Cooking at Home: Day 3

Using Leftovers: Tip #1

One problem with cooking at home is that sometimes food gets wasted.  I have been trying to come up with ways to reduce that waste and I'm going to share them with you over the next month.  Here is tip #1: using leftover milk.

There are some weeks that my husband and I can go through two gallons of milk.  Then there are some weeks that we barely use half a gallon.  I always keep a package or two of instant pudding on hand to help use up that extra milk.  Not only does it give us dessert for a night or two, but it uses up a large portion of milk that would have otherwise expired.

What do you do to use up milk that's about to expire?

Cooking at Home: Day 2

It's hard to get back into cooking at home when you don't have a plan.  So, my biggest piece of advice to stop eating out and starting cooking for yourself is to have a plan.  Plan a weekly menu.  It doesn't have to be elaborate, you don't have to cook Lobster Thermidor or Boeuf Bourguignon.  You just need to cook what you like, but plan it ahead of time.  Planning it out helps save you time and money because you don't have to fly by the seat of your pants.  You know what is coming, but you can also change it up if you want to.

Here are 3 easy steps to implementing an easy menu.

1.  Cook what you like.  Write down the recipes that you and your family like and then pick from that list.  Using tried and true recipes helps make menu planning and grocery shopping easy.  If you want to be adventurous and try out a new recipe then write those down on a separate list.  I would pick one new recipe to try out a week.  You will easily become discouraged if that recipe doesn't turn out well and you still have more new recipes to try out for the week.  Sticking to just one new recipe makes it easier on you and the family.

2.  Write it down.  I made a big chalkboard that I write our menu down on, and it hangs in the kitchen where my husband and I can see it every day.  Writing it down somewhere that is in your face helps to keep you on track.  You can know what to expect every day and you don't have to wonder what is for dinner.  This also helps my husband know what is expected of him.  I try to pick recipes on days that he is off that he can help cook.  I know that he can't make homemade macaroni and cheese, but he can make bacon cheeseburgers.  Getting your family involved will make dinner easier on you and help you stick with it.

3.  Go grocery shopping once.  After you plan your menu, make a list of what you need to complete the menu.  Doing this helps keep you from making daily trips to the grocery store and keeps your cost down.  This won't guarantee that you won't end up making an emergency grocery store run, but it will keep you from going four or five times a week, which is just exhausting.

Following those simple steps will help keep the pressure off of you in the kitchen and make it more likely that you will stick with it.  Going into a week with a meal plan is one less thing that you have to worry about during the week.  No one will have to ask what's for dinner again.

Here are some fun links to help you plan your menu:
I Heart Organizing
Organized Home 
Food on the Table

31 Days of Cooking at Home: Day 1

This month I'm linking up with The Nester and accepting her 31 Days challenge.  For the 31 days in October I will be writing posts (both big and small) about a particular subject.  This year's topic will be Cooking at Home.  I feel that food is a great way to bring people together, to enjoy time with friends and family.

This time is often pushed aside because preparing your own food takes time and money.  Something we all claim not to have.  But if you have time to sit in the drive-thru lane for 10 minutes or spend an hour and half in a restaurant, then you have time to make a home-cooked meal.  And if you have the money to spend on fast food, you have money to make your own food.

I'm not trying to criticize, I just want to help everyone get back in the kitchen.  I love nothing more than talking to my son his bouncy chair as I chop vegetables or stir my sauce.  And I love sitting down with my husband (albeit in the living room because heaven forbid he should eat at the table...I'm working on it) and discussing our day over Taco Lasagna or Chocolate Chip Cookie pie. 

So I'm here to help you get back in the kitchen.  I'll post recipes, tools to have, and tricks to help you get back to cooking at home.

Baby Food Problems

Well, we have officially started Jude on baby food.  He went for his 4 month check-up last week and now weighs 10 lbs. 10 oz and is 24.25 inches long.  The doctor said he is a bit on the small side but he is growing and is healthy so he wasn't worried.  He still recommended I start Jude on some cereal and pureed vegetables and fruits to help him put on some weight.

Now I'm excited.  I have been planning to make my own baby food (at least the majority of it) since he was still in the womb and now I get to actually do it.  I got a few books from my store about how to go about making it, what food do what for growth and bowel regularity and I could go on for a while.  I'm a little nuts about it.  I just want what is best for my baby bear and I think by controlling what he eats, what goes into it, etc. I can keep a better eye on him and keep him healthy. 


