a day in the life - amy

Thanks to insomnia (and a time change) I am getting this post up on time.  After another day of traveling hell (the way out to Georgia didn't go so well either, I'll get to all of that some other time) we are back in Kansas.  Woot!  Today you get a little peek at Amy's day.  Enjoy!

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Hi! I am Amy and you can find me over at All About Addison, though the name will have to be changed soon as baby #2 is on the way this November. Our adorable Addison is now 13 months old (I still can’t believe how fast time flies) and I have been married to my wonderful husband, Adrian, for five years. I work full-time as a fundraiser for a non profit - I adore my job and love going to work everyday knowing that what I do is helping others (as well as my family). It is also an extremely family friendly work environment which makes it all the better.

I am going to share a weekend day with you since that is a little more exciting than wake up, get dressed, drop off at daycare, work, pick up at daycare, eat, play, bathe, sleep. So here is a typical Saturday full of playtime, errands, etc…

6:35am – Wake up and drag myself out of bed. Usually Addison is up between 6:15 and 7:00, lately since she has gone down to just one nap a day, she has been sleeping in. Decide that I should go ahead and get a shower since unfortunately Adrian has to work all day (we both work in events: him college sporting and me fundraisers, so neither really has a typical 9-5 job) – which means it is a mommy and Addison day. Learning to greatly appreciate these days since I know all too soon her time will have to be shared.
After I shower decide that I should go ahead and start some laundry and dishes.
7:08am – Hear Adrian’s alarm go off for work. It also wakes Addison up. I can hear them playing so I finish the dishes and throw a bagel in the toaster.
7:19am – Grab Addison so Adrian can get ready for work and give Addison her breakfast

8:03am – Finish getting ready and off to the park we go. Lately the temps in NC have been unbearable (high 90s every.single.day) so decide to go early so that we can get some outside time in before I melt and realize that I love the park this time of day – not too many people and it’s still not too hot. Addison has a great time trying to keep up with the older kids. We just moved into our new house a few weeks ago and the park is right around the corner. It is awesome having a place we can walk to.

9:22 – We get home and ready to go out for errands.
10:05 – Arrive at the mall. I need to pick up my bridesmaids dress for my friend Sharon’s wedding. Unfortunately I had to order three sizes bigger since I have no idea how large I will actually be in September. I look at size of dress and want to throw up. Run into a few other stores that I need to pick up items at and since we are already at the mall, I decide to run into the maternity store to find some pants that actually fit. No such luck and Addison throws a fit in the changing room. Off to lunch we go.
11:15 – Grab some lunch in the food court. Chick Fil A for Addison and a less healthy Steak Escape for me (apparently size of dress has not affected me too much). Addison eats pretty well – a few bites of chicken, throws some fries on the floor and eats all of her yogurt parfait.
We are sitting next to two teenage girls discussing lying to their parents, boys and girl drama. I realize that this will be Addison some day and cringe. So not ready for that.
12:20 – Addison falls asleep as soon as we get in the car. Luckily I get her into the house without waking her up. I had grand plans of finishing some things around the house. Instead, I read Bossypants (Tina Fey’s new book and it’s awesome!) and fall asleep on the couch.

2:35 – Addison wakes up, so we play in her room for a while and then get ready to meet up with my friend Holly.
3:53 – Do a little more shopping with Holly (and I actually find some work clothes that fit – SUCCESS!) Addison eats her afternoon snack while we are strolling around the mall.

6:15 – Decide to check out Greek restaurant for dinner. Addison loved her cheese pasta and was having fun playing with her spoon (she loves utensils). Apparently another diner didn’t enjoy Addison playing with her spoon and complained to the manager (she hit it on her plate a few times). Let me add that I am not one of THOSE mothers. I am completely cognizant if my child is being disruptive in a restaurant – she cries, we walk outside; she drops food on the floor, I clean up every.single.piece before leaving. I was PISSED and the fact that there were only five tables filled in the restaurant pissed me off even more. Total Mama-Bear came out in me (and this has really not happened yet) and I wanted to go over and scream at the lady who complained. Oh and my food – sucked. Needless to say, will not be returning.
7:35 – Addison again fell asleep in the car. Poor thing, she isn’t used to so much car time during the day. I bring her inside and hold her for a while (and silently seethe at the old biddy who complained about my wonderful angel).
After I get Addison to bed, I would like to say that I did something productive. I didn’t. Adrian got home around 8:30. We watched some tv, I played on the internet/facebook/blogs and then we both went to bed around 10:30.

