My Two Loves

Writer's Block

2010-02-16T14:49:00.000-08:00

So I noticed it's been about a week and a half since I last posted and I had good intentions of posting here more regularly. Last week I was out of action with sickness, this week I find I have nothing to say. I have started a few topics only to delete a few sentences in. However I did not start this blog post to tell you I have nothing to say, that would be really boring and lame. Instead I have confessions. These are not deep confessions, but nevertheless, confessions. Our Sunday school teacher, Matthew, did something similar on Sunday morning about confessing his love of Broadway musicals and other quirky facts about himself and it go me thinking...what are secrets you may or may not know about me. Maybe the more appropriate title of this should be "Random Facts of Liz."

1. I, like Matthew, have a deep love for musicals. Any of my Dockside friends can tell you this. I used to sing the show tunes in the kitchen. This loved started as a kid, when my mom showed up Mary Poppins, Wizard of Oz, Sound of Music, and other musicals. My love grew even more in college when I took Musicals in America as my fine arts requirement. And now I dream of going to New York to see a show on Broadway.

2. I LOVE peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, still. I ate one almost everyday in elementary school. It is still my sandwich of choice. Oh and grape jelly all the way.

3. I push my favorite things onto my kids. For example, I love bunnies/rabbits, and I am making the choice for Kayla that she will also love bunnies/rabbits. So far so good, she can't sleep with out her bunny pillow and Peter Cottontail bunny.

4. When I paint my toenails, I let the paint stay on until just a little strip is left on my big toe. Weird and a little gross I know. But it does save on finger nail polish remover.

5. At meals, I can only eat one food at a time until it's gone before I move onto the next. And most importantly my foods can't touch.

6. I'm slightly embarrassed about this one and I ht ink I've only told a few people. Some how growing up in church, I missed a lot of Bible stories. Important ones, like David, Samson, and Joseph. Seriously I thought the only Joseph was Jesus' earthly dad. I knew about David and Goliath, but just a couple of years ago I heard the phrase "David, a man after God's own heart" and heard the story of him and Bathsheba. When people talked about the Prodigal Son, I was honestly confused. I'm learning them now.

Whew, I'm glad I got all of that off my chest. That's enough for now.

♥ Liz

Look Me Up

2010-02-03T13:50:00.000-08:00

Hi, my name is Liz and I am addicted to Facebook. Now let me clarify, I have been with Facebook since the beginning. I bet most of you didn't know in the beginning you had to have a college email to join. Now they don't discriminate and allow everyone on, including my mom. Yesterday someone started a chain status, not sure if this is a real term, but I am making it up, it'll catch on, it's when someone posts something and others can follow suit on their profile, for example when all the women posted their bra color or the ones that say Repost this if..., anyways back to the chain status. It read "Go to urbandictionary.com, type in your first name. Copy and paste THIS as your status. Then paste the first entry for your name under comments." This sounded like fun. I HAD to do it. So here's my definition:

1. liz
basically the definition of being amazingly cool and fun. can dance black as hell, whether their black or not. athletic, fun and wild. gets into trouble a lot. says stupid things, but people like Liz's. sexy, and fiiiiiiiine.

-Damn liz, will you be my baby's mama?
-Hey liz, can i please worship you, YOU'RE MY IDOL.

2. Liz
1. (Verb) The act of being incredibly cool. Commonly misunderstood to mean "one who is attracted to homosexual men."
2. (Adjective) A positive attribute that one possesses, or can be gained by physical and mental labor, similar to coolness and beauty

-"She is very much Liz."

3. Liz The most beautiful woman in the world. Despite what she may think of herself, she's very smart, and very very sexy. She's also the sweetest person in the world.
-I love Liz so much...

Now I will say, most if not ALL of this is true. You fellow Liz's out there know it, now it's the rest of the world's turn to figure out. The only part I would question is the athletic part, but everyones definition of athleticism is different. I'm a Pro at Wii bowling, and I can kick some ass at Wii tennis, and have you seen me to the Hula Hoop on Wii Fit? Therefore, I'm an athlete.

♥ Liz

Welcome back!

2010-02-03T06:50:00.001-08:00

It has been a long 2 months, but I am back!! My friends Tanya and Kate of ParentTrend encouraged my return. Hopefully my posts will become more frequents. I now can post from my iPhone :) Thanks Dee!!

Since the last time we've talked not a lot has changed. Both kids are growing. Kayla is using words. Hubby is great and loving. Work is busy, if not busier, as always. No worry flu still seems to be along with RSV and parainfluenza.

The only other thing on my mind is Kayla's sleeping habits. She has been in her toddler bed since last summer. We had problems with her staying in her bed in the beginning and we would find her on the floor by the gate at her door. Then for a long time she has been doing great. She'll go up there at bed time, grab her paci or how she likes to say her "papi" (please no comments, it's only for night time), and climb into her bed and fall off to sleep. However, since Christmas all Hell has broken loose. We do contribute some of this with her being sick, but not all of it. Basically she prefers the floor and not her bed, especially the spot right in front of the gate. We can move her 20 times and she will always go back to the floor. One morning I couldn't find her at all. Once I walked around the other side of get bed I heard her breathing and saw her hand. She had scooted under her bed and had fallen asleep there.

Now we've passed the crib onto someone else. We are not sure what we will do. For right now we will keep picking her up and moving her. All suggestions are welcome.

♥ Liz

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Traditions

2009-12-02T12:52:00.000-08:00

When I said before I was busy, I was not kidding. Work, home, and myself have been nonstop. And now it's that time of the year where everything flies by and I feel like I am running behind a train that I am trying to catch. The stores do not help either, even before Halloween the Christmas stuff is out!! Really, let me get through Thanksgiving first, so then I can think about Christmas. I will say I am proud of myself. I am almost done with Christmas shopping. Never have I been done this early. The kids and Dee are completely done...

Well except for a new ornament for each of them. It's a tradition that my mom did with us. Every Christmas we all got a new ornament. They would be special to us and our likes and style. Almost all of mine are bunnies. My brothers were football and Star Wars and my sisters were bears. Every year we would help her put the ornaments on the tree. We would be going through them and asking "Is this mine?" We would only want to put up our own and hand over the ones that were not ours to the rightful owner. Some we fought over. There are a few ornaments that are 3 replicas, so it didn't matter. Then when I moved out and got my own tree my mom gave me all of my ornaments. That first Christmas I did not have a bare tree and I had a piece of my childhood in my new home. She still gives us ornaments. Last year's was great. Everyone got a snowman. They all gave our birth order, for example mine said "Middle Child." On the belly was written our names. And everyone had a sign the snowman held that said "Mom's Favorite."

I have started the same tradition with Dorian and Kayla. We put all the ornaments on the tree this past Sunday and Dorian was asking the same question "Is this one mine?" It brought back so many memories and I can't wait to hear Kayla ask it too. And one day I can't wait to give Dorian and Kayla their own special ornaments from years past.

By the way these pictures were taken with my new iPhone. Love it!!! Thanks Dee for an early Christmas present.

♥Liz

Milestone alert!!

2009-11-19T11:02:00.000-08:00

I haven't been posting lately because of work. The short story is I do flu research and for those of you that live in bubbles and don't turn on TV, look at a newspaper, listen to the radio, or join in water cooler chit chat, it's flu season and not just nay flu season...it's H1N1. Oooh scary, not really, but I bet you're scared thanks to the media. Beside the point, I have a lot of catching up to do on my regular blogs, giveaway entering, and blogging on my site.

I couldn't let this go and had to share...Dorian has hit a milestone. What milestone can an 8 yr old have, how about a fear of shots?? Fear does not describe how Dorian used to act, just the mention of a shot would send into a frenzy. His last shot was when he was 6. This is also the time when I realized how much stronger Dorian is than me. The "mom hold" no longer worked. He flailed about with a needle sticking in his arm. Not a pretty site. Yesterday was our "shot day." Kayla was getting her 18 month shot as well at seasonal and H1N1 vaccine (they had just gotten their shipment in that week, we were lucky!) and Dorian also needed the 2 flu vaccines. May I add that I love FluMist...no stick, no pain, no tears, everyone is happy. Well the dr only had injectable. Uh-oh! We very gently told Dorian he would be getting shots, which brought on the pouting. He felt better in knowing Kayla was getting one more than him. Aren't siblings great? Dee and I tried to calm Dorian down by saying if you don't tense up and you stay loose and relaxed it won't hurt as bad...it'll still hurt, just not as bad. What happened next was a miracle only God could have performed! No tears!! No screaming!! No flailing!! He took it like a man! :) He flinched a little and balled up the opposite shot arm, but he did great! He even said "That didn't hurt that bad." Now Kayla on the other hand is another story. You would have thought we ripped her toes off one by one.

I am so proud of Dorian for his grown up moment.

On another note, please keep Jonah and his mom and dad in your prayers. They are having a rough time and are going forth with a g tube.

♥ Liz

Check this out....

2009-11-05T07:55:00.000-08:00

I hate junk mail!! Over half my email inbox is filled with junk and I'm constantly hitting DELETE over and over. So why would I sign up to receive more junk mail?? To rack up points of course! A friend of mine introduced me to MyPoints, and I am reeling them in!!

This website gives you points to click on their sponsors' websites, shop at the sponsors' on-line stores, answer surveys, post your opinion about new websites, and even print coupons. Everyday I get "Bonus Mail" with offers to click on a website for 5-10 points, if I purchase so much or register with the company, pretty much something that brings that company revenue somehow, then I get more points. Most of the time I open the email, click on the company, then close that new window that pops up, so I can get my 5-10 points. I have also answered surveys about my family, shopping habits, dining out favorites, any consumer survey, I get 10 points to see if I qualify and if I do I can get 50-100 points for completing the survey. They even have a search tool bar you can download and use to search and every search brings in a certain amount of points. I have used the search tool bar and it's slightly confusing and the results are not clear and jam packed with ads, so I prefer the Google tool bar. If you refer your friends and they sign up you get 250 points per friend!!

What do you do with these points you ask?? MyPoints Rewards lets you "cash" in these points for gift cards!! They offer gift cards to so many shops and restaurants: Target, Wal-Mart, Applebee's, Old Navy, Pottery Barn, Pizza Hut, FTD, LL Bean, JC Penney, Gap, Foot Locker, Chili's, Amazon.com, iTunes...the list goes on and on. You can even donate you points to the American Red Cross!! The more points you collect, the higher the amount of gift card you can receive. I am saving up for a $50 gift card from Tar-geh :) I'm well over half way there. I could have cashed in early for a $10 gift card and I have just enough for a $25, however "Go big or go home!"

You should try this out!! What's a little extra junk mail, if you are getting gift cards in the end??

I did not receive any payment for my review. All opinions are of my own accord and is not affliated with the company.

♥ Liz

I'm not giving up

2009-11-03T07:46:00.000-08:00

Our family has been really busy over the last week, between school, fall break, Halloween, and now prepping for a couple's retreat to the beach this weekend...my head is seriously spinning off. But this is usual craziness, as well as dealing with Dorian and his behavior. Since the early age of 2, I have had multiple meetings with Dorian's teachers, from daycare, to school, and even church leaders. I'm used to them. Most of the time the teachers are helpful and try to get information to help them with Dorian, sometimes I feel attacked like I am not doing enough at home and it's my fault why they can't get Dorian to listen. I've had a few teachers/leaders just give up on him and just want to get that year or session over with and move him on to someone else. I'm his mom...I am not giving up!! Last spring I thought we had a major breakthrough with his behavior. We introduced the "Behavior Highway." I have to do a post about this later, but it worked. His behavior improved DRASTICALLY. The teachers were calling and sending notes saying what a change they saw in Dorian. I thought we had finally gotten over this obstacle...until now. In his first year in kindergarten, the teacher kept saying his bad behavior was ADHD. So I investigated it, everything I researched said his age was too young to determine, it could be immaturity. The pediatrician said it was too early as well as a specialist I talked with. So I stopped her allegations and continued to work with him and ultimately held him back a year. Last week we had a teacher/parent conference. I've got to hand it to this teacher...she stayed positive about his academics, but all the problems she described pointed straight to ADHD. She never mentioned it as a problem, she didn't have to. I knew. She wasn't complaining about his bad behavior, she was complaining about the fact that he can't sit still, so they let him stand, but then he can't stand still. It'll start with his hands, then his legs are moving, by the end his whole body is a wiggling, which is distracting to the class. I have come to a point where if it's not ADHD, then I have no clue what is affecting him.

I know a lot of parents now are against the whole notion of ADHD. I am too, to a point. Back in kindergarten, I think it was immaturity. She was describing misbehavior. I am not going to drug my child because you can't control him. The following two years the teachers had problems, but we were able to work through them. Now I have to visit it as an answer. I am against just "treating" him with just medicine. What I have researched, medicine is just a quick fix, there is no evidence that in the long run the medicine will change them. I will be treating him with a specialist to help teach him how to control his hyperactivity. I also want to investigate learning disabilities. I hate the word "disabilities." I think our society puts a negative connotation on it. Maybe learning obstacles is better? I have noticed and it has been seconded by his teacher of him being unable to express himself in writing, even when giving a topic. I feel like I am pulling teeth trying to get him to tell me what his favorite thing to do outside. "You play outside every single day, and you can't write 3 sentences about what you like??" Do you see my frustration? I feel like he can't express himself, which could lead to his misbehavior. But how do you teach your child to express themselves? I need help.

I love Dorian sooo much. I want him to be a successful adult one day. Is that too much to ask? I'm just so frustrated with everything.

*****************************

On a lighter note, I didn't get any Halloween pictures, I think I'm going to have the kids put their costumes back on this week so I can take a few shots. However, one of the houses we visited took pictures of their trick or treaters and posted them here. I found Dorian, Dee and Kayla!

I know what you are thinking...it's only a good one of Dorian...but you get the idea of Kayla being a duck. :)

♥ Liz

Tasty Tuesday

2009-10-27T08:24:00.000-07:00

Last week was my favorite lesson/activity in SKID. It was Ice Cream Day! You may be wondering what ice cream has to do with SKID....a lot!! Our topic was on communication. In years past, we made teams of 2 and gave one person part of the directions and gave the other person the other half of the directions and they had to communicate with each other to make the ice cream. Last year we did more of a Q&A and after each right answer they got one more step or ingredient. This year, we wrote the directions on a blank puzzle, broke it up, and each person had to put their puzzle back together and had to relay to the leaders the directions to make their ice cream. Maybe in another session we may combine a few of these methods. I am open to more ideas, too.

So here it is...our great recipe for ice cream.

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup whipping cream (or heavy cream)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract or flavoring
1/2 to 3/4 cup rock salt
2 cups ice
1 qt ziploc bag
1 gallon ziploc bag

1. Mix milk, whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla in quart size bag.
2. Squeeze all air out of bag and seal securely
3. Place 2 cups of ice and salt into gallon size bag.
4. Place smaller bag into larger bag.
5. With gloves, or towels to hold each end, shake vigorously until the contents in the qt bag solidifies into ice cream.
6. Carefully remove smaller bag and dip into bowl with clean water and some ice to rinse salt off.
7. Cut off one corner of qt bag and squeeze out into bowl/cup.
8. ENJOY!

