Friday Five: Dear Santa

 

one

 

Bath & Body Works Fresh Balsam candle

 

Last year I fell in love with Thymes Frasier Fir poured candle. It just smells like Christmas.

Unfortunately, my new job doesn't pay as well as my old one so at $32 for a 6.5 oz jar I needed to find an alternative. I have to tell you, I am obsessed with this candle! I got a 14.5 oz candle for $10 and, to my surprise, these candles are so much more fragrant than the pricier ones I've tried. It fills the whole house, without being overpowering, and the scent lasts long after you've blown the candle out.

I originally stocked up on these for Christmas gifts but I might end up keeping them all for myself.

 

 

 

two

 

 

 

C. Wonder Heart's Desire Crewneck Sweater

 

How cute is this sweater? Dear Santa, I'll take the navy in medium

 

 

three

FauxRealBoutique

 

I am obsessed with this etsy shop full of Tom Binns inspired pieces.

 

 

 

four

5 Quart Oval Dutch Oven

 

 

Whistling Tea Kettle

 

please and thank you

 

 

five

 

 

GAP Flannel PJ set

 

i seriously want to put on a pair of these and not take them off until spring

 

 



Trader Joe's Tuesday. On Wednesday.

 

this was way too sweet for me and SG but CJ loved it

if something is too sweet for me you can be sure he'll love it

 

 

 

this is a spin on the cranberry apple butter i posted last month

i'll be taking a tray of both to Thanksgiving dinner to nibble on before we eat

 

 

 

 

i'm not a huge fan of sweet wines

i won't go so far as to say i hate them because, after all, sweet wine is still wine

a lot of my friends prefer a sweet white wine over my favorites (sauvignon blanc or pinot noir)

so i was happy to discover this bottle of Hogue the last time i was at Trader Joe's for a tasting

this is sweet enough to please my guests but not so sweet that i can't enjoy a glass

 

 

 

 nouveaus are traditionally released the third thursday of november.

they're bottled 6-8 weeks after harvest so there is very little tannin and are intended for immediate drinking since they don't improve with age.  i like mine slightly chilled.

2 buck chuck released it's nouveau last week and it's actually really good especially when you consider it's $1.99 price point. it's a great choice to bring to Thanksgiving dinner as it is crowd pleasing, goes well with the menu, and at $2 a bottle you can practically give everyone a bottle of their own...and if your family is like mine, everyone will need a bottle for themselves

 

 



Friday Five

one

 

 

 



SCNS Sports Foods 1st Tee Chocolate Peanut Pre-Round Golf Nutrition Bar, 2.46-Ounce Bars (Pack of 12)

 these are my favorite protein bars ever

it has to be this flavor and it has to be 1st Tee, i don't love the 10th Tee bars

i don't normally like peanut butter unless it's a spoonful of Jif

but these do not have that "peanut butter cup" taste

obviously these are made for golfers and are designed to carry you through the first 9 holes

which is why they contain chamomile, hops, and valerian root to help calm down and focus

they also contain a good amount of B vitamins and 100% rda of vitamin c which is a natural energy stimulant. fine and dandy. but i just eat them because they taste so freaking good

290 calories

9 grams of protein

2 grams of fiber

17 grams of sugar

i buy a box for my minivan car, a box for my nightstand, and a box for me and CJ to "share"

 

two

 

Tyler Candles - Diva Scented Candle - 11 Ounce 2 Wick Candle

 i love these candles. diva is my favorite scent, but they're all good.

i find these on my Christmas list year after year

 

 

three

KAL - Daycare Defense (Unflavored) - 2.3 oz

i don't want to jinx myself so all i'm going to say is that i swear by this stuff.

 the end

 

four

 

 

 

 

Tea Forte Loose Leaf Tea Canister - Coconut Chocolate Truffle

i heard about this tea from my girls, Kathie Lee and Hoda, and it does not disappoint

i especially like it when i'm trying to cut back on coffee but want something hot to drink in the morning. they also make a coconut mango tea that is so good over ice.

