Confessions

1) I have had the hardest time coming up with ideas for something to cook lately!! I just sit trying to meal plan and nothing comes to mind. Well...... things come to mind, but they are usually not healthy. I am trying to cook healthier, but it is really hard.

2) We went to lunch at Chili's last weekend. We got a Triple Dipper (appetizer) and I always have to have chips and salsa there because they are my favorite. And since we had all the appetizers, I just got a small house salad for my meal. It was perfect.

3) I'm really tired of picking up toys. And as soon as I pick them up, they are everywhere again. Oh well, I'm just thankful to have someone that plays with toys :)

4) Can you believe it's almost May already? This year is going by sooooo fast, I guess that means I'm getting old since time is passing so fast.

5) I am going to really enjoy when Gus calls me mama regularly. He says DaDa all day long. When we went to the grocery store Monday, he said DaDa the whole time we shopped.

6) I got a DP today, and they must have needed to change out the box, because it was disgusting. I couldn't even drink it. Very sad....

I'm shocked I came up with these, I wasn't sure I was going to blog today at all. I'm cooking dinner for the youth at the church tonight. I'm making them soft tacos, cheese dip, and cookies. I'm going to be busy this evening. And that's what's going on in our little world.....

Rain!!

1) It rained some more, yay!!! I hope it rains some more today too. However- I do not enjoy having to dry muddy wet dog feet every time I let the dogs out. Sometimes I don't wipe them off. It'll be easier to just clean the floor in a few days...... or maybe I'm just lazy!

2) I made macaroni and cheese last night and ate a lot of it.... like half the pan. I shouldn't have done that!

3) I keep pinning stuff about getting rid of a baby belly, but do I ever actually do the exercises...... ? Maybe I think that thinking about it will burn some fat.... not working too well so far! And most diets I read say the first thing to do is cut out cokes, and I am not giving up my Dr. Pepper..... end of story!

4)For example, I pinned this yesterday....

Source: get-thinspiration.tumblr.com via Catie on Pinterest

I never eat breakfast... I just have some coffee (with sugar and 1/2 and 1/2). I really don't like grilled chicken, never have. And I seriously doubt we can even buy quinoa at our grocery store and I am not even sure where to look for it. SOOOOO why on earth did I pin this???? I don't know. I think I thought"OOOO i could do the salad for lunch and then the fudge bar for dessert, that's doable.." (like the diet will work when I eat half a pan of macaroni and cheese). Moving on!

5) I'd much rather be eating something like this!

Source: Uploaded by user via Catie on Pinterest

Oh dips..... how I love you!!

6) I probably should go get out of my pajamas now.....

Midweek confessions

~ I have already not been keeping up with my "resolutions" very well. This is why I don't like to make them. But, I just keep going and try to to my best to start back at it. That's the way all of life is.... right?

~I actually haven't been very good about keeping up with anything the last week or so since I have had a cold. I'm tired and have little motivation, I need to get well very soon!

~I think I gave my cold to Gus. He started feeling bad yesterday. How can he not get what I have though? I am with him all day long, making sure his food isn't too hot, giving him kisses... etc. I still feel bad. We already took him to the dr and got him some medicine.

~I don't like to go to the dr. I am not sure why. I don't have anything against it. I just always get over whatever I have. It takes a while, but I get over it. I of course encourage Josh to go and take Gus if he is sick. I am just stubborn.

~I spent most of yesterday afternoon on the couch. I was resting so hopefully I will get well.

~I started a Valentine's day craft last week, it still isn't finished. It is taking forever!!! Maybe that's why I don't craft.... But I will share it with you very soon! I just need to finish it first, hopefully before Valentine's day

~I bought my favorite kind of chips last weekend, and then I ate the whole bag in two sittings. They taste so good, I can't put them down...and that's why I try not to buy them.

~The other night I just kept looking at food on Pinterest and kept making myself hungry. Things like this can be so tempting:

Source: theaprongal.com via Catie on Pinterest

I will stop there!

How Much Can I Put in ONE Post?

Starting out with my confessions for the week:

~I already wrote about this, but I thought I'd put it here. We had a potluck at church on Sunday. I took a Stouffer's lasagna I had in the freezer. I felt guilty I didn't cook something. But the two of us could never eat a whole lasagna.

~I bought a foot soak on clearance at Target a few weeks ago. I wanted to give it a try. You put some in a small container of water to soak your feet. This is what we came up with....

