Post 28 - That's why she got quiet...

Yes, those are my pajamas in the toilet being flushed while I was in the shower...

Post 27 - Assembly Line

Here is how I put together my invitations for bug's party....

All of the paper supplies - white card stock, patterned paper, and printed vellum

They read " Spring has sprung and bugs are humming. We're having a party and we hope you're coming!"

White paper cut to 4.5" x 6.25"

patterned paper cut to 4.25" x 6"

vellum cut to 4" x 5.5"

Putting it all together: I used an Elmer's glue pen to attach the patterned paper to the card stock, photo mounting squares to attach the vellum, and the glue stick again to attach the bugs. Finally, I drew in the legs and antennae on the caterpillar with a brown felt tip marker.

The final product with the coordinating pink envelopes!

If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know I've been working on making my family more "green." I originally was going to make online invitations to avoid paper waste, but I just love paper crafting so much I couldn't help myself. I will say that I was trying to "recycle" as best I could by using up more of my old craft supplies instead of buying new paper. Besides the patterned paper and few sheets of coordinating card stock to make the bugs, the white card stock was leftover from invitations I made to my friend's bridal shower and the vellum was leftover from the luminaries we made for our wedding. Also, pictured below are all the "scraps" from the sizes of paper I had to cut to make the invitations. I plan to make use of them all for other decorations and signs for the party:

Post 26 - Invitation Teaser

As promised, here are some photos of the paper and supplies I am working with for bug's party invitations. I will add that these were taken with low lighting in our living room at night so the colors appear a bit darker than they really are.

The "inspiration" paper

My collection of bug punches and the coordinating solid card stock

The matching envelopes I found (on sale!!) with the punched out bugs and white card stock

Post 25 - PB + Bug = Disaster (updated!)

I decided to give bug a "creative" snack this afternoon - apple slices, cheese wedges, and some creamy natural peanut butter. First, all was well and she dipped the apples like a pro. Then she realized, "Hey, this PB feels kinda neat!" and started rubbing it between her fingers. Before I could even utter a feeble and likely to be ignored, "Don't try it...", she smiled and rubbed it all over her face. Oh well, at least she had fun!

Update: Here is the aftermath of the PB incident. I had to strip the bug down and wash her in the kitchen sink (I had just finished scrubbing the bathroom and couldn't bear to deal with sticky PB in the tub). She LOVED this and kept turning the faucet up to full power and then putting her hand under the stream to spray water everywhere. When we were finally done, she insisted on climbing into her booster seat at the table and just kept laughing and saying, "Funny? Yea?!"

Post 24 - Vacation Update!

I must say, this has turned out to be a great week of vacation for me so far (and it's only half over if I count the weekend...). As outlined in my spring cleaning post, I've already accomplished all of my big cleaning goals! Yippee!

In terms of the fun stuff, well, see for yourself! I made the stuff I've done italic

• Take bug to the state museum (tomorrow!)
• Finish my thank you cards from bug's family party (on my way to mail them this afternoon!)
• Make the invitations to bug's kid party in June (started, pics later!)
• Get my bum to the gym every day for at least an hour (in progress...)
• Catch up with as many friends as possible (lunch today with one friend, long phone conversation with another friend yesterday, and hopefully meeting one more friend tomorrow!)
• Go on a "date" with my husband
• Start my party planner for bug's June party
• Read at least 3 issues of Peds in Review for board prep (2 down...)
• Take bug to the playground
• Have BBQ for dinner (yummy blue cheese burgers and sweet potato fries last night!)

Post 23 - Paper

I know this is going to sound ridiculous (although looking silly to my readers has never been a real concern of mine...), but I LOVE paper. I find inspiration in great colors or patterns or textures. In fact, the inspiration for bug's kid party in June came from a package of paper. After everyone voted and helped me pick "Cute as a Bug" as the party theme, I was still at a loss for how to make it happen. Countless times I was drawn to my local craft stores where I prowled the aisles desperate for something to jump out at me as a central organizing point for the party. I wasn't finding anything and was becoming more and more frustrated as the days went on.

Then, one night I took a desperate trip to Michael's as a break after a long day at work. As if it was meant to be, I saw exactly what I was looking for! On the bottom shelf, with a big red clearance sticker on the top, was a package of scrap-booking paper. There were multiple designs (narrow stripes, wide stripes, polka dots, flowers, etc!) on a white background with a fabulous color scheme - light blue, a medium lime green, medium pink, and a dark pink! Four wonderful, springy colors to match the four bug mascots of the party (ladybug, butterfly, dragonfly, and caterpillar)! It was too perfect! I purchased two packages, brought them home, carefully cut a small 2" by 2" square of paper to keep in my wallet for all future shopping experiences, and therein began my quest to purchase party decor and accents matching these colors (I've built up quite the stash, but that's another post for another time...).

Today has me reminiscing about the day I found the paper because I went back to that very same craft store to purchase coordinating cardstock and envelopes to take on one of my very favorite paper crafting events - making the party invitations!

Check back soon as I plan to post pictures as I begin the creative process!

Post 22 - Easter Treats

I know, I'm a few days late. My photographer has a bit of a questionable memory and forgets to download my pics for me...as he apologized and I love him, I suppose I can forgive him this once:-)

I decided to give myself a break and go simple this year. I made chocolate cupcakes (recipe from Baking) with Hershey's chocolate frosting (I double the vanilla in it) topped with sprinkle confetti and little white chocolate bunnies that I molded.

Nothing better than a close-up of that much chocolate:-)

Post 21 - FINALLY!

Today it finally stopped raining and the sun came out! Sure, it was super windy, but I'll take it. The nice sunny weather means I was able to do one of the fun things I was hoping for - to take bug to the playground! We visited the Crossings which is one of my all time favorite places to take bug to play. I love going there because bug can use the equipment (slides, swings, sandbox, etc) and there are many, many scenic places to walk around.