Questions:
1. What is the most surprising thing about being a mom?
How much love I can give. I am constantly looking at Addison and thinking “how did I ever live without her?” She is our world and every single day revolves around her.
2. What are some tips/advice you would give to new or soon-to-be mamas?
The best advice I received was “do what you think is best and ignore what everyone else tells you.” Everyone loves to tell you what you should do but only you know the best decisions for your family.
And never judge another mother. Prior to being a mom, I frequently used the words, “well I would never…” After your child arrives, you may as well throw all of those previous opinions out the window. You will do whatever helps you and your child in that moment – as you should.
3. What are your top 3 baby products?
1. Pacifiers – any kind. Pacifiers were one of my “I will never…” I was an idiot. Pacifiers rock.
2. Gerber Yogurt Drops – seriously these things are baby crack. All Addison has to do is see the bag to become the happiest baby ever.
3. Boogie Wipes – grape scented. Addison still screams bloody murder when I wipe her nose but it’s at a slightly lower decibel. And I kinda love the smell.
4. (Sorry couldn’t narrow down to three) The inflatable duck bath tub. Best.thing.ever. Addison loves it in and out of the tub. I put it in the bathroom floor when I am getting ready and throw some toys in there and she adores it. No clue why but it allows me to put on makeup and dry my hair so I don’t ask questions.

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Thanks a bunch, Amy, for sharing your day with us!

me... in a swimsuit... a bikini

Well.  When we left for vacation Wednesday morning I was down 24 pounds.  24 pounds since March 1st.  Thinking about it like that is pretty crazy to me, three months ago I was 24 pounds heavier.  I'm so glad that isn't where I am anymore.

Even though my body isn't where I want it to be yet, and my journey isn't over, I can honestly say I am feeling much better about where I am.  Before we left I found SHORTS to wear.  Chris can't remember the last time he saw me in shorts.  The last time I remember wearing shorts was at my bachelorette party.  I tried those shorts on before we left, they were too big (happy dance!).

Obviously I haven't been on the scale since Wednesday.  I'm praying that I've maintained, or haven't gained more than a couple pounds while we've been here (St. Simons Island, Georgia, for those of you who are wondering).  We've eaten out often, and I've given in to ice cream three nights (this place has flavors like chocolate covered potato chip, how can you saw no?).  But thankfully, since we are staying at my parents house, we were able to get groceries, and I've controlled the calories in my breakfasts, and a couple of my lunches.  When we've been out to eat I've stayed away from everything fried, instead ordering grilled fish or shrimp, and steamed vegetables.  I've let myself have some bread, and a couple fried appetizers, but overall I'm proud of the choices I've been making.

Friday night I had grilled scallops for dinner.  They were very tasty, but my order was big.  And I ate them all.  Then we went and had ice cream.  That night I was miserably full.  I decided I never want to feel like that again.  Really I felt so sick to my stomach, and even the next morning I could still feel stuff gurgling in my tummy.  It was disgusting.

As far as exercise... My parent's house is walking distance from the beach, restaurants and shopping, so we have done a lot of walking.  And the house is four stories, so I have done lots and lots more stairs than I usually do.  And I've been chasing Ryann up and down the beach almost daily.  On top of that I went running Friday and Sunday, and Saturday my mom and I went for a 3 mile walk.  My runs weren't fabulous.  The heat here is ridiculous!  But I covered 4.5 miles Friday and 5 miles Sunday.  Not bad distances, the runs just weren't that good.

As for the picture... I decided I should share this, because even though it isn't swimsuit magazine worthy, I was actually pretty comfortable on the beach in my suit.  A two piece none the less.  Last year after Ryann was born I swore I'd never wear a bikini again.  But I'm only 25, I've got to milk a little more of my youth right?  So I am thankful for this fire that has been lit under me, because I can enjoy myself, and clothes, a little bit more now.

The picture isn't touched up at all (obviously), nor is it one where I made sure the photo was taken from a good angle.  I've still got a ways to go, but I'm proud of where am at, and what I've accomplished.

Linking up with Heir to Blair! 

party recipes part two

These are the recipes I used for Chris's graduation BBQ.  First up, some delicious spicy crab dip.  A family friend brought this dip to our July 4th celebration last year, and I meant to share the recipe then.  But that was around the time my computer exploded and I lost all my pictures.  Lucky for you we made it again!  The recipe suggests serving it with thinly sliced toasted French bread.  We served it (as did Paula, or family friend) with the homemade tortilla chips from Whole Foods.  Absolutely delicious.  Seriously, I like it and I HATE spicy food!

