Chairwoman of the Cutting Board

Letter to my son

2013-01-27T09:31:00.000-05:00

I wrote this letter to my son the night of this birthday. I hope that by sharing it, I encourage you to once in a while look at your children in a different light. I'm hoping you don't miss out on the true blessings they are.

Son,

It is late. 1:42 AM to be exact. It is now the morning after your birthday and I am laying in bed going from looking at you through the monitor, to looking at your dad sleeping next to me, to writing this letter. It was your birthday when I started writing and one rewrite after the other has led me into the wee hours of the morning the day after.

I spent all day finishing up details for your birthday party later today. You know…the party I said I wasn't going to do anything for this time around. I chose Toy Story as the theme because you love those movies so much I wanted to put a little smile on your face, even if you will not remember it when you grow older.

It is now 1:49. I am tired. I should go to sleep, but I wanted to write something for your birthday, so forgive me if at times I sound scattered or random. I started by thinking I would write a short blurb for my Facebook page. You know, the usual “on this day, you were born to forever change my life” kind of deal, but then I trashed it.

Then I thought about writing something witty and sarcastically humorous about toddler tantrums and needing more wine so others would chuckle at my expense, but I trashed that one as well.

I want to write something that is for you. Something that I know you cannot understand now, but something I hope will show you what you mean to my life even at your ripe young age. Something that when you have children of your own, you will understand even more. Something that you can keep in your heart when I am no longer there.

Yes, two years ago on this day, you were born to forever change my life. I wont give you the usual “you are the biggest blessing” and “never sleep again” message because that is what everybody says.

As they tell writers….I will write to you from my heart.

The past two years have been both beautiful and hard. Learning to be your mom and everything that comes with the title has been and continues to be be overwhelming, exciting, scary, worrisome, and the list goes on and on.

It is now 2:28 AM and in thinking what to write, my thoughts go back and forth between the exhausting tantrums over boundary exploration, the immense and engulfing love that keeps me awake at night praying to God that he keep you healthy, safe, and happy, and the hope that you have fun in your birthday party. Yes, this is what it is like to be a mom.

But as I weed out all of the noise from my head, it becomes clear to me that you came into this world, not only to be my beautiful son, but also to be my dedicated and inspiring teacher. Every step you have taken, every skill you have learned, every new experience you have had, all teach me a valuable lesson in life.

You taught me that many overlooked things in life, like boxes, and wooden spoons, and flashlights, can be fun if you just stop for a moment to enjoy them. You taught me it is possible to make the best of what you have.

You taught me that sometimes when you are having a bad day all you need is a blueberry, or a strawberry, or raspberry, or something colorful and healthy.

As I watched you play with the grass for the first time, I learned that blades of grass are as beautiful and awe inspiring as the most beautiful of flowers. I learned to admire all that is in nature by watching you discover it.

You taught me that no matter what it is, whether it is a plane, a bird, a cloud, or the moon…if it is in the sky, it is fascinating and worth looking at. I had grown so accustomed to the wonders of the sky, they were no longer wonders until you came around.

You taught me to dance. No, I knew to how to dance before you came around, but you taught me to dance like no one is watching. Watching you dance alone taught me that when I want to dance, I don’t need a partner, I just need to let go. Like my father, your grandpa, used to say “Music is the unconscious arithmetic of the numbers of the soul”. I sometimes think (wonder, wish, hope) that when you are dancing alone, he is dancing there with you.

I bought you a brand new lovey…a brand new replica of the scruffy one you hold dear. But no matter how many times I encourage you to exchange them, you refuse because your dingy and raggedy little monkey lovey has always been there to comfort you when you needed him…and you love him…and when you love someone or something that much, you never let them go. No matter how they look.

After watching all of your little friends learn to crawl and walk months ahead of you, I grew worried that something was wrong. Months later I was happy and relieved when you took your first steps. You consequently taught me to be incredibly grateful for the ability to move and walk.

Your loud belly laugh is like sunshine in our house. It is the best part of my day. It makes everything better for me. I really mean it. No matter what is happening, what I am doing, or what part of the house I am at, when I hear you laugh I immediately cheer up. You taught me to make sure our house is filled with laughter…everyday. You also taught me that when all else fails, a good tickle or silly face goes a long way.

In watching you painstakingly try again and again and again…to walk, to to climb…to use a fork…you taught me that persistence is much more important than ability when learning to do anything.

You taught me that the world does not need me to be perfect…it just needs me to be present and not give up. This one speaks for itself.

By trying to keep up with you and be happy doing so, you taught me that I need sleep as much as I need air.

With all the times we were ill together, you taught me that just when I thought I couldn’t handle anymore…I could. That and more.

Through you I learned that your dad is an amazing loving father who is willing to do anything for us. Just looking at you tells me that we were always meant to be together.

You taught me that sometimes it is ok to cry when things don’t go our way, or when we are tired, or hurt, or scared. Watching you also taught me that sometimes when you cry, you just need someone to hug you and tell you it will all be ok.

You taught me how much fun it can be to go outside and get some fresh air each and every single day. It is easy to be reminded of it when you stand by the kitchen door looking outside like the whole world is waiting for you.

You taught me that just like sometimes you need your mommy for no reason at all, sometimes I need mine as well. My mommy, your granma, says this never goes away. No matter how old you are.

All of the times I did not let you climb things because I thought you could not do it and would get hurt only to find out you could climb things perfectly fine taught me that just because you don’t know how to do something or you don’t know how to do it well, it does not mean you shouldn’t try. It also taught me I should never assume someone cannot do something just by the way they look.

What a great teacher you are…

Yes…I am blessed. I am blessed that you came my way. I am blessed that through all of the noise of everyday life, I am able see you as the great person that you are. That through the tears, and the tantrums, and giggles and wiggles…you are and always will be my greatest teacher. You came to slow things down to enjoyable speeds, to shed light to sometimes dark rooms, to fill the random voids of everyday life with laughter.

I think it is fair to say that two years ago yesterday…we were both born.

I love you son.

Happy Birthday.

Isn't it time you made a list?

2012-11-15T15:54:00.000-05:00

This is not a post about weight loss. You will not find tips on better snacking and quick exercise tips for busy moms. You will not read about how to keep motivated or how people will try to sabotage your efforts. No, this is not a post about losing weight.

This is a post about finally doing something you either have always wanted to do or simply never thought you could do yourself. Been there before? Ever said to yourself “I wish I could do that ” or “one day I am going to do that”. I know I have. I think I say that almost every day. Whether it is something I see on TV or something I run into while doing errands, I am constantly wishing I knew how to do something or saying to myself that one day I will do so and so.

Then the other day, after weighing myself for the 400^th time, I realized that I used to say that about losing weight. When you are fat, you see the process of losing weight as the hardest thing in the world. Giving birth is not as hard as losing weight. And when you have unsuccessfully tried to lose weight a number of times, the thought of trying again is heartbreaking. I know.

Happy to say that 11 months later and 60 lbs thinner, I am amazed everyday that I was able to do it. I know I have more to go, but just getting to where I am is the hardest thing I have ever done.You know how I did it? I just did. I decided to get off the couch and start eating better. It was all about just going for it knowing that I might not be successful at it, but that if I didn’t go for it, it would never happen. It was reminding myself that it wasn’t a race or test and that if I failed, it was ok.

Then I wondered how far I would get if I actually just went for it every time I mumbled to myself “God I wish I could that. From a simple standing rib roast to learning how to blow glass. Just going for it. What better motivation than the fact that I did it once already! I did the “impossible”. I lost weight.

I am blessed with the opportunity to be a stay at home mom, even though I still do some consulting work on the side (purely to keep me in the loop with my career). But between changing diapers and picking up the toys in the living room for the millionth time, life can get a bit stale.

So what if I started a list and officially keep track of every single time I say “I wish I could do that” and actually started doing some of these things. What if every single silly idea of “I wish I could carve an ice sculpture” actually turned into one of my things to do? What if I started the bucket list, and actually worked on it every week? Would I feel more fulfilled or would I just appreciate my simple life even more?

Do you have a bucket list? A real one? Not an imaginary one you talk about but never keep track of. An actually bucket list on paper that you look at and update frequently. Maybe it’s time we build one, before life just creeps on by.

It doesn’t have to be a life-long list. It can be anything you like. Check out these bucket lists.

It can be as simple as a seasonal list.

Or a simple list of things to do before leaving somewhere.

Check this site out for more inspiration.

