3 Months

Our little Donut is three months old today! He's growing well, sleeping even better {generally 8:30 p.m. - 5:00 a.m.}, and is just an all-around good baby. He's been spending a lot of time sticking out his tongue and attempting to roll over, but so far he's only managed to master the belly rock.

Happy Three Months Owen! We love you!

Still scowling!

Do you ever feel like your life is in fast forward and you can't stop it? I sure do!

Undercover Mama Winner!

Danielle! Congrats! I have sent you an e-mail with details on how to claim your prize. I know you're going to love it!

Thanks to random.org for choosing the winner.


Stay tuned for future giveaways! :)

Christmas Lists

My Christmas list this year seems pretty typical, even if it does get a little ridiculous near the end:

Knife set
Cutting boards
Paring knives
Fashion scarves
DSLR Camera
Table Saw
Not the traditional, fancy wood shop kind. This one. Now there's a conversation starter and a reason to bake a ton of cakes! Want!

Photo booth

If I could re-do my wedding festivities, I would totally have a photo booth. I'd seen them around the blogosphere for special events but never anticipated seeing one at any event I would go to {apparently, I think my parties aren't as cool as those other parties!}. Well, what do you know - our friends had one at their wedding this weekend. What was especially sweet was that it printed two sets of our photos. One for us to keep, and the other went straight into a scrap book for us to personalize for the newlyweds. How sweet!

Hug me pillow

Ok. This is seriously a Black Friday Deal at Overstock {I found it purely by accident!}. It has a rating of 4.7/5 from 100 reviews! I read some of the reviews, and I guess it really is a great pillow, but don't you think it looks a little creepy? Tell me in the poll to the right: Creepy, cool, or both?


Did you get any good Black Friday deals?

Thursday Deals - 11/25/10

Happy Thanksgiving! Are you going shopping on Black Friday? What about Cyber Monday? I'm staying away from the stores tomorrow, but hoping to scope out a deal or two on Monday!

1. Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a FREE Undercover Mama here. What's a better deal than a possible FREE shirt?

2. Get a FREE sample of Starbucks Natural Fusions coffee here.

3. FREE sample of Vaseline Intensive Rescue Lotion here.

4. FREE item with any $10 purchase at Bath and Body Works {up to $13 value} with this coupon or online with coupon code FREE4U. Expires 12/24/10.

5. Gifts to Grow points! Get 10 more with code GIVETHANKS10PTS and 5 more with code NOVEMBERTHANKS5.

6. FREE Purina One SmartBlend dog or cat food sample here - this one's from Target. The last one I posted was from Wal-mart. Sophie is LOOOVING all of the free dog foods and treats that keep arriving at our door! :)

7. I already own Beauty and the Beast from the first time it was released on DVD, but if you don't own it, and you're going to go out and buy it, make sure you take these coupons with buy it for around $10: $10 off one DVD combo or blue-ray Beauty and the Beast; $5 off Target movie coupon - find it under the electronics tab!} If you're feeling really ambitious, you could use this $5 off Beauty and the Beast rebate when you purchase 3 Campbell's products combined with this $5 off Beauty and the Beast Western Bagel rebate to make your movie FREE or nearly FREE after rebates.

8. If you live by a CVS Minute Clinic - print this coupon and go get your FREE pack of sanitizing wipes!

Happy Thanksgiving

Our littlest member sending you the warmest Thanksgiving wishes:



Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday!

{CLOSED} Giveaway - Undercover Mama!

The ladies over at Undercover Mama have so graciously offered to give one of my readers a FREE Undercover Mama! For those of you that missed my "must needs" for a new mommy post, I'm a huge fan of these shirts. They hook right onto your bra to turn all of your shirts into nursing shirts. Talk about a great way to save yourself some $$! Especially since your average nursing shirt is around $30-40. They are available in four different colors and are a perfect gift for new mamas, mamas to be {I think this would even work nicely as a maternity cami because there's enough length to it!}, been-there-done-that mamas, or even your regular girl wanting a simple, no hassle camisole. Christmas is coming up! So, treat yourself or someone you know!