Yes- that is Gus's duck bathtub. And yes, my husband and I did it together. We were having a family "spa" moment. Gus was quite confused because he couldn't get in his duck....

~My floor has been disgusting for almost two weeks, and I finally mopped it today. I didn't want to mop it while we had our dog visitor because it would just get dirty really fast....

~There were some piles of clothes in our bathroom that got mixed up - some clean and some dirty. Josh asked, "Are you smelling my pants to see if they are clean?" as I was smelling them. And yes they were clean. However, my pants were dirty...I really need to fold clothes today!

Enough of that!

Things Making Me Smile (What I'm loving):

1) Gus talking, all the time- I know it won't be long before we are having conversations, I can't wait!

2) Gus walking- yes, I said walking! He took 5 steps on Monday (of course while I was gone) and then 3 steps yesterday! I can't believe my little boy is that big.

3)My husband cleaned up my kitchen for me while I was gone on Monday- I REALLY appreciated it!

4)Gus and I made a trip to Hobby Lobby yesterday. I have several craft projects we are going to do, but for now they are a surprise :)

5) I made homemade baked mozzarella sticks last night! I looked at several recipes, and this is what I ended up doing:

Baked Mozzarella Sticks

Mozzarella Sticks, cut in half
3 eggs, beaten
Flour
Panko
Italian Seasoning
Salt
Marinara Sauce

I put the Mozzarella sticks in the freezer for several hours. I then took them out and cut them in half. I rolled them in flour first. I then dipped them in the egg. Next I dipped them in a mixture of Panko, Italian seasoning (about a teaspoon), and a few dashes of salt. I dipped them back in the egg and again in the Panko mix and placed them on a cookie sheet. If I had room in my freezer, I might have put them back in there for a few minutes to harden the breading a little bit.

I then baked them at 425 for about 10 minutes. The panko wasn't brown yet, so I turned on the broiler just long enough to brown the sticks.

They tasted really good! You could make these ahead of time and just put them in the fridge or freezer. This was an easy appetizer!

6) I just got my floor mopped. It had been dirty for a while. The house now smells fresh and I can relax!

7) I have finished putting all of Gus's pictures up until now into photo books to order. Now I only am waiting for a good sale. I am glad I will have his first year documented well. Hopefully I can keep it up!

8) My feet are warm inside my soft Ugg house shoes my mom got me for Christmas- so comfy!
9)I'm still really enjoying having my nails painted, although I need to redo them right now. I think I'm going to keep painting them for a while!

10) I'm thankful to have a husband that loves our little boy so much! Just this morning, Josh looked at me and said, "I love our little boy." Gus is so blessed to have such a great daddy.

On to Pinterest:

Source: allthingslovelyblog.com via Catie on Pinterest

I saw these French Dip Sandwiches and they look easy and yummy, I want to try!

Source: pixelatedcrumb.com via Catie on Pinterest

These would probably be dangerous for me to make!

Source: foodformyfamily.com via Catie on Pinterest

Homemade chips and Avocado Ranch dip- honestly- what could be better???

Happy Wednesday!! Is it really February already??

Confessions and Weekly Pinterest

This weeks confessions:

~I really just can not resist eating chips, especially potato chips. Tuesday I skipped lunch, but then sat down to watch a little tv while Gus napped and ate chips and some salsa I made last week. It tasted so good..... I'm going to regret it when I get on the scale tomorrow.

~I should be picking up my house right now, but I'd rather be on my computer..

~I am really sucked into Downton Abbey. Back when I was single and lived alone, I would get really into a movie or series. For example, I love Jane Austen movies, and I would watch them all the time. Then I would listen to the soundtracks. And then I would be researching quotes... You get the picture. I am thinking about buying the soundtrack to Downton season 1. The haunting melody is amazing.

~Josh and I went to the symphony last Saturday night. The music was really beautiful. I played the violin for 8 years and the piano for 13. I majored in music my freshman year of college. I injured my wrist, and I rarely play anymore- mostly because we don't have a piano right now. When I hear a really good piece of music, I miss my music days. I love to play the piano. I know one day I will play a lot again.

~On a similar note, growing up my life centered around music. I took violin and piano lessons. I played the piano at church. I was in choirs. I played in several orchestras. And now- I only serenade Gus sometimes. I want Gus to have the same appreciate for music that Josh and I have. It is an invaluable gift.