Today we only spent a few minutes on the playground and instead spent most of our time walking down to the pond, watching some older gentlemen sail their miniature sailboats on the water, chasing dogs ("Doggie! I pet!"), and checking out the ducks and fish having a feeding frenzy over some Cheez-its that another little girl was tossing into the water. Overall, a wonderful way to spend a vacation afternoon!

Post 20 - Spring Cleaning

I'm thrilled that I finally made it to one of my coveted vacation weeks, but am totally bummed that the forecast calls for wind and rain EVERY SINGLE DAY! It looks like I'm going to have to make use of all the indoor time by doing some spring cleaning. The obvious tasks everyone probably catches up on when they are free from work include many loads of laundry and sweeping/mopping/vacuuming all the floors. This week I'm also planning to clean out the pantry in the kitchen (done! did it this morning!), remove all the 18 month clothing from bug's drawers to put into storage, change my clothes over to my summer wardrobe, and REALLY clean the bathroom so it's ready for us to re-paint and tile the floors later this spring.

Other actually fun things I hope to do this week:

• Take bug to the state museum
• Finish my thank you cards from bug's family party
• Make the invitations to bug's kid party in June
• Get my bum to the gym every day for at least an hour
• Catch up with as many friends as possible
• Go on a "date" with my husband
• Start my party planner for bug's June party
• Read at least 3 issues of Peds in Review for board prep
• Take bug to the playground
• Have BBQ for dinner (even if we have to eat indoors)

Let's see how far I make it down my list!

Post 19 - Eat Your Veggies!

This April has been a very special month. Not only did my bug turn two, but she has two lovely little cousins who celebrated their very first birthdays as well! Both of these beautiful girls have very health and environmentally conscious mamas so I decided a homemade gift that promotes good nutrition and conservation would be appreciated.

I found the pattern for these gifts during a 0.99 cent Simplicity pattern sale at Joann's Fabrics. I purchased 1 yard pieces of felt in each of the colors I needed, coordinating thread, green embroidery floss, and pillow stuffing to make them.

This was a super fun project that I worked on over the course of a month. I have a tenancy to get super sleepy at night, but used sewing these to keep myself awake while my husband and I watched the first three seasons of Dexter (the most amazing TV show ever!). I made three sets of everything and each tote bag was slightly different for each girl.

Here are some pictures of the set I sent to bug's cousin in Texas...

Pink and ivory "reusable shopping bag" with all the fruits and veggies...

Tomato, carrot, eggplant, and yellow squash

Banana, strawberries, orange, apple, and pumpkin

(for some reason the pumpkin ended up with the fruits instead of the veggies)

Post 18 - Eggs!

First off, Happy Easter! I just had to share this funny story from this morning that just personifies what it's like living with a two year old...

After Bug got up and found her Easter basket this morning (and snuck two Lindt chocolate chicks), it was time for breakfast. I made us cheddar eggs and cinnamon raisin toast. Usually bug loves eggs and devours them, but today she only took one bite and proclaimed, "All done!" We kept her at the table for another ten minutes hoping she would change her mind (as she often does), but she continued to resist. Finally, admitting defeat, I scraped her plate into the trash. As soon as the last piece hit the bag, Bug came running over yelling, "Eggs! Eggs! NO!" She then lifted the trash lid mournfully, looked at me with huge sad eyes, and said, "Eggs?"

Yup, that's how it goes these days...

Post 17 - Craft Night

Bug was asking to paint all evening, so I finally gave in and let her have some fun. While she was painting paper, plates, the table, the window, and herself, I got to work on my thank you notes from her birthday party. Here are a few photos of the fun we had...

Here are my craft supplies: embossing tool and powders, ink pads, stamps, and blank cards

This is not a great picture, but here is the design I stamped and embossed on the cards!

Bug and I enjoying being creative:-)

Post 16 - Healthy stuffed tortillas

I don't want to be insulting and call my made-up quasi-Mexican meal "enchiladas", but that's what I was going for with this simple, relatively healthy, and fresh make ahead meal. The measurements below made 10 stuffed corn tortillas for me. Enjoy if you try it out!

1. To make the sauce, mix one small can of diced tomatoes (or Rotel with green chilies if you want it to be spicy), one small can of tomato sauce (no salt added), 1 Tbsp chili powder, 1 pressed clove of garlic, and 1/2 tsp ground coriander in a small saucepan and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
2. The tortillas will be filled with four things: 1 cup (or less) steamed rice, 2 ounces shredded cheddar, 1 stalk chopped green onions, and chicken mixture (see next step).
3. Chicken mixture is about 1 cup of diced chicken (use leftover rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken, baked chicken, boiled chicken, any kind of chicken you want!), 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil or cilantro, 1/4 cup of the sauce you made in Step 1.
4. Prepare a 9 x 13 inch pan for baking these by lining it with aluminum foil and spreading about 2 Tbsp of sauce over the bottom (to prevent the tortillas from sticking).
5. Warm your corn tortillas in the microwave or in a pan over medium-low heat. Assemble as follows: rice, chicken mixture, shredded cheddar, green onions. Roughly roll the tortilla and place it seam side down in your prepared pan. Continue until all of your tortillas are rolled.
6. Finally, pour all of your sauce evenly over the tortillas and top with another stalk of chopped green onions.

It should look about like this before you put it into the fridge overnight...

When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 375. Pour a small amount of chicken broth (I probably used about 1/4 cup) over the tortillas to keep them from drying out. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. At that time, sprinkle another 2-3 ounces of shredded cheese over the tortillas and bake for 5 more minutes uncovered. Serve with salsa and (if desired) low fat sour cream.

