it's military monday!

January 31, 2011

3 comments
That's right. It's already Monday again. I still haven't figured out why the weekend flys by and Monday leads the way for a dragging week. Hmm...

I'm battling a cold/sinus crap. I've been battling it since Friday night. Talk about a blah weekend. But, I did get to peek through the nursery at the adorbs baby my friend had last week. She is a beauty. So there was that.

I'm feeling a bit better today, just super stuffed up. I did manage to pick up the house yesterday, cook up a storm in the kitchen last night, do a couple loads of laundry, get dressed and straighten my hair this morning (woo - go me!) and make our bed. By storm, we're talking hot wings, BBQ wings, nachos, mozzerella sticks, quesadillas and brownies. A little pre-superbowl meal since M won't be here for the actual superbowl. You know, because we only watch it for the commercials, the halftime show and the food.

But seriously, I'm kinda rockin' it for a sickie. Now I'm off to clean up my mess in the kitchen from last night. And once the dishes are finito, I'm gonna blog-hop it up!



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i'm flattered....really!

January 30, 2011

4 comments
I've received my second blog award.


I'd like to give a big thanks to Lydia from withlovelydia for the award. If you don't read her blog, check her out!
Now for the rules. Because there always has to be rules!
1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award.
2. Answer 10 questions.
3. Pass it along to 7 blogs you've recently discovered and enjoy.
4. Leave your recipients a note telling them about the award.

The 10 Questions.
1. Why did you create this blog?
I created this blog after moving from all of my family and friends in North Carolina to New York. M is a Marine and we got orders to move to Long Island. I wanted a easy and creative way to let everyone know how we were and what we were up to.

2. What kinds of blogs do you follow?
All kinds. Crafty blogs. Food blogs. Military spouse blogs. Mommy blogs. Whatever is a good read and is inspiring.

3. Favorite make-up brand?
Bare Escentuals for mostly everything. I love Cover Girl for mascara. And I love VS for eye shadows and glosses.

4. Favorite clothing brand?
Old Navy & Target.

5. Indispensable makeup product?
Foundation. I get rosy cheeks and I like to tone down the color.

6. Favorite color?
Mustard yellow.

7. Favorite perfume?
For day-time, it's a body spray from VS and I can't remember the name. It's a small clear bottle with purple writing. For night - NYC by SJP.

8. Favorite film?
Ferris Bueller's Day off. You've Got Mail.

9. What country would you like to visit and why?
France. Italy. Germany. I can't pick just one!

10. Would you rather forget to put mascara on one eye or forget blush on one side of your face?
Blush!

Now to the awardees:
Memoirs of a Marine Corp Wife
Bright Wishes
Always in Wonder
Until the Stars Align
Eat,Pray,Love...Live
Momma Go Round
Our Journey with Jax (I didn't recently discover her, but she did just start blogging again so I think that counts!)

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P365 - week 4.

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22. Dessert at Sonic. Yum!
23. Semi-homemade biscuits for Sunday brunch.
24. Self-explained...
25. Lia-bug just hanging out.
26. A Valentine's Day wreath. Tutorial here.
27. My sick babe.
28. My not-so-sick anymore babe figuring out how to turn herself around in the cart.

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FILL IN THE BLANK FRIDAY

January 28, 2011

3 comments

1. If my house was on fire and I could only grab 3 things I would grab...
Other than the obvious, M, L-bug and Toby (we'll say they are safely away from the fire) I'd grab pictures. I'd be heartbroken with our pictures. My camera. We totally forgot to insure that baby. (Please don't let me saying that out loud jinx me!!!) And...our box of sentimental memories. It's the little stuff but it's special to my heart.

2. A smell I really like is...
Febreeze fabric refreshers (the purple label or the pet one). Strawberry patch candle from Bath&Body Works. M's cologne. The way L-bug smells after a bath. And her Johnson's purple bottle of night lotion.

3. Something you might not know about me is...
I'm really afraid of clowns. They are kind of creepy. Also, I dont' do well in front of masses of people and my parents always took us to the big circus where the clowns climbed through the chairs in the stadium to pick people to be part of the show. I cringed everytime they came around...

