This Casita

Official Titles

2012-01-27T07:00:00.000-06:00

The opportunity came up for me recently to help out a local wedding planner with some of her weddings in the year to come. She presented me with a really reasonable offer and I was pretty excited at first, but after talking it over with the U and taking some time to think about it I finally made up my mind.

I'm officially a SAHM.

Sure, the extra money would be great, and I'd get back into something I really enjoy, but I'm finally getting into the groove of this new gig of mine. And I definitely want a second baby, so I don't want to waste anyone's time with thinking that I'm going back into the workforce anytime soon - at least not unless absolutely necessary.

Don't want to eat my own words one day - because I never say never.

It's just that I've finally come to terms with the fact that I'm not meant to be a wedding planner - in fact, the rat race that comes along with getting clients, schmoozing with vendors, etc. - well, it's just not my personality. I have no problem making the plans, organizing, implementing, but the rest of it I find utterly exhausting, emotionally draining and, to be quite honest, a lot of bullshitting that I'm just not into.

So as sad as a part of me is to give up on that dream - another part of me is so amazingly relieved to let it go.

I'm still not giving up on the paper design, because that's where my true desires have been for a couple of years now. I hope to one day take some additional classes to better my skills, and hopefully I'll still get a few design jobs now and again from people who really do like my work. But, again, it's on the side. If my life has time for it, if my heart is in it, then I'm going to do it.

So, I've officially given up the title of "event planner" because the only events I'll be planning are the ones that take place with my own family, on my own time. I might not get a monetary check every month, but I do get some priceless memories that I am happy to say, I'll get to keep with me in my heart forever.

Forever.

P.S. The planner was Kimberly Rhodes of Hitched Events in Dallas - she's an amazing woman who was more than understanding of my situation. She also had quite a plan worked out for us that, had she come back to Dallas a few years ago, would have worked out like a dream. If you know someone looking for a planner in Dallas, check her out!

Neighborly Dinner Exchange

2012-01-26T07:30:00.000-06:00

I've mentioned my neighbor, Jenn, on here quite a lot in the past couple of months because we've become good friends. After nearly five years of living next door to each other and not knowing much more than our first names, it took me becoming a SAHM to get the ball rolling with our friendship. She's a mom of two, ages 3.5 and 8 weeks, so she's pretty busy these days. We both enjoy cooking, so she brought up the idea of doing a dinner exchange each week.

Since we both menu plan, we usually send each other a text to see which day is best and if what we have in mind sounds good (which it always does). We don't have picky eating families so this works out perfect.

Last week I did the chicken and pasta bake and made enough to send to my mom & dad as well as our neighbors, and this week I'm doing a crock pot recipe. Last week she sent over taco soup - we already had leftovers in the fridge so I decided to freeze her meal and save it for another day. This week it was chicken spaghetti, perfect for a rainy night at home.

It is amazing how much of a difference having someone cook for you for one night a week makes. Since the U and I are trying to cut down on eating out, this has become a great alternative for us. Plus I always tend to make enough to feed at least four, so there's not much of an additional cost in sending over half of the meal - and it's nice to know that at the end of the week I'm not going to be tossing out any food that is no longer good.

As long as you have flexibility with your schedules and mouths that aren't picky to feed, I seriously recommend trying something like this with your own friends/neighbors! Beats the heck out of takeout anyday!

Haiden Surf

2012-01-25T10:47:00.002-06:00

Although I had HUT's name picked out from day one, the spelling didn't come about until way later when I happened upon this cute children's surf clothing line...

I absolutely loved the spelling, mainly because the first three letters of my maiden name are HAI - so that justified the funky spelling in my crazy brain. And, to my amazement, the U totally agreed with my argument.

Anywho, today they are on sale at The Mini Social, so I stocked up on some cute stuff for HUT to wear when we go to Cabo in April. I'm sure he'll get tired of this once he's older, but by then he probably won't fit into their stuff anyways. So you know I'm going to be buying from this brand for quite a while to come!

For almost half off of everything, I broke our spending hiatus. I had $10 in credit, so why not. Now back to not spending and putting myself in major save mode!

And, just to remember HUT in his Haiden Surf duds, here's a pic from his first trip to Cabo last year...

Kowalski Cafe Kiddo Activities

2012-01-25T09:47:00.001-06:00

So right after I posted about my need to find great activities for HUT, one of my good friends - and pretty much my idol as a mom - started a little series on her own blog about how she keeps her two, nearly two-year-old, boys entertained.