Optional: Add chocolate syrup, caramel, sprinkles, or any other add-in you like with your ice cream!

We do this with 8-12 year olds and they LOVE it!! It would be a great idea for a birthday party.

And remember...it's never too cold to make ice cream :)

♥ Liz

WINNER

2009-10-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

We have a winner for the Not-So-Scary Halloween Bundle Giveaway. Random.org generated the lucky number.....5!!

Comment 5:
cent_saving_mom said...
I Snagged Your Button. Entry #3

cent_saving_mom [AT] yahoo [DOT] com

October 13, 2009 10:51 PM

Congratulations cent_saving_mom! You will be getting an email from me. I will be sending your email to You Can Make This and you will be recieving your prize. Thank you, everyone for reading and entering.

♥ Liz

Giveaways!!

2009-10-22T06:09:00.000-07:00

LAST DAY!!!!!
Today is the last day to enter the No-So-Scary Halloween Giveaway. As of 9am this morning there are only 12 entries. So head on over there and leave a comment. It looks like your odds are pretty good :)

Other giveaways I'm lovin' right now:

The Art of Being a Mom is giving away 2 $100 giftcards to Sam!! Check it out!

Baby Loving Mama is giving away a cool Wilton Halloween Baking Prize Pack here. But hurry it ends TODAY!!

Catch the Drift with Mama Snow is giving away a Flirty Apron, but it ends TODAY too!!

And finally, Frugal Living and Having Fun is giving away a $20 gift card to Target here...ending TODAY!!!

Good Luck!
♥ Liz

Tasty Tuesday

2009-10-20T07:30:00.000-07:00

I love crock pots. They are my best friend! From appetizers, to main dish, to dessert. These wonderful creations can do it all!! Today is my "Crack Dip." I will have to put a disclaimer. My friends at MomTrend have also posted a similar...who am I kidding it's pretty much the same recipe. I will confess I had a great crock pot recipe to post, but I forgot it on the kitchen counter and I have this one committed to memory. Honestly, my friend's call this Liz's Crack Dip. It's requested for parties and get-togethers.

Liz's Crack Dip
1 block of Velveta Cheese
1 can of Rotel Original Tomatoes and Chiles
1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
Tortilla chips

Add block o' cheese, beef, and can of Rotel (juice and all) into crock pot. Set on low and let melt slowly, stirring occasionally. It will take at least an hour if not 2. Remember to stir or cheese will cake onto sides = not yummy. If you are in a hurry, place on high and stay near by to stir. Set on warm and serve with tortilla chips.

Trust me you will watch this dip disappear faster than a snowman on a sunny day. I often have to double the recipe. You can make it spicier by adding sausage or a hotter Rotel or both. I think the Original Rotel is not as "hot" as mild, so theoretically you can make it less spicy...but seriously, why would you? No crock pot you say? I started making this recipe before I had a crock pot. I had a medium to large Corning microwaveable dish (w/ lid) that I would microwave in 2 minute intervals, stirring in between until all was melted and mixed well. I will warn you though, if you do this you may have to microwave every so often to make it warm and melty (is that a word? we'll say yes for today). This recipe definitely tastes better warm.

Enjoy!
♥ Liz

Don't come in 3's

2009-10-19T11:49:00.001-07:00

I've always heard that expression that bad news or deaths comes in 3's. Yes it's true most of the time...but right now I can't handle it. About a month ago my Grandpa died. I was devastated. I still find myself crying when I see pictures of him or see a wood project he has made. This past weekend we got terrible news that Dee's aunt passed away. No it's not a shock, she had stage 4 cancer that had spread to her brain, and she was a walking miracle to be alive as long as she did, but I am hurting. Dee is really crushed. This is happening with the 2 year anniversary of both his grandmother's deaths, who died just a week apart of each other. Can we get a break? No I'm not questioning God. He does not do bad things to us. I just want Death to take it easy on our family. Is that too much to ask?

♥ Liz

"Not-So-Scary" Halloween Giveaway

2009-10-12T10:56:00.000-07:00

You Can Make This was made for me!! I love the idea of making cool crafts for my kids, just like my mom used to do for me. However, I am not as sewing inclined as one would say, honestly I down right SUCK! It seemed like my mom could have an idea for a sewing project and Presto! we had a new stuffed animal or a new dress. She may have had a You Can Make This type secret place she could go to, but I wouldn't know. This website is wonderful, you can search an idea and find many projects you could do or scroll through their different categories to find something you like. They have crocheting, quilting, stitchery to doll making, pillow, handbags and more! Once you find the creation you want to make you buy it, some are free others are anywhere from $4.95 to $7.99 and I even saw a few at $19.99 or more, then download the instructions as a PDF. Easy peezy!

I was sent the Fancy Filled Tutu to review.

The Pumpkin Tutu from their website:

I will be honest with you, it took me about 5 times reading through the directions to get the idea of what I was doing. Like I said I am inadequate in sewing ANYTHING! A lot of the terms did not make sense to and still don't. However the directions come with pictures and I may not understand what I am reading, but I can understand the photos. I would suggest a glossary of terms to go along with the instructions. It would help the people who are scared of the sewing machine to know what they are reading. I will say I now have the idea of what I am doing. The best part of this "How To Guide" is the suggestions at the end of colors and fillings. Again, I am not creative (do I need to keep reminding you or do you got it?). They give me different tutu "Recipes," with colors and filling ideas. For instance for the 4 seasons, or a certain flower like roses, even favorite team tutus...you better watch it Kayla may be wearing a Duke tutu come March Madness! Even holidays, of course Halloween, the costume wearing day, but even holidays like New Years, Christmas, and July 4th. I think it would be the cutest to make a Christmas photo with a tutu that you made for specially for her.

Other than the terms, I would have to say this is a great sewing project to make for your special little girl...or you even you if you change the measurements. Even more, I love how this website was created, I feel, for mom's like me who are not that gifted and may not have the time for classes to learn. I don't need to learn all there is about sewing when all I want to make is a tutu.

I have not made one yet due to the time sensitivity of the giveaway, but hopefully will before the contest is over. I do not have a sewing machine of my own, but my mom does. And since I have not sewn anything since 8th grade Home Ec, I will probably wait until she has time to help me, just in case. Once I do make one I will update and share the photos with you.

You could buy the instructions of this adorable tutu at You Can Make This for $7.99.

****GIVEAWAY****

One lucky reader will win this instruction set along with 7 more in the "Not-So-Scary" Halloween Bundle, with a value of $50! The bundle includes:

Fancy Filled Tutu With Bonus 40 Tutu "Recipes"
Pumpkin Polly Patterns
Paper Piecing Project: Pumpkin Patch Pillow
Frayed Applique: Too Cute to Spook!
Little Miss Spider Applique Patterns
How to Applique the Easy Way
Hocus Pocus Applique Patterns
Just a Little Something For a Happy Halloween Table Runner

How to win?
Mandatory 1st entry: Go to You Can Make This and tell me something else you would love to make.

Extra entries:
Be a follower (1 entry)
Subscribe (1 Entry)
Grab my button (5 entries)
Grab the "Not-So-Scary" Halloween Button (5 entries)

Please leave your email and website in comment if not in your profile.

Good Luck!!

Contest ends on Thursday October 22, 2009 at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be chosen at random using Random.org.

I recieved Fancy Filled Tutu instructions booklet to review from YouCanMakeThis.com at no cost. I did not receive any other payment for my review. My review is of my own opinion and does not reflect the opinion of the sponsor.

♥ Liz

Contest closed!

Weight Loss Challenge*

2009-10-12T07:11:00.001-07:00

*Challenge may be the understatement of the world here. How about Mission: Impossible, or Really are you serious? I don't think so, or maybe In Your Dreams.

I'm really down this week. Every week I feel like I am doing better, watching my calories, trying to get to the gym at least 3 times a week if not more, but the scale just laughs in my face. You are no longer my friend, Scale, you better watch it. Seriously, 2 weeks and I'm still at 175. UGH!!! I know some people say that's ok it's not that bad...but I feel bad, I feel disgusting. I try to smile when people ask me what's new about me or you must have lost weight or wow you look so good! OMG if I look that much better now to them, then what did I look like before hand. I know I shouldn't think or care about what people think of me and my "Conversations" with Kayla should be weight does not matter, but I can't break this. I don't feel good, I don't like myself. Maybe it is the culture lies of skinny is best, but I don't want to be skinny, I just want to be 15-20 pounds lighter. I'll still be in the 150's. On all the diet websites and according to BMI I should be between 130 and 135 and to me that is too skinny. Come on now...I need a break sometime.

So I have come to a conclusion...I'm on time out. I need strict recourse actions. For the past few months I had stopped writing down everything I ate. I felt like I was pretty comfortable with knowing the calories of what I ate. Not now, until I get down to the weight I want (target is still 150) I will write down every food and every calorie. I have slacked in exercising (mainly at home), well no more you better watch TV somewhere else Dee, I am going to be on that treadmill every night I'm not at church.

Wish me luck!
♥ Liz

Another "Conversation"

2009-10-09T08:44:00.001-07:00

I have been doing Vicki Courtney's bible study, "5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter." While week 3 was mostly talking about boys and sex, and as much as I want to get an early start on my conversations with Kayla on those topics, I feel like 17 months still may be a little young right now. However, week 4 touched my heart so deeply. The topic? It's ok to dream about marriage and motherhood.

I think we can all agree the sanctity of marriage is going downhill. No I am not talking about who can marry who...another battle, another time. The real issue here is divorce, I believe now the statistic is that 1 out of 2 marriages end in divorce!! That's a 50% chance. How can we have any hope for marriage going in with that statistic? I don't want to become another statistic...even more I won't. Before even marrying Dee, we knew this was a promise to each other and to God that we are staying together through the good times and especially the bad. We agreed that divorce will never be on the table for us. What prompted this "No Divorce Ever" attitude?? Simple, our pasts. I came from divorced parents. I know how it feels knowing your parents are arguing every day, even the 1st time they separated when I was 6. I have vivid memories of leaving my dad and moving in with my grandma. Then later at a teenager's crucial time of leaving middle school and heading to high school, the separated for good. This has affected me majorly. In a way, I feel like I wouldn't have become a teen age mother. I can't say that for sure, but who knows. In Dee's case, his mom had divorced from her husband and was not with Dee's dad. He knew what it was like growing up in a single mother home (single mother doesn't really describe it really, he had his grandma and aunts and uncles, but no dad). We wanted better for our children, as I'm sure all parents do. I don't want to put my kids through divorce. End of story. Dee and I have promised to work on our marriage every day to help prevent it falling apart and veering towards the most common reasons couples get divorced, like infidelity, fighting, abuse, irreconcilable differences (whatever that means?). We want to provide our kids the best model we can of how a marriage is suppose to be.

Another point Vicki makes...shacking up ruins marriages. Even though I "shacked up" (I hate that phrase) I will have to agree. I know more and more couples who do it, as a trial bases. Even though I love Dee and I love the time we had together living together, I wish we hadn't...or at least not as long, I think we lived together for almost 4 years before getting married! We got too comfortable together. And when our wedding came, nothing changed. There was no exciting honeymoon time of moving in and first living together b/c we were husband and wife...that kind of already happened, just not as special. Getting married was a big deal for us...but in the scheme of things, it was like normal day, WEDDING!, then normal day. No exciting transition.

Finally...the lie of the "Supermom." You know this one...the one where we (as moms) can have it all, the hubby, the kids, the house, the 40 hour work week, and you do it all with ease and with a smile on your face. I tell you what. I'm all for women's rights, but instead of bogging us down with the kids and housework and a 40 hour job, why not pass some of this responsibility to the dad?? Well, in my household I do. I feel so pulled in every direction. If I succeed in one area then the others areas of my life start going downhill. For instance, while I was pregnant I worked a lot to get stuff done for my boss. I was churning out data, staying late, coming in early, but my home life was a disaster. I had a husband freaking out over pregnant Liz and a son doing terrible with his behavior at school. Then when I spend more time at home and try to pick up that mess, I get fussed at by the boss. Seriously?? I can't do everything. Some stuff has to fall some where. And right now everything across the board is mediocre. I could be doing better at home, but I also could be doing better at work. Lucky for me I have a new boss where his motto is "Family Comes First," thank God I work for a pediatrician with his own family!!

There are so many culture lies I want to break for Kayla when it comes to marriage and motherhood. I want to bring the positiveness out of both and have her looking forward to the day she marries the man of her dreams and has wonderful kids and is a wonderful mom (preferably in that order!). She should hope and expect to be with her husband forever and no less. It's ok not to break the glass ceiling. It may work for some women, but for others it is ruining their lives!

♥Liz

Tasty Tuesday

2009-10-06T06:09:00.001-07:00

Today's recipe will focus on favorite and healthy snack. Recently I read a handout with new healthy, snack ideas. Some worked for us, others did not.

One that is a favorite, especially with Kayla, are what I call the "Kabobs"

Kabobs

Stick pretzels
Grapes
Cubed cheese

Take a stick pretzel and slide the grapes and cheese on the pretzel until full, usually I can get 3 items, sometimes four. For Kayla I usually half the grapes.

Dorian doesn't like the cheese, so he just gets Kabobs with grapes. I haven't tried other fruit, but I'm sure any melon, apples, pineapples, etc would be great on these!

Do you have any snack ideas?? I would love to hear them. I am always trying to find new exciting snack ideas for my kids to try!!

♥ Liz

Tasty Tuesday

2009-09-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

I've also realized I haven't posted any recipes lately. I'm glad no one is dependent on my great recipes to survive one day on a meal. In honor of fall, and a recent chicken stew I just went to, today's recipe is a chicken pie. Everyone has their opinion on what a chicken pie consists of. In my mind...and the right way, may I add...is chicken pie is just chicken and broth; chicken pot pie is chicken, vegetables, and broth. I do not like chicken pot pie. I don't mind vegetables on the side with my chicken pie...but not in it. I love the taste of the chicken and gravy/broth mixture with a wonderful crust. Please leave the veggies OUT of the pie. By the way, I had been searching for a perfect blend of flavors for my chicken pie. I didn't want it too dry or too runny and I wanted to be able to taste the chicken. But I'm no chef and I have a full time job and kids, so I also need EASY. Finally after searching a church cook book that I had sitting in my bookcase for I don't know how long I found one I could work with!!

Chicken Pie
1 chicken, cut up (I usually buy the value pack of cut up chicken at Walmart, usually around $5)
1 can Cream of Chicken
Milk
2 pre-made crust in the pans
2 rolled pie crusts found in the can biscuit area

Boil chicken until meat is done and falling off bone. Allow to cool. Pull off bone and shred (we just pull it apart in a bite size peices). Salt and pepper to taste. Add the can of Cream of Chicken. Fill can with milk and add to chicken and soup. Mix well. Split mixture into the two pans with crust. Roll out can crust and fit on top of pie. Cut off excess dough and pinch crust. Poke top of crust with fork to allow steam to come out and prevent boil over. Bake at 375 about 30-45 min or until crust is browning but not burnt. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes.