 

five
 

 

 

Old Navy lambs sweater

 
 

Trader Joe's Tuesday

Non-GMO ingredients

 

this past election day Californians voted on Prop 37 .
and although we didn't get it passed it remains a big issue in my state and in my home. i just wanted to take a minute to point out that since 2001 Trader Joe's private label products have been made from non-GMO ingredients. you can read more about it here. and although i know there is some pressure to get them to take things a step further and label their food as non-GMO, as a mom, i'm just happy to know there is a one-stop-shopping place i can go to feed my daughter without thinking about genetically modified anything. because thinking about it is truly unappetizing

 

 

last week my husband was out of town so i kept the meals light.

cheese, crackers, a bottle glass of wine, and date night with @BravoAndy are all it takes to keep me happy. when my husband is home he generally prefers meat, vegetables, and some type of dessert.

 

 

caprese bites

 

i usually make these for a party. they're quick, easy, and just fancy enough

i had some mozzarella balls leftover from a dinner party so i made a few for myself in an effort to clean out the fridge. i used to go to the trouble of boiling down the balsamic vinegar to make a reduction until i found this balsamic glaze from Trader Joe's. i love this stuff. i didn't have basil on hand but i usually put pieces of basil between the tomatoes and the mozzarella balls

 

 

salt & vinegar chips and caramel corn

 

  these are my favorite chips right now. i know these are terrible for me but i can't stop eating them.

 i could eat salt&vinegar chips until my tongue is raw. and i'm guessing the empty bag of caramel corn tells you all you need to know. my only complaint? the bag is too small!

 

trader joe's coastal: sauvignon blanc

 

 

i love wine. my trader joe's wine guy likes to say

"wine is bottled poetry" -robert louis stevenson

and i agree

CJ and I used to have a condo in a part of downtown san diego called little italy. as you can imagine, it was heaven for a wino like me. and i'll admit that for a while there i got pretty snooty about my wines. i'm not sure if it's a result of moving to the 'burbs, or what, but these days i just like any wine with a screw top. i don't care if it's a $3 or $30 bottle so long as it's good

 i'm having a sauvignon blanc moment, so lately if i'm rushed to order at a restaurant i just blurt out "any sauvignon blanc from marlborough new zealand, please!" and as long as it's cold i know i'll like it. i'm also liking Martin Codax albarino right now, or any albarino for that matter. (but TJ's doesn't carry it so I'll save this conversation for another day...) i said all of that to say, this wine from TJ's is about $4 a bottle and i love it. my only complaint is that it doesn't have a screw top. if you like Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc, you'll like this. i like to stock up on this Trader Joe's Coastal line, in all varieties, and when i need a quick gift i just stick an Erin Condren gift label on the bottle and i'm good to go! as an added bonus when you stock up on wine for random acts of gift giving you'll find you have wine on hand when you randomly need for wine guzzling



wish my girls Lolo and Neah could have had a week long slumber party with me while CJ was out of town...next time ladies?! i have chicken in the crockpot as i type so we're back to our regularly scheduled meal planning around these parts. sadly, this means a whole lot more dishes 'round here

 





Cookbook Collection: "White Girl Pozole"

i have an obsession with diet cookbooks

and an aversion to dieting

don't ask

i'm at my worst when it comes to those "lightened up" recipes

i end up using what i have on hand and who has 2% cheese on hand?

anyways...all that to say, here is one of my favorite "diet" recipes

 



Eating for Life Eating for Life

 

my MIL recommended this book, and really this lifestyle, to me back when i was planning my wedding. if you look at pictures of her and pictures of me during that time you can really see that she followed it and i should have followed it. but, i didn't. i mean if you can't diet before your wedding, you really can't diet. but i have found some recipes in this book that i really love. and a lot of people really love that in his recipes he is very specific about brands to use, i don't get too caught up in using the brand he says unless i don't know of anything else that's comparable

