook! **toot toot** LOL!

So after grilling on SuperBowl Sunday, we had steak and baked potatoes leftover. I didnt really feel like cooking but I certainly didnt feel like eating the same thing two nights in a row either! I made a one skillet meal with the leftovers, and it was delish!

Ingredients:
2 Medium Steaks (sliced fajita style)

Baked potatoes (sliced about 1/4 inch)

Cilantro (to taste)

Lime (again to taste)

2 packets Cilantro y achote Sazon seasoning (found with all the goya products)

Onion

Bell peppers (sliced thin)

Minced garlic

EVOO

Instructions:

Cut all ingredients, and drizzle with lime juice and sprinkle with Sazon seasoning. In a large nonstick skillet, drizzle EVOO and toss in minced garlic. Stir fry all ingredients until veggies are tender to your liking, and food is heated thoroughly. I ate mine with sliced avocado and it was to die for!

Definition of a Hater By Maya Angelou

2010-02-15T14:50:00.000-05:00

Definition of a ‘Hater’ by Maya Angelou

A hater is someone who is jealous and envious and spends all
their time trying to make you look small so they can look tall.
They are very negative people to say the least. Nothing is ever
good enough! When you make your mark, you will always attract some
haters…That’s why you have to be careful with whom you share your
blessings and your dreams, because some folk can’t handle seeing you
blessed…

It’s dangerous to be like somebody else…

If God wanted you to be like somebody else, He would have given
you what He gave them! Right? You never know what people have gone
through to get what they have.

The problem I have with haters is that they see my glory, but
they don’t know my story… If the grass looks greener on the other side
of the fence, you can rest assured that the water bill is higher there
too!

We’ve all got some haters among us! People envy you because you can:

Have a relationship with God
Light up a room when you walk in
Start your own business
Tell a man / woman to hit the curb (if he / she isn’t about the right thing)
Raise your children without both parents being in the home

Haters can’t stand to see you happy, Haters will never want to
see you succeed, Haters never want you to get the victory, most of our
haters are people who are supposed to be on our side. How do you handle
your undercover haters?

You can handle these haters by:

Knowing who you are & who your true friends are *(VERY IMPORTANT!!)
Having a purpose to your life? Purpose does not mean having a job. You can have a job and still be unfulfilled. A purpose is having a clear sense of what God has called you to be. Your purpose is not defined by what others think about you.
By remembering what you have is by divine prerogative and not human manipulation. Fulfill your dreams!

You only have one life to live…when it’s your time to leave this earth,
you ‘want’ to be able to say, ‘I’ve lived my life and fulfilled
‘my’ dreams,… Now I’m ready to go HOME! When God gives you favor, you can
tell your haters, Don’t look at me…Look at Who is in charge of me…’

Maya Angelou

My Story.. The Short Version

2010-02-15T14:48:00.001-05:00

After HS, I joined the Army. Now this may shock many of you because I was little miss priss, but the Army suited my needs at the time and is the reason that I am in the place that I am in my life right now- and it is a place that I wouldn't trade the world for. I joined the Army as a medic ( I have always had a thing for the medical field) and started my training in South Carolina. In the summer... For all you people that have never experienced a summer in the South, let me just tell you that it SUCKED!! I fucked up my legs and had the opportunity to quit and come back home but I didn't. I needed to be there. To experience different things and change the direction of my life. After basic I went to Fort Sam in TX. I arrived at 2am on my 20th birthday. Now, your training sucks for the most part, but its the weekends that keep you going. I met my best friend my first day in Texas, and we have been attached at the hip since then. Every weekend we have off-post privildges, and we would go get a hotel room and do the things that were forbidden (drink and smoke and party our asses off.. what were you thinking?) I had a blast in Texas, but it is amazing how fast time flys. Before I knew it, I was graduating and was off to NC... with my best friend. For those of you who have little to no knowledge of the Army, the fact that her and I were in the same battalion from basic to AIT to our first assignment was amazing... You meet and lose great people all the time in the Army....

