Impulse Purchase: Thanks Pinterest!!

Like this gorgeous wrap bracelet? Yeah...me too!! Not sure what I was purposelessly searching for a week or so ago but I came across this Etsy seller's shop and fell in love with this bracelet! It was immediately pinned for later...

Happened to come in $50 bucks recently, as part of teacher appreciation week, and I had it spend from the moment it was in my hands. LuckyHorn was SUPER fast and I'd highly recc this seller! LOVING the final product...see, here's mine:

Life: Post Christian Grey...

Yea yea, it goes on :-) Aside from the snide remarks, am I the only one who gets totally into the books she reads? Come on, the Hunger Games? Twilight? Hard not to!! I LOVE me a book that I seriously am attached to and look forward to any spare moment to dive in it.

50 Shades of Grey has been seriously everywhere, but I really didn't hear of it until my Book Club savvy neighber suggested it to me. Well, really is was more of "You HAVEN'T read it yet?!?" I'll prepare you, if you have no idea what it's about, but not give the story away...

Think  *ahem* fantasy-world for many of us, maybe some couples' reality, but heck to each their own. Some have described it as "mommy porn". See where I am going? I pretty much blew through all 3 books easily as it was purely reading for "enjoyment", or should I say maybe the shock value. The writing was eh, but who actually reads it for the prose!

Any other Christian Grey fans? What else should I read next???

Stinky Towels: De-Mystified!

Once upon a time, a lovely young lady received a set of towels for her bridal shower. Even though these towels served her and her new husband well, they began to eminate a not-so-fresh scent when they became wet. The lovely young lady's mother pointed out time and time again when she visited her daughter that her towels needed help, but nothing worked! She tried cleaning and sanitizing the washing machine and she even resorted back to heavily scented detergent. She tried softener, and then no softener but nothing made them fresh!!

This lovely young lady came across an idea on Pinterest that was very popular with others. This made her feel at ease, since she was not the only one with not-so-fresh towels. She followed the directions of one hot cycle with one cup of vinegar and then a second hot cycle with 1/2 cup of baking soda. After drying her towels, they were as FRESH AS NEW!! And this lovely young lady and her family lived happily ever after, clean towels and all.

:-)

Introspection

I love this word.....it means essentially to look inward, to examine oneself. Usually I do not write about these deep subjects but after my weekend, I just feel that I need to share. I'm a type A, anxious person and if you have meet me before you may or may not have come to see that. As I have grown, I have learned ways to balance myself out but sometimes when one's ways are so deeply seeded it becomes truly difficult to change. I've heard it too, "people can't change". But, the way I now think of it, one doesn't necessarily have to "change" but one can grow & evolve.

OK, you're going on a tangent Jenn....what the heck are you talking about?!? Before I start, this is a YOGA post :-) I love my yoga...so much so that I am working through my teacher certification. Its a 200 hr journey and really, it is just that: a journey. Sure, I'm learning how to teach and sequence the poses but also these trainings look at things much deeper than a physical practice. It's about living your yoga; in one's actions, in one's thoughts, in your life. This weekend was all about the brain and how one processes things. How we perceive ourselves. I was able to really look at myself and see how I listen both to what I need and just listening to others. What I do in my own life that makes me a better person and what might inhibit me. I feel a sense of calm but also a new sense of purpose. I'm going to get a journal I think, and maybe start jotting things down and even write down simple reminders to keep myself on this positive path. I'm just so excited to bring more of yoga into my life rather than just on my mat! Stay tuned!!

Yet another thumbs up recipe to try!



This little gem was one of my first pins on Pinterest and I finally gave it a shot. I needed a quick easy dessert, perfect for a quickie get together, and this seemed to fit the bill. What I like about it: Simple & inexpensive. I think the only thing I would "do-over" would to let the cool whip soften a bit more so it was more spreadable and give it more time to freeze. Did those thing make a huge difference overall? Heck no--it was delish!! Perfect spring/summer treat!!

