Friday Favorites {3.30.12}

At the moment, I'm completely wrapped up in this book, so we're gonna keep this post short and to the point, mmmkay? This weekend I'm hoping to take the kids to the carnival in town, but after this debacle last year, the hubs is gonna take some convincing. Plus, with Easter next weekend and Nico's birthday the weekend after that, we're trying to save money. I guess we'll see.

Okay, here we go...



1. How perfect is this little vintage dress?

2. Letti's first birthday is gorgeous! Great job, Jordan!

3. I'm stoked to start an online photography class from here next week.

4. Speaking of photography, I found this post really useful.

5. This iPad cover tutorial is super cool!

6. My kids are obsessed with this new show on Disney Junior. It's actually pretty darn cute!

7. I really enjoy reading posts about what other feed their kids, like this. So many good ideas!

8. Here's another great list of apps for kids!

9. Some of my favorite ladies on the interweb: one and two.

10. Does the Easter Bunny bring mama gifts? Because if so, I want one of these and these. Just saying'.

Now I'm off to read my book! Happy Friday, guys!

Park and Recreation

Now that the weather's warming up, we've been spending a lot more time outdoors (hence the lack of blogging). And thank baby Jesus, because we were all going a bit stir-crazy up in here. Coming from our last duty station in San Diego, we've grown somewhat accustomed to, you know, perfect, play-outside-year-round type weather. I must admit, the East Coast temps have taken some getting used to. But alas, spring is here, and we couldn't be more excited. Like, really, really damn excited!

One of our favorite places to frequent these days is the neighborhood park. The other day while there, I snapped a few photos of the kids. Enjoy!

Some Music and A Winner

A little music to start your day off right...

And now to announce the giveaway winner! Cue drumroll...

The winner of the Huggabeans Giveway is Amanda Daye! 

Congrats, Amanda! I'll be contacting you shortly via email.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to enter this giveaway, and, of course, a big thanks to Constance for offering it! If you haven't done so already, I suggest you head on over to her shop. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Have a wonderful day!

Weigh-In Day, Round 2 {Week 12}

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I've now been doing Weight Watchers for twelve weeks. This week I lost...

Weight Lost This Week: -1.5 lbs

Total Weight Loss: -9.5 lbs

Can I get a what what?! Jay kay. But really, I'm stoked. Go me! Coming off of a good week, I always feel extra motivated going forward. So this week should be a home run! And Dan's even toying with the idea of eating what I do at home, you know, to make it easier for me and whatnot. Cool, right? He's still not 100%, though, so we'll see.

On the agenda this week? To put less emphasis on food, in general. Sometimes I feel with Weight Watchers, or any diet where you're counting food stuffs, there's such a focus on what you're eating. Now that I've sort of gotten into a routine of what I eat for breakfast and lunch (more on this soon), I don't even have to worry about calculating these meals (hello quick add!). This is nice because instead of worrying about if I used too many points or if I'm getting enough servings of fruits and veggies, I can focus on more important non-food related things. Win!

I have to say, I'm really proud of this weight loss, even if it's only 1 1/2 lbs. Because, hey, it's 1 1/2 lbs closer to my goal! Here's to another great week!

On a totally unrelated note, the Huggabeans Giveaway closes at midnight tonight, so if you haven't entered yet, be sure to do so! The winner will be announced tomorrow. Good luck!

Friday Favorites {3.23.12}

This week has flown by. I can't believe it's already Friday! Not that I'm complaining. Dan was supposed to have to work tomorrow, but no longer has to (yip!), so we're gonna do an afternoon date. Well, sort of. Lola will actually be with us, since homegirl is not cool with us leaving her just yet. Not a bad deal, though. It should be nice. Besides this, we don't have much else planned. Dan has a midterm this weekend, so it'll be pretty boring around here. Snore.

So, let's get to my favorites, shall we?

1. We'll be seeing this movie on our little date. I just finished reading the book yesterday and cannot wait! Dan knows nothing about it, but he's a trooper.

2. Check out this list of 25 Rare Celebrity Photos! Very cool.

3. Homemade popsicles in a matter of minutes? Yes, please!

4. I'm so doing this for Nico's birthday next month! The boy is obsessed with balloons.

5. If you have an iPad, then this list will be really useful.

6. This soup looks delish!

7. I love Vanessa's The It List posts. So many pretty things!

8. How rad is this produce bag?

9. I've heard great things about the Bilibo. The Easter bunny may just have to bring one for my littles!

10. As soon as I can get to Joann's, I plan on making a couple of these plush fox dolls. So cute!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

This Time Last Year...

