Getting shit done

Every Monday as I'm reading my blogs over coffee at my desk, it never fails that I am guaranteed to come across at least one post (usually more) about how someone did ALL THE PRODUCTIVE THINGS over the weekend. And I'm like, to whom did they sell their soul to get more than 24 hours in a day because that's the only way they possibly got all those things done!? Which leads to me thinking about my weekends which usually go like this: breakfast, Dora, dishes, lunch, nap, play outside, order dinner, shower, repeat on Sunday. Maybe the grocery store is thrown in there. Maybe.

This weekend was different though. And I didn't even realize it was different until Sunday when I was like, damn, I have gotten shit DONE this weekend. So I feel the need to brag on myself since it will likely not happen again any time soon. So without further adieu, here's what I did this weekend:

Friday afternoon when I got home, I started cleaning up the patio which was a hot mess. This included sweeping mulch back into our flowerbeds (thank you, Georgia but it does not belong there) which led to me reraking the mulch AND pulling weeds in the beds. The mister got home, cooked dinner and then I went to the grocery store ALONE which was awesome. Oh and then I made creme brulee before going to bed, alternating reading my latest Grisham novel while waiting on timers.

Saturday is usually my "me" day. Or at least the morning is. I sleep late, do my thing in the morning then run errands in the afternoon. This Saturday was no exception. I read more of my book while NJ played in her room (God bless her late blooming imagination) only to be rudely interrupted by a knock on my door. People, do not come to my house on Saturday before noon because the likely hood that I am NOT wearing pants is high. I managed to grab my robe and open the door. Apparently my new insurance company likes to surprise you on the weekends and request pictures of the outside of your home. I said that was fine since I HAD NO PANTS ON and was not in a position to argue but then 3 seconds later, I was texting my agent (no doubt he rues the day he gave me his cell number) making sure this guy wasn't just casing my house for this next robbery. I was assured that he was not a criminal and yes, they do this to everyone. So I found pants but by then he was gone.

Since I had already been disturbed, I decided to clean since we were having people over that evening. Over the next two hours I managed to: clean Norah's room (with her help), clean the toilets, mirrors, sinks, and floors in both bathrooms, sweep the living room floor, and load the dishwasher.

I was so tired, I wanted to nap but we had a birthday party at 2 so we got dressed quickly and headed downtown. The party was super fun and I'm glad we powered through. When we got home, NJ napped while I washed a couple dishes. My house smelled so nice and we had lots of fun that night and ate yummy crawfish (more winning on my part).

By Sunday, I was exhausted but managed to drag myself out of bed and make waffles for me and the girl (which she did not eat, of course) and then get us both dressed for church. After that, we hit up Kohl's because momma needs some skirts (holy hell, it's hot), then did our weekly fruit stand run and back home to eat lunch. I had told her we'd go to the park in the afternoon but it was so damn hot, I decided we'd push the park back to 5 or so and fill up her little pool in the backyard. While the pool water warmed up a bit, I put dinner together in a pot then stuck that in the stove and finished reading my book in the pool while she happily splashed around and showed me all her rad pool moves. After about an hour, she was done so we picked up outside and went inside for quiet time. She fell asleep about 5 seconds later so I folded the massive pile of laundry that has been haunting me for a week while dinner finished. Once it was done, I woke her up and we went to the park. FYI, it's still hot as Hades at 6pm. She had a blast for about an hour before it was time to go home and have dinner. She managed to con the mister into some outside play first to which he happily obliged. After dinner, we had baths, did more laundry, packed school and swimming lesson bags, and then collapsed in bed.

I cannot believe I got all that done. The pessimist in me keeps thinking of all the things I didn't get done (vacuuming, cleaning out the fridge, sweeping the kitchen, etc.) which I guess I could have gotten done if I hadn't read my book on Saturday or played in the pool with the girl on Sunday but my more optimistic side is quite happy that we found a good balance between chores, errands, and playtime! Go me!

