SOme recent projects

While I am waiting to unveil my BIG, secret project .. here's some crap I've whipped up lately.

(Thanksgiving card)


(For Ri's room)


(Box for Riley - used cricut cartridge tutorial)

Christmas Magic

My shopping is DONE! Wooohooo. Now it's time for the fun stuff: baking, spoiling the children, and decorating.
Everyone knows the key to successful Christmas tree decorating is to check all the lights before you get them on the tree. And of course, none of them still work, so don't start decorating at 8 at night, because we all know, no one wants to run to the store for more. Especially not when there's eggnog in the fridge and cookies in the oven (yes, I bake almost daily during the season. God Bless you Stroller Strides!) It also helps if you have fantastic helpers to help test the lights... getting them in a tangled mess is key to your success. You are sure to pinpoint the problem bulb while all the lights are wrapped around your child's body and he's ready to stick them in his mouth...




Another really special thing about Christmas is the magic. This time of year is really very special. Not only do we believe in this jolly old elf who brings us everything our hearts desire... but we also believe there is enough money in the bank for all the gifts we are buying. It is so much fun to make believe.
But the real magic is in the hearts of our children. To see them with a huge smile when they see brightly lit Christmas trees or see the terror on their faces when you tell them that "yes, your going to sit on that man's lap"... It's priceless. Magical. Really.



CLICK HER TO SEE GAVIN LOVE SANTA

No, but all joking aside. My little girl made me cry the other night... all the while reminding me about the true spirit of Christmas and the magic it brings. We have one of those light switch things that we bought at the As Seen on TV store... you can use it to make anything in your house that plugs in, turn on with the flip of a switch. So, we always use it for the Christmas tree lights. That's not the good part.. though I can see how you'd think so.
Riley also has a magic wand, that makes noise, and that she waves ferociously at her brother's face, hoping he'll disappear. Not this year, my child. Ask Santa again next year. Anyways, I digress... Last night, she was using her wand to turn the lights on the tree on and off... melted my heart...

CLICK HERE TO WITNESS CHISTMAS MAGIC

Happy Holidays!

All about a mom...

There are a lot of things some of you may not know about WHY moms love to be moms... especially why they love to be stay at home moms. I know the most common response to this question would be something along the lines of... oh, children are so pure... it's so fun to watch them grow up... blah, blah, blah. We know that already. That's a given. I'll tell you the REAL reasons moms like to be moms.... and why it it is so much fun to have kids...

First and foremost... who gets to see the sun rise?? ME ME ME. Hey. I don't love 5 am, but I love a good sunrise from my kitchen window with my morning coffee....


Secondly... you get to do things like bake at 5:30 am.... cause you don't have to be anywhere.... and no one can see you when you dip your fingers into the batter and enjoy every last taste of it (note to self: I do know the dangers of ingesting raw eggs, I have just decided a day of puking just might be worth it... should anything ever happen).


Today I made a a sour cream apple coffee cake.... which brings me to reason number three....

Reason three: PLAYDATES!!!! All of you who think playdates are for the kids... are so, so wrong. They are for moms. So they stay sane... There is nothing like a good old-fashioned laugh-fest with a fellow mom (and it helps if she also has a dirty mind, and can cuss like a sailor). Some fun things you may consider when planning your next playdate...

Making the kids cry....





OR... because ANYTHING goes... (like baby boy eating cookies!!!)



Some other benefits of playdates...
* someone to watch your kids, so you can pee in peace.
* usually all the laughing of kid A and B will drown out the crying of kid C
* if your friends are really cool, like mine, you will laugh your ass off for days leading up to said playdate and for several days after.
* and the best part: the kids usually take rockstar naps and sleep like rocks all night long.

And finally -- you can use your kids as an excuse for almost anything (not that I DO... but I'm just sayin'!).... it even works on husbands.... Take note:

Me: "oh my gosh, what a crazy day, I had a vigorous educational play group at the house for the kids today, and I had to bake, and make coffee"
Hubby: "You must be so tired??"
Me: "Oh, I am!!" (insert exaggerated yawn and stretch here)
Him: "Too tired to cook??"
Me: "Yea, I'm pretty beat, I had to teach them Latin today"
Him: "Ok, well..."
Me: "No, I think I can whip something up, does a frozen dinner sound ok???"
Him "What should I get???"
Me: "Well, I'd say sushi, but you look tired too, let me just nuke those Healthy Choice meals"
Him: "Ok, so, some california rolls and some tuna sashimi??!?!???!"
Me: "Ok, great. I'll be on Facebook"

And that my friends, is today's edition of livin' it up mommy style.