 

White Girl Pozole

adapted from Eating Right for Life: Dad's Green Chile

 

8 cups of chicken broth

1 onion, finely chopped

2lbs of chicken breast

2pkgs Knorr Roasted Chicken Gravy Mix

3 cans (7oz each) green chiles- i use Hatch when possible

6 cloves garlic, minced

1-2c fresh cilantro, chopped

1tsp ground cumin

2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped

1 can (28oz) white hominy, drained

greek yogurt, for topping- you could use sour cream

 

*in chicken broth, cook onion & chicken breath. heat to boiling and then reduce to low and simmer until chicken is done (approx 20 minutes). remove chicken from broth to cool

 

*using a whisk, blend gravy mix into the broth. add chiles, garlic, 1/2c cilantro, cumin, jalapenos, and hominy. bring to a boil and then reduce back to low

 

*shred chicken and then add it back into the large pot. cover and simmer about an hour

 

*serve into a bowl and top with greek yogurt and reserved cilantro

 

 

 

 

Friday Five

one
 

buy them here. now.

 

about 10 years ago a pair of jeans changed my life.
at the time, i was a loyal Gap girl and we were in an exclusive relationship.my cousin had gone up to Pasadena to tour their art school and while she was up there she found some great pieces at a local boutique. and i'll never forget the first time i saw her new pair of 7 for all mankind jeans. they were well made, a great wash, incredibly flattering, ass lifting, and...came with a $200 price tag.
 back then, expensive jeans weren't a real thing.

 at least not that i'd heard of.
it took trying on one pair at Nordies to realize they were worth every penny.
 and so my love affair with designer jeans began.
i broke up with my Gap jeans right then and there and haven't looked back since.
 i recently started searching for a pair of skinny jeans. i'm not usually a skinny jeans kind of gal but i've been wearing leggings so much lately that i thought i'd give skinny jeans a second try.i needed jeans that i could easily stuff into my boots and i'd prefer if they didn't flatten my rear or make me look like a stuffed sausage. who wants to pay $200 for a pair of pants that make you feel like a pear shaped sausage? ummm, not me. long story short? i spent weeks trying on every pair of skinnies you can imagine (JBrand, 7FAM, citizens, hudsons, etc) and i'd basically decided that skinnies were not for me. then, on a whim, i tried on the old navy rockstar skinny jeans...and now i want every pair they have in my size! they're $34.50 (on sale for $20-29.50 right now) and the best part is that old navy is on ebates and they always have some sort of 15-30% off promo going on. (seriously, you should only be paying full price at old navy or Gap if you are drunk and/or desperate...they throw out promo codes every other day) i read a bunch of the reviews and a lot of people said these run small but i did not find that to be the case. i found them to be true to size, muffin-top proof, and the perfect length

 (i usually need longer than ankle but shorter than regular length)
 has anyone tried their Diva jeans? i'm thinking of actually going into a store to give them a try!


two



Celebrate: A Year of Festivities for Families and Friends

i've had this for over a week but haven't had a chance to dig into it yet
i intend to change that this weekend

 

 

three

Creme Abricot Fortifying Cream For Nails Women by Christian Dior, 0.35 Ounce

 

i have the worst cuticles on earth

i just ordered this last week and i'm hoping for a miracle

 

 

four

 

 

MMandLShow

i stumbled upon this youtube channel last month

and now i'm hooked. i just love these girls
seriously, you need to watch all 100+ videos. now
 

 

 

five
 

 

 

 

Ray-Ban RB4105 Folding Wayfarer Sunglasses 50 mm, Non-Polarized, Light Havana/Crystal Brown

these.are.the.best.

i'm normally more of an obnoxiously oversized sunglasses girl

probably because i have a face for radio?

but what mom can resist a pair of sunglasses that fold up into a tiny square?