~This morning, I spent a long time in the car driving. The radio stations I usually listen to were playing commercials or songs I didn't like. So, I ended up listening to the BBC for an hour. I felt so old, when did I become an adult?



Now, some ideas I have from Pinterest:

Source: fullofgreatideas.blogspot.com via Catie on Pinterest

I think installing frames around the mirrors in both our bathrooms would add so much!

Source: lifeinthegreenhouse.com via Catie on Pinterest

I am going to try this shells and chicken recipe this week. I'll let you know how it turns out!

Source: thesisterscafe.com via Catie on Pinterest

I can't wait to try these baked taquitos! They will be so much healthier than fried ones.

Source: theidearoom.net via Catie on Pinterest

I want to try these for Valentine's day. I have other ideas for Valentine's but I want to keep them a surprise :)

Source: spirituallythinking.blogspot.com via Catie on Pinterest

Source: imgfave.com via Catie on Pinterest

I believe this is true. Beauty comes from within- the light in your eyes...

We will be having an interesting few days at our house. I am dogsitting my sister's new dog. I will have pictures soon- she is really cute.

Confessions, Clothes, and Conversation

Good Morning!

Not much new has happened around here since yesterday. I cleaned off my kitchen counters so now there is more space, yay me!

Here is my first time doing this! Today I am wearing:

Sweater- Gap, I found it in my closet last week, I have no idea when I got it, it has been a while
Pants- Banana Republic- I searched for probably years for a good pair of khaki- love these
Scarf- Christmas gift from mom- Banana Republic- I rarely get things at Banana, it just happens that I am wearing 2 of the like 5 things I have today
I am wearing khakis today because I am working this afternoon.
It took me like 15 minutes to get this picture, trying to work with the timer on my camera...

I'm going to get started here with some confessions:

~I have trouble getting my dog Bear to eat. He is a yorkie-poodle, about 6 lbs. He comes and asks me for food, I give him some, and then he doesn't eat it. All the while, I have to guard the bowl from our other dog Samson who eats everything in sight. And.... I have to keep Gus away who has decided dog food looks yummy. For several days I was able to get Bear to eat if I put the food in my hand. Yes folks, I would sit on the floor, while keeping Gus and Samson away and feed my little Bear. So yesterday, I tried adding water to his food. Ta-da! He ate it all! Since then it has worked every time.

~Back in October or November, I can't remember, something spilled on the back of my top shelf of the fridge. I confess I have not cleaned it up yet, it's on the list for this week. Gross!! Embarrassing!

~I am behind on announcing the verse I am memorizing this week. It is actually one I have already memorized, but I was reading Jesus Calling and thought about the verse in a different light.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God."
Philippians 4:6

I should give thanks with all my prayers, even before there are answers. I am thankful that God listens to me. I am thankful he hears my requests.

~Lately whenever I open my freezer, something falls out. I got really mad the other night when this happened. A plastic container of cookie dough fell, cracked, and all the cookie dough was lost. I was not happy. I need to reorganize my freezer.....

~I have started looking for ideas for Gus's 1st birthday, I can't believe it is getting close! I will save my ideas to share with you later!

~I didn't really wear any shorts last summer, and I love shorts. I was still big with all my baby weight. And I think I only had one pair that would fit. Your body really does change shape after a baby. I'm hoping to wear something like this picture this year:

Source: polyvore.com via Catie on Pinterest

~I saw this on another blog yesterday- and I want to always keep it in my when I have trouble coming up with subjects:

Source: mimuller.tumblr.com via Catie on Pinterest

~I am trying to start reading some more. As I have said before, I am reading Spoken From the Heart by Laura Bush. It's a long book, I'm over halfway- but it is slow going. I read quickly usually- because I tend to scan and not read every word. I read enough to get the general idea. I need to stop doing that....

~I am hoping to get more crafty. I enjoy getting ideas from Pinterest. Maybe I will do some of them someday- I will let you know

~When I put on my pants this morning, they felt a little snug. I knew I shouldn't have eaten all those chips last night.... but they were soooo good!

~I have to share a video of Gus talking, he just talks all the time now, and I love it. I am still working on getting him to say- Hi Mama, he says Hi DaDa all the time, even when he see me in the mirror

The Pleated Poppy

Whatever Whenever Wednesday

Midweek Confessions January 11

It's that time of the week again, and here we go.

~ I am sitting on the floor of my bathroom to write today. There is a heater in here and it is warm and kinda cozy....