Short follow up to last post!!

It WORKS!!!!!!! I've hated cleaning the cooking area since, well, since I've lived with my husband. Finally something that cut the grease....Try it!!

Pinterest Cleaning Tip

Not sure about your appliances, but our stove gets this horrible film on it thanks to cooking with olive oil. We also have one of those over the stove microwaves so as you can imagine, or maybe sympathize, that sucker gets greasy too. It's been a few years now that I've switched my cleaners to more eco-friendly brands such as Green Works & Method and granted I like that they're better for the environment but none of them gets that yucky grease off!

I came across this lady at Five Chicks and a Farmer, via Pinterst of course, who makes her own cleaners. While I am not that creative enough to come up with my own recipes, she has a list of her own ones tried and true!! I picked up my Lemon essential oil the other day at my local Whole Foods and am going to give this appliance de-greaser a go. Anyone ever make their own cleaners??? Wanna try this too and compare results?!



Twin Bed Success!!!

So, I took my mom's advice and replaced Evelyn's toddler bed (from the convertible crib) with her twin from the guest room. I tried to pump her up all day Saturday with a trip to Target, picking out new sheets etc. I switched our bedtime routine just a bit to reading stories in bed rather than downstairs on the couch and then we just cuddle with the lights off til she starts to drift. Granted, I still have to sneak out all Mission Impossible-like BUT there's been absolutely no tantrums at bedtime the past two nights! I'm so excited!!! As she gets more comfortable, I am going to decrease the bedtime cuddling until it's back to the way it used to be: lay her down and peacing out :-) I'm so so grateful for regaining a little bit of adult time at night back!!!

Life, in perspective

We've been going through a horrible stage. For the past 2 months, my once easy sleeper had "forgotten" how to sleep. I know, I'm lucky, but Evelyn has been a wonderful sleeper since very early on. We have no clue why, but she refuses to go down. I stick to our routine of bath, books, cuddle, bed and it worked until recently. As soon as I go to get her in bed she pops back up from her doziness and firmly states "I don't want to lay down". ::Cue screaming and tantrums when I leave the room:: NOTHING has worked so far; I've tried the reassuring role thinking it was a separation anxiety thing-nope didn't work. I ended up more tired & stressed because she would have a fit if I left the room. Recently we've tried a family memeber's advice of putting a gate up so that if she leaves her bed when I attempt to leave, she can't follow. I can't say that this has failed but I am growing weary of the crying and "I want mommy" that we hear until 10 pm (as she sits at the gate).

Here's the perspective part: Friends of ours were due to have their first baby boy in July. I happen to go on FB last nights and apparently she went into pre-mature labor and delivered this week. Two and a half pounds. Here I am complaining about my kid not sleeping but I have a healthy and happy daughter. While I am certain they will get through this and their little man will grow up and thrive, I can't help but to look at the pictures of the little guy in his incubator and have nothing less than a heavy heart. I guess what I am getting at is sometimes we all need a little reality check and this is mine. I'm going to hug my little girl as much as I can and know that whatever freakish stage we're in is so minor in the bigger picture of things. As with anything, I'll take this day by day and our friends are likely doing the same.

Weekend Fun

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday!! I loosened up and let Miss Evelyn indulge in all sorts of Easter treats, so needless to say we'll be on a candy detox the next few days :-) We had an Easter miracle last night: Evelyn went right to bed, no fighting, crying or tantrums. After almost 8 weeks of horrible bedtimes, finally something worked in our favor!!!

Make Me!