Whats on your bucket list? Ill go work on mine and post it soon.

Between you and me, Just Between Friends is the place to be!

2012-09-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

Any parent can tell you that buying clothes for children while staying on a budget is a major challenge, especially when they sometimes seem to grow two inches overnight. Don’t even get me started on toys. Your kid goes to a friend's house, loves a toy, you go out and pay full retail price for it, and your kid never looks at it again. Instead, he LOVES the box. You gotta love em.

I still remember my best friend complaining about how she had to drag her kid shopping because her jeans where starting to look like clam diggers. I also remember her complaining about how she just spent $35 dollars on a pair of jeans she knows will not last her kid more than a few months. In all honestly, this was B.A. (before Aiden) so I never really cared. I listened and sympathized but I couldn't relate. I figured that spending $20 dollars on a cute little outfit is not such a big deal.

That is, of course, until you realize that the cute little outfit that you just bought last week, does not fit because your kid grows like an alien! Now the $20 dollars of cuteness has become either a $20 dollar hassle if you even have the time to go back to the mall and return it, or a $20 dollar "maybe for the next baby" outfit (if you are brave enough to have another one or lucky enough to have him or her be the same gender). Oh, and did I mention the full retail toys my son never looked at twice? Nah...not bitter at all.

Now, I don't know about you, but that's $20 dollars I would rather not flush down the toilet, and given the state of our current economy, I think most people are on the same boat. That is why I am so thankful to have discovered children's consignment sales a few months before my son was born. Consignment sales give you the opportunity to purchase good quality children clothes at incredible savings. They also allow you to sell those cute little outfits that your kid outgrew in 2 hours so they are not a complete waste. Well organized sales pay good attention to quality, weeding out clothes that are stained or torn and making sure toys are in full working mode.

I mean, seriously, I bought this Gap romper for my son at a sale for 2.75. Can you possibly get any cuter?

Or how about the “Give Peas a Chance” shirt I bought for $1.00. How could you possible not give peas a chance with that face? Now if only I could get him to smile for the camera.

Do you all remember this cute outfit? I believe this one was $3.00.

Or how about this one?

Ok, I snuck this one in. No outfit or deal here, just cute. Thank you to my dear and very talented friend Heather for snapping this pic for me. :)

Between clothes (for my son and nephews) and toys, I must saved thousands of dollars by now. And for those of you who know my son, you know he is always stylin. J I swear this kid dresses better than I do. Now the question is, “Do I need to go to all of these sales?” The answer is…not necessarily. Some are definitely bigger and better than others.

Right now I am particularly excited about the Just BetweenFriends (JBF) Consignment Sale coming up this weekend September 15-16^th at the Dulles Sportsplex in Sterling Virginia. Not only is it a very large sale, but Just Between Friends has a reputation for being very organized. Trust me, you want organized. Lots of brand names and high demand items (have you ever tried to get a Bob stroller on Craigslist before? They are gone in minutes!)

Check out some of their pictures from their Facebook Album Spring 2012 event:

The sale is open to the public on Saturday, September 15^th from 10 AM to 6:30 PM with a $5 admission fee (totally worth it, trust me) and on Sunday, September 16^th between 8AM and Noon with a 50% price sale (no admission fee).

If you volunteer your time at the sale (which I believe they still have slots available), you can qualify for presale passes which allow you entrance before the general public. JBF also has bartering opportunities for those who cannot volunteer too much time, but if you can’t do either, not big deal. You will still find tons of good deals during normal sale hours.

Visit their Facebook page and get a pass for free admission on Saturday (no $5 dollar fee!). I believe you can just show them the pic on your phone. If you like their page, you can get notified of upcoming events as well.

I cant wait to pick out Aiden's outfits for the winter. Maybe a good warm snow suit?

Magazine hell no more!

2012-08-22T15:42:00.001-04:00

Hello, my name is Lissette and I am a magazine hoarder. I have visions of the Fairfax County Hoarding Task Force (yes it does exist) knocking at my door and dragging me away from a pile of magazines while I yell and scream that I am going to sort through them one day.

The problem is not that I want to keep every magazine that I read. The problem I have is that there is always something on the magazine that I would like to recreate one day (one very far away day when my 19 month old child goes to college). It could be a recipe, a foyer entryway, or the step by step instructions on how to build a box car or my son. The challenge was how to keep track of said "projects".

At one point, I would neatly cut out the picture, recipe, etc and tack it to my bulletin board. Unfortunately, they took over my whole board and became so messy I never got any done.

Then I tried cutting them out and putting them in a folder. I still dont know where that damn folder is.

I tried putting them into a file sleeve only to have them all collect at the bottom.

Thus, I hoard magazines. In the hopes that one day I will remember to leaf through the pages and find the one recipe that I want to make. Trust me, it doesnt work.

During a recent trip to the thrift store, I saw these very cheap photo albums (the ones with the sticky clear laminate inside) and it hit me that these would be an awesome way to store these clippings! They were pretty ugly though so I decided to wrap them in contact paper to make them durable and Voila! A perfectly easy way to keep magazine clippings!

This album was only 1.60!

Now as I am reading my magazine, I tear out the page of interest and put in a folder by my bed so I can cut it out neatly later in the evening.

I then use contact paper (this is the only one I was able to find in a hurry but they have really pretty ones online) to cover the albums. Ugly album no more!

I can then put my clippings in the album and they stay in place. Once I am done with a clipping (either I have made the recipe or recreated the picture), I trash it and make room for new ones.

These albums are cheap enough that I now have one for each category! Some include recipes, kid projects, storage ideas, and home décor! I haven't had time to label them, but the plan is to use a stencil and a Sharpie pen to label each one. One day....when my kid goes to college 17 years from now.

I guess the Fairfax County Hoarding Task Force will have to find work somewhere else.

Squid on a stick? I wish. How about Salmon Cakes instead?

2012-06-13T21:04:00.002-04:00

http://vagabondkids.com/2011/02/weird-and-wonderful-food-of-asia-part-one/

No, this is not my kid, and no, its not a bug. Its squid on a stick! If I could buy these squids on sticks here, I would be all over them but since we cant all be that lucky, how about Salmon cakes instead?

Pat, pat, pat. Yes, that it is me patting myself on the back for managing not only to keep my son alive for the past 16 months, but also staying somewhat sane myself...somewhat. What I have not managed to do very well is expand my son's taste in food.

Don't get me wrong - I make sure he eats very healthy (always eats veggies, never has sweets, sodium, or saturated fats), but for some reason I just never think of making him more complex meals. It doesn't help that my husband and I have been on a controlled diet for the past 6 months so feeding him what we eat simply does not work for a growing baby. Honestly after a long "toddlery" day, the last thing I want is to have to cook two different meals.

However, I cringe at the idea of having a child that will only eat chicken nuggets and/or spaghetti. I had my first raw oyster when I was two years old and to this day have no reservations in trying whatever weird dish you put in front of me. It is therefore critical for me that my son be flexible and open to different food choices and although I understand that he may still end up being a picky eater when he is three, I need to know that I tried my best.

So in an effort to expand my son's palate, I am determined to cook two new meals for my son a week (preferable something that is freezable so I have something for those long "I hate my kitchen" days). I have also given my mom a laundry list of Puerto Rican food items she absolutely must bring me on her next trip up and I cant wait for my son to try "dulce de batata"!

Today I made salmon cakes that I haven't done in years and they were a hit! My son had tried very boring baked and pan fried salmon many times before but was not crazy about it. He did, however, LOVE these salmon cakes and I was able to freeze some for some other day! Yay!

I figured I would share the recipe in case you need an easy and quick go to for dinner.

Salmon Cakes

Ingredients

1 15 oz can of pink salmon or 1 1/2 cups cooked salmon, flaked
3 scallions, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1 large egg beaten
1 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 3/4 cups whole wheat breadcrumbs
3 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions and garlic. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in dill; remove from the heat.
Place salmon in a medium bowl. If using canned, you can remove the skin and bones or leave them in for an extra source of calcium. They are very soft. (I removed mine). Flake apart with a fork; r Add egg and mustard; mix well. Add the scallion mixture, breadcrumbs and pepper; mix well. Shape the mixture into 8 patties, about 2 1/2 inches wide.
Heat remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in the pan over medium heat. Cook patties until the undersides are golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a wide spatula, turn them over onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining patties.
Bake the salmon cakes until golden on top and heated through, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve salmon cakes with a squeeze of lemon. Once cooled, these can be frozen and reheated in the microwave within 30 days.