Plus it's cheaper.  Really.  Have you seen the price of a jar of baby food?  Ri-dic-u-lous.

Anyway, I want to share with you my first feeding adventure.  We started Jude on just some rice cereal mixed with a little breast milk for a couple of days.  Fun.  He put up quite the fight the first feeding, but now he seems to enjoy it immensely.  He laughs and talks and spends more time eating his fist than eating his food, but it's fun to watch.  And he does eventually get the food down.

Then I decided to be adventurous and give him bananas.  Well, I made the husband do it because I was at work.  Babies like bananas, right?

Well, friends, Jude is allergic to bananas.  Yikes!

He broke out into hives on legs and arms.  Scared the crap out of my husband and later myself when I got home after work to find this out.  He never seized up, or had trouble breathing, or anything more serious than some welts and redness that went away after an hour after feeding him so we didn't feel it was ER worthy.  (Please trust that had they stayed we would have been there in a heartbeat.) 

We figured no more bananas, that should fix it, right?

Wrong.  He continued to break out for the next two days.  Redness and welts that would come after feeding him but go away not long after.  I was worried that perhaps it was my milk or the little bit of formula we were giving him, or perhaps we were bringing in something from the outside that he was reacting to, or just something other than the bananas was making him break out.  Nope. 

Thank you baby clinic that is open on the weekends for being my saving grace this past weekend.  What they don't tell you about allergic reactions, and what I would like to share with the world, is that while the banana was gone from his system, what had triggered the response can stay for about 72 hours.  Which means that he can continue to break out into hives for a few days afterward.  But as long as his breathing was fine and his face didn't swell, there was no need to panic or take him to the ER according to the clinic doctor.  Whew.

Thankfully, that was the worst of it, so no trips to the ER.  He has stopped breaking out and we are only giving him cereal while his body recovers and gets rid of the nasty allergy stuff.  I'll admit that I'm worried about giving him food now, but I'm going to remain positive and feed him some sweet potatoes next week.

Cross your finger that all goes well.

In Regards to Freezer Meals

Today's Pinterest topic is Freezer Meals.  Have you heard of them?  Basically, these super moms (and dads) make enough meals for the entire month(!) and freeze them for later use.  I first heard about this from Stephanie at Mama and Baby Love.  She has a fantastic ecookbook out that gives out her staple slow-cooker freezer meals.  If you are looking to get started I would suggest her recipes.  Once a Month Mom is also a great resource for getting started, recipes, and creating your own meal plan.

I have been doing freezer meals for a few months now with a few tweaks that works for me.  First of all, I am not as ambitious as everyone else and only do them in two week increments.  This allows me to cook throughout the week but have a back-up for when I don't feel like it.  It also keeps the time spent preparing the meals to a minimum.  I can get everything prepared in about 2 hours.  I'm not ambitious enough to try to make breakfasts and lunches so I only make dinners.  I usually use 5 recipes which makes 10 meals.  The recipes I use are already doubled so that all you have to do is split the ingredients between freezer bags.  I mainly do slow-cooker meals because assembly is as easy as splitting the ingredients into freezer bags or containers and throwing them in the freezer.  Recently though, I have been making batches of food big enough to eat half and freeze the rest.  It's given me a lot more freedom to cook a larger variety of food.

I will say I always have browned meat and shredded chicken in the freezer and fridge for quick meals like tacos or chicken salad.

The advantages of doing this are numerous.  I don't have to worry about what I'm making for dinner every night.  I can just throw the contents of a bag in my slow cooker and have a home-cooked meal without fuss.  I know what is going into these meals and can easily adjust them to fit my family's needs (read: I can make my husband eat vegetables).  I can usually squeeze dinner for two and lunch for me the next day out of each meal so it's very cost effective.  We save so much money doing this because we don't have to eat out as much and we can shop the sales and cheaper in-season items.  Plus, it's much easier to budget grocery money when you have a game plan for the week.  Most importantly though, it saves time!  I can spend a few hours on one day and stay out of the kitchen for a week or two if I want.  My husband and I work opposite schedules usually so whenever we can squeeze in time together, we do it!  Plus this is so easy, the husband can throw a meal together if I'm not at home to do it.