I love how this recipe makes enough for 2 pies. I have tried making one in a deep pie dish and it was too much chicken for the pie. I usually cook one and freeze one. I think I will have a chicken pie making day and make a lot for our family. It is so nice just having to pull one out of the freezer and pop it straight into the oven, especially on a cold winter day.

♥ Liz

Weight Loss Challenge

2009-09-28T08:20:00.000-07:00

I have not been posting my weight loss challenge for a few weeks, I wish it was because I had lost a lot of weight and was super excited to tell you my new weight. Sorry, but no. Really I don't like telling anyone my weight...maybe that's more motivation to lose more. Anyways, this past month has been busy and rough, needless to say. Between the funeral and the beach, I gained weight (EEEK!!). Not too much, well 5 punds. Those 2 weeks I did not watch what I ate and I did not exercise. Well this past week I was jumping back on...slowly, but still jumping. I only worked out for 2 days, but I went back to my strict dieting. I lost 3 of those pounds I had gained to be at 175 today. I can just imagine how much weight I would have lost had I worked out more. Oh well. It is a new week. I hope to lose at least the rest of the 5 pounds and maybe more. We'll see how the week goes...

♥ Liz

Beach Trip

2009-09-25T08:18:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went one last beach trip for the year. This would be Kayla's 1st beach trip. We were just imagining how she would react. I remember Dorian's 1st beach trip, true he was 2 and loved it, I was thinking the same for Kayla. I was off...WAYYYYY off!! When she was younger she had a major dislike for grass. She would not stand in it...barefoot or with shoes. When we would go to set her down, she would curl up her legs so far as if that would prevent her from touching the ground. Finally one day at my grandma's we set her down and she overcame her fear. Well the same was true for sand. Dee went to set her in it, and she curled her feet so far up. She would not walk in it. We thought maybe she couldn't get her balance in the dry sand, but no, she was the same with the firm, wet sand. We would stand there and cry with her arms up waiting for someone to pick her up. We tried to lead her to the water...at first she was excited, but not for long...as soon as the waves came and knocked her down, she thought she had enough. We took her into the ocean. The beauty of this beach the waves only break about 10 feet then it's just rolling waves in your knee to waist region. She loved it!!! She wanted to get down in it, not so much when water hit her face. I do remember the 1st day when I set her in the sand after a stint in the ocean, she did not like the sand being on her foot, so she tried to wipe it off with her hand, and you can guess what happened...that's right sand on her hand. She wanted to play but was not willing to stand or walk in the sand. Our day at the beach was short lived. That afternoon she did enjoy sitting at the edge of the water with our friend Sandy and letting the water hit her.

Kayla "playing" in sand

Kayla and her friend Vaeh

Day 2 was much better! At first she was the same about the sand, but she finally came around and we couldn't get her to stop running around.

One chance to catch both Dorian and Kayla...

Another 1st for our family, well for Dee, Dorian and Kayla, was riding the ferry. I have never seen a family so happy to be on a boat with our car.

Group shot (minus Erica)

Dorian and Vaeh

Kayla and I...her favorite place on the ferry...she loved looking over the edge at the water

This beach trip was short, but a great get-away. We were able to make more memories with the kids. As a parent, making memories and childhoods the best I can are my ultimate goals. I used to go to this area when I was growing up, and it was so special to share it with my family. I am tired of the Myrtle Beach scene. I want more of these small NC beaches, with close driving distances to attractions and big cities, like Wilmington. Hopefully we will go back to this beach. I did not realize we could have climbed to the top of the lighthouse that was there, an advance reservation. That will be on my to-do list next time.

Entire group...Love you family :)

♥ Liz

One Last Note

2009-09-16T11:36:00.000-07:00

As I have previously mentioned, we lost a great Papa last week. We were able to all come together as a family and mourn, reflect, and support one another over the weekend. On Friday when we were are my grandma's house I noticed a handmade card on the hutch in the kitchen. On the outside it said "Have a good trip," and on the inside was a little note saying "Dear Papa and Grandma, Have a safe trip. I will miss you a lot. Now listen, you guys have fun! Your loving granddaughter, Chloe." Chloe is my 8 year old cousin. She and her brother Cooper, spend a lot of time at my grandparents. They pick them up from school and they spend almost every weekend with them. Chloe had written this letter as a surprise for Papa; Grandma knew about it and hid it in his suitcase for him to find when they get to their first stop on their way to Niagara Falls, which unfortunately was their last stop as Papa died that first night when they were in Pennsylvania. He never saw this note. Grandma was torn up about it, but had an idea, for it to be put it in his coffin. There could have not been any better send off for Papa. Telling him to have a good trip...to heaven. I know that's where he is right now. Yes we miss him, but he is having fun.

♥ Liz

Winners!!

2009-09-16T09:48:00.001-07:00

The 5 winners for the Two Loops Luch Tote are the following:

25
degood said...
I found out from their website that they will also do private label or custom totes. This might be something I could use for a big charity auction I am helping with.

September 13, 2009 10:06 AM

51
Pam said...
I liked reading about their ethical production. Especially how they didn't hire children under the age of 18. Thanks so much!
pamelashockley(AT)netscape(DOT)net

September 14, 2009 2:45 PM

47
carolpie said...
I subscribed!~spencer1953 at gmail dot com.

September 14, 2009 1:36 PM

18
Helen said...
I like to bring leftovers!

September 9, 2009 11:59 AM

4
Amber said...
I love packing a warm panini and some tomato soup!
Thank you for the giveaway :)
hurdler4eva(at)gmail(dot)com

September 3, 2009 11:47 AM

Congratulations winners!! I will be emailing you shortly. You will have 3 days to respond to my email.

All winners were chosen at random using Random.org.

♥ Liz

Greiving...

2009-09-11T06:52:00.001-07:00

I was never envious of people who had lost someone close to them. I never wanted to have that feeling. I love my family the way they are. Even though it sounds ridicules I almost had the feeling that everyone will be around for as long as I will be. I have been very lucky to have all my grandparents, until now. I have 3 sets of grandparents. One set on my dad's side and 2 on my mom's. Her parents divorced when I was 3. My Papa Jim remarried fairly quickly. My Grandma Sizemore, we called her this because both my grandma's were named Jean, did not date until much later. She married Clif 11 years ago, and became Grandma Schlotfeldt...pronounced "slow-felt." It took some time getting used to Papa Clif and his family, but we were soon a large "Brady Bunch." We often gathered for dinners and were together for the holidays. Grandma and Papa Clif were two peas in a pod. I learned my grandma can cook! It was an ongoing joke that she could not!! They were soul mates. He was very brash and told everyone what they thought, even if they didn't want to hear it. He made Grandma very happy and made her a better person. He had an old-school thinking with raising kids, but countered it with love. He was set in his ways, but not in a bad way that we usually associate that saying with. As I grew older and knew him more personally he often taught me lessons. He helped me with raising and disciplining Dorian. Grandma and Papa went on many trips in their retired years, on cruises, to the beach, wherever their hearts desired.

This past Thursday I got a call...one that I never wanted. Clif passed away. As my brother was saying these words it sounded like gibberish. I couldn't make out what he was saying. I didn't want to think it was true. He must have said it five times for me to understand it. After that, all I could remember was something about bus trip and Pennsylvania. It turns out they were on their way to Niagra Falls on a bus trip. They had gotten to Cranberry, PA to their hotel room for the night. He said he wasn't feeling well. After he laid down, my grandma tried to wake him, but could not. The hotel desk clerk tried to help and the paramedics came, but it was his time to go. Of course my grandma was/still is a nervous wreck. One phone call we had with her was "I lost him" over and over. My brother and uncle went that night to bring her home, and was back by lunch time yesterday. After work Dee, myself and the kids went to see her, as almost everyone in the family was as they were getting off work. It almost felt like Christmas with all of us filling up the house, only without one special person. Seeing my grandma made it real. Before I felt like I was in a daze or a dream and the joke was on me, but one look at her and I knew it was true and the sorrow and grief set in hard. After reading a personal letter my grandma had written while waiting for the guys to get her that night tore me apart. I am thankful for this family. We are pulling together to help her out, regardless of the blended family status. We are one family now. Thankfully a lot of the details were being worked out as Grandma was making her way back to NC.

As time moves on, it is still hard for me to get on with everything. All I can think about it is what Clif meant to me and especially to Grandma. I will severely miss him. I have never experienced a loss like this and I know it will only get worse from here on out. I know my grandma is a strong woman, and with our help she will find the way to pick up the pieces and live for him.

Clif I know you can see us now, looking down upon us from Heaven. You were a great papa and I will miss you!! I love you!!

♥ Liz

Weight Loss Challenge and more

2009-09-09T10:47:00.000-07:00

I've been MIA again this week, mostly due to the Labor Day holiday...but I would like to announce that I am 173!! It doesn't look like I'll make my 170 goal before I go the beach...in one week. But I am still steadily heading down. I think it could have been more this week, had I not let myself loose this weekend at the cook outs, but I had fun and I had good food.

On another sad note, I have not made it back to a Zumba class. I hope to make the one on Friday. I really enjoyed myself at the first and want to put it in my routine. Don't get me worng my usual workouts are good too, but I like the mix up. I am alos trying new workouts at home too. I can't stand the treadmill. So instead of a long go on it, I add squats, cruches, or leg lifts until I can't move. I know most people would choose the treadmill over squats, but not me. Call me weird!

*********

In other news, I am starting a new bible study called 5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter by Vicki Courtney. Last night was the first night. I felt silly at first because Kayla is only 16 months and a lot of the other women have pre-teens and teens. But once I heard the lesson, I knew I was in the right place. The topic was teaching our daughter that beauty is on the inside and not on the outside. She showed how society has transferred the focus of beauty. Just look at any commercial or magazine and how it depicts women and beauty. I love how this study is teaching girls to be virtuous, but also backing it by the Word. And it's not just attacking the public, but also what we tell our daughters. Just think back to our moms, grandmas, aunts, older sisters. Everyone is obsessed with their looks. I admit I am. I struggle with my weight...just see above. We as women are not equal to the sum of our parts and we need to teach this to our daughters. I can think back to my grandfather telling me so many times about watching my weight. I have a friend who's own mother tells her 3 yr old that she needs to watch what she eats because she'll be fat. A 3 year old!! This type of behavior leads to eating disorders. No not all girls, but some. We are continuing this awful cycle of just looking on the outside and not the inside. She gave a good verse: "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearances, but the Lord looks at the heart.'" 1 Samuel 16:7. We need to teach our daughters that it is what's inside that counts, that is where the true beauty is. Vicki Courtney has set up a blog that goes along with each conversation. She also gives tips on how to talk with the different age ranges.

I love my mom, but I would like to change how I communicate with Kayla and teach her the lessons a different way. I think I turned out all right now, but I was a mess to getting here. I can't wait to learn the rest of the conversations I need to have with Kayla and I am glad I can start young with her when her mind is a sponge!

♥ Liz

Two Loops Lunch Tote Review & GIVEAWAY!!

2009-09-02T06:23:00.000-07:00

As a full-time working out of the home mom, I try to take my lunch to save money. I have had a few lunch boxes, but they were bulky or just your average red or blue with the white plastic feeling inside. Lately my typical lunch bag was the plain paper lunch bag. Blah! Boring! One day I casually went into the gift shop at the hospital attached the medical school where I work. A friend of mine, Tanya, and I immediately went to the new display of what we thought were purses. They were trendy, colorful, eye-catching, woman appealing purses, so we thought. Upon further investigation we realized they were lunch totes!! I was super excited. Having a lunch tote that is fashion forward is a wonderful idea.

I was lucky enough to have a chance to review one of these lunch totes. Two Loops sent me the blue and taupe flowered insulated lunch tote.

I loved the pattern instantly. The colors are neutral and flowers were funky and modern and went with my style perfectly. I received so many compliments on my "purse" and they loved it even more when I informed them that it was a lunch tote. The outside is made of washable, water-resistant canvas with a zipper close top and soft handles. It is about 9 inches tall and 10 inches wide. It has a flat bottom to stand up, but can be folded flat for easy storage. The inside is the silver insulation with a clear plastic protection over it. On the tag, it does say dry clean only, however I was able to wipe the outside and inside easily with a damp cloth. The inside is very roomy. I was able to have enough room for a 3 1/2 cup dish with salad:

Or a "typical" lunch with a sandwich, bag of chips, banana, and a bottle of water:

The insulation works pretty well. It kept my food cold on the commute from home to work, which includes dropping of Kayla at daycare and the morning parking lot, er traffic, on the highway. I would advise that you do not leave your food out of the fridge more than 3 hours in the bag. I did do an experiment with my pudding, leaving it at room temperature until lunch (total of 5 hours from prep to eat). It was not as cold as I would like, but hadn't warmed completely to room temperature. I love the size of the handles. It is a little tight when I try to pull the tote up to my shoulder, but is comfortable when I carry it on my arm/elbow or in my hand. It's no big deal with me, but I know some people who prefer to have a lunch bag on their shoulder.

Two Loops not only makes lunch totes, but also cosmetic bags, larger multi-use canvas totes, garden bags, oh the list goes on! Their collection changes with the seasons and owner Nadia Bizzotto creates two new collections every year to keep the excitement. Right now you can not buy the totes on their site, but other online stores have a few selections. You can contact the company to find the retailer near you to buy a bag of your own.

***OR WIN ONE***

Two Loops graciously gave me five more lunch totes, exactly like the one I reviewed to give away!!

Mandatory 1st entry: Tell me your favorite lunch you like to pack!!

Extra entries?? Leave a comment for each one you complete!
Visit Two Loops and tell me something about the company I did not mention. (1 entry)
Be a follower (1 entry)
Be a subscriber (1 entry)
Have my button (1 entry)
Please put your email and website in your comment or have it in your profile!

Contest is open until September 14, 2009 11:59 PM EST to US residents only. Winners will be chosen through Random.org and winners will have 3 days to respond to email.

Good luck!
♥Liz

Tasty Tuesday

2009-09-01T08:15:00.000-07:00

This weekend I tried a recipe that I found in Kraft's Fall 2009 issue of Food & Family for the dessert. I also took the leftovers to snack for church the next day and it was gone in a heartbeat. I'm thinking good, the less I have to take home, the less I will be tempted!!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Bars

1 pkg (2-layer size) Chocolate cake mix
1 pkg (3.9 oz) Instant chocolate pudding mix
1/2 cup (1 stick) Butter, melted
1/2 cup Cold milk
6 squares Semi-sweet chocolate, chopped, divided
1 cup Dry roasted peanuts, divided
1 cup Creamy peanut butter

Heat oven to 350F. Line 13x9 baking dish with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Mix 4 ingredients (cake mix, pudding mix, butter, milk) until blended. This will be very thick. Press half of mixture in bottom of foil-lined pan. Bake 10 min. Sprinkle half of semi-sweet chocolate and dry roasted peanuts. Spread peanut butter over top. Spread remaining "crust" mixture on top of peanut butter. Sprinkle remaining semi-sweet chocolate and peanuts. Bake 15 min. Cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Chill in refrigerator for at least 4 hours before cutting into bars.

