Suburban Habits

Easy money saving tips for the family!

2013-01-30T18:52:00.000-08:00

While I am at work my brain is consumed with ways to meet the budget, save money and think outside the box to make up for the big purchase I just had to make. Nobody wants to go over budget. Nobody. Unfortunately for my husband who loves to spend money, these same money saving thoughts that consume my brain at work also consume my brain at home.

We work way too hard for our money to throw it away. I have learned a few tips and tricks in my days that have really helped me save. Now, I'm not saying I use these tips all the time- but I sure try. Try them, maybe you will do a better job than me.

1) Use what you have. Why go out to dinner when you have already gone grocery shopping and have enough food to cook dinner? Resist the going out to eat temptation. This is very hard, but also very possible. Check your pantry before you go grocery shopping. I have about 5 containers of garlic salt because I kept forgetting to check before I bought more. I wasted approx. $5.

2) Make a family budget. There is a lot of free online budgeting tools. Or you can ask for Quicken for Christmas (that's what I did- thanks dad!) I budget everything down to diapers and dog food. Stick to that budget. I give myself a certain amount of money for going out to eat, or even "play" money. When that money is gone so is my going out to eat privileges for that week and misc. activities like going to the movies. Man, I sure hate when that money is gone.

3) Re-evaluate your cell phone/cable plans. I was with my cell phone provider for about 5 years when I finally realized I was getting ripped off and paying way too much. I ended up going with a family plan on my husbands provider and was able to save $40/month!! - examine how many minutes/texts your actually using, do you really need all that you pay for? I have also been known to call my cable provider and ask for a discount for being such a loyal customer. Right now I am saving another $35/month due to my sweet negotiating skills with the cable guys. Tracy-1 Cable company- 0.

4) Use online coupons. I would rather shop all day online ANY DAY than step into a mall. I even have my credit card number memorized in case I need it real quick for a special last minute deal on amazon. Pathetic, I know. However before I buy I always google a coupon (then again I google everything). I almost always find free shipping, or percentage off coupons. Try it!

5) Look online for deals before you subject yourself to the mall. Most of the time you can find items online at a much better cost. The top items I have found cheaper online are: books, movies, most electronics, diapers, most electronics, and wipes.

6) Become a pro at the need/want thought process. Really take a moment to go through the thought process before you make a big purchase. Unless it's one of those great 24 hour deals on amazon, then just go ahead and buy it. I kid, I kid. (kind of). But seriously, you don't need everything that's on sale. My husband has been asking for a new 60 inch TV for about 2 years. There is continually great sales on them . Guess what? We have a perfectly fine, nice flat screen- sorry pops, no new flat screen for you. Things come on sale all the time. Move on folks. Move on.

7) Make it automatic. Before we even see my husbands paycheck a certain amount goes into a savings account out of state, we only access this money during emergencies only. It's so much easier to save when you never even see the money to begin with.

8) Get a programmable thermostat (and use it). Make your house cooler/warmer when your gone and sleeping depending on the season. This will seriously save you a lot of money. I have heard it can save you about 25% on your bill and I believe it! Now, I don't know how to work my thermostat, so you may need a very smart husband for this.

9) Buy generic when you can. Almost all generic brand food and medicine is the same as the name brand. Trust me, generic diced tomatoes taste the same as the name brand. I buy almost all my groceries generic and I am pretty sure that how I am able to grocery shop on a crazy budget. Insert blog shout out here----Feed your family on a budget

10) Sign up for a warehouse membership- I have a Costco membership for $55/annually. You don't have to only buy bulk food at these stores (although that's fun too) Gas at Costco is MUCH cheaper than anywhere else nearby, you can also find clothes, or home goods for a great price. YOU MUST BE CAREFUL USING THIS TIP. It is also very easy to go into Costco and come out with 50 items you did not need. Use tip #6 when in Costco.

You are now rich! Well maybe not, but wouldn't that be cool? What easy money saving tips work for you and your family?

Tips for traveling with kids

2013-01-15T14:32:00.002-08:00

My husband works for Southwest Airlines (woot woot) which means we are very fortunate to travel basically anywhere we want for FREE. I can't complain, it sure is nice. He's a keeper. There is one thing I can complain about- traveling with kids. There is really nothing too fun or exciting about it. I have become very brave at times and completed my fair share of traveling with my little nuggets, here are a few things I have learned to make things a bit easier on mom, dad and munchkin.

1) The number ONE life saver when traveling with a child age 3+ is an Ipad. Download some fun apps, pay for Netflix and your golden for a a few solid hours. I really don't condone my son playing on his Ipad for long lengths of time . .HOWEVER if we are in any sort of aircraft, and he is playing quietly on his Ipad- go to town son. Go to town.

2) Dumdum lollipops- call me crazy that I am saying give your child candy on a plane. These suckers work at keeping a kid quiet (no pun intended). Xavier could suck on a dumdum lollipop all day long- these are also great for bribing: "Close your eyes on the airplane for 1 hour and you can have a lollipop." . .this works every time and normally the kid is so tired from all the excitement of flying that they pass out for 2-3 hours. Win!

3) Coloring books- Once your kid is on a nice sugar high from the lollipops and is sick of the games on his/her Ipad, take out some good ole fashion coloring books. These entertain my kids for hours!! Teach them how to draw inside the lines and they will be concentrated on those lines for awhile!

4) For our little infant nuggets travelers: Squeezable food: Anything an infant can squeeze in their mouth they will love. These are also very easy to carry along with you as they don't take up much space. Charlotte can stay busy with a tube of gogurt all afternoon.

5) Also for your infant: Put a little "Baby Einstein" on YouTube on your Ipad and let her be mesmerized. Seriously, Baby Einstein is genius (no pun intended, I'm on a roll with these puns) I don't know what it is about cheesy, creepy puppets, classical music, and big pictures of elephants and guitars . .but it works and I will take it.

6) If you can take a red eye flight that travels to your destination throughout the night DO IT! Your babies will sleep the whole way, you may get an ounce of sleep and everyone will be happy- this is for sure a WIN.

7) Snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks, snacks: I can not say enough times to bring enough snacks. Mix it up, bring fruit, goldfish, cheeze its, and cheerios. It's nice to have a wide array of snacks to offer when your kids are in the middle of a massive meltdown and the entire airplane cabin is staring at you. Trust me, this does happen.

8) Be the first ones on the plane and the last ones off. Sit as close to the back as you can without having to smell too much of the airplane bathroom. Other passengers get very annoyed when they are waiting behind you, your bags, and crazy kids to board or get off the plane. Be respectful and know that you and your family are going to take more time to get settled then most.

What are some travel tips you have for traveling with the wee ones? I'd love to hear them!

Life after kid #2

2013-01-09T22:37:00.005-08:00

Ever since I was approx. 7 years old I have wanted to be a mother. Not just a mother of 1 or 2 kids, more like 6-8 kids. I don't exactly know if I have my husband sold on 8 kids . . .it's a work in progress. Put in a good word for me, will ya?

Everyone told me that after baby #2 I would not want anymore. Here is what I have learned. The good, the bad, the ugly.

1) Baby #2 does a NUMBER on your body. It's not pretty ladies. I believe my hips grew 2 inches in size, I achieved 15 more stretch marks, and my pooch is never going away. It also may help not to gain 35-55 lbs per pregnancy.

2) My nuggets are 3.5 years apart, I originally wanted them close together but I am VERY glad I waited. It's nice to have only 1 pooping their pants and puking down my shirt. It is also nice to have my son step up to his role as "big brother" and help out. "Xavier, can you get me a diaper? "Xavier, can you get me a bib?" "Xavier, can you get your sisters shoes?" "Xavier, can you put your sister to bed and grab mommy a beer?" . .I kid I kid.

3) The first 3 months with a infant and bigger kid is tough, grueling work. I reccomend having a live in nanny during this time. However, if you can not afford a live in nanny like myself, make sure you have an amazing husband. These 3 months you will just be trying to adjust to life with 2 kids on different nap/eating/sleeping/playing schedules. You will not sit down, you will not sleep, you will not shower . . .somehow I always found time to eat. Shocking.

4) Sending your 2nd child to daycare while you head back to work. Is just as hard as it was with the first. This part I am guessing never gets easy. Unless you start your day with a major meltdown or diaper blow out, a this point sending kids off to daycare is easy peasy.

5) Baby number 2 will most likely be nothing like baby #1. They will probably be polar opposites. Xavier would always listen on the one stern "No". Charlotte is the most stubborn, mischevious, impatient child in the greater Broomfield area You tell her "no" she does what she was doing 10X as bad.

6) One child will have a melt down over not having a spiderman bike while the other is crying because you won't let her suck on keys. Each child melting down at once will happen. There will be a lot of screaming, a lot of crying, a lot of kids throwing themselves to the floors. Walk away, ignore and go have a glass of wine. They will stop eventually.