If you are looking to start doing this, here is my advice to you.

1. Start off small!  If you don't want to make a full weekly/bi-weekly/monthly menu, just make a recipe or two and see how that works out for you.  I'm not brave enough to make a full meal plan like the one's listed on OAMM's website, but I know I can do a week or two's worth of dinners with no problem.

2.  Do your homework!  I have spent a lot of time reading about different freezing techniques, getting things organized, and how to create my own recipes.  It's much easier to create your own menus and recipes when you know what can freeze and what can't, for how long it can freeze, etc.  I know this seems like a lot of work, but I promise it's so beneficial.

3.  Be prepared!  I spend time planning out my recipes, setting up my grocery list, and setting aside time to make my meals.  This is hard to do on the fly so make sure you have made time to do this properly or you will end up wasting time and losing that "saves time" aspect.

4.  Do what works for you!  I've ready lots of stories and testimonials of people that really get into this and make monthly menus, and that is just too ambitious for me.  You don't have to be super mom (or dad) to do this.  It's okay to just do a few meals here and there.

5.  Grab a partner!  Doing this with someone else not only keeps you motivated, but also makes it fun.  I often con the husband into putting bags together or helping me clean up.  It helps me get the job done even quicker, plus gives us some bonding time together since we don't get a ton of that during the day.

I hope this inspires you to give this a try.  It seems daunting when you first start out but it gets easier, and really is beneficial.  You'll eat healthier, save money, and have more time to spend with family, friends, pets, whatever.

High Five for Friday

It's been so long since I've done this!  I'm excited to take a look at the good things that happened to me, even if they seemed insignificant at the time.

1.  My Birchbox came in which automatically made this a good week.  Budgeting money means that I can't buy things just because I want to anymore, so Birchbox gives me an extra treat to enjoy.

2.  I've started reading again!  Woo hoo!  Read about my first adventure back into reading here.

3.  There is a cute little restaurant in my new neighborhood called The Lunch Box that has 25 cent wings every Thursday.  It's budget friendly and the wings are fresh, big, and tasty.  It's was a great to eat out somewhere and not spend a lot of money.

4.  My sororities recruitment was this past weekend and we got 20 wonderful new members!  20 may not seem like a lot but my college boasted a whopping total of about 1500 students total when I attended, so the numbers of our fraternities and sororities are small.  I have been an alum for three years now, but am now an advisor so I get to be excited about recruitment again without seeming creepy.

5.  My sorority sister Ravon's engagement party is tomorrow!  Jude is going to Nana's house for the night so the husband and I get a night to ourselves.  It's going to be awesome!

Happy Friday everyone!

Book Club: Divergence

Before I had Jude I was an avid reader.  I could devour several books each month, sometimes each week.  It's much harder now to find time to read, but I am determined to get back to it.  I really miss it.  As a bookstore employee, I have thousands of books at my disposal and I want to take advantage of it.  So, I'm starting this "book club."  It's not really a club but more of a way to hold myself accountable for keeping up with my reading list.  I'm not much of a book reviewer, but I'll give it a shot.

This weeks book: Divergence by Veronica Roth.

Divergence is a young adult novel that is supposed to be the next Hunger Games.  It's the first book in the Divergent trilogy.  The story revolves around 16-year-old Beatrice "Tris" Prior who lives in a dystopian Chicago.  Her society is divided up into five factions that dedicate themselves to a particular virtue.  Beatrice comes from the Abnegation faction that prides itself on being selfless.  On a particular day every year, every 16-year-old gets to select the faction that they will devote their lives to.  They can decide to stay with their families, or leave their old lives behind and start fresh somewhere else.  The story follows Tris as she makes her surprising choice of factions and competes to become an initiated member of the faction she chooses.  With growing conflict among the factions, Tris must fight for her place in the life she had chosen, and hide a secret about herself that could help those she loves or destroy her.

I finished this book fairly quickly, despite it's length.  As a young adult (YA) novel, the language is not hard.  I often have trouble with YA novels having female leads that are absolutely infuriating or boring Mary Sues, but Tris was actually likable and had a real personality.  She's no Katniss Everdeen, but she could beat Bella to a pulp in personality alone.  She had real problems and feelings that everyone could relate to.

