Blogger Mom

This blogging thing is getting to be addictive.  It's a quarter to 11 and instead of watching my DVR'd recording of Glee, I am here reading blogs, researching how to make my blog better, and playing around with my blog.  I have stumbled onto Mom Bloggers Club, and is it weird that I feel cool because I'm a Mom Blogger. Heheheheh... who'd have thought.

Like I said, typically I would be lounged in front of the TV or knocked out in bed by now, but we are trying something new to try and get little bear to sleep.  For the last two days I've been waking him at 11pm for a bottle feeding, hoping that will sustain him for a longer period at night.  Yes it has been close to 9 months since I have slept at least 5 consecutive hours, for at least a week.  I know some of you may be thinking, WAIT! Little bear is only 6 1/2 months, but you must be the same people who haven't been prego or have forgotten the insomnia that accompanies the third trimester (but I digress).

I have lots of new ideas, tips, recipes, and random rants that I will be posting to my blog.  I can not promise they will be coherent (see previous paragraph), but I will try to make them entertaining and as useful as possible.

Well it is 10:55 and I have to get Little Bear's bottle together! Until next time... Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite!!

Finding Time for Skin Care

Last summer I was pregnant.  I didn't feel like moving let alone taking time to take care of me.  Then I decided to sell Mary Kay.  I thought a little extra money can't hurt, and I like those products anyway.  So I met with a very excited Mary Kay lady and signed up.  In a few days my starter kit arrived and I did what any warm blooded woman would do... I played with my stuff.

I started really looking at my face.  I could see the signs of a summer of no sun block, rarely removing make-up (if I even had any on).  I wasn't happy.  I already felt as big as a house, and blotchy, dry skin didn't help.  I started making sure that at least once a day, I'd give myself the royal treatment.  After my little munchkin went to sleep was my time.  I used my complete miracle set.  I immediately felt results.  My skin felt so much more smooth.  Then I started to notice the not so blotchy look, basically just healthier.  From then on, I've been hooked.

When I started really getting into doing facials for my friends and family the number one concern was when do you find the time to do this twice a day?  The following is a list of humble suggestions.   I realize everyones situation is different.  This is how I find the time.

In the mornings I've started using the facial cleansing bar. It's in the shower so it's like feeding two birds with one seed.  When I get out I use a my Timewise Age-Fighting Moisturizer Sunscreen SPF 15.  Simple and to the point.  I can start the day with clean, soft, skin.  I may or may not put on foundation and color, that depends on my mood and the moods of my two little ones.

I do my night time routine throughout my favorite TV shows.  I also use my travel roll up bag to keep things organized.  There are a lot of different products to use and it can be confusing remembering which order you're suppose to put everything on.  I have my bag organized into sections.
In the first section is my Oil Free Eye Make-Up Remover, 3-in-1 Timewise Cleanser, and Satin Lips Mask.  If I'm going to do satin lips, I put my Satin Lips mask on first (This saves time since you can rinse it off with your cleanser), If I have eye make-up on I remove that then wash my face (and rinse satin lips).  This can all be done during one commercial break.

The Next section has special treatments... masks, essences... ect.  The next commercial break is for applying any mask I may be doing (this probably only happens once or twice a week, I'm using the Even Complexion Mask now).  By the next commercial break it's time to rinse and apply any essence or replenishing serums.

The Third and Fourth Bags have my day/night solution, moisturizer, and eye creams.  Those are easy to apply during another commercial break, add my satin lips balm and I'm done.  If I feel like it I might also give myself a satin hands treatment.  Love, love, love it!!!!!!!!!

By the end of my show (Grey's Anatomy, Glee, ect...) My skin feels smooth and soft and I feel like a girl again.  I don't have to miss out on anything (I can't stand commercials) and since I'm awake watching TV, I can also be awake taking care of me.  It is immensely important to remember to take care of yourself.  As mother's we spend so much of our time taking care of everyone else, that we often forget about ourselves.  YOU DESERVE IT!!!!!!!!!

Now, I have to be honest.  Every once in a while, I have a particularly rough or tiring day and by the time I get my Munchkin and Little bear to bed,  I can barely make it to my own bed before passing out.  Or there was that one time after a wedding and open bar that well... let's just say I slept in my make-up that night.  No one is perfect!


I hope these little suggestions have been useful.  If you have any questions about skin care, or need help customizing the perfect routine for you visit me here!!!!

Stuffed Peppers

In my imaginary future, my husband and I own a cute down home restaurant.  It will have a cute and creative name to go along with its yummy menu.  When I try out a new recipe (that I've created or transformed) I ask my husband "Can it go on the menu?"  In his best food critic voice, he answers.