Post 15 - Leftover ham pasta

Ok, so the post title makes it sound far less glamorous than it is, but this is a wonderful recipe that I decided to post as, if your family is like my family, you might be having some leftover ham after Easter this coming weekend. I need to give credit to my mother-in-law as this is based on her recipe for Kluski (which I think is just the Polish word for noodle), but don't want to actually call it her recipe as I think I made some of it up as I was cooking from memory and don't want to insult her if it's not as good:-) This is a great "make ahead" and reheat meal!

1. When you bake your ham, reserve all of the pan drippings to use in the sauce for the pasta.


2. Cook and drain 1/2 box of pasta (I used elbows) al dente and set aside.


3. Dice up the tomatoes from a large can of whole, peeled tomatoes, but reserve all of the juices in the can.


4. In a large pot, saute 1 small diced onion and 1 clove of pressed garlic in olive oil.


5. When onions are soft, add pan drippings, 2 cups diced up leftover ham, diced tomatoes in sauce, one small can of tomato sauce, and 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil.


6. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 10 minutes uncovered.


7. Add the pasta, turn heat to lowest setting, cover, and allow to simmer for 10 more minutes (this allows the pasta to soak up all the flavor from the sauce).


8. Garnish with more fresh basil and Parmesan, if desired.

We tried to grab a shot of Bug's plate, but she couldn't wait...

Post 14 - Quick Casserole

When I was growing up, my mom had a bunch of quick recipes that relied on canned soup to make a fast casserole. The chicken and rice she used to make was one of my favorites. Now that I'm a mom and there is a lot more information out there about processed foods, I worry about everything that enters our mouths. One thing I especially worry about is sodium and all of the canned soups are LOADED with it. I came up with this fairly quick and easy casserole as something that can be made ahead of time and baked later, but is made from scratch with fresh ingredients.

Chicken Pot Pie Pasta (this made enough for two full meals)

• 6oz elbow pasta (cook and drain)
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite size pieces
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/3 unbleached flour
• 1 cup organic milk
• Optional crumb topping: 1 tbsp breadcrumbs, 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 tbsp melted butter

First, cook and drain your pasta and set it aside. Next, place your diced carrots, celery, chicken, peas into a saucepan with the dried spices. Toss to coat. Add 2 cups chicken broth (more if needed to cover). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain the pot over a measuring cup or bowl to reserve the chicken broth. Mix the pasta, veggies, and chicken in your casserole dish.

To make the "sauce", melt the butter in the same saucepan. Add the onions and cook until soft over medium-low heat. Add the flour and stir until you have a thick paste-like goo. Allow butter/flour to cook for just 1 minute. Add the reserved broth and milk and whisk until sauce thickens.

Pour sauce over pasta mixture in the casserole dish and mix until well incorporated. If desired, sprinkle top with Parmesan bread crumbs. If baking right away, place (covered) in oven at 325 for 15 minutes. If storing in fridge to bake later, heat oven to 350 and bake for at least 30 minutes - consider adding an extra 1/4-1/2 cup of broth just before baking to prevent pasta from being too dry.

Post 13 - Big Girl Room

First of all, I can't quite figure out why post 12 published after post 11. Oh well, I'll just go with it...

Anyway, as promised here are the shots of Bug's big girl room. If you want to compare, hop back over to the post titled "The end of an era" to see the nursery and then flip back here to see the new woodland sanctuary.

Bug's toddler bed and baby bed. Note the new owl curtains and cute owl decal on the wall.

Close-up of her bed with her new comforter and owl pillows.

The "reading corner"

Post 11 - Birthday Details!

This is mainly going to be a photo post with pictures of the "special touches" I worked on for bug's birthday party. Enjoy!

As seen in the banner post, this is my centerpiece for the party. Birthday banner and balloons set the stage for the food/dessert table. My husband didn't take any closer-up photos of my treats, but you can kind of see the five glasses across the front of the table. The two on the ends contain my super chocolate-y cake pops (a bunch of simple round ones in coordinating colors to match the party decorations with one owl in the middle) and the other three are the molded owl chocolate lollipops.

My cousin's son asking for someone to please open a cake pop for him! Pops were dipped in light green, orange, pink, and yellow white chocolate or dark chocolate and tied with dark brown ribbon.

Bug's "Guess Whoo's Two!" shirt.

Shirt from Hobby Lobby for less than $3 ( on sale from regular price $2.99), iron-on letters from AC Moore with a 40% off coupon for about $3, and owl iron-on from Michael's for $2.

Bug enjoying a molded chocolate owl pop!

Owl birthday cake made by me!

The owl was crafted using Wilton's mini stand up teddy bear cake pan. I carved out the cake to make the shape I wanted and then decorated it to make it look like an owl. The owl is the same chocolate cake used to make the cake pops (only 1 cup of batter is needed to fill the pan, the rest I baked and crumbed for the pops). The layer cake is a vanilla white cake. All of the frosting is an an adaptation of my mom's decorating icing.

Post 12 - Quirks

Have you ever been doing something and realized that what you are doing is actually probably quite odd to anyone watching you? I had one of these moments when I was last at the supermarket doing my weekly shopping. To explain what I was doing I have to take you way, way back to my childhood...

Rarely did my father ever do the grocery shopping, but I do remember him having a fit when he did about the way in which the baggers handled our groceries. In his early days, my dad worked at the "Old Star Market" (as he always referred to it). From this experience, he learned that bags should be packed properly - cold items with cold items, meat separate, and all bags should be "squared" so that they would sit evenly in the customer's cart.