2

Dear two years old,

I just wanted to share my thoughts with you. Please realize, I do understand you are temporary, but nonetheless, I must get a few things off my chest.
First and foremost, 2 years old, YOU SUCK. Big time. Never in my darkest of days, have I felt so defeated as I do by you. You are quite literally kicking my ass. And I don't really understand how you do it.

I just wish you could make up your mind, and stick with it. Not cry when I give you something you just asked me for. Stop asking me for candy for breakfast when you KNOW you can't have it. Candy as a reward for going in the potty is coming back to bite me... just as a side note.

I also wish there was a simple solution for things that used to be so simple. I.E : BEDTIME. NAPTIME.ANYTIME. I used to be able to tuck you sweetly away with your lovey and paci and all the dolls and bears your heart desired. You stayed there. And you slept. Now, if I am lucky, you won't kick, or hit or climb out. You'll keep your diaper on and there won't be pee or (gasp!!) poop in places there shouldn't be. But there is no solution you see. A crib tent will be the ultimate target of destruction if I choose to cage you. But a big girl bed is not quite an option either. I used to think a quiet monitor meant a sleeping angel. I now know it means a plot to knock your mommy down a peg. I know it means you are eating crayons and finding a stamp (still trying to figure this one out) and stamping your doll's faces. A big girl bed, is in fact, for big girls. You, two years old, are in limbo. Not a baby, for sure, but not yet a "big girl".

Two years old, you DO make me laugh. You say the funniest stuff and CAN be the most precious thing - AT TIMES. Like telling mommy she has two chins (thanks!) and telling me that everyone is two years old, and mommy is 30 (thanks for knocking off a year, almost two). I love how you ask to play "dress up dollies". But, you know, two years old, if you could just relax a sec, so I could go and get them (after I clean up the mess you made with your lunch), it would mean the world to me.

I wish you understood that diapers and wipes cost money, two years old. Because they do. So when you tell me you have to poop, and I take off your diaper so you can sit on the potty for a milisecond, that tape is not re-usable. I need a new diaper. Grr. And those wipes that you pull out of the box by the handful, when the monitor I am listening clearly indicates you are sleeping (big fat LIE) - those are expensive. Two years old, please stop wasting wipes.
Two years old, I wish it was simple. But it's not. It's you trying to become three years old, then four, then five, and by the time I know it, 18, 19, 20. Two years old, please know I am trying my best. That I hate you, but GOD DAMMIT, do I LOVE you. I want you to discover YOU. I want you to be independent and self-sufficient. I want you to push the limits and be who YOU want to be. I guess that means, I want you to be me. Two years old, I am trying to be as patient as I can be. There will be tears (mine and yours). But there will be hugs and kisses and so much love. I think two years old is a struggle for you - your independence. But please know, two years old, it is a struggle for me as well. We are in this together, two years old.

Two years old. Only 338 days to go. And then comes three, which I've been told is ... WORSE...than two years old.

(This) Home is where my heart is.

FINALLY!!! I never thought I would live to see the day of no more boxes and packing tape.

I know I've said it before, but this time I mean it - I finally feel like I am home.



This house is perfection. Everything about it makes me smile. We have a garage for all our junk. There is plenty of space for the kids to have a play "area"... no more play "room" - but let's be honest here, I was SICK and TIRED of cleaning up a room full of toys night after freaking night. So, it's a lot more manageable this way. We also have a ton more storage space to keep some of those pesky toys tucked away for Goodwill... I mean, a rainy day.
We have a living room... and a dining room -- that wasn't an after thought. SO it is a true room for dining, not a lanai turned 4 sheets of drywall and we'll call it a dining room. Nope. We've got the real deal.
And I LOVE, with emphasis on LOVE, my kitchen. It is open, it is spacious, it is perfect. I can see the kids while I am cooking. Now I can cook and bake whenever I want..not just during nap time. I can actually be a half way productive human again, since I can see my kids from the kitchen.
We have an upstairs!! YAY! Since I've lived in Hawaii, I haven't ever lived in a 2 story house (remember, this is my 11th, yes 11th move!!!!) The kids each have their own adorable little bedroom... which I have yet to fully unpack or decorate. And the master... is ENORMOUS! It was actually two rooms turned into a giant master! We have 2, count them, 2 closets... one of which is a walk-in!! Yeeeehaw. No more making hubby hang his clothes in the kids' rooms! The second closet will be devoted to my craft stuff (read:scrapbook paper!!).
And the view... oh, the sweet view. It is spectacular. Amazing. The breeze... we hardly have to run the air, with the exception of for a few of the peak hours in the middle of the afternoon... Oh, and the air works. Don't worry, we checked.
Everything here is just fantastic. We are in love.
Now we can concentrate on living our lives and not trying to find the place to do it. So happy to finally be home.
Life is good.