Rachael works full time as a teacher (high school advanced math - no classes I ever stood a chance of taking), and then comes home to two adorable little guys every night. She seriously has some creative ideas and their family is always doing something fun together. They also travel a lot with the boys - something that still boggles my mind. Even with two extra pairs of hands I find it hard with one baby, I cannot even fathom what it's like with two the same age.

Anywho, we had a rough night last night with thunderstorms and teething - HUT and our dog Lola pretty much allowed me no sleep. So head on over to Rachael's blog and get some great inspiration for the little ones in your life!

Kowalski Cafe

{ our three boys at HUT's first birthday party }

Another Amazon Prime Rave Post

2012-01-24T07:30:00.000-06:00

My addiction to Amazon Prime has grown even more now that this has come into my life:

{ Kindle Fire }
The U received this from his company at the conference he attended last week. We already have an iPad, but now we can both have gadgets to use for reading, videos, etc. And I'm even more pumped now that I found out that I can borrow books from Amazon with my Prime account. I've already started the Hunger Games and I'm so excited to get my read on.
And I'm hoping to get this soon to go with, but it's currently out of stock:

{ kate spade new york Kindle Fire Case Cover, Jubilee Stripe }

Pinterest-ipes

2012-01-23T07:30:00.000-06:00

Here's a mish mash of what has been coming out of my kitchen in the past few weeks...

Easy Lemon Meringue Pie

Source: foodnetwork.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

It was my dad's birthday a week ago and he requested a lemon meringue pie. The dinner was set for the same day that the U was returning from a work trip and HUT and I were ALL over the place, so I opted to do this easy version. It was super delicious, but I don't know if I read the directions wrong or something because it was super runny. My suggestion would be to bake the pie with the custard for a bit, then add the meringue to the top and pop it back into the over until golden brown.

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

Source: skinnytaste.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

I'm always looking for easy things to make for breakfasts around here. Something that I can give to HUT with some fruit and also eat myself is an added bonus. I had leftover bananas (I can NEVER keep them from riping in 2 days) so I decided to make these. Bonus points for the peanut butter because that means I can get the U to eat them as well! I put all of the peanut butter in at once and didn't bother with the layering like this recipe - either way would be tasty!

Spinach, Chicken and Rigatoni Casserole

Source: savingmoneylivinglife.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

I doubled this recipe and it made enough to feed my family, my mom and dad, brother and also the neighbors. My neighbor and I have started a weekly dinner exchange (more on that to come in another post) and so I'm trying to find recipes that are tasty and simple. Well, really that's all I ever try to find anyways. This recipe didn't disappoint. I think that next time, though, I might add in (gasp!) a can of cream of chicken or get tricky and make a white sauce to include. This dish was just a bit on the dry side for me. I'll also probably add artichoke hearts because it would be perfect with everyone else in the dish!

Finally - remember my PW cooking weekend last weekend? Well, twice this week we ate leftovers. I made the coleslaw again because I had some left in the fridge, but instead of eating thing separately, we heated tortillas and make pulled pork tacos. Tortilla, PW pulled pork, a little cheese, coleslaw on top - DELICIOUS! I threw on a pot of refried beans as a side dish and we ate this twice because it was so. damn. good.

Kids' Activites & Flash Cards

2012-01-19T07:30:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I noticed that sometimes it's just all too easy to turn on some cartoons, feed HUT a snack and get lost on my laptop. Now that we're one and all over the place, I realize that he's probably getting a little bit bored. His toys can only entertain him for so long and I really need to start working with him to learn things, not just change his diapers and make sure that he's fed.

The weather in Texas right now is a bit chilly to be able to take him on walks or to the park, so I'm trying to find other ways to entertain him and try to educate him while we're at home.

I have flash cards with numbers, colors and shapes, but those seem to not keep his attention just quite yet. He's much more interested in throwing or chewing them. He loves to hear you make sounds and whatnot these days, so I hit the Internet to search for some cute animal flash cards to use with him during snack time. Because, let's face it, getting him to sit still without some sort of food in front of him just isn't going to happen. He just learned to walk - he's ready to explore the world, not sit on the couch and look at paper.

So far, these are the cutest that I've found for free online:

Source: mrprintables.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

This site has a bunch of other flash cards and activities that I think will come in handy down the road, but most are a bit old for him at the moment. I'm desperately seeking some that look similar but with body parts. I think it'd be fun to be able to point to his eyes, nose, fingers, etc. while showing him the cards as well.

Do any of you have some favorite resources for educational activities for the kiddos?

My Dumbed-Down Photography & Editing

2012-01-18T07:30:00.000-06:00

Someone emailed me recently about how I take my photos. I wrote a long winded response - after a couple of glasses of wine - and never heard back. Typical Stephanie butting her nose into personal lives whilst drinking.