Hot Crab, Artichoke and Jalapeno Dip

Ingredients
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
two 14 ounce cans artichoke hearts, drained and chopped fine
2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallion
1/2 cup drained and chopped bottle pimento or roasted red pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
4 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
3 jalapeno peppers (bottled) seeded and minced
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 pound crab meat
1/3 cup sliced almonds toasted slightly

Directions
1.  In a small skillet cook bell pepper in the oil over moderate heat until softened.  Let cool.
2.  In a large bowl combine pepper, artichokes, mayonnaise, scallion, pimento, parmesan, lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, jalapeno pepper and celery salt.  Blend the mixture until combined well.  Stir in crab meat gently.  Transfer to a buttered baking dish or an oven proof chafing dish and sprinkle almonds.  (May keep for one day in refrigerator covered).
3.  Bake the dip at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until top is brown and bubbling.  Serves 10.

Chris requested one of his favorite BBQ places for the food, and he really wanted beans and coleslaw.  Personally, I hate beans and coleslaw.  Therefore I opted to make a spinach salad so I would have something to eat that I liked, and was a wee bit healthier.  You can find the recipe for the cranberry spinach salad here.  It wasn't anything mind blowing, but the salad was good!

Another food that Chris really loves is pie.  I believe his preference is grandma's peach pie, but yet again, I was being a little bit selfish.  So I went on the hunt for an apple pie recipe.  We also decided to try and find a bar recipe, thinking it would be easier to eat than a piece of pie.  These bars were a little bit messy, and weren't the easiest to eat, but they were good.  I'm not sure exactly which recipe we used, but I think it is pretty similar to this one.

If anyone follows me on pinterest, you might know that my pins usually include LOTS of desserts.  I mean I'm trying not to eat them, why not think about them all of the time?  Sheesh!  Anyway, these cookie dough filled cupcakes were one of my pins, and I decided to give them a try.  You can find the recipe here. 

A little story to go with these ones... my mom was over helping me get ready for the party.  We realized I forgot to get eggs, and since Chris to the store for some while we made a different dessert.  Some time passed, we all had lunch, yadda yadda... I was chasing Ryann around and my mom mixed up the cupcakes.  Unfortunately the first batch burned.  So we sent Chris back to the store for another box of cake mix.  The second batch seemed to turn out fine.  My mom went home, and I started stuffing the cupcakes with cookie dough.  The cupcakes seemed a little crumbly, but they tasted good (of course I tried the part I was just going to trash, oops :o).  I opened the fridge to put the cupcakes in and saw the egg carton... with no eggs missing.

My mother made the recipe twice, six eggs should have been missing.  Yep, that's right.  We sent Chris to the store specifically for eggs, and she completely forgot to use them!  Not one of her finer baking moments :o).  Don't worry mom, I still love you.  Alas, Chris returned to the store a third time for another box of cake mix.  And wouldn't you know I burned that batch, only a tiny bit.  I decided those were the ones I was using!!  The cupcakes were good, but not something I really wanted more of.  And no, it had nothing to do with them being a touch burnt!

 
Ahhh.  Oreo Cheesecake Pretzel Bites.  These little guys were probably my favorite thing at Chris's party.  The were incredibly easy to make, super easy to pick up and eat, and freaking delicious.  If you need a good simple dessert bite, these are great.  Find the recipe here.

I think that is all the party recipes I have right now.  Actually, I'm not sure that we have a party coming up anytime soon at all.  Maybe I'll have to make something up...

kitchen tile

Um, so, forever ago we had the backsplash in our kitchen put up.  Like before Ryann's birthday.  And I am just now getting around to sharing the pictures.  I'm sure you're ok with that.  Anyway...

Lets quickly try and remember what the kitchen looked like when we moved in, shall we?

Oy.  So it wasn't terrible, but it definitely wasn't anything to be proud of.  And you couldn't open the fridge all the way, without opening the back door.  And I don't remember if the oven was fully functional, or if we were just too scared to use it because it was disgusting.  Anyway, a few months after we had moved in, we gutted that baby and put in a much prettier kitchen.

The pictures aren't the best, and yes, they were taken at two different times.  I decided I wanted the whole picture, not just the details.

wow, sorry, that one is pretty terrible

The idea for the accent section (or whatever you want to call it) came from Centsational Girl.  I knew I wanted something different above the sink, but I didn't want it to cost a lot, and I didn't want to lock the kitchen in to a color scheme by using a colored tile.  Her tile work solved all of those solutions.