Tips and possible changes:
1. It is a very good idea to prepare this the night before it is needed to allow for sufficient chilling. It was definitely better Sunday after a night in the fridge, instead of 5 hours.
2. Instead of the semi-sweet squares, use semi-sweet chocolate chips. It was hard to chop the chocolate in small enough bite sizes. It was hard to cut with larger pieces of the squares and harder to eat. However you may need to use more than 1/2 cup for each layer. Maybe 3/4 cup to 1 cup on each layer.
3. Allow the crust to cool a bit after the initial 10 min baking. When I tried to spread the peanut butter over top the crust, peanuts, and chocolate it turned into a melted mess. You may need to use up to 2 cups of peanut butter to evenly and successfully spread the peanut butter.
4. Make sure you separate the cake mixture in half as accurately as you can. I eyed it and ended up not having enough for the top layer. Also, pertaining to allowing the crust to cool a bit before adding peanut butter. It was very, very, very difficult to spread the cake mixture over the peanut butter when it was a gooey, melted mess.

I know I added a lot of changes and warnings/tips for this recipe, but don't let that get you discouraged. This is a very yummy recipe. How can chocolate and peanut butter go wrong together?? If you look at the website for the recipe you can find different tips from other recipe users, including melting the peanut butter instead of allowing the cake to cool or switching the middle layers or pressing the cake layer on wax paper then laying it on top of the peanut butter. This seems to be a hit or miss, no grey area. I will be trying this again with my and other's adjustments. And don't worry if yours does not look like the picture, from what I read and experienced no one else's does either. Dieters beware (me included) there are 32 servings in this recipe and there are 210 calories in each serving!

Enjoy!!
♥Liz

Weight Loss Challenge

2009-08-31T08:04:00.000-07:00

I am out of my plateau!! I am excited. I am sure I will be at 170 or lower by the beach trip, in 2 1/2 weeks. I jumped on teh scale...a little nervous...and to my surprise I was 173.8, which I'll round up to 174. But still I am on the lower side of 174 and closer to 170 than I have been since I had started gaining weight. Seeing those numbers this morning put a little extra bounce in my step. There could not have been any better way to start this dreary, rainy Monday than see my new weight. That sounds crazy, but today I felt good. I had to put on a cuter outfit and even did my make-up for work, that I usually do not do. I did not however get there by hope and prayers alone. I worked hard last week. I did at least 30 min, if not an hour of cardio every day, plus weight training on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I was nervous I wasn't going to lose weight this week. I didn't work out any Saturday and pigged out at a cookout we had hosted, mostly on cocktail shrimp, which I know is better than chips and dips that we normally would of had. I did limit myself to one small piece of dessert, but I had a bottle of wine pretty much to myself. Then Sunday I ate small. I spent a good part of the afternoon chasing Kayla around in the kiddie side of the pool at Tanglewood, then tried to eat sensibly with a hamburger, beans, chips, cookies...sensibly, yeah right!! However, last night I was already nervous for my weekly weight check, so I did do squats and leg lifts till I couldn't move. I also contribute getting over this hump to eating breakfast everyday. Before I rarely ate breakfast. It was a lot to do to get myself and Kayla ready in a sensible time. Now with Dorian back in school we are all getting up earlier and I am finding it easier to getting a small breakfast.

This week I am excited to get back in the gym. I am hoping to be at 171. I am going to be working hard at the gym and at home. I also have exciting things for the blog...stayed tuned this week, I am back in the groove!!

♥ Liz

Weight Loss Challenge

2009-08-26T11:29:00.000-07:00

Wow! I haven't been on here in a few days. It must be due to the craziness of school starting back for Dorian. Well as of today I am back down to 175. Yes that's right I have lost 1 pound since last week. There may be an extra day or two in that week, but that doesn't matter. I have lost it!!

Today I participated (and I use this term loosely) in the new exercise craze, Zumba! I had to look up some videos to see exactly what I was getting myself into. I had agreed to go with a friend, who cancelled on me yesterday. Thanks Kristen! That wasn't going to get me down. I still wanted to try this. Before this class I would have told you that I could dance a little. I could carry a beat. Not now. I was able to keep the beat and steps when it was a slower tempo, but once that beat got faster I think I adopted a second left foot. I'm sure I was a sight to see. However, a lot of the class was new to Zumba as well, so I didn't look like a complete idiot. The verdict?? This upbeat, Latin-inspired dancing exercise was a lot of fun. It will definitely take me some time to learn all the steps and get it in synch, but I am not giving up that easy. I hope to enjoy this class every Wednesday. I definitely got a good work out and I am always trying to mix up my exercise routine to keep me excited about it all. You know they don't call it "WORK"ing out for nothing!

This week I really hope to get out of this lull I have been in and lose more weight. I would love to be at 170 before I go to the beach again on September 16. That's 5 lbs in 3 weeks. Should be easy, right?

♥ Liz

Small Talk Six

2009-08-22T06:54:00.000-07:00

This week's topic on MomDot's special post, Small Talk Six, is the 6 things I will or will not miss from the summer.

1 - Swimming pools. Yes I know there are Y's and other inside pools, but nothing beats being able to swim in the sun...or night swims. I love it!
2 - The beach. Once again I know the beach is always there, but it's not always nice beach weather. We will be taking our last beach trip in mid-September.
3 - I will not miss having to orchestrate where Dorian goes while we are working.
4 - The easiness and relaxing atmosphere here at work. Since so many people are taking vacations work is not as stressful. Also, working in a medical/graduate school setting there are very few students here. I have already been welcomed to the loud halls from the students have returned to classes. Not fun. I want my quietness!
5 - The warm nights. I love being able to lay outside and watch stars and not be too cold. I need to do that a few more times before it gets too cool.
6 - I will not miss hearing the ice cream truck rolling through the neighborhood. I am tired of pretending I don't hear it when Dorian asks. We have ice cream/popsicles in the freezer so we don't have to buy it from the truck. It's like Pavlov's dogs once he hears that tune he wants ice cream. Hopefully we'll have fewer ice cream treats as it gets cooler.

♥ Liz

It's starting

2009-08-19T10:53:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again...yes the one that all mom's love...school is back in session. I think mom's know the date before the end of the previous year, and we anxiously await it like a child counting down the days before Christmas. It's wonderful. I just get excited seeing the summer goodies being placed in the clearance and the school supplies being placed out. But I also get nervous. Why do I get this uneasiness, just like I did every year when I was in school and it was time for me to go back. I mean I knew my friends, I was hoping they would still be my friends when school came back around. I knew the teachers. There could only have been a possibility of 3. I just don't know why I always have that anxiousness. And now I am getting it again, maybe for Dorian?? I do fear every year at the beginning that he has a good year at school. This is a valid fear. He has behavior issues, which I think we have worked out. (I hope - fingers crossed!) Tonight my uneasiness is the largest, Open House. I have to go, I NEED to meet his teacher to get the feel on what type of personality she has and how do I think it will meld with Dorian. Even though we all know the teachers are totally different when they are talking with parents than when they are with the class by themselves. Sitting here thinking of where we are going in a few hours makes me want to throw up. Seriously!

Maybe this can help me be in better tune with Dorian and his feelings.

♥
Liz

Weight Loss Challenge

2009-08-17T06:58:00.000-07:00

I will have to say I am proud of myself this week. Although I did not do a lot of work, I lost those 1 of those pounds from last week to be at 176. Yay! You may not think that was a lot, but let me give the scenario I found myself this past week. First of all I was able to work out Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. I watched my calories like a hawk and was very strict on myself. Then came Thursday night and all hell broke loose. I went to the beach with my girls. The whole weekend consisted of eating and drinking. We had such great cooks there that we ate our little hearts out. Breakfasts were big...pancakes and bacon one day...eggs, gravy, biscuits, hash browns and sausage the next. Dinners were fantastic, going down I had Wendy's baconator, then mahi mahi, baked potato and salad (ok well this meal was pretty healthy), and pizza the last night. But I snacked and snacked and snacked. But I will not say the food was not my biggest enemy. It was the ac-ac-ac-ac-alcohol. (Is that how it looks when Jamie Foxx was reading it to sing it?? I'll say yes). It was beer:thirty all the time. And Shooter Liz loved the shots. And the birthday girl makes the best mixed drinks. Needless to say most of the weekend was a blur and/or blacked out. But what happened at the beach stays at the beach. Alcohol is empty calories, but you can't think of that when you are drinking with your BFF's and having a good time, it's illegal. I'm sure of, ask the next cop you see. With fear and so much anxiety I thought I had to meet up with a therapist to hold on to my hand for me to step on the scale I got up there and 176 flashed at me. I was like "Hold the phone!!!!" I did not go up, I went down. Thank you Lord!! But I'm back this week, I still need to lose that one more pound that I had gained last week and I want to lose 2 more pounds. I am ready to see the 160's the 170's are getting old.

♥ Liz

Small Talk Six

2009-08-15T07:43:00.000-07:00

This week's topic for Small Talk Six on MomDot could not have been better for my weekend of relaxation at the beach.

6 things I do, use to do, or would like to do to relax

1 - I like to lay out by the pool (or at the beach when I have the chance)
2 - I like curling up to a good book
3 - I like going to get my nails done or a new haircut
4 - When I had money, I used to like to shop for relaxation
5 - I like getting together with a few friends to get drinks
6 - I like laying/sitting with Dee on our bed, outside on the porch, or on the trampoline. We don't have to say anything, just hold each other.

♥ Liz

Gotta Get Away!

2009-08-13T06:48:00.000-07:00

I am excited to say that I am leaving for a weekend beach trip with just the girls. Go ahead and be jealous!! It's one of our friend's birthday today and she wanted to head to the beach, even better we have a friend living in Wilmington. We are packing up and driving down tonight. We don't have much planned, just laying out (at the pool and beach), having good laughs, drinking, eating, and of course shopping. It will be so nice to have a weekend without kids and with no worries. Don't get me wrong I will miss my kids and hubby, but sometimes a mom just has to get away. We do have a "family beach trip" planned for September and I will enjoy the family fun then, but for this weekend I am on my own.

Now I will say I am not a fan of the ocean (see this previous post), but that will not stop me from baking in the sun all day.

What else makes this trip very exciting for me?? This will be my first girls only, no family beach trip. I have never been to the beach without my parents and siblings and recently without Dee and Dorian. I can't wait for this new experience and I hope this will not be my last "Girls' Weekend!"

♥ Liz

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-12T06:56:00.000-07:00

I have not participated in WW in a while, but this is too good not to share. On Thursday, Aug 6, 2009, I went to the Coldplay concert in Raleigh with 3 other friends. Yes, we had lawn seats, but we still had an awesome time. The music is great, my friends are great, and the band gave us a surprise...

Yes that's right. They came up to the lawn area and to our surprise we picked the best spot to be. They were like 10 feet away!! WOW!! That's all I can say. They played a couple of songs and played MJ's Billie Jean (my fav MJ song EVAH!). What a concert.

Lauren and I at the concert:

And us 3 girls: (me, Lauren, and Wendy)

Unfortunately, our 4th, Eamon, did not make many pictures. I think he was taking most of them.

♥ Liz

Tasty Tuesday

2009-08-11T06:46:00.001-07:00

I love crock pot recipes! Yes they are best during the fall, winter and cooler months of Spring, but really they are the easiest meals to fix for a working family like ours. My sister-in-law, Rita, gave me this recipe, I've tweaked it a bit, but it turns out to be a wonderful, family favorite.

Cheesy Crock Pot Chicken

1 1/2 to 2 lbs Boneless Chicken Breast*
1 can Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
1 can Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1 to 2 tsp Garlic Powder (depending on your taste)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in crock pot. Mix up well. Place on low for 6-8 hours. Cook until chicken is done and tender. Serve over rice or mash potatoes.

*I use the frozen half chicken breast that Wal-Mart sells (or Aldi's). I usually use 4. I think I would be able to use up to 6 of these breast as our family grows. I do not thaw them out, I just throw them in. You can also use chicken strips. My sister-in-law uses these. That way the chicken is smaller when you get ready to serve, this is great for smaller kids and they will not have to have their meat cut up as much. Also with the strip it will take less time in the crock pot. Maybe 5-6 hours.

Even though I have not tried it, I think new potatoes would be great with this as well. I'm sure any starch and/or veggies would go great with this meal.

I also was looking around on the Internet for different variations. One I liked added the Condensed Fiesta Cheddar Cheese Soup instead of the Plain Cheddar Cheese Soup and added 2 tsp of Chili Powder. What a way to spice it up!!

Enjoy!
♥ Liz

Weight Loss Challenge

2009-08-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

Today is not a great day. Not only is is Monday and I weigh myself, but I also gained 2 pounds from last week. :( I haven't worked out since Wednesday, not even at home. I have been lazy. Partly due to recovering from an awesome Coldplay concert. I had a blast, but I ate too much and drank waaayyy too much beer. It took me all weekend to recover, even with a trip to the spa. So today I am back on track. I plan on working out double, at the fitness center here at work and on my treadmill. I am going to the beach Thursday night and I need to look good in my bathing suit.

I will say though on Friday we went by Rugged Wearhouse to look around. I did find a dress, in juniors, that fits pretty well. I am so excited. I may wear it this weekend and I'll post pictures later.

♥ Liz

Small Talk Six

2009-08-08T07:33:00.000-07:00

This week's topic for Small Talk Six on MomDot is 6 things people do that you think are beyond lazy.

1. People who depend on the system and have no ambition of getting off. They like getting food stamps, welfare, disability, even if they are not disabled. They are just to lazy to get up and get a job, any job. Then they get mad when it gets cut off.

2. Men having a bottle beside the bed to pee into in the middle of the night. If you have a toilet in the house there is no excuse to not get out of bed and pee in the bathroom. You are disgusting and lazy!

3. Any adult, that is not disabled mentally or physically, that has velcro shoes. Really?? You can't tie them??

4. People who use paper products and will bring their empty paper product back in a kitchen and place it on the counter next to the trash, but can't place it in the trash.

5. Calling your kid from upstairs out of their room, or outside, or somewhere else in the house to come turn off the light, give you the remote, etc when you are less than 5 feet from it yourself. (I have to say I am guilty of this one.)

6. Any overly obese person who sits in their house day in and day out and does not leave. They live with food being brought to them, trash all around, and I don't even want to know about where they use the bathroom. They grow in size and soon can never get off the couch. Next thing you know they are knocking down a wall in their house and making every station's evening news.

