Thursday Thanks: Water among other things!

Can I just say I am so thankful for running water?!?!

The past few weeks have found me (a bit more) stressed than usual.

Realizing I'm without regular work has stressed me out immensely.

Wait, that's an understatement.

It scares the crap out of me.

My husband says:

"Its not a big deal we've done it before...one income."

I think:

It does matter.  I don't like having no money and not being able to help out on the bills.

It makes me feel helpless.

I don't like feeling helpless.

So today instead of doing I Think Thursday I'm going to do Thankful Thursday.

Chances are I'm not the only stressed out female around...right?

Chances are I'm also in need of reminding myself how blessed I am.

Chances are if you read this you'll start smiling because you'll be like, yeah I'm thankful for that too!

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I am thankful for:

Good health

2 healthy kids

1 great husband

Our home which also shares the title of being top headache!
A paid off car
Free eggs
My mom and dad


My friend Jennifer who I sent a message to asking if I can bother her and she says "She's always got time for me" (I needed those words this week like no other...)


Groupon deals that I bought back in the spring that I can use now to entertain my kids
Good books
The way my son thinks the word help should be used

All dogs


Pounding Pavement on back roads for my health and watching deer check me out (just call me Mother Nature honey...)
Coffee - the true liquid of life
Walmart - I know ya'll hate it but sometimes the lower prices help out.  And sometimes a stroll through there can boost your dang confidence!
A Krispy Kreme donut
Dirt because its the most therapeutic thing next to...
Cooking the most therapeutic thing most of the time for me


Believing in God - and you can judge me on that I don't care.  It takes all kinds to make this world go round and round I just happen to the kind that believes in a Higher Power.

The Sunday Paper
Coke over ice
My daughter's lisp - though I hope it goes away before she's 12


What are you thankful for?

Tested, Tasted, Totally Delicious: Salsa Verde Chicken

New theme!  You'll be seeing this blog title a lot as I try new recipes from all around the neighborhood.  Yummy!

When I look for recipes I generally look for the following:

                                                                    Few ingredients

Simplicity of cooking

Little time involved

I do not think I am alone in those three things I prefer in a dish!

A few weeks ago I spent some time on Pinterest (prior to realizing I would be without regular employment) trying to get some ideas for yummy meals that took little to no time (i.e. crock pot).

I think there may be a bazillion recipes for the crock pot out there.  Some sound delicious, some sound redundant, and a select few sound delicious.

My favorite search is five ingredient recipes.  I love simplicity!  I hope to have many five ingredient recipes to share with you in the coming weeks.

My first Pinterest trial to share with you is this pin:

All you need is chicken breast, a jar of green salsa or salsa verde, and some Monterrey Jack cheese.  Seriously...

Spray your crock pot

Put in your thawed chicken

Evenly cover with the salsa verde (I used Goya)

Cook for 2 hours on high

30 minutes before the 2 hours were up I evenly placed the shredded cheese on the salsa

I served this with white rice! Babies, this was delicious.

You must try!

Growing Up: Sleep Overs

Way back in the days before my age hit double digits....I remember spending the night at friends' houses.  I had one friend in particular who I stayed with a lot - her name was Abby.  We had so much fun when we had sleep overs.  I remember lots of outdoor play, dress up, Barbies, messing through her big sister's stuff, fun food, church, etc.  As we got older we would do stupid things...one time we did the prank call thing where we pretended to be telemarketers who were doing surveys on beans and weenies.

Seriously.

Now that I'm a parent the idea of a sleep over freaks me out.  We say the world has changed since we were kids.  I agree it has and I also disagree and think - no it has not... its just that we hear about bad stuff more because technology allows it.  We are more informed if you will.

Remembering my childhood, I really wanted my daughter to enjoy friends and welcome them into our homes and hope they would do that in return.  Then you realize that child of yours is just your heart running around outside of your body and you don't know a parent in that child's classroom well enough to say "sure my kid can go there"....

I would seriously hate for my child to have no memories of those silly little girl sleepovers.