I cannot say enough about my Undercover Mamas. I've been wearing them pretty much every day since I purchased them. They are beautiful. They give me confidence when I have to nurse in public because I don't feel like all of my skin is hanging out. I don't feel like I need to wear a cardigan or something to help cover that skin, and my Undercover Mamas keep me warm as the temperature drops. I wish I had discovered these as a first-time mom with Isaac. Developing a nursing relationship is hard enough as it is. It would have saved me a lot of time to have one of these rather than trying to learn to keep a blanket over the baby's head and around my torso. I would have been a lot warmer through the winter too! I love mine so much, I'll probably wear them with my regular bras even when I'm finished nursing Owen.

Here's a shot of my Undercover Mama in {posed} action {Jennifer, I know, Sophie is such a freak!}.


Now that I've told you just how great they are, here's the nitty gritty details: This giveaway will close on Monday, Nov. 29, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. CST. I {ahem...random.org} will randomly select a winner, who will be announced here on Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010. I'll also send the winner an e-mail with details on how to claim your prize, so make sure you include an e-mail address in at least one entry so that I can reach you. There are four ways for you to enter {you can do all four for FOUR chances to win!} but you must leave a separate comment for each:

1. Leave a comment telling me why you want an Undercover Mama, or who you want to win one for.

2. Like Undercover Mama on Facebook {here} and leave a compliment on their wall!

3. Follow Undercover Mama on Twitter {here} and tweet them. :)

4. Follow my blog and leave a comment letting me know that you are a follower!

Super excited about this! Good luck readers!

Layered Pumpkin Loaf

This was a yummy little snack {pretty decent nutritionally too!}. It reminded me of a less-sweet version of the traditional pumpkin bars. The only thing I'd do differently next time is to make sure that I bake it a little longer. The center of the loaf {you can see in the pic} was clearly not baked. Then again, when the timer beeped, I let Blake check it since I was feeding our littlest member his dinner. He's sort of an amateur baker. The loaf came out a bit too soon. But, at least he tried!

The husband rating: No grade. Instead he said, "I'd rather have a real pumpkin bar." Nice.

My mom, however, thought it was very delicious and even asked for the recipe.


Layered Pumpkin Loaf

1 cup canned pumpkin {I actually used a whole can for more pumpkin flavor}

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar, divided

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

4 egg whites, divided

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup canola oil

2 cups flour

2-1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp. salt

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Neufchatel Cheese, softened

HEAT oven to 350ºF.

MIX pumpkin, 1 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, 3 egg whites, milk and oil in large bowl. Add flour, baking powder, spice and salt; stir just until moistened. Beat Neufchatel cheese, remaining granulated sugar and remaining egg white with whisk until well blended.

SPOON half of pumpkin batter into greased 9x5-inch nonstick loaf pan; cover with layers of Neufchatel mixture and remaining pumpkin batter.

BAKE 1 hour to 1 hour 5 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Loosen bread from sides of pan; cool in pan 10 min. Remove bread from pan to wire rack; cool completely.

Small kitchen

I'm still adjusting to a smaller kitchen. I always feel like my counters are completely cluttered {worse than in my other kitchen: mail, recycling, dirty non-dishwasherable dishes, clean dishes set out to dry, wire microwave oven rack that I don't use.....blah!} and I hate that I have to crawl into the back of my cabinets. Oh, and that corner cabinet between the stove and dishwasher? It doesn't even open all the way because of the way the kitchen is organized, which makes storing things in the back of that one a complete pain! I really need something to organize it all, or some sort of system that would help me keep it decluttered with two little kids around. I still want this grass drying rack, so at least then I'd have a place for the clean drying dishes {that are hiding on that towel behind the milk jugs!}.

Here's a picture of the mess, and a paring knife at the edge of the counter that Isaac could reach {gasp!}, and a cute baby in a Bumbo chair on the counter {gasp!}, and a toddler attempting to pull that baby off of the counter {gasp!}. Any other hazards you see?


P.S. Totally unrelated to this post, but all signs are pointing to my very first blog giveaway soon! Still ironing out the details, but I'm sooooo excited about it! :)

Question of the day

Isaac just asked me the best question!