~I am not very good about designating posts to Gus's month birthdays. For example, yesterday Gus was 10 months old!! Oh- how the time flies by! I have very recently written about how he is growing HERE and HERE if you care to know. I'm also going to put some little videos of him at the end today.

~I did some sit-ups yesterday. Not sure why I decided to. I woke up sore this morning. Yes, I am out of shape. But, I did them again today so maybe it will shrink some of this baby fat away...

~ I am trying a recipe today that I found on Pinterest:

Source: tastykitchen.com via Catie on Pinterest

I will let you know how it turns out. It is in the crock pot!! I rarely cook anything in the crockpot, but I am trying to learn more recipes we like. Busy toddler=need for easy meals!

~I am working this afternoon while Josh stays with Gus. It is nice for Josh to have some time off and some time alone with Gus. I haven't worked in weeks, I am really spoiled :)

~I saw this last night on Pinterest and loved it. There is hope for those of us who aren't beauty queens

Source: weheartit.com via Catie on Pinterest

Now one of my goals is to make my husband's life beautiful

~I got a lot of sleep last night, it was great. I still felt groggy when I woke up. I guess no matter how much sleep I get- I still need my coffee.

~This is how Gus likes to say MaMa- doesn't he have the cutest face?!?! This "MaMa" isn't proud of her little man at all.... ;)




~My current style of scrapbooking to remember Gus as a baby: Picaboo photo books! They are easy to make on my computer, look really nice, and will keep over time. I am so bad at regular scrapbooking- it would never get done.

And with that- Happy Wednesday!!!

Midweek Confessions

It's time for Midweek Confessions! I have had a lot of fun doing this each week, so here we go:

~On Monday, I had to get dog food out of Gus's mouth. He was playing with a bag of dog food. Then I heard it spilling onto the floor. I found 4 pieces in Gus's mouth. I don't think he actually ate any. Oops!!

~I enjoy look at houseplans, it's like a hobby.

~I often leave dishes from dinner in the sink until morning. I want to spend the evening with Josh, not in the kitchen.

~Nearly every evening around 6:45, you can find me running around the kitchen like a crazy person. The time we eat dinner is the same every night, but I somehow manage to get stressed trying to get things together. Thank goodness for a highchair and baby puffs to keep Gus entertained!

~I haven't been getting out of bed until it is absolutely necessary in the morning. Gus has been up a lot during the night, and I am exhausted. I get up in enough time to make coffee and iron Josh's clothes before he leaves for work.... I feel so lazy, but the tired feeling wins every time.

~ I have already thought about a few things concerning Gus for Easter..... I know....... it is way early!

~I always get a little irritated when I go to the store a few days after Christmas and there are Valentine's hearts everywhere. I need time to be sad Christmas is over. It makes me feel a little behind too!

~As I sit here writing this, Gus is sitting at my feet tearing apart a Pottery Barn catalog. And now- he is chewing on my knee. As long as he is happy and entertained, I am happy!

And with that- I think it is time for coffee and getting out of pjs. Happy Wednesday!

Whatever Whenever Link-Up

Midweek Confessions

This is going to be short and sweet today:

- People will be at my house in a few hours, I still have piles of laundry that need to be done, but I know they won't mind seeing a few of Gus's outfits dirty, all that matters is that we are together

- I am really excited about Christmas this year. Both of our parents will be here and also my grandparents. Although Gus will not remember his first Christmas, I know all of us will.

-I have had a lot of fun being Santa this year. Yes, we do Santa at our house. We both grew up with it, and I still love it to this day. I remember the year I found out he wasn't real. I wasn't upset at all. I still loved the idea of it. I know some people don't do Santa, I respect that. But, it is something we have decided to continue.

-As it gets closer and closer to Christmas, I get excited and a little sad at the same time. I don't want the Christmas season to end! I am always sad to put away the tree, stop the Christmas music.... it never gets old. It really is the most wonderful time of the year.

-I have felt so blessed this year. Even if I didn't get a single gift, it would still be a wonderful time.

-I keep telling myself to stop eating the goodies around my house..... it isn't working very well...

-I started cleaning stuff out of my fridge yesterday, and there was some stuff in there.....well.... let's just say, it had been in there a while......Embarrassing!!!

-One of the socks I have on has a hole in it, and my toe keeps sticking out. But I don't have anymore clean black socks. No one can see the hole but me, that's ok isn't it???

That's it for now, time to go clean some more, or maybe have a cookie... :)