7) You will have little to no privacy or "you" time. Have to go pee? Guess what, your kid is following you in the bathroom. Have to cook dinner? Guess what, your baby will be pulling on your leg to hold her. Want a bath? Guess what, so do your 2 kids. Get use to it, you got another 18 or so years until it's "you" time.

8) Kid bedtime will be one of your best friends. Enough said

9) It's OK to ask for help. You are not a bad mom. You are not a bad wife. You are busy, you are going nuts. Ask your husband for a hand will ya?

10) Continue to find time to spend with your older child alone with no baby distraction. Make him/her feel important, like they are still your little baby. When Charlotte goes to bed there is nothing I'd rather do than cuddle Xavier and talk to him about his day.

11) Continue doing all the things you did with just 1 kid when you have that second. Like going out to dinner? GO! Get out and do things with your kids, they will love it to. It will be crazy and you may want to rip your hair out- but it does get easier, I promise!

Given all these things I have learned. I have also learned that I love the craziness of my household, I love how loud my house is, I love being busy with my kids, I love spending my time with them, I love watching them grow, I love to love them, and I love that they have each other in this crazy life.

A second child has only made me want to fill my house with more. I was made for this. I got this.

What lessons have you learned after your 2nd child?

3 day cold sore

2012-12-15T10:06:00.001-08:00

Ever since I can remember I have been getting cold sores, fever blisters, nasty painful sores call it what you want. I get em. I normally get them once -twice a year, when I'm stressed, get too much sun, or when my skin is extra dry in the winter.

See that cold sore below my lip- Cute dress, cute hair, cute lil smile. Ugly as heck cold sore.

I feel the tingle and I get scared. It's time for my semi annual cold sore. I've tried everything to get rid of these suckers, but they normally last 7-10 dreadful days. I've tried the following:

Abreva: Blah. This takes away the pain but that's about it., and for $20/microscopic tube. No thanks.
Carmex: Blah. Takes away the pain. Does absolutely for my cold sore
Popping the blisters. You need to do this carefully. One time I did this and received the worlds biggest cold sore covering my entire chin in return. A cold sore is a virus and if the popping is not done carefully the virus will spread. I repeat, the virus will spread!!!
L-Lysine: I heard that taking L-lysine worked, so I would take 3/day . .this did absolutely nothing- you must take MUCH more.

I haven't had a cold sore in about 2.5 years. I thought the birth of mu daughter must have magically cured me from my cold sores forever. Man, I live in a fantasy world sometime- they came back alright. This cold sore time around I believe I found the quickest cure! I am on my third day and it's just about gone. Follow the steps below.

When you feel the tingle immediately pop 3-4 L-lysine pills. L-Lysine can be found in the vitamin isle. This will be a gift from above for you during these 3 days.

Go out and buy some Quantum L-Lysine +. This is about $10, I found it at my local Walgreens. Day one of cold sore, apply this like CRAZY. It will relive the pain fast and start working right away to diminish your sore. The box says apply every 2 hours, I applied it every 30 mins or so- just go ahead and glob it on, don't be shy. The first day your cold sore will be noticeable and people will stare at it. This is the day my husband looks at me and cringes inside. I hate this day.
During day one take 5000mg of L-lysine spread throughout the day. Most L-Lysine tablets come in 500mg, so take about 3-4 before each meal. If you feel like your taking too much then you are probably taking just enough.
Repeat these steps on day two and day three. Your cold sore will pretty much skip the crusted over scabbed over, nasty phase and just start to get smaller and smaller on its on. Take the L-lysine pills until your cold sore is completely gone.

That's it! There is no popping, picking, creating sketchy concoctions, or spending too much money on products that don't work. This has worked for me and I hope it does for you too!

What are tips or tricks you have found to work? Please share, I'd love to hear!

Christmas Tree perfection

2012-12-08T22:39:00.001-08:00

I am obsessed with many things in this lil life of mine. Let's name a few; my kids, Christmas trees, and pictures. Each year I have this GRAND vision of a magical picture in front of the tree. And low and behold . .continuous epic fail- every single year! This year I was determined to change this.

I am NO photographer (and I mean NO), but here are a few tips on how to take a picture in front of your Christmas tree to look like this.

I got my kids in the bath, into their warmest jammies and made them plain ole' happy and relaxed. I then bribed my son with candy to take a nice picture with his sister.
You must have every light in the house off. Turn off the TV and close the blinds- the only light should be from the tree
Put your ISO as high as it will go, set the aperture at f 2.8, and shutter speed at 1/30.- BAM you're almost ready!
Put those little wild nuggets in front of the tree and somehow make them sit there and NOT touch the ornaments- this will be the hardest part.
Snap away (as quick as you can, those kids will move quick)!!!

My picture isn't perfect- but I think it captured the moment, the tree, and love between my son and his sister pretty well.

Now it's your turn to give it a try!!

Family Winter fun

2012-12-05T17:40:00.003-08:00

One of the many reasons I moved to Colorado was to experience all 4 seasons. Growing up in Maine, winters were brutal. You barely want to leave your house. I am so lucky being in Colorado you really get to enjoy winter- There is a frigid blizzard one day and the next people are outside walking their dog in flip flops. This is no joke. My husband just put on his flip flops on to go to Panera Bread. It's December 5th. My point exactly.

I love finding new things to do with my family on weekends. As much as my husband just wants to sit down and relax on a cold (or warm) winters day, there will be none of that in my house. You don't have to stay inside all winter and watch TV- get out there and enjoy this beautiful season with your family, or even find indoor activity to keep those young minds busy!

1) Go sledding. I have done my fair share of sledding in my day and trust me, the best sledding occurs right after it snows. Find a local big or small hill, put on your warm bib snow pants from 1999, strap on those LL Bean boots, find a sled and hit the hills!! This is a favorite childhood memory of mine, your kids won't forget it. I don't really know who has more fun sledding, my kids or I? According to the this picture, I definitely have more fun. I swear your kids will like sledding- we just had a slight melt down here.

2) Go ice skating. Now, I'm not talking about going to your local rink- that's lame. Feel the real ambiance- Go somewhere outside. Here in Colorado the lakes don't freeze too great, so we go to a man made outside rink (I know of one in Boulder and one outside the Flatirons Mall) In Maine, we would go to the local ponds- this is ideal.

3. When you pass one of the 15 Starbucks down that 1 mile road. Stop. Go inside. Sit down, relax, and pay for a very over priced hot chocolate. This is such a special (and expensive) treat for the wee ones. Plus, I love every time I can justify stopping for a latte when I have 18 K-cups sitting at home- this is one of those times.

4. Pack up the car and go cruise around the suburbs to look at Christmas lights. I like to do my research and find the best places in Westminster to go (you can google this) I make a little map and proceed to ordering my husband around Westminster Colorado to the coolest homes. I also like to blast Christmas music way too loud to really get in the spirit of things.

5. Go to a local museum or aquarium. Winter is the perfect time of year to take advantage of those inside activities. Go on a nice cold day when it may be too cold to have the kids outside for too long.

6. Spend an entire day baking. I like to get Xavier involved when I cook. He gets a real sense of pride when he gets to help make something that he then gets to eat later. This also give me the opportunity to use my kitchen aid mixer that I seem to only use for my chicken shredding. Seriously? How did I justify buying one? I don't even bake.

7. Go outside and play in that snow! Guess what? If there is snow, you bet I am making the best of it. I really enjoy keeping my husband company while he shovels the driveway by, building a fort, making a snowman, having a snowball fight, or making a snow angel. I kid, I kid, I help shovel. . .for about 34 seconds.

8. Build an indoor fort. What better time to make a complete mess of your house? I mean, you will have all the time in the world to clean it up when your stuck inside during those snow storms. Building a quality is really an art. I personally don't have that art. I get impatient and just throw blankets on top of the couch. Xavier thinks this is lame and now turns to daddy for help.

9. Have a movie night. Put on your favorite Pj's, make some popcorn, let your kids pick the movie, cuddle up and watch the entire movie. Yes, I mean start to finish . .with kids. I know, call me crazy- but having a movie night really is fun and can be done!

10. Make arts and crafts. The last thing I am is crafty. But I sure like trying. Find a cool winter craft and spend an afternoon helping your kids create it. Make a mess, have fun, attempt to be creative and stay warm. Does it get better?

What do you like to do with your family during those cold winter months? Having fun doesn't have to cost much money! Get out there and enjoy your surroundings!

Preparing for family pictures

2012-11-30T21:44:00.000-08:00

My brother in law is a professional photographer who happens to be AMAZING. This now means I am addicted to professional family pics- literally it consumes my brain. I think about places to go, outfits to wear and poses I want. I am sure my husband DREADS when I say "Don't make plans this weekend, we have family pics." This means he has to shave, wear something uncomfortable, and go crazy thinking about pictures with 2 wild nuggets.