Thank you Pinterest for helping me find this delicious recipe for Panera's Thai Chopped Chicken Salad.
Mommie Cooks came up with her fatanbulous version and not only was it quick and easy, I didn't have to go out and buy all sorts of crazy ingredients. Only thing I couldn't find was the Thai cashews so I subbed regular peanuts that we happened to have from a Pad Thai recipe I tried and was still yummmmmy! Try it, you'll like it I swear :-)



Hello Mrs. Slacker Pants

Whoa what a whirlwind of a week (or two)!! We've been so lucky to have my mom visiting us from Florida that my attention has turned away from my blog but have no fear I am back. Let's see, what has happened in the past week....well my poor little babe had her first set of stitches :-( I swear she's not the most delicate flower in the bunch. After just recovering from the school playground mishap, she somehow cuts her lip (I think on the coffee table) this past Friday and because of the location, needed sutures. Sure it was a small cut, but I know that any facial laceration should be repaired because of the chance of scarring (how do I know? I work in sports medicine, silly!). If we didn't get it evaluated, I could just see her at 18 cursing me for not fixing it and leaving her with a Tina Fey scar. She handled it like a champ and they come out tomorrow. So, here she is, two little stitches and all:

Pinterest Tuesday is back!!

I went back to work last week, after having a lovely 2 weeks off, and my blogging has certainly been lagging! That plus the arrival of my mom from Florida has kept me occupied but here I am this week ready to get down to business...I pinned this recipe myself from the Food Network and we made it this past Sunday with our neighbors; it was SO YUMMY!!! Jenn's rating: two thumb's up!

Best part of this pasta recipe? Minimal ingredients that we basically have in the house most of the time and it was quick!! Enjoy!



Oh Hey :-)

I'm still here guys! Back to work this week after a 2 week vacation, plus my mom is arriving from Florida today! I'll be back to my reg scheduled blogging soon, but just wanted to let you know I haven't forgotten you :-) Have a great week!

Time-Out Thursday, ahem Friday

Well, I got lazy yesterday and didn't blog but with good reason. I was an errand running nut, trying to get a bunch of stuff done before the dreaded return to work on Monday. This week has been great for mommy time and this weekend will be pretty darn good too. I took two pretty challenging vinyasa yoga classes this week with a fabulous teacher; those kind of classes really help clear my head and re-center me. Re-centered Jenn=happy, patient mama. So, Ive been a good girl in the "making time for me" dept.

This weekend has been something I've planned for the hubbs since January and he's really looking forward to it. We love our beer in this household, so much so that my husband began brewing his own from scratch a few years ago. There's one particular brewery/brewer that has always caught his attention so for his 30th birthday I planned a road trip down to Delaware to visit it. We're heading down to Dogfish Head Brewery with another couple for the day then slowly working our way back home to return on Sunday. Little adult weekend away should be good for an uber busy working married couple!!

Bathroom BEFORE & AFTER PICS!

Old: 50's style subway tile on the walls (I'm considered lucky, I've learned, on my street. Mine was cream with cranberry accents but I've heard many other have pink & black!) and mosaic tile on the floor. Hard to see everything since its a small bathroom, but above the wall tile, it was painted cranberry. No counter space on the vanity. Kinda dark and blah...

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

AFTER:

 Bright & welcoming! Large 12x12, lighter floor tile, beaded board 1/2 way up the wall and Benjamin Moore's Beach Glass paint on the wall. Smaller, matching tile on the wall above the tub-you can kinda see it above the curtain. To top it off, the new shower head was pretty awesome too. Wish the pics did it justice, but I LOVE it :-) The guys did an amazing job.

I haven't finished all the last touches, like the wall behind the toilet but it's a good pic of the colors. Fabulous, updated potty with a slow close lid (arguably one of my fav features) and new light/fan that throws of heat if we'd like. Super fantastic for winter. Evelyn was the lucky one to be the first to test this guy out this morning :-)

Tuesday Pinterest Review!!

Here I go again, doing the dirty work for you all :-) So I tested this pulled pork recipe from Tyler Florence

I try to pull at least one new recipe a week to try to break up monotony and one of the key factors in selecting them is amount of things I need to buy to make it. If I have to go out and spend and extra 30 bucks just to make one recipe on top of what I normally have to buy then it's not worth it. We had all the spices so we really only had to buy the pork, rolls & coleslaw--good choice in my book. Pretty simple to make; dry rub goes on the pork butt and can sit in the fridge overnight and sauce was pretty basic too. Here's the final judgement: Would we make it again? Yes, it gets our stamp of approval :-)

Have a great week!