Kids are funny

My kid is no exception. Actual conversation that took place yesterday afternoon.

Me: What are you doing, kiddo?
NJ: Just hugging Pooh. He's sad.
Me: Why is Pooh sad?
NJ: Because he misses me.
Me: Oh, well it's a good thing you're hugging him. That will make him happy again.
NJ: Yeah, it will. (pauses) Mom, look at Pooh's face. It's just gorgeous.
Me: ::dies::

This kid. She kills me.

Bedroom Update

Even though progress has slowed down, we are still slowly working on our bedroom. And FTR, it's because of spring, not because I'm exhausted 24/7 and chasing a three year old around, bowing to her every command. Anyway, here's a look at the amended list:

• New nightstands
• New bed
• Move file cabinet & bookshelf
• Move mirror & jewelry box to opposite wall
• Paint the walls gray  
• New dresser
• Sunburst mirror above the bed (I FOUND ONE. Now I just need that hot husband of mine to hang it)
• New frames for Norah's pictures (we actually did find some but they also have yet to be hung)
• Replace TV
• Replace carpet 

You may have noticed that I took a few things off. For starters, it was our plan to move some things into the nursery. Well, since we're expecting a new tenant in less than six months (wtf?!), that's out. So the vanity needs to stay where it is and I am saying bye-bye to my reading corner. I also really, really don't think we have room for a bench at the end of the bed. Sad.

The search for the perfect dresser is ongoing. It's also a nightmare. I have been searching Craigslist for 5 months! Same for the mirror. I cannot fathom dishing out $200+ for a damn mirror  BUT then Tarjay to the rescue so fingers crossed my $32 find fits the bill. We had decided not to replace the carpet for like 5 minutes because we were going to sell our house next year and it was just easier to do a carpet allowance and let someone else deal with it but then we decided that instead of moving, we're going to refinance and stay put for a couple years. So replacing carpet is back on the list.

For your patience, I'll reward you with two pictures that are shitty quality. But you can see how awesome my bed looks with that rad wall color! You're welcome.

So, you know, it's coming. Slowly but surely. Any suggestions for where to find a decently priced dresser?

Goat Cheese Scalloped Potatoes

I've been eyeing this recipe for about a year but my husband was insistent no one in his family would eat it despite the fact that goat cheese is so damn delicious it should be a crime. Finally, this week I basically insisted we make it for Easter dinner. My argument being that the goat cheese is surrounded by potatoes and heavy cream. And that we were going to say it was cream cheese. I guess he was tired of hearing about it because he made it and as predicted it was insanely good.

Grandmother-in-law actually discovered our dirty little secret before lunch but managed to keep her trap shut since she actually does like goat cheese. The potatoes were so good that my goat cheese hating mother-in-law had two servings. And that was after we came clean on what was in it! The flavor is definitely there but it's subtle and not overpowering at all. Even if you don't like goat cheese, I really recommend trying these. They were super easy to throw together and by far, the hit of the meal. And while you're on Pink Parsley's site, poke around because she makes damn good food. I hit up her blog often for inspiration.

http://www.pink-parsley.com/2012/04/goat-cheese-potato-gratin.html

Three

Dear Norah,

My sweet girl, you are three today. I will never forget the moment I heard your first cries. You've grown up so much and it makes your momma both proud and a little sad. You are so polite and know all your manners just like a little lady! You love to watch Dora and Cinderella in the afternoons while having a snack. Your favorite foods are fruit, mushrooms, "toodles", rice & gravy, yogurt, and chocolate. Coco and Georgia are your current playmates but soon you will have a baby brother or sister to play with too. You are so excited and love to tell everyone about the baby in mommy's belly! You also are very curious and always want to know what everyone's name is, wherever we go. You also love to tell mommy and daddy that you love us so much, all the time! We love you too, monkey. More than you will ever know!