Listen folks, if you have a couple hundred bucks ready to be spent, spend it on pictures! What better thing to spend it on than capturing these moments with your family?

This past weekend was our semi annual family picture day. My brother in law suggested we go to Red Rocks which was PERFECT! Our pictures came out amazing thanks to Hugo's eye for perfection. But below are a few tips that might help you find that perfect look you are looking for.

1) Dress in similar colors/theme. Don't wait until the day of your photo shoot to pick out some cute clothes. I have found that the best pictures are when there is a consistent theme going on. I have noticed that keeping colors neautral/earth tones really focuses the attention on the family expressions.

2) Avoid patterns/pictures/words on shirts. Go simple. If you want a timeless family portrait, avoid clothes that are overly trendy at that time. You don't want people viewing your pictures to be distracted by what your shirt says- too many patterns just gets to be too much.

3) Bring a few different outfits along with you. If not for you, for the kids. Kids really enjoy throwing up, pooping through their pants, drooling chocolate out of their mouths etc and messing up only the cutest outfits you put on them. It is also nice to get a few different looks.

4) Bring tons of snacks/distractions with you. The only time Charlotte would smile in our pics was when we waved a puppet or keys in front of her. . .she was also pretty thrilled when we were stuffing her with goldfish to contain the happiness, or when we jumped around and made the dumbest noises on earth.

5) Bribe your kids with whatever means nessesary. By the end of the photo shoot, I'm pretty sure Xavier was on the road to getting a bunch of new superheros if he "smiled sweet". He has since forgotten about it. Now, I'm sure if this is the best tip, but it works and in the end isn't that all that matters? Yes? No?

6) Think about the look you want to go for. Urban, rustic, country etc. I love a beautiful background, and living in Colorado we have many options. Do your research, go somewhere with a memorable back drop. Hugo has done some amazing family photos just walking around downtown Denver- who knew?

7) Do some research ahead of time and think about some poses you may want- share this vision with your photographer. A great place to admire different poses is searching for "family pictures" on Pinterest.

8) Schedule your photo shoot when your kids are their happiest. In my family, you don't mess with morning nap, or waking anyone up too early. This could be bad. Real bad. Our shoot was scheduled at noon, right after morning nap but before afternoon nap. Charlotte did start melting down right at the end, this was OK, we still managed a cute crying pic of her.

I hope this helps your family take un cheesy, timeless, classic family pictures. While your thinking about pictures, check out my brother's work @ hugovphotography.com . . .you won't regret it. He's the bomb.com (when was the last time yoy heard that? 1999? I thought so, I just brought it back)

Traditional Posole

2012-10-27T20:00:00.002-07:00

When I married my spanish speaking, mexican, dark skinned, gorgeous husband; I was just a lil white girl from Maine with absolutely NO cooking skills. When I say no cooking skills, I mean Kraft mac and cheese was pretty fancy with a hot dog added to it. Javy has since introduced me to all kinds of amazing mexican dishes . . .and set his expectations very high with my current cooking skills.

He wants his wife to cook the meals he remembers as a child. Ah crap. I had to somehow learn how to cook traditional mexican dishes. Great. Dish numero uno (like my spanish?) Posole. Javy loves posole maybe more than he loves me. Ok, maybe not- but definitely more than he loves hot cheetos. Definetly.

Here we go.

Ingredients:
5 California Chili Pods (Loma Vista)
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
1 bag menudo mix
4-6 pigs feet halves
2 T tomato bouilon
3 T chili powder
56 oz of white hominy
2-3 lbs Pork shoulder/butt
1 bunch of cilantro
1 onion

Pull the stems off of the chili pods. Place chili pods in a blender with hot water. Let the chilis soak in this water while you prepare meat.

Dice up your pork. Don't be afraid of the fatty pieces, it gives it flavor. Once pork is nice and diced, place in your crock pot and pour entire package of menudo mix on it. Rub it into the meat really good.

Wash your hominy in a strainer.

Its now time to blend your chili pods. Blen well (its ok to have afew larger pieces of chili left). Pour this chili puree, tomoato sauce, hominy, tomato boulion, chili powder in the crock pot. Mix together well. Pour enough water in the crock pot to cover ingrediants & pigs feet.

*****IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE*****
You do not have to eat the pigs feet. I don't get near them with a 10 foot pole. HOWEVER, they give this soup a GREAT flavor. I wouldn't skimp on these. My husband loves them, and eats every piece of meat off the bone. . . .

Once stirred well and full of water. Cook on low for 8 hours. The pigs feet meat should be falling off the bone.

Serve with chopped up cilantro, chopped onion, a Dos Equis, and lime juice. LISTO! You are done. Enjoy this traditional mexican dish, I know Javy does.

Libby's Pumpkinhead Ribs

2012-10-21T15:01:00.002-07:00

One night I was drinking my first Shipyard Pumpkinhead of the season- of course I had to announce it to the world on Facebook. An old high school friend of mine, Libby (she's not old, but high school seems so long ago) commented on my status update about how she likes to make Pumpkinhead ribs. Excuse me? Did I just hear pumpkin head ribs? My heart was singing and full of joy.

Libby e-mailed me the recipe. I had never been more excited to go out and buy some ribs and beer in my life. I decided to be a good wife and make these suckers for my husband. They were a DELIGHT! And best of all . .they were EASY PEASY LEMON BREEZY (how cheesy was that?)

Ingredients:

1 rack of pork ribs
2 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice
3 Pumpkinhead beers

Directions

Tenderize ribs (use a fork and jab a bunch of holes in them, this is also a good way to get out any aggression you've kept inside that day).
Rub the ribs with pumpkin pie spice. Don't be shy, rub em real good.
Place ribs in your fearless crockpot.
Crack open all 3 beers and dump them all over those glorious ribs. (This part is a little depressing, to pour beer onto raw ribs and not into a tall glass- no worries, you'll get over it when your chowing down on those ribs)

Cook on low for 8 hours. PRESTO! Your ribs are donezo! Was that not the easiest thing ever?

I served mine with mashed potatoes, and asparagus. My husband dipped his ribs in BBQ sauce. I ate them as is because I wanted to taste every bit of pumpkin on them. YUM!!

If you want an easy, flavorful, heavenly, seasonal, wonderful, amazing, incredible dinner, make this now.

What's your favorite fall recipe? Please share! I'm a sucker for anything that taste like Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Top ten must have baby items

2012-10-16T11:31:00.000-07:00

I will buy anything that has hype or has good reviews. My husband is the same exact way- we are still somehow a remarkably good match. I am a sucker, I admit it. I have made my fair share of awful purchases in my day, but I have also made some GREAT baby purchases that I would like to share with all you soon to be moms. Put these items on your registry, you won't regret it!

1) This is the number one best baby product on the planet Earth. The Angelcare baby monitor: I actually didn't purchase it, a friend of mine let me borrow it for Charlotte. I am paranoid about everything when I am pregnant, and everything when I have my baby. I will probably be paranoid about everything for the rest of my life- I mean come on, I fear alien invasions. This monitor detects the baby's heartbeat- if there is no movement for 20 seconds the monitor will sound an alarm. I have had a few false alarms when Charlotte's body was just placed weird in her crib- but I would rather a few false alarms then for something more serious to happen to her and me not know it.

2) Bumbleride Indie stroller/Phil and Teds Explorer double stroller.- When I had only Xavier the Bumbleride Indie was the perfect stroller. It was lightweight (lightest weight jogging stroller), compact, yet very versatile. I could bring it hiking, running, or a quick mall trip- I loved it! When I had Charlotte I wanted a double stroller, but I didn't want something too bulky and boat like. The Phil and Teds was the perfect choice. It is NOT bulky, easy to travel with and still extremely versatile (which is rare for a double stroller).

3) Bouncer seat- This little cute seat was perfect for my newborn baby. I could place my baby in it when I cooked or attempted to clean. The vibration/music would put my baby right to sleep in no time. When Xavier had acid reflux, he had to sleep in a sitting up position. This bouncer seat was the only thing he could sleep in comfortably. We used it for so long that Xavier was basically crawling out of it. *This is a sign that your child is now too big for this seat*

4)Fisher price "My little lamb" swing- A swing is a must. I found that my babies would rather just be put in a swing then be rocked by me to sleep *tear*. Most newborns will love the rocking of the swing. I suggest a swing that moves either side-side or have the option to swivel front-back. If you can find a swing that plugs in- spend the extra bucks and buy it. My swing needed batteries which we had to replace every few weeks. By the way, replacing swing batteries is a mans job. I just had to throw that thought in there.

5) Gerber thermal receiving blanket- Skip the 10,000 cute colorful receiving blankets and buy a few of these. They are stretchy and stay wrapped around your baby when he/she is swaddled the BEST. I hated getting up at night to re swaddle my baby. Buy these and you will only wake up at night to go pee, no more re swaddling. SCORE!