Monday Update: The Painting Commences!

Phew, I'm not gonna lie I can't wait to have my own bathroom back :-) Anyone who's been through a major renovation like a bathroom or kitchen knows what I am talking about! Thankfully the guys working on it have been great and things look fantastic so far. Seems as though all the big stuff is done; today is priming & painting and hopefully the wainscotting aka beaded board. Once this is done hopefully the toilet can go in, giving us two potties again haha! Can't wait to show before and after pics...soon enough!!

So excited about this afternoon: I snagged an awesome deal on Travelzoo a few months back for MIL & I at the casino day spa. I get to look forward to a 50 min massage, body polish & hair/scalp treatment. I'm bursting with excitement, as you might be able to tell!

Have a great week!

Time Out Thursday!

Theme of this week's "Time Out" is not exercise based!! M & I had a little date night last night in town, enjoying some yummy mexican food  & margaritas. This kind of time is so so so necessary and we've been  incredibly neglectful of our relationship for most of this winter sports season. It should never be an excuse, but the late hours of my job and huge commitment of M being a head coach really weighs heavily on us. Everytime winter rolls around, we switch from being husband & wife to roommates-seriously. We're so busy trying to be here, there, meetings, who's picking up Evelyn, who's feeding Evelyn etc etc that I know that personally I lose sight of the big picture. M loves coaching and I enjoy my job, so I guess we can't really change that but what we do need to do is make sure we find time for nights like last night: Two adults enjoying some frosty beverages and adult conversation. It was good to get out of the house and just "do us".  I wanted to take a pic of our fabulous margs to post here but I didn't wanna be the weird girl sitting at the bar taking odd pics of her drink :-) but it certainly was yummy.

What do you do to make sure your relationships/marriage stay solid??

Going into Day Three!

Yesterday was pretty exciting--our tub/shower was installed! They were able to rip out our old floor, insulate around the walls of the tub and do some electrical & plumbing work. It's so cool going from complete gut yesterday to signs of life by the end of the day :-) Today will bring sheet rock and taping-- yay for walls! I know pretty much zilch about construction and all that good stuff but it's pretty neat to see the bare bones of things and how stuff is build from there up. Here's the latest pic this morning:

Ta-da!! Pinterest Tuesday is here!!

Ok so I picked a popular pin to try out; almost every mom I follow on Pinterest had this one pinned so I figured it'd be a good one. French toast, who doesn't like it? Heck I STILL love it :-) Once a Month Mom suggested this recipe to make a ton and freeze. This is her pic:

I opted to bake my own bread with this recipe, adding a few tweaks. If you've ever thought of making your own whole wheat loaf, this recipe rocks! Tried and true by yours truly.

Ok anywho, the recipe is awesome and I love how it sneaks in veggies for my uber sneaky eater. Even M & I have eaten it for breakfast!! Here's proof positive:

Wanna Experience My Bathroom Reno With Me?

Come on, you know you want to :-) Ok, if you've been following me from the start of this "problem" you know that pretty much, in a nutshell, our Re-Bath that was pre-existing in our home when we purchased failed. My message home: NEVER EVER PUT IN A BATH LINER aka Bath Fitter or Re-Bath. Seems so simple...one day and you have a new bathroom? You're right-too good to be true.

Part of me wanted to see what it looked like when they pulled the liner off of the original tub today, but our "renovation team" assured me that I should be glad I didn't. I was pretty gross and the standing water beneath the two layer STUNK! Ew Ew Ewwwww. Moving on. Here's a before pic (note, only one pic since our one full bathroom is small and doesn't allow for many angles). I should have took a better shot but above the white wall tiles the walls are cranberry. One of the few rooms we didn't do anything with when we moved it because there weren't many options:

After day one's demolition:

Stay Tuned......