The storyline itself is pretty interesting.  Dystopian novels seem to be hot these days, and this one was decent.  Where The Hunger Games gave us only glimpses of the other Districts, Divergence actually gave me a really good idea about what all the factions are about which I liked.  The love story and friendships Tris gets involved in were real and interesting.

Overall, I liked the book and would recommend it to anyone who likes an easy read and/or young adult novels that don't involve vampires and werewolves.  I will be adding the second book in the series (Insurgent) to the reading list and will read it when it comes into the store for me to grab.  (The third book has not been published yet.)

Next week's book: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare.  It's another young adult (YA) novel. (I promise, this is not all I read, but working in the kids and YA sections at work every day, makes me want to read what everyone is asking for/talking about.)

Read along with me and let me know what you think, or give me suggestions as to what I should add to my reading list!

I'm Back!

Wow!  It's been FOR.EV.ER since I was last on here.  Life has been so crazy.

We got the house!!  We are now the proud owners of a lovely little home in a quiet neighborhood.  We have a small front yard and an even smaller backyard, but it really works for us.  We have been busy moving and getting settled in and I now feel like we have established a good routine so I can get back to writing.

Jude took the move fabulously, as did our cats who have become used to moving at this point.  I'm so excited to say that after moving every year since the husband and I have been together, I don't have to pack all of our crap again for many years to come.  Praise Jesus.

Not much else has happened this last month, which is nice.  Jude is nearing his 4th month of life.  He sleeps well at night, smiles a lot, and has a crush on Giada de Laurentiis.  I'm serious.  He really does.  He sits in his bouncy seat in front of the TV and "talks" to her.  It's adorable.  He also likes Mickey Mouse.  We don't make it a habit to put him in front of the TV but it's nice to be able to entertain him while I make lunch or fold laundry or something.

Work is still work.  I still enjoy it although I'm thinking of starting a list of things not to say or do to people who work in retail.  Seriously.  Some people have zero etiquette when it comes to shopping.  Or being in public.

The husband and I have started Dave Ramsey's Money Makeover program.  I owe a lot of money from my college years, plus our new mortgage, husband's car payment, and credit card bills, not to mention my bills from my stay at the hospital with Jude.  Ramsey's advice for budgeting and snowballing our debt is helping us get on the right track toward being in true control of our money.  We haven't been able to save much money yet, but we are getting there.  We finally feel like our life together is getting to where it's supposed to be.  It's an awesome feeling.

Well, I think that's enough ramblings for now.  So glad to be back.

Life Update

Wow, I did not mean to take such a long hiatus from blogging.  Life has a way of making it impossible for finding time to really sit down and write.  I'm working on finding the balance but for now I thought I would give a quick update on what's going on in my life before working on some other posts that I hope to publish this week including a tutorial on ombre nails and what I got in my Birchbox.

So I started work last week and it went extremely well.  It was a lot smoother of a transition than I thought it would be.  I may or may not have cried the two days before going back, but after just a few tears Wednesday morning, I kissed baby goodbye and trotted off to work.  It was a lot like going back to school after summer vacation.  Everyone was excited to see me and after a few minutes of catching up, I was right back to work, buying stuff from the public and running the kids section.  It honestly felt like I never left. 

I will admit that I was really unsure of myself when I was preparing to head back to work in terms of caring for Jude and making sure he got enough milk so that we didn't have supplement him with formula.  I'm not against formula or people that use it; I understand that everyone has different needs and concerns.  I just want to make use of what we already have.  Formula can get expensive and as long as I'm able to produce enough for him, I'd like to stay away from it.  He got his 2 month shots last Tuesday and the doctor said he was growing sufficiently and to keep up the good work, which made me feel awesome.  I really want to maintain that.  I do have to pump in my car on my lunch breaks which sucks, but I'm able to keep up with his needs and still have enough to store a bottle's worth in the freezer every night for later.  I hope to soon have enough that I can allow his grandparents take him overnight occasionally.  

 Jude really seems to be taking the transition really well.  I had read that sometimes babies don't take to change well so I was really nervous about him handling me leaving for 8 hours a day, but he is ever resilient and has not fussed or cried any more than usual.  I'm so grateful that she was here to help me transition into work.  We are really going to miss her when she leaves later today.