If you wish, you can make a creamy dill sauce (recipe below) to top these cakes but they are delicious without as well.

Creamy Dill Sauce

1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and serve on the side with Salmon Cakes

The last 7 months

2011-08-23T10:27:00.001-04:00

On January 25th Aiden Tyler McNair was born and from that moment on he has been on a mission to remind me, at every single minute of the day, that life will never be the same. And so it began...my journey into Mommyhood. Gone were the days of tailored suits, power lunches, and business happy hours. Gone were the days of excel spreadsheets, board room meetings, and power presentations.

Nowadays a tailored suit is what I wear when trying to feed my child so my concoction of oatmeal, peaches, and peas doesnt get all over my hair (blah). Who the hell thinks of these combinations?!?!?! Thankfully it also doubles as a diaper changing suit.

No, that is not Aiden. Its random messy baby in need of a power wash.

Power lunches no longer involve brainstorming ideas on how to penetrate a new federal agency. Nooooo, power lunches are now the extreme workout I have to do every single feeding to get my son to open his mouth to eat. I am now officially an expert at landing airplanes, driving trains, counting in french, sparring, karate chopping and dancing the macarena. Hey, at least I dont make him eat my foot.

NO, this is not Aiden although teething has tempted me to do so. :)

And happy hours, oh yes, good ol care free happy hours of drunken debauchery are gone. This is my new happy hour:

Yes, that is my beautiful child sleeping and yes for that hour, mommy is very happy. :)

Boardroom meetings have become baby meetings!

And although I still have to use PowerPoint for various consulting reasons, I am happy to say that excel sheets are hardly existent in my life now. THANK GOD!

Yep, life is certainly different and although there are times I miss my executive life, I wouldnt change getting to see my little man morning, day, and night for anything in this world. I spent 34 years working to define me and it took him less than a minute to completely redefine me. What can I say, I love the little guy.

Aiden Tyler 02-01-2011

Adam and Aiden Tyler 03-07-2011

Aiden Tyler 04-18-2011

Aiden Tyler 05-18-2011 (makes guest appearance on South Park)

Aiden Tyler 06-22-2011

Aiden Tyler 07-24-2011

Aiden Tyler and his Grandad 08-11-2011

Facebook isn't easy sometimes

2011-07-08T20:39:00.000-04:00

This is a page to try to add a facebook button to my email.

Mother’s Day Surprise

2011-05-09T20:29:00.001-04:00

When I first booked our trip to Puerto Rico, Mother’s Day never even crossed my mind. I planned for Adam, Aiden and I flying down together, Adam returning a few days later and Aiden and I staying a bit longer after Adam’s departure. After everything was booked, it was then that it hit me that Adam would not be with me for my first Mother’s day and although I was very happy to spend Mother’s Day together with my mother and son, I must admit I was sad to not have my husband present. My husband promised me that he would make it up to me and that he would celebrate Mother’s Day with me upon my return.

After almost two weeks in Puerto Rico, I was ready to come home but I was not looking forward of going through the airport hassle with a three month all baby all alone. I was even more disillusioned when Adam told me he couldn't pick me up at the airport and I was going to have to take a cab. After a long day of traveling and lugging baby and luggage all by myself, I finally made it home, exhausted but relieved to be back.

Imagine my surprise when I found this big note waiting for me right when I walked in the door.

“Lissette, Since Adam couldn’t be here he asked me to make sure you are comfortable since you just flew all the way from “The Spooked Island” (For my Puerto Rican friends “la isla del espanto”). I’ve done my best to arrange the house for you. There are index cards around the house marking comfort items. I hope you can rest until Adam comes home to take care of you. I’ve done my best I can considering the lack of thumbs and how short in the pants I am. Love Wrinkles”. Wrinkles is the dog in the pic. :)

As I made my way through the house I found these:

“Comfortable pants so you dont have to unpack to find some”

On the couch I found these:

“Reading Materials” over a stack of new tabloid magazines. My guilty pleasure.
“Caution: it says it is intense” over my favorite chocolate.
“2 clean outfits, 1 blanket, 1 burp clothes” for Aiden so I dont have to search the house to change him after a long flight.
“Watch Tv – If you want PPV, The Switch, How do you Know", or Morning Glory are new and sound like you might light them”. :) Movie listings
“Pizza in Freezer – Quattro Formagi with Chorizo and tomato basil sauce” – Dinner ready

As I made my way to the kitchen to make my pizza, this is what I found:

“ Unlike Winger, Ratt, and Poison, these hairbands are new” on top of new hairbands since I had lost mine.
“Coasters not part of this – Just sitting here” – :)
“For your sniffles” on top of allergy medicine since I had been miserable with allergies during my entire trip.
“new soda” – over a case of caffeine free soda so I dont make our child crazy when I breast feed. :)
“2 cans in fridge” :)

I then continued to the counter in order to make the pizza and found these:

“Probably not 100% natural nor organic (10% real tiger")” over a Tigger marshmallow pop.
“100% Natural, 95% organic. Must be 5% Unicorn and Leprechaun” over a new lip balm. Gotta love my husbands sense of humor.
“how do Pringles climb the ladder” = :)

He also left me everything ready for my pizza:

Cooking instructions for my pizza

Wax paper on the cutting board for the pizza and a Chinese take out menu in case I didnt want pizza.

Everything I need to make the frozen pizza he actually made for me with real pizza dough.

He even left me an extra napkin out since I have a tendency to always stain my shirt. :)

I then made my way up the stairs to change and found these:

I wonder what happens Wednesday.

Dinner and theater. :)

Yay! I am getting an IPhone!

Maceo Parker and Spa day….can it possibly get better?

The gift of the arts. :)

Adam and I spend a lot of time together. We call it “togetherness” as a joke. :)

I just learned how to play Risk. :)

Addictive little game.

Love me some United States of Tara!

He didnt watch any of our recorded shows so we can watch them together. :)

and…

I can finally make it to one of my high school reunions or maybe to one of my old friends holiday parties! I haven't been to one since I left PR over 10 years ago. :)

Yay!!! New nightstands!!! I hate my nightstands right now.

OH MY GOD…any new mother knows how valuable this other coupon is…

These don’t even need an explanation.

Have you seen my car?????

I wonder where we should go on vacation next. Maybe I will do one of those Disney cruises my friend Kerry keeps talking to me about.

Yay! I think I have him convinced to build our next home.

Anybody that knows me knows that while I was taking all of these pictures, I was crying because I was so touched. This one really did it for me.

Mandy I have babysitter and a Nail coupon…you down for Wednesday???

I have never seen the Nationals play in the new stadium. :)

:) He cracks me up.

He even left stuff ready so I can feed Aiden.

Words cannot express how truly lucky I feel to have a hubby that would spend hours planning this for me. I came home, put on my comfy new pants, baked my personal pizza and sat on the couch to relax, all with no effort.

Thank you Adam…you never cease to amaze me. I love you.

Children’s Consignment Sales

2011-03-24T11:09:00.002-04:00

I have frequented yard sales and estate sales with my mom for years. I still remember the first time I went to an estate sale and saw my mom rummaging through some poor old dead lady's linen drawer. I was shocked at the invasion of privacy. Poor old lady who probably cherished her things more than anything in the world. That is, of course, until I saw a complete Mikasa china set for less than $50 and then it was "to hell with the old lady". There is nothing like a good deal at a good estate sale.

It is absolutely amazing what people will do for a good deal. Black Fridays are a good example. People who complain about having to wake up early to beat rush hour on a daily basis actually wake up at 3AM so they can buy a toaster for a dollar. Then I have friends, (one in particular and you know who you are) who once a year gets together with other shopping hungry women and spend the entire day (yes, the entire day) shopping. They are at Ikea before it opens and they end their day at a Walmart that closes at midnight. Before baby I would have probably said that I would rather clean port-a-potties but now that I am a mom I think of the great parking space I could get at Ikea at 9AM.

This is what happens...baby pops out and you need to go shopping...its like an itch.

So I have weathered Black Fridays, Cyber Mondays, Yard sales, Garage sales, estate sales, auctions, clearance sales, you name it...but nothing had prepared me for a children's consignment sale.