Q T with my best gal

Wrestling season always seems to bring me to the question, am I really married? This is a joke :-) But thankfully we're almost done with this long sports season. This weekend M is out of state, taking 2 of his wrestlers to compete in the New England Tournement--pretty big deal in these parts :-) We're talking the best in the areas states and the guys have to qualify to get in. With dad since Friday morning and not returning until tomorrow me and Evelyn have been enjoying our mommy & daughter time. Yesterday when I picked her up from "school" and came home, things were a little iffy (everything I did brought on the water works from her) but dramatically improved this morning!

Had a great breakfast together, I cleaned and vacuumed while she played ** high five myself for not relying on the TV here** then we had lunch and painted our toes :-) She's gonna be a girly girl, I can just tell.

Then we took some cheesy pics on my phone to send to daddy...

We joined all the 5 bazillion other people at the mall and shopped a bit then my partner in crime crashed in the car on the drive home. So, here I am blogging away in my few moments of quiet time. Have a good weekend!

Time-Out Thursday!!

I was a good girl yesterday **high five myself**. I ran on the treadmill!! Prob more so due to the fact that I was out of work early as a result of snow but hey, it allowed me some time for me :-) I'm not gonna lie, it felt pretty good to get a little sweat going since I've been seriously slacking on my exercise lately. I knew that I'd prob be sore the next day, so I followed up with some restorative yoga in my daughter's playroom.

Ok, so there was no meditating or Om-ing, but it got the job done. When's the last time you had a physical while doing your down dog?? Love that kid :-) Maybe she'll take after me and work in healthcare...

I'm gonna get more consistent...I'm gonna get more consistent!!

Woot Woot! Pinterest Tuesday!

Yay, my fav time of week-talking about Pinterest :-) So if you're apart of this website you know how addicting it is...I've made so many things both food and cleaning related that it's so hard to choose which to feature! This week I chose Slow Cooker Lime Cilantro Chicken from Pip & Ebby mainly because I have had it put aside in my "to make" pile of recipes and finally got around to it.

I haven't all positive results when doing chicken in a crock pot; maybe it's just me but I find that it usually dries out. This recipes gets my stamp of approval! I did tweak it just a bit, only cooking for 5 hours on low rather than 6 and it came out perfect. I used chicken breast and it literally fell apart and spices were delish. Honestly, you can use your imagination on how to use the chicken; maybe over rice or as chicken tacos but I opted to make tostadas on corn tortillas.

I saw that a lot of my pinterest friends had pinned this recipes so thumbs up guys, this recipe is a definite make. Happy Tuesday!!

Munchkin Monday

My one post per week dedicating to schmoozing over my kid :-) We've had a lot of "mommy and me" time the past few weekends because of M's crazy coaching schedule but it's been great. I get a lot of mommy guilt because of late work hours but we've certainly made up for it. At  2 yrs old she has such a personality and LOVE it. Yeah yeah, you hear about terrible twos but I don't know if I'm buying into it. To me, these kiddos at this age are just struggling to adjust to the world around them. They have new found independence, maybe with the potty or with speech and they just need figure things out. We're doing well though, at least I think. I get those "oh the terrible two phase" comments when I tell people her age but I think it's overrated. With some patience, and beer when the little ones go to bed, both the kids & parents get through it and grow together.

Her speech amazes me everyday. My students at school ask me if she talks and I just have to laugh! The kid talks non-stop and maybe I'm just used to it by now but she narrates everything. She keeps me busy, that's for sure! What did I ever do with my time before she arrived?!?