This week I tried stuffed peppers.  A friend of mine recently wrote about making them for her hubby and how much he liked them. Now,  I don't particularly like peppers, and I actually don't remember if I've even ever had a stuffed pepper, but I figured, what the hay, I'd try it anyway.   I have a basic knowledge of what is typically in a stuffed pepper: meat, rice, and other veggies.  I decided to make my stuffed peppers without the aide of a classic recipe, so if you are used to a certain type of stuffed peppers, this probably isn't it.

My Stuffed Peppers

This is what I used:

3 large peppers
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 package success brown rice (cooked)
1 can of diced tomatoes
1/4 large onion (you could probably use 1 small one, but I only had a large one in my pantry)
1 cup (or a handful) of baby carrots.  Ever since my son started eating food I've been adding random        vegetables to my dishes.
1/2 cup of corn (left overs from the night before, no wasting in this house)
1 big spoon full of dill vegetable dip (a random leftover from my refrigerator)
2 big handfuls of cheddar cheese
A few shakes of pepper, garlic powder, and onion salt. (I typically don't cook with salt at all but I thought this needed it)
1 table spoon (I think) of olive oil, I don't measure when I cook, I kind of guesstimate ; )

This is what I did:

Preheated my oven to 375 degrees and started my quick rice.

In my Cuisinart Prep Plus II I chopped my onion, then carrots.  Next I rinsed, washed, and cut the tops off my peppers.  The pepper tops (minus the stems and a few bites for my Munchkin, which he chewed and spit on the floor) were chopped in my processor, and the inside of my peppers were cleaned out.  I browned the turkey meat with olive oil, and after about 5 minutes added my chopped veggies.  I let that cook and simmer till the meat was cooked through and the onions were translucent, then drained off the liquid.  Next I added my tomatoes, leftover corn, dill veggie dip, brown rice, and a handful of cheese.  Last I seasoned to taste.

I over filled my peppers and loaded them into a glass dish with a little olive oil (Okay I actually put too much olive oil in the bottom of my dish, don't make my same mistake) .  My family loves cheese probably more than chocolate, so I piled on the cheese!  There was some leftover stuffing which went into the baby food maker with more brown rice, and the rest offered to Munchkin with some sweet potatoes for dinner.

After the cheese was perfectly bubbly and brown I took it out of the oven.  Took 500,000 pictures (I have a new found respect for food photographers).  It smelled delish, and the fork full that I snuck out of one tasted great too.  Then I spoke to my mom on the phone, and she mentioned tomato sauce.  Following our conversation I added a little on the bottom of the dish.

Fast forward an hour when hubby gets home and this was the conversation:

Hubby: What's that?

Pink Lady: Stuffed Peppers.

Hubby: Interesting.

Pink Lady: What do you mean interesting? Haven't you ever heard of stuffed peppers?

Hubby: No

Pink Lady: Well give it a try and tell me what you think.

After cleaning his plate.
Hubby: That wasn't bad.  The pepper was a bit much, but the inside was good!

Pink Lady: Yeah, I don't like pepper so I will most likely only eat the stuffing.

Hubby: So why did you make this?

Pink Lady: Wanted to try something new.  So can this go on the menu?
This is where he puts his best food critic voice on
Hubby: Yeah, The stuffing was great, creamy and flavorful! You can make this again.  Pepper lovers would love it.  Next time I'll skip the pepper though.

Pink Lady: Maybe next time I'll skip stuffing peppers and stuff tomatoes instead. ; )

ENJOY!!!

My Favorite Things!!

These are a few of my favorite things (In my Julie Andrews voice ; ).   The other day I was cleaning up around the house and I realized I was in love with certain products.  So of course I decided to share.  Keep in mind this only my very humble opinion.

Favorite Cleaning Agent

 Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.  I must have five of these all around my house.  I love them.  They work wonderfully and once they get gross, you just toss them out.  One day while I was nursing my little bear, my munchkin was eating his lunch quietly in the kitchen (Yes, I know... there is no such thing as quietly for a 20 month old).  If only I had turned my head 90 degrees I'd have seen what he was really doing so quietly.... COLORING! No, not on the paper we have, but all over the wall stretching from his little table to where I was sitting.  Beautiful black scribbles, from the baseboards to as high as his little 2 1/2 foot self could reach.  After telling him how pretty his art was, then reminding him to color on paper,  I ran to get my Magic Eraser (lol... ok maybe thats not exactly how it went down).  Anyway, just as I thought it would, it came off, and didn't ruin the paint.  Since then I have only bought washable crayons which come off with water, and I make sure I always have a Magic Eraser close by. 