This is how I always do my shopping. From the moment I start stacking my items on the belt at the register, I separate them carefully according to frozen items, cold items, boxed items, canned items, meat, and produce. I HATE when the cashier or bagger starts haphazardly throwing my groceries into bags after I so carefully lay them out in perfect order.

Does anyone else out there have this quirk as well? Anyone?

Post 10 - "Look at Banner!"

If you are an Arrested Development fan, you probably recognize the post title. If not, just ignore me being quirky early in the morning:-)

Bug's birthday party on Sunday was supposed to be simple, small, and easy so I could focus all my energy on the kid party in June. The thing is though, I'm not good at simple. I get ideas and I HAVE to do them. The first such project was the owl chocolate lollipops that took an insane amount of time to make (we're talking on the order of 40 minutes per batch of two!). This project actually didn't take that long, but probably was unnecessary. Anyway, here's the birthday banner that I made to hang behind the food table...

These banners are extremely popular these days and any number of personalized designs can be purchased from dozens of Etsy shops, but I made this one myself using leftover craft supplies (of which I have a ridiculous collection). I was inspired by this blog, but decided to change it up and use squares instead of circles. Here are simple instructions:

1. Choose a big font you like and print the letters you need. I used a font called Storybook and printed in size 250 from Word.

2. Cut out the letters.

3. Using my Fiskar's paper slicer (one of my best purchases EVER) I then cut 6x6 inch squares out of cardstock and 5.5x5.5 squares out of assorted scrapbooking papers.

4. With the gluestick that bug wasn't using as chapstick, I layered the cardstock, scrapbook paper, and cut out letters.

5. Once dry, I punched holes on either side of the letters and connected them by tying three small snip-its of ribbon through the holes on consecutive letters.

And that's it!

Here's one more shot of the banner

(that I stole from Auntie B, thanks!) with bug and Daddy:-)

Post 9 - Birthday Bug

First of all, I'm changing the title of my posts to numbers rather than days as I still think I can catch up to 30 posts in 30 days...

Anyway, yesterday was bug's SECOND birthday! It was a wonderful day for her (and us!) from start to finish. Unfortunately she woke a little bit early as I was messing around in the kitchen trying to finish dipping my cake pops and to make the frosting for her birthday cake (pics to come soon). As it was her birthday, we threw the rules out the window and she got to eat a cake pop at 8am. Daddy couldn't wait to give her his favorite present, so she got to open her brand new drum shortly thereafter.

The rest of the morning I spent juggling enjoying the bug and getting her cake decorated. As I bake a lot, she's used to the Kitchen-Aid and loves watching it mix up cake, brownies, and especially frosting. Bug's the official taste tester in our house, if it gets an exclamation of "Nummy!" we know we've done a good job. I think she's developing an early interest in cake decorating as she watched me make the owl on her cake with only one (OK, maybe two...) finger swipes at the frosting for a sample.

Once the cake was done, I cooked bug up her favorite breakfast (a cheesy omelet) and we watched videos of her taken in the past few months (another of her favorite things to do). Finally, it was time to get down to business with decorating the house and re-decorating bug's room so bug was whisked off to her Mimi and Pa's house for a few hours of pampering and doting while Daddy and I spot cleaned the bathroom, living room, and kitchen, transformed her nursery into her big girl rooom (pics soon, I promise!), picked up a few dozen balloons, put up her birthday banner, and set the food table!

Then, it was party time! Bug had a great time having all her relatives around to play with her, although she did get so pooped out from lack of a nap that she refused to open any gifts without extreme prodding. We even got to skype with my parents who are vacationing in Florida so everyone got to sing "Happy Birthday" and watch her blow out her candles!

Finally, we ended the night with her favorite type of take-out (wonton soup), read almost a dozen books (up from the usually 5-6), and tucked her into her big girl bed for the first time (which also went extremely well, but more about that in a separate post!).

Overall, it was a great day! Thanks to all our family for celebrating with us.

Much more about all the details (with pictures) once my husband edits them for me:-)

Day 8 - Cake Pops!

These babies are all the rage in the world of baking right now, but I've been resistant to embrace the trend. When I first heard about them, I whipped up a batch immediately. Although cute in appearance, I wasn't impressed with the flavor. In fact, I thought they were kind of gross (I used funfetti cake and regular canned white frosting in case you're wondering). I had this opinion confirmed when I received a bag of cake pops (red velvet variety this time) at a cookie exchange and couldn't even finish one.

BUT, after seeing some of the incredibly cute designs one of my friends was posting, I decided I needed to give it another try. Since my first encounter with the cake pop, I've given up boxed cake mixes and canned frosting. Instead, I used my favorite from scratch chocolate cake recipe and replaced the frosting with some silky milk chocolate ganache. With these changes, my cake pops are not only cute, but wonderfully rich and delicious! Here are a few photos...

The little "logs" are the cake/ganache mix after being chilled in the fridge. The chocolate chips are soon to become the owl's "ears" and the red cup has my dipping chocolate.

Here are my dipped pops with all of the trimmings to make an owl

The final product! Not perfect, but I was pretty happy for my first full batch of cake pops to come out this well!

Day 7 - The end of an "era"

For my little bug's birthday this Sunday we are upgrading her nursery to a "big girl" room. I'm very excited because I love the new set we picked out, but it's also a little bittersweet. We spent the first few months of my pregnancy dreaming up the perfect calm, soothing place for our baby to sleep, play, and grow. When we were actually ready to create her little safe haven both of bug's grandpas (Pa and Papa) helped us bring our vision to life by painting and installing chair rail. Now, two years later, all the Classic Pooh decorations are about to come down, the changing table is going into storage, and the crib is transitioning to a toddler bed. I imagine this is what many of the milestones of parenthood feel like - I'm so very proud of who my bug is and am looking ahead to everything she is still to become, but a little part of my heart mourns the end of her baby days.