Time Out Thursday

Boy do I need one!! Finally got to a yoga class earlier this week and by the way things are looking with my bathroom situation (see earlier post) I may need a heck of a lot more. I have such mom guilt about setting time aside to go to a class; I'm so limited when I can go because of my work schedule that I can go only in the mornings. I LOVE to exercise in the am compared to later in the day but this means I need to drop E off at "school" earlier. Older, experienced mom's may say "...come on Jenn get over it, it's just and hour or so earlier" but honestly, I feel bad! I swore before having a baby that I would never give up on my healthy habits and unfortunately during the school year, my time to exercise is the first to go. I am seriously making myself go tomorrow morning to use up my Living Social deal I purchased earlier in the month for a new different studio.
How are other moms making time for exercise--please share your ideas & strategies :-) or swift kick in the ass, whichever...

Yay!! Pinterest Tuesday!!

Geesh, it's only my second Pinterst Tuesday and I am uber psyched! I'll be reviewing two pins today; one recipe and one exfoliator for the face. Let's go!!
Recipe: Cool Rise Challah Bread from Food52

Awesome recipe blog I'll add, but this recipe was spot on! I've developed this new found desire to be Suzy Homemaker and bake my own breads and if you're a french toast fan you know that this braided beauty is one of the best loaves to make it from! This was my second time using this recipe and it came out AWESOME!! Here's my finished product:

Then I made some yummy french toast with it the morning after. Def recommended!!

Skin Care Review: DIY Facial Exfoliator from Henry Happened

Alrighty, so this blogger linked up to another blogger with this recipe. It's SO stinkin' simple: She calls for 1 tsp of baking soda and mix with your normal cleaner. Voila! Instant exfoliator! I make a subtle variation and used 1/2tsp and mixed it with my Cetaphil. I am REALLY nervous about trying new things on my face because I've had craptastic skin for pretty much forever BUT I LOVED THIS IDEA!!! No irritation and my face was smooth as a baby's butt. I'll def be adding this to my regimen and I highly recc you do too! Simple & cheap!!

Enjoy!

Do things come in 3's??

Ya know, when it rains it pours. If you own your home you know that when things tend to break, it's never just one thing or an easy fix and I swear our house got the memo the we just got our tax return. Ok granted our house was build in 1940, so for 70+ years old she's doin' pretty well but COME ON!

It started with our bathtub--when we moved in almost 4 years ago, our one full bath had on of those Re-Bath thingies that covers the old bathtub. Obviously we have no clue what the original tub looks like. Well there's a squishy, bubble type feel when you step in. Hmmm that can't be good. I noticed a really small bubble maybe a year or so ago but this has definitely grown. Well, I listened to my mom and you tubed what the problem might be. BAD IDEA. I guess over time water begins to leak into between the old tub and new tub because the seal isn't always perfect. Over time, that "squishy" feeling appears and mold can grow. EWWW! Let's be clear, I'm a type A neat freak, so it appears to be fine on the outside but my mind is running on what's going on under that liner. I could totally be overreacting but I want that thing out pronto!! So what does a person do? We have one full bathroom so a complete re-no is out of the question now, not only for the complexity of the project but heck who has 10 g's to drop with little notice? Not us. Replace the liner? Well wouldn't that just be doing the same thing and we'll have the same problem down the road. Last option is to rip out the liner and re-glaze or re-finish the original tub. I'm kinda leaning towards this, but I have yet to speak to the one company in the area that does it. Does anyone have any experience with any of the above??

Next problem: Yesterday our microwave died. Really, REALLY? I guess one doesn't realize how much a microwave is used til you don't have one. Seriously, how am I going to heat up water for my hot chocolate? :-) Ok lame, just kidding. Fortunately that was an easy fix; Evelyn and I took to Sears, after I did my research online of course, and purchased a new Kenmore over the stove microwave. Ok, I'm a little excited about this purchase cuz let's face it who doesn't like to update. I remember the times when Jager Bombs were excited and listen to me, I'm swooning over a new microwave. Lame-o. Eh well I guess comes with the territory of maturity.

Happy Friday :-)

Hope you all have more exciting plans than I do!! I am a coaching widow. A what, you ask? A wife who lose's her husband a few months out of the year when he coaches a team. Thankfully we've reached the tail end of this winter season however the next weeks are the absolute pits!!!

