A break in our regularly scheduled programming

So I know usually Friday's are reserved to air out all my dirty laundry,

but I'm mixing it up to link up with my favorite Pam from The Office doppelganger, Holly from Where We Can Live Like Jack and Sally.  Seriously though, Pam totally ripped off Holly's good looks.  I keep expecting Jim to pop around the corner at any given moment, but it hasn't happened yet.  Sadz.

 

Alright, so who's up for a good game of mad libs....bloggy style?  Let's do this!

 

1. People always tell me I'm skinny enough and should stop losing weight.  This usually results in a dirty look or a punch to the face.  Mind your business people.

2. In the movie based on my life, I want Ginnifer Goodwin to play me.  Not because we look anything alike, but because she's awesome.  And adorable.  And because she doesn't seem like some diva, pre-madonna media whore.

3. Typically, I end up regretting eating that entire bag of cadbury mini eggs.  Yeah....no I don't.  Those things are worth a slightly bigger ass.

4. I always ask to leave off the lights.  Because when #13 ever happens to occur, no body needs to see that shit.  Including myself.  Besides, if the lights are off I can pretend my boobs don't resemble two tennis balls in tube socks.

5. Kim and Kanye really need to stop doing photo shoots.  No body EVER needs to see Kim's O face again.  Ever.

6. My Parents always reminded me that adult only vacations are necessary for everyone's sanity.  And by everyone I mean me.  Now where's my annual trip to Mexico???  Damn unemployment.

7. Every single day I wish I had a money tree.  It may not buy happiness, but it sure as hell would be a lot more fun!  See above.  Mama needs a vacation that involves no children and lots of adult beverages.  And maybe a little bit more #13....if I let my husband come along.

8. This one time in College I got wasted and did totally awesome and ridiculous things.  Oh wait?  You said ONE time.  Yeah, that pretty much happened all the time.  College rocked my socks off. 

9. My grossest habit is not washing my hands after I pee.  Truth.

10. My latest white lie was telling the hubs I was too tired, but we'd do it tomorrow.  We all know that's not going to happen.

11. I know all the words to Mean Girls.  The best movie ever.  "That's why her hair is so big.....it's full of secrets."

12. When I grow up I want to be one of those skinny bitches who can eat whatever they want, never workout and still look amazing.  Can I be rich too?  Sure why not.  This is my fantasy.

13. Sexy time is What's sexy time?  People still do that after they have kids?  Show offs.

14. I will never, ever have a threesome.  If you haven't noticed, sexy time is rare enough around here, adding another player just sounds messy....and exhausting.  Ain't nobody got time for that shit.

15. I think it's hilarious when my son farts.  Or says sucks.  I know I shouldn't laugh, but most times it's all I can do to compose myself.

Thank god it's finally Friday!
Time to go get my weekend on!

Project MILF: 30 Day Shred {Part 1}

I've made it no secret that in the last 14 months of doing WW I've done very little working out.

And by little, I mean practically none.

This fall I started walking for 20 minutes on my lunch break clocking in just over a mile, but once the cold set in I stopped.

Other than that, I've managed to lose basically 100 pounds solely by watching what I eat.

The last time I had anything that remotely resembled a regular workout routine was before I met my husband.  In a few weeks we will have been together for seven years.

So yep.  It's basically been seven years since I seriously worked out.

Why am I telling you all this?

Because I want you to know that if I can do this....anyone can.

 

Forever ago I received the infamous 30 Day Shred DVD.

It's sat in it's original packaging ever since.

Until last week when I decided it was time.

Time to start moving.

I was finally ready.

Just like when I started this whole weight loss journey, I knew that I couldn't force myself to do it.  I had to want it bad enough to be successful.

I've reached the point now where I know I don't have much weight left to lose but I'm still not happy with the way things look.  Saggy here.  Loose skin there.  It's kind of a hot mess.  At this point, the only way to change it, is to lose inches and tone things up the old fashioned way.

So for the past 10 days, I've let Jillian Michael's kick my butt.

And this is where I post pictures of myself....in a swimsuit....for all the interwebz to see.

Shit's about to get real.

{hold me}

 I'm pretty amazed at the changes that have happened in just this first week and a half.

It may not be drastic. 