"Mommy, what is echolocation mean?"

It was so cute. Say it in his robot voice. Ha!

Thursday Deals 11/18/10

1. FREE sample of Aleve caplets here.

2. Print this $1/1 Scott's toilet paper or paper towels, then go buy a 4-pack of tp or a single roll of paper towels, use the coupon, and score them FREE or super cheap! :)

3. Get a FREE 4x5 Flipbook from Snapfish with ANY purchase {that means, you could get this by simply ordering one print for $0.09} using code MERRY1116. You'll have to pay shipping. This offer expires 11/19, so hurry!

4. Head on over to your local Starbucks Nov. 18-21 for buy one, get one Holiday drinks from 2 - 5 p.m.

5. Try a free sample of a new all-purpose cleaner, Mist-8 here.

6. FREE sample of o.b. tampons here.

7. Bath and Body works has a coupon for a FREE signature collection item with any purchase. Print yours here.

8. FREE download from People mag and iTunes of Christmas Music by various country artists, including the likes of Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, and Joe Nichols.

9. Want to get a bunch of FREE Nestle Tollhouse cookie dough at Target? Print this $1/1 coupon. Head to Target, purchase one Nestle cookie dough {$1.96}, pay $0.96 for the first one, a coupon will print at the register for $1 off Nestle Tollhouse cookie dough. Repeat with the printable, and use your Target printable from your previous purchase. Bam! Free cookie dough! :) Repeat, repeat, repeat!

10. FREE Dingo Jerky Chews for your dog, here. Take a picture, submit it, tell your story, and get your free sample!

Cool or creepy?

I got this prompt in my gmail today after attempting to send a message {which was supposed to have an attachment}.


My first thought was, "Uh....what? Oh, that's kind of cool for it to remind me to attach my attachments." And then I thought, "That's kind of creepy that it knew my message should have an attachment."

What do you think? Have you seen that prompt before? Vote in the poll to your right!

New Adventures

Starting December 1, I will be mostly a stay-at-home-mom to my two little hooligans. I'm excited about it, but it's really bittersweet. I really didn't want to leave my job. But, after a bunch of failed efforts to find a decent middle ground with my new boss, I submitted my resignation because I honestly felt, as long as I was having kids and they weren't in school, that there was absolutely no way I could meet his new expectations for my position. I'll be helping them out a little bit until they can find a replacement for me, I still have my part-time job elsewhere, and I'll be spending a day at Blake's office to help with some PR/Marketing stuff, so at least I'll have a day or two out of the house. :)

After much struggling and spending most of my maternity leave fairly distraught, I've really made peace with my decision. Five years from now, I know I won't regret being able to be with my boys.

Besides, who wouldn't want to hang out with these two cuties {sitting in my Paternal Grandfather's old chair. *Tear*}?

Don't we look like we're having so much fun watching Sesame Street videos on YouTube? :)

Weeee!!

I read this article on the new world's fastest roller coaster, and then I took a "ride." It was nice to get a little of an amusement park fix - I haven't been on a roller coaster since 2006!

It reaches its top speed of 150 mph in 4 seconds, and if you ever go to Abu Dhabi to ride it, you'll have to wear safety goggles. Isaac enjoyed the "ride" too. Hop on - I recommend full screen!

Cardigan Update

Dear Naysayers,

Blake is so thankful to you. The votes were close, but the orange cardigan with wings is on its way back to where it came from. I'm not making any more deals with my husband!

Thursday Deals - 11/11/10

1. Download 14 FREE Christmas Karaoke songs here.

2. FREE sample of Parent's Choice Infant Formula here.

3. Nov. 11-14, get 30% off your purchase at Gap brand stores with this coupon. 5% of your purchase will benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. {Thanks Jen!}

4. Get a FREE holiday shipping kit from the United States Postal Service here. It includes one of each size box, address labels and more. Sweet!