4. Some of my favorite websites to putter about on are...
Mommy, military spouse, crafty, recipe blogs. I love Enjoying the Small Things, Writings of an Air Force Wife, and more that I honestly can't remember now. Oh, and I like to browse Etsy every now and then too.

5. This weekend I will...
Be dropping in at Old Navy for their 90% off clearance sale! Celebrating the birthday of two awesome people (my brother-in-law & sister-in-law). *Hopefully* meeting a precious new baby girl that my friend gave birth to last night!

6. Nothing makes me happier than...
Seeing my family together and happy.

7. A bad habit I have is...
Procrastinating and putting off housework. Especially this winter, it's so ugly outside. And, I am seriously over the snow.

You know how it works. Link up over at the little things we do and anwser these burning questions!

 
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embrace the camera.

January 27, 2011

5 comments
I embraced the camera this week with both of my loves. A mini photoshoot with L-bug when we were heading out the door before a family dinner then M & I snapped a few of ourselves once we got back.

Love my tank here. It was $2 at Old Navy. Seriously, can't beat that! And L's cute butterfly tee was only $1.24. This gal loves herself some bargains!







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recipe: snow cream!

January 26, 2011

2 comments
I saw this great tutorial on making snow ice cream last week! I already knew how to make snow cream (as I grew up calling it). My mom would help us make it on every (rare!) snow day we got. But this blogger took it to a whole new level of awesomeness. She dyed it pink and green. And she threw on sprinkles!

It just so happened to snow last week while my sister-in-law was here. What could of sister would I be if I didn't enlighten her to what snow cream is?

She said it tasted like flan. I'm still a little clueless on that one...

Here goes.
You're gonna need snow. Clean snow. I like to place a bowl on the back porch or patio table once it starts snowing. Leave it, forget about it. Go back and fetch it when it's full. Then, your gonna need to put it in the freezer while you gather up your ingredients.

I like to use evaporated milk, sugar and vanilla. And, of course, food coloring now that I have been enlightened. I have no measurements. I like to just pour. And taste. And pour some more. And taste some more. If you need a measurement kind of tute, check out the link above.

Start with the evaporated milk. I used about 1/4ish of the small can. Then a couple tablespoons of sugar. And a few drops of vanilla. After that, taste test it. I basically just added a bit more sugar at the end to make it really sweet.

It's going to end up looking kind of like melting ice cream. You can refreeze when you're done. I like to eat mine right away in all it's slurpy goodness. The flavor seems to be the best that way. But, this time I did refreeze for about an hour.


Seriously, it's delish. It's snowing today too.
Kind of makes me want to make some more...


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WEE BIT WEDNESDAY

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{one} how tall are you?I'm 5'3. Kind of a shorty.

{two} besides bills, what do you spend most of your money on?Groceries. Diapers. Stuff for L-bug.

{three} what are your three favorite websites?Hmm. Facebook (sad, but I keep up with family). My google reader, but thats just made up of a bunch of websites. And...Tumblr. I love inspiration!

{four} what brand of tennis shoes do you prefer?Nikes, if we're talking working out. Pumas and converse for everyday wear.

{five} what food can you absolutely not stand to eat?Fish.

{six} How many pairs of jeans do you own?2 or 3 that fit me. Quite a few that don't!

{seven} if you could have any job, what would it be?I'd own a bakery. And, be an awesome baker/recipe creator.

{eight} have you ever ridden in an ambulance?Yes. Once. To take M to the emergency room for bad dehydration.

{nine} how many pillows do you sleep with?4 or 5! I like me some pillows.

{ten} on a scale of 1-5, how organized are you?4ish. I love being organized. But I tend to let things get out of hand and then I go crazy organizing everything in sight!

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socializing.

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A Little Something is now on Twitter and Facebook. I've got some pretty cute buttons on the right sidebar to lead you there!

Come "Like" me on FB. And, if your a "tweeter" be sure to leave your username (or whatever they call it in twitter-land) in a comment so I can follow you!

P.S.
Want your own social network buttons? There's a great tutorial over here!

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FULL OF RANDOM PICTURES

January 24, 2011

4 comments
 What do you mean I can't have chocolate syrup?!

I've got a monkey in my cabinets.