My Diva started the same elementary school I went to this past year.  She went to first grade for reading and just happened to mention this sweet friend she had made in first grade.  After hearing her talk all about this kid I said, well what's her name.  She said her name was Gracie and I thought wait a second....

Gracie's mom was one of my closest friends back in those teenage and post high school days.  She'd been an excellent friend and I had missed her and her husband.  We had them over to swim and I inquired about us hosting a sleepover.

It took a month but we pulled it together and boy did those girls (and Little Man) have some fun!

Keys to a good sleepover:

1.  Air Mattress

2.  Bake something together

3.  Get a good movie (in our case The Lego Movie)

4.  Pray for no one to freak out and want to go home after 10PM

5.  Sit back and just smile at all the giggling

Prepping August: Birthday Boy

My son will be turning two this month.  Part of me is like really just 2 and the other part is like freaking out screaming: seriously he'll be 2 where did the time go?  Very odd with your second if you ask me.  With my first child I felt like all of her days just flew by and I still cannot fathom her turning seven next month.  With Mr. Little Man its like do I feel like its rushed or do I feel like its not?  Maybe that's just me though...

In preparation for his birthday I like to get my ideas together as to what would make a good gift for this birthday.  As soon as the invites go out several friends and family members will ask what would make a good gift.  I wonder if it was like that when I was a child.  I just remember the days when Fisher Price and Play Skool were the way to go and you didn't really ask the parents.

I took some time and found some things that fit our soon-to-be-two-year-old to a tee.  Perhaps, these ideas will fit a certain little dude you know well for the gifting season too!

It is no strange choice of colors I used...our little guy loves tractors!  So maybe the John Deere coloring is right on point.

So what made our list:

• Nesting & Sorting Barn by Melissa & Doug - You probably noticed the farm theme going on here!  Our little guy is all about tractors, trucks, and animals.  I love Melissa & Doug toys because they promote learning and fun and the items are so durable.

• Fun on the Farm Play Set by Learning Curve - What a fun play set for pretty much any small child.  I bet my seven year old would have fun with this too.

• Chunky Farm Puzzle by Melissa & Doug - Puzzles are fabulous ways to stimulate the neurons in the brain guys!  Get your kids on puzzles ASAP!

• Hooded Fire Truck Pullover by Gymboree - We live close to a fire station and our little guy adores seeing the trucks out for a wash, drive, or responding to a call.  He also loves playing with his Tonka Fire Truck.  So why not add a little fire truck cuteness to the closet?\

• Bubble Puppy Plush by Nickelodeon - The favorite show around here is Bubble Guppies.  When this show comes on Little Man is entranced like no other show.  He loves Bubble Puppy.  What a sweet plush!

• Counting Puzzle - Learning and hands on....I'm sold! 

• Tie Tee by Crazy 8 - I love Crazy 8!  They have awesome prices and cute clothes.  For our NC falls we generally are on the comfy side.  So gifting long sleeve t shirts for the birthday are great!

• Roll Cuff Pants by Crazy 8 - As I just noted we have comfy falls that don't really require a winter wardrobe.  Roll cuff pants make playing in variable temps so much easier!  Roll down for cooler days and roll up for warmer day. 

• Textured Rib Half Zip Pull Over by Old Navy - I love this pull over.  Its great for church or other outings where you may need to be a bit more dressy.

Also, I love to note that a two year old really doesn't get the birthday deal yet so its still a great time to give necessities.  Trainer cups, diapers and wipes, socks, and all those expensive necessities are still a great idea for birthday number 2!  Remember its the paper and box that really matter to the little folks.

Hold The Crayons: My Work Station

I am not an avid crafter.  I cannot sew.  I am not interested in scrap booking.  Knitting to me means you have head lice.  Crochet is something three grandmas ago did.  I'm just not really a crafter.  I do like to play with paint and I like to be organized so some how that may morph me into some type of crafter.  Ok there's my disclaimer!

I needed a file cabinet.  You know this.

I got a file cabinet.  You know this.

I didn't think it was pretty or worthy of my blogging area (and when I say blogging area I mean it wasn't worthy of the area where we charge our computer and print out coupons ok?)