Back in the fall of last year, my friend Jenny had mentioned this consignment sale (they do them twice a year) but since I was only pregnant (no baby yet) I didn't make it there until 12:50 and it ended at 1PM so there was nothing left (remember no baby, no deep rooted urge to go shopping). Last weekend, however, was the spring consignment sale and Jenny and I made plans to attend this one together. She had mentioned that I should bring bags and get there early but she failed to mention that madness and chaos that was about to ensue within the walls of this normally peaceful little church.

Sale goes from 8AM to 1PM. Jenny had told me to be there early so I woke up (ha ha ha...woke up...ha ha ha....like I get any sleep to begin with) let me rephrase that, so I handed the rug-rat to hubby, picked up Starbucks at the crack of dawn and was at the church by 7:30AM. Obviously there were already a million people there waiting in line like they are handing out money. I, however, was prepared...I had my coffee, I had my bags. I was good, until the doors opened.

Everyone pushed their way in to this crammed up little room full of racks of clothes and tables covered in toys and here I am holding a darn cup of coffee (freaking Starbucks addiction) when I needed both hands TO GRAB EVERYTHING I COULD AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. People were pushing each other to make it to the shoe bin. Women were screaming at their husbands to grab as many games as possible. It was absolutely chaos. I gulped my coffee and joined the madness pushing and shoving my way through the crowd to make it to the 0-3 month old boy's clothes rack. I am still sore from having wire hangers and elbows shoved into me. I managed to make my way downstairs where the "big ticket items" are. In baby world these are strollers, play pens, bouncers, walkers, and swings. Sigh... I remember when big ticket items at sale were Coach bags at 70% off.

So how did I make out? I bought about $400 worth of stuff for about $60 bucks. $60 BUCKS!!!! YES AIDEN, YOUR MOTHER ROCKS!

I must say that now I am hooked and for those of you who have never attended a children's consignment sale, here are a few tips:

1) Be there early. There is no need to be there at 4AM, but be there by opening time. Most people who attend consignment sales are experts and know exactly what the good deals are. If you are late you wont find crap.

2) Free your hands. Dont bring coffees, phone, wallets, or anything that you have to actively hold in your hands. If you cant slip your cash in your bra like I do, then bring a purse you can sling over your neck. Leave your hands for the grabbin.

3) Bring empty bags. They can be supermarket bags or if you are on a green kick, canvas bags, but for the love of God, bring a bag. Some sales do not provide bags and you can buy more things if you have a way of carrying them.

4) Dont bring kids. They are annoying in these sales plus it could be dangerous. People are like savages in these sales so having little kids running around is not very safe. If you must bring a kid, keep a good grip on them. I personally would not want my kid in that chaos.

5) Head to the big ticket items first, buy what you need, take it to the car, then come for the small ticket items like clothes and small toys. It is hard to walk around while carrying a bouncer. I made the mistake of starting with clothes when I really wanted a jogging stroller. By the time I made it downstairs, all the jogging strollers were gone. :(

6) Park by the exit not the entrance (if they are different). When I got to the sale I noticed all the spots at the entrance were empty. I thought I made out until I came out of the sale lugging all my stuff and had to walk half a mile to make it to my car.

7) Bring cash. Some places may take checks but dont risk it. Only bring checks as a back up

If you have kids these consignment sales are definitely a good way to stock up on the kiddie items. Things are cheap and in good shape. I will warn you, however, that they can be stressful especially if you dont have the "I just had a baby shopping gene" I mentioned earlier. My husband would divorce me in a heartbeat if I forced him to come to these things. Below are some pictures I found online of consignment sales just to show you the massiveness of it all.

Now if after all of this, you still want to brave a children’s consignment sale, check out the following links. I bet I beat you to it.

http://www.kidsconsignmentsales.com/

http://www.classykidsconsignment.com/

http://www.our-kids.com/static/?f=dcspringconsignment

From wine tastings to diaper blow outs, this is my life

2011-03-24T01:05:00.001-04:00

So Aiden turns two months on Friday and thankfully things are starting to get easier. He has become a black belt six sigma breast feeding machine and I have become a swift ninja diaper changer. As far as I am concerned, the kid is still alive and he has grown out of almost every outfit I have bought him so we must be doing something right. I guess it could be worse.

I must say, however, these past 8 weeks have been quite a learning experience. In this short period of time, we beat jaundice, survived vaccines, fought nipple confusion, battled gas, went to war with the masses at a children's consignment sale, and made it through a Gymboree class without being freaked out by Gymbo the clown of death.

You know what this means??? I am officially a mom. Yes, it has happened

I went from watching National Geographic to being National Geographic. I no longer see boobs as a private part of my body. They are now baby burger kings open 24 hours a day.

Additionally, in an effort to help me increase milk production, my husband encourages a high protein diet by feeding me hard boiled eggs everyday. I swear I feel like a farm animal on growth hormones. I will never look at an egg or a boob the same way again.

I also went from "miss, do you have this in my size?" to "lady, I saw that damn toy before you did, now hand it over or I will smack you". Seriously. I have never liked shopping and now that I am a mom, I actually chose to wake up at the crack of dawn to stand in line with 100 crazy mothers (just like me) who are all waiting to get into a consignment sale so we can buy a $5 dollar toy for one buck.

As soon as the doors open, we all push and shove our way inside to then yank things off the racks like our lives depended on it. For a second I actually thought about shoving some old lady so I can get the set of LINCOLN LOGS THAT HAD MY NAME ALL OVER THEM BECAUSE I WOKE UP EARLY AND STOOD IN THE DAMN LINE. Sorry..got caught in the emotion.

I also went from “honey, let’s go to the theater tonight" to "honey, make sure you put enough diaper cream in his butt crack".

Diaper changes are quite an event at my household. If the kid is not screaming his guts out he is peeing all over the place. It doesn't fail, as soon as we change his diaper, he poops twenty times. I'm serious…he should be the spokesbaby for Charmin or Metamucil. I have never seen a healthier excretory system.

I still don't understand, however, how its possible that after a diaper change there is diaper cream everywhere, including my hair, but none on his little butt. How does that happen?

So life has definitely changed for this executive mom and although I do sometimes miss the freedom that comes from not having children, having Aiden has really given me a deeper perspective of this great big thing we call life. The breastfeeding, the consignment sales, the diaper cream…they are all signs of how much I love this kid and how I am willing to do anything for him. Even with all of the diaper blow outs and leaky boobs, I enjoy being a mom….much more than I ever enjoyed being an executive.

How things have changed…

2011-02-04T17:37:00.005-05:00

As many of you know, our little boy is now a week old and in an effort to take advantage of how much he sleeps during the day (please note that I said he, not us since he is up all night crying), my mom decided to invite Adam, Aiden and I to dinner.

Picking a restaurant was easy since all I really wanted were raw oysters (a big no no when you are pregnant), so we ended up at McCormick and Schmicks. Back in my working days, Adam and I often visited McCormick and Schmicks for Happy Hour, where we ordered a bottle of wine and talked shop all night.
This visit to McCormick and Schmicks was a little different. We first had to make sure baby was very well fed so he would sleep through dinner. Easier said than done when you are breastfeeding but I will spare you the details. Then we had to make sure we knew what to pack in a diaper bag since this was the first time we were leaving the house for longer than 1/2 an hour (not that baby needed anything since I stuffed him so full of milk he was passed out for hours). Then we had to make sure I had taken all of my pain medication so I would not pass out while at the restaurant. After all the preparations, we were off.

When we arrived at the restaurant, we parked in the underground parking garage which forces you to walk into the restaurant via the bar area. As we walked through the suited crowd of businessmen/women seated at the bar, my husband carrying our newborn child and me wearing my maternity clothes and flat Ugg Shoes, I realized how much my life had changed. Not that long ago, I was one of those suits sitting at the bar with no rush to get home.

As we were leaving the restaurant, my family walked ahead of me and I took my sweet time walking through the bar. I looked at people's faces and tried to pick up their voices as I walked by. Then it hit me. I did not feel sad about the life I was leaving behind. I was not jealous of the lack of responsibility some of these people had. Instead, I felt a sense of comfort, a sense of fulfillment by the life I knew I was walking into. It bought a smile to my face for I knew I had been there, done that, and was now on to the next one.

Im ready for this phase or better said....I am going to embrace this new phase of motherhood with open arms and an open heart. I already know that it will be much more fulfilling than any life I left behind.

The Nursery

2011-01-29T00:34:00.001-05:00

As some of you may know, our little boy, Aiden Tyler gave us a surprise by arriving three weeks earlier than expected. On Tuesday early morning, my water unexpectedly broke and after 17 hours of labor and failure to progress, our little one arrived via C-section at 7:55 PM.

