Teal for Trigeminal Neuralgia

The husband of a dear friend suffers from Trigeminal Neuralgia. It is a terrible disorder. He is undergoing surgery tomorrow to hopefully bring him some sort of relief.

Teal is the color of Trigeminal Neuralgia awareness. Today I sport teal nails for my friend and her family.

Buffalo Chicken Rice

My older children like to cook. They can prepare basic things like scrambled eggs, pasta, muffins (from a mix), etc. Although I cook most nights I like to buy basic, easy to prepare items for them to prepare for those nights life is super crazy or I am not home. I buy easy to prepare pasta, rice, soups, etc. One time I picked up Lipton Buffalo Chicken Rice because it was on sale for $1 and I figured, why not?

My 9-year-old LOVED it. He has been asking for it every since and now I cannot find it anywhere. Being the resourceful mom that I am (ha ha, yeah right) I created my own.

I prepared it very similar to how I prepare Spanish rice, except I used wing sauce in place of tomato sauce.

-2 tablespoons of oil (I use EVOO)
-2 cups of medium grain rice
-3 cups of water
-1 cup of wing sauce (I use Frank's RedHot Buffalo Wing Sauce)
-1 cup shredded chicken
This made a million portions because I have a million kids. My kids also like spicy food so you can use less Frank's and more water if you choose. I did not measure the garlic salt or pepper I just guesstimated.

I brown my rice, garlic salt and pepper in the EVOO until the rice is golden. Add chicken, wing sauces and water, stir and then cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed. I ate mine with a bit of gorgonzola sprinkled on top because I did not have any blue cheese. My kids hate "stinky cheese" so they ate is sans cheese.

Anyway, this was a hit. My kids LOVED it.

My life recently as told through my phone camera...

As usual there were many trips to Target

Don't worry, he is just eating ice.

There were shenanigans

There was a weekend Starbucks run

And of course...nail polish was purchased

Essie "Peak of Chic", Sally Hansen Xtreme "Jazzy Jade" and "Lacey Lilac", Maybelline Color Show "Frozen Over"

Mommy Wars Are Exhausting

Earlier this week I took a cute picture of my 18-month-old and immediately when to Instagram it (because I Instagram everything) and began to worry about the placement if his chest clip in his car seat and what if people though I really drove him around with a low chest clip. Then I was going to write about how I was sick with the plague a stomach bug and how I took the baby to daycare but then I realized I could not admit that I took the baby to daycare when I was not at work. Yesterday I was sitting here thinking about some funny things that my children have done/said that I want to remember. Well, one of those stories involved the kids drinking soda and I started thinking about how bad I would look for letting my kids have soda on occasion.

People, mommy wars are exhausting.

The truth is the my house is messier than I would like. I cook 90% of the time but sometimes driving through McDonald's is so much easier after eight hours at work and then another two hours on the football field chasing my toddler. Last week I had a stomach bug and spent my day sitting on the bathroom floor puking my guts out...my husband recognized I was sick and took the baby to daycare even though I was home. I yell more than I should. At least once a week a I forget to sign my 9-year-old's school agenda (those damn agenda's and reading logs are the bane of my existence). I let my kids have soda once a week. I take car seat safety very seriously and call me crazy but I worry about chest clip placement when actually driving and not so much when snapping pictures.

I really want to stop explaining myself. I feel so pressured to explain myself all the time because I am not that ideal, stereotypical mom. Explaining myself all the time makes me unhappy. And going back to Making 2014 count I vowed to work on happiness. I am done with that (well, trying to be done). I can't and will not explain myself all the time.

I hope at least one person reads my blog and sees my messy house and store bought cookies and thinks to them self, "Thank goodness, me too."

Here is the thing, I am me and that is all I can be. I am never going to please everyone. It is not possible. But at the end of the day, I love my kids just as much as any other mom. I work hard to take care of my family, just like any other mom. How I get there may be different but in the end, the results are the same.

Editing is hard

I am trying so hard to learn Photoshop. I looked into taking a class but it was pricey. And really, when exactly when do I have time for a class? There are tons of resources in the web anyway.

Before

After

I am just so frustrated with the whole editing process. It seems to come so easy to everyone else and I cannot seem to get it.

Shooting the Moon

I do not have the proper equipment for moon pictures but that does not stop me...

18-months-old

I am not quite certain where the past year and half went. It seems like he was born last week. But here were are barreling towards age 2. When I found out I was pregnant it was a such a huge shock, such an adjustment. With nearly eight years between the baby and my next youngest, I wondered how it all would ever work. Now, I cannot imagine our life any other way. It works, I am not sure how and my house is always a mess and I am always tired. But it works.

My little baby is now a toddler!

He is a happy little guy. He loves to eat. And he eats, a lot. He likes everything you give him and seems to really enjoy spicy food which is so funny. He does not like milk but has to have his sippy cup of ice water at all times. This is a fun (and sometimes frustrating) age. He talks a lot and understands even more. He is a total daddy's boy. He adores all his siblings but has a soft spot for his eldest brother. He is not fond if the dog but the feeling is mutual. He loves music but his favorite song is "What Does The Fox Say?" which is cute but gets old fast at 4am. :) Like I always say, he is greatest gift I never knew I wanted.

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My life recently as told through my phone camera...

I took down Christmas...

Taking down Christmas is always a bummer but my helper was cute

I painted my nails and bought more nail polish

I had some Pinterest success

I imbibed...it is Saturday. Don't judge.