♥ Liz

SKID Marks

2009-08-06T06:46:00.000-07:00

I am part of a weekly support group for kids called SKID (Strengthening Kids In Divorce) at our church. We have taken the entire summer off, and last night was our first leader meeting to begin the fall session in September. Coming from a divorced family I love this group. We aim the material for 4th-8th graders (my parents split the last time at the end of 8th grade), so I feel like I have a lot of experience about what some of these kids are feeling. We touch on topics like "It's not your Fault," "Kid responsibilities v. Parent Responsibilities," "Step-Families and Dating," etc. Since it is a church sponsored support group we also discuss towards the end "God's Plan for Me and Moving On." Before we had a hard time on this topic. It felt like we were lecturing the entire time to the kids, and after a whole day of school, I'm sure the last thing they want is another lecture scripture to them. This year I hope we can spice it up and make it more interesting. Another leader remember a lesson from a Sunday school class some years back on your family tree and you can make the choice to change your family. This will play so well in with our moving on theme. All 5 leaders in this group have come from divorced parents, but now all 5 are married and work hard to stay married. (Not saying it is hard to stay married, but we have broken the cycle). Most of us learn how to be a spouse and parent from our parents. What other role models do we have? Yes we can see other models, like our friends' parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, but our most immediate and daily example is our parents. Those of us who had rough childhoods, whether it be divorce, domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, whatever, how are we supposed to know anything different. We then have to be responsible for ourselves in learning the proper behavior and breaking the cycle. We can choose whether we want to follow our parents footsteps and get divorced, even knowing how it affected ourselves, or we can change our lives to have a long lasting marriage, like we intend to. I know everyone says this, but the idea of marriage has gone down the tubes. Most of us get married in a church and make a promise with God. Yes, with God, it's not only a promise to our spouse, but also a covenant to God, that we will stay with this person, as the vows, say for better OR for WORSE. When Dee and I were talking about getting married, right away both of us said divorce was not on the table. It is not an option for us. We will work through any problems we have. We will work to continue to grow our marriage. We can't just go through the daily grind and not focus on our marriage. As the movie "Fireproof" said we are continuously trying to get the next degree with our spouse. I am working on my college diploma with Dee :) We want to teach these kids, just because your parents are getting divorced, and maybe your grandparents, you don't have to follow in the direction. We want them to want better for themselves. Make it a goal to have a marriage that can celebrate 50 or 60 or 70 years of marriage. (That can happen, we are living longer, I would be 93...but poor Dee would be 105)

We strive to make a difference with this group of kids, and every session is different. Some come from long years of divorce and others just had the news dropped on them. We can't forget these kids. They are the future and we are responsible of teaching them a better way to live.

*Of course I encourage all marriages to stick together, but I do know there may be some circumstances that it is not possible (physical/emotional abuse, repeative affairs, etc). I feel in those situations the guilty spouse is no longer with God and in that case, a divorce is almost necessary.

♥ Liz

Celebrate World Breastfeeding Week 2009!!

2009-08-05T05:55:00.000-07:00

This week (August 1-7, 2009) is the official World Breastfeeding Week. I do not think we need to limit this awareness just to one week, but I wouldn't want to take away from Hangnail Awareness Week or whatever else they have come up with. Breastfeeding for me was a wonderful experience, especially with my first. With Dorian, we had a hard time teaching him to latch, but once he did, it was on like Donkey Kong. I was able to bond with him so well. I think it was the best thing for me to do to get that bond, considering I was a teenager and I really didn't want a baby at that age. He nursed for 10 months, then was finished, but by finished I meant with breast milk and formula. He had never taken formula and he wasn't about to start. So we had to go to whole milk (I don't want to hear what the experts say about whole milk before 1, I had to do what I had to do). And since he no longer wanted the booby he also didn't want a bottle. That's right, 10 months and wanted a cup. He was so easy in that regard and I was spoiled with a good breastfeeding first child. Then came Kayla. My expectations were high. I wanted so much for her, but we had problems. She wouldn't latch on right at all, causing cracks and bleeding (OUCH!!). She was so small and wouldn't empty each side, so my milk production decreased even when I pumped. Then I went to work and by 6 months old my milk supply was really getting low. She went to part breast milk and part formula at 7 months and by 8 months she was totally on formula. I do feel good for my accomplishment for making it as far as I did. I think I am harder on myself then I should be. I did bond with her like I had before.

I am a strong advocate for mothers to breastfeed, not only because I did it, but because it is best for the baby. We were made to feed our babies. Why do you think infants have trouble with formula with spitting up and tolerance, because as much as the container says it's most like breast milk...it's not breast milk! Can I also say that while breastfeeding I was able to lose the baby weight faster. In fact when I had Dorian, I was 1 size smaller I was before I got pregnant 2 weeks after I had him, mostly due to breastfeeding a small hippo, I mean a baby. Also, the cost is so much better. It's free (mostly). You may have to pay for a pump and accessories as well as storing containers, if you work, go to school, etc. But that is a lot cheaper than bottles and especially formula. OMG we bought the cheaper Parent's Choice brand from Walmart and it was $14 a can that would last 1 to 1 1/2 weeks. I couldn't imagine having to buy the other brands. Oh no!!

This week the theme for World Breastfeeding Week is the importance of breastfeeding before and during emergencies. Check out the website to see all the objectives and rationale behind why breastfeeding you child before and during an emergency can help survival. I had never thought of this reasoning, but it just adds to the many reasons why breastfeeding it best.

And please stop staring. You are allowed to eat in public, so should babies!!

♥ Liz

Tasty Tuesday

2009-08-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

I forgot to bring a recipe with me to post today, however I do have a recipe in my head I have been thinking about. I just finished the book 365 Nights: A Memoir of Intimacy by Charla Muller. Today's recipe focuses on marriage. This may seem cheesy, but I like it and I came up with it myself.

For a Happy and Healthy Marriage:
1 part Respect for one another in all aspects of each other's life
1 part Truth all the time
1 part On the same side of parenting (if you have kids)
1 part Quality time together to have meaningful conversations
1 part Helping each other with household chores and kids (if applicable)
1 part Some sort of budgeting technique that both of you agree (if one spouse does it, both must agree that's best)
3-4 nights a week of sex
1 night a week for each spouse to have time away...like Girl's Night Out or Boy's Night (now this does not have to last all night and it can end as a sex night and you can kill 2 birds with 1 stone)
3 parts Love (no brainer)

You may have other important aspects that may make your marriage happy, I have found this works out great for Dee and I.

♥ Liz

Weight Loss Challenge

2009-08-04T06:30:00.001-07:00

I am proud to say over the last week (and 1 day - for I am late in posting this) I have lost 2 pounds!! I am 175!! I want to shout it out loud from the roof tops. But alas I'll save it until I am out of the 170's. I will say that my clothes are fitting a lot better. A while back I went through my closet and convinced myself I will never get into an 8 anymore...so I go rid of them. I also got rid of any junior sizes 7-9, and some 11's. Junior sizings are just cruel. But I did save my larger 10's and all of my 12's I couldn't fit into, but packed them into the big plastic tubs and stored them away in the attic. There were a few items I had left out...including a skirt I bought from Wet Seal. If you are famililar with Wet Seal you will know their sizes run small. Have you seen a large in that store?? It fits Dorian. However I have a skirt I bought had to have been 5 years ago. When I was between a size 10 and 12. I tried it on this weekend...and I could zip it up!!!! No it was not fitting as loose as it did 5 years ago, but it fits!! I don't think I have worn this skirt in the last 4 years and now I have it on. I am really tempted to go into the attic and drag my box down and see what I can wear. Or I could wait till I am at 170.

I am also at the dilema where there are a few pairs of jeans that I love, but are size 14. I also have a few dresses. I don't want to give up these clothes. I highly doubt I will find them again in the store (I mostly shop at Marshall's, Ross, Rugged Wearhouse, etc). I will have to decide whether just box them up to Goodwill (or save for a yard sale). I could say I would save them just in case I need them...but my promise is once I loose this weight, it's gone. Or I could get them altered. Hmm?? The stars do this all the time with their clothes. And it can't be too hard...it's going in not out.It is definitely something to think about. If it is cheaper to buy a different pair of favorite jeans then I'll choose that route. But I am not giving up these dresses.

♥ Liz

Check out MomTrend and BabyStar

2009-07-31T12:27:00.000-07:00

MomTrend is another fellow mom blogger, as well as I know the authors, Kate and Tanya, who are super cool moms. They have a new giveaway from BabyStar. BabyStar offers modern clothes, diaper bags, bedding, etc with cute patterns. They believe a star is born everyday and they deserve trendy designed goodies. All the products are made from 100% cotton and formaldehyde-free fabrics which make them harmless to the environment. I love this "balloon rick-rack dress"

and this girl crib bedding in "flutter pink"

Check out BabyStar to see all their products and designs. Their line is available to buy at special children boutiques and online.

MomTrend is sponsoring a giveaway for the "Rock the Tote." They also have a special discount coupon for readers. So go over and check them out!!

♥Liz

No vans for me!

2009-07-29T07:38:00.001-07:00

I refuse to drive a van. I will not do it. NO NO NO! My mom had a van when I was a teenager and I had to learn to drive with that...not fun at all. I've always told others that I will not ever drive a van. I never could pinpoint the exact reason why though. I did feel that if I succumbed to a van then I would enter the horrors of being labeled a "Soccer Mom" with a van and the little juice boxes to pass out to everyone. Just because I have kids I don't want my whole life to be labeled as a "mom." I want to be my own person too. Yes my kids are part of me and help describe who I am...but no vans! Yes I know they have great gas mileage and wonderful leg room and you can separate your kids, but that doesn't sell them on me. I've liked my small compact car for a long time and yes I would love something bigger, just not a van. And I LOVE our Tahoe. Yes it's a gas guzzler, but it has all the room, and maybe more, than a van can offer. I only have two kids. They can sit in the same row. Why would I want to help transport the entire team somewhere or be volunteered to be a driver for a group of kids. I get irritated at my own kids for trashing our cars, I don't want a whole gaggle of kids doing it too, and I can't yell at them. Best yet, I do not feel young and hip in a van. Never will I. I always feel sorry for dads I see driving them, but never do they seem attractive to me. I still want to be considered attractive to the public. No I am not picking anyone up, but it's the satisfaction of knowing I could if I wanted to. To me, a van is a deal breaker!!

I had never heard anyone else feel the same way as I did until I started reading 365 Nights: A Memoir of Intimacy by Charla Muller. She expressed it best when she said "I don't care how ridiculous and unsexy I felt at that moment in my big, honkin' SUV because at least I will not ever, ever drive a minivan. I don't care how practical they are, how highly rated they are, how great the resale value is, how the children enjoy their bucket seats and never fight anymore, and how all the electronics are wired up to each seat. It does not matter that my trendy, quite handsome younger brother drives one and constantly taunts me to "come over to the dark side" with his GPS system, iPod-infused DVD-playing, bucket-seated, great mileage minivan. I simply can't. It's a flagrant 'shout out to the world' admission that I am not longer relevant, stylish, sexy, or cute." I couldn't have said it better myself.

I do not want to announce to the world that I am a mom before they even meet me. I even prefer station wagons over vans...now they are cute and modified. Like the Dodge Caliber or the Mazda3 5 door. There is no way to make a van cute and modified. It is still a minivan and I will always say no!!

♥ Liz

Weight Loss Challenge

2009-07-27T06:41:00.000-07:00

I am still losing weight (yay!) slowly but surely (little yay!). This psat week I lost 1 pound, to be 177. I am still hoping to see a week where I lose 3 pounds. Maybe this week?? I am heading to the beach August 14-16. It would be so nice to be 170 by then. But that would mean at least 2 pounds a week, if not more. I still have 27 more pounds to lose to my utlimate goal of 150. Before now I had convinced myself I would not ever be 150 again, but now I have hope. I am going to make it. I must make it. I am not even concerned about the incentive Dee has tied in. I want this for myself. I want to wear the cute clothes I used to wear.

I will make it!

♥ Liz

Small Talk Six

2009-07-25T07:40:00.000-07:00

This week's Small Talk Six from MomDot topic is 6 talents I wished I possessed.

1- Any athletic ability. Seriously I have none. I am so glad Dorian got his from his dad. Kayla, you better hope Daddy gave you some too.
2- Sewing. I can't sew very well. I would love to make things for my kids. My mom could sew us clothes, costumes, stuffed animals, quilts, etc.
3- Dancing. I think i can dance especially after a few drinks, but really its more having confidence in myself to dance sober.
4- Eloquent writing skills. You read my stuff, I'm not that good.
5- Ability to talk to a crowd. I clam up and freak out. Just can't do it.
6- Juggle. Dee can do it and Dorian thinks he is the best. I can't and where does that leave me?

I know I do have some great talents, but my inabilities are often picked on anytime I am with friends and family.

I'd like to go back to the 4/25 topic: 6 things people do that make me personally
uncomfortable

1- I hate it when a person mistreats their spouse in front of others. Mostly when they talk ugly to them, snap at them, or treat them like they are nothing, and obviously hurts their feelings and embarrasses them in front of friends, family, etc. It makes me cringe inside and feel so awful for the mistreated person.
2- I don't like it when there is a person in a group that takes their religion too far and misquotes their philosophy and are practically hyprcrits. Especially if they claim to be a Christian like me. I'm not saying I am all knowing, but please don't twit God's word into what it's not.
3- Talk about their/their kids/thier friends injuries, past or present. It gives me the willies inside.
4- When someone makes a racial/gender offensive comment, then tries to take it back like they did not mean it that way. Right, if you didn't mean it, then it would have never crossed your mind and slip out accidently.
5- When I am at a store or restaurant and I realize someone around me doesn't have enough money. They make decisions about what items to put back or what to get that is cheap on the menu. I have had to do this a few times. I hope I don't make others feel uncomfortable, but I always feel bad for them.
6- When a certain somebody always talk in Sunday School. I can't stand this person, and when they talk I cringe and a lot of things they say make me uncomfortable, not b/c they are right but more b/c of #2.

♥ Liz

Another year older...

2009-07-24T12:05:00.000-07:00

I am 25 today!! I am officially in my mid-twenties and only 5 years away from 30. Wow that close really?? Do I feel 25, not all the time, and so far it feels the same as 24. What sucks about 25, here in NC I have to renew my liscence at 25, well that's today and I have not renewed them yet. Party because of the $30 it is going to cost. Secondly, I kept putting it off saying I did not have time to stand all day in the line. Best yet, I wouldn't even be getting my new lisence yet. The state sent me a postcard last month saying they were trying to cut down on identity theft and instead of giving your new lisence to you right then, when you are standing right in front of them with the 80 forms of identification the require, they are now mailing them out from a central office. Well of course no one ever steals mail and of course mail never gets lost, this is the best option!! Happy Birthday to me right??