Here's one last look at the bug's nursery as we prepare to say good-bye to the cuddly baby and hello to the beautiful TWO year old shes become...

ps - I wrote this post last night and forgot to hit the publish button, oops! Watch for today's real post later today:-)

Day 6 - The lost PICU day

Yesterday, I volunteered to cover the pediatric intensive care unit to make some extra money. In my mind I thought, "How busy can it be in April? It's spring, the weather is getting nice - it should be a piece of cake!" I seriously do not think I could have been more wrong! Not only was I managing a full 17 bed unit with some of the sickest kids I've ever taken care of, we were constantly being called by smaller hospitals requesting we take patients that they couldn't handle the acuity of! I've never been so busy in the ICU in any of the full two months I've already spent there. On the bright side, post-call sleep is the best feeling in the world.

As an FYI to anyone local who ever has a sick child in the ICU, the resident caring for your child is working a 27 hour shift from 8am - 11am the next day. As much as we try to offer you all the understanding and sympathy in the world while giving your child the best care possible, please try to be nice to us too:-)

Day 5 - I love this stuff!

This is a super short post because I am exhausted! Right now I am addicted to this all natural peanut butter from Smucker's...

After trying this, I can't believe how much better it is than the traditional peanut butter I grew up on. And the best part is that there are only three simple ingredients and it's low sodium. Yum!

Day 4 - Sneak Peak - Guess Whooo's Turning 2?

Although the theme for my bug's big birthday party in June is "Cute as a Bug", we're also throwing her a small family party on her real birthday this Sunday.

I decided on the mini theme "Guess Whooo's Turning Two?" to match the new bedroom set we are using to re-decorate her room when we transition her from crib to toddler bed.

Here's a sneak peak at one of three special "owlicious" party treats I'm working on...

(Chocolate owl lollipop made to match the pillow that the party theme is based on)

Day 3 - This week's menu!

I've always admired people who meticulously plan all their meals for the week ahead of time. I usually start with plans for the first few days, but then fall flat on my face by Wednesday. I've spent the day thinking it through and finally have my menu down!

Monday - Homemade Creamy Tomato Soup and "Grilled Cheese" on Whole Wheat English Muffins

Tuesday - Green Coconut Curry Shrimp with Steamed Rice

Wednesday - Mini Penne and Marinara Sauce

Thursday - Chicken Tikka Masala

Friday - Burgers (if nice) or Meatloaf (if raining) and Scalloped Potatoes

As a bonus I'll also share the recipe for the soup which I just finished making:

Creamy Tomato Soup

1 box Pomi tomatoes

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/2 can organic tomato paste

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

Bring all ingredients to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Cool. Puree in a blender or with an immersion blender. Reheat if needed. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Day 2 - Spring Salad

I'm post call from the NICU and, despite a glorious 4 hour nap after being up for 30 hours, I'm still a bit wiped so I'll keep this short. My husband decided tonight would be the perfect night for our first grilled dinner of the season. While he was cooking up some juicy blue cheese burgers with balsamic portabellas, I made this fabulous simple side dish featured in this month's Bon Appetit magazine - Chickpea Salad with Lemon, Parmesan, and Fresh Herbs.

My suggestions/modifications:

1. I used organic canned chickpeas that I rinsed very well and removed the outer skin stuff as I don't like the texture of it.

2. I only used about 2 teaspoons of olive oil (because the bottle was more empty than I thought, oops!).

3. I used two cloves of garlic because I was suffering selective memory of the recipe and thought it called for 2.

4. I used 1/3 cup of freshly grated higher quality Parmesan from Roma's (this is so much better for a marginally more expensive price that I won't buy the stuff from the supermarket anymore).

5. I didn't add the salt as I try to limit our sodium (and really didn't miss it as this had so much flavor already)!

6. I served it room temperature right after I made it and it was perfect.

This was so delicious and Spring-y. Great accompaniment for a grilled meal or as a flavorful lunch. My husband can be picky and he finished it before I could scoop the leftovers into a bowl. Yum!

30 posts in 30 days?!

I'm challenging myself to a post a day for the month of April! I think this will be a good month to try to re-invest myself in blogging as 1. I'm on an elective rotation and should have more free evenings and 2. I am working on SO MANY crafts/projects/recipes related to birthdays that I should have lots to blog about. And yes, I admit I'm already kinda-sorta-maybe-definitely cheating as it's now 12:30am and this shouldn't count as my 4/1 post, but I'm giving myself leeway as I'm voluntarily in the Neonatal ICU tonight and time flies when you're managing bitty babes! Tune in daily as there are going to be many sewing projects, cakes/treats, exercise attempts, and working mom quick recipes to come!

The winner and more!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the voting for Maddie's second birthday party - the winning theme is Cute as a Bug!

Now that I finally have my theme, I'm ready to start the slow process of working on all of my homemade crafts - decorations, invitations, and cake/menu planning. I like to have a LONG time to work on things so I can try to bargain hunt and accomplish things by spending an hour a night (or less!) working on them.

Here is my first decoration - absolutely adorable fabric flowers! The full set of directions can be found on Going Sew Crazy's blog, but here are my step by step photos:

Costs

Fabric - Free! (I am using only scraps left from my various crafting projects)

Embroidery floss - Free! (leftovers once again)

Beads - $3 from Joann's (20 beads in the pack)

Championship

Time to vote in the final round of Maddie's Birthday theme contest, winner will be announced this weekend!

Irish Carbomb Cupcakes

The recipe was shared with me by one of my co-workers from the PICU, so I can't spread it around. BUT, if you are very nice to me, I might just make them for you someday...