In other news, our house is in underwriting now.  I'm not really sure what that means but apparently it's good.  Our appraisal went well and our termite inspection came up negative.  From my understanding, we should be able to move in at the end of August.  Holla!  I have been going crazy on Pinterest looking for ways to maximize our space and be super organized.  I can't wait to get started and share what we do with the house with you all.

Lastly, I would like to mention my current obsession with the Olympics.  It was my dream as a young child to be Olympic gymnast Dominique Moceanu.  I still remember my excitement as I watched her and the rest of the Magnificent Seven win the gold at the '96 Olympics in Atlanta.  Ever since then, I become a maniac during the Olympic season.  I watch everything possible from gymnastics and swimming to kayaking and archery.  If it's on TV when I'm home, I can be found watching it obnoxiously.  I won't get into just how obnoxious I am, but I will say that I'm still upset that Jordyn Wieber was robbed of competing in the All-Around.  She was much better on the Floor Exercise that Gabby Douglas.  Rar.

Anyway, there's a small glimpse into my life from the past two weeks.  Before I go, I have to ask, does anyone else get as obnoxious about the Olympics as I do?  I mean, I really am like the annoying person at a sporting event yelling obscenities at the referees and cheering so loudly that you wish you could gag them.  Anyone? 

High Five for Friday

I know I've been MIA these past two weeks.  I'm getting ready to go back to work (super sad face) and trying to get everything ready for that transition is hard.  I really don't know what I'm going to do without my baby bear for 8 hours a day.  Le sigh.

But anyway, I do have some posts lined up so I will be back to regular blogging soon.  For now I'm linking up with Lauren at From My Grey Desk to share the good things that have happened over the past week.

1.  Our offer was accepted for the house.  We are just waiting for the appraisal and then hopefully it shall be ours!  I'm so excited to actually own a house.

2.  Baby Jude and I have been going for walks in the park while the husband plays disc golf with our friend, Dan.  The exercise and fresh air have been wonderful.

3.  We got a sneak peek of the pictures Jason's sister took of baby bear.  She was able to capture my favorite face that he makes which makes me so so happy.

4.  My little sister, Rebecca is staying with us for the next week and half to help watch Jude when I go back to work.  We don't see much of each other since I live a couple hours away so I'm excited to spend some time with her.

5.  I got visits from friends this week!  

My friend Ketron came up Wednesday to meet Jude.  She was my roommate my Junior year of college and my sorority sister.  It always amazes me that we can fall back into our routine as if no time has passed between us.

My friend Lucas stopped by to watch So You Think You Can Dance with me.  He was the guy I took to all my sorority dances before I met Jason.  The boy has moves.

Hope you all have a great weekend!   

High Five for Friday

So, it's July.  When did that happen?  Ridiculous.  Hope everyone had a great week and an awesome 4th of July! 

1.  Jude has started sleeping for about 6 hours at night!  Yay!  Now if I can get off his old schedule of every 2-3 hours and enjoy it with him.  

2.  Husband and I put in an offer for a house!  It's a cute little house with an extra bedroom and a garage!  And it's only $24 more than what we pay now for rent.  Isn't that crazy?  I hope we get it!  The DIY projects are already spinning around in my head.  :)

3. The gymnastics Olympic trials were last weekend.  It was like the Cats won the NCAA title all over again.  I am such a huge gymnastics fan it's ridiculous.  My dream as a kid was to be Dominic Moceanu.  I still love her. 

4.  Got to have a Ladies' Night last night with some wonderful people from work.  The hostess made a delicious vegan meal of black bean burgers, sweet potato fries, and homemade funfetti cupcakes.  It was amazing!

5.  Went to my 6 week post-partum check up yesterday and got a clean bill of health.  Woo hoo!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Linking this post up with Lauren over at From My Grey Desk!

Pinterest: Success or Fail?

Ok, so I've decided to revamp my Monday Pinterest shares.  I keep sharing my Pins but not actually doing any of them.  Partly because of the new baby, partly because I have become a bit lazy after almost 6 weeks without going to work.  I realize raising my little one is a full time job but it's not the same when you don't leave the house.  So, I have decided to attempt at least one Pinterest find a week and report back on how I did, success or fail, to hold myself accountable and get myself off the couch and doing something fun.