(Oh, and PS, I am fully aware of the fact that my shutters need a good power wash!!).

Anywhere I hang my hat.....

Well, this is probably a much anticipated blog post for a lot of you. Everyone wants to know why the hell we are moving again so soon after moving in. Well... it is a LONG story, but for the sake of you all who want to know (and the fact that writing for me is thoroughly therapeutic), I will indulge you all in the "story" (which is really more of a nightmare).
Let me just start by telling you all how incredibly disappointing this whole thing has been. All we wanted was a bigger place with central air. We thought we found the home of our dreams. Well. Without giving a play by play of how this all went down, let me just say, we have had a maintenance person for every appliance in our house, since we moved in. Each thing that needed to be fixed, the landlord insisted was a new problem. However, every Mr.fix-it who came here seemed to know the place well, and basically rolled their eyes and gave us the same advice : "good luck with this place" - Oh great. The deal breaker though, was the A/C. We moved in this place hugely due to the fact that we were going to be the proud new parents of a central air conditioning unit. We didn't really care that it was going to cost us more per month to run it. We were ready and we were totally budgeted for the upgrade. We were also totally budgeted for the significant increase in rent we took to move in this place.
Well, when we moved in, we noticed that the house wasn't cooling. I mean it just wasn't comfy, cool, air conditioned house. I mean we did have the thermostat at 77 (which is totally acceptable and awesome for us... after all we are used to a single-wall construction home that had a total green-house effect on super hot days, and trade-winds to cool us off at night). Anyhow -- so the thermostat was very often reading 83, 84, 85 degrees, while the air was running... and the air would never shut off. After a day or so of this, and after a couple of hubby's AC friends stopped by for a look (yes, he has AC friends, and concrete friends, and tile friends, and roofing friends, and fencing friends etc etc)... we contacted the landlord. Well, after a ton of ignored calls later, several very adamant attempts to tell us that this is a new problem, they send out THEIR AC guy. Ok -- the unit is blocked, it can be cleaned, but it really needs to be replaced. OK! Excellent, prepare for a new AC. WRONG. They need two more estimates. Ok -- bring it. So, two more guys come, and they too, also recommend replacing the unit. So, in the meantime... we talk to neighbors, more maintenance guys, the CABLE guy (seriously?), and the assistant in the office of the realty company we are using... they ALL know the issues with this place and the AC. But we also find out, all of the previous tenants cut out of their leases early, mostly due to their electric bill being so high. HUH?! Interesting. So while we are waiting for the landlord to let us know the deal-io on the whole AC thing (like,uh, WHEN it's getting replaced), we get our first electric bill. (Brace yourselves!!) Nearly $500 for 17 days.... and this is running it at a reasonable temp and turning it OFF at night. Holy smokes. We did the math -- it would have cost nearly $700 for the month. I almost had an aneurysm.
More calls are being ignored, the list of damages and issues in the house that need to be fixed are still being ignored, and now we are completely and utterly fed up with the insane dogs (on both sides of us) who bark non-stop from sun up to sun down, without the owners of the dogs so much as yelling a "shhhhh" out the window. Oh my gosh, I am in hell.
So - obviously, this is a no-brainer. We are gonna make like a baby and head-out. We are done giving our money to this company. We are done waiting for the AC man to descend from the heavens and grace us with functioning central air. I have to decide who my sharp-tongued letter will be written to - and how to go about making a complaint (or whatever) with the Better Business Bureau. I am also thinking about writing a horrible business review on Craigslist, and on the Mommy's group I belong to. I just wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy (not that I have enemies)... but I am not sure on all those details yet.
So -- where will we go, you ask? Well, we are packing up all our stuff (and have managed to sell a few things in just a day!!), and putting it ALL in storage and moving in to my parent's house forever. HAHA. No -- just until we find a place - which we are hoping will be quick. We love my parents!! They are so wonderful to take us in (again!! -- I think this may be the third time we have lived with them. But the first with two kids in tow... ).
In the meantime, I have packed a house, unpacked a house, and re-packed a house all in a period of three weeks. My kids are both sick. Mu husband is sick. I am leaving to see my sister in California on Monday (oh, did I mention we are moving out on Saturday??).... but you know... I am good at this. I can do whatever this crazy life throws my way. I've battled bigger monsters. Pssh. Bring it. I am good. And home is what I make it. Home is where my family is. I am good -- anywhere I hang my hat.
(And on a side note. I am going to enjoy the crap out of my vacation). :-)