Hell it may not even be noticeable to any of you.

But I can see it.

I can already tell a difference in my clothes.

And considering last week I actually gained 0.4 pounds, I know it's isn't from a big weight drop.

{Though dammit I'm gonna be pissed if I don't hit 100 lbs lost tonight!!}

 

The first few days were tough.

I did the modified version of everything.
And even then couldn't always make it through an entire set.

I'm only using 2 lb weights.
And was still dying.

My arms felt like jello and my legs hurt for days.

But I pushed through and each day got a little easier.

By about day 6 or 7 I noticed I was doing the more advanced moves and my endurance had definitely picked up.

My muscles didn't ache for days and dare I say, I actually enjoyed it.

And looked forward to it??

Who am I??

I'm finally done with level 1 and ready to kick some ass in level 2.

Where hopefully there will be no more bicycle crunches!!

See you all in 10 more days!

The end of a {cloth diapering} era

This weekend I packed up the majority of Jamie's cloth diapers.

Other than one overnight, we've been officially diaper free for over a month!

And might I had, accident free!!

Yes folks, you heard it here first, my child is officially {daytime} potty trained!!

Our potty training journey was a {loooong} journey indeed.

Much longer than I had anticipated.

I laugh at the "three day" method.

They've obviously never met my stubborn kid.

More like "three month!"
It was right around Halloween that Jamie announced diapers were for babies and he was a big boy.
So we ran out and bought 109348932 pairs of underwear and never looked back.
He caught on to the pee part pretty quickly and I thought it was going to be a breeze!
Well the pee part was.  He pretty much trained himself.
The other part?  Well.  Let's just say it took a bit longer {and a lot of bribing} to figure out.
Months went by and I was convinced he would NEVER do his {ahem} business in the potty.

There were many a days I wanted to throw in the towel.

And believe me, if HE hadn't been the one to initiate it all in the first place, I probably would have.
But just like everything else, one day it just clicked and it's been smooth sailing ever since.

So here we are, finally at the end of the road.

And damn it feels good!

I figured now was as good as any to do one last {very quick} gratuitous cloth dipe wrap up.

I'm proud to say, especially to all those who sat there at my baby shower snickering, commenting that "it would NEVER last" and "just wait till the baby gets here," that with the exception of in the hospital and the few days we were out of town for my moms funeral services my child has been in cloth full time.  I never purchased one single disposable diaper.

In two and a half years.

Not one.

Apparently all those naysayers don't know that when I put my mind to something, I do not give up!

Sure we had our bumps in the road.  A few leaks here or there due to user error.  A few laundry mysteries to solve.  But overall?  I loved every minute of it.  Perhaps even a little obsessed with my sons fluffy butt.  Even a devout disposable user must admit they are way cuter!

Jamie spent the majority of his diapered days in a Bum Genius pocket diaper.

They're one size, so they fit from birth to potty training.

Don't believe me?  Even I was a bit skeptical how that could possibly work.

Well here he is at 1 month old and again at 2 1/2 in the same diaper.

Pretty amazing huh?

If you ever have ANY cloth diapering questions, don't hesitate to ask!
I love helping troubleshoot and have helped convert many a mom to the wonderful world of cloth.
But for now, it's time to close this chapter in our lives.
Hard to believe that for now we'll be diaper free.
And I'm going to enjoy every {laundry free} moment until there's another little fluffy bum at our house!
 

Happy HUMP Day peeps! 

Tasty Tuesday: Spinach Lasanga Rollups

This time of year I'm always looking for some new meatless recipes.

As a non seafood eater, I can only have cheese pizza so many Friday's during lent before I get bored.

So when I stumbled across this recipe on Budget Bytes via Pinterest, I was excited.

Only problem is, my husband hates lasagna.

I know??  What man hates lasagna??

My husband.

I thought I'd try these anyway, it wasn't really lasagna after all.

I'll win him over on a technicality.

Well, survey says??  Two thumbs up!  He LOVED them.

Go figure.

But I'm not complaining because they were delish!

A bit more work then a typical weeknight meal, but definitely worth it!  Enjoy!