6) MAM pacifier- Now every baby has their specific type of pacifier that they like, but both of my babies loved the MAM brand. I found that they stay in their mouth the best and fall out much less at night then other brands. I actually was so frustrated waking up at night to put the pacifier in my sons mouth that I went on a mad search to find a pacifier that stayed, this bad boy did the trick. An added bonus is that they come in CUTE designs. I found myself buying new pacifiers just for the design. This is not good for the wallet folks. This is also hard to justify with the husband.

7) Dr. Brown bottles: Once again, ditch the 10,000 cute bottles and buy a few Dr. brown bottles. I did find that these bottles really did help my babies gassiness and helped with acid reflux. They help to reduce colic and spitting up through its unique venting system that eliminates air bubbles.

8) Baby Bjorn mesh air carrier- This baby carrier is lightweight, easy to use and great for your new bundle of joy. I especially like the mesh one because you don't sweat like a cow in heat when you wear it.

9) Kelty kids journey backpack carrier- If you like to hike, or do any amount of walking in the wilderness, outside, or even the airport; get this carrier NOW. We have used this carrier countless times with both kids. It is GREAT! Sometimes, you just don't feel like pushing a stroller, when that times comes you will be so thankful you bought this.

10)Rainforest Jumparoo: You must have a jumper! Every baby loves these when they are learning just what those little legs can do. This jumper has toys, makes sounds, and entertains my baby perfectly.

Now that I have shared my thoughts on what you must buy for that little sugar plum- here are a few honorable mention must have baby items:

Nursing cover- This is perfect for on the go nursing to create some privacy
floor play mat- This play mat is really only good for a month, but it really is GREAT to have!Your baby will be memorized by the toys and colors and will want to learn to roll around to grab things around him/her
JJ Cole carseat cover- If you have an infant during the winter get this! It is very hard to bundle your baby up and not have a bulky mess once they get in their carseat. This carseat cover keeps them nice and warm without the bulk
Pack and Play- I learned a few weekend ago that Charlotte will only sleep in a crib or pack n play. I didn't feel like bringing the pack n play with me on vaca and Charlotte slept horrible! Just buy one and travel with it, your baby will be happier.
Waterproof mattress pad- You may think: Why would I need one of these, my baby can't pee the bed, that's what a diaper is for. Well folks, your baby can definitely pee through the diaper and turn the crib sheets and mattress into a hot mess.
Bassinet- I am sorry ladies, but I am not for co sleeping with your baby. Teach your baby to be independent when sleeping. I found the crib to be so far away and big for such a tiny baby. We used a bassinet in our room for the first 3 months which both of my kids. It was great.

Have I convinced you yet? Yes? No? What baby items do you love and can't live without?

Top 10 most useless baby items

2012-10-12T07:51:00.001-07:00

When I was pregnant with my first born, Xavier, like most soon to be moms I put everything I could ever think of on my registry hoping to get it. If I didn't get it as a gift, I marched over to Babies R Us and bought it myself. There was no talking me out of it. I mean come on, there was no way my baby could live without these items.

Ok, lets get real. Let me be the one to talk you out of those LUDICROUS purchases.

Top 10 most useless baby products

1) Wipes warmer- this only dries the wipes out. Your baby will get use to a cold wipe on its bum in about 1 day.

2)Bottle warmer- I spent more time trying to figure this thing out while not melting my bottles. Do it the old fashion way, a lil hot water in a big cup and put your cold bottle in it. There you go. Done and done.

3)10,000 different lotions/shampoos. I still had the same lotions I used with Xavier that I now use on my daughter Charlotte. I thought I needed every scent. Take it from me, You don't.

4) The behind the seat mirror for your vehicle. These never stay on, and you have to squint like mama June's bingo face to see your baby since the mirror is so small. Your baby is going to be just fine in the back seat. Don't worry!

5)Infant shoes- Your baby is not going to want to wear shoes, it will rip them off, and half the time they don't fit due to their big chunky sausage feet. I still have infant shoes in the box never worn- who wants them? (You're suppose to say "not me!")

6)Diaper genie- I will admit, I did use this for a small amount of time. However, the refill bags are ridiculously priced and if the diapers are "bad" enough you will still smell them. Also, when the diaper genie gets full I forget about it and leave it sitting there full of nasty grams for weeks. Javy LOVES when I do this :-) I got this brilliant idea with Charlotte: throw the diapers in the trash and take out the trash if it starts to smell.Saves me a bunch of cash!

7) Shopping cart cover- I never had one with Xavier and he lived just fine. I got one with Charlotte because I thought it was the cool thing to do. I have used it once and I hate it. It is big and messy, and took me about 30 minutes to figure out how to put it on the cart ( I still put it on wrong). I was so worried about germs, I then realized that every store now has those sanitizing wipes. Use those- it's much easier!!

8) Pee-pee teepee- Really? Really? I got some of these as a baby shower gift, I thought it was so cool! There was actually a way to prevent my son from peeing in my face? Ummm yeah, not so much. Did I really think a little baby boy would not pee on me and this thing would stay on his wiggly butt? Don't get it. Enough said.

9) Dozens of receiving blankets- I have drawers full of drawers of cute receiving blankets. You fill find that your baby will only like 1 kind of blanket, the rest will just sit there and collect dust. The small blankets are good for maybe 3 uses until your baby gets too chunky for it. I recommend buying 3-5 receiving blankets and leaving the rest alone. Your baby will do just fine without 33 owl/flowers/polka dot blankets

10) Scratch mittens- I had all sorts of cute scratch mittens that I placed on both of my kids- ONE time. I only did it one time because they fall off or getting ripped off by your baby. I then got another brilliant idea on how to get my babies to stop scratching their face- clip their finger nails on a regular basis!! WOW, who would have thought?

Here are a few honorable mentions:

Don't buy diapers in advance when your pregnant. Your baby will go through diapers so quick, your not going to want to buy too much of 1 size. Take it from me, I still have size 2 and size 1 diapers in my closet.

You really don't need 10 bottles in 5 different sizes. You really only need 3-5 bottles- your baby will let you know which one he/she likes- buy a few of those. Once again, take it from me. My cabinets are filled with bottles that i thought were cool, or thought my kids would like. Ummmm no. Every single bottle except for 2 of them have been used once.

The baby bullet- Trust me, a regular food processor is MUCH better because you can make much more baby food in it.

Newborn clothes- Your baby will outgrow these in 1-2 weeks. I would buy 2 pairs of jammies and a few onesies, the rest is a waste.

What are items that you found just as useless as these?

Making your house a home

2012-10-04T11:30:00.006-07:00

I am a big fan of having a cozy, warm home. I don't just want a house. I want a place that my kids love coming home to, a place I look forward to coming to after a hard day at work. A place my family can call home. My last house was not a home. It was filled with random objects with no meaning. Our new home is different. Below is what sets my home apart from a house.

-Fill your home with pictures. On that note, take lots of pictures. You are going to want to remember these moments some day, have the pictures to look back on. I love framing pictures and reminiscing on our memories. See below, have you ever seen so many pics in one room? I'm obsessed.

- Have a table to eat dinner at each night. I will preach it again, having a dinner table that is not full of bills, and junk is great. Plain ole' great. I love eating together as a family.

-Decorate and fill your space! Fill your walls and corners of your home with art you love, pictures you want to remember, decorations that mean something to you! Make your home a family museum. Display souvenirs from places you have been, to hobbies you enjoy. Have fun decorating your home and making it "you". I actually want a new home with more wall space because I have filled up all of our current wall space. PS. My husband decorated my entire house. He's a gem. A real keeper.

- Decorate your kids room with pictures of family, artwork they have created and items they may be excited about. Make your kids room a fun place to go, not the dread "GO TO YOUR ROOM!" place. When Xavier draws something new we put it up on his wall, this gives him such a sense of pride! Xavier loves super heroes . .why not go all out and give him a room he loves playing in? He gets to be surrounded by super heroes!

- Spend time in your home. Make it your retreat. Love coming home. Cook in your kitchen, have family dinners and eat in your dining room, watch movies in you living room, sit and talk in your sitting room, let your kids play in their rooms.

-Let your home be a place of gather. Spend time with your loved ones and friends in your home. Have fun when people come over and stop apologizing for the "mess".

Forget the expensive furniture, the fancy chandelier, the top of the line appliances. Have fun making your house a home with the simple things in life. A little goes a long way in a house.

What are some of your ideas that made your house a home?

Top items in a mom's oversized bag

2012-10-01T19:38:00.001-07:00

Are you like me? Do you have a abnormally large purse that you "need for all your important things"? I took the time to empty my purse that I literally throw everything into. Here is what I discovered . . .