1. Guinness chocolate cupcake

2. Fill generously with Jameson dark chocolate ganache

3. Top with Bailey's buttercream frosting

4. Enjoy!

Sewing fun

Months ago I ran across a website with directions on how to make "pillowcase dresses" for little girls. I've been wanting to try it out for my little bug, but just didn't have enough free time. Today I had a rare afternoon free as my attending took the day off. After spending a solid two hours in the kitchen cooking and finding that the bug was STILL napping, I figured this was my chance.

I don't have any fancy vintage pillowcases, so I just purchased a simple, cheap solid color pillow case from Walmart (2 pack for $5.50). I also happen to be a bargain bin shopper and have an entire box full of fabric bindings and rick rack embellishments that I purchased from a craft shop for 25 cents a pack that I used to fancy it up. The directions I used can be found here.

Cost breakdown

$2.25 - one pillowcase

$0.25 - white binding

$0.25 - white rick rack

$1.50 - elastic (used only 1/5 of the pack)

(+ white and teal thread from my sewing accessories)

_______________

$3.75!!

Final Four!

Vote now!

Round 2

Voting started at midnight - see which of the themes are still in the running!

The solution

When my husband got home from work I filled him in on how much I was becoming distracted by searching the web for party themes and ideas. Instead of scattering my attention in a million different directions, we came up with a fun idea - to take all the themes I've drafted and put them up to a vote. I created a bracket (like March Madness!) with 16 theme ideas. Over the next few weeks all of YOU will help narrow down the choices and choose which theme I'll continue to develop over the next few months for Maddie's SECOND birthday party!

The itch

We all have something that we get a little bit obsessed and crazy over. And no, I don't mean something normal like "Oh, I'm obsessed with impressing my boss" or "I'm obsessed with making sure my family is happy." No, I mean something that you're probably a bit embarrassed about and might not readily admit. Something that once it gets into your head, you can't stop thinking about it. It's that thing you ponder while you are trying to go to bed and is still on your mind when you wake up. Maybe it's a distraction from the not so niceties in life, or maybe it's just innocent fun.

So here is my confession...I can't stop thinking about planning my daughter's birthday party. There are much more important things going on in my family and my residency, but as soon as everything slows down, my mind drifts and I can't stop thinking about it. I've drafted about a dozen "theme" ideas and i just keep browsing the internet looking for crafty ideas.

It's like an itch I can't scratch. Although, I dare you to do a google search for "party inspiration " and not get drawn in. There are people out there that just create photo collages of party ideas. This person gets PAID to make "inspiration collages" for people. Total insanity.

And now I've realized this post did nothing to quell my desire to keep searching the web...

Frustration

I've prepared about six "wedding recipe posts" that are just waiting for pictures of the delicious dishes to be added and blogger is giving me issues. All the photos I insert are sideways and I can't seem to flip them. I'll continue to play with it during nap time, but for now I just wanted to express my annoyance with my inability to control technology...

20 months

I can't believe that my bug is ANOTHER month older and how much she's changed again in such a short time. Here's the breakdown...

• My girl has definitely had a growth spurt and is getting taller and taller. I can tell because all of the 18 month pants that I used to have to roll up, are fitting perfect and even getting a bit short!
  
• Bug is having a much easier time going to sleep on her own these days. We bring her into her room, turn down the lights, sing a few songs, and then turn on her Fisher Price music and light projector and she goes right to sleep.
• It's hard to know where bug's appetite is at these days as she's had a rotten cold for over a week now and every meal is hit or miss.
• Her favorite characters are Elmo (she calls him "mo mo") and Pooh and she gets so excited when she finds toys, pictures, movies, etc that involve them.
• Bug HATES when I do anything with her hair. Bows, pigtails, and ponytails don't last for more than seconds.
• She loves to play "mommy" and carries her dolls around wrapped in blankets singing to them, gives them rides in the stroller, feeds them, and puts lotion on them.
• Bath time is a riot as bug likes to splash, "swim", dance, and generally do anything except get her hair washed.
• We're getting ready for Christmas and bug really seems to enjoy the decorations. Her favorite is the small blow-up Santa next to our front steps that she says "Hi" and "Ho ho ho" to whenever we come or go.
  

The good, the bad, and the just plain ugly

Due to my dear husband's constant requests, I've decided to post my review of the newest Harry Potter film. Beware there are SPOILERS GALORE if you have not yet seen the film or read the book.

The GOOD
I found the opening scenes of the movie which pictured Harry, Ron, and Hermione preparing for their departure from their respective homes a very fitting and moving way to set the tone for the rest of the movie. And, I won't lie, watching Hermione wipe her parent's memories had me in tears before the movie had even really started...

Although it was a departure from the book, I liked that Hedwig wasn't a "sitting duck" in her cage during the battle above Privet Drive and she was killed trying to protect Harry instead - it made her death more heroic than tragic.

Everything from Harry following the doe into the woods to Ron destroying the Horcrux was very true to the book and I thought it was depicted well.

The little "cartoon" to represent the Tale of the Three Brothers was a creative way to depict the story while Hermione was reading it and I really liked it.

The end of the movie was done very well and it felt like an appropriate breaking point. Dobby's demise was as heart-wrenching as it was in the book and Voldemort's triumph at retrieving Dumbledore's wand was chilling. It all set the stage well for the final movie.

The BAD
I found it unfortunate that the filmmakers chose to eliminate the "good-bye" sequence between Harry and the Dursleys. Having Harry and Dudley shake hands really brings closure to their relationship and I missed it in the movie.

I thought the film rushed through the stay at the Burrow. Cutting out the "ghoul in pajamas" underplays the lengths that Ron also went through to protect his family.

They rushed through the stay at Grimmauld Place far too quickly as well. I think this creates a "fatal flaw" in the plot as Hermione never takes the portrait of Phineas Nigellus with her. Without his picture in her bag there is no way for Snape to know that they are in the Forest of Dean later on in the story so that he can place the sword in the pond for Harry to find.