SG is better about it now but, in general, she doesn't like sunglasses on my face or head

and i don't funnction at all well without my shades

a million thanks to my sister for gifting me these after i "borrowed" hers for about a year

 

 

random thoughts

i've been following my heart a lot lately

it's probably time to listen to my head and get back in the gym

but i have this stubborn wrist injury that is making me crazy
and i do love wine...

 

 

i just love CJ's meemaw so much. she is such a strong lady and a real example to all of us

and now she's facing a tough battle

i'm keeping her in my prayers and i hope that you might too

 

 

 

 

 

my proud little American

i really wanted this bubble to last her from Memorial Day through 4th of July and Labor Day all the way until the election, and it did. i think i calculated that SG will be 21 when she can cast her first presidential vote. i spend a lot of time wondering what kind of world this will be by the year 2032

 

 

 

 

 

 

one of the things i miss most about my old job is the opportunity it gave me to give back.  but the truth is, my new job presents limitless opportunities to give back if i would just take them. i think this project, OPERATION Christmas Child, would be especially neat to do with children who are old enough to understand the concept of helping others.  we need to be teaching our children to help, love, tolerate, and understand one another at an early age.

 

 Samaritan's Purse

From their website:  The story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) gives a clear picture of God's desire for us to help those in desperate need wherever we find them. After describing how the Samaritan rescued a hurting man whom others had passed by, Jesus told His hearers,

"Go and do likewise."

 

 

Here's how you can help

(from their website)

 

1. Shoe Box
Use an empty shoe box (standard size, please) or a small plastic container. You can wrap the box (lid separately), but wrapping is not required. Most importantly, pray for the child who will receive your gift.

2. Boy or Girl
Determine whether your gift will be for a boy or a girl, and the child’s age category: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. Print out the appropriate boy/girl label by downloading the artwork to the right. Mark the correct age category on the label, and tape the label to the top of your box.

3. Fill with gifts
Fill the box with a variety of gifts that will bring delight to a child. 

4. Include $7 donation
Please donate $7 or more for each shoe box you prepare to help cover shipping and other project costs. You can give online by using our “Follow Your Box Donation” option, or you can write a check to Samaritan’s Purse (note “OCC” on memo line) and place it in an envelope on top of the gift items inside your box. If you or your family are preparing more than one shoe box, please make one combined donation.

5. Drop-off
Place a rubber band around each closed shoe box and drop it off at the
collection center nearest you during our collection week, November 12-19, 2012.

For locations and hours of collection visit our Drop-Off Locations page where you can find the nearest place to take your shoe box by entering your ZIP Code or you can call 1-800-353-5949.

You can also send your shoe box gift to:
Samaritan’s Purse
Operation Christmas Child
801 Bamboo Road
Boone, NC 28607

 

 

 

i was pleased to find that there was a drop-off location only 5 miles from my house

SG and i will be filling up some shoe boxes this weekend and i'll let you know how they turn out!



on love and loss

i had the announcement all planned out

we were going to send out a Christmas card with a picture of SG wearing a "Big Sister" shirt

i couldn't wait to order that shirt. to take that picture. to see our families faces.

my little girl was going to be a big sister. the best  big sister. besides her mama

 

 

i don't know how to sugar coat it

the truth is, when i found out i was pregnant with SG, i was devastated

i blamed my reaction on the fact that i was about to start a brand new job. my dream job

and now i'd have to tell my bosses that i was expecting a baby

 that the person they hired no longer existed

she disappeared the minute that bright blue line popped up. we'd been married 11 months when i found out i was pregnant the first time. we both had good jobs. we'd been together 6 years. we were happily married. so i should have been excited, but i wasn't. i lost 19lbs my first trimester because all i did was cry. i was too upset to eat. and i have never felt so alone.

i know now that my reaction had nothing to do with that dream job and everything to do with me.

i was terrified.

my grandparents raised me because my mother couldn't. or wouldn't.

and during my entire pregnancy i was afraid that i wouldn't be a good mom. that i wouldn't know how to be a good mom. that i'd want to drop the baby off at the nearest fire station, and run away.

 i was pregnant for 41 weeks and i never once felt ready for the baby to come.