When I arrived in NC I had no idea that I would wind up living my life here. Since I was always breaking something, and dealing with a ton of female problems, I wound up on funeral detail, something that I am really honored to have been a part of. Spouses, parents, friends and family will forever remember our ceremonial salutes, rifles, the presenting of the flag in the memory of someone they love, and the soul snatching sound of stripes floating through a graveyard. It was truly an honor. This is where I began to get to know my husband. (He used to hang around my company in TX, but I thought he was a jerk) Anyway, love blossomed and it was no time before we were planning our lives together. After having a hard time trying to get pregnant, we finally learned that we were in fact going to be parents.. of twins.... This was a very stressful time in my life, Naquan was getting ready to deploy for 15 months and here I was, knocked up with no support in NC. But, by the grace of god I was able to have him by my side during the entire pregnancy. He wound up medically retiring 2 days after I had the boys, Jalen and Kaden. 10 days after they were born, we closed on our first house and moved in.

Sometimes in life, you have to let go of certain dreams in order to be able to embrace bigger ones, and so, in August I left my role as an active duty soldier and was excited to take on my role as a full time mommy. But this did not last very long. In July, my husband started to get sick, he just wasnt himself. The first week of August, the very same week I was set to get out, Naquan went into the ER. They dismissed him and acted like he would be okay, but he wouldnt be, and I knew it deep down. If any of you remember what I am like when I am mad, multiply that by two and apply it to the toungue lashing I gave that doctor. The next day, Naquan collapsed. I spent and hour trying to pull him out of the shower. My husband is like 245 of pure muscle and was dead weight and wet. I felt my world falling around me. Realizing that there was no way I could physically get him to to hospital, I called the ambulance and they whisked him away. He was admitted, but they couldnt figure out what was wrong with him. For one week, I sat a watched my mentally and physically strong husband melt away on a hospital bed. He told me he wasnt going to make it, what to do and to make sure that I found someone to make me happy again. He told me to pay off the house and to take care of the kids, he told me over and over he was going to die, and I believed him. After going into cardiac and resp failure, Naquan was taken to DUKE ICU. Within 24 hours of being there, duke had diagnosed with Guillean Barre Syndromeand began treatment on my husband. I was so scared. Here I was fresh out of the Army, no job, now without my husbands income, alone. This was the darkest place I have ever been in my life, and I pray I am never immersed in that much angst or heartache or uncertainty again.

I pulled myself together, I had to. I got a great job as a nurse at a specialty clinic and visited my husband at the hospital on a daily basis. I took care of my kids and my husband and ran my household. I proved to myself and others what a strong person I am. I didnt feel strong. I was a zombie, working and driving 2 hours to see him, and then two hours home, getting up in the night with my boys. I am surprised I am here and halfway sane today. After months of being in the hospital and a live in rehab center my husband came home. He is still recovering, but has recovered enough to get out of his wheelchair and work full time. I am still so amazed and proud of all the hard work he has done to recover. He has proved his strength and determination to live and provide a life for our family.

I am now a stay at home mom, finishing my degree and living life to the fullest. I am in love with my life, my family, my husband and the possibilities that are sure to come my way. I am a strong woman, stronger than I ever thought possible. I am living everyday to the fullest, and expect nothing less in my life.

"I just want to be wonderful...."

Losing my Nana

2010-02-15T14:44:00.001-05:00

“When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.” She has always been my delight, and for that I am grateful. The tears are overwhelming, and my pain is gut wrenching.

Sorrow, anguish, guilt, emptiness… These are the emotions overtaking my normally centered conscious. The sense of impending loss is the most out of control I have felt in a long time. Knowing someone has decided to give up on life, no matter how justified their reasoning is heartbreakingly painful. If you ask me how I am, I lose it. If I sit still too long, memories flood my heart and tears run over.

Memories. Delightful tidbits of my past swim around threatening to overturn any sense of calm I thought I accomplished. From the time I was a little girl, my grandmother, affectionately known as NaNa, (and myself as her CiCa) took a role in my life and heart that could never be replaced. The love that I have for my NaNa is pure, undeniable, and accompanies one of the strongest attachments I will ever know. She is the majority of the reasons I am who I am today.

Who am I? I am her granddaughter, a woman who is strong enough to pick herself up and move on, no matter how broken I am inside… That is what she taught me….Right? She taught me so many important life lessons, ones that are imperative to a sense of self and respect, of ambition and successes. My grandmother taught me strength, yet it is the ONE thing that I cannot seem to grasp hold of. Maybe in time…

“God never gives you more than you can handle” Florence Poletti