I am always looking for new and exciting twists on healthy foods... Eating a plain Jane salad is kind of old, and a girl can only eat so many Smartones and Lean Cuisine meals a day.
So since I have a complete and utter crush on Couscous, I wanted to experiment. I have two recipes that I am trying out, one is Southwestern (or something like that) and one is Mediterranean. The Southwestern one I made up, the Mediterranean one I loosely followed a recipe but added my own flair and subtracted some of the stuff from the recipe I used.
Today, I tried the Southwestern recipe.



Ingredients:
1 box couscous
1 red pepper - chopped
1 clove garlic (or more, depending on how garlicky you like things)
1 can black bean (rinsed and drained)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn
1 1/4 cup chopped red onions (I omitted today)



Directions...

Follow instructions on couscous box and prepare. I use olive oil instead of butter. Set aside.
Combine the rest of the ingredients in large bowl.
Add couscous. Enjoy immediately or chill and serve.
Salt to taste.

Movin' on up...

So -- I have lived in Hawaii for 7 years. And in that 7 years I have moved TEN times (yes TEN)... TEN TIMES ( I feel like Ed Rooney in Ferris Bueller's Day Off....niiiine times, except of course, it's ten and Jeffrey Jones is a much better Rooney than I'll ever be...) Anyhow, I digress....

After moving around so much, I have learned a few things. First and foremost - the act of packing sucks more than anything. Moving to a new home with central air and tons of space, however, is WELL worth it.

Second of all -- no matter how much time I give myself to pack up all the crap, I still wait til the last minute EVERY time. And no, all that organization BEFORE HAND never happened. Everything is still a mess, and we still have too much stuff.

Three - moving with two kids under two is a bad, BAD idea. Trying to explain where the toys are and not to play with the industrial sized tape roller is SO exhausting. I highly recommend daycare or a kennel.

Four -- I hope to all that is greater than I that this is my last move (at least for as long as I live in Hawaii)...

Next time -- I am paying someone to do this grunt work. I'm retiring. NOW.

Most of all though, I finally feel like I am "home". I love my new house and I damn sure love my central air.


BEFORE


AFTER

Momma's Fishie

So, the kids are sleeping (or are they?) and I should be packing (but am not)... what to do, what to do? Ah yes, gloat about how cool my kids are on the blog that no one reads. Sounds good to me.

Riley is a true fish at heart. She LOVES, LOVES (and emphasis on LOVES) the water. Too bad she is part Albino and it take a thousand and one sun-tan lotion applications to keep her from getting severe sunburn (and no matter how many layers, and re-applications, we still end up a little pink around the edges... but.. well, what can you do?).




And since Riley has been spending time with her older cousins, she is gaining more and more confidence in the water. It is great to be able to put on her water-wings and just let her go.



And her jumping skills are greatly improving. It is now impossible to go to the pool with Riley without her asking to jump in... a thousand times...over and OVER....and over. She IS a good kid.

And now about the food....

HOLY DELICIOUSNESS BATMAN!!!

The Sunday BBQ we had with the DJs was OFF THE HOOK!!!!

The Menu:

Ribs
Chicken thighs (cooked two ways)
Baked Beans (in all their gloriousness)
Potato Salad
Watermelon
Cherries

And then my PB stuffed choco cupcakes for dessert.




















I gobbled up tons of food -- and now it's time for me to go back on my health kick.

COUSINS

Ever since I can remember, "family comes first" was a motto we lived by. So, as we grew up, our family spent lots of time together... and sometimes, us kids, preferred the company of our parent's friends over being with kids our own age. We were just raised that way. We were taught the value of being with the people you love, and who loved us back - without boundaries, and unconditionally. Family was the one thing that would ALWAYS be there, when everything else fell by the wayside.
It is amazing after all these years of moving and grooving, that even though, not all of our family still resides on the island... they are still the most important people in our lives.
This is something I will do my best to instill in my children. Family comes before any and everything. It's all that matters.
Over the weekend, my children had the opportunity to see their three DeJournett (DJs from here on out...) cousins. Riley was on cloud 9. She could not have been more excited about her new found friends and play mates extraordinaire. And holy smokes, did the cousins eat it UP. It was such a precious moment for any parent to witness her child being loved and adored by other children -- that just so happen to be family. We are absolutely blessed. And to top it off... Rich and Lisa can BBQ like WHOA. Best damn food I have ever had in my life -- and yes, that is including any 5 star meal in any fancy restaurant that I've ever had.
When Riley woke up on Monday morning -- the first thing out of her mouth was "see cousins??"... this needs to happen more often.