Anyways, back to the point...

So if anyone else was curious as to my dumbed-down photography, I figured I'd share it on here. I am by no means a professional photographer - in fact, some of my tidbits that I'm about to share will probably make the pros shudder. But I'm ok with that, because this is what works for me.

I just upped my camera to a Canon T3i, I actually took a class here locally on how to get accustomed to your dSLR back when I had my Sony. The class helped a lot, but now I wish I could take a refresher with my new camera.

Most of the time I have my camera on Av, or Aperture priority mode - which allows me to set the ISO but pretty much takes care of the rest automatically. The technicalities of photography still confuse the crap out of me, but I think that's because I haven't done a lot of "studying." I'm not a studier, I'm a doer. Drives the U nuts. He reads the entire instruction manual for everything, I just dig right in.

As for editing software, I have Photoshop because I do a lot of other designing as well, so I have the entire Adobe Creative Suite. I purchased it back when I worked for a University, so I got a major discount. A lot of people (even photographers) swear by Lightroom, so I'd probably recommend that for just photo editing.

The very first thing that I do when editing is adjust the levels:

If you look closely you can see that there is a bit of a difference between the photos of HUT. If there is any dead space on the levels function, like on the right of the grid show above, I move the arrow until it hits the black. Does that make sense?

Because I have no clue what any of that means, but I was taught to do it and it makes every one of my pictures look better. So I just keep doing it.

After this I typically use an "action" in Photoshop. I'm not sure if you can use actions in Lightroom. Here's the website where I downloaded some actions for free:

http://www.mcpactions.com/

My favorite being the Hi Def actions for Photoshop - particularly the action that automatically resizes my pictures for the blog. Saves a TON of time. Also, I don't pay for actions at the moment, since so many are available for free and I'm not doing this for a living:

http://www.mcpactions.com/actions/try-me/high-def-sharpening.html

The Pioneer Woman also has a lot of free actions to play around with:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/photography/category/photoshop-actions/

If you notice, I put a watermark on my photos. This really just makes me feel safer about my pictures being around on the Internet, but I don't know if it makes much of a difference. I created a brush in Photoshop using instructions that I found online - there are a million if you just Google it. Here are a few that I found...

http://everydayelementsonline.com/2011/02/create-a-watermark-brush-in-photoshop-element/

http://jessicabell-tutorials.blogspot.com/2007/10/how-to-make-logo-brush-watermark-brush.html

So, once I'm done with the action, I flatten my image and then use my brush to add the watermark.

And that's it. For some pictures this makes a huge difference in the quality, and for others not so much. I don't do a ton of editing because there's no need to look all professional over here - we like our flaws, thankyouverymuch.

Here's the final difference in the photos:

So, in a nutshell, that's what I do to my photos. I hope that I didn't offend the pros who actually know what they're doing, but for the rest of us amateurs out there, this might help!

**If you know a lot about photos/editing and I totally screwed up an explanation on here, please feel free to correct me in the comments!

Things I'm Needing

2012-01-17T07:30:00.000-06:00

In no particular order...

1) A good threading.

2) A good haircut.

3) A good pedicure.

I guess mommy is feeling a little rough around the edges these days. It's funny how beauty sometimes gets pushed to the wayside when groceries, diapers and everything else becomes more important than your own vanity.

Pinterest-ipes - AKA PW Cooking Weekend

2012-01-16T09:57:00.000-06:00

The Pioneer Woman is back on tv with new episodes. I'm a fan of the show, and I love that most of her recipes are items that I can actually cook in my own kitchen. The U and I sat down on Saturday morning to watch her show and ended up declaring that day to be the day I we recreated her menu. The only item we didn't do was the Flat Apple Pie - but it's on my list for one day.

Since I unplugged for the weekend, I got to really enjoy my time in the kitchen. Here's what I we made...

Cilantro Jalapeno Slaw

Source: thepioneerwoman.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

I didn't put the jalapeno in this time, because it wasn't in the recipe on the show. Next time I'll add it. If you aren't a huge super-sweet coleslaw fan, like me, then you'll love this.

Spicy Dr. Pepper Pork

Source: thepioneerwoman.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

I made the mistake of starting this in my Crockpot. It was a little big, but I figured it'd cook down. Fast forward 2.5 hours and I was putting it in the Le Creuset in the oven. Should have done that in the first place. I also only had a bone-in pork shoulder. I might try this next time with a tenderloin instead because I think that it shreds better. The taste of this was awesome - not too sweet, which was surprising since you have both DP and brown sugar in it.