My first adventure was a simple one because as I mentioned in an earlier post, last week was not a good week for baby.  He was unusually fussy all week which stressed me out.  I hate when he cries and I can't soothe him.  He's just growing and needs to cry it out sometimes but it's so hard to have to listen to it knowing there isn't anything I can do. 

Yeah, anyway, so this week's adventure was frozen yogurt pops.  I found this idea through Jillee over at One Good Thing who found it at Annily Green.*  
*(I think she is the originator of the idea but if not please let me know so I can give proper credit.)

This is a no brainer how-to:
Insert a Popsicle stick, plastic or wooden spoon, strong straw, etc. into the top of your yogurt lid.  Try to get it as close to the middle as you can and stick it in the freezer for a few hours.  Mine can usually be pulled out after about 2 hours but I stick them in at night so I can have them in the morning.  When you're ready to eat, stick the cup in a cup or bowl of warm water for 10-15 seconds, peel off the lid, and shimmy your frozen pop out!  If you have trouble pulling the pop out, just stick it in the water for a few more seconds until it comes out.  I have yet to have one break on me.

I would suggest using a smaller cup size of yogurt than I did.  The 6 oz is just hard to eat because the pop is so big and square. I'm always afraid it might melt on me.  Of course that's just my excuse for eating it so fast.  It really is just that good.  Especially when it's hotter than the surface of the sun outside.

If you choose to use the cups that have the foil lids, Jillee has a solution to the imbalance of the inverted shape of their cups HERE.  I have yet to try it but it seems rather simple.  She also has other ideas on different ways to freeze yogurt so check her out.

I'm calling this Pinterest try a success!  It's so super simple, I must have had nearly half a dozen of these since I decided to try it.  Do give it a shot, I promise you won't be disappointed.  It's a good (and cheap!) substitute when you can't make it to the local frozen yogurt shop.

30x30 Week Two

I know, I'm late in posting my outfits from last week.  Baby has had such a rough week, there hasn't been much computer time for me.  Nonetheless, here are my outfits!  I still can't find my camera.  I think my cats ate it.  Along with the belt my husband can't find.  Hmmm.  

Linking up with From My Grey Desk for the challenge!

Top // Forever 21

Shorts // Target

Sandals // Express

Cropped Cardigan // PacSun

Dress // Macy's

Sandals // Express

Shirt // Hot Topic

Shorts // Target

Shoes // Hot Topic

Again this week wasn't too hard.  I have such a laid-back style though.  Shorts and a tee totally work for me, especially being so busy with the baby.  I want to try to be more creative next week though.

High Five for Friday

Well folks, it has been a rather rough week in my household.  My baby bear has not had a very good week which is why I've been MIA and haven't had a chance to post my 30x30 outfits this week.  I'm working on that post later today though and will have it up today or tomorrow.  I just couldn't seem to get ahead this week and I hate that. 

But good things were still abound in my life and I'm here to share!  Linking up with Lauren at From My Grey Desk as always.

1.  A rare quiet moment for me this week.  I like to pretend he's got a headache from all the other babies crying in the restaurant which is why he's grabbing his head.

2.  Is there really anything better thank a Cake Batter Mixer from Culver's?  No?  Didn't think so.

3.  We got to make it out to our first cookout of the summer last weekend.  It was nice to get outside and chill with the in-laws and their friends.

4.  I posted last week that I got a new dishwasher (finally!) which means I can now be unafraid to cook dinner without the hassle of washing all the dishes by hand.  Homemade Au Gratin Potatoes, steamed green beans, and Ritz crusted chicken were the first things on the menu.

5.  How cute is this face?  The husband took this picture.  It's nice to know I'm not the only one that takes a ton of pictures of this kid.

Here's to hoping next week is better than this week.  Have a great weekend!

It's Friday! Let's High Five!

Yay for Friday!  I must say that I hate how fast the time is going now.  I only have a few weeks left of maternity leave and I'm already dreading leaving my sweet little baby bear.  :(  

Not a lot of pictures from this week but still good things happening.  I must say that doing this every week has helped me to appreciate all the good things that happen to me every week.  Even if they are random little details that only I really appreciate.  

As always I'm linking up with Lauren at From My Grey Desk!