5. The Children's Place is having their $10 sale. Plus, get 15% off when you use code G4C2010. {Expires 11/15}

6. FREE Avery Shipping labels here!

7. Earn 10 FREE Gifts to Grow points by playing the EcoNursery game. They'll give you a code at the end.

8. Ladies: Free sample of Stayfree Thermo Control here.

9. FREE sample of Dove Ultimate Clear deoderant here. {You are taken to the page via Google Translate since the offer is from Univision, it was in Spanish.}

10. FREE 2011 Calendar from Oriental Trading Company here.

11. I have a one-time use code to Overstock that someone can use if they want. It's $15 off a $100 purchase {Expires 3/30/2011} using promo code 149418.

Sicilian Pepperoni Rolls

One morning, I asked Isaac what he wanted for lunch. He responded, "Pizza roll-ups!" He had never had pizza roll-ups before, and I had never really talked about them, but since he requested it, I started thinking of ways to make a pizza roll-up. Then, I remembered the Old Chicago {the restaurant!} classic, Sicilian Pepperoni Rolls! I found a knock-off recipe and got to work. They were SO good, that we had them twice in one week.

The husband rating? A+ {That's waaaay better than the D he gave my butternut squash pasta bowl, AND he thought my rolls tasted better than the ones at the restaurant! Say what?!}.


I diced the pepperoni, and mixed all of the insides together first. I figured it would be a more even mix then. I didn't measure out the amounts of cheese, just sort of eyeballed it. Also, I'm going to make them with turkey pepperoni next time so that they're a bit healthier!


Sicilian Pepperoni Rolls

- Pizza dough - enough for 1 pizza {I used the Betty Crocker kind where you add 1/2 c. hot water. The only one the original poster doesn't recommend is the Pillsbury kind that comes in a tube.}

- 1 package pepperoni

- 1 cup shredded mozz cheese

- 1 cup (or a few slices) Pepper Jack cheese

- 6 green onions, sliced

- Caesar or Ranch salad dressing, the supposed "magic" ingredient {I used Ranch!}

- Your favorite marinera sauce for dipping

Mix the dough according to the directions, roll it out into a thin rectangle and slice it into 6-8" long strips. Top each strip with pepperoni, cheese, green onions, and a fairly generous amount of Caesar or Ranch dressing {I didn't use a "generous amount" just spread a thin layer on each strip}. Roll the strips from end to end like a cinnamon roll - whichever side ends up flatter will be used as the "bottom". Place a pepperoni on the bottom and put the roll on a greased cookie sheet or baking pan. Bake for 18-20 min at 425 (or until dough is golden brown).

Wee

I had another post planned, but then Isaac peed, for the first time, in his little toilet tonight, so now I'm distracted! I can't believe how excited, and proud, I am about it!

Ah, potty-training. Not sure if he's 100% ready because he'll only sit on the pot at night, but we're definitely going to keep encouraging him throughout the day!

Middle C

Since Isaac was a baby, I've been sitting down with him at the piano. I'm so proud. He just turned 2, and he can find middle C on the piano. Maybe in a year, he'll be playing scales. Here's proof of his piano smarts:

The most useful things

I can't believe we're almost 10 weeks into being a family of four {and a dog!}. So, in honor of 10 weeks together, a list of the top 10 things that have really helped me out {outside of the usual baby swing, bouncy seat stuff}- perfect for new mommies, moms-to-be, and been-there-done-that moms:

1. My parents and Blake. Really, having the necessary support system is the absolute best, which is the reason for being #1. Blake tries to let me catch a few z's whenever possible, and my parents are always happy to step in last minute to watch the boys if I have to run out to play a funeral, have a meeting, whatever.

2. PBS Kids. Namely, their great morning shows - Curious George, The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That, Super Why, Sesame Street, Word World. Their morning lineup keeps Isaac pretty entertained, no matter what time we tune in. We almost never catch all of those shows in one morning, but they can distract him for 20-30 minutes while I try to get a few other things done.

3. A good nursing cover. Perfect for nursing in public, nursing at home, and keeping the girls {and the eating baby} hidden. I have an Udder Cover {actually, I have 2!}. You can score a free one {just pay shipping} by using code NEWBABY.