Love,
Momma

Jesus has a sense of humor

Last year when I needed a place to gripe and keep track of all the things going on in my head, I turned here. One of the first posts I wrote was about my 2012 goals/resolutions/to-do list, which included "get knocked up in 2012". This led to a barrage of "omg, you're having another baby?! Why didn't you tell me?!" emails from people I see on the regular. By "barrage", I obviously mean two. Regardless, I decided to cease talking about my bedroom activities for the time being.

Spoiler alert: I'm pregnant! I could drag you on through this entire post and then tell you but I'm not James Patterson and you didn't pay $24.99 to read this so let's just keep it real.

Back to me. For reasons not relevant to this blog, we started trying in July. I should mention that when I got pregnant with NJ, we talked about it and then a month later I was staring at two pink lines. No one could have been more shocked than me at just how quickly that happened. So it's safe to say I was cocky.

Spoiler alert #2: I'm also naive.

By the end of my July cycle, I am pretty sure I had peed on at least 10 tests, absolutely convinced they were all wrong. But they were not. Neither were the ones in August or September. Then it was Halloween and Thanksgiving. Still nothing. I was heartbroken. We were supposed to get pregnant this year and it just wasn't happening.

In December, I was finishing up what I knew would be our last cycle of 2012. I prayed so hard but it too was negative. There would be no 2012 baby. (This also coincided with a cookie swap where I ingested a LOT of wine and proceeded to bitch for 3 hours about my bed that would never be finished and my vacant uterus. I'm pretty sure I won't be invited back next year.)

The timing for our next cycle was bad. I didn't think we had a chance but lo and behold, on January 12, I saw what I had been hoping for. Today I am 10 weeks & 1 day, due September 24. To say we are elated and grateful is an understatement.

A couple days after finding out I looked at my chart to see if I could pinpoint the date of conception. And I could. December 31, 2012. We did the dirty and then five minutes later watched the ball drop.

Well played, Jesus. Well played.

Not the best but it will do

I haven't made my bed since we painted and moved all the furniture back in the bedroom hence no pretty, staged shot but I did snap this pic with my phone as we were moving the (very heavy) bed.

It at least shows the wall and the tray colors. It really looks amazing with the bed and the comforter so I will attempt to make the bed this week. No promises.

Finished!

We finally painted the bedroom this weekend. Yay!! I use the term "we" very loosely. My fab friend who is a master trimmer came over to help me on Saturday. She trimmed while I rolled. Then she left and I did some more rolling after a much needed nap. The mister did help with that part but that's the only time his hand touched a brush. She ended up coming back on Sunday and eating my pizza for dinner but that was ok because she also finished trimming. And it looks AMAZING.

Seriously. I cannot get over how awesome it looks. The color is so much more mellow and light. We ended up doing a lighter gray on the walls and then a darker gray on the tray. We were only going to do the inside part of the tray but ended up doing the outside part as well and even though that meant going to Lowe's in the middle of it all, it was definitely the right decision. Because it looks AMAZING.

The mister hung our curtains back up last night and they look great against the lighter color. We're going to move the rest of our furniture tonight and I'll take some pictures. I can't wait to share them!

ps-I keep forgetting to get the names of the colors that we used but I swear I'm on top of that tonight.

Sammiches

I love me some sammiches, y'all. Jimmy John's is my BFF except they don't deliver to my office and THAT is a problem. We're not really doing anything for the SuperBowl because I'm painting the bedroom this weekend (!!!!) and anticipate being really tired Sunday night but I am going to make some mini-sammiches. Otherwise known as sliders. But I prefer mini-sammiches.

They've been floating around Pinterest forever and a day but it's those little ham and cheese ones on a Hawaiian roll? With the sauce? I think I want to make them for the Blue Elephant party that I am currently slacking on planning but I need a test run to make sure they are delicious. I figured the SuperBowl was as good a time as any to test out mini-sammiches.