1.  My mom came by this week and spent the day with me.  Not only did she help me take care of baby so that I could finally catch an extra hour or two of sleep, buy me some much needed groceries, AND do my dishes for me, but she also helped me figure out how to get Jude to sleep better.  It's still rough getting him to sleep but he's sleeping longer now.  Woo hoo! 

2.  Speaking of dishes, my dishwasher has been broken for what seems like forever, at least two or three months now, and I'm finally getting a new one!  The landlady dropped it off last night and it is being installed today!  Praise Jesus! 

3.  My friends Ravon and Ronnie officially announced their engagement this week!  I have known for a few weeks now but they wanted to keep it quiet for a bit.  I'm so excited for them because they have been together forever and they are so awesome!  I already know that their wedding is going to be AH-MAZING.

4.  Last Friday night we had dinner with friends who made us an amazing steak dinner complete with green beans and mac and cheese (I swear I'll get better at taking photos of things other than my kid).  It was amazing.  What was also amazing was this wine glass that they own.  Yes, this is in fact a mason jar goblet.  

Yeah.  

Only in Kentucky.  

Holla.

5.  My baby Jude is 4 weeks old!  While it makes me sad that time is going so quickly, I am loving every second of being with him and watching him grow.   

Have a great weekend everyone!

30x30 Challenge: Week One

Time for Kate and Lauren's 30x30 Challenge!  For this challenge I will be taking 30 items of clothing and shoes from my closet and making 30 different outfits from them.  This is A) to prevent me from shopping (not that I have the money to anyway) and B) to take a good look at my closet and see that I do actually have something to wear. 

My pictures are terrible this week, I apologize in advance.  I cannot for the life of me find my real camera so I resorted to the computer camera and my iPhone camera.   Eh.  No bueno.

#1
Grey Racerback tank//PacSun
Black shorts//Old Navy
Purple Jacket+Vans//Hot Topic

 

#2

White tank+Black flip flops//Old Navy

Bermuda Shorts//PacSun

Sweater Shrug//New York & Co.

#3

Jeans+Striped Sweater//Motherhood Maternity  (yes I know, I'm still wearing maternity clothes even though i probably don't have to.  but i love love love the sweater.  it's sooo comfortable.  and i just haven't dug out my old jeans yet to see if i can fit into them yet.)

Flats//Gap

I must admit that this challenge is not too challenging yet but I've already used 11 out of 30 items so it will be interesting to see how I reuse them in future outfits.  I may have to get creative.  This could get dangerous.

High Five for Friday

It's FRIDAY!  Yay!  The weeks seem to just fly by now that I'm not working.  It's been a good week but I'm looking forward to the weekend.  The husband actually has it off and while I'm sure it means it will be a lazy weekend, I'm excited to get to spend some time with him and little bear.

Anyway, here are 5 good things from my week.  Linking up, as always, with Lauren over at From My Grey Desk.

1.  I got a call from my Uncle Edward this week.  It feels like forever since I'd talked to him last and even longer since I've seen him, my aunt, and cousins.  They live in Texas, where I'm originally from, and it's just so hard to get down there very often.  He just graduated from college and I couldn't be more proud of him!

2.  I know I always post pictures of my sleepy bear but I just love our cuddle time so much!  I'm trying to enjoy it as much as I can before I have to return to work.

3.  Tuesday was my 1 year wedding anniversary!  My in-laws watched little bear while the husband and I enjoyed a wonderful hibachi dinner with frozen yogurt for dessert.  We even took bites of our wedding cake for tradition's sake.

4.  June's Birchbox came in this week!  You can read all about what was inside here.

5.  No picture for this one but I'm excited about being inspired!  I've decided to take on Kate and Lauren's 30x30 clothing challenge (maybe I'll develop some sense of fashion along the way).  I've got a pile of books I want to read before I have to go back to work and lose any hope of ever getting through them.  AND I'm finally figuring out how to cook and bake while taking care of baby Jude.  I'm really beginning to feel like my old, non-pregnant self again.

Have a great weekend everyone! 

June Birchbox

Yesterday was a great day for mail!  Not only did the new Game Informer come in (super awesome bathroom reading material let me tell you) but my June Birchbox came in!  Woo hoo!