Today we were finally discharged and are now at home trying to settle in from this very eventful week. Since things have happened unexpectedly, I have not had enough time to write a post about our baby nursery. So although baby is here already, I will take a minute to show everybody our finished nursery and I promise to write more about Aiden’s arrival over the weekend.

	This room used to be my husband’s tool room. Funny how things change after marriage. :) Here is Adam and his dad installing flooring in the Nursery.
	Once the floor was installed, deciding on paint color was a bit of a challenge since we were still waiting on our custom paintings.
	Experts now believe that ceiling fans significantly decrease the risks of SIDS so my dear hubby and father in law decided it was best to install a fan in the room.
	Adam then installed these roll out shelves in the closet which have turned out to be worth their weight in gold. I have all of our baby clothes all neatly folded and we still have tons of space.
	This little monkey was waiting for Aiden for a long time.

After weeks of preparation, our room was finally finished and we could not possibly be happier with the end results. We are more happy that we were able to finish the nursery before baby got here. It took a lot of work, but we did it!

It turns out my hubby has a knack for placing wall decals. He put up the trunk of the tree, and I spent the following day putting up all the little leaves. Even something as simple as putting up leaves can be quite a task for an 8 month pregnant lady. Even harder was hanging the letters, but I could not resist the temptation to do so. :)

The painting on the wall was a custom made piece by Brian Cantwell from the Cantwell Studio. He is the husband of a dear friend of mine and was kind enough to paint these pictures at my request with very little notice. He is very talented.

I used to use the bamboo as a decorating piece in my living room only to find out a year later that my hubby hated it. I decided to keep them in case I could come up with another use for them. Never thought they would be used in a nursery. :) Finding bedding that matched all of the color motifs was also a challenge but we availed!

These shelves were also repurposed from a different place in the house. We bought the dresser at Kohls.com. It is made by Graco and must say, it is not a well built dresser. My husband used some of his own tools and materials to reinforce it, but I strongly recommend not buying Graco furniture.

My In Laws got us both the Christopher Robin plaque and the room blessing on the wall.

Our little animal friends all looking at the crib.

The finishing touches

The Finished Product

Baby Shower

2011-01-10T22:54:00.001-05:00

I had an awesome time at my baby shower this weekend. I have never had so much at a baby shower. Then again, maybe its because this was actually my shower.

Thanks to Rose for decorating her gorgeous home, having us all over, and cooking all of the great food. Thank you Mandy for coming up with the games, making the favors, and helping putting it all together. Thanks Janell for your help with the last minute arrangements. Thanks to Sarah for helping in spirit and actually making it to the party. Thanks to Heather for taking pics all night so I didnt have to, and finally thanks to everyone for the lovely gifts and spending the evening. Adam and I are truly blessed with great friends.

We got a ton of beautiful gifts so we hardly spent anytime completing our baby registry wish list. Thanks again everybody!!!!!

Homemade Gifts – Ice Cream Toppings

2010-12-24T03:16:00.000-05:00

Christmas shopping can be a real pain in the rear, especially when you ask people for ideas on what to get them as gifts and all they can say is “Oh, don’t worry about it. Don’t get me anything”. Their wonderful gift of humility leaves you wondering around the mall for hours trying to figure out if they would ever use those moisturizing slippers or if they really can live without a Barack Obama Chia Head. Add 8 months of pregnant, swollen feet, and the urge to wee wee every two minutes and you are in for a hell of shopping experience.

For that reason, I decided that I was going to give my friends homemade gifts this year. But what to make? I don't knit, I cant sew, and one can only do so many cookies. Then an old friend I recently reconnected with on Facebook suggested I look into canning. Later that evening, as my husband and I enjoyed some ice cream bars for dessert, it hit me that nobody ever thinks of gifting ice cream toppings/sauces. Adam suggested we do a blueberry sauce, a traditional Butterscotch, and a chocolate sauce. SOLD!

So in case you want to do these for some of your ice cream loving friends, below are a few recipes and suggestions on where to buy the materials. I have included the total number of servings for each recipe. Depending on what size of jar and how many jars you want to gift, you will have to modify the amount of ingredients in your recipes. If you need help doing this, shoot me a note and I would be happy to help you figure it out. This conversion site also helps

Old Fashioned Butterscotch Sauce Recipe

Yields 2 cups (16 oz) of sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan combine sugar, syrup, and butter. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until sugar has dissolved and mixture comes to a full rolling boil. Allow to boil, without stirring, for exactly 1 minute. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. In another bowl or large measuring cup, combine evaporated milk, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir into the slightly cooled sauce. Pour into jars, cover, and refrigerate. Place jar in a pan of warm water to reheat.
* You can add a teaspoon of bourbon for a little adult kick!

Spiced Hot Fudge Sauce

Yields 3 cups (24 oz) of sauce

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder – you can also use Hershey’s dark chocolate cocoa.
2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon of coconut extract
1/2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper

Preparation:

Combine sugar, corn syrup, cocoa powders and evaporated milk in a large stockpot. Cook over medium high heat until mixture comes to a full rolling boil. Turn heat to medium low and continue cooking for 8 to 10 minutes, whisking frequently to release steam and help thicken sauce.
Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla and salt until butter is completely melted. Let cool to warm. Add coconut extract and cayenne pepper. Serve immediately, or store in your fridge for up to 4 weeks, reheating in microwave before serving.

Blueberry Ice Cream Topping

Yields 1 1/4 cup (10 ounces) of sauce

Ingredients

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon cold water
1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation:

In a saucepan, combine the blueberries, water, sugar and salt; cook and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 7 minutes or until the berries burst.
Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; stir into hot blueberry mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in the lemon juice, vanilla and cinnamon. Serve over ice cream. Yield: 1-1/4 cups.

Materials

Glass Jars – Purchased at Freund Container.
Blank Labels – Purchased at Amazon.
Baskets, Cinnamon Sticks, baskets, ribbons, and holiday picks – Purchased on sale at Michaels.

Pictures

This Christmas

2010-12-13T13:33:00.000-05:00

When you are pregnant people tend to be a little nicer to you than usual. They open doors, let you go ahead in line, offer you a chair or give you a kind smile. Since I am 7 months pregnant, I can truly appreciate this kindness but I do think its a shame that people do not tend to be this nice to others as well, especially during the holiday season.

We have gotten so caught up in the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping and commercialism that we have forgotten what the true meaning of Christmas is. So although I know most people are being kind because I am pregnant, I am going to close my eyes and make believe that the kindness I am experiencing is actually the Spirit of Christmas in people's hearts and not a reaction to my bulging belly. Hopefully it will remind me to be as kind in return, not just this Christmas, but the rest of the year as well.

This Christmas I encourage you to look into your heart and do the same and I promise you will have a great Christmas because of it.

Have a Merry Christmas!

Chronicles of Pie

2010-11-30T12:56:00.000-05:00

This Thanksgiving, my mother in law volunteered to cook our entire dinner so I did not have to worry about cooking. I, however, really wanted to bake a pie and when I asked my hubby what kind of pie he wanted, he said he wanted a lemon meringue pie. I, naturally, said “no problem” like I am an expert in pies. I should have known better.

So just to prove that the Chairwoman is not perfect (although I sure am close) ;) , I have decided to show you my Chronicles of Pie.

At least I have heard my Apple Pie is good. :)

	Mistake # 1 – Turns out our lemons had gone bad and it was too late to go to the supermarket. They were as hard as cue balls. So I decided I would use Oranges instead. My husband said “Go for it, its Citrus!” At this point, I think I am doing great!
	Mistake #2 – When I put in the cornstarch, orange juice, and water in the pot to cook, I did not mix it immediately which now I know allows cornstarch to turn into a rock. So I mixed and mixed and mixed and made it creamy again. At this point, I think mixing that worked and pie is going to be great! Yay!
	Mistake #3 – I overfilled the pie crust. At this point, however, I am thinking “look at how pretty that lemon, I mean, orange filling” this is going to be yummy. Oh, and yes that is my belly :)
	Mistake # 4 – All hell breaks loose. I used confectioners sugar instead of regular sugar for the meringue which made it really heavy. When we poured the meringue over the pie, the filling started spilling out. My husband grabbed a straw and started drinking the filling out of the pie (SO GROSS) until I stopped him and poured some filling out of the pie.
	Mistake #5 – I should have thrown the pie out. My husband had already drank a 1/2 cup of lemon filling and the meringue is getting so hard I thought about using it as a Frisbee. At this point, my dear husband is hopeful….I'm pregnant so i am just crying. You gotta love him for trying to help me. LOL
	Hey, Pie comes out of the oven looking good!!!! I stop crying. Hubby is walking around doing the victory dance and standing like Superman who has just saved the day. Pie travels all the way to my in-laws and they ooohh and aaahhh at the beautiful pie.
	And then we slice the pie. The Meringue was so hard we needed a serrated knife to cut the pie. Also, please note the lemon soup below it.
	And here was a slice of my Lemon Meringue Pie for Thanksgiving which my father in law, bless his heart, actually ate half of so I wouldn't feel bad. The pie sucked. At least we got a good kick out of it. Have not laughed that hard in a while.