Perfect Potatoes au Gratin

Source: thepioneerwoman.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

I used half and half instead of the cream because that's what I had on hand, and these were still delicious. I halved the recipe, so I think that I ended up with a bit too much liquid, so I'm just going to have to try this one again. ;)

Attitude Check

2012-01-13T07:00:00.000-06:00

So yesterday I noticed that my attitude is just shit these days. I think all of the judgmental people that I've allowed into my life via social networking has left a bitter taste in my mouth. I tend to stress over the small things, especially things that should really not even get a second glance from me, and it has made me a not-so-fun person to be around as of late.

I'm only venting and bitching on Twitter, I'm growing to resent some of the people that I previously looked to for advice when it comes to motherhood, my patience has worn thin and, in general, I haven't really been a nice person.

I'm worn out.

This weekend I'm going to unplug - at least as much as I can - and take a breather. Spend some quality time with my little family, get reorganized and rejuvenated. Spend less time with my phone and computer, and more time with the people who I surround myself with on a daily basis. Sometimes, you just need that.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

More Easy Wall Art

2012-01-12T07:00:00.000-06:00

I knew that we were going to have a full house for HUT's birthday. Some people hadn't seen our house in several years if ever at all, so it motivated me to get some things done around this place.

I needed a couple of quick art fixes for my walls. I've already shared what I did for our guest room and also the office, but now I have a couple of pieces I did for our master and then a hallway.

In the hallway of our dining room, I already knew what I wanted to do. When we were married my Great Aunt & Uncle (the ones who owned the dance floor at the wedding, and the uncle who recently passed) wrote the sweetest, funniest and probably most truthful note with our gift. I always set it aside knowing that I wanted to frame it one day. I was hoping to have it professionally framed, but at the last minute I said screw it, bought a Hobby Lobby wall frame with a 40% off coupon, some of their pre-cut mats, layered them and came up with this...

"The 1st 50 years are the toughtest."

It's not the most attractive display in the world, but it's so nice to 1) not have a blank wall and 2) get to read this message daily.

For the second project we move to the bedroom...

Our bedroom is just a mish-mash of furniture and wall art, but above our bed needed some love, and quickly. Desperate, and on a whim, after seeing framed shopping bags all over Pinterest, I dug around our closet and came up with this:

I originally had plans to buy frames and mats at HL just like the dining room, but the frames weren't on sale and I find it hard to purchase anything full price at that store. So while buying some last minute groceries at Walmart, I went down their decor aisle and found these frames with mats included for only $10 a piece. I also happened to have three old Kate Spade bags that closely match the color of our bedding, so I cut them to size, framed and voila - a quick fix to a bare wall.

The frames aren't so bad and we can always change what's inside of them as time moves forward, which is nice.

So there you have it - two of my barren walls have now, after five years of living in this casita, finally got a makeover.

On the Go Baby Storage

2012-01-11T07:30:00.000-06:00

Now that HUT is officially into whole milk (no more formula, yay!) and eating a ton of table foods, I am in need of good storage options for milk and snacks on the go. While he usually eats off of our plates when we go out, some restaurants don't have food that is easy enough to serve HUT - and sometimes we just like to eat a little spicy, which he definitely doesn't need. Plus, this kid likes a lot of small meals a day, so snacks on the go are a must.

So my question for the mommies of older bebes is, what kind of on-the-go food storage do you prefer?

I've found a few options that I'm considering, but haven't pulled the trigger just yet...

Thermos Foogo Leak-Proof Stainless Steel Food Jar, Blue, 10-Ounce

Innobaby Three Tier Packin' Smart Storage System, Lime Sorbet

EZ-Freeze Snack Time
I think that I'd really prefer an option that I can keep cold. HUT loves fruit and protein, so this options would probably be best.
Anyone have any experience with the ones above? Or recs for others?

Weight Loss Challenge

2012-01-10T07:00:00.000-06:00

The U and I have had it. We are fat.

I was really doing good at getting back into shape before Thanksgiving, but trips, holidays and birthdays just ruined all of my hard work.

After going through HUT's birthday pictures, we decided to do something about it. Instead of sitting around, having no self-control and bitching about it, we have challenged each other.

With a trip to Cabo planned for April, we have given ourselves a deadline of April 15th. Whomever loses the highest percentage of body weight wins $250 bucks to do with whatever they please. We weighed in on Sunday night, and the challenge officially began on Monday. Sunday evenings will be our weigh-in days to see how we're progressing.