Where do I even start? I must admit, I'm embarrassed. I have no organizational in my purse. When my phone rings I literally reach my hand in my purse and hope after feeling around for a few seconds I will eventually find it. If I miss your call, it's 99% of the time because I can't find my phone in my purse. I apologize now.

acid reflux medicine. I pop one of these suckers in on a few occasion. 1. Every few hours when I'm pregnant 2. When I eat chilli 3. When I drink wine. You wanna mess with me? Take my acid reflux medicine. It's on.
A nail file. I tend to break my nails every darn day. I file my nails like its going out of business. I want to get the shape just perfect. However, I file so much that I screw up my nail shape and have to grow them bad out only to file the crap outta them again.
One Black leather glove. Stop thinking I was somehow involved in the OJ Simpson trial. I didn't do it. I just have one leather glove. The other is in my diaper bag. Why? No idea. This will NOT come in handy during the cold Denver winter.
A Netflix movie. My husband and I watch a Netflix movie and he puts it on the counter for me to remember to mail out. It takes me about 5 days to remember to remove it from the counter. I then place it in my purse where it waits another 5-10 days before making it to the mailbox. Fail.
A whole bunch of toothpaste. I have no clue why I have this much toothpaste in my purse. I never have used it. Maybe someday I will need it? Probably not, but it sure is handy eh?
A spongebob toy. MOM's out there, you never know when you need a random toy to keep a baby entertained right? Bob here does the trick. I keep him right by my side at all times. He comes out during melt downs at Target when I try to take both kids shopping with me so I can catch a sale.

Bills. I place a whole lot of bills in my purse so I remember to pay them. This technique is clearly not working . . look at them all! I also don't have online billing for hardly anything. I like to hold my monthly bills in my own hands. However, I get the bill, throw it in my purse and go online to see how much I owe. What is wrong with me?
A set of keys that I have no idea what they are for. I honestly have no clue what door these may open. Why do I have them you ask? I also don't know the answer to this questions. Random? Yes.
I always have a watch with me. If you know me, this is no surprise. I love watches.
I ask for a hair tie about 20 times per day. Oh look. There is one in my purse. Sweet!
My mini wallet. I lied on my license, so what? Judge me now. I was pregnant in this pic and said I was 110 lbs. Yeah right, who was I kidding? I also said I was 5'2. I am actually 5'2 and a 1/4.

Chapstick. I got this bad boy for my birthday from Sephora. I love it. Living in Denver my lips are always chapped. I can't control it 97% of the time, but I do try. This stuff works.

This blog has inspired me to clean out my current purse and beg Javy for a newer, and bigger purse to hold my items that don't fit in this one.

What's in your purse? Do you have bad purse habits like me? Do you have a way that you organize your purse? Help me!!

Taco Dorados

2012-09-26T19:55:00.000-07:00

One of my husband's favorite childhood meals in called Taco dorados. For all you english speaking folk out there, this means fried tacos. Now, lets not get it twisted, I am no mexican cook. I don't cook great authentic mexican food, after all I am just a simple girl from Maine. However, I cook a MEAN taco dorados. Follow this recipe and you too shall pass as an authentic mexican woman for a slight second of your life.

PS. Don't judge this until you try it. The ingredients all seem a bit strange for a taco. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Ingredients:
5 potatoes
2 medium sized red onion
10 limes
1 T crushed red pepper
1 t salt
2 cooked chicken breast (shredded)
1/2 cup milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
20 corn tortillas (about)
2 cups vegetable oil
Siracha sauce (to liking)

For the marinated onions to top tacos
Slice both red onions as thin as you can get them. Place onions in bowl or large ziplock bag. Squeeze each lime onto onions until onions are swimming in lime juice. Add salt and crushed peppers. Let mixture marinate in refrigerator all dat long or about 8 hours until they become soft.

Tacos
Preheat oven to lowest oven temp (mine is 170) Cut potatoes into fourths and boil until soft. Once soft, mash up with milk. Once fully mashed, add in shredded chicken and mix well.

Heat oil in large skillet. Once hot, add corn tortilla and immediately fill with chicken mixture topped in 1 T cheese per taco. Fold over each taco.

Let taco fry in oil for about 2-3 mins per side or until golden brown. Flip for another 2-3 min on other side. Once each side is golden brown, place taco on baking sheet in pre heated oven to keep warm.

(Please note: in the below picture I am in full work uniform, as I never seem to change out of it until bed time- and I am holding my hair up with a chip bag clamp. Judge me later please)

Repeat until all mixture is used. Now it's time to get serious. To serve taco: top with marinated onion mixture and Siracha sauce to your liking.

Enjoy this Velazquez family favorite recipe! Do you feel Mexican yet? I know always feel a little mexican when I make it.

What's your favorite childhood recipe? I LOVE getting new recipes!

How to make your house appear clutter free

2012-09-24T19:35:00.001-07:00

There is a few things I HATE in this life. I don't use the word hate often, but with these cases I do.

When I run out of shampoo and forget to restock and I realize it when I am already in the shower
Tripe
Clutter
Sunglasses at night

Lets take a moment to chat about clutter. I hate it, I despise it, but somehow every house seems to have some of it. When you have a family, way too many toys, and bills for that fact, clutter is inevitable. No matter what, things just seem to pile up don't they? You clear the counter where everyone seems to put their crap and BADABING BADABOOM, more crap is back. Below is what I do to contain the clutter the best I can:

Make woven baskets your friends. You can place baskets in an area where no storage exist and there you have it, instant storage! The cheapest baskets I have found are at TJ Maxx. I use baskets to hide the following: misc electrical cords that i have no idea what they belong to, books, games, movies, toys and more toys. Baskets just look classier than other storage options.

Put all of your bills in one place. This way you know where they are at all times when you decide to go pay em all. This eliminates bills piled on your kitchen table, on your counter, in your room, on your bathroom sink etc. etc. The only downside to this is that your bills will stare at you in the face. I hate when bills stare at me in the face, I get all uncomfortable and feel the need to pay them pronto. See pic below. I have all my bills in one cute little . .you guessed it, woven basket. I also put all the junk here that I don't know where else to put it. You will see a dog brush, head lamp, KFC coupon, and nail file all in one handy spot.

Have a coat/hat rack. I really dislike the look of coats/sweaters stacked high on the backs of chairs or on the part of the couch that no one sits on. I also hate finding hats stacked all over my house. Javy has a hat on the bathroom sink right now. I am seeing how long it takes him to put it where it really belongs. It's been awhile, I don't think he gets my point. I like them all to be in one place. This makes a house look SO much more neat!!!

Put shoes where they belong. Have a designated spot for shoes. Don't leave your shoes piled in your entry way, this just looks messy. No one needs to see your dirty smelly shoes anyway right? You will not believe how pleasant your entryway will look with NO shoes in the way! PS. Trust me I tried to use a woven basket as my shoe bin. This was not a success. The shoes ended up breaking right through it.

Have a designated key spot. This is one tip that I do not practice what i preach. I ask my husband where my keys are at least 3 times per week. He never does know where they are but I always feel the need to ask him. 9 out of 10 times they are lost in my diaper bag/purse. However, It's a great idea to have a designated spot for keys. A counter looks like it has so much more clutter when there are keys lying around. Please disregard Venom and Spiderman hanging from my key rack. Welcome to the home of a 4 year old.

Organize your bathroom drawers. Come on, we all know that when you go to someones house you look in their bathroom drawers/cabinets and see what kind of good stuff they have . .right? Please tell me it's not just me who does that. I'm not the only creeper right? Right?! I use plastic dollar store bins and of course woven baskets to organize mine. This way no one can snoop through my drawers and say to themselves "OMG Tracy's house is neat but her drawers are a hot mess" PS. don't judge me by the massive amounts of toothpaste I have. Don't ask. I don't have an answer.

Make your kids put away toys when they are done using them. Have a toy box big enough to store all of their toys. If you don't, it's probably time to get rid of some. Have a spot for every toy. No one wants to be tripping over Thomas the train or My little Pony right?

Just throw things away! If you don't need it, or if you haven't used it in at least 30 days, get rid of it. You will forget you threw it away in about 30 seconds. I am the opposite of a hoarder. I LOVE throwing things away. This also gives me an excuse to buy something new. Ohhh bummer, my oven mitt got spaghetti sauce on it? Darn, I guess it's time to go to Homegoods and find a new one.

These are just a few of my clutter free tips. Do you have any that work for you? What are they, I'd love to hear! Do they involve woven baskets? . . . .Yeeaahhh I thought so!!

Nutella cookies

2012-09-22T14:36:00.000-07:00

Javy came home from hunting 1 day early.While both kids were napping Javy asked me to help him unpack the cooler. He put the cooler in the middle of the kitchen so it would annoy me and I would unpack quickly instead of letting everything rot in the garage. (I did that last time)

Now look at this picture of the inside of the cooler. What do you notice first? Was it the Nutella? Yeah me too. I was instantly like a dog who saw a squirrel. I was completely distracted by a container of Nutella. I had to eat it. First I made a Nutella sandwich, then I decided to make cookies.