The Ministry of Magic scene was a disaster. Harry didn't rescue Moody's eye, it was awkward how Harry and Ron's characters charged into the questioning of Mrs. Cattermole, and it was ridiculous that the polyjuice potion wore off and Harry was able to just walk out of the ministry without any one of the hundreds of wizards present stopping him.

Another unfortunate omission from the movie was the Potterwatch radio show. Although not necessary for the plot, the show helped place everything that was going on with Harry in the woods into the larger prospective of the wizarding world and I missed it.

The UGLY
The first awkward moment of the movie to me was when all of the Order members arrived at Privet Drive. Bill Weasley introduces himself to Harry as if they have never met before. Although the filmmakers may have adjusted their scripts to eliminate interactions between their characters, in the books Harry has known Bill since The Goblet of Fire.

The incredibly awkward "dancing" scene with Harry and Hermione in the tent after Ron leaves should be lying on an editing room floor somewhere. This scene is not from the book because it is entirely inappropriate based on the sequence of events preceding it and does not fit the personalities of the characters at all.

The capture scene after they escape from the Lovegood's house makes absolutely no sense. Unlike in the book where Harry saying Voldemort (breaking the taboo) allows the snatchers to invade their camp, in the movie the snatchers just appear out of nowhere. It just doesn't fit that they would be caught then when they were never caught before.

I'm sure I'll think of more, but those were the issues that were most obvious to me. If you've made it through, congrats! Please make sure to remind me what a huge dork I am the next time you see me in person:-)

Thankful

I've enjoyed reading bits and pieces of the "thankful game" that's been going around Facebook this month, but haven't had the time to play along. I know I have A LOT to be thankful for, so I've decided to do my own version on here! In no particular order, I am thankful for...

1. My healthy little bug
2. My husband
3. My sister
4. My parents
5. My husband's parents
6. Our huge crazy extended family

7. 24/7 Dunkin' Donuts in the hospital

8. Great nurses

9. Stormy and moe.

10. The best best friend

11. Supportive co-residents

12. My education

13. Summer trips to the mountains

14. JK Rowling and the entire HP series

15. Sleep

16. Live music

17. Digital photography

18. Fresh local produce
19. Comfortable shoes

20. Takeout from Karavali

21. My health

22. Hot showers

23. Attendings that want to teach

24. My home

25. Vacations in Disney World

I may have said the above list is in no particular order, but how can this little bug not be the #1 thing I am thankful for this year?

19 months

I took a break from this feature for a few months (to say I've been busy would be the understatement of the year), but I'm back with a bug update at 19 months.

• At her last doctor's appointment bug was situated right about the 45th% for both height and weight and 30th% for head circumference
• Also at her doctor's appointment she got her flu vaccine. Anyone with a baby over 6 months should call their doctor's office and schedule their little one for the vaccine as well - infants and the elderly are the populations most at risk for serious complications from the flu!!
• Bug still loves her fruits and veggies. She's finally expanded her veggie "likes" to include broccoli, but her favorites are still carrots and peas.
• Soup is the next big thing in our house. Bug has decided she loves soup - everything from won ton to chicken noodle to minestrone to potato and leek!
• After a slow start with her speech, bug's vocabulary is expanding on a daily basis and she often suprises us with new words.
• Bug still loves to dance, but her moves now include out of control twirling until she's so dizzy she falls over and mini bopping (not quite jumping) movements that she punctuates by yelling, "hop! hop!"
• Bug continues to love music. In addition to dancing, she also tries to sing ala "Boo" from Monster's Inc.
• "Cooking" is bug's new favorite game. She likes to fill her toy pots and pans with leaves (outdoors) or cereal (indoors) and pretend to cook. I think I've got a future top chef on my hands...

I have to say that although being a mommy to a 19 month old is exhausting, it's also just about the most fun I could imagine. There is just something about that little smile and voice that make life so much more meaningful. Her smiles and giggles make my day and her little cries break my heart. She's amazing and I'm so glad that her daddy and I get to go on this journey of growing up with her.

Mommy Power Hour

Anyone who went to college knows what a real "power hour" is, but I've found myself using this term to refer to the frenzied hour I spend trying to "catch up" on the rare occasions when I get home before my husband and baby bug.

For example, this past week I got out of work at 3:45pm. I have a 30 minute commute home, made a quick stop at Roma's for lunch supplies, and was in the door at 4:30pm - exactly 1 hour before daddy and bug were due to arrive home. That's right - it was mommy power hour time!

In a flash, I was out of my gross hospital scrubs and into my Disney "Kitchen Princess" apron. Within minutes, there was a salted pot of water on the stove heating up and a load of bug's laundry was sudsing up in the washer. As the water slowly reached boiling point, I attacked the veggie crisper digging out two bunchs of broccoli, a half dozen mushrooms, and a lone red pepper. Minutes later the pasta was happily bubbling away and, with the addition of a medium white onion and many cloves of minced garlic, my veggies were roughly chopped and ready to be doused in olive oil, salt, and pepper before making their way into the oven to roast.

With thirty minutes already gone, I forged ahead with the roux for my "grown up" mac and cheese (nutmeg and a dash of cayenne pepper added to the flour) by melting the butter while I furiously grated two blocks of cheddar cheese. As if I had planned it (trust me, it was sheer coincidence, I'm not that good), the timer on the oven and the washer went off simultaneously giving me a pan of beautifully roasted veggies and a load of perfectly laundered onesies and socks in a moment of domesticated bliss. Out came the veggies - in went the mac and cheese.