Two day tournaments for the next 3 weekends plus, since my husband really likes to fill his plate, Sundays for a whole different set of kids tournaments. Inhale. Exhale.

Almost done....almost done.

Dazzle me please with your more exciting weekend plans please!!

Time-out Thursdays

Let's face it, whether you have children or not or work or stay at home we ALL need breaks here and there. Hopefully we can find our outlets, be it exercise or crafting or what have you but it's so very important to not lose sight of one's self. Once I had my daughter in 2009, I knew I would need something to help keep my anxiety in check and maintain my energy--that's when my neighbor suggested yoga. She had been practicing for years and raved about it so I said hey, I'll give it a shot. I started with a 6 week Introduction to Yoga series at a local studio and was HOOKED!! I couldn't wait to start taking "real" classes. If you've BFed before you can appreciate what it's like to try and exercise with milk filled boobs, let alone perform poses that require said BFing mom to lay on her belly. I survived though, and the former "gym-rat" converted to become a yogini.

Two years and counting I have never looked back. I have had absolutely amazing teachers, that I won't lie, I have had not so nice thoughts about when they called for yet another vinyasa BUT at the end of the class the sweet serenity is SO worth it.

So how have I been doing this week, in making time for myself? ::big thumbs down:: Eh, not so great. It's Thursday and I haven't made it to class once but thankfully I have a little yoga group I started at work that meets Thursday nights; I'll sneak in a little sweat and opening then.

What's your time-out strategy?

Will you help me make friends??

Pretty please?? As I try to grow my little corner of the web, I think I need a little help from fellow bloggers :-) Mind giving me a little shout out one of these days?? Thanks buddies!!!

Welcome to Pinterest Tuesdays!!

If you haven't heard of Pinterest yet, you seriously have been living under a rock :-) Thanks to facebook, it seems as though everyone is jumping on the bandwagon, and for good reason! Who doesn't love useless hours of searching for random things that one needs or doesn't need? Who doesn't love snagging crafty ideas from crafty people?? As a self proclaimed non crafter, I.stinkin.love.this.site. I've decided to take ideas from Pinterest and actually put them to use, instead of just going on a pinning marathon. I have tested and will test ideas, crafts, recipes you name it and give the thumbs up or thumbs down. In honor of Valentine's day, my review is two fold: a hairstyle for my little valentine as well as a treat for her class's party today. Read on :-)

This pic unfortunately does not have a source, as it was just uploaded "user" but if this is your kid please let me know and I'll totally give you credit!! I broke it down into steps to show you how it's done:

Step 1: I always wet her hair with a spray bottle then style. Make the pig tails a bit higher to allow space for the heart below the elastic.

Step 2: Topsy Tail it!! Remember this back in the 90's?? BUT your tucking the hair UNDER so it comes out the top rather than over the top and the hair ends up under

Step 3: Now that the hair is coming out the top, split it in half and twist. Secure each twist below original elastic. Voila!!! LOVE THIS!!!! Kudos to the one who came up with it!


PART TWO of my review :-)

Ok, for E's valentine's day party I took this idea from A Turtle's Life For Me and adapted for V day. Great Halloween idea, Natalie!!

Here's my rendition, clearly not as awesome but hey I tried:

Materials: Clear plasticware

Googly eyes  Black Sharpie

Strawberry Yogurt (I used Trader Joe's)

Crumbled up Oreo's

So yeah, I can definitely work on this, as the eyes are too high and maybe more yogurt but overall super idea and I am sure the kids will love it! Enjoy!!

Hello!!

Welcome to you newbies and welcome back to old friends!! I've decided to close the door on my old blog, which I've lovingly tended to for 3+ years and start fresh. Life is ever evolving, and with that requires change at times SO here I am starting new.

So what can you expect to read about? Sure, of course I'll write about my kid! What proud mom doesn't?? I'll have weekly Pinterest reviews and ramblings of ways to stay sane.

Happy Blogging!
Jenn