Valentines Day

I'm writing this with feet propped up and a full belly.  The morning started with our weekly music class with Miss Tammy.  I had an empty refrigerator so I decided to brave the store.  I hit Costco first and got the necessities.... toilet paper, paper towel, and milk.  Then we moved onto the grocery store.  Crazy place on Valentine's day.  There was a HUGE line of all men in front of the balloon station.  WHO GETS BALLOONS on VALENTINES DAY????  Here's the pic:

Then the girls and I made cookies for Daddy.  D1 was so excited.  She had picked out sprinkles at the store. She let D2 "help".  It was cute!

Almond Sugar Cookies... YUM!!!

Here's the recipe!  Light, flaky and YUMMY!!!

Ingredients (5 dozen)


1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 cup granulated sugar for decoration
Directions


In a large bowl, cream together the butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and stir in the vanilla and almond extract. Combine the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar; blend into the creamed mixture. Cover and chill for at least two hours.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Divide the dough into two parts. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of the dough out to 3/16 inch in thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 1/2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheets. Sprinkle cookies with plain or colored granulated sugar.
Bake for 8 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.


After the kids went to nap I made more Chicken Bundles as they disappeared last week.  I also was hungry for Chicken Enchiladas so I made some for dinner.  I called hubby's mom & brother and invited them over for dinner and cookies.  Once Hubby got home from work we have dinner & celebrated together.  The funny of the night was our card exchange.  At the grocery D1 INSISTED that we get daddy a "fairy princess" card.  The ladies in the aisle chuckled when I tried to explain to D1 that daddy probably does not want a Fairy card.  She just didn't get the idea that it was for dad.  She continued to insist and I finally gave in.  When we exchanged cards Daddy must have been a mind reader because he bought the EAXCT CARD for D1. HOW FUNNY!!!
And mommy got flowers!

Financial Day

When I stress out, I clean.  Needless to say, I have a spotless house today. I got up at 7, did a cup of coffee, email and treadmill thing and then the kids and hubby were up.  He watched the kiddos while I went to town, floors, bathrooms, shower, bedrooms all done.  Took about 3 hours.  Then it was time.  The time that I had dreaded but could not put off anymore.

Last month we made New Years Resolutions and one of them is to save money.  We have never been good at this as we have always had 'things on our plate', huge things.  We got married, we had D1, we built a home (AKA the financial hemorrhage), then we needed a yard, then a tractor to mow yard, and then D2 came along.  We are now pretty well "done" and need to start planning for retirement and SAVING MONEY.  We decided to get a financial planner.  We interviewed a couple of people and one in particular stood out.  We felt that he was extremely knowledgeable and felt secure with his plan of attack.  This sounds all peachy until you are printing out every financial document you own, every insurance, every debt, every piece of your financial well(or not-so-well) being.  It becomes very scary.  Hubby felt wonderful after we had our meeting as I sat with a lump in my stomach the entire 1hr 40 mins.  Hoping that once they start plugging the numbers in that the picture will be less painful than I imagine.  Here's to crossed fingers!

Hibernating in PJ's

Today I woke up with the kids as I was up 4 times last night with D2.  She is getting 4 teeth on the top at the same time and is ABSOLUTELY MISERABLE.  Unfortunately shit rolls downhill... onto Mommy's lap because Daddy works mornings this week.  She was up at 11:40p, 1:38a, 3:30a and 6:02a.  This made getting up at 630a IMPOSSIBLE.

When we did get up the snow was falling and a quick look on the calendar revealed that we had NO plans.  I declared it a PJ day.  D2 remained pretty crabby throughout the day.  She took her morning nap and then when it was time fr the afternoon nap I got both down at the same time.  I jumped onto the treadmill and got a mile in when bloody murder was screamed from D2's room.  The screaming must have woken D1 as she woke up quickly thereafter. Humph.  Fortunately my husband got off work a tad early because by 6pm I was pretty wiped.  He actually suggested that I take a nap.  I happily obliged.  I had thrown one of my freezer crock pot bags in this morning so dinner was covered.

After my power nap we had a nice dinner and made a fire and relaxed until bedtime.  Hubby volunteered to put kiddos to bed so I think that I am going to take him up on it and get some extra sleep as I want to restart my morning routine tomorrow.