4. My Ergo carrier. I'll pop Owen in it and run around/play with Isaac, make lunch/dinner, all while he contently looks around or sleeps. One day, I even weeded my gardens with him in it, while Isaac dug in the dirt. Sweet! I also have a Peanut Shell sling that worked nicely for the first few weeks, but Owen isn't a huge fan of the "cuddly" style. So I prefer the Ergo with him!

5. Our double stroller! I never thought I wanted one. I honestly thought I would always just use the Ergo or Sling and just push Isaac in the stroller we already owned when necessary. Isaac loves to walk/run, but when we actually take walks or on long shopping trips, he eventually tires and wants to be carried. So, I took the plunge {our only baby purchase this time around!}, and I couldn't be happier. So easy to walk both boys on my own, take them shopping on my own. Talk about feeling like I just conquered the world! Thank you stroller!

6. My breast pump. Thank you Medela!

7. Colic Calm. We discovered this gripe water when Isaac was around 3 months old, and we were at our wits end listening to him cry and watching him writhe in pain while he tried to pass gas. I eventually also cut dairy out of my diet with him, but this helped him soooo much. Plus, it's homeopathic, so you know it's gentle on their tummies. We've used it with Owen this time around {though he is no where near as bad as Isaac used to be!}, and within a matter minutes, he's calm and farting up a storm. Total lifesaver!

8. Nursing moms, please do yourself a HUGE favor and invest in an Undercover Mama or two or three. They are amazing. It allows you to turn every one of your shirts into a nursing shirt. You don't have to spend any money on the special-made nursing shirts, or pull up a regular shirt and have your tummy, side, and back showing. I didn't have these with Isaac, but wish I would have. I spent so much time FREEZING while I was nursing. Not anymore!

9. Speaking of nursing, I say splurge and buy yourself one nursing dress {I found mine here}. This is another thing I didn't have when Isaac was a baby, and I missed wearing dresses for a year! I bought one with Owen, and it's my go-to for things like his Baptism, weddings, special events. If I don't feel like wearing the dress, there is always the nursing friendly pants/skirt/shirt option.

10. Frozen meals/snacks! Before Owen was born, I started freezing any leftovers we had that I knew would re-heat {Lasagna, tater tot casserole, breads, cookies, soups, beef/pork sandwiches}. Again, this is something I didn't do too much of before Isaac was born. For some reason, I thought I could handle cooking with just one kid. I was worried though, with two, that Isaac wouldn't end up with lunch some days! HUGE lifesaver. Actually, when we were discharged from the hospital, they sent us home with a boxed lasagna, some garlic bread, and an apple pie. Nice, right? Since we've been home, I've continued the freezing of our leftovers. I figure it saves on waste, and it's a quick{er} meal for when we need something fast. Highly recommend!

PS. Happy 25 months to Isaac today! Happy 10 weeks to Owen tomorrow!

Pasta + Something Green

We had this recipe {Thanks Janelle!} for lunch yesterday. It was a big hit {bigger than some of the other pasta dishes we've had lately!}. From start to finish, including a trip to my computer to pull up the recipe, it took me about 20 minutes. I think it would have more punch with the crushed red pepper, but we used paprika instead for a milder flavor {since Owen likes to get gassier with punchier flavored foods, I keep it pretty plain these days}. Yummy and delicious!

Isaac liked the block of Parmesan cheese too.

Sometimes, I don't know why we bother to give him silverware

1. Set water to boil and when it does, add your chosen pasta -- for this I like penne or rigatoni.

2. Then, chop up one or two slices of good bacon into 1/4 inch slices (crosswise across the bacon, so you have lean and fat in every piece) and brown in a large skillet -- it's going to hold all the pasta in a few minutes -- giving it a stir as necessary. (I used 2!)

3. Then add a whole clove of garlic thinly sliced to the bacon (and rendered fat) and let it turn golden and start to crisp up.

4. Then into the same pan add something green (often baby arugula or spinach, which is easy to lay hands on in those plastic tubs, already cleaned) and saute it until the water evaporates. (I used spinach.)