Now that the backsplash is up, when you look in the kitchen from the dining room it is very white and brown.  I want to replace my kitchen rugs with something that has a bit more color.  I'm loving this image on pinterest...

I know, not a kitchen.  Whatever.  I found a very similar rug on Shades of Light, I'm just not sure it would be a great kitchen rug.  Maybe...

For those of you who are curious, the paint color is Corn Husk Green by Behr, we had it color matched at Sherwin Williams.  The countertop, cabinets, tile, and round knobs came from Home Depot.  The drawer pulls came from a local hardware shop, and the brown rugs came from Target.  I think that should cover it!

party recipes part one

I have SEVERAL party recipes I haven't shared, so I thought I'd split them among a couple posts.  First up, from Ryann's birthday party, the spring vegetable pasta salad.  Like I said before, this pasta salad was a big hit.  I loved it!  But for the record?  I don't think it is the healthiest.  It makes approximately 24 servings, and each serving is 310 calories.  Eek.  But really, it is delicious.

Spring Vegetable Pasta Salad
from Betty Crocker's Spring Celebrations, April 2001

Ingredients
lemon mayonnaise (below)
2 packages (16 ounces each) medium pasta shells
3 pounds asparagus, blanched and cut into four inch pieces
2 pounds snap pea pods, blanched
16 medium green onions, sliced (1 cup)
2 medium yellow bell peppers, coarsely chopped (2 cups)

Directions
1.  Make lemon mayonnaise.
2.  Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.  Rinse with cold water; drain.
3.  Mix pasta and remaining ingredients in large bowl.  Stir in lemon mayonnaise until well mixed.  Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until chilled.

Lemon Mayonnaise
2 cups mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 cup plain fat-free  yogurt
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh or 1 tablespoon dried tarragon leaves
1 teaspoon salt
Mix all ingredients until well blended.

Next up, the Mongolian Beef Sticks from Ry's party.  I honestly didn't have any of these at the party.  I'm not sure why, but I didn't.  However there was some beef that was never cooked, and I know we used it in a stir fry the following day.  That was great!  And I'm pretty sure these went over really well with the guys...

 the beef sticks are on the 3 tiered stand, only picture I have of them :o)

Mongolian Beef Sticks
from Southern Living Ultimate Book of Appetizers, 2001

Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds flank steak
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 tablespoons seasame oil
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, crushed

Directions
1.  Slice steak diagonally across grain into 1/8-inch thick strips.  Place in a large heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag.  Set aside.
2.  Combine hoisin sauce and remaining 8 ingredients; stir well.  Pour marinade over steak; seal bag securely.  Marinate in refrigerator 8 hours, turning occasionally.
3.  Remove steak from marinade, discarding marinate; thread steak onto 32 (6-inch) wooden skewers.  Broil strips 3 inches from heat 2 to 3 minutes on each side or to desired degree of doneness.
*Make sure to soak your skewers in water for at least 10 minutes before threading the steak!

I hope these recipes will be useful to at least a couple of you!  If you ever use them come back and leave a comment, I love to know when the recipes I pass along have been tried out.

Enjoy!

embrace the camera

There isn't much to say about this picture.  Long story short, it makes me incredibly happy.

Ryann brings a joy to my life that I didn't know I was missing.

I LOVE HER.

a day in the life - breanne

Good morning!  Hope all of you out there in the blog world are swell.  (Why is it that writing introductions for these posts turns me into a big nerd?)  Today I'd like you to meet Breanne, mommy to Mollie.  I hope you enjoy a day in her life!

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Hi! I am Breanne. You can find me over at http://mcbridetales.blogspot.com/ I am currently a part-time mom. That sounds bad, let me explain. I just ended my job as a FULL-TIME teacher and starting in the fall I will be a part-time teacher. WOO HOO! Super excited! I am married and we have a beautiful 8 month old daughter, Mollie. I just ended school for the summer so I am still getting used to what my days will look like but here is a peek into what today was like...

5:15 am: Well I could have started a little earlier since ms. molls has been waking up quite a bit at night moaning because of teeth pain. This girl still doesn't have any teeth but they are so close! At this time though Brian (hubs) gets out of bed to get ready for work and because the bathroom is right next to mollies room we can expect her to rise too. She does. After a pacifier drop in we are back to sleep! PHEW!!
7:30 am: Seriously, is it that late! Go Mollie! She's awake for the day and this is what I have to wake up to.