So I took that black, standard, run of the mill filing cabinet + some Valspar spray paint + Krylon Glitter Spray and I made this....

It took three cans of the light green paint to do this and one day.  I'm happy!

My desk is a re-purposed, antique desk that my great grandparents had.  I love old stuff like that!

I'm a calendar freak.  I stumbled upon this calendar at The Dollar Tree.  It matches perfectly!

So there's my new work station!

Have you prettied up something lately?  Share it in the comments so I can come check out your hot work too!

Oh Hey FRIDAY!

What a week.  I am so glad that most of it is over.  Let me tell you how stressed I have been this week...ok let me not tell you.  Really, you don't want to hear it.

So here are five.

Fabulous

1.  Time in the chair

The hair chair that is!  My hairdresser is the bomb and I really appreciate her.  She's a fun cat and she seriously helped me out (in more than one way) this week.  Thanks Lizzie.

2.  Favorite shoes

I pound pavement in the evenings.  I have two pair of shoes that I love.  New Balance is my shoe of choice and I have my old worn out pair that rocks out and my newer pair that rocked out until they shrunk.  I swear they shrunk.  No, I haven't washed them and I swear my feet haven't grown but they are killing my toes. The older pair have no grip and I can practically ice skate in them after 4 years of use! So off to Amazon I go to find some new ones.  What ya think about these?

3.  Filing Cabinet is in!

I got strong.  I tell you when I am stressing I get some crazy strength.  Ok, I didn't actually pick it up but I did some tilting, walking and major circus act style movements to get the thing inside.  I have a few more aesthetic things to do to it.  I love it.  I need to find my camera now.

4. Date Night Tuesday

My mom kept our kids on Tuesday night and we got to try the new "pub" in our little town.  Oh man was it good!  It is called O'Callahan's and it is really good!  I tried the Rachel (a girl's version of the reuben) mm mm mmmm!  I cannot wait to go back.

5. This quote:

Pin This!

August {Prepping}: I think Thursday

The preparation for getting up a little earlier took a backseat yesterday.  The kids spent Tuesday night at my mom's house.  That was a welcome reprieve!  So they got to stay up later and wake up later.

I also took advantage of the morning without getting them ready for the day and sat on the couch with coffee and remote in hand.  Ok, it was only like an hour but it was nice!

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The filing cabinet I mentioned in Tuesday's post has been sitting on my porch - completed - awaiting its move into the house.  Problems I am running into include: A husband who cannot lift over 20lbs for a while.  And myself never doing steroids to create a beastly set of muscles that would allow me to lift it with one hand.

I hope that my Friday post will show you how my clutter piles disappeared.  I also hope it will show the filing cabinet in it's new home (so that the clutter piles can disappear).

My laundry room is becoming my catch all room.  I want to make it more functional than it currently is.  My goal for the end of the week and weekend is to transform this room a bit and make it ready for the fall.

Eeek I cannot believe I said ready for the fall....let me go weep now.

I'm badly wanting to make a command center in the laundry room but I am afraid my space is too limited.

Let's see what happens.  

Do you have tips?

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On with the show.  If you follow my Instagram then (some of this) will be easier to understand.

I think... that a Tuesday date night is fabulous.

I think... that I need to add a few staple pieces to my wardrobe that I am shocked I do not have.

I think... the dog days of summer have totally returned.

I think... my daughter could possibly be the Material Girl for a new generation and that is scary (clothing ya'll....her clothing....that's all.)

I think... I am a total Scorpio and though I do not regularly (or ever) follow the stars it is freaky how yesterday's was dead on track for the current event in my life.

I think... that freaked me out.

I think... cooking is still my favorite thing to do.

I think... cleaning up after I cook sucks.

I think... its time for a dog.

I think... the animal shelter (not where I live but another one) pissed me off so bad I could bite their ankles.

I think... this weekend I'll be doing a lot of organizing so I can be somewhat blog worthy hahahahahaha!

I think... I have been back to regular blogging for three weeks and it is awesome how supportive my old bloggy friends have been and even newbies have been to me.  

I think... ya'll are awesome!