The other day I was going through some old photos when I stumbled across this gem. It was taken in March of last year. Back then, Nico was almost three and Lola just 4 months. Wow, does time fly! I can remember this like it was just yesterday. I can't believe how much they've grown in the past year. They're not babies anymore. I just wish I could slow time down, because before I know it, they'll be grown. And this mama is definitely not ready for that!

Sidenote: Don't forget to enter the giveaway going on right now! It's a good one!

What's Cookin'? - Broccoli & Cheese Sweet Potato

Recently, someone posted somewhere (don't ask me where b/c I can't remember) about a broccoli & cheese sweet potato, and I thought, what a great idea! So, after buying all the stuff at the grocery store over the weekend, I was excited to make one yesterday for lunch. I must say, it ended up being really freakin' good. Like so good, I plan on making it again today for lunch. Because, my friends, I'm a creature of habit. And when I find something I like? I tend to eat it over and over...and over again. Also, totaling at just 8 points, it's a nice (and healthy!) alternative to the crap Lean Cuisines I've been eating.

Okay, here's how it's done...

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato
• 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup broccoli florets (I bought a big ol' bag from Costco)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4-5 cherry tomatoes, chopped into fourths
• 1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
• salt to taste

Directions:

1. First, you'll wanna scrub the sweet potato really good. Then poke holes in it, throw it in the microwave and cook on high for 6 minutes.
2. While your spud is nuking, heat oil in a small sauté pan on medium heat and add garlic. 
3. Once garlic is slightly browned, add broccoli and cook until soft.
4. By this time, your potato should be done cooking. Remove from microwave and plate. Then cut open potato, fill with broccoli and salt to taste.
5. Top with tomatoes and cheese and devour!

Yum. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. Enjoy!

Weigh-In Day, Round 2 {Week 11}

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Today marks 11 weeks that I've been doing Weight Watchers. This week I...

Weight Lost Gained This Week: 2.3 lbs

Total Weight Loss: -8 lbs

To be honest, I'm not the least bit surprised about these results. This past week was just bad. We ate out or ordered in like four times. Not even joking. Also, I didn't count my points over the weekend at all. I think after trying so hard last week and not losing anything, I was just really unmotivated this week. Sigh. For some reason, I can't seem to wrap my head around the fact that some weeks, despite doing everything correctly, I'm not going to lose weight.

As I mentioned last week, I'm not really that thrilled with the new Weight Watchers PointsPlus program. At this point, I think it's time I start researching my other options. However, I plan to remain on WW while doing so, because it's quite obvious what happens when I'm left to my own devices. Also, I finally got a doctor's appointment to have my thyroid checked. It's still a couple weeks out, but I'm hoping to discuss my options with them as well.

Blah. I don't really have much else to add here. Sorry for not being more of a role model for you guys. This ish is hard! At least for me, anyway. If you have any recommendations for diets/programs that have worked for you, I'd love to hear them.

Giveaway: Huggabeans - CLOSED

When Huggabeans contacted me about hosting a giveaway, I was super excited because ever since I was preggo with Lola, I've been obsessed with crocheted hats. Any and all kinds. I mean, really, is there anything cuter than a little lady or fellow in a cute hat? I think not.

On top of the one-of-a-kind hats they offer, they have the cutest baby cocoons and swings you've ever seen! I really love that all of their cotton products are made with 100% organic material. Also, their stuff is really well made, yet still incredibly affordable. Definitely a plus for this military mama!

Here are some of their items I adore:

Pink Chunky Beanie with White Bow

Homespun Rainbow Knot

Newborn Cat with Pink Ears

Frog Helmet

Purple Beanie

Homespun Cocoon

I seriously cannot say enough good things about this company. The owner/creator, Constance (who's actually a news anchor/reporter by day - how cool is that?!), has been such a pleasure to work with. Be sure to stop by Huggabeans to see what other adorable stuff they have to keep your little one's head warm!

Okay, now on to the fun part - the giveaway! Huggabeans is offering one lucky reader a $40 store credit to their shop.

For your chance to win (mandatory entry): Visit the Huggabeans site and leave a comment below telling me which product you like the most.

Additional entries: Simply choose from any/all of the bonus entry opportunities on the Rafflecopter form. Also, you can tweet daily for additional entries.

Click Read more below to enter.

Friday Favorites {3.16.12}

Does anyone have anything fun planned over the holiday weekend? For us, gone are the days of partying it up. You know, unless you consider wearing something green to be party worthy, lol. Actually, this weekend should be relatively calm for us. Other than a birthday party for Nico's friend on Sunday, we don't have anything planned. I am hoping we can do something outdoorsy with the kids, if the weather permits. Anyone living in the Northern VA area have any suggestions? We have season passes to Six Flags, but it unfortunately doesn't open till the end of the month. Womp.

Here are my favorites from around the web this week...