I'll be cooking healthier for the two of us, but what we do when we're not together is totally our own fault. If no one loses, well, we can't blame the other. Simple as that.

I headed back to Zumba yesterday, and plan to workout all week. The U is traveling for work, so the beginning of this challenge will be a lot harder for him ;)

I'm hoping this will give both of us the kick in the pants that's been a long time coming.

The Bow Ties

2012-01-09T10:30:00.000-06:00

So, I just wanted to share the love for how I made these bow ties...

I thought about doing a step-by-step post as to what I did, but someone has already done that, so I didn't bother.

I followed this tutorial below - but made the fabric smaller, as she suggested. I also used a longer piece for the center of the bow tie and wrapped it around twice.

Source: thepleatedpoppy.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

I'd also warn you to protect your hands if you're using a really hot glue gun - I definitely burned myself quite a few times. So many that, towards the end, I ended up in tears. The U thought that I was absolutely crazy, which probably wasn't unwarranted.

And if you have no clue what I'm talking about, go check out HUT's first birthday party extravaganza!

HUT's First Birthday Party!

2012-01-08T14:05:00.000-06:00

It was a bow tie theme for HUT's first birthday!

This year we kept it small, only inviting family, Godparents and a couple of close friends with little kiddos. I decided against cooking so that I could enjoy the day, so we catered in from our local (super delicious) Italian joint, had a girl that I have known from my younger days baked the cakes and I, of course, went a little nutso with designing details. Prepare for photo overload.

Our entryway with the "12 Months of HUT"...

The birthday invitation that I mounted on green scrapbook paper...

I took a cheapo birthday hat, ripped everything off of it, then created this (which, at the actual time of cake, I totally forgot to put on his head)...

Party favors were blue and green gummy bears that I bought in bulk. Bulk candy is expensive, y'all...

It just so happened that I found this remnant fabric at Hobby Lobby. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it, but last minute I decided to make bow ties for all of the guests...

Bottle of water with labels for people to take on the road...

We did a little guest sheet - which I'm totally happy about now because we were AWFUL at getting pictures of HUT with all of our guests. Hell, we didn't even get a pic with him ourselves.

The birthday boy had his own thrown...

And our living room got a chandelier made of balloons...

These blocks were actually from my baby shower. Funny how things work out like that...

Our dining room, which also housed the buffet that I didn't take a picture of...

I bought these cute little tins at Target last summer for $1. I had an idea of the color scheme that I wanted to use, but I never realized just how perfect they'd work out. I used ribbon that I purchased to add bow ties to them...

Our kitchen housed the drink station as well as appetizers up on the bar area...

HUT had two cakes - one red velvet for everyone else, and a white cake with lots o' frosting for his own special smash cake!

And I had to jump on the bandwagon and buy some cute matching straws...

I think that everyone had a great time, and HUT most definitely had a blast with all of the kiddos. He was pretty tired (no afternoon nap - he could sense that something fun was going on and didn't want to sleep) so the cake wasn't as interesting to him as I thought it would have been. He loved his gifts - especially the musical set with drum included. Boy likes to bang on some drums.

The closest thing we got to a family shot...

Overall, I think that it was a great success. I'm thoroughly exhausted and now I have 365 days to plan another one. Next year I'll get my ducks in a row a little sooner then this time around!

Party Details...

Fabric for bow ties - remnant bin at Hobby Lobby
Balloons, utensils, cups, etc. - Wally's Party Factory and Hobby Lobby
Invitations and all paper designs - yours truly - Nine Twenty-Seven Design
Food - Luigi's Italian Cafe, Costco
Cake - Cakes by Rosalyn
Candy for favors - Candy World
Cutesy Striped Straws - Shop Sweet Lulu

Aden + Anais at Layla Grace

2012-01-06T14:35:00.001-06:00

I've blogged on here numerous times about my love for Aden + Anais muslin blankets - and Layla Grayce, one of the advertisers on this little blog, is offering 15% off all Aden & Anais products with coupon code ADEN15 through 01/31!

It's rare that you find these on sale (or that's what I've found, at least) - specifically the larger sizes. The ones from Target aren't quite as big and you need all of the extra inches you can to bundle that baby tight, or cover up whilst nursing.

HUT still sleeps with a mini-blankie and cuddles with the full sized ones often. As soon as I feel comfortable with him sleeping alone with the full-sized, I'm sure that this will become his favorite. We also used their sleep sacks for the longest time once HUT moved out of the swaddle. I loved the heavy ones for winter and light ones for summer.

These make great gifts for showers as well - I got a ton of heavy blankets and receiving blankets and rarely used them at all. The muslin blankets were my favorite, by far.