Anybody that knows me knows that I am not one to give up very easily. I once baked 13 pecan pies trying to make a perfect one and although my pecan pie did not look perfect, it was certainly good enough to eat. So I ran to the supermarket the next day, made some adjustments to my recipe and Voila!

I made an edible Lemon Meringue Pie!

So today, in the battle of Woman v. Pie, Woman won!!!

	Check out my peaks! (That one is for you Heather, LOL)
	We used a regular butter knife to cut the pie!!!!
	Congealed Lemon Meringue Pie!!!!

If interested, email me for the recipe or be smarter than me and get a frozen one from the supermarket!

Easy Jambalaya

2010-11-29T14:58:00.001-05:00

So last week, while everybody was busy working on preparing their Thanksgiving dinners, I actually came up with my own Jambalaya Recipe which turned out to be very easy and very yummy. After living in New Orleans for a few years, I often crave cajun food and although I have not been brave enough to make a true New Orleans Gumbo (you know, the one that is really dark brown, almost black, with whole crabs in it…yum) I am happy to say that I did master the Jambalaya.

It is a one pot dish, very easy to make it and you can modify the heat/spices as you see fit.

Enjoy!

Jambalaya Ingredients

8 Medium Shrimp, peeled and deveined - I used 8 because there are only two of us, but you can modify amount and shrimp size to suit your taste
8 ounces chicken breast, diced – about 1 large chicken breast
7 ounces Andouille sausage, sliced – I ended up using 1 smoked turkey sausage because I was trying to make it healthier but you can go with the traditional Andouille, of even better, be brave, do smoked alligator…yum!
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 hot banana peppers
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 cups long grain rice
2 1/2 cups of chicken broth
1 can tomato sauce, (8 oz)
1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz) – our preferred brand is Tutorosso but any brand will do.
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Jambalaya spice mix (recipe to follow)

Jambalaya Spice Mix –

You can prepare this mix ahead of time and store in a zip lock bag to save you some time.

3 TBS dried minced onion
1 TBS dried parsley
1/2 TBS dried thyme
1/2 TSP garlic powder
1/2 TSP paprika
1 TSP ground black pepper
1/2 TSP cayenne Pepper – Add more if you like HOT HOT HOT!
1/2 TSP salt
1 bay leaf
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 envelope of Goya Sazon with Coriander and Annatto – you can find it in most grocery stores where other Goya products are sold. If you cant find it, just omit from recipe.

Instructions:

If you have not already done so, prep all of your ingredients first: chop the veggies and make the jambalaya spice mix. It makes life easier later, trust me.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

In large Dutch oven or “cacerola” like we say back home in Puerto Rico, saute minced garlic in olive oil for 1 minute. Add sliced sausage and cubed chicken and saute for an additional 3 minutes.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Add onions, red bell pepper, celery, banana peppers, rice, broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and Jambalaya spice Mix to pot. Mix well and bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes.

______________________________________________________________________________________

After the 20 minutes are up, mix in shrimp and cook for an additional 5 to 6 minutes or until shrimp is pink. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper and herb garnish as desired. Easy breezy and even leftovers are super yummy. Enjoy!

This Thanksgiving…

2010-11-25T20:47:00.007-05:00

There are many things that I am usually grateful for, not just during Thanksgiving, but throughout the year. Health, family and friends always top my list of things I remember to thank God for on a regular basis. This Thanksgiving, however, I find myself being thankful for a few things I did not have before, things I have always taken for granted, and some things that honestly, I never knew existed.

As a recently married and now pregnant woman, here are some of the things I have added to my list of things to be grateful for:

Baby Kicks – Doctors tell you to do fetal kick counts every day to ensure your baby is ok. Well, that is much easier said than done. I often wonder if that movement is little Aiden rolling around or maybe the spicy bean burrito I ate the night before. Just when I am about to call the doctor, as instructed, in a total panic thinking this kid is comatose, he grabs a hold of something in there and painfully reminds me who is now boss of my life. I could not possibly be more grateful of those kicks that remind me that baby is ok. Oh, and if you are asking, no, that is not me in the picture. Not sure how grateful I will be if this actually happens.

A handy (and funny) husband – Its nice to have a hubby to be thankful for this year. Its even nicer to have a hubby that will build all the baby stuff for me since I am too busy doing fetal kick counts…1…2….Oh nevermind, that was gas. But I am even more grateful of my husband’s ability to make me laugh, even when he is not trying to. Like when he was building our baby’s play yard and after fussing with the instructions said out loud “do they really expect me to push this long thing through this small hole”. HA HA HA……tell me about it!

Indoor Plumbing – I have never been more thankful of indoor plumbing as I am now. Can you imagine being pregnant, having to go to the bathroom every two minutes, and only having one of these?!?!?! Thank God to the Egyptians and Romans who invented indoor plumbing.

My girlfriends – I am truly thankful for my great and real friends…you know, the ones that think about you and actually call to see if you need anything. Since my family is far away, I am grateful to be blessed with friends that step in to help just as though they were my sisters.

My dear friend Mandy, who is like the sister I never had, who always thinks of me, checks on me almost everyday, and randomly shows up with cupcakes, decaf coffee, and a nifty grabber so I can pick up stuff from the floor. You gotta love her.

My friend Sarah who never forgets to call me even when things are crazy on her end just to ask how I am doing, volunteers to throw me a baby shower or invites me to lunch when I have been sitting at home solo all day.

My good old friend Heather, who I have recently reconnected with and boy am I happy I have. Her cheerful disposition and view of life always puts a smile on our faces and even with 4 kids…yes, you heard me, 4 kids, she still always offers to help with the nursery, invites us over for dinner or offers to take our baby pictures. (Did I mention she is an amazing photographer?)

Our good friend Rosemary who in the midst of her busy and hectic life with 4 kids (yes I said that again…4 kids. I have no idea what they were thinking) randomly shows up at home one day to let me know she is going to host my baby shower for me.

Online baby registries – After physically going to the store and looking at 100 different baby bottle nipples and 40 different types of breast pumping machines for two hours with absolutely no clue as to what to get, I have never been more grateful for online baby registries. The “honey, do you think this nipple is better than the other” really did not go well, plus how many nipples does a woman really need? At least at home I can Google my questions and get answers as to what I need. Oh, and don't Google “best nipples”…trust me, you don't get baby stuff.

The Snoogle and Boppy – When I told my husband I needed a Snoogle and a Boppy wedge, he thought he was getting lucky that night. In hindsight, it didn't occur to me that these are not common household names; they sound more like either Swedish hybrid cars or Kama Sutra positions. In reality they are pillows specifically designed for pregnant women and mine have become my best friends. I love them so much they even traveled with me to Alaska for two weeks. I would have paid airfare for them if I had to. And although I had to see my husband’s disappointed face when I told him it had nothing to do with hanky panky, he now seems grateful that the Snoogle and Boppy have contributed to him still being able to sleep in our bed vs. the couch. Plus, I think deep down, he wishes he had a Snoogle and Boppy too. :)

The Boppy	The Snoogle
	My Mom - I have always been grateful of my mom and the great relationship I have with her, but this year I am even more thankful of the fact that I can call her at any time of day and ask her questions about my crotch. You see, apart from having 5 children herself, my mom is also an OB/GYN and believe me when I say that when you are having your first kid, you have a lot of questions and yes…some of them are about your crotch. So apart from being thankful for having her as my mom, I am definitely thankful to be able to now share crotch anecdotes with her.
My In-Laws – I never had In-laws before and I am very grateful to now have them in my life. Today for Thanksgiving, my mother in law volunteered to do all the cooking because she knows how tired I can get from being pregnant. And I cant even start to mention the laundry list of things my father in law has helped us with during the last few years to get our house into livable conditions. This Thanksgiving I am really grateful for them. Oh, and yes, that is our dog Gus and no we have no idea what breed he is. He is just Gus.
	My brothers – I have always been grateful to have my older brothers, Tomas, Roberto, and David. From them I learned how to drive, how to register for college classes and how to make a mean Sangria amongst other things. This time around, I am pregnant and my brothers cant believe their little sister is all grown up. When I talk to them they make it very clear that I am still their little sister no matter how old or pregnant I am and that they can still push me around if they wanted to. When they say that, I feel like a little kid again and I am very grateful for that.