The poise of the situation was lost as I then loudly barreled down the basement steps to move bug's clothes to the dryer and scattered cat food across the floor as I attempted to fill the dish far too quickly. Alas, I had no time to cry over split milk (or bits of cat food) - my hour was drawing to a close! In a last ditch effort to finish on a high point, I scrambled from room to room picking up toys, straightening books, depositing dirty clothes in the proper bins, and wiping down sticky surfaces.

And then, it was 5:30. I heard the sounds of crunching gravel as daddy and bug pulled into the driveway. Hurriedly, I ran a brush through my hair and gulped a glass of water just as the front door opened and my husband's voice rang out, "Guess who's home?"

Now that's what I call a power hour!

Tips

I know a few posts ago I was quite down on myself after a really hard month at work. I wouldn't say I've fully rebounded from it yet, but now that I have a little bit of perspective I'd like to share a few things that I did keep up with that helped me stay (somewhat) afloat. Hopefully this will help some other working mommies/busy ladies out there...

Food
*Plan at least two meals that you can make on your day off and re-heat later in the week when time is short (my favs are Annie's Grandma's Mac and Cheese, Mom-in-law's Ham and Scalloped potatoes, Veggie chili, and/or any type of soup)
*Make packing breakfast easy by baking a loaf of banana/pumpkin/zucchini bread on your day off. Once it cools, slice and wrap pieces so it's ready to toss into your lunch bag
*Another easy breakfast option - fill little ziploc containers with granola or muesli and pair with a cup of yogurt (I chose Stoneyfield organics)
*Keep the freezer full of frozen vegetables (bug's favorite are Organic Mixed Veggies with carrots, corn, peas, and green beans)

Chores
*Pick one room every few days to "spot clean" (ie wipe down all the surfaces in the kitchen with a clorox wipe, run a sponge around the sink and bathtub, run the vaccuum through the living room) and plan a real hardcore clean-up when your schedule allows
*Do one load of laundry every few days so that it doesn't pile up and take all day on your day off (take advantage of your washer's delay timer if you are lucky enough to have one so you can have your clothes ready to move to the dryer when you get home)

Family time
*First tactic is to take advantage of "known" free time and plan something fun to do in advance (ie apple picking, pumpkin patch, out to dinner, picnic, local festivals, arts and crafts)
*Appreciate the smaller moments (read a book, run around in the backyard, finger paint, play some music and dance together)

You
*This is probably the area I fail most miserably, but the one thing I usually do to keep myself sane when life is getting out of hand is to treat myself a cup of coffee. In other words, find a small indulgence that helps and (this is the key) let yourself have it without guilt.

Pumpkin Bread

I love the fall. Like, really, really love the fall. And when it really gets down to it my favorite thing about fall is probably PUMPKIN. Pumpkin lattes, pumpkin beer, the pumpkin patch, pumpkin scones, pumpkin spice coffee, roasted pumpkin seeds, carving pumpkins, etc!

In tribute to my favorite flavor of the fall, here is my recipe for pumpkin bread that I've twisted and tweaked into perfection:-)

Ingredients

• 15 oz of canned pumpkin
• 3 eggs (I use cage free, vegetarian fed, omega-3 eggs)
• 2/3 cup of oil (I use Smart Balance cooking oil)
• 1 cup of apple cider
• 1 1/2 cups of sugar
• 3 1/2 cups flour (I use whole wheat white flour)
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp+ ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp+ ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp+ ground nutmeg

*I put a "+" next to the spices because I tend to have a generous hand with them*

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare two loaf pans or one loaf pan and 6 muffins.
• Mix first five ingredients together (I use my stand mixer).
• In a separate bowl, whisk all of your dry ingredients and spices together.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three allotments. Each time, blend just until incorporated.
• Divide your batter between the two loaf pans. If making muffins, add a heaping 1/2 cup of batter to each of 6 muffins and pour the rest of the batter into the loaf pan.
• Bake loaves for approximately 45-60 minutes. I usually set a timer for 45 minutes and see if a knife inserted in the center of the loaf comes back clean. If not, I set a timer for 5 minutes and follow the same routine until it's done.

*You can make this recipe more exciting if you add mini-chocolate chips, raisins, dried cranberries, and/or chopped walnuts*

Hard Times

I know, I posted something almost three weeks ago revealing all of these wonderful plans I had to "manage my time" and make glamorous posts about how awesome I am at just about everything there is to be awesome at in life. Well, guess what? Those posts never came. Not because I didn't do my best every single day to meet those lofty goals and objectives I set for myself, but because I have a serious problem. Despite trying really, really hard for the past month, I've done nothing but disappoint myself. Everything I've done feels sub-par and glossed over.

I'm upset about every piece of produce that spoiled in the veggie crisper because I simply forgot it was there. I'm annoyed about each time I forgot to update the NICU census with the newest feed schedule and was forced to admit, "It's really 25ml every 3 hours, not 20ml", and watch everyone scribble in the correction. I'm mocked by the misaligned pattern on the hat I knitted for my daughter that I just "let slide" because I was too tired to rip out the seam and start over. I'm sick over the nights that I fell asleep 15 minutes after the baby and lost the only alone time I had with my husband. And finally, I'm embarrassed that the one family function I had the time to attend was punctuated by my arrival with the simplest dessert known to man that I presented in Gladware.

To a normal person, none of those things would matter much. But to me, they all stand out in my mind the way my daugther stands out in a crowd when her Daddy dresses her (my attempt at humor in an otherwise depressing post).

No, this isn't a bid for people to reassure me that I "did a good job." Deep down I know I did everything I could to be the best mom, best wife, and best resident I could be, but it's just part of me to always be a little underwhelmed by myself. That's just how I am and I needed a place to vent my frustrations. Honestly, I think I feel a little bit better now.