NYE 2011

2012-01-06T00:10:00.001-06:00

Some long-time family friends of ours gifted HUT a little getup right before Christmas that got the ball rolling as to how we were going to spend our New Years Eve - a kid's Dallas Stars uniform.

The Dallas Stars, the U's favorite sports team in all the land, always play on NYE. We've been a couple of times, but as soon as I opened HUT's uniform, I knew that it was time for us to take the little man to his first hockey game. Bedtime has still been off since we returned from Thanksgiving, and our late night on Christmas Eve made it even worse, so I had a feeling that we stood a good chance of making it through about 75% of the game without a meltdown.

He did us a solid and made it through all three periods.

I'm pretty sure that HUT found hockey just as magical as his dad. We arrived early so that we could take him by the glass to watch practice. He was in heaven watching all of the players skate around, hit the puck, even nudge the glass.

After making small talk with a fellow fan, who told us that she took her own daughter to her first game at nine months, her sweet (now) nine-year-old tried to get us a puck. Once practice was over, we figured it was a kind gesture and made our way up to our seats - but she asked us our section first just incase she got a puck.

Lo and behold, after a trip to the family bathroom (not sure if this is on all levels, but we splurged and sat Platinum and this was a Godsend) and a couple of beers for us, we arrived to that little girl and her mom standing outside of our section with a puck for Mr. HUT.

Our night was made.

And then my good friend snuck her way up to our level to say hello.

My night was made.

And then Dallas defeated Boston.

The U's night was made.

Here are a few more shots from the game...

{ Proud Papa }

As you can tell from the next few photos, HUT obviously had his attention set elsewhere from the camera...

A view from our seats. The U found these last minute on Craig's List and we couldn't have lucked out any better. We had no seats in front of the us and we were in the back row. It was Platinum level, which meant no bathroom lines, easy access to a bar (don't worry, we limited intake, but did enjoy a couple of beverages) and room for HUT to stretch a bit all throughout the level. It was perfect for the first game with a one-year-old.

HUT only got spooked 4 times during the game - when Dallas scored. I'm not sure if it was the loud horn that blew, or the announcer's voice, but each and every time we got this face. Luckily we calmed him down and he got back to the game without a fuss.

Once we made it home, I turned on Coldplay at ACL on the tv and fell asleep shortly thereafter. One thing is for sure, though - after that night, we officially decided that this will be our new NYE family tradition!

Purse in a Purse

2012-01-05T06:30:00.000-06:00

Remember how I said that the U and I gifted each other really nice presents for Christmas?

The original gift that he gave me - well, I felt didn't have much thought behind it. One major shitstorm later, and me feeling like a total ass, he re-gifted me something WAY more then I could have ever asked for.

So, with said new bag, I needed something that would help me keep it organized and, mainly, keep bottles and sippy cups from toppling over in the bag since it's really a diaper bag for me to lug around. I turned to Amazon to see what they had because, well, no tax and free two-day shipping goes a long way in my book. That Prime membership we bought really is dangerous.

So after looking around and doing some Google research, this is what I ended up with:

{ Purse To Go® Purse organizer insert transfer liner (JUMBO BLACK) -ENCLOSED BOTTOM- BUCKET TYPE-For your Handbag, Diaper bag, School bag, Beach bag, Tote, Etc. }

So far, I have to say that I really like it. I didn't opt for their largest size because I wanted enough room to keep my Skip Hop Pronto Changer Diaper Bag in the bag as well. Although I'm a little disappointed that only one of the small compartments inside the bucket is wide enough for a bottle, after stuffing it with all of my other crap, the bottles still stand upright and stay snug. It definitely provides a lot of organization.

The old bag was fantabulous, but it was narrow and deep, so it was a royal pain in the ass to get things that were at the bottom. The new bag is much easier to find things in. And when you have a baby (or is he a toddler now?) that is gogogogogogogo and gives you about 1.5 seconds to get what he wants or else a shitfit will ensue, this is just that much more conducive to what we need these days.

Yes, there are a bajillion really cute diaper bags out there, including these super cute new Jonathan Adler for Skip Hop ones, but the U knew this was my "dream bag" and that I'll continue to use it way after we're done with kiddos (that is should it survive the beatings it will take in its future).

Basically, I was spoiled this Christmas. But I don't care because I love it so.

Anyways, if you have a big bag that needs some organizing, I'd definitely suggest checking out these purse in a purse things. Also, if you are looking for something to keep your dSLR in inside your bag, and only use one lens like I do, this might be a good option. I haven't bought one for that, but the thought just occurred to me.