These are just a few things I am grateful for this year around, some new, some old, some just different. This time next year we are going to have a little boy and a whole other list of new and old things to be grateful about. So this year, when you are reflecting and giving thanks for all of the blessings you have around you, pay close attention and you may find yourself being grateful for things you were always too busy to even notice.

My Handyman Can

2010-11-20T19:35:00.005-05:00

I am always amazed and therefore obligated to make mention of my husband’s ability to do almost anything. You would think, from his handyman skills, that he spends his day working in construction or as an all around home contractor, but this is not the case. As an executive himself, he spends his days writing business plans, coming up with business/technical solutions for the federal government, and helping shape the strategic direction of his company. At home, however, he is my own little Bob Vila.

Throughout the course of our relationship I have seen him fix/upgrade many things. I remember how in order to fix holes on the floor that were left from the removal of an oil boiler, he ingeniously screwed on screws on dowels to be able to hold on to them without them falling through to the crawlspace while the glue dried. Or how about the time he fixed my clothes washer, whose timer had broken, with just a long screw and some strong glue saving me over $300 bucks in parts.  We should change our last name from McNair to McGyver.

These past examples are just a few honorable mentions since the amount of projects my husband has been brave enough to tackle are too many to mention. Over the past few years, my husband’s handyman skills have saved us a ton of money on home repairs/renovations and a lot of heartaches from contractors who simply do not care enough to do the job right. I must say, however, that more than the money we have saved, I am more grateful for my husband’s willingness to do anything around the house that I need done. No matter how big the project is, I never get a “later” or “maybe” or an “its not necessary”.

One of the most recent projects involved our washer and dryer machines which we brought over from my house when we got married and moved in together earlier this year. I insisted on bringing our machines over since they were newer and more efficient than the ones he had at his house. Unfortunately, I did not take into account that my normally stacked machines were not stackable at his house due to space constrictions. The end result were two machines so close to the ground that only Oompa Loompas or Christmas elves could do laundry without blowing their backs. I went ahead and bought $500 worth of pedestals, which obviously did not fit my machines because life cannot be that easy.   In totally frustration, I had completely resigned myself to forever doing laundry on my knees or bypassing child labor laws and forcing our unborn child to do our laundry while he was still two feet tall.

I was not surprised nor did I doubt his ability to do so when my husband said he would build pedestals for my machines so my back wouldn't hurt when I wanted to do laundry. As I watched him and my dear father in law laying on the floor with their own backs hurting building my pedestals, I realized how grateful I was not only to God for giving him these skills but also to my husband for always being willing to put them to use for me no matter how tired or busy he is.


Thanks Honey…I love you more than words can describe.

Quinoa anyone?

2010-11-16T20:38:00.000-05:00

As I prepared dinner this evening I realized that I did not know anything about my main ingredient, quinoa. After preparing dinner, I decided to do a little research on this grain and I am absolutely amazed that I have made it this far in life without ever eating quinoa which seems to be miracle health food. Oh, and it does not taste like grass either which is a big plus.

So here are a few things you may have not known about quinoa:

Quinoa is an amino acid-rich (protein) seed that is easy to digest and Gluten Free. A cup of quinoa has approximately 24 grams of complete protein.
Most commonly considered a grain, quinoa is actually a relative of leafy green vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard.
Not only is quinoa high in protein, but the protein it supplies is complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids.
Not only is quinoa's amino acid profile well balanced, making it a good choice for vegans concerned about adequate protein intake, but quinoa is especially well-endowed with the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair.
Because quinoa is a very good source of manganese as well as a good source of magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus, this "grain" may be especially valuable for persons with migraine headaches, diabetes and atherosclerosis.

So now you may be asking yourself, how on earth do I cook it? Well, below is an easy recipe I I got from Cuisine at Home. It took me about 30 minutes to make and it came out great. Remember that most of these recipes are meant for two because there are only two of us (at least for now). :)

Hope you enjoy!

Mushroom Quinoa Risotto with Pan-grilled Top Sirloin

Ingredients

½ cup onion, diced
1 cup shiitake mushroom, sliced
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tsp olive oil, separated
½ cup uncooked quinoa
1 tsp thyme
1 leaf bay leaf
1 oz soft-type goat cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 5 oz beef sirloin steaks at room temperature seasoned with salt and pepper
2 cups button mushroom, halved
½ cup white wine
2 Tbsp chopped chives

Instructions:

In 1 tsp of olive oil, sauté onions and Shitake mushrooms in a large pan over medium heat. Cook until onion is translucent (about 2 minutes) and stir in quinoa. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Deglaze with wine and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, add thyme and bay leaf. Cover and cook until quinoa is tender (about 20 min).
While Quinoa is cooking, pat dry steaks with paper towel and season with salt and pepper. In grill pan or sauté pan, sauté steaks in 1 tsp olive oil over medium-high heat (approximately 4 minutes).
Flip steaks over, add button mushrooms and cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer steaks to plate and tent with foil. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
While steaks are resting, remove lid from quinoa and simmer until nearly all liquid is absorbed (5 additional min). Stir in goat cheese and parsley, season with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf.
Serve quinoa with Steaks topped with mushrooms and sprinkle with chopped chives.

Rye Stuffed Pork Chops with Apple Thyme Pan Sauce

2010-11-15T19:45:00.000-05:00

After a 1 1/2 week hiatus in my quest to learn how to cook and eat at home more often, I have returned triumphantly with Rye stuffed Pork Chops with Apple-Thyme Pan Sauce. I wish I could say it was my recipe, but who am I kidding. I got it from Cuisine at Home, Dinner for Two.

This recipe is actually pretty easy, quick, AND I only dirtied a bowl, and a pan which is awesome. I went easy on the side and opened up a can of green beans, added a 1/2 tsp of margarine and a bit of salt. (note to self: never buy green beans in Costco or you will be eating green beans for the rest of your life).

Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

For the stuffing

3 slices rye bread, diced small
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup Braeburn apples, diced (or other sweet apple)
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

For the chops:

2 boneless center-cut pork chops (about 5 oz each), trimmed of fat
1 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce:

1 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. shallots, minced
1 tsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 cup apple apple juice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp. of sugar (I used granulated Splenda cause God knows I need to keep my figure)

Chopped fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
In an oven proof skillet, toast breadcrumbs over medium heat until crisp, 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and return pan to burner.
Saute onion, celery, and apple in oil until soft (3-4 min). Add broth, 1 tbsp vinegar, and 1 tsp thyme; season with salt and pepper. Simmer briefly, pour over bread and toss to combine. Set aside. Return pan to burner
Prepare chops by slicing horizontally through the center to create a pocket; fill each with 1/3/ cup filling. Don’t worry if it spills out since you will end up adding more stuffing to the pan anyways.
Add olive oil to pan and brown stuffed chops in same skillet over medium high heat 3 minutes. Flip over, add any remaining stuffing to the pan, and transfer to oven. Roast 8 minutes, then transfer chops to plate. Let rest 5 mins.
In same skillet, sauté shallots in butter over medium heat for 1-2 min. Add flour, cook 1 minute, then deglaze with apple juice, wine and apple cider vinegar. Mix until sauce turns creamy and simmer 2-3 mins. Add sugar and mix.
Stir in chopped thyme; drizzle chops and stuffing with sauce.

Glimpses of Autumn

2010-11-14T22:33:00.000-05:00

Words nor pictures can explain the beauty of Autumn in Northern Virginia. As I watch the trees change color and the scurrying of leaves across the ground, I am reminded of how the seasons of nature are so similar to our lives. Fall reminds me that nothing in life is permanent and that I too can let go of things that have been a burden in my life.