5. Add cooked pasta to the skillet with the greens, let it warm up and top with lots of freshly grated parmesan cheese (not from the green can!) or thin slivers of cheese -- a nice textural change. (Ditto on the real parmesan cheese!)

6. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper and crunchy coarse salt. (I used Paprika - for milder flavor - and Sea Salt).

Garfield and Friends

Do you remember Garfield the cat and his dog friend, Odie, and owner, Jon? What about that gray cat, Nermal? You know, the one he was always trying to mail to Abu Dhabi? I remember them, mostly because my sister, Lola, had a huge love for all things Garfield. I think she had a stuffed animal or two, owned some of the comic books when she was younger, and probably had a lot of other things I can't picture at the moment . We used to read the weekend comics in the newspaper and I remember Garfield being one of my favorites. I don't know the last time I saw that funny cat. He was so 1993.

Until....today, when he showed up on Owen's band-aids after his 2-month check-up. Talk about a flash back!


And, in case you're wondering how our big boy is growing, here are his stats:

13 lb. 1.5 oz. {75%}
25 inches {97&}
Healthy and happy!

Thursday Deals - 11/4/10

1. Ten Gifts to Grow Points with code 4HAPPYHALLOWEEN

2. Ladies, choose your FREE Kotex sample pack here.

3. FREE coffee at Burger King every Friday in November. Stop in for your FREE 12 oz. Seattle's Best during breakfast hours only. No purchase necessary. One cup per customer per visit.

4. If you're looking to get into the Christmas mood, download a FREE Holiday Music sampler at Amazon.

5. FREE small coffee at 7-Eleven with this coupon. Seriously? I think the last time I was in a 7-Eleven, I was in Taiwan!

6. If you're in the mood for eating at Ruby Tuesday's, head over there this Sunday and Monday {11/7 - 11/8} and use this printable coupon for 25% off your entire check!

7. Shopping at Express? Make sure you print this coupon for $15 off a $30 purchase, or use coupon code 7799 if you're shopping online.

8. FREE sample of Purina One Dog Food here. Wait for the screen to scroll over to the second button.

Poor Thanksgiving

It's overlooked by a lot of people, and that's especially true in retail America. After Halloween, we fast forward to Christmas. It's kind of sick.

I complain about it every year.

And guess what I did today? I started my Christmas list, shopped online for potential Christmas gifts, and I listened to a few of my fave Christmas songs. I'm sick too. On the plus side, I found a gift for Isaac that I know he's going to ADORE! I'm almost giddy just thinking about it!

212 Degrees

Currently, pondering this. Is it Divine providence that this was e-mailed to me today?

Lasagna Cupcakes

I discovered this recipe quite by accident {via, via, via}, but oh my word, it's delicious! Bonus: It helps with portion control and freezes well for an easy, reheat-able lunch!

Things I changed from the recipe below: I used cottage cheese instead of the ricotta, and 36 wonton wrappers, to make 12 little lasagnas.

Lasagna Cupcakes

• One cup of your favorite pasta sauce
• 1 lb hamburger meat
• 18 wonton wrappers
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese , grated
• 3 ounces parmesan cheese , grated
• 4 ounces ricotta cheese
  

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray 6 serving muffin tin with Pam
2. Cook hamburger meat, season to taste, drain.
3. Reserve 8 tablespoons of Parmesan and 8 tablespoons of mozzarella—this will be the topping. The remaining cheese will be used in the lasagnas (note you can vary the amount of cheese to taste keeping in mind that the parmesan is salty, the mozzarella is sweet as well as salty and helps to hold the lasagnas together, and the ricotta is sweet and creamy).
4. Start assembling the lasagnas. Line each cupcake mold with a round wonton wrapper. Put a little Parmesan, a little mozzarella, and a little ricotta into each mold. Top with a little meat and a spoonful of sauce. Repeat layers of wonton wrappers, cheeses, meat and sauce, creating 3 layers in all, and ending with sauce. Sprinkle each lasagna with reserved Parmesan and mozzarella.
5. Bake until the lasagnas are nicely browned, about 20 minutes.
6. Let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and remove from pan.