*I wasn't given the Purse to Go or paid for the review.

HUT's "Actual Day of Birth" Celebration

2012-01-04T06:30:00.000-06:00

So, I've already mentioned a bazillion times that HUT's birthday party is this weekend, but we actually did a little celebrating on the day of as well. Since he shares the same birthday as his Grammy, they also opted to spend the day together.

We started off a little rocky...

But then HUT got a good lunch at one of his favorite restaurants, La Calle Doce, in his belly, as well as some flan with his Grammy for their shared birthday...

And then it was off to the Museum of Nature & Science here in Dallas to do some exploring...

The Bob the Builder expo was still in town, and HUT had a blast with all of the tools...

When we took him to the children's playroom where he could crawl all over padded mats on the floor and play with about ten of these thingamajigs... well, I wasn't sure we'd ever be able to get him to leave.

Later that night, after a good nap, we met back up with Grammy, as well as my dad, Uncle and HUT's Godmother to have a nice dinner at our favorite restaurant in town, Zanatas.

The birthday boy and girl had yet another piece of cake (cheesecake this time around)...

And HUT opened some great presents...

But the best gift of the day, by far, came from Grammy herself. You see, my mom isn't the most technologically advanced. She takes a ton of pictures with her camera, but she doesn't know how to get them off of her camera and onto the computer unless one of us helps her. The day before I had been bugging her about getting some of the pictures that she has on her camera, but little did I know that she already had a little something planned.

She had taken her camera to Target and had all of the pictures from waiting in the delivery room, to his actual birth, to all of the trips we've taken together, holidays and more, not only printed but assembled into an album for him. It was seriously the best present that you could have ever given to a mom on the first birthday of her baby.

I'm a lucky, lucky woman.

Oh, and I finally got around to taking one half of his monthly photos (he's so busy that it took me about an hour to get the semi-decent shot I ended up with), so I updated his "12 Months of HUT" picture - go check it out!

Christmas 2011 Recap

2012-01-03T09:19:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm going to make this a quick recap - the past few weeks have been a whirlwind of firsts - Christmas, birthday, walking (yup!), NYE and much, much more.

HUT is lucky enough to live in the same town as both sides of his family, so we spent Christmas Eve at my parents, Christmas morning we had my family for breakfast, Christmas Day we hung out at the U's parents' house and then Christmas night we returned to my family's home for dinner.

HUT got plenty of awesome toys, the U and I got a new toaster oven and Sonicare toothbrushes (it's funny how in past years I would have thought those gifts were lame, but now they totally excite me) and the U and I gifted each other each a very nice present.

It was crazy busy. And it left HUT totally out of whack with his sleeping schedule. We are just now starting to see the normal sleeping patterns return.

Here are a few pictures from our Christmas...

{ Christmas Eve with Miss C }

{ HUT's truck from his aunt, uncle and cousins }

{ He found his cousin M to be very intriguing - they don't see each other very often so it'd been quite a while since these two boys were together! }

{ HUT's cousins on the U's side got a big trampoline for Christmas - we let HUT get on (supervised, of course) and he was thrilled. I don't think I've ever seen a bigger smile on him!}

{ He played chase all over the trampoline with Miss H and was in heaven. }

{ HUT testing out his new trike that Santa left under the tree }

New Years Day Black Eyed Pea Recipe

2012-01-02T13:48:00.000-06:00

I hope that everyone's new year is starting out with a bang! I'm still sorting through the madness of the holidays, combined with lots of prep for HUT's first birthday party this weekend, so my posts will most likely be light this week.

I did, however, make a new recipe yesterday and wanted to share!

I winged my black eyed peas this year and they turned out delicious... I also added in a little cabbage for some monetary luck. ;)

Ingredients

1 package (about 2 cups) black eyed peas

4 garlic cloves

1 onion

2 bay leaves

48 oz. chicken broth

8 oz. water

Chopped ham (amount is based on preference, I just used all of my leftovers)

1/2 head of cabbage

Directions

Rinse and drain black eyed peas.

Sauté three cloves of garlic and one chopped onion.

Add 48 oz. of chicken broth and 8 oz. water.

Add beans.

Add chopped ham.

Add two bay leaves and whatever seasoning you prefer (I used a dash of ranch dressing powder, salt and pepper).

Bring to a boil, then cover and cook for two hours on low.

After two hours, add one can of diced tomatoes, as well as one half a head of chopped cabbage.

Cook until your desired consistency.

I'm pretty sure that this is nothing too different from most of the recipes that you'll find out there, but I was happy with myself for not looking online and actually making this dish using solely my own brain. That's a big thing over here these days.