 

Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups

what you need:

1 lb lasagna noodles (I used whole wheat)

15 oz ricotta cheese (I used part skim)

1 cup shredded mozzarella (I used part skim)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1 egg

10 oz frozen spinach, thawed

2.5 cups Marinara sauce

salt and pepper to taste

garlic (The original recipe didn't call for any, but hello it's Italian, there's gotta be some garlic!  I will add more next time)

 

what you do:

1. Boil noodles until al dente, about 12-15 minutes.  When they are finished cooking, drain in a colander.

2. While the noodles are cooking, prepare the filling.  Take thawed spinach and squeeze out as much excess water as you can.  Combine the spinach in a bowl with the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, garlic, freshly grated pepper and about 1/4 tsp salt.  Mix until well combined.

3.  When the noodles and filling are ready to go, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare a glass casserole dish by spraying with non-stick spray.

4.  On a clean surface, lay out a few noodles at a time.  Place a few tablespoons of filling on each noodle and spread to cover from edge to edge.  The filling doesn't need to be thick because once the noodle is rolled up, it will be compounded.

5.  Roll up the noodles and place in casserole dish.  Repeat until all of our filling is gone.  Pour the marinara sauce over the rolled noodles making sure to cover all surfaces.  The sauce will keep the noodles hydrated and soft while baking.

6.  Cover the dish in foil and bake for 30 minutes.

 

I was able to make 15 roll ups making each one 5PP or 2 for 10PP.  {It's important to know if you're following WW, that if you only make 14, one roll if 6 PP and 2 is 11PP.}

Bon Appetite!



The mom I want to be.

This morning was not one of my finer mom moments.

While trying to get Jamie ready and out the door he took a dive towards the dog bed.

The gross, slobbery, covered in hair, barely like to touch it to move it back to it's corner.....dog bed.

I went from 0-60 before his body even hit the pillow.

"AHHHHH! GET UP NOW!"

Had he hurt anything?  No.  Not really.  I was just pissed because now his clothes would be covered in dog hair.

So.  Freakin.  What.

He's 2.

Believe me.

His clothes are often covered in things way worse than dog hair.

But in that moment?

It ruined my world.

I let some silly dog hair sour my morning.

And I immediately didn't like it.

In fact.  Lately I don't like the mom I've become.

I'm quick to yell with the patience of, well, a two year old.

And it ain't pretty.

But I'm a work in progress.

So instead of beating myself up over the kind of mom I DON'T want to be.  I decided to come up with a list of mom things I DO want to be.

Because that sweet little cookie dough covered face deserves nothing less.

I want to be the kind of mom.....

Who always has cookies in the cookie jar.
Who doesn't care how big the mess was, as long as a good time was had.
Who can admit when they were wrong.
Who spends more quality time with her kids and less QT with her cell phone.
Who laughs more and yells less.
Who doesn't care if it takes more time to get something ready, than the actual activity itself.  Even if it only lasts 10 minutes.  It will be 10 minutes well spent.
Who lets my child color outside the lines.  Think outside the box.
Who doesn't mind if the train set isn't perfect.  Or the car tracks don't match.  That's not chaos.  It's creativity at it's best!
Who knows when to take a deep breath and walk away instead of screaming.  Sometimes moms need time outs too.
Who knows when to be a friend.  And when to be a parent.
Who lets their child try to things on their own, even if it takes 20 extra minutes to get something done.  How else will they ever learn.
Who lets their child fail.  Sometimes learning from your mistakes is the best way to learn.
Who doesn't care if they look "perfect" every time we leave the house.  You want to wear a cape 24/7?  Right on.
Who only picks battles that are worth fighting.
Who reads more and watches tv less.
Who let's their child jump on the dogs bed once in awhile. Because it's fun. And dog hair brushes off.
Who survives the terrible twos and comes out a better mom on the other side.


What kind of mom do you want to be?
Happy Monday peeps!

Friday Confessional

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I feel like everyone and their brother in the social media world thinks Chobani greek yogurt is the shit.  Well folks, I've tried them all and I'm convinced you people have never had GOOD greek yogurt.  They all taste like stinky feet.  Even the supposed kid friendly one with CHOCOLATE in it was gross.  How can you mess up chocolate???  I'll stick with my Oikos from now on thank you very much.