I am grateful that even through my busy and hectic day, I still remember to stop and catch the beauty of Fall.

"No Spring nor Summer Beauty hath such grace, As I have seen in one Autumnal face." - John Donne

Neighborhood tree that greets me when I come home

"Then summer fades and passes and October comes. We'll smell smoke then, and feel an unexpected sharpness, a thrill of nervousness, swift elation, a sense of sadness and departure."- Thomas Wolfe

"I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape - the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show." - Andrew Wyeth

If you lucky to live in a place visited by Fall, take a moment and admire it.

Meet Aiden Tyler

2010-11-12T21:46:00.000-05:00

We had our 3D Ultrasound today and we finally officially met our son for the first time. :) Meet Aiden Tyler, due Valentine's Day 2011.

November is National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month and National Family Caregivers Month

2010-11-11T17:22:00.001-05:00

According to the Alzheimer’s Association 2010 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report, there are more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s and as many as 10 million family caregivers.

Most of us know someone who has been impacted by Alzheimer's, either directly caring for a family member or by supporting a friend that is caring for family member. I, myself, saw the emotional and physical toll that it took on my mom while caring for my grandmother who was stricken with Alzheimer's disease . My grandmother passed away peacefully this past summer and my mom does not regret having put her life on hold for years to tend for my grandmother. She is, however, now rediscovering herself (in her own words) after undergoing many years of caregiver stress and although we all miss my grandmother very much, it is nice to have my mom back. Both my grandmother's happy disposition until the end and my mother's selfless love, patience, and determination are an inspiration to me.

The strongest women I have ever met. My mom and grandmother.

The statistics are scary. According to the 2010 Alzheimer's Disease and Facts Figures:

One in eight people aged 65 and older (13 percent) have Alzheimer’s disease.
Every 70 seconds, someone in America develops Alzheimer’s. By mid-century, someone will develop the disease every 33 seconds.
In 2006, Alzheimer's disease was the 7th leading cause of death across all ages in the in the United States. It was the 5th leading cause of death for those aged 65 and older.
Almost 11 million Americans provide unpaid care for a person with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia. These unpaid caregivers are primarily family members but also include friends. In 2009, they provided 12.5 billion hours of unpaid care, a contribution to the nation valued at almost $144 billion.

Caregiver Stress

Alzheimer caregivers report that they frequently e experience high levels of stress. Too much stress can be damaging to both a caregiver and the person with Alzheimer’s. If you experience some of these signs of stress on a regular basis, consult your doctor. Ignoring them can cause your physical and mental health to decline.

Symptoms of caregiver stress

Denial
Anger
Social withdrawal
Anxiety
Depression
Exhaustion
Sleeplessness
Irritability
Lack of concentration
Health problems

If you are a caregiver:

Know what resources are available. Adult day care, in-home assistance, visiting nurses and Meals-on-Wheels are just some of the services that can help you.
Become an educated caregiver. As the disease progresses, new caregiving skills are necessary. Find information on alz.org or contact your local Alzheimer's Association.
Get help. You are not failing as a caregiver by asking others for assistance. Seek the support of family, friends and community resources. Alzheimer's Association support group meetings are a good source of comfort and reassurance.
Take care of yourself. Watch your diet, exercise and get plenty of rest. Make time for shopping, lunch with friends or even a golf outing. Take advantage of community services such as adult day care or in-home companion services to care for your loved one while you take a break.
Manage your stress level. Stress can cause physical problems and changes in behavior. If you experience symptoms of caregiver stress, use relaxation techniques that work for you, and consult your doctor.
Accept changes as they occur. People with Alzheimer's change and so do their needs. They often require care beyond what you can provide on your own. Look into care services such as in-home caregiver services and residential care.
Do legal and financial planning. Consult an attorney to discuss legal, financial and care issues. If possible and appropriate, involve the person with Alzheimer's and other family members.
Be realistic. Many of the behaviors that occur are beyond your control and the control of the person with Alzheimer's. Grieve your losses, but also focus on the positive moments.
Give yourself credit, not guilt. You are doing the best you can. Don't feel guilty because you can't do more. Your loved one needs you, and you are there – that should make you feel proud.

For more information, please visit the following sites:

http://www.alz.org/index.asp

http://www.wellspouse.org/

http://www.nfcacares.org/

http://www.alz.org/apps/findus.asp

http://www.helpguide.org/elder/alzheimers_disease_dementia_support_caregiver.htm

Things No One Told Me About Being Pregnant

2010-11-10T22:31:00.000-05:00

I know, I know, it’s a blessing....it will all be worth while at the end...it’s the miracle of life....blah, blah, blah. That is all hunky-dory, but there are a few things my family and friends forgot to mention in their quest to convince me that being pregnant is the best thing ever.

Such as:

Parachute underwear - have you ever seen maternity underwear? I am sure maternity stores sell these in bulk to the Military to be used as back up parachutes in training. Now, those being huge are not the sucky part. The sucky part is when you are still not quite huge enough to wear the parachute, but not small enough to wear your old underwear, which leaves you with a hanging underwear pouch that would make any marsupial jealous. The worst is wandering underwear. Thats when the underwear decides it no longer wants you to wear it and decides to start making his way down your butt while you are smack in the middle of the mall with no bathrooms around. I, like a swift and agile pregnant ninja, have mastered the reach in and pull up technique and will be offering technique lessons over the weekend for those of you suffering from wandering parachute syndrome.

What is that smell? – did the dog poo somewhere? Is it my shoes? My friend Mandy told me her sense of smell was heightened during when she was pregnant but I didn’t know I was going to be able to smell a fart in China.

Firegut– also coined “cheeseburger crotch” by another fellow mom on the internet, Firegut is what I call the excruciating pain that engulfs your pelvic area due to the stretching and loosening of ligaments in preparation for birth. I knew I had found the right man when I asked my dear husband for an ice pack to “ice” down my Firegut and he already had one made…..awww…true love. I have accepted Firegut as a reality of pregnancy and often refer to it as my imaginary friend… “Firegut and I went shopping today”.

Chewbacca – Most pregnant woman know that hormone levels will cause hair to grow in places where no hair has grown before. I have been fortunate enough not to endure this, unless of course I have a patch of hair growing somewhere I can’t see and no one has told me. My legs, however, are a different story and although I could blame hormone levels, I have to admit that shaving when you have a bump like I do, is a pain in the neck. Maybe a WeedWacker would help. Something needs to be done before I am asked to serve as stunt double for Chewbacca in the next Star War films.

Sasquatch – My friend Jimmy jokingly and lovingly calls his wife Sasquatch due to her unusually large feet, which grew when she was pregnant. I always laughed and poked fun when he did this, and now I regret it. After spending all summer in flip flops, I found myself in a bit of a jam when during my trip to Alaska I realized that my feet had grown….not one, not two, but 2 ½ sizes larger during my pregnancy. None of the shoes I had packed fit. Unfortunately, it is not that easy to find a payless shoe store in Alaska so I ended up having to buy fur line slippers in a size 11 which was the only thing that would fit. We then paid for the entire trip by having me peek out from behind a tree with my slippers and charging tourist for Sasquatch sightings.

Stop, Drop, and roll – Everyone tells you to Stop, Drop, and Roll if you ever catch on fire. No one tells you, however, that stop, drop, and roll is a technique that can also be used to get out of bed when you are as big as a cow…oh sorry….beautifully pregnant. My mom, you gotta love her, kept it real and told me that stop, drop, and roll was the only way she ever got out of bed when pregnant. You basically stop trying to get up like a normal person, you drop your legs to the ground like they are useless, and you roll your wide behind out of bed. It actually works, and thanks to my dear mother, I no longer wave my hands in the air like a turtle that has been flipped over and can’t get back up.

Niagara Falls – Now, I have always known I am very emotional. My family, brothers included, are all criers and once one of us gets started, it’s all over. This, however, is ridiculous. I cry at the stupidest things ever. I saw a bug show the other day…ants to be specific, and saw baby ants coming out of eggs. Niagara falls over here. I cried the other day when after an hour of configuring my wireless network printer, I got the darn thing to work. Cried and cried and cried….oh boy.

To those of you who have never had children….disregard this message. It is not true…pregnancy is beautiful and a miracle and the best thing to ever happen and all worth it at the end, blah, blah, blah. Now, if you ever bared children, you may have been lucky and not suffered through any of these. Most likely though, you did, but you may never admit it. Don’t worry, Firegut and I will let the world know.