Yeah, I've got your undies. What are you gonna do about it?
Don't worry, they are brand new!

Hey, look at me. I'm cool. I've got a phone on my diaper.

L's new googly-eyed friend!

Cheesin'.

Spaghetti face. I lurve this picture.

Mama + baby time.


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recipe: easy leftover stir-fry

January 23, 2011

1 comment
Here's the promised recipe!

I don't know why I haven't posted this before. A few nights ago, I needed a quick and easy dinner to make so I could go to the gym that evening. After looking in the fridge and enlisting facebook friends for help, I saw some leftover chicken stew and it hit me. Our favorite leftover stir fry recipe.

This is a recipe my dad created back when I lived at home. To this day, if I'm hungry and looking for something to eat, my dad will offer to cook me this. I call it "dads leftover stir-fry". You can call it something else!

We typically use left-overs but you can always cook this up from scratch if you wanted to.

What you need:
Any meat will basically work.  I love to use leftover pork tenderloin, chicken or steak.
Potatoes. Red, yellow, Yukon, Idaho. Doesn't matter!
Hot sauce.
Parmesan cheese.
Oregano.
Salt + pepper.
Canned corn and/or other vegetables.

Here's what you do:
Dice up your potatoes. Using raw ones? Cook them before hand. Don't let them cook too well, otherwise they will mush when you try to cut them.
Shred your meat. Using raw meat? Cook it before hand as well.
Heat up a little olive oil in a skillet. Toss in meat + potatoes.
Add seasonings. Add hot pepper. Add parmesan cheese. It's all to your liking, no measurements. I like quite a bit of hot sauce and a lot of parmesan cheese.
Let it cook up a bit together, then add in your corn. I bet onions and/or peppers would be great in it too.

There were carrots in my stew, so they made it into here. Tasted great!

I like to serve this up with some crusty french bread. But, all I had on hand was toast. Some cornbread or southern biscuits would be awesome too.


Enjoy!

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p365 - week 3.

January 22, 2011

2 comments
Week 3...and I'm still going strong! This week was full of date nights, good food and a little shopping. I threw in some cleaning and cute faces from L-bug for good measure.


15.  L's new skirt for Valentine's Day. Clearance at Old Navy rocks!
16. Brownie sundaes with homemade caramel sauce for some date night dessert.
17. There's nothing like some citrus scented cleaning supplies to help with the winter blues.
18. The characters of a super easy & delicious dinner. Recipe to come soon!
19. What? 2 date nights this weeks! Date night in the city ♥
20. L-bug's funny spaghetti face.
21. Snow cream. Delish! Recipe to come soon, too.

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FILL IN THE BLANK FRIDAY

January 21, 2011

1 comment

1. My favorite quote is...
"Be believing. Be happy. Don't get discouraged. Things will work out". This is something I hope try to live by. Being a military family, we don't always know whats coming or where we are going next. It can get really unsettling and hard at times. But, when I tell myself this quote, I feel a little reassurance. I know things always work out, even if it's last minute!

2. A bad habit I have is...
Biting my nails. It's bad. I chomp down on 'em when I'm nervous, scared, insecure, stressed. Any bad emotion. You name it, I chomp down to it.

3. The first time I felt like a "grown up" was...
Probably when I became a mom. Taking on the responsibility of another person is huge. You have to grow up, even if you already think you are grown.
4. Weekends are...
What I look forward to all week. It's when I get to spend quality time with my loves and just go off on mini adventures. Like the zoo or to Jersery for shopping & Chick-Fil-A. It's just fun to be together and not worry about what we have to do next.

5. When I was a child I wished my name was...
 I truly cannot remember. I do remember hating my middle name. It's my grandmothers name and it's slightly old-fashioned. I would tell my mom "as soon as I'm old enough, I'm legally changing my middle name!". But now, I love it for those reasons. I never met my grandma, but my mom always told me we would have really enjoyed each other.

6. I wish...
To figure out a way to never forget stuff. I can be/am very forgetful sometimes and I wish I was just super organized without trying and always remembered everything I needed. Dream big, huh?

7. A secret I have is...
When I make a wish at 11:11, it's almost always the same wish (or a variation of the same wish) and sometimes I add in extra wishes if I remember them.