Last night my mom had a small dinner for me (above you can see the "cake" she had for me). I noticed when we were cleaning up that obviously the numbers reversed were 52, well my mom is going to be 52 this year and we can reuse the candles. That's not the coolest part, and I understand this may only excite me, but so be it. I admit I have some OCD tendencies. I am obsessed with numbers. Counting things is a secret (not now) of mine. I caount things making sure they are even. When I see a group of numbers I focus on seeing the different combinations they make, for instance I saw an address 2218. I am able to count 0 to 13 by adding or subtracting those numbers. Weird I know. That's not even the beginning of it. When I saw that my mom's age was going to be the reverse of mine, I thought that couldn't have just been a coincidence, this must have happened again, and it does. Every 11 years. When I was 3 (or 03) she was 30. I turned 14, she turned 41. Now I am 25 and she will be 52. This also will continue for every 11 years (36 - 63, 47 - 74, 58 - 85). She had me the year she was turning 27. I have been trying to see what other ages this will work with and there are a few cases. Like if your mom was 18 when she had you, it would start at 2 and she was 20. I think it only works at ages 18, 27, 36, 45. The reason being, and stay with me, is that the child must turn the same age of the difference between the mom's age of birth and the next "10 age" (like 20, 30, 40, etc). Yes I know most of you are probably gouging your eyes out, but this makes me giddy. I can't help it. I had to solve this problem. Being a math geek flows over to everyday life.

♥ Liz

Tasty Tuesday

2009-07-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

I love easy, quick, inexpensive recipes, especially for desserts. I know how fancy they can come. Trust me I have tried them all!! At a church bible study, a fellow bible studier :) brought in a "dump cake." It was so very good. I thought it had to be like a cobbler, but once I heard the recipe, I was like WOW! I can do this anytime...it's too easy.

Dump Cake
1 can of fruit pie filling (cherry, peach, apple etc)
1 box of Jiffy yellow cake mix
1 stick of butter melted

In a square pan, empty the can of pie filling. Pour out the cake mix over top. Pour melted butter all over the cake mix. Bake at 375 for about 45 minutes, or until the top is golden.

We have taken this dessert to so many cook outs and dinners. It is wonderful. We double the recipe and put it in a 9x13 pan. We hardly ever bring home left overs. It's great with ice cream!! Even my husband enjoys making it. He can sometimes be a little anal about making sure there are no clumps and the butter is covering all of the cake mix. Really if there are not any huge clumps, leave them. And the butter should cover most, but it doesn't have to cover all.

One extra tip: if you use the apple pie filling, add a little bit of cinnamon with pie filling.

♥ Liz

Happy Birthday Dorian

2009-07-20T10:52:00.000-07:00

Wow!! Today Dorian is 8. I can not believe time flies so fast. I still remember him as my little baby and now he is 8!?! I can not believe it. I make it a point to amke sure my kids' birthdays are important and fun, especially now for Dorian because he can remember them from year to year and he also has such a big input on what he wants to do. This year, we wanted to venture away from the usually big family/friends cookout and give Dorian a party for him. We decided to go to Dan Nicholas Park in Salisbury. I had heard a lot about this park from a few friends and thought it would be great for us to go to. I had planned for us to do a train ride, carosel ride, gem mining, and mini-golf. There was also other activities like a nature center with reptiles and fish, a little zoo, a petting zoo, a water squirting park, a humungous playgrounf, and a lake with paddle boats. Dorian right away saw the playground and his eyes were the size of dinner plates. We had to drive and walk around a bit before we founf where we could rent the picnic areas with the grills. We had gotten tehre about 3:30, and by 4 we were cooking. Once we were done with eating, cake, and presents, we had very little time left. We had to nix the mini-gold and gem mining, much to my dismay. Those were two of the things I wanted to do most. However we did have a few younger kids that we were also trying to keep happy and Dorian and my littel brother, Jake (also 8) were fine to go along with the crowd. We were able to see a lot of farm animals in the petting area. The little zoo had bears, bobcats, owls, racoons, white-tailed deer, and red wolves. The boys were very excited about the bears. Unfortunately we were too late to play in the water. But the big boys, Dee, my brother, Alex, our friend, Val, and my sister's boyfriend, Ryan, were wanting to go to the lake, which led the kids to wanting to go to the lake. They were able to ride the paddle boats. Yay!! Dorian loved it! We spent the lst 30 minutes before the park closed playing on the playground. They even had a little area for children 1-3, like Kayla with the Step 2 type of toys. Dorian loved Dan Nicholas Park and I am sure we are going to be going again soon. It is a very cheap way to entertain kids for a whole day.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DORIAN!! I LOVE YOU!!!

Pictures from the day (before my camera died, way to go on checking the battery Liz!)

Dorian and Jake

The Cake!

He could not stop smiling about it.

Or about his new DS...

The party crew...

The birthday boy and I this morning before he heads off to the beach for the week...

♥ Liz

Weight Loss Challenge

2009-07-20T06:17:00.000-07:00

I did not make my goal this week :( but I did lose 1 pound!! :) I worked out all five days last week at the fitness center at work, even with a few extra days I walked on the treadmill at home later. I missed walking this weekend, but yesterday we were at a park and did a lot of walking. We also had a picnic/cook out and I did not pig out. Way to go me!! This week I hope to lose 3 pounds.

Small Talk Six

2009-07-18T08:14:00.000-07:00

I've missed quite a few Small Talk Six from MomDot from the last few weeks. Life has been catching up to me too much.

This week the topic is:

6 Flavors of Ice Cream I love or hate:

1. Love: Chocolate
2. Love: Orange Sherbet
3. Love: Mint Chocolate Chip
4. Love: Birthday Cake from Marble Slab
5. Love: Any of the sorbets from Cold Stone Creamery
6. Love: It's a tie between Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Oreo Cookies n Cream

As you can see I LOVE ice cream. Yes I am trying to stay clear most of the time, but sorbet is healthier :) and I am always looking for the low fat, low sugar varieties.

♥ Liz

Get rid of the stereotype

2009-07-13T07:20:00.000-07:00

I am a Teenage Mom. I had Dorian 4 days before my 17th birthday. (Happy Birthday to me right?) I never thought getting pregnant would happen to me. I tried to keep my pregnancy a secret for as long as I could. I was still in denial myself and was hoping I would wake up from a bad dream. I had only told 2 people, of course my boyfriend, and another close friend I could trust. My bf however told a few of his friends, who over time started telling other people. It was being passed around as rumors. By the time I was 5 months along, a lot of the school was questioning it. I was not showing too much, but I also started wearing big t-shirts. I even had a teacher ask me. My plan was to secretly have the baby and drop the baby off at a hospital. The law had just passed the summer before of allowing new moms who had a baby to hand over the child to an authorized place, like a hospital, police station, or social services, in the first 7 days if they did not feel like they could take care of the baby, with out being charged with abandonment. This was to reduce the amount of infant deaths from women/girls trying to hide a baby they just had in garbage cans, bathrooms, etc. I know this sounded crazy, but I didn't know what else to do. I could not talk to my mom. She was hard enough to say anything about birth control before I even got pregnant, but she always warned us not to have sex b/c she was not going to raise our kids if we got pregnant young. I was so scared. By prom I was about 6 months along. You could tell in my dress that something was fishy. My mom was still oblivious. My step-mom however started to ask me if I needed to take a pregnancy test or got to the doctor. I still denied everything. A month later near the end of school she cornered me and I broke down and told her yes I was pregnant and I was 7 months along!!

I had thought my boyfriend and I were on the same page of us not being able to raise a child, so we were opting for adoption. I had went away to my aunt's to get away for a few days. When I came back he had changed his mom (thanks to his mom, erg!), and I received grief from my dad and his entire side of his family. I finally decided I wasn't going to let any of them raise my child if they treat people the way they are now and I would raise my son. It was scary to wrap my mind that I will be raising a child in my senior year of high school. I had little time to prepare. On July 20, 2001 I became a mom (GULP!). I had stuggles like any new mom, but I only had 2 weeks to get things straight so I could finish school. I continued to live with my mom. Even though I was not paying for living there, I was still taking care of my baby and myself. I woke up with him at night. I tutored friends after school for extra money. I got a job. I applied for all the help I could get from social services. Because I was nursing I was able to get WIC for a longer period of time. I was able to decrease my class load to only what I needed, 2 classes a day each semester. I was determined to finish high school and not be another statistic. Once everyone started talking about college, I asked myself "Why can't I go?" The state offered help with daycare and housing. I was not going to stop myself. I got into my school of choice, still near my family, but not the last desperate choice. I was pretty amazed I was able to get a full ride, not just because of me being a single mom, but mostly because of my grades. My first year I was by myself. I lived on my own, taking Dorian to daycare during the day to go to school and to his dad's at night to go tto work, where I worked 30-40 hours a week. I'm not going to lie...it was hard!! The following years I had met Dee and moved in with him. He helped me more and more with Dorian, so I could still work as much as I could and go to school.

I am proud to say that I broke what seems to be the standard. I finished school! Not only did I finish, but I finished only 1 semester behind. How many people do you know with out kids that take longer than that themselves? I did it! I also had a hard major, Biology. Yes I know that all majors are work, but after seeing what my friends had to do in say psychology or communications, I will have to say that a science major with labs is much harder. I want you to take organic chemistry and see how you like it! I know have a great job in a field I love because of my degree.

Teen mothers do not have to fit the mold society has fit them in. They can finish school and college. They can have great careers. We as a society have to stop pushing them down and shunning them away. Everyone makes mistakes. I love my mistake. I truly feel I may not have finished school if I did not have Dorian. But I wanted it for me and for him. Yes I had a support system, but I was also supported my teen mother groups the community has. Here in Winston we have the Salem Pregnancy Center that helps young, single mothers. Yes I was on the state system for support, but I used that support to better myself and get on my feet.

We as parents can't think how we have failed our child if this happens to them. So what they have a new path? Help them on their new path. I'm not saying raise their child, but teach them how to raise their own child. Show them love and support. Better yet, why not prevent the whole situation. You have to be open to your child, understanding and easy to approach. Yes be a parent first, but sometimes they need a friend and someone to talk to.

I want to challenge young moms to be the best they can be. Don't think having a child young is going to ruin your life. You must want better for yourself and for you child. I did and I have succeeded!

&hearts: Liz

Weight Loss Challenge

2009-07-13T07:16:00.000-07:00

This one will be short b/c all I have to say is I LOST 2 LBS THIS WEEK!! Goodbye 180's, I will never see you again! I think I could have lost more, but Saturday was a night of drinking and food. This week I want to lose 3 pounds.

♥ Liz

Dorian would love this...

2009-07-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

Dorian loves bounce houses. He is never ending talking about parties he goes to where they have a bounce house. He loves them even more when there is water involved. We have had a party where we borrowed a friends pirate ship bounce + water slide, but its not the same of having our own. Nor do I like to have to pay at places like BounceU and don't even ask about renting one for a half a day. I could buy a small used car for the same price!! If only I had my own...

J. Leigh Designz is giving away a Pirates Bay Inflatable Play Park from PlayHouse Bouncers. You can enter the contest HERE. Also to get a new Pirates Bay Inflatable Play Park, and not the one J. Leigh Designz reviewed, be sure to becomce a fan of PlayHouse Bouncers on Facebook!!

The contest is going on now, until August 3rd.

You can also click on the button on the side of my blog!

♥ Liz

Weight Loss Challenge

2009-07-06T08:16:00.001-07:00

So it's my dreadful Monday (grrr!). As I hopped onto the scale this morning I couldn't help but think about this week...and most importantly this past weekend. It was filled with food, family, and fun. We headed down to South Carolina to see Dee's family on Friday and they graciously had a cook out while we were there. I am not one to give up good home cooked food. Then on Saturday it was off to my grandma's for her annual July 4th cook out. She lives very close to the Lewisville Square where every year there is a huge gathering and fireworks that we can see from her back yard. Yesterday we were relaxing from our busy holiday weekend, with a low key lunch with my mom and cooking something simple requested by Dorian, baked chicken wings and mac n cheese. I may have splurged a little over my calorie limit a bit, so I was not surprised my weight has not changed from last week :( But at least I am not gaining weight!! I have become somewhat lax about writing down my calorie intake and just keeping a mental tab. This week I will be writing down everything that goes in my mouth again. I did work out 5 of the last 7 days, some days was just 30-45 minutes on our treadmill, but something is better than nothing. I am hoping for at least a 2 pound weight loss for this week.

♥ Liz

Fireproof Review

2009-07-02T11:33:00.000-07:00

Last fall Fireproof hit theaters and I never went to see it, even with all the hoop-la at church about setting up date nights for the couples to see it after having a 5 week bible study for couples to strengthen their marriage. It's not that I didn't want to see the movie or that I didn't want to work on my marriage, but rather we had a newborn, and I had just gotten back into work, and we were catching up on bills from me being out, so I never had the chance to see it. Then it came out on video. No I didn't rush out to buy it or rent it, but eventually I got around to seeing it. By eventually I mean this past week.

Fireproof is about the chief firefighter, Caleb, who's relationship with his wife, Catherine, is going down the tubes. They never had anything nice to say one another and only fought when together. They were sleeping in separate rooms. Neither one listened to the other and both were being selfish with their own wants. He demanded respect and she wanted help around the house. Once Caleb's dad got word of the couple talking about divorce, he challenged Caleb to work on his marriage for 40 days. At first he went about the experiment half-heartily, but once Caleb realized the love that God has for us and accepted Christ into his heart, that he was then fully prepared to save his marriage and put a full faith effort into his wife. Caleb must struggle with a wife that had given up and has possibly found a new love interest and Catherine must learn to trust and respect her husband who struggled with an addiction to porn.

I admit the acting in the movie is not up to par. Honestly there were times I knew I could have done a better job with my group of friends. Too many of the scenes were too scripted and not very realistic. However, the message blows the poor acting out of the water. The torn marriage depicted here mirrors a lot of marriages. Maybe not every thing is the same, but one or two things hit home. Even though I felt Caleb was a jerk at the beginning and the porn addiction disgust me as well, I began feeling for him when his real efforts were thought to be scams or were turned down. I was rooting for him to win. The movie explained the love that God has for us so beautifully. I liked Christianity was not depicted as your typical "Leave it to Beaver" whole-hearted non-sense, but rather as real life struggles that people have. One of my favorite parts was when the father was explaining, through his 40 day journal to Caleb, that you must always study your spouse. As you are dating them you are working towards your high school diploma. Once you get married you have graduated to college and are working on your bachelor's degree, and you continue until you reach the next degree and so forth. You never stop learning and studying about your spouse. It is a lifetime commitment and its ever changing and growing. There are other great twists and turns in the movie I will not spoil.

You do not have to be a Christian to enjoy and benefit from this movie. I think everyone would agree that your marriage is important and you are always trying to have the good times. The Fireproof website offers viewers to "Fireproof your marriage," where you can go on the same 40 day journey that Caleb did in the movie if your marriage is at a desperate point or even if you would like to improve your marriage and grow closer to your spouse.

Please look past the mediocre acting and watch this movie. It opened up doors for Dee and I to talk and improve our relationship and it could help you. It's on DVD now!

♥ Liz

I want a double standard!!