1. Now that it's warming up, I see this flavored lemonade happening in our future. YUM.

2. These felt four-leaf clovers are so neat! In fact, I may just have to whip up a couple of them for my littles.

3. Yet another baby gender reveal video I'm loving.

4. The much-anticipated DVF and BabyGap collection is finally out. Lovely, but way out of our price range.

5. These painted wooden spoons are so purdy!

6. I'm picking up the ingredients later on today to make this smoothie for Nico. Since homeboy isn't down with the veggies, I'm going to have to trick him into eating 'em.

7. This baby mobile is cayoot!

8. How sweet is this big girl room? Pretty perfect, if you ask me.

9. While I love old things, I'm not particularly fond of their smell. Problem solved with this trick.

10. I can wait to sit down and read through all the info Elizabeth's put together in her Sewing 201 post. I have sew (pun intended) much more to learn!

Happy St. Patty's Day weekend, everyone!

Lately

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Not gonna lie, this week's been a bit chaotic. We were going to have a yard sale this coming weekend, which I've been gearing up for (yes, we finally cleaned out our shed). But then, after listing some of the bigger items on our base's Facebook sales pages and having 'em sell like hotcakes, we decided it'd be more effective to just list everything that way. We'd rather not waste our Saturday sitting out in the (possible) rain if we don't have to, ya feel me?

It's kind of stressful because people will claim something and then change their mind, or say they're going to show up at a certain time and then don't. And then there's the task of photographing and listing everything. But, overall it's been really good. We've made over $200 and still have a few people that are going to pick up later today. Not too shabby if you ask me!

In my downtime, between the pickups, errands and playing outdoors with the kiddos (the weather has been amazing this week), I've been reading this. I haven't had more than a few minutes here and there, but so far I'm loving it! I'm hoping to get in some good reading time tonight after the kids go to bed. Also, I'm in the process of organizing our pantry. I picked up a big old package of these guys at Walmart this morning, and plan on doing this with our grains and stuff. Then, next on my agenda is Dan and I's closet. I think my spring cleaning urge is in full force, lol.

Anyway, I apologize if it's a little quiet around here over the next couple of days, but the weather's too perfect right now not to take advantage of. I will be back Friday with my favorites, though. And then I have a really cool giveaway lined up for next week, so be on the lookout for that!

Weigh-In Day, Round 2 {Week 10}

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I have now been doing Weight Watchers for a total of 10 weeks. This week I lost...

Weight Lost This Week: 0 lbs

Total Weight Loss: -10.3 lbs

Oh, what was that? I followed my points to a T, didn't cheat, worked out twice and still lost nothing? Not cool, Weight Watchers, not cool. To be honest, after working so hard this week with no weight loss, I'm not sure how I feel about this program. I mean, what the hell?!

I know I've talked about making a doctor's appointment to have my thyroid checked, but then I didn't for some reason. However, after this week's results (or lack thereof), I think it's time I had it checked out. You know, just to be sure I'm not unjustly blaming Weight Watchers or something. But, if it turns out that everything is in working order? I may have to reconsider this program. To me, it's just not the same as it was back in the day (before they decided to add carbs to their little weight loss equation). 

For now, though, I'll keep on trucking. Because if nothing else, at least I'm eating healthier. Sigh. Hopefully, those of you who are dieting had better success than I did this week.

Kiddo Style: Guest Post

Hi frands! Just wanted to let you know that I'm guest blogging over at Run with Scissors today.






It's a post about kiddo style. Be sure to check it out!

Friday Favorites {3.9.12}

I am so ready for the weekend I can't even stand it! The weather has been amazing the past couple of days and I'm hoping it stays this way throughout the weekend. Because that storage shed we wanted to conquer? Did not happen. Not even a little bit. We spent our weekend doing things like going to the movies, grocery shopping and having fun. But this weekend? This weekend, we have big plans for cleaning that shed out top to bottom. Mark my words!

Anyway, now that you're all dying of jealousy over my weekend plans, let's get to my favorites, shall we?

1. This warm weather has me itching to plant an herb/vegetable garden and flowers of all kinds! Aren't these flowers just gorge?

2. Speaking of the outdoors and such, let's go ahead and throw this chicken coop on my wish list, too.

3. This video is killing me with the cute!

4. I've never actually had a pudding pop, but these look delish.

5. I haven't quite decided what I'm gonna use this for exactly (kitchen, bathroom, crafts, books?), but I'm pretty sure I need it.

6. I think it's so cool that Melissa over at Dear Baby is going to be donating 100% of her blog sponsorship money to charity for the next 6 months.

7. Now that Nico's almost 4, we're thinking he can start helping out around the house. This list has some really great ideas.