Fill in your own blanks and link up at the little things we do.

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EMBRACE THE CAMERA

January 20, 2011

3 comments
It's Thursday. Know what that means?

 



This week's embrace the camera is all about some mommy & baby snugglin' time. L-bug was having a moment. A full-on "I'm going to stand here and face away from you screaming my lungs off for no apparent reason". After a few minutes, I grabbed her and brought her over on the sofa. She never just sits with me like this. Ever.

Of course, Toby had to get in on the cuddling action. He seems to think he's a human...

And, thanks to my amazing little sister-in-law for taking the photos!

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new blog look!

January 18, 2011

4 comments
What do you think? It's a little cleaner, simpler. I finally got the font on my sidebar titles to match everything else. I'm just having a little issue with the date cutting off.

Otherwise, I lurve it.

I'm going to the gym tonight. I'm a little scared. It's been awhile. I have to start on those New Years resolutions at some point, huh?

On a side note - I'm really glad I cleaned house yesterday. I totally forgot my sister-in-law is coming to stay over so M & I can have a real date night out in the city on Wednesday. I'd be really embarrased if my house was still a hot mess!

Oh and did I mention we're having a real date night? Out. In New York City. In a nice restaurant. With no babies. Just us. And 2 other couples. No babies. Oh, it's going to be nice! What do I wear?

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my soul is happy!

January 17, 2011

2 comments
It's been a bit of a rough start to 2011. With our house disaster, a super busy schedule, some bad spots with M and everyday life building up, my soul has taken a hit. I've felt unhappy, un-me, out of sorts with a cluttered head. I have so many resolutions and goals for myself, I felt like I was letting myself down.

But after a low-key, fun weekend, my soul is healing. It's happy.

We took a trip to Jersey on Saturday for some Chick-Fil-A & Dairy Queen. A quick cure for my homesick heart. And, why not throw in some shopping? Old Navy is having a 40% off clearance sale. I sure do miss my nice employee discount, but we got some great things for L-bug. A frilly pink skirt, a grey cardi, a ruffled pink sweatshirt/sweatpants and a cute t-shirt adorned with a bow. Mama got a little something too!

L eating her first kids meal! Nuggets, fruit cup & apple juice from Chick-Fil-A.

Sunday was filled with errands and another trip to Old Navy where daddy got a little something too! After dinner and we put L to bed, M & I had a date night at home. Brownie sundaes with PW's homemade caramel sauce, cuddling on the couch and Hitch. We've been getting on each other's nerves lately. It's nothing horrible, although we probably made it seem worse than it is. It's just what happens when two people are in love with each other. After a really good conversation and talking about goals for ourselves, date night just reconfirmed our love. It was just what we needed. It was just what I needed.

Today was all about cleaning! Our home has just gotten a little out of hand and it was time I changed that. So, M took L-bug to the mall and Toys-R-Us for some daddy/daughter time while I stayed home and cleaned. I turned on my Gloriana playlist on Pandora, cranked up the speakers and got in my cleaning mode. I did dishes, laundry, vacuumed, scrubbed toilets, dusted and febreezed/lysoled every inch of our house. I even used fruity/citrusy scents so my house would scream "spring" amongst all this winter-ness we've got goin' on. We're supposed to be getting another inch of snow tonight.

BTW, I love that M told me this weekend that when the house is clean and organized it motivates him to help keep it that way. Swoon ♥

I'm feeling refreshed. I'm feeling happy. I'm feeling on top of things and in control. I've got plans to hit up Michael's tomorrow to get supplies to make an adorable felt heart wreath.

Now, I'm off to finish watching The Bachelor and I hope he kicks off that crazy girl Michelle. Seriously, I think this show purposely puts girls like this on the show but I do love all this trashy drama!

Happy Monday and MLK day.

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I HAVE A CONFESSION...

January 14, 2011

2 comments
I don't really talk about my problems on my blog. I don't mean to leave it all out, I'm just pretty closed off when it comes to that. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings or make people worry about me.

This confession isn't a big life secret, but it is something most people probably don't know about me. It's been getting me down lately. Eating away at me. Leaving me feel overwhelmed and exasperated. Maybe, hopefully putting it out here for you all to read will help me break it down and tackle it. And hold myself accountable.