This afternoon I did quickly get done my Valentine decorations... Here you go!  I did the words with the cricut machine.  Makes things a TON easier!

My Valentine Decorations

Hung on the mantle!

Bunco night

Gotta make this a quickie so I can get to bed.  Tonight was bunco night.  A girls night full of wine, gossip and food.  No diets, men or kids (unless you may be hosting).  There was money to be had and a penis headband to wear... OH MY.  Good times.  Made Brown Sugar Bacon Smokies... YUM!!

• 1 pound Bacon, Cut Into Thirds
• 1 pound Smokies
• 1 stick Butter
• 2 cups Brown Sugar

Preheat oven to 375F. Cut the bacon into thirds and wrap each smokie. Place all the wrapped smokies in a single layer in a baking dish. Then melt the stick of butter and then 1 cup of brown sugar and stir until mixed well. Pour the butter and brown sugar mixture on the smokies and bacon. Then take the other cup of brown sugar and sprinkle evenly over the smokies. Bake them for about 15-20 minutes and then turn the heat up to 400F for about 5 minutes or longer until the bacon becomes crispy.


I swear they were gone in 10 mins!!!  Good times!!!!


Off to bed so I can get on the treadmill tomorrow!  I was up by 7 this morning and did 3 miles!!  Here comes the Cleveland half!

Evaluation time.

Today has made me take a step back and look at my current routine.  I'm tired, I haven't been on the treadmill in a week (And I feel 500#) and I have quite a few projects in the queue.  I have aways used 'nap time' as 'my time' but this time is becoming less about me and more about 'getting done what I started'.   Too many things to get done and not enough time.  I was getting on the treadmill religiously but with D2 sometimes sleeping 30 mins and sometimes 1.5 hours its completely random.  Not to mention that I HATE getting psyched up to start a jog and then D1 or D2 waking up and being interrupted.  I think that I need to make ME TIME.  I am always staying up until 12-1am either online or completing some project.  This seems like the perfect time to get some exercise in but then I'm all adrenalined up.... so no go.  This is my new plan:

Baby in bed by 8:15 D1 in bed BY 9.  I have until 10 to do projects and blog.  Then 10pm is mommy bedtime.  The kicker will be waking up by 6.  The kids sleep about 12 hours (D2 wakes 1 time for a bottle) so I basically have until 8:30 to be showered and dressed before they wake up.  2.5 hours of ME time.  Sounds HEAVENLY.  Then nap time (whatever that may be) can be project time because projects can get done whenever, AND I will probably have leftover time in the AM.  Strategically this seems like it would work. I am just NOT and never have I been a morning person.  I worked nightshift since 1994 and rarely see dawn.  Will this work?

I am such a type A person.  I am a control freak.  I can control any aspect of my life.  When I wanted to lose weight I did Adkins for 4.5 years and lost 75#.  When I read Skinny Bitch and watched Food Inc I swore off meat and was a vegetarian for 1.5 years.  I can do this.  I don't need to leave my house.  I can get up... drink my coffee and get on the treadmill, do a video, whatever.  I will see results therefore it should work.  I'll just be screwed if they wake early.  That would mean that they would go to bed earlier and I would wake earlier.  Hmm... again, seems to make sense.

This decision is also coming with a choice I had to make today about when to send D1 to preschool.  Our current class is 11:15-12:45.  Enough time to have a late morning and time to have lunch afterward and get to nap.  We don't wake until 8:30ish so it fits perfectly.  Next year the choices are 9:15-11:15 OR 12:15-2:15. I figured the latter was a no brainier.  EXCEPT, all of her friends (I mean MY FRIENDS) are doing the morning thing.  AND I have no clue what D2 will be doing by then.  So I bit the bullet and tonight signed up for the 9:15 class.  This means that D1 MUST get up by 8 at the very latest.  This also means that this family needs to start getting a morning routine.  This is the prod in my ass that I probably need.  I do it first and by September we will be there.  Not to mention that I am signed up for a 1/2 marathon in May... so with my lack of time to run... I have no time to train.  MUST. DO. THIS.

I did start a quickie craft tonight... need some color in the house and Valentines are just too cute!  Tomorrow I will attach the words!  They were 99 cents at Pat Catans!

