Cheater Meals

Hello pretty mamas!  I figured it is high time to dust off the old keyboard and bring Momsie back to life!  I am so grateful that my sister has hung around and continued to bring a little life to the blog with her great posts but I am ready to get back to a little mommy talk myself.  I have been in a little hole other wise known as the first trimester and before that I was gong through the fertility circus so thanks for being patient and understanding.  As you mamas know, the first trimester is really LOOOONG.  Not only may you be dealing with morning sickness, fatigue, sleeplessness, growing pains, and more you are also feeling really anxious.  I feel like I held my breath until I reached the 12 week mark and got the "all clear" from my doctor.  Obviously there will be other things to worry about but being able to freely tell my news  and relax a little has really brought back some of my energy.  Strong emphasis on some.  I am still pretty freaking tired people!

But anyways I wanted to take a minute to talk about something near and dear to my heart these days....FOOD!  Oh how I love food.  Except of course around 5:00ish every day.  Uggh my "morning sickness" tends to hit around evening and the thought of cooking dinner is probably my least favorite part of the day.  I hate to figure out what to cook much less look at raw meat.  I could (and do) eat a bowl or cereal most nights but the rest of my family, not so much.  I have been scraping by and have relied on a lot of dinners I like to call "Cheater Meals."  These meals consist of at least one frozen or boxed item and although they are not the most creative or nutritious they get the job done without a lot of effort on my part.  And let's be honest, I don't only use these "Cheater Meals" during pregnancy.  I always like to have a quick and easy meal on reserve for those days that I just don't feel like being Paula Deen.


Here are some examples of my go-to cheater ingredients:

Ore-Ida Crispy Crowns:  These are in the frozen aisle and are so delicious!  They taste a lot like Chick-fil-a hasbrowns.  They work great as a side to rotisserie chicken or grilled cheese sandwiches.  We have also tossed a few on a salad or in a bowl of potato soup!

Tai Pei Spring Rolls:  Also in the frozen section, these little spring rolls are really good!  I am not a huge fan of frozen dinners but these actually come out crispy and really tasty.  They also have a dipping sauce that is yummy!

Grilled Cheese + :  The "+" means that you just take your grilled cheese up a notch.  For us this means adding swiss and cheddar, a slice of tomato or turkey, and/or some bacon.  Grill it up and serve it with Crispy Crowns :)

Picnic Platter:  Sometimes I just don't want to stand in front of a hot stove.  On these nights I just slice up all kinds of goodies and make a spread.  Sliced salami, sliced cheddar cheese, pickles, carrots, cucumbers, red peppers, crackers, pretzels, and sliced hard boiled eggs.  Everyone makes their own concoctions and eats as they please and it is always surprisingly filling.


So, that's some of the things I make when I am feeling a little less than gourmet.  Now I want to hear from you!  What are your "Cheater Meals"??  I love finding out about a frozen meal or boxed pasta that actually tastes good.  I am always looking for new things to to try from Trader Joe's.  And I love hearing new recipes that take little time and prep so please share in the comments section!

And head back tomorrow if you want to get some of the dirt on our journey to #3!  I am going to post the first of a couple of posts to get you caught up on how and why we decided to go for a third.  It's nice to be back...I've missed yall!

Calgon take me away!

Ok, that's it. No more mommy talk. I know, this is a blog for and about all things mommy-related. But I need a break! I need to think like a rational human being and not some robotic, emotional mess that just repeats herself a million times a day. I swear, most days recently have just blended right into the next one without nearly anything changing...

Wake up, wrestle Nash into the high chair, throw away his uneaten breakfast, wrestle Nash into his clothes, attempt to dress my ever expanding body, wrestle Nash into the car seat, chase Nash down at the park, have a few contractions, throw away Nash's uneaten lunch, watch the clock until nap time, thank GOD for nap time, throw away Nash's uneaten dinner, let the guilt eat me up for not being more patient today, fall asleep. And then repeat.

I know, I know. I make it sound too glamorous. But seriously, this is kind of how it feels some days! So I'm going to shut down the mommy side of my brain (which, in all honesty, is not a very sharp tool these days) and indulge in thoughts and things that are in no way related to my career choice. Care to join me?!

Seriously obsessed with this ring.

http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/product_view/dotoly/4349656/feather_angel_wings_adjustable_ring_in_silver/commercial/jewelry/rings

"Are We There Yet"...The perfect orangey-coral for sandal weather.


I'm already fantasizing about what it will be like to have a waist and ankles again. And when I do, this will be my go-to summer outfit. And for $25 at Target...why not?!


All this Pinning is hard work, you know??


You're welcome.

See, look how easy it is to forget for a moment that your name is "mom" and you actually have interests other than diaper changes and soothing a crying child. I firmly believe that we have to take a step back sometimes and remember who we are apart from the day-to-day routine...even if that is just a quick peak at Zac Efron.

Happy Pinning!

Timing is everything...

Well I have written this post in my head so many times.  I kept practicing exactly how I would go about this and what would be the perfect way to bring it all to a conclusion.  But after searching for the right words or format I have decided that the best way is to just come right out and share the news...