I have cleaning issues. A little in the closest OCD issues.

I don't like cleaning. Who does? But some days, I'll get in a mood where I have to clean and organize everything. I don't like to spread the work out among a few days when I'm in this mood. I feel like I have to get everything done right then and there. I mean, a total cleaning and organization of every crack and crevice in my home. Is that even possible?

But I start anyways. I start with one room and the intention to stay in that room, focus only on that room until it's done. Then I can move on. Only, I start getting overwhelmed. I'll see some mess, start to clean it, get distracted by mess elsewhere and my head gets all jumbled and I wanna curl up into a ball and cry.  I can't figure out how I'll get everything done. It keeps going in a vicious circle. It's almost crippling. Because, I don't function like normal when I have all this stuff I'm trying to keep on top of. I don't feel like I can go on with normal day-to-day life the way I need to. Then, other stuff gets behind. I don't leave time for myself. For my baby. For my husband. And, I keep telling myself I'll get that done as soon as I figure all this out.

That ain't cutting it anymore.

It's not possible to have every inch of your house clean, always. Or is it? Maybe I don't have the right cleaning tools or cleaning knowledge. Maybe there are super awesome tricks that help cleaning-queens stay on top of things. If so, I really need them.

I acknowledge that it's kind of crazy for me get so overwhelmed with little things but it's hard not to do once I get in that mindset.

I wish I could organize my brain. Have clear, labeled boxes of stuff that I could easily pull from. Just like a closest. I guess that's what notepads are made for.

I think I need to work on that this year. Buying some good notepads. Leaving them everywhere. I have to write things down. I have to learn to work through my goals, even if it's slow and takes awhile. I only have this one life to live - why do I put so much focus and effort into things that matter but don't really matter. You know?

Maybe then, other things will start falling into place. I'll find my happy place and start feeling better about myself and what I do for my family.

But I know I'm strong. I know what I am capable of. I know what I can accomplish. For now, I'll just try to focus on the immediate issues. Laundry in the wash, getting a shirt for Lia, washing every dish we own because they are all dirty. And figuring out something for dinner. Since I'm not grocery shopping until tomorrow and the house is lacking in the food department, I'm leaning towards cheap takeout even if it does make me feel guilty. McDonald's, anyone?

Step by step, I'll get it. I will.

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fill-in-the-blank friday.

4 comments

1. I feel happy when...
My house is clean and organized. I am listening to country music and drinking out of mason jars. When Lia smiles at me. With my family.

2. I get silly when...
I am way over-tired. I am super happy and I want everyone to know it!

3. Something that makes me sad is...
 Mean people. When Lia is hurt. Those ASPCA commericals. When M is away for work.

4. Something that makes me annoyed is...
People who don't return their shopping carts to the store or the shopping cart area in the parking lot. Seriously, you are two spots away and you leave your cart where it can hit another car? It irks me. People who park in handicap/pregnant women/people with infants spots who are not any of the above. Stop being lazy!!

5. A time that I've been truly surprised was...
When M gave me Prudent Advice for Christmas. He is horrible at keeping secrets + suprises so this was pretty cool!

6. I am so thankful for...
My family and friends. I have the best daugther in the world. A very supporting, strong, amazing husband. Parents who love me no matter what. A brother + 2 sisters who are always there when I need them and would kick anyone's butt for me. Awesome nephews/nieces/brother-in-laws and sister-in-laws. And, a handful of great, supportive friends who are more like family. How lucky am I?

7. I feel loved when...
M brings home flowers and says Lia picked them out. Lia gives me kisses. M puts his arms around me or holds my hand in public. My big sister sends me boxes! A good friend will babysit Lia anytime I need her too. I get compliments on my baking/cooking.


Fill in your own blanks and link up at the little things we do.


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p365 - week 2.

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8. Building our new sofa!
9. A friend's baby shower!
10. That hair kills me.
11. L-bug learning how to get in and out of her car..on her own!
12. Playtime.
13. After bath-time cuteness.
14. Matryoshka dolls. I love these. This one is my newest one - sent all the way from my wonderful big sister in Germany!


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