Favorite Facial Cleanser

Mary Kay Timewise 3 in 1 Cleanser.  Yes yes, perhaps I am a bit biased, as I am a Mary Kay Consultant, but it was my favorite way before I started selling Mary Kay.  I've tried so many different scrubs, cleansers,  and toners.  None have made my skin feel as soft or look as healthy as my Mary Kay Timewise 3 in 1.  I feel like I give myself a treat at the end of each day with my night time pampering.  I use the entire miracle set, and rotate between satin lips, even complexion power pair, and now my microdermabrasion set.  Yes there are some nights when I am too tired to even think about a miracle set... but I always use my 3 in 1 if nothing else.  My night time routine helps me feel feminine again. 

Favorite Appliance 

Cuisinart Prep Plus II .  Now I have to admit this was a tough one.   I like all my appliances, but this one allows me to grate cheese in seconds, slice and dice veggies, as well as make the perfect soups.  I used to watch the Food Network in envy as the pro chefs would throw things in their processors for quick salsa, pesto, and countless other cool munchies.  Now I am apart of that food processing elite (okay, that's a bit of a stretch since I haven't made pesto yet).  The only draw back is all the pieces, but since they are dish washer safe... it's all good!

Favorite Baby Gadget

Baby Touch Digital Color Video Monitor by Summer.  Hands DOWN!! For my first son my husband and I had a hand me down black and white video monitor (which we are still very grateful for).  Hubby and I both thought this was the coolest thing ever.  Enter Baby Touch.  The only reason we decided to purchase another is because the first died on us.  My husband is a research fiend and found this online.   I love this monitor.  It has a touch screen color monitor, remote camera, and my favorite feature - baby talk.   The feature baby talk is actually pointless for an infant, but for a two year old it is not only perfect... it's hilarious too.  When I put Munchkin down for his nap, like most tots he's up and out with in minutes.  With this feature I can sit in the office and blog, and with the touch of a button remind him (ever so nicely) to LAY DOWN!! ; ) 

So those are a few of my favorite things.  However, please know that when I say favorite things,  I should add favorite material things.  My favorite things of course are my family and friends,  they are truly who I could not live with out.

My Week in the Five O'clock Club!

I've often heard people wish there was just a little more time in the day.  Sometimes it seems that 24 hours is simply not enough time.  Well, Mary Kay Ash figured out a solution to this problem.  You see, she figured that it's not that there isn't enough time in the day, it's that we aren't awake for enough of those hours.  Her solution is a simple one (or is it?), wake up at 5 am.  She'd wake up at 5 am and get finished with the chores she couldn't do while the kids were awake.  In this way, when the kids did wake up, she could devote her attention to them instead of other less important tasks.  Mary Kay encouraged all consultants to join what she called "The Five O'clock Club".

After reading Mary Kay's biography, I was inspired to try this myself, at least for a week.

Sunday: I actually slept pretty well, but when my alarm went off at 5 am my brain said "you're kidding right?" So back to sleep I went (until little bear woke up 20 minutes later).  By the time I was done with my little guy, there was a two year old calling me (think Stewie from the Family Guy).  Oh well, there's always tomorrow!

Monday: Little Bear was up at 1 am and back down at 2:30, then Munchkin was up at 2:38.  Bear was back up at 3:30 am.  Needless to say at 5 am I hit the snooze button, and slept until Little Bear was up again 30 minutes later! YAWN!

Tuesday: Just like Monday minus Munchkin.  At 5 am I hit the snooze again!

Wednesday: Little Bear was up at 2:30, then again at 4:55.  After feeding and changing Little Bear I laid him back down.  At 5:45, I walked and fed the dogs.  Then came back in had a cup of coffee.  Just as I sat down to relax (oops, isn't this chore time?) and pat myself on the back for actually getting something done, Munchkin was up.  SIGH!

Thursday: Very similar night to Wednesday.  At 5 am when the alarm went off, I was already up.  After caring for Bear,  I took the dogs out, came back inside and... went back to sleep.

Friday: Little bear was up at 1:55, then back up at 5 with my alarm.  After his feeding and changing, I took the dogs out, then made my husband breakfast (yeah, I know!).  Then gathered my pumping equipment.  When Little Bear woke up, I'd already expressed milk and had my morning cup of joe. PASS!