Valentines...

So I am in a parent toddler 2 year old preschool class with D1.  We have fun.  Its 1.5 hours once a week and we are in class with a few of my friends so it is usually social hour for me which is wonderful.  This week is "Valentine's" themed.  I actually had to ask if we were doing Valentine cards and I was quickly told yes by all whom I asked.  I am a bit surprised by this.  A few weeks ago I took the girls to the library so we could get some Valentine books so D1 can start getting the idea of the various holidays.  We checked out several books and I read them to her daily.  Does she understand what Valentine's Day is?  HELL NO.  She is 2 1/2 years old.  Will SHE be making the Valentines? NO.  She can't even sign her own name.  Again, WHY ARE WE DOING VALENTINES????  Nonetheless, I went to Target 2 weeks ago to get ahead start on this Hallmark Holiday.  I went to the appropriate "seasonal" isle and there were boxes of princess, batman, Elmo and various other cards that all had sayings like "I love you" and "be mine".  Did I mention that they are 2.5 years old?  She doesn't LOVE anyone besides hubby and I and she surely don't want anyone to BE HERS except her teddy bear!  Did I also mention that these were between $5-10 per box.  Then I thought... do you get girly ones for the girls and boy ones for the boys?  If yes, double that cost.  Screw that.  I went home and logged into my favorite site.  PINTEREST.

I liked the crayon melting idea.  I bought the heart mold.  Figured it was $14 and I'll have it forever.  I had leftover crayons from Christmas (I'll post that pic too) and D1 always brings me her 'broken' ones and refuses to use them... so I have quite a collection.  I am also the mom that keeps a ziplock in my purse of 'restaurant crayons'.  Anytime we get a few with the kids menu I keep them so I can keep her busy at restaurants that don't give them away.  I have a big stash at this point.  All meltable in my mind. What to do BESIDES the crayon heart?

Many people post uses for paint swatches.  I always love the ideas.  Then it hit me.  Crayons... color swatches... I'm sure i can put something together.  I went to Home Depot last week and got a stack of a few different reds and then I went to Lowe's this week and got a few more.  I broke out the cricut machine and went through my cartridges looking for hearts.  This is what I came up with!

Getting the supplies ready!

Glued on the cricut hearts after cutting out the kids names.

Then i wrote my message and double sided taped the crayon heart.WALA!

Here is the pic of what I did for the teacher for Christmas.  SHE.LOVED.IT.

Christmas craft

I froze the crayons and then got on Microsoft Word.  I printed out the biggest font F I could find and then a pretty script for the "Mrs Farr".  Then I printed it onto card stock.  I held up the crayons to the paper and nicked the crayon with a knife.  Then I would roll and cut the canon at the same time scoring it as I went and then they would just snap.  Then hot glue THE PAPER (if you put hot glue right onto the crayon it will harden immediately as the crayons are still cold.  Then I trimmed the paper to fit in a $8 shadowbox!  WALA!  Teacher gif!  I am wondering if I can get away doing this until she graduates???? HA!

Achy all over

Hoping that its nothing and use sleep deprivation.  Fingers crossed.

Today was nice.  Woke up early to get D1 ready for her outing with her uncle and grammie.  They are taking an art class at the museum.  D1 was up late last night so I was happily surprised that she got up willingly.  Then I met with one of the girls from the Mom's club to organize our storage room.  Feels good getting things organized, even if its not my mess!  Then the aches started.  Knees, legs, back.  UUGGHH.  I came home to a sleeping husband on the couch and a sleeping baby in her crib.  Normal people would join the crowd but I wanted to get a few things accomplished; in peace and quiet.  Even the dog was sleeping (0n my pillow nonetheless!!)

Sleepy doggy!

I started painting the accent wall in our "poop room" aka water closet.  It then finally hit me to stain the floating shelves vs painting them.  I figure that I can paint over stain but the reverse us not true.  Stain first.  So the 1st coat is on.

gray walls

shelf in the corner

Not too exciting

water closet before

We had a mom's club meeting tonight.  I got "officially" nominated for next year's presidency.  Not sure if Im happy or insane yet.  Keep you posted on that one.  I have my issues that I would like to fix and if I can get some of them accomplished I will be very happy. Hmmmm...