I'M PREGNANT!!

There is so much backstory to this pregnancy and although I know that everyone is not dying to know my personal life, I just feel like so much of my experience is worth sharing.  Worth it to let other girls struggling to get pregnant know that they are not the only ones.  To share my experiences: good, bad, and ugly from going to REACH (fertility specialists).  And to share a little bit more insight into the roller coaster of a year I have had and how much I learned from it.  I know I have too much to share to leave it at just this announcement so I will be posting more on my road to get here soon.  Until then I am off to eat, sleep, repeat!  Thank you all for your sweet words over the last few months!

Have a great weekend, xoxo

In a Southern State of Mind

I've really been in the Southern spirit lately. Maybe I'm just missing my family and friends. Or maybe I'm just missing that season called "Spring" that the Northwest doesn't seem to celebrate. Whatever it is, I'm finding myself drawn to all things "Southern" and nowhere is that more evident than on my Pinterest boards. I've been pinning up a storm lately with everything from Southern foods- pimiento cheese and banana pudding. To Southern style- monograms and lady like dresses. Of course every region has their claim to fame and some are worthy of praise. But, in my humble opinion, nothing outshines that proud Southern spirit.

I'm not saying that everyone else is rude, but no one quite has the manners of someone raised in the South.



It doesn't get much more Southern than Paula Deen. Her take on banana pudding leaves me speechless.

I don't know if it's a Southern thing or not, but to me a house isn't home until you've got something cute hanging on your front door. This is a simple way to decorate your door throughout the year with little changes according to the season or holiday.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/78019133/monogram-wreath?ref=sr_gallery_40&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=letters+on+book+pages&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_page=4&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade

It really all comes down to the food, doesn't it? I've lived a lot of places and Southerners really know how to eat! This pimiento cheese recipe lightens things up and takes a little bit of the guilt out of indulging.

http:// www.ingredientsinc.net/2011/09/lightened-up-pimiento-cheese-recipe/

My Southern Style icon...Reese Witherspoon. The girl just gets it right all of the time!

So there's a little insight into where my head is at these days. It's like they say "You can take the girl out of the South, but you can't take the South out of the girl". And I would have to agree.

Happy Pinning!

Not Just Talking the Talk

It's safe to say that I'm in full blown nesting mode. I've got 10 weeks (hopefully!) to go but you'd think that I'm due next week with the way I'm tearing through the house, crafting and decorating anything that will sit still. Although the belly is quite large at this point and I get winded simply walking down the hall, there is nothing that will come between me and my glue gun these days. Luckily for me I've got, oh, about a thousand Pins on Pinterest that I've marked for ideas and inspiration for the the new nursery and toddler room so I'm in no shortage of things to try or buy (sorry hubby!). I thought you may like to see some of what I've been working on as inspired by my dear friend, Pinterest.

I love how simple this idea is for revamping a book case. In this case we have a plain, cheap book case from Target that was in desperate need of spicing up. Pinterest inspired me to use scrapbook paper to line the shelves, back, and sides. 1 trip to Michaels and $10 later...voila!

http://www.chiccheapnursery.com/2011/design-advice/rock-star-bookcase-design-advice/

In keeping with the rustic theme of the nursery, I ventured to Home Depot and for $3 had two piece of rope cut for curtain tiebacks. I roughly knotted the ends to give it a more "finished" look and then I just twisted the ends together so that they would hold.

http://www.ballarddesigns.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDetailView?storeId=10052&catalogId=10551&productId=209522&langId=-1&SourceCode=BDSBT1

These wooden stars actually gave me the inspiration for the nursery style. I loved the unfinished look, natural material, and neutral colors. One star is designed as a serving tray, two are the same but I turned one around, and the frame has been floating around this house forever,broken, trying to find its place (it's lightweight, hammered copper). I made them all able to hang and placed them over the crib.

The new toddler room needed storage and space saving, fun ideas for my son. We found this magnetic board at Ikea for $13 and this wire magazine rack at a thrift store. We placed them below the window in his room as an inviting place to play. $20 total and floor space remains open for play- success!

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10159443/

If you knew me during my first pregnancy you'll remember that I made all of the nursery bedding- skirt, bumper pad, curtains...you name it, I sewed it. This time there was NO WAY I was doing that again. The problem was, I was as uninterested this time in what was out there for bedding as I was the first go around. Luckily I found on Pinterest a simple, stylish way to make a crib skirt without using more than scissors, hemming tape, and an iron. With two cribs to cover, this was right up my alley!

http://projectnursery.com/2011/09/diy-to-sew-or-not-to-sew-your-crib-skirt/

There's so much more to show but I'll spare you the grand tour (at least for now). My point is that I don't just spend hours on Pinterest with nothing to show for it. I actually do put it to good use (sometimes) and here's proof of it! It's not life changing stuff or out of this world creative, but it's personal and done with care. After all, these rooms are where my heart is so why not put in a little extra thought and energy?! Have you made something special lately with the help of Pinterest? Show me what'cha got! Happy Pinning!