For these cookies you will need:

1 cup Nutella
1 cup flour
1 egg

Can this be any easier? Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix together all ingredients

Once mixed roll dough into 1 inch round balls and place on greased cookie sheet

Flatten balls using the bottom of a glass into the cookie sheet

Place these bad boys in your pre heated oven for 6-8 minutes (I did 8 minutes). Let cool.

Now it's time to enjoy this easy, tasty treat!

Lessons of being a temporary single mom

2012-09-20T20:34:00.001-07:00

When my husband told me he was taking time off from work to drive 10 hours south to the great forests of southern Colorado for 5 days, my heart sank. Really, 5 days? He couldn't possibly want to sleep in a tent and have no shower for that long? I have never been away from him for more than 3 days in the 8 years we have been together. Add 2 kids, a house, a dog and a full time job into the mix . .I was picturing my slow demise in those 5 days.

Wait it gets worse . . .Javy abruptly changed his mind and decided he would be gone 7 days in the dark, cold woods. That was it. Those 7 days would get the best of me. Javy would absolutely be coming home to a completely mentally unstable wife. Here are the lessons I learned while being a single mom for 1 week.

My patience is thin to begin with. I ONLY have patience for my kids in this life . .nothing else. HOWEVER, all changes if you put me alone in a house with 2 kids, I now have NO patience at all.
Javy is much better at playing super heroes than me. He really gets into it, speaking with all sorts of cool voices, and really playing into these crazy story lines with Xavier. I find myself just holding Spiderman in place while telling Hulk to be nice. Xavier doesn't particularly like this. He repeatedly asks me when daddy is coming home. What am I? Chopped liver?
I cook MUCH better with Javy around- every night is gourmet. When Javy is gone I cook the polar opposite of gourmet: Mac and cheese, quesadillas, ham sandwiches, left over pizza, frozen pizza, or corn dogs. This goes back to patience. I have no patience to cook a legit meal with 2 kids pulling on my legs

Being alone at night is absolutely terrifying. I had many sleepiness nights due to the following thoughts: could that sound on Charlotte's monitor be an alien invasion? Did I lock all the doors? Is that car blaring the music driving by stopping by my house to break in? Is that the AC or someone knocking on my door? Where's the gun? I need a beer. Could someone be under my bed? Is Javy ok? I'm hungry. Aliens? . . .none of these thoughts are exaggerated
When Javy is here I cook, I clean, I do baths and normally I put both kids to bed. When he is not here doing all these tasks is suddenly EXHAUSTING. By the end of the night a beer is no longer a want, it is a need. It sure is nice just passing Charlotte off to Javy so I can spend the extra minute getting the layers of dirt off of Xavier's knees. I can barely keep my eyes open past 8pm. I need to be on the lookout for a possible alien invasion, so I force myself to stay up.
My lawn is a HOT MESS without a husband. I will never mow the lawn . . ever . .ever. I basically have a jungle in my front yard. The HOA loves us.

The trash can sure can hold a lot of trash. I keep pushing the current trash down further and further, there really is no more room for anymore of my trash. Javy is gonna kill me when he sees it. However, I really don't like taking out the trash. Taking out the trash is a mans job.
I am extremely lonely. I have no one to talk to about my days crazy events (As a community manager of an apartment community, you get some crazy daily events) I have no one to call on my ride to work to tell silly stories about the kids to. I have no one to call 15 times throughout the day to tell about the new lipstick I got, or the great find I got at TJ Maxx. I have no one to talk me through what superhero is better to buy Xavier "Silver Samurai, or Rhino."

I want to give all of you a single moms out there a hand! I gotta give it to you, being alone, taking care of kids and yourself is not easy work. I commend you for doing it, you are a stronger woman than I could ever be.

I have realized that Javy and I really do make a great team. He makes me a better mom, I couldn't do this whole mommy thing to the best of my ability without his support.

The morale of the story? He can never leave again. Next time I really will go nuts.

How to feed a family on $400 per month!

2012-09-17T19:37:00.000-07:00

When Javy and I were dating we could spend our money on anything and everything without one care. There was no mortgage to pay, no doctor bills to figure out, no HOA dues. Oh man, weren't those the days? I specifically remember spending $400 on one trip the grocery store for 2 of us. I am pretty sure we bought corn dogs, frozen pizzas, pizza pockets, bagel bites and a bunch of other crap that wasn't good for us or our wallets.

We have grown up since then. We work hard for our money and I refuse to throw it down the drain on crappy food. I made a family budget about 2 years back and have really stuck to it every since. One of the things on that budget? Spending $100/week on groceries. With this $100 I need to buy meals for a week for 2 little hungry munchkins and a husband who loves his home cooked meals. We need toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent, toothpaste . .we are not just talking about food. I need to figure out how to buy all of my households needs with only $100 measly dollars.

It actually gets kind of fun figuring what I can make for cheap and how I can save I don't have time or patience to gather coupons, here are some tips and cheap meals I have found throughout the years:

Figure out how much you can afford to spend each week- stick to that budget!!! Make it a focus to stay in that budget. I get such a feeling of accomplishment when I stay below my budget (this must be the community manager side of me)
Buy store brand name foods. 99.9% of the time the store brand name foods taste the same., especially your canned goods. Just suck up your pride and buy whats cheap, not whats "name brand". You will thank me later.
Plan out your weekly dinners ahead of time! This one tip has saved me loads of cash. I no longer buy what I think I may possibly cook with. When I did do this I wasted more veggies and meat than I care to talk about. What I do now is look through recipes on Saturdays, I go through all the ingredients and make a shopping list from there. This way I only buy what I really need and will use.
Don't buy a bunch of junky nasty crap. I buy 1 snack for me, 1 for Javy (he hates my healthy snacks) and one for Xavier. That's it, nothing more. Junk food runs up the grocery bill quick. PS. when did a bag or doritos become $3.99. That's redic.
Walmart has some of the cheapest prices on food. Walmart produce is NOT good. Walmart lines are hell, Walmart customer service needs some love, and some of the people that like to shop at Walmart . .well you know where I'm going with this. Shop where you are comfortable. I shop at Target and the prices are actually rather comparable but the produce is MUCH better. PLUS I get to shop through racks of baby clothes when I am done with my groceries and have $10 to spare. What better to spend that $10 than baby headbands?
Do not take your husband or kids grocery shopping with you. Everytime I make this mistake I regret it for days, and I end up going way over budget. I buy crap like double stuffed oreos, cheese sticks, super hero fruit snacks, super hero juice, and superhero mac and cheese. Just go grocery shopping yourself, make it quick and leave the family at home. They will be fine without you for 1 hour.
Don't give into the temptation or give into the sales at the end caps of the aisle (Target). Stick to your list and your list only. If something isn't on my list . .well it doesn't get put in the cart. Sorry husband of mine, screaming "don't forget the chicken wings!" As I walk out the door does not make it on my list. I will not buy it. Done

Here are a few recipes to brighten for day and family budget. You should be able to get ingredients for these meals for under $10:

Slow cooker BBQ chicken

Italian layer bake
Cream cheese chicken chill
Philly cheesesteak sloppy joes
pesto chicken stuffed shells
shepards pie

As I started to post these, I realized that almost everything I cook is budget friendly. For more recipes check out my Pinterest page. I have made just about everything on my "recipes to try" board.

Family must do's this fall

2012-09-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

A day off from work . .so relaxing . .NOT. I hate relaxing and doing nothing on my weekends. I have been this way since I was a kid. I was the first one awake on weekends skipping around the block, knocking on doors to see which friend was awake to come out and play. I would like to apologize to those friends now, I never meant to ruin your 2 days a week when you may have wanted to sleep in.

If I have a day off with my family, you bet we are out doing something fun. I want to create special, unforgettable memories for my kids. My parents did a great job at instilling special traditions in me. I hope I can do the same for my kids.

Below are some ideas on what to do with your family on those crisp fall weekends.

Apple Picking. This is a big tradition on the east coast. It seems these mid west folk don't do much of it. Get outside with your family, grab a barrel and pick some of your own apples. Most apple picking farms have hay rides and cider at the end. This year we are going here : Yaya Farm. A lot of time you need reservations WAY ahead of time to get your spot. One time I called in August for an October booking and I was too late. I may have cried, I was also pregnant and I cried over everything. Stop reading this blog and call someplace now to book!

Pick your own pumpkins at the pumpkin patch. I love bringing Xavier to the pumpkin patch and let him run wild to find his pumpkin. . .until he trips over the pumpkin vines (that part is not fun) But besides that. . .We always pick pumpkins for everyone in our family. Javy gets the biggest one, Charlotte gets a small one. I get such a feeling of self satisfaction when I find that HUGE, round bright orange pumpkin. It doesn't get much better than this! We place our desired pumpkins outside on my patio next to my corny fall harvest decorations. We always go here Rock Creek Farm

Make a huge leaf pile and let your kids spend a whole day playing in it. Don't you remember doing this as a kid? I use to love it. I love not caring how dirty Xavier gets, he is having fun, that's all that matters right? I suggest saving your leafs in your yard for awhile. Wait until you get approximately a full tree worth of leafs on the ground. The bigger the leaf pile the bettah. Your HOA may not like it, but they aren't the ones jumping in it.