Here's the recipe I'm going to use: Mini Ham & Cheese Sandwiches

She also has a Cuban version. Not going to lie, I kind of want to make those too because I love nothing more than a good Cuban sammich.We shall see if I'm up to it. If you recall, I made delish pretzels and honey mustard sauce last year. Those lasted about 5 seconds. But they are a lot of work. I think next time I may just do them in a thick roll and then cut off actual bites with a bench scraper. Anywho, I'm a Ravens fan this weekend if for no other reason than my husband is rooting for the 49ers and I have to cancel him out. OH! And I'd totally love to see Michael Oher walk away with a ring. You've seen The Blind Side, right? Tears. I can't even.

GEAUX RAVENS!!!

Bedroom

Let's see what's going on in there, shall we?

• New nightstands
• New bed
• Move file cabinet, bookshelf, vanity, & stool (we actually haven't moved the vanity yet but I don't know if we will.)
• Move mirror & jewelry box to opposite wall
• Paint the walls gray  
• New dresser
• Sunburst mirror above the bed
• New frames for Norah's pictures
• Replace TV
• Bench at edge of bed (I'm not sure if we have room for one now...)
• Reading corner (again with the lack of room...)
• Replace carpet (probably should have done this before assembling the bed...)

We managed to move some furniture around the house and our room looks about a million times better already. Much less cluttered. We also picked out two paint colors, one for the walls and one for the inset on our tray ceiling. Sitters and trimmers have been booked for the first weekend in February where I will get my roll on. I cannot WAIT to see how fab it looks with the new color. I know it's a Valspar color but I can't remember which one. I'll report back on that.

We're still on the hunt for a dresser. I thought we'd found one but it was a bust. Oh well. I think we might hit up some garage sales this weekend. Fingers crossed!

Since it's taking me forever to get together the complete post on how we did it from start to finish, here's a pic of the finished product. This is before the furniture move. See how crowded it looks? So much better now.

What do you think?! Worth the pain and suffering? Should have ordered from Pottery Barn?

Skinny Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo

I have discussed the evils of Pinterest before however it can be pretty useful at times. When making my menu plan for the week, I often head to my Yummies for Dinner board (follow me here) for inspiration. I rarely use the actual recipe I pinned because I've made enough random internet recipes to learn that sticking with a few great sources is the way to go. Also, I can hold my own in the kitchen and often I just need the idea, I can recreate it all on my own, thankyouverymuch.

But the other day I saw this one. It's a chicken & broccoli alfredo made with Greek yogurt. I have a little bit of an unhealthy obsession with Greek yogurt. I didn't even discover it until a couple months ago and now I eat Chobani faithfully. And then I started subbing it in recipes and everything was so damn moist! So I decided to give this a try. Actually, the mister cooked it because I was being lazy on the couch but regardless, it's delicious. Even the little one was all MOAR TOODLES (aka noodles).

He made the exact recipe so I'll just link it. The only thing we did differently was used penne instead of fettuccine. 

http://www.celebrations.com/content/skinny-chicken-broccoli-alfredo 

Enjoy!

Color Run

Before the new year even began, I somehow got wrangled into signing up for the 2013 Mardi Gras Color Run in NOLA. Basically it was a Saturday night and there was beer and a friend texted saying Color Run was coming back to NOLA and I'm all "SIGN ME UP!" Did I mention there was beer?

I'm actually pretty excited. Color Run always looked like loads of fun but they were just in NOLA in November and filled up quicker than I could decide if I was ready. So I thought I'd have to wait a whole year to run it. But alas, the running gods were looking out for me (if the money gods could take note, I'd appreciate that). Also, my husband has decided he's going to run it too which is AWESOME. He's so badass. I love him. Of course this means he only has 5 weeks to train but that is honestly plenty of time. I know the c25k program is 8 weeks but I have no doubt he can start on week 4 and be fine. He has a pretty physical job as opposed to me who is no doubt going to have carpel tunnel before age 35.

So yay! Color Run on Feb 9! I'm super stoked!