8. I just love this gender announcement video! And it was filmed in D.C., too!

9. Free dress patterns? Yes, please!

10. I'm really wishing we still lived in Texas right now, so we could go to this.

Okay, I'm outta here! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

What's Cookin'? - Easy Tofu Stir-Fry

One of the meals I make on the regular is tofu stir-fry. And by "on the regular", I mean at least twice a week. Why? Because it's easy, healthy and delicious! For these reasons, I'll probably continue to make it until my family reaches their stir-fry threshold, which if I'm lucky, will be never.

Okay, here's what I do...

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 1 package extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
• 1 cup uncooked brown rice
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil, reserved
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 4 cups frozen stir-fry vegetables (I use the Kirkland brand from Costco)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• salt to taste

Directions:

1. The first thing I do is get the rice started. We have a rice cooker so I just throw it in there, but if you're cooking it on the stove, you'll just want to follow the instructions on the package.
2. Once the tofu is drained and pressed (google if you're unsure how to do this), cut into 1" squares.
3. Heat 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil in a large frying pan and add tofu. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes, making sure to flip about halfway through. Once both sides are browned, transfer tofu to a plate and set aside.
4. Next, add remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan along with chopped onions and garlic.
5. While the onions and garlic are cooking is when I like to make the "sauce". To do this, combine 1 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp soy sauce and 1/4 cup water into a small bowl and stir through. Set aside.
6. Once the onions and garlic are translucent and slightly browned, go ahead and add your stir-fry veggies.
7. Let them cook on medium heat until they're soft (around 5-6 minutes), then stir in "sauce".
8. Once everything is cooked, add back in tofu squares and cook for an addition 1-2 minutes, making sure everything is heated through. Salt to taste.
9. By this time, your rice should be done. Plate rice, top with stir fry (if you like it spicy like I do, then douse in Sriracha) and serve.

If you're not a big fan of tofu, you could easily substitute it for chicken instead.

Enjoy!

Kony 2012

Please watch this video from Invisible Children...

And then go here.

Our Morning...

On mornings when Nico's at preschool, things are usually pretty calm around here. If we're home, we'll play, watch cartoons and hang out, just us girls.

I love my one-on-one time with this little gal!

Weigh-In Day, Round 2 {Week 9}

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Today marks 9 weeks that I've been on Weight Watchers. This week I lost...

Weight Lost This Week: -2 lbs

Total Weight Loss: -10.3 lbs

I did it! I lost a decent amount of weight this week (in my opinion, anyway). Hurray! And while I didn't work out (it's become increasingly more difficult to fit in now that Lola's walking), I did stick to my point for the most part. As in, I counted everything I ate, except for the meal I had on Saturday at Johnny Rockets. The movie we went to see was sold out and we had to kill time before the next one. Excuses, I know, but I'm working on it. We've actually made it a goal to not eat out at all over the next two weeks for both diet and monetary reasons. We've stocked up on fresh produce and groceries and I've already made a meal plan using this handy notepad I recently got. Also, I've scheduled an alarm to wake me up at 6:30am three days this week so I can squeeze in a work-out before the kids wake up.

I feel like I'm finally getting the hang of this dieting gig, and to be honest, it's not so bad! Here's to another great week!

Friday Favorites {3.2.12}

This week seemed unusually long to me for some reason. Did it feel this way to anyone else? Thankfully, the weather was incredible yesterday, which more than made up for the week dragging on. I'm hoping it sticks around for the weekend as well. At least long enough for us to tackle the disaster of a storage shed we've been putting off arranging/decluttering for months. Until recently, it's been one of those "out of site, out of mind" things. But then last week I had to go get paper towels myself because Dan was at work and HAIL NO! I couldn't even get to them without climbing over a mountain of shit. So yeah, we're hoping to sort through it over the weekend and then list a bunch of the baby stuff on Craigslist. Fun stuff, I tell ya.

Anyway, I've got to make a grocery list (which is probably my least favorite thing to do ever, you know, besides cleaning the shed), so let's get to this week's favorites, shall we?

1. I found this video incredibly beautiful. The film, the music, all of it. (via Rockstar Diaries)

2. I'm so excited for Janel and her family! I can't wait to read more about little Amelia!

3. I definitely plan on making this chalkboard in the near future. Even if it means braving my least favorite store ever to get the pan!

4. If I could justify the price tag, this little dress would be hanging in Lola's closet.

5. How cute are these Keds for Madwell? I'm all about the comfort these days.

6. Eeep! I literally squealed when I read this news!

7. I am in love with this DIY pony print dress. Amazing.

8. These two gals have got to be the most fashionable kiddos in the blogosphere! So stinkin' cute!!

9. I picked up some paints at the craft store yesterday to do this with Nico.

10. I'm excited that this movie came out today! We're hoping to take the kids to see it over the weekend.

Later, homies! Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!