Jamie got a train set for Christmas, but we don't really have anywhere good to keep it setup full time so usually on the weekends we bust it out.  I've become extremely OCD that it be setup exactly the way it's shown on the box.  If even a tree or house is out of place, my inner two year old comes out.

Last week I washed our sheets.  Around 11 when we went to bed, I realized no one had ever put clean ones back on.  It was late.  We were lazy.  So we slept in the guest room.

The only person I will kiss on the lips is my husband.  That's it.  No one else.  Including my own child.  I just think it's weird.

My husband rarely goes out.  Like probably never.  So once in a blue moon if he wants to do something sans his wife and child I should be totally cool with that right?  Well the other day when he told me he was going to be home late because he was grabbing drinks with a friend I was legit mad that I'd now be stuck doing dinner and bedtime routine alone after a shitty day at work.  I'm ashamed my husband couldn't even enjoy one night out without getting a huge guilt trip from his moody wife.

Jamie loves to help feed the dog, it's become his daily "chore."  Well recently he's become more interested in taste testing the food himself.  One morning after listening to him whine about it for the millionth time I told him fine, eat the dog food.  Sure enough he did.  And I don't care.  It was one piece.

I recently started Jillian's infamous 30 day shred.  The only weights I could find were 2 pound ones which I figured wouldn't be a challenge at all.  I mean come on.  TWO pounds??  Jokes on me.  My out of shape ass is still getting her butt handed to her everyday.   2 pound weights and all.

Despite the fact that we have like 30 feet of snow on the ground with NO sign of spring, Jamie's summer wardrobe is pretty much complete.  I like to call it wishful thinking.  In reality?  It will probably be August before we see grass and he even needs those shorts.

Confessions.  They're good for the soul.
What do you need to get off your chest this week??

Snowmageddon

It's been exactly a week since we were hit with Snowmageddon part one.

Yes.  Part One.

Because approximately four days after mother nature dumped 10 inches of the white stuff on us, she decided to come back with a vengeance....and 10 more inches.

So in less than a week, we've been "blessed" with almost 2 feet of snow.

Yay. {sarcasm font}

I won't lie.  The first round had me giddy as a kid on Christmas.

I was up before anyone else in the house, glued to the tv, watching as the weatherman practically peed his pants in excitement over the storm that was coming.

We hadn't really had any snow in 2 years, so the thought of getting to hunker down inside with a hot cup of coffee and a roaring fire sounded pretty darn awesome.  I may be 31, but I still love a good snow day!

So when the snow started to fall, we settled in for the day.

And then it fell.  And fell.  And fell.

This is what happened in just an hour.

By noon it finally started to lighten up so we all bundled up and headed outside.

Jamie helped daddy "mow" the snow.

Tried to ride his car.

And his bike.

Lasting approximately 10 minutes outside before begging to go back in.

I'm pretty sure it took us longer to get him ready than he actually stayed out.

My dad said that sounded like someone else he knew as a kid.

{hint hint.  Me}

Yeah, yeah, yeah.  Karma.  She's a real bitch.

We did manage to coerce him back out later.

He wanted nothing to do with the sled.

He refused to climb the snow mountain with daddy.

All he wanted to do was mow.  Whatever makes you happy kid!

So a whole 10 minutes later, we took off all our boots and called it a day.

By Friday the magic of a snow day had worn off and we were all starting to feel major cabin fever.

By Saturday I was borderline insane.

So I loaded up the kid and went off to the mall.

A 100 escalator rides later and a visit to the Barnes and Noble train table and I was starting to feel a little human again.

Just in time for the news that part two was on it's way.

I really wanted to give mother nature the finger at this point.

But figured a thumbs down was slightly more blog appropriate.

I snapped a quick before picture of our driveway and prayed the weatherman was wrong.

This is what we woke up too.

A tree limb graveyard.

The heavy wet snow was just too much for our poor tree to handle.

I'm pretty sure a chainsaw isn't supposed to be more valuable than a snow shovel during a SNOW storm.

By now it's safe to say I'm over the snow.

Unfortunately, with a pile that high??  I'm pretty sure we won't be seeing grass until June!

If anyone sees the groundhog, let me know.

I have a few choice words I'd like to tell him.

Because this is NOT my definition of an early spring

Hmph.  Early spring my ass!