My assessment: On the days when I actually accomplished at least one task before my little ones woke, I felt great.  I had a much less rushed morning and was able to eat breakfast with my son.  This 5 O'clock club is definitely attainable, but perhaps more so for women with no infant.  I've learned that sleep is sooo important.  With out it I am no good to my babies,  and I may accidentally put my Timewise 3-in-1 cleanser on my tooth brush (that's a whole other story).  Oh well, moving forward I will continue to take things day by day.  Today I am an active member of the 5 O'clock Club, tomorrow, chances are my card will be revoked! ; )

The Scoop on Baby Food Making

     Little bear has started on solids.  Hooray, a new milestone!! More like... sniffle sniffle, soon he'll be telling me he wants pantates (that's Munchkin speak for pancakes).  Every new milestone my babies hit is a bitter sweet moment.  I love that they have achieved a new level in their young lives, however it also means they are growing up.  In order to make this transition more on the sweet side,  I've decided to make little bear's baby food.  Making my baby's food gives me a sense of "I am woman, hear me roar!". You know, a sense of pride.

     To all of my working mom friends out there, it's not as hard or time consuming as you think.  When I started making Munchkin's food, I was working full time and I commuted almost 2 hours one way.  I had been given a baby food maker as a gift and it sat in the box for months.  I was inspired to dust it off by a friend of mine.  She had two small boys (2 1/2 & less than a year), she worked full time (with a monster commute), and was still breastfeeding the baby.  When she visited one day, I was shocked to see her unpack her pumped milk and frozen packages of homemade baby food.  I was very impressed that she found the time.  What I've realized since becoming a mother is we make time for what is important to us.

     My friend's advice to me was pick a day.  She made hers for the week on Sunday.  Currently I am blessed with the opportunity to stay at home with my boys, so Monday is my day.  You should then decide how much your going to need for the week, or until the next time you plan on making food.  Next pick your tool.I have the Beaba Babycook Baby Food Maker.  It was a gift when Munchkin was a baby, but you can use a blender or food processor as well.   Then choose foods.  For menu ideas try wholesomebabyfood.com. If you have a baby food maker, it will probably have the capability to steam the food, if not steam it or cook it yourself.  FYI - Bananas get really brown when you steam them first.  Next, blend!  I like to add the water used to steam the food or a little breast milk to get the right consistency.  You can also use formula to thin the food out.  If you add to much accidentilly, try add a bit of baby cereal to thicken it back up.  Last store your food.  I've read you can use ice cube trays to give you perfect 1 ounce servings.  I use little snack baggies.  I measure 2.5 ounces in little wide mouthed advent baby bottles first.  Then pour into the baggies.  I label the baggies with type of food, date, and amount.

     I started out pureeing just fruits and veggies.  Then I experimented with different types of flavors.  This week Little Bear is experiencing cinnamon.  I mixed carrots, apples, and whole grains, then sprinkled just a bit of cinnamon.   At some point I'll make a modified version of what my Munchkin, my husband and I are eating and blend that together.  You can decide what your baby is ready for.
Happy Blending!!

Happy Birthday Munchkin

Munchkin turned two last week.  The time is flying at lightening speed.  He's really into cars, trucks, and trains, pretty much anything with wheels.  Since he's only two and mommy gets to decide, I went with trains (mostly Thomas and Friends).  As soon as I decided on a train themed birthday, I started researching any and everything I could about train parties.  The result: an awesome party, that my little man loved.  Although he probably won't remember it when he is older.  All the hard work, time, and money spent was totally worth it.

The first thing on my list of things to do was make a train cake.  After days of searching the web, I stumbled on an idea for a cupcake train.  I combined a few ideas from different sites and came up with a cool cake that the birthday boy and guest loved. Last year I made him a basketball cake.  Both ideas came from parenting.com .  The directions are easy to follow, and they have lots of cool ideas.  This is my finished product.  It took way longer than I thought to actually decorate and put together.  I used graham crackers and royal icing to hold to the cupcakes.  I made my own cream cheese frosting since I don't like any of the canned varieties. Chocolate Twizzlers and crushed Oreos and more graham crackers made the track.  I finished it off with coconut flakes dyed green.

While searching for really cool train cakes I got an idea to make a cardboard train for the kids to play in.  I pieced it together with used diaper boxes (we have tons in the garage) along with leftover boxes from Christmas.  Lots of tape, glue, paint, and even some paper mache' later... I had a Thomas look alike I dubbed the Munchkin Express.  I love that the only cost was paint and red duct tape.

I decorated the party room with train signs, and a train track on the floor.  All of these ideas can be googled.  I found myself getting carried away with all of the cool things to try or even thinking I can do that better and for way less money.  This train party became my obsession.  Great for the outcome, not so great for my body.  I stayed up till 4am every night that week except one only to wake up to feed my Little Bear at 5.  

FYI - the electric tape I used left a shadowy residue on my carpet.  I had to scrub it off with my Oxy Spray (love it).

It was all totally worth it.  My little guy had such a good time at his party.  I'm already dreaming up ideas for his next party... I hope he still likes race cars next year : ).