2009-07-01T11:30:00.000-07:00

As I have mentioned before I am in a blended family. I had Dorian before meeting, falling in love, and marrying Dee. For most of Dorian's life, he saw Dee as his one and only dad and Dee calls him his son. He still calls him "Daddy" even after getting to know his dad, Josh, over the last few years. Now he knows he has 2 dads, lucky him, and in the recent months I have had the luxury of explaining why Dee is his step-dad and Josh is his real dad and not the other way around. Good times!

The time when my relationship with Josh was ending and mine and Dee's relationship starting is a bit fuzzy and complicated. Right before Dee and I moved in together I had cut all contact off with Josh, due to arguments, fighting, and violence between us. He had no say so in me dating Dee, or moving in with him (with Dorian in tow), or marrying him. I felt like I was in charge of mine and Dorian's life and these were the best decisions I could make for us. The family we have is wonderful and I would never change it. Since Josh has come back into our lives, he has a few serious girlfriends, well one that I knew of. I never had anything to say about it, because he continued to live with his mom. I was a nosey parent and asked Dorian questions about her, yes I should have asked Josh, but I was not going to open a can of worms. (Recently I have been working on not using Dorian for information. I either stay in the dark or ask Josh.) Now he has another girlfriend, but I found out about her when Josh said he no longer is living at his mom's house, which they just moved into at most 2 months ago, but is living with her. Well, huh...the only other girl that he has lived with was me, and we had Dorian and were pretty serious. So this one irks me a bit. I try to get as much information from Josh about what is going on...but that is like breaking into a vault. I don't want Dorian in the middle of this, but I'm his mother. I always know where he is at, or where he is going to go, even with my family. I feel forced to ask Dorian for minimal information, to make sure everything is OK. In the end, if this relationship is that serious, I want a say so!! I know I would not have dreamed of letting Josh have a say in mine and Dee's relationship. And it's not that I want to say yes he can date her/move in with her/marry her or whatever. I just want to be in the know of what's going on. Yes it's a double standard to Josh...but Dorian came from me. Can't a women get a leg up on a man every once in a while?? If so, this is what I want.

Or should I be fair and let him live his life, like I have.

♥ Liz

Tasty Tuesday

2009-06-30T08:41:00.000-07:00

I love bananas and I love bread, so it's no secret that I love banana bread. I used to make it all the time with my mom. I used the same recipe from an old cook book my mom had bought from a local church. The recipe is wonderful, but sometimes I like a little more moist banana bread. I had found another recipe in a different church cook book given to us from a family friend. This recipe was it, very moist, and it was listed as a form of muffins. The first time I made this I was in high school and I loved the muffin form. It would be so easy to grab a muffin and go. Now with a 7 yr old and a 1 yr old, muffins are even better. No worries of having to slice a piece the right size. Dorian can just grab a muffin on his way out the door to the bus or to play. I have not made this recipe since being married and we have a lot of bananas that are getting a little too ripe. (They were on sale for cheap and I grabbed them and as much as Kayla likes bananas she just isn't eating them fast enough!!) Banana bread will be a great variety for breakfast for us, especially Kayla, and not to mention easy!

Here is the recipe from the cook book "Specialties of His House" from the Young Women on a Mission at South Fork Baptist Church in Winston-Salem. Most of the recipes include the lady who submitted the recipe, but this one is anonymous.

Basic Banana Muffins

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. basking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 med. ripe bananas
1 egg
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. In another bowl, mash the bananas. Add egg, oil, and vanilla, mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups half full. Bake at 375F for 18-22 minutes or until the muffins test done. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pain to wire rack to cool completely. Yields 1 dozen.

Even though I haven't tried it, I'm sure this recipe also can be made into a loaf. I think I'll even have enough banans left over for banana pancakes...maybe breakfast for dinner tonight??

♥ Liz

Win a Waterslide Bounce House

2009-06-29T12:32:00.000-07:00

J. Leigh Designz is giving away this awesome Waterslide Bounce House from Playhouse Bouncers:

The contest begins tomorrow, June 30th, to August 3rd. Check out her blog and enter this and other contests!

Weight Loss Challenge

2009-06-29T11:21:00.000-07:00

Today I was shocked, releived, puzzled, and confident by the number I read today on the scale...181. So I have not lost any weight from last week (which I feel sure that is a result from not eating and being sick), but I also have not gained any weight either after adding the calories back to my diet. I will have to say, I am getting less than 1700 a day and some days it is a struggle to try to hit that mark. I have transitioned from limiting myself to 2000 calories to forcing myself eat to make enough for daily needs. However I now feel like it may be a little high to try to get that many calories in a day. I am feeling fuller faster and I no longer can eat as much as I use to. This has always been a struggle for me. I know eating and food was my enemy and knowing when I was full. Before I would eat and eat and eat whatever was good, then 30 minutes later feel horrible. Now I am aware of when I am starting to feel full and I can back off and I feel so much better.

My original numbers for my caloric intake was 1700-2000. I did the complicated calculations found at www.bmi-calculator.net. I feel like this is now too high and I went to WebMD to their BMI Calculator Plus. I entered all the appropriate information and that I want to lose at least 2 pounds a week. I want to see the difference between lightly active, some weeks may be like that, and moderately active, when I am really ambitious. My range now is 1250-1450. Wow, this is a huge change, but it won't be difficult. I am feeling better when I am eating in the 1300-1400 range and I do not have to over stuff myself. I have found foods that are filling, but with low calories. I have found that meals I used to be able to finish I can no longer get halfway through. This week I am lowering my calories and hopefully will see results.

Last week I did not work out much, maybe 2 days total. If I add more workouts with this even lower calorie diet I think I will be getting to my goal faster than I planned. I also love summer and naturally the pool goes with summer. I am able to swim with my kids for a couple of hours. I'm sure that extra fun is also burning a few extra calories. I can't wait for next week to see what my weight will be!!!

♥ Liz

Giveaways from MomTrend

2009-06-25T07:35:00.001-07:00

My friends at MomTrend have some awesome, new giveaways this week!!

I love the Hand Stamped Necklace from Kennebug Boutique. Actually after looking at the website I love all the hand stamped jewelry they sale. Almost every piece can be personalized with a name and/or the birth stone of the person of your choice. There are peices to honor mothers, grandmothers, sisters, spouses, and more. It was very easily to think of everone in your life to give a piece of jewelry or keychain from Kennebug. They even have smaller necklaces and bracelets for your child, yes even boys. I could see Dorian loving some of the necklaces they offer boys. MomTrend is offering a 15% discount from Kennebug as well as one lucky winner gets a personalized hand stamped necklace.

The second giveaway posted this week is from YoBaby Organic Yogurt from Stonyfield Farm. YoBaby Yogurt is known for being organic made specially for babies and toddlers. It is an excellant alternative calcium source. The yogurt also has added DHA, zinc, and vitamin D. I always worry about healthy snacks for both Kayla and Dorian with out them being pumped full of sugar. YoBaby Yogurt is a perfect snack for them. MomTrend is offering one lucky winner a YoBaby Giftpack that includes a bowl and lid, an organic bib, and 5 coupons for free YoBaby Yogurt six packs.

Check out MomTrend and enter these great giveaways as well as others.

♥ Liz

Small Talk Six

2009-06-23T07:00:00.001-07:00

This weekend was a doozy for me (see Monday's post for reason) so its no wonder I did not make Small Talk Six on Saturday from MomDot.

This weeks topic was 6 things I think the father of my children deserves...

1. Some peace and quiet every once in a while.

2. Quality alone time with each of our kids.

3. To be told how grateful I am for all the help and support he has given me.

4. Recognition for being a very hands on dad.

5. To receive all the loves and kisses and hugs he can get from our kids.

6. To eat his push-up pops with out Dorian asking for one or with out Kayla coming over to eat some of his.

Love you Dee!!

And because it is the summer and we may be going to the beach soon....

6 things I love/hate about the ocean

1. Hate: The seaweed that is just floating around and could wrap around my leg

2: Hate: jellyfish that swim/float close to shore

3. Hate: Rusty fish hooks that are just floating or sitting on the bottom waiting for me to step on them. (It happened to my dad, it could happen to me)

4. Hate: Any fish that swims up against my leg...makes me think it could be a shark and I can't see them because of how dirty the water is.

5. Hate: All the people pee, poo, fish poo or whatever just floating in the ocean.

6. Love: The sound of waves crashing on the beach as I am laying out, especially at night.

♥ Liz

Tasty Tuesday

2009-06-23T06:51:00.001-07:00

Summer is the time for fruits. I love fruit, from strawberries to blackberries to pineapple to a juicy orange. Often to spruce up a fruit platter I have at a cook out, shower, or girl's night, I like to make a fruit dip. I first came across this recipe from a friend. She always brought it with plump strawberries and it was dee-lic-ous! Since then I have found other ways to change it up.

Fruit Dip
1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened
1 jar of marshmellow fluff

Blend together until smooth. Chill.

Other variations are adding a flavored cream cheese like a strawberry cream cheese or add cinnamon if serving with just apples. Cut the calories by adding fat free or lite cream cheese.

This a great light, summer snack that won't feel like a lump is sitting in your stomach. Kids love it and they'll be eating fruit and you can't beat that.

♥ Liz

Weight Loss Challenge

2009-06-22T05:42:00.001-07:00

It's Monday. The most dreaded day of the week. I had to make it worse by making it my official weigh in day. I need to be fired from the schedule making!!

Before I reveal my weight I do need to confess...I have been sick. Not just your run of the mill sick. I have been non eating, laying in bed, refusing to go anywhere, can only stand for a second, make sure I always have a trash can by me type of sick. It started last Wednesday when I started feeling icky all over...almost like really sore muscles after working out...I thought either I am sick, or I really did good at the gym yesterday - go me! Then Thursday it hit me like a tidal wave. I was fine all day until I ate lunch. As I was counting down the time for me to go home, I felt the rumble...and I all I could do was warn Tanya, who was in my lab at the time, that I could not make it down to the bathroom. I tried work again on Friday, I only lasted an hour. This weekend I have been in bed. Only able to eat a bite or two before I have to stop. Ginger ale has been my best friend. Today I have ventured back into public feeling about 70-80% better.

Now for the results...drum roll please....my weight today is 181! Yes that is 7lbs lighter. No thanks to any diet or exercise, I just could not eat. I do not endorse this method. I feel like crap today with no energy and I'm actually getting hungry and I am afraid I am going to over eat. However there is good in this. I could work hard from here to keep losing weight. After today I will be working out like normal and keeping my calories low. I would love to have a big loss like this again. That may be my goal for the next month, lose at least 5 lbs in 1 week.

♥ Liz

Little Miss Fix-it

2009-06-18T06:41:00.000-07:00

I often play the helpless, damsel in distress and I must admit I am really good at it. It works for our family. My husband is the handy man and I am the wife that sits back and praises him for what ever we do. Don't let this fool you, I do know a lot. My grandpa used to show us the ropes on tools, oil changing, tire changing, gardening, and general house hold fix up jobs. However I like having a man who can do this all for me. Make me feel more lady-like. I know it's the 21st century and women do not need to be dependent on a man, but I just like it. I am well educated, in the work force, and if I want a little extra manly-ness around the house, then give it to me.

Like I said I do know some stuff. Yesterday our air conditioning was not blowing out cool air. Thinking back I could not remember when we changed the air filter last, or had we changed it all since moving in 2 1/2 years ago. (EEK! I know!!) Now I go back into my arsenal and remember my mom changing our air filter when we were kids quite often, as well as our land lord at our last house, and the freezer guy at work told me to rinse the filter every month or so to keep the frost down and the cooling working properly. When I gave this solution to my dear hubby, he shot me down with, "I don't think it's that. The unit isn't even running." I reassured him telling him sometimes its the little things and just to try it. So he took out the old filter. It was DISGUSTING!! Ugh!! He went to Wal-mart, after our debate of where he could buy one...he thought only Lowe's and I said Wal-mart, and installed our new filter. Lo and behold, cool air started coming out of the vents!! The unit started running. We had a cool house. I had solved the mystery.

Take that you trophy wives!! I am not just a damsel in distress. I could make it on my own.

♥ Liz

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-17T07:23:00.001-07:00

Today's Wordless Wednesday is dedicated to the dad's in my life...

My dad with Kayla the day after she was born. My dad has always been there for me even when I was a snotty, know-it-all teenager. He has helped support me while I was in school. I love him a lot and I don't tell him enough. We always bet on Duke v NC State basketball games, the prize is always steaks or cookouts. Since he is a Wolfpack alum of course he loses all the times.

Dee with Dorian and Kayla, the day after she was born. Looking through my pics I realized I don't have that many with both kids, usually with just one or the other. Dee has been wonderful with Dorian since the moment he met him, so once Kayla came he seemed like a pro. Dee is such a wonderful dad and I could not ask for anyone different.

I love you Dee and Daddy! Happy Father's Day!!

♥ Liz

Tasty Tuesday

2009-06-16T06:26:00.000-07:00

7 Layer Taco Dip

My Aunt Lori had made a taco layered dip for party one time and Dee loved it and asked me if I could fix something like that. With a little help from a few different recipes from All Recipes and a little tweaking I put together a great 7 layer taco dip that a lot of times will be our dinner.

1 can refried beans
1 lb ground beef
1 package of taco seasoning (optional)
8-12 oz sour cream
1 cup salsa
1-2 cup shredded lettuce
1 cup chopped tomato
2 cups shredded cheese

Brown ground beef and drain. Optional: Mix with taco seasoning as cooking per instructions. Set beef aside. In a 9x13 dish, spread refried beans on bottom. Sprinkle 1 cup if shredded cheese over beans. Add cooked ground beef. Spread sour cream on top of beef to desired thickness. Spread salsa over sour cream. Sprinkle shredded lettuce over salsa until covered. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of lettuce. Sprinkle tomatoes over cheese. Serve with chips or tortillas

You can serve immediately at room temperature or chill for a couple of hours. Either way its fabulous. This is not the "crack dip" but it is very addictive and is wonderful to spice up cookouts and get-togethers.

♥ Liz

Small Talk Six

2009-06-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

So once again I missed Small Talk Six on Saturday from MomDot.

This weeks topic was 6 things you made in your lifetime that you were proud of

I'm not very crafty, so most of mine are baking/cooking.

1. Kayla's Bunny Birthday cake

2. Dorian's Football Field Cake from last year

Hmmm this topic is really hard...

3. Chicken Pie. I had wanted to find a good recipe that was not too dry, not too runny. After a few tries and combining a few recipes I had found I came up with the best chicken pie recipe that everyone in my family loves when I make it.

4. My famous "Crack Chip Dip" as my friends call it. I make it every time we are together. Watch for it to pop up on Tasty Tuesdays some time.

5. I helped my mom make my bridesmaid's bouquets. She had the idea, but I helped put them together. This is Lauren with hers.

6. I made chicken dumplings from scratch for my dad's birthday a few years ago. Harder than you think. I also made him a red velvet cake with cream cheese icing (all from scratch too!)