Quick change of the diaper and put some clothes on the babe and we are set to conquer the day. Remember...this is my official first day of the summer so don't go thinking that I will be getting out of pajamas today! :)
8:00am: Its bottle time while we listen to the today show. I love me some matt lauer and meredith viera. Tear...will miss meredith.
8:15am: Must have caffeine. Really? Already? There is something about this wondrous place that has the most amazing fountain Pepsi and you can add a drop of cherry sauce. Mmmmm. And it feeds my caffeine addiction which I am seriously thinking about knocking. (Yeah right.) So Mollie is strapped in and we are off. A quick trip turns into much longer when you have baby in tow. Here is my addiction for the day:

9:00am: Time for mollie to eat her morning solids. This a.m. it's rice and pears. Yum. She does great on solids and we are thinking of introducing some more "adult" foods soon. How soon is too soon?? Mollie just figured out how to use her fingers to eat her puffs and yogurt melts. So cute!

9:30am: It's play time! We tend to use this time to either play on the floor or take walks. (Well we do when I was off work but now it will be daily.) Today we played on the floor since she is crawling all over the place. This girl is seriously strong! I love having special moments with my baby girl. She is so smiley.

10:00am: Nap time. Mollie takes great naps. We have had her on a schedule since she was really young and she has done great on them. She sleeps from 10-12 and does it pretty consistently. I spent today working on cheerleading. I have been coaching for about 10 years at all levels. College, high school and middle school. I have stopped coaching but now I choreograph for school competitions. My sister also does this and she is working with a team this weekend and needed some help so...sister to the rescue! Really it's not work for me, I love it!
11:45 am: Jene'e, my sister, says she is going to get lunch. Pizza hut breadsticks! I realize I have been horrible today in the food/drink department but it is my first summer day, right?
12:00pm: Mollie is awake. And it's bottle time. After her bottle I decide to try to take a shower for the day. She used to love her bouncer so I assume she still does. Boy was I wrong!

1:00 pm: Time for solids again. This time we add veggies. She eats pears and sweet potatoes. Two of her favorites.
2:00 pm: Mollie is down for her nap again and it's time for me to work/finish cheerleading. I miraculously get it finished. I also find time to start a load of laundry. We were in Chicago over the weekend for a wedding so lots of laundry to start. It's amazing how much more laundry we have with a baby.
3:45 pm: Brian is home. He gets to go in early so he gets home early. It is great because he gets lots of extra time with the little miss. We have a dog and for some reason Mollie loves her. Ok. Ok. Ok. I do too. BUT...I do NOT like the massive amounts of hair that lies around our house for Mollie to get all over her when she crawls. Any advice for dealing with shedding dogs? I vacuum at least 3 times a day. They really are two peas in a pod though...

5:15 pm: Dinner is made. Tonight we are having enchiladas. The easiest recipe ever. And...Brian likes them. Or so I think. I have a pretty picky eater for a husband...love him though.

6:00 pm: Off to the store to get essentials. I haven't been to the store in awhile and we are out of everything! We needed new rugs too so I grabbed some of those.
7:30 pm: Bath time. This is Mollie's favorite time of the day. She loves baths! Though we found out this weekend that she is not too fond of swimming pools. Hopefully that will change as my dad lives on a lake and we both LOVE to be at the lake and beach. I will give her some credit though...it was extremely loud and crazy for massive amounts of kids. I would've been scared too.
8:00 pm: Before we head to bed we read a story from the children's Bible. Brian loves this time with Mollie and it is super cute to watch them!

8:30 pm: Time to have some me time. Whether that is watching Bachelorette, I know horrible, or reading up on blogs/writing blogs. Laundry, dishes, getting ready for the following day or reading.
10:00 pm: I am for sure in bed by 10 every night. That may change though now that I don't have to get up super early anymore. :)

Questions:
1. What is the most surprising thing about being a mom?
The most surprising thing to me is how much you are by far the last one to be taken care of. Like today...no makeup/no shower till the afternoon. Mollie comes first. I wouldn't have it any other way.
2. What are some tips/advice you would give to new or soon-to-be mamas?
The best advice I could give is that every mom has an instinct. It is best to go by that. No one knows your baby like you do. I definitely love advice but the best is your own. By far.
3. What are your top 3 baby products?
    1. MAM pacifiers. She loves them. We don't go anywhere without it/them.
    2. Her little snuggie. It's a blanket with a bear head attached. You get them from Carter's. Mollie doesn't sleep without it. I just need to find another one in case we lose this one!
    3. Buttpaste. I know it sounds silly but destin didn't work for Mollie. She had a really bad case of diaper rash and butt paste did the trick! :)

Thank you so much Ashley for getting to share my day with you and your friends!

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Thank you for sharing your day with us Breanne!