Riley, Tori and Maddie -- all goggled up.



Tori teaching Riley to play a game on the DS.



The Girls



Maddie and G-boy

This boy's life....

My son is unbelievably bursting at the seams... He is always ready for the next thing. When he was out of the womb, he was literally lifting his head minutes after being born. Before he could sit up, he wanted to crawl around. Before he could crawl, he was trying to pull himself up to standing (which he did on several occasions). Now he is crawling and he is literally DYING to walk. He gets so irritated just sitting around. Yep. Hes my boy.

Here he is concocting his escape from the pack and plan....

And here he is crawling away....far, far away...... He just wants to goooooooooo!





And of course, he never goes to bed when he's told....

More Cupcake Debauchery

Peanut Butter Cream Filled Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

(I am sure this lacks hyphens,commas and a spell check, but I am not concerned)....

To make...

Prepare one package of chocolate cake mix, pour into muffin tins, bake as directed (yes, I cheat....the sooner the cake is made, the sooner I devour.... simple as that...)

Makes 24 cupcakes....



Then hollow out 1 inch holes in center of cupcake, make peanut butter cream and fill. (I find it best to use a squeeze bottle to fill in the centers of the cupcakes...)

Peanut Butter Cream:

1/2 c butter, softened
1 c creamy peanut butter
3 tbsp milk, or as needed
2 c confectioner's sugar

1. Place butter and peanut butter in bowl, and mix til creamy
2. Gradually add sugar, and as it get thick, add milk 1 tbsp at a time until it reaches desired consistency
3. Put cream into squeeze bottle and fill cupcake centers



Chocolate Butter Cream frosting:

Half of an 8oz block of Cream Cheese
1 stick butter, softened
2 c confectioner's sugar
1/3 c cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Mix together cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy
2. Reduce mixer speed and gradually add sugar and cocoa powder, mix until incorporated and fluffy
3. Add vanilla, beat til smooth

Frost cupcakes, garnish with half of a mini Reese's peanut butter cup, if desired. Resist the temptation to eat them ALL. Enjoy!!

Cupcakery

Well, well, lookie here... more procrastinating and less blogging. Shocker? I think not.

I promise, promise, promise myself I am working on being better at this.

I've decided this blog needs direction... or does it? I think it's taking shape of a crafty endeavors/baking&cooking showcase... with some random family ramblings in between... OK! That's it. That's the new "direction"... suuuure.

So here's a concoction from a few weeks back that was blog worthy....

STRAWBERRY FILLED LEMON CUPCAKES
(With Cream Cheese deliciousness, errr,um, I mean frosting...)

(Makes 24 Cupcakes)

Prepare 1 box of lemon cake mix (you can make the cake homemade but this is SO much easier!!) Pour batter into greased or paper lined muffin tins.



Directions:

1. Once cupcakes are cooled completely, use a knife to hollow out a 1-inch hole in each cupcake
2.. Fill cupcakes with strawberry filling
3. Frost with cream cheese frosting
4. If desired, top with fresh sliced strawberries and a sprinkle of nutmeg. ENJOY!



Strawberry Filling:

1 pint ripe strawberries, hulled and sliced in 1/2
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Puree half of the strawberries in a food processor with the honey, maple syrup, lemon juice, and vanilla until it is a smooth sauce. Add the remaining strawberries and pulse until chopped, but not liquefied.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2-3 tsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
3-4 cups powdered sugar

In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, milk, and vanilla with electric mixer on low until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until desired consistency is achieved.



Last and most important step -- let the munchkins eat the center of the cupcakes.... YUMMMY!!

Crafty McCrafterson

I get these grand ideas in my head of all this scrapbooking and crad making I am going to do -- and then I sit down to actually do it and I hit a wall. grrr. So frustrating having so much pent up crafty energy -- but not being able to let it out.
Anyways -- lately I have been "copying" everything that inspires me, in hopes that eventually I can get a few of my own ideas from my head to the paper. I just spent a ton of money on Joanns.com -- so -- I better get my butt moving.
Here are some recent cards... I copied. ;-)

For my BFF (outside)

(inside)
For my mother in law after her surgery (outside)
Peek-a-boo view
(inside)
Thank you card for friend (outside)
(inside)