Weight Loss Challenge

2009-06-15T07:22:00.000-07:00

After 2 kids, by body is not what it used to be. I bet almost every mom says that. After I had Dorian I lost the weight fairly quickly, by that I meant in a week I has a size smaller than I was before I got pregnant. I think due to my age, stress, poor nutrition, and breastfeeding a hog, I was able to stay slim for a while.

Once I had finished college, worked in a greasy seafood restaurant, and turned 21 I had packed on extra weight. I had wanted to lose a lot of weight before my wedding, didn't happen. I wanted to lose the weight before I had a baby, didn't happen. Once I had Kayla, I had lost some weight, thanks to breastfeeding. Since then I have been trying to lose more or at least try to not gain any.

Well enough is enough. I need to lose this weight. I'm sick of it. I hate I can't wear clothes like I want to. I hate when I catch a bad glimpse in the mirror. I hate awkward photos. No I am not morbidly obese like the people on Biggest Loser, but I am overweight.

With the help of my husband, a few good friends, my new notebook, and the gym here at work I am going to lose the 38 pounds I want to lose. First off my husband has given me an incentive that if I lose the weight by a time period I set and he agrees to, then he'll get me a prize. I'll leave that a secret for now, but the deal is 40 pounds by the first of At work Tanya is my work out buddy. We try to go to the gym every day. Some days I get down there earlier and get to work out a bit longer. We are each other's motivators and the only reason why we can stay on the stair climber for so long. We also discuss low calorie snack ideas, recipes, and weight loss tips. I am also becoming an avid counter of my calories. I am honestly shocked about the calories in my favorite foods. Then again I get excited when those numbers are low!! I even have looked up favorite eat out spots and the typical meal I get and alternative foods if need be. I've started counting calories for the past week and a half and I am trying to increase my workouts. So this weight loss program is about 2 weeks in.

Every Monday will be Diet Day. I will weigh myself every morning and announce my weight loss (or unfortunately gain) on here. I will reveal what has worked this week and what hasn't. And any other frustrations I had this week.

So here it is, my weight, [GULP], 188. I am going to lose the 38 pounds to be a nice 150. No it's not stick skinny, but its a weight I will feel good at and still have my curves.

This week I did fairly good on my calorie intake. Only on Saturday I went over my 2000 max rule. We went to Olive Garden. Just looking at the bread was enough calories for the day. My husband and I did split a plate. We do so often to save on cost as well. So that helped me not go too over. The other days I stayed between 1700 and 1900. Even on Friday when we went to the Twin City Rib Fest. I took 3 bottles of water. Filled Dorian's water bottle up and Kayla's sippy cup with ice water. This not only gave us a healthy alternative to soda, but also we did not have to pay $5 for each drink. I stayed away from all baked beans, slaw and rolls. Surprisingly 1/4 rack of ribs with barbecue sauce has only 280 calories, which was enough along with half a chicken breast (entire breast is about 200). So my dinner was only 380 calories!! Since I ate sensibly I could splurge a little with a funnel cake, that I shared with the kids and a few friends.

I am looking forward to this week. Dorian is off at Papa's. This will give Dee and I to try new recipes out with out Mr. Picky.

Jonah

2009-06-12T06:48:00.000-07:00

There is a little boy here in NC, well actually very near by, that needs constant prayer, good thoughts, blessings, or what ever positive energy you can send his way. We got to church with his parents, Patrice and Matt. Dee has played basketball with Matt. Their first born, Gabriel, had been taken up to heaven early, last year just a month before Kayla was born. Last February they were blessed with Jonah. He has a rare skin condition, shortened as EB. In short terms he is missing important proteins in his skin that keeps the top layers anchored down. Any friction, harsh touch, heat, etc causes blisters on his skin. His arms, legs and body are wrapped all day and night. Blisters could (and possibly are) forming in his mouth and esophagus. His mom Patrice has been following their family on her blog. Please check her out. Leave her uplifting messages as she struggles with remedies of cleaning her cloth diapers and loving God at the end of the day. You can even support them, if you so choose, by buying a magnet in the pretty blue or in the Wake Forest colors.

We love you Williams family and will always be praying for Jonah and you guys for what ever you need!!

♥ Liz

Kids eat free?!? Updated 6/17

2009-06-11T12:25:00.000-07:00

(Updated/new restaurants have *)

Now with two kids our eating out days include more restaurants where kids eat free. In my mind there is nothing better. When ever Dee or I recommend going out, we first think of what restaurants are offering free/discounted meals for kids. It is our goal to keep our food bill under $20 to fit into our budget. But I have "Mommy Brain," and with every thing else I need to remember, I can't always recollect these fabulous restaurants. I want to provide everyone an ongoing list of places you could visit and get a great deal. Keep in mind these deals may not be available everywhere or they may have changed. Contact the restaurant in your area to confirm discount! As I find out more I will update. Please if you know of any more or any of these change leave a comment.

Thanks!
♥ Liz

Mondays:
Buffalo Wild Wings - 5-8pm; Kids 12 and under eat for $0.99 from kid's menu
Fuddruckers - 4-9pm; Kids eat for $0.99 from kids menu (drink included!)
Golden Corral - 5-9pm; Kids 10 and under eat free with purchase of adult meal (remember kids under 3 always eat free)
IHOP - 4-8pm; Kids 12 and under eat free with adult meal purchased (Also check to see if they offer 1/2 price dinners for adults Mon-Wed. They do at the one in Clemmons, NC)
*Moe's - Kids meals $0.99
Sagebrush Steakhouse - Kids eat free
*McAllisters - Kids meal $0.99

Tuesdays:
Backyard Burger - 4pm-close; One free kids meal per adult meal purchased
Beef O'Bradys - 4-8pm; Kids 12 and under eat free with adult purchase
Chic-fil-a - 5-8pm; Kids meals for $0.99 with purchase of adult meal (LOVE IT!!)
Denny's - 4-10pm; Up to 2 kids eat free with each adult meal purchase
Fuddruckers - see above
IHOP - see above
Lonestar Steakhouse - All day; Up to 2 kids eat free with the purchase of an adult entree; Drink included!!
Pizza Hut - Buffet night; kids eat free
Sagebrush - see above
*McAllister's - See above
*TGI Fridays - Kids meal free with adult purchase

Wednesdays:
IHOP - see above
*McAllister's - see above

Thursdays:
IHOP - see above
Captain D's - Up to 2 kids meals free with purchase of adult dinner

Saturday:
Steak n Shake - 1 free kids combo when adult purchase over $9; no drinks/shakes; Dine-in only
Texas Land and Cattle - 11am-4pm; Up to 2 kids menu meals free with the purchase of an adult meal
*Moe's - All Drinks (any size) and Domestics $1!! (I know this not just for kids, but I had to post it. I love Moe's!)

Sundays:
Steak n Shake - see above
Jason's Deli - Kids eat free all day (10am-9pm)
*Moe's - Kids eat free all day with minumum $3 purchase

♥ Liz

Summer is almost here

2009-06-11T10:02:00.001-07:00

Dorian only has one more day of school left after today. He has been getting anxious to be out for the summer. For most of the summer he will be at my dad and step-mom's with my little brother who is less than a year older than Dorian. For the first week they will be going to a Boy Scout day camp and for the rest of the summer I'm sure they'll have some great boy mischief. However I still have the daunting task of figuring out exciting "mini-adventures" for us to do on random days off and on weekends. We are very lucky to have the NC Zoo in Asheboro just an hour away. I will have to be wise about the days I choose for we live in the south and its already hitting close to 90 with high humidity. Last year I made the idiotic decision of going to the zoo on what it seemed to be the hottest day of the year with a one month old newborn who I was still having trouble nursing. Bright idea Liz! I love going to the zoo. I never think anyone is too old to go. It is always interesting to see how different animals behave. There are even bios about some of the animals on how they got to the zoo. For instance, the polar bears were rescued from a circus where they were mistreated. At the beginning they often went through repetitive motions, a sign of a mistreated animal kept in a confined space with not a lot of stimuli. I remember seeing them when they first come. Now they are lovely as ever, playing with different toys and swimming back and forth. Dorian's favorite exhibits are the gorillas and chimps. I always try to make sure we are able to see the feedings so they are more active. The zoo has always been a big hit with Dorian and I'm sure Kayla will love it too, and it's on our top 5 places to go this summer. I'm hoping they will have a special discount day.

Another key spot to go will be Wet n Wild Emerald Point in Greensboro. Before last year Dorian had not gone, but he had a blast last summer. He is excited about going again. What's better than a day at the water park where we can swim and go down slides?? We even take breaks in the lazy river and the rocking waters of the wave pool. We would go down each exciting, scream out loud ride at least 10 times. This trip would be best without Kayla, so probably during the week. Maybe it won't be as crowded either. A few local radio stations are having promotions this summer. On June 18th 107.5 KZL is having their "Outta School and In the Pool" day where the first 2000 (yes 2000!!!) people get in for $7.50. That is $22 discount for adults!! Rock 92 is having their annual "Bubba-lympics" in early July (date will come soon) with $9.23 off the ticket price. Not only could you enjoy the water world, but also see local bubbas, men weighing over 250, participate in ludicrous olympic inspired events.

Other places we could hit up for a fun afternoon are the bowling alley and at the local putt-putt. We may even see a few movies.

I know whatever we do Dorian will enjoy this time out of school. I can't wait to have an action-packed, fun filled, always smiling summer vacation of 2009.

♥ Liz

Piggy Paint Giveaway

2009-06-10T16:34:00.000-07:00

Two friends of mine and fellow mom bloggers, MomTrend, are hosting a giveaway from Piggy Paint. Piggy Paint sells odorless, hyperallergenic, water based nail polish for our little ones. It dries to a hard finish in 60 seconds! With little ones that is perfect!! They offer many cute cololrs, from different shades of pinks, to blues, and even black. They offer gift packs with cute themes for seasons and holidays. Enter the contest today at MomTrend.

While you are there check out their other giveaway from Sacarlett!

♥ Liz

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-10T06:33:00.001-07:00

Bath Time!!

Kayla can't wait to get in

She loves to splash

Bath time is her favorite thing to do!!

Technorati

2009-06-09T13:42:00.000-07:00

Technorati Profile

Tasty Tuesday

2009-06-09T05:31:00.001-07:00

As a mom I love to bake and cook and it's always great to have an arsenal of recipes under your belt. Today's recipe is from a friend that I met through my brother and sister-in-law. We all went camping together last fall and she made this one night. Since then I have modified it slightly and used it at family gathering, cook outs, and even Kayla's 1st birthday. It is always a big hit with adults and kids.

Corn Casserole

1 box Jiffy corn meal
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can cream style corn
8oz sour cream
2 eggs

Heat oven to 375. Mix all ingredients well. Add to a greased 9X13 baking dish. Bake for 50-60 min, or until top has turned golden.

I'm not a big fan of corn bread, but this recipe makes a moist corn bread like casserole. My dad loves this recipe so much, he even has recommended adding cheese and jalapenos to spice it up.

I hope you can try this recipe and your family can enjoy too!

♥ Liz

Small Talk Six

2009-06-08T17:51:00.000-07:00

I found this interesting blog about a weekly post on MomDot. They call is Small Talk Six. Every Saturday has a new topic where each mom blogger can write their 6 responses to each topic. Yes I know today is not Saturday, but after today I will post on the appropriate day. And since I have missed the first half of the year I may tag on an extra topic here or there that intrigues me.

This week topic is 6 Things About my Children I am Proud Of:

1. How well Dorian has changed his behavior on the Behavior Highway (a new discipline system Dee and I have enforced. I am sure I will blog about it soon)

2. How Dorian is conscience of calling his elders "Yes sir" and "Yes ma'am."

3. How excited Dorian is about going to church. I am even more proud when I catch him reading his Bible by himself or telling me a story he learned in church.

4. How well behaved Kayla is when we drop her off somewhere, either daycare or church. Yes the first 5 min may be rough, but after that we always get compliments on how well she is. Hey give her a toy or two and she is fine!

5. How Dorian will think of me at school and draw me a picture.

6. How well Dorian has acted towards Kayla. When we found out we were having a girl Dorian was upset for a long time, almost to when I had her. Since then it has been all about her and he loves her. He is always excited to help, whether it is to feed her (when I wasn't nursing) or keeping her entertained or sharing his pop tart with her. He is an awesome big brother.

I can not resist I had to do the one from 5/9 - 6 Ways I am Like or Unlike My Mother

1. Both of us have a hard time saying no. We are always volunteering ourselves for something even if it kills us.

2. Our creativeness. For a long time I didn't think I had it and I was jealous. But for the last year I have been volunteering with a class at church and the other teachers are constantly praising me for my creativeness. I would never had figured.

3. We both try to give everyone else our food while we starve.

4. We both ask "Are you sure?" 100 times.

5. My husband says we look exactly alike.

6. Our good mothering skills.

I ♥ you mom!

Who are my loves??

2009-06-08T10:03:00.001-07:00

My two loves I am talking about are my husband and kids.

Dee, short for Demetrius, is my wonderful hubby of 2 years. We met when I worked at Dockside Seafood Restaurant. i worked drive-thru then waitress. Him and his friends were frequent customers. The first time I recognized him was near Christmas, they were eating late and the server they had was ignoring them trying to do her side work. I helped them out with whatever I needed. Once I looked into his eyes I was head over heels. I began noticing when he came in all the time. My co-workers knew of my crush, especially the hostess and she would always alert me when we would come in. I even noticed he would come in a lot for to go orders. I also worked the front cashier and I would see him often. So after a few months of me drooling, another server told him, in front of his crew of friends, that I had a crush on him. They asked me to come talk to him and before they left we had exchanged numbers. He called me two days later...yes he called me...and we went on our first date March 21, 2003. He met Dorian for the first time about 3 weeks later (who was about 18 months). By the summer Dorian was calling him daddy and shortly after that we moved in together. You would not guess that he was just a step-dad. Dee is and always have been, fully committed to Dorian. He calls him "his son." People even tell him that Dorian favors him when they go out together. Dorian looks up to Dee. And even though he is contact with his bio dad, you can't tell him that Dee is not his dad. Dee was very supportive of me finishing school. If it was not for him, I may not have returned. He lifted my self esteem, he made me believe in myself, and he brought me back to my family. He is my everything.

My next love is my first born, Dorian. Born July 20, 2001, I had him the summer between my junior and senior year of high school. Enough said about that. He is all boy. For a long time all he could say was ball and dog and somehow that described everything in the world. He loves football and basketball, well really any sport. He is really into the action/superhero movies. Dee took him to see Spiderman when we was 2 1/2 and has loved him ever since. He loves Iron Man, X-Men (especially Wolverine), King Kong, and the Hulk, just to name a few.

And the smallest member of our family is Kayla. She was born May 15, 2008. She had a very exciting delivery. I had her on the way to the hospital. No lie! I had been in labor for most of the day, I was sent home twice by the doctor. I was waiting for the magic of contractions being 5 minutes apart for at least an hour. Never got