Confessions of a Nail Polish Addict

I have the ugliest nails ever. The are really thin and they peel. Even when I am taking vitamins when pregnant and breastfeeding, they are just the most pathetic nails ever. And as I have mentioned before, I pick at my cuticles. Such a terrible habit but I have gotten much better about it. A few years ago a had two co-workers who always had their nails painted. They always always looked so nice and neat. I decided to start painting my nails regularly in an attempt to look more "polished" (no pun intended) and to help deter me from picking at my fingers. My love affair with nail polish began.

I am not picky, I will try any brand. But admittedly my favorites are Essie and Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear. I treat my self to a new bottle (or two or three...) every payday. It has been hard keeping my self in control this week because the Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear is buy one get one half off at Walgreens and Revlon Nail Enamel is $1.99 at Smith's this week. Must. Resist. Anyway, I came across Sally Hansen Big Matte Topcoat last night. And of course, I had to have it. I am so glad I bought it. It is AMAZING! It dries really fast and gives your nail polish a whole new look.

Please excuse my ugly nails/hands and picture quality here.For this look I used Essie "Ignite The Night", Revlon Nail Enamel "Urban" and of course Sally Hansen Big Matte Topcoat.

Anyway, I highly recommend Sally Hansen Big Matte Topcoat. Even if you do not have a nail polish addiction, it will add new life to your polish collection.

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Pinterest Success!

I love it when a Pinterest idea works out! This was super easy and super cheap. I already had the ribbon so I just bought cards. I am sure they are cheaper at the dollar store but I paid $3 at the grocery store. Super cute and I am going to make another to hang in my office. It took me all of 30 minutes while watching Breakfast at Tiffany's ("Thursday! It can't be! It's too gruesome!") and sipping wine by the fireplace.

I did it...

I did it...I joined the gym again. Went today and worked my tail off. I am already sore but it will be so worth it.

My life recently as told through my phone camera...

Let's see, well my life has been similar to everyone else lately, enjoying the hustle and bustle of the holidays. I am always sad when it is over. And this year it seemed to come so fast.

Well, for one my baby toddler is still super cute.

I have a serious nail polish addiction. I have the ugliest, most pathetic nails that break all the time. Oh and to make matters worse I pick at my cuticles (nervous habit). But I keep painting them and pretending I am cute anyway.

My cute toddler hated this little carousel "ride" but we took a picture anyway. Please note, I took him off immediately after this picture was taken. I am not a complete jerk, just a half jerk.

Aside from receiving the most awesome boots ever, my favorite gift this year was a coffee mug that looks like a camera lens! How cute is this? You can buy one HERE.

We rang in the new year with lots of junk food. The only way to ring in the new year if you ask me.

And that is my life lately.

Making 2014 Count

Many people are picking a word to focus on rather than a specific list of resolutions. I thought really long and hard about this but initially I could not come up with anything. Not because I do not have tons to work on. Believe me, it would take me hours to sit here and write everything I need to improve upon and change in my life because I am a hot mess. Seriously.

I was just having trouble pulling everything together into one word or one theme to focus on. Here is the thing. The past year has been sort of a downward spiral for me. I am really battling some horrible anxiety and depression. I have gained a lot of weight. I am really struggling with being a working mom. I am just…well, I am unhappy. Really unhappy. It is really hard to put that out there. I hate to be a Debbie Downer. People ask each other all the time, “How are you?” But the truth is, I am not sure they really want to hear the truth.

The positive spin on this is that I *do* have the power to change most of this.

Weight- I have the power to lose weight. I can do it. It will take work and commitment but I can do it. We can afford for me to join a gym. A family member suggested that I buy a treadmill instead. But as crazy as it sounds, I am less likely to work out that way. And the truth is, I enjoy going to the gym.

Depression/anxiety- This is an area that I have struggled with for years and likely will forever. But there are things I can do to combat it. First of all exercise. Study after study showjust how helpful exercise can be in the treatment of depression. I figure exercise is a good starting point.

**UPDATE- I did it! I joined the gym again!.**


Working mom- Well, this is the hard one. I have to work and I need to just accept that. It is my reality and being all sad about it is not going to change a darn thing. I do like my job, a lot. But I hate leaving my little guy. I hate feeling like I am running around with my head chopped off most of the time. I really need to figure out a way to simplify this process because this is my life. The other thing is that I just need to expect that there is a certain level of chaos that goes along with a large household that includes five children, one dog and two working parents. It is what it is and you just have to be ok with some things.

Sometimes Often, I forget that it is ok to focus on myself once. That is does not make me bad or selfish to take care of myself too. There is no need to be a martyr. I think this contributes greatly to my unhappiness and because of that, I really let my life spiral out of control.

After sitting here, reflecting and writing everything out, my word came to me.

HAPPINESS
My focus for 2014 will be happiness. Some days that will mean telling myself it is ok to feed the kids fast food for dinner. Other days it will mean painting my nails instead of folding laundry. Just stopping once and a while to enjoy life and be happy. It is ok to be happy and I forget that a lot lately. That will change.

Boys of Fall

I received a new lens for Christmas. Sadly, I have been working so much that I have not had much time to practice with it yet. I got in a quick 5 minute session with two of my boys they other day. I am bummed because the pictures are so grainy because I had to crank up the ISO due to my lighting conditions. Oh well.

But what I do like about these pictures is that it really captures my football loving boys. We always have a football every where we go. Quick trip to to the grocery store? Better bring the football. Running into Target for a few things? Better bring the football. I am not exaggerating at all.

Boys will be boys.