This month's box was centered around the "Jetsetter" and came with supplies meant to help you look your best when you are on the go this summer.  My box was a little weird because the back of the card that lists what should be in your box was not accurate but for like one item.  The stuff I got was pretty cool so I'm not complaining but it's odd.  Anyway, read on for a breakdown of the loot I got.

  
Tili reusable plastic ziploc bag: Great for carrying around little toiletries, snacks, loose supplies in your purse.  I really like this bag.  It seems durable and waterproof which is good since I'm going to use it in my diaper bag to help organize and separate my things from Jude's.

LA Fresh Face Cleanser wipes: The name says it all.  I'm not one to wear a ton of makeup, especially now since I'm playing mommy and staying home all day, plus it's summer and I don't wear much beyond moisturizer and some eyeliner so I don't sweat through it.  I'll save these for those rare occasions when more makeup is called for.

thebalm cosmetics Staniac: This is a twofer (which is totally rad; I love twofers).  It is a cheek and lip stain, which seems weird at first (at least it did to me) but I used it earlier for my anniversary dinner with the husband and I loved it!  The stain made my lips nice and red without it looking like I painted on layers of lipstick and lip liner and gave my cheeks just a hint of color.  I may actually order the full size version of this.

Georgie Beauty Winks by Georgie: These faux lashes seem cool however I've never worn fake lashes as I don't really need to.  My lashes aren't super long or thick but I think they work well for my face.  I might give these a shot one day though just for funsies.

hair rules Lift Volumizing Shampoo: Again the name says it all.  I'm excited to use it to see if it really does give my hair a lift.  I have stick straight hair that I struggle with constantly trying to create some volume.  This may be my saving grace.

All in all, another good score from Birchbox.  What about you?  What came in your package?

Pinterest Love

Hello all!

I know it's been a while since I've shared some of my Pins but life with a newborn is crazy.  Baby Jude is nearing three weeks old already.  Where does the time go?  Sigh.

Anyway, in between feedings and diaper changes and singing (terribly off key) baby bear to sleep I have gathered some of my top finds.  Enjoy!








Um, how awesome would these shoes be?  (Answer is supa awesome.)  Maybe it's the geek inside me but I want all five of these, but mainly the Lord of the Rings one.  And the Hunger Games.  And Doctor Who is cool too...



Boho Braid

Yeah we all know I'm obsessed with braids.  I love love love this hair style.  Pretty sure I'm going to do this one tomorrow for my one year wedding anniversary with the husband!  I'll try to remember to take pictures.  



Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake

Summer to me means strawberries and watermelons.  This twist on the classic strawberry shortcake is a must try.  Next time I go to the grocery, I'm getting the stuff to make these.

 
Tupperware Lid Storage

How genius is this idea?  I mean, seriously, how did I not think of this before?

 

Working on my fitness.  I mentioned before that I am down to pre-pregnancy weight (woot!) but I'm going to keep whittling down those pounds.  This is helping to keep me moving at least a little bit each day.

Last one:
 
Lego Halloween Costume

Future Halloween outfit for Jude.  Cardboard boxes and solo cups.  Yes, he's going to hate me.  But he will be awesome!

High Five for Friday

Happy happy Friday everyone!

Hope everyone has had a great week and if you haven't here's to hoping your weekend is infinitely better!

Linking up with Lauren at From My Grey Desk, to bring you some good things from my week. Join us!

1. Husband and I finally finished the puzzle! Major props to the husband for pretty much finishing it by himself. My interest with the puzzle ended when we got to the solid colored pieces, then the baby came so attention span went out the window. We bought this frame at Michael's and now it hangs in our bedroom.

2. Baby Jude and I went on our first solo adventures this week to much success. We have made a trip to the grocery store, the bank, Target, and Fazolis. We even managed a trip into my work so I could show him off to all my friends. He slept through it all of course.

3. Naps with baby are truly the best thing ever. Appa loves to join us now too when he can.

4. I can wear my engagement ring again! My fingers swelled up when I got pregnant and I haven't been able to wear it since November. I wasn't sure if i would be able to wear it again so could not have been happier when it fit!

5. No picture for this one but I am back down to my pre-pregnancy weight! Woo hoo! I plan to keep going so that I can get down to a more healthy weight. Another 20-30 pounds will put me there.

Have a great weekend!