Do any of you make a special dish for New Years Day?

Pinterest-ipes

2011-12-31T12:17:00.002-06:00

Christmas recaps to come - as per usual, I'm a little slow getting back to normal life after the holidays.

Last night we had last minute dinner guests (my family), so I turned to my favorite Pinterest to see what I could throw together. Here were my recipes:

Slow Cooked Parmesan Honey Pork Roast

Source: sixsistersstuff.blogspot.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

A few things I did differently: I had a bone-in pork shoulder on hand that was 4 lbs., so I upped most of the spices and I also opted to use agave nectar instead of honey, because that was also what I had on hand. I started this a bit late in the day, so I cook on high for quite a while before reducing to low. I also used a thermometer to check my meat several times. It turned out a tad dry because I was so worried about it not being cooked enough, but the gravy that we made to go with it totally hid the dryness.

Slow-Baked Mac N' Cheese

Source: whiskandaprayer.blogspot.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

I followed this one as is, but I added a bit of cheddar cheese into the mix, as well as Italian blend shredded cheese. It was really good, but you have to get your timing right. Leave it too long and it turns dry.

Stuffed Cheese Bread with Herbs

Source: staceysnacksonline.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

The only thing I did differently with the bread is that I probably put a lot more herbs then it called for. I just love me some fresh herbs. I'd also cook it the next time for longer than 30 minutes - mine wasn't quite as warm and gooey as I was hoping for, but the taste was awesome. It might have been because I had it refrigerated for quite some time as I prepared it earlier in the day. So either add some cooking time, or leave it out long enough to get back to room temp!

Luckily I have two crock pots, so that cut my actual cooking time down tremendously. It was nice to have two things cooking and be able to clean up around the house, get ready, etc. I served all of this with a simple side salad (romaine, arugula, cucumber, tomato, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper).

2012 Resolutions

2011-12-30T08:15:00.000-06:00

I'm allotting myself five resolutions this year. If I make a long list? It'll never happen. If I make no list at all? Nothing will happen. It's always nice to set some goals for myself, so here are my goals for 2012:

1) Get healthy.

Eat better, exercise more, drink (alcohol) less. Not saying lose weight because chances are high that I'll be wanting to try for baby dos this year (although I'm fully expecting some weight loss, before the weight gain of baby dos).

2) Leave the past in the past.

Sure, there will always be people that I don't care for and that I choose to keep out of my life, but I'm letting go of the past. Of petty arguments, of stupid decisions, of horrible circumstances and losses. I'm done fixating any energy on the negative.

3) Document my family.

I'm sure you all think that I probably do a decent job of this already, but to be honest, I really don't. I'm awful and home videos, and HUT is so stinkin' cute these days, he deserves to be able to relive some of his finest moments on the tube one day too. Same goes for pictures as well. It's so hard to document all of this because sometimes you feel as though being behind the camera leads you to miss out on all of the fun that's going on on the other side of the lens.

4) Stick to a budget.

I fudged this one up this year. Especially towards the second half when I became a SAHM. My goals are to spend wisely, less often and find creative ways for us to have fun without throwing out a lot of dough.

5) Concentrate on my marriage.

Baby + bills + hard working husband = something has to give. Don't worry, we are totally fine, but we could both work a little harder and carving out some time in our lives for just each other. Date nights, small trips, etc. Marriage is work, people, and we need to get ourselves back on track.

So there are my goals - what are your resolutions for 2012?

365 Days

2011-12-29T10:43:00.000-06:00

365 days ago, I woke up at two in the morning in tremendous pain. After a long shower and counting the clock, my suspicions were confirmed: I was in labor.

At 3:04 pm on Wednesday, December 29, 2010, my life was forever changed. It's no longer about me, it's about him. He was (and still is) the most precious thing that I've ever laid my eyes upon. Each and every day with this kiddo is nothing short of amazing. Even on the hard days.

To get to see him discover something new in this world each and every day? Well, I'm one lucky woman.

Parenthood isn't always rainbows and butterflies, but it seriously is the most incredible experience.

To my HUT:

I cannot believe that in one year - probably the quickest of my life so far - we have gone from having a teeny tiny newborn who never let us sleep at night, but most definitely cuddled with us all day long, to now having a head-strong, flirtatious and vivacious 1-year-old. Every time that you smile, that you laugh, that you pout - you melt my heart. Seeing you interact with people, learn to communicate and even walk (eep!) is nothing short of amazing.

I cannot wait to see the little boy that you are growing up to be.