 

 

ready or not she finally came, a week late, on her daddy's birthday

and those first few days were really hard

but i fell in love with my little girl. and i fell hard

 

 

so this time. this most recent time. was different.

when this test was positive i got to give my husband the reaction he'd always wanted

and i meant it. i was so excited this time

because this time i knew how much i could love my child. my children

my daughter has taught me that i am capable of love beyond measure

she healed my broken heart and restored my belief in a mother's love

and i want to give her a sibling. because no matter what doubts i have ever had about a parents love i have always known how important siblings are. i am the oldest of four kids and i don't know what i would do without my sisters. and i want that for my daughter.
 she is enough for me but i worry that i might not always be enough for her

 

 

 it all went wrong pretty quickly

and i was at a crowded concert so there wasn't much time to react

i have cried a million tears. i have asked God why. and i have listened to the quiet

enjoy this little girl you have. appreciate this time you have with her. with just her

 

so that's what i've been doing
enjoying my little girl

and that's what i will continue to do

and i will trust in God's plan because even when i thought i wasn't ready to become a mother He knew i was. He knew that a chubby little 8lb baby girl was exactly what i needed to make myself whole and His timing was better than anything i could have ever planned myself



Trader Joe's Tuesday

rice rolls

 

 

 

i'm a sucker for the "new arrivals" end cap at my Trader Joe's

you can count on me stocking up on anything new

and anything the sample lady is selling

 

 

these were just okay

sort of a cross between a rice cake and one of those sweet kashi cereals

i wouldn't buy them again, but they weren't awful

 

 

 

lemon curd crumpets

 

 

these have become a household favorite

a shmear of lemon curd is our favorite

but you could do jam, honey, and even peppper jelly

 

 

 

 

 rice-a-roni

 

 

 my sample lady hates when i assign brand names to Trader Joe's products

"no, those are not pop tarts. those are Trader Joe's all natural toaster pastries"

alrighty then, tastes like an expensive pop tart to me!

i digress. this "rice orzo pilaf mix" is an awful lot like rice-a-roni

but so much freaking better

i like to use 1 cup water, 1 cup chicken broth instead of the 2 cups of water the box directions call for. and if i'm really feeling crazy i use 2 cups of chicken broth instead of water

(especially when i'm using homemade broth which can be a little bland compared to store bought)

 

 

pull-apart dinner rolls

 

 

last night i made chicken pie and i served it with trader joe's "rice-a-roni", fresh sweet peas, and these rolls. since chicken pie has a biscuit topping i hadn't considered serving bread with this meal

but as i was pouring a glass of wine i caught CJ using one of these pull-apart rolls to sop up his plate

i was about to make a smart ass comment but my watering mouth wouldn't let me

these would be perfect for Thanksgiving or with any meal that leaves behind a yummy gravy mess on your plate. which includes exactly nothing that i should be eating anytime soon



Weekend Recap

this weekend was a lazy one

between the 90* weather and the time change

we just kind of rolled around

watching football, playing outside, and cleaning out the dvr and the fridge

 

we also spent a lot of time chasing each other with the hose

*daddy wanted the nekkid baby picture censored

 so i figured i'd go ahead and add a bow while i was at it*

 

the critters we find are the worst part of living alongside a canyon

there is nothing fun or cute about your 21 month old bringing you a potato bug

and i'm not talking about a roly poly bug

these are easily the most disgusting creatures i've ever seen

 

 

so we spent time

hanging out in SG's somewhat critter free playroom

 

 

on sunday night we tackled the return of the "witching hour" with a quick trip to the beach

we hoped running up and down the pier might distract her from the time change

 

 

 

it worked

until it didn't

 

 

 

between the forecasted heatwave

and adjusting SG to the time change

this week should be a blast!