Take a drive (for me it's into the mountains) and see the fall foliage. I vividly remember doing this as a kid in Maine, it was so mesmorizing. We have driven up to Golden Gate Canyon the past 2 years to see the gorgeous Colorado rockies and foliage. Really take a sec and enjoy the Fall nature. This truly makes living in Colorado and having 4 seasons worth the San Diego sacrifice ANYDAY.

This one is for all you Coloradians. Drive up to Estes Park and see the elk. I have yet to really go to Estes Park during prime elk time. I am sure there is some technical reason they come down into the city of Estes Park, but I hear its pretty cool to see these giant beast up close. This year we are going for sure. Javy will not be allowed to hunt one at this time. This will be exceptionally difficult for him to be so close and not try to fill his tag. I went here with my brother and sister in law one year at the end of the official Elk season. We saw a heard running right across from us. We chased them all up the mountain to see where they were going. Bad idea. A male elk does not want anyone chasing his girls. I thought I was going to die when that male elk saw us way too close to him.

Carve Pumpkins. Just block out the vision of all of the mess this will make in your house and all the pumpkin pulp you will have on your clothes and between your fingers and think of how fun it is to carve pumpkins. If you have a 4 year old kid, prepare yourself for the following: they will carve the pumpkin themselves for about 10 minutes. They will insist on carving the most difficult design. You will tell them to do something easy. They will win this battle, and get eventually get sick of carving when they realize how hard it is. Take over, carve it and you will find yourself addicted to making that darn pumpkin perfect.

Do a corn maze. We complete our corn maze at Rock Creek farm. The directions they give you are crap. One year we had to use our phone GPS to find our way back. Here is a quick thought: It is not fun getting lost on the way to Target. It is fun getting lost in a bunch of corn with your family running around like wild panthers on the amazon. Interesting.

Let your lil ones do their own "small kid" corn maze. Why? It's just fun for them to figure out their way through something without a GPS and without their parents thinking they are both the right ones trying give directions to one another.

Take a fall hike. The fall season smells and feels so good. Take your family outdoors, spend a second smelling the fresh air, enjoy the newly cool weather, and see the scenery. Golden Gate State Park has some great kid friendly hikes.

I hope you and your family have a memorable fall. Get out and do something!

Successful, happy marriage? Who knew!

2012-09-13T08:28:00.000-07:00

I have had a lot of people ask me how my husband and I can be so happy? We both work full time, are trying our best to raise 2 kids, have stress, different hobbies, different opinions, but at the end I think we have almost figured out this marriage thing nicely. My husband Javy is laid back, care free, and very quiet. I am uptight, always stressed, loud and sometime obnoxious. How do we manage to get along?

Here are some ideas that work for us and our family.

I will preach this until my face is blue. A family that eats together stays together. My family eats together EVERY single night. Not on the couch, not on the floor, not anywhere but at the kitchen table. We talk about our days events, laugh, dance, sing etc. I will make my family do this until the day I die. I feel like it really keeps us connected and strengthens that sense of "family" among us. PS. don't start eating until everyone is sitting down. This is just polite.
Be on the same page with parenting. Kids can make or break a couple- let it make you stronger and better people! In order to effectively co-parent our kids together, we are always each others biggest supporter. I will never say "Yes" when daddy says "No" He will never tell me (in front of the kids) that I am being too nice or too mean. We are in it together, we talk to each other about what to do in trying, desperate, melt down times. Javy is teaching our children to respect their mother 100%, he doesn't even let Xavier tell me no or treat me with an ounce of disrespect. I love this, my husband really does have my back!

Communicate. Need I say more? This is a must. You must talk to each other, keep each other in the loop on things, make decisions together, and talk through thoughts. If you can't talk to each other about things, what can you do? Talking is so easy!!

Listen. Sounds easy, but not so much . .Don't just hear what the other person says, but truly listen. Remember what they are telling you. Even if you don't care. Just do it, it shows you care. Do I care about what kind of hunting bow my husband has or wants? Nope, not at all. But I am going to listen to him talk about it because it means a lot to him.
Have the same priorities. This is a hard one. As you get older in a marriage you both change. Sometimes for the worst, sometimes for the better. You get new hobbies, you get bored of old hobbies, your priorities change. Make sure your priorities always stay in check. To me, they are: My children, my husband, my career. As my kids get older and don't depend on me as much I suspect my husband will come first. I don't think Javy's career is on his top 3 priority list, but I think our top 2 match up.
Don't be selfish. This one is what it is, but it's hard to put other people before yourself! Guess what I don't feel like cooking . .well, ever. But I do it because I know my family needs a good hearty meal each night. Their needs come first, not mine. Javy will drop anything at any given moment if I ask him for something, he will always put my needs first before his own.
Be each other biggest supporter.. No matter what I choose to do, Javy is always on the sideline cheering me on. From making a career move to loosing weight, he was there to pick me up when I was down.
Be honest. If something is bothering you, be vocal and honest about your concerns. Never ever tell a lie. Lying is a recipe for disaster in a relationship. It starts with small white lies, and builds from there until you are actually lying to yourself. I bet sometimes Javy wishes I would just shut up, because I will tell him everything that is bothering me.
Be friends. When I say be friends, I mean; get along,hug, have fun together, like hanging out, make each other laugh, and smile. Javy and I really do everything together as a family. We look forward to our days off to we can all hang out. I can honestly say that Javy is my best friend. I would rather hang out with him than anyone else.

A relationship and marriage is work folks. Hard, grueling work. Don't get me wrong, Javy and I have had our fair share of ups and downs. The key is to not let the downs keep you down. Make it better. But making it better takes work from both sides- remember that! The pay off for that work is well worth it. What can be better than spending your life with someone you love and have fun with, and having your kids see the meaning of love everyday.

I love sitting back and thinking of where Javy and I came from. 2 young kids working to have fun, not a care in the world, and both NEVER wanting to be married. To today: Two young adults, who have worked hard, played hard and loved hard. Blessed with 2 children, and a beautiful life together.

We are in this life together, we are a team. I couldn't ask for a better person to grow old with and share all my memories with.

A birth story

2012-09-11T11:36:00.001-07:00

I wanted to share the story of my daughter Charlotte's birth to hopefully inspire any mom out there to give birth naturally even when she thinks she can't.

I had my son naturally 3 years ago. This involved a lot of screaming, hand squeezing, more screaming and 12 hours of hard labor. I am pretty sure that I begged for a C section half way through labor. It is true though, you immediately forget the pain once that tiny healthy baby comes out. I knew that I would go natural with all of my children. It just felt right, especially after seeing the documentary made by Ricki Lake on natural labor, The Business of being born

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8h0SkPcs2U (watch a preview here)

I became pregnant with Charlotte and had problem after problem from the beginning of this pregnancy. The final problem, pre eclampia. I knew that this meant I would need to be induced with pitcoin at 37 weeks. Sure enough, I was. If anyone doesn't know what pitocin is, let me tell you. It's the drug that any soon to be mom having a natural labor dreads. It artificially puts your body into labor while contractions EXTREMELY painful.

Foley Catheter

I had done my research and new natural labor was going to be tough. I went into the hospital on November 30th to be induced. That night they inserted a foley catheter (pic to left). This a technical word for balloon that get blown up to help you dilate. This bad boy was uncomfortable, but really didn't hurt at all going in like I was anticipating. Mild contractions started within an hour of it in me, and only got stronger throughout the night. I was given Ambien to help me sleep, I dreamt about trolls taking over the hospital and before I knew it it was about 5am and I had to pee.

Once I got up the courage to actually go pee, my water eventually broke, and I was screaming on the toilet for Javy to come tell me why the hell there is all this fluid coming out of me. Javy called the nurse, the nurse confirmed my water broke.

I was dilated to about 5cm by 6am on Dec. 1st. My pitocin drip was scheduled to start at 7am. The contractions were already getting tough to manage through, but I knew I had to stay calm.I refused food (that's a first) as I was too busy putting my energy into breathing through contractions.

The piton started and I swear to this day THE ONLY PAIN I REMEMBER FROM BIRTH IS THE PAIN OF THE IV GOING IN. I hate needles, I hate IV's, I hate blood, and I hate seeing a needle in me. I didn't want and IV but they had to get piton in me somehow. Instantly the contractions came on stronger than I had ever experienced before.

Labor pains and contractions is all mind over matter. We as woman were made to do this, our bodies were made to have babies, we can handle any pain that comes our way- if we know how to control it. Women have been having babies for centuries with no pain meds, why do we need them now? I knew I just had to breathe and stay focused. That's what I did.However, the contractions got the best of me. After fighting back and fourth with myself and even crying over my decision, I decided I needed an epidural. I couldn't take the pain.

After consulting with my mid wives and husband about it, they called the "pain man" to come and stick that needle up my back and make me pain free. That day there happen to be a large snow storm and the pain man was stuck in traffic trying to get to work that day- I was at least a few hours out from him arriving to my bed side.

The midwife checked me again to see how far dilated I was. I was 9cm dilated! I requested the pitocin be turned off and to cancel the epidural. I changed my mind and knew I could make it that last cm epidural free.

Sure enough, after about another 45 mins of CRAZY HARD INTENSE contractions and 15 mins of pushing, my 6 lb 4 oz baby girl entered the whorl at 1pm. About 6 hours of labor- that's it!

I did it, epidural free, completely natural. It really was mind over matter. You can do anything you push your body to do!

If you are looking into a natural labor, I have 1 piece of advice for you. You must go into labor 100% confident and positive that you want a natural labor. People will try to talk you out of it and nurses may ask if you want an epidural- know that you will be tempted but also know that you can do it without any pain management!! It will be painful, but you truly forget the pain in the end. If you know in your heart that you want it- then you will be able to have that baby epidural free!

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Do it yourself picture wall shelves

2012-09-09T08:26:00.001-07:00

I have been speaking, preaching, nagging, dreaming . .(what ever you want to call it) about a picture wall to Javy for about 2 years. I had the perfect spot for it in my living room. There was only 1 problem.

1. I have slowly gotten rid of all of Javy's "bachelor" decorations. In the 8 years we have been together he only had a lonely surf board left hanging on our walls.

I wanted this surf board down, and I wanted this wall. After a few years of brainwashing him into a picture wall, he gave in. Only under 1 condition.

1. I have to do the whole thing myself.

The thought of hanging a picture and making it straight terrified me. I was up for the challenge. I did lots of research on the kind of shelf I wanted here is what I came up with and how for a total price for shelves $30!!!

Floating shelves are EXPENSIVE. Especially when you want a 6 and 3 foot long one. Make your own shelves. Start with going to your local Home Depot and buy some GOOD wood. Don't get the cheapest stuff (although tempting) spend the extra bucks and get some quality (Javy found my wood)
Find the least noticeable shelving anchors. You don't want something big and bulky.
Find your stain of choice. I wanted dark. (Javy did this)
Bring your wood home and use a table saw to cut a small crease down the middle of the wood (to hold your frames up right on the shelf) (Javy did this)
Start the staining. Javy told me this would takes days. I didn't believe him. it takes days. You really want to get a good color going on your wood. You need to let it dry and stain again, let it dry and stain again. Blah. (Javy did this)
Arrange your pictures on the floor prior to hanging. This way you can get an idea of shelving spaces prior to screwing everything up once your shelves are up.
Hang up those shelves. I pouted a little, threw a small temper tantrum about hanging the shelves myself and before I knew it Javy was helping. Actually, who am I kidding, he did it all. I sat on the couch and made sure everything was straight.

8. Once your nice little homemade shelves are up on the wall. Arrange your pics accordingly. There you go, your very own picture wall. I love it

Please note: I ended up putting down one coat of stain myself, putting pictures in the frames, and organizing the frames myself. THANK GOD FOR AN AMZING HUSBAND WHO GIVES INTO MY POUTY FACES AND SAD EYES.

The easiest chicken pot pie on earth!

2012-09-05T20:11:00.000-07:00

There is a few things I look for when cooking a new meal

budget friendly
easy
quick
delish
easy
easy
easy

I LOVE Marie Calendars Chicken pot pie. One day I thought I would be healthy and go out and buy one. Not so much. Have you ever checked how much fat is in those things. Don't do it, you will never truly enjoy one of her chicken pot pies again.

Below is my healthier, EASY and budget friendly version of chicken pot pie. My husband really liked this dish. This says a lot. Javy claims he is not picky. This is not true, he is the pickiest eater I know. If he liked it, you will too.

Ingrediants:

2 chicken breast- cooked- shredded
1 (10.5 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cans of mixed veggies (drained)
1 box ready to bake pie crusts

Pre heat over to 375 degrees. Once chicken is shredded, mix with soup, and mixed veggies

Place 1/2 of pie crust at bottom of pie plate and press down

fill pie with chicken mixture

Place other 1/2 of pie crust on top of mixture, press around bottom of crust into place. When done slice 3 lines into top of raw crust

Cook pie for 45 mins or until crust is light brown

Wait 5 minutes to cool down, cut and enjoy!

Meal ideas for the working mom

2012-09-04T21:08:00.001-07:00

So lets chat about a few things:

it's not easy being a mom
it's not easy being a mom, while working full time
it's not easy being a mom, while working full time while trying to loose baby weight

I'm here to make it easy. I want to introduce to you some daytime snacks/meals that helped me loose the weight without feeling completely starving out of my mind.

Breakfast. I make a huge breakfast every weekend for everyone in my family . . .but me. I cook up the eggs, stuffed french toast (recipe to come), home fries, toast, bacon and sausage. If I am feeling CRAZY I may cut up some fruit too. Everyone says breakfast is the most important meal, it is, eat it . .it will fill you up and prevent snacking. Below is my a few of my breakfasts of choice:

2 scrambled egg whites with a table spoon of cheddar cheese, 1 slice of deli ham and a tad of salt and pepper
1 cup Kellogs fruit and yogurt cereal with a half cup milk (I use to be able to eat at least 5 cups of cereal, I could eat it non stop. Give yourself 30 days of eating just 1 cup, your body will get use to it.)
Brown sugar and maple oatmeal with water

Lunch. I work like a maniac, and hardly take a full deserved, sit down lunch. Normally I am eating at my desk while approving files, crunching numbers or making the next big decision. Here are a few options on what I shove down my throat real quick.

Lean cuisine. Frozen meat freaks me out.I only eat them with no meat. I went on a Lean Cuisine only diet one time and lost 15 lbs. These bad boys are good. (These run about 7 points- when I am not breast feeding, I definitely won't have enough points for this)
Half of a turkey, provolone sandwich on wheat (my least fav. lunch, super boring)
Stuffed grape leaves from Costco. My service manager introduced me to these. They are $9.99 for a million of them and they are only 2 points per stuffed delight. This is my new addiction.

Snacks. I eat one snack a few hours after breakfast and 1 snack a few hours after lunch. I think about 20 snacks during the day. The key is to ONLY eat 2 :-)

Fage greek yogurt. (Strawberry is my fave) Plain greek yogurt freaks me out too, is it the texture? I don't know, but Fage is the BEST ONE EVER
Fiber one bar (90 Calories)- I eat this as a morning snack and it holds me up for hours at only 2 points
Pepperidge Farm cracker chips- you can eat a ton of these for about 2 points. Yes please.
Fruit. Zero points. Hell yes. Give me a vine of grapes, an apple orchard, and a pear tree. Done.

Dinner:

I don't make anything weight water friendly. I cook for my family and what they crave. I simply only eat 1 portion size and make sure I have eaten good all day if I know my dinner may be a little on the higher fat side.

Bring snacks with you to work. Don't take temptation. Plan your eating for the day ahead of time. It's that easy.

Go get em tigers.

Fish! It's what for dinner

2012-09-03T20:02:00.002-07:00

In efforts to get healthy and loose the L-Bs I am committed to eating fish at least once per week. Living in Colorado it's not exactly exciting going to the grocery store to pick out the freshest catch of the day. It's more like going to see what frozen fish is the cheapest this week.

My fish of choice is normally tilapia. It's not fishy tasting or smelling, reasonably priced and easy to cook with. Tonight Javy asked what kind of Tilapia I was making. I was planning on throwing some lemon pepper on the fillet o fish and calling it a day. Crap, this wasn't going to be fly with him, he was expecting gourmet style. I had to think fast, I had to make something a tad bit tastier. Below is a recipe I made up and it was D to the LIGHT! (sorry, I forgot to take pics, but trust me it's good. You will love it, you will make it again, you will thank me later)

3 Cheese Encrusted Tilapia

Ingredients

2/3 cup plain bread crumbs
1 TBL dijon mustard (don't ask where this ingredient came from when creating this)
1/2 TSP dried parsley
2 TSP lemon pepper
1/2 cup Parm cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
4 Tilapia fillets

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees and spray bottom of baking dish. Mix together first 7 ingredients. Once mixed well, press mixture onto the top of each tilapia fillet. Place tilapia fillets into baking dish and cook uncovered in pre heated oven for 10-15 minutes or until fish is cooked through. YUM!

I served with steamed broccoli and the rice you can always guarantee I have in my house, Knorr Cheddar Broccoli Rice. This stuff is cheap, and a little treat on your taste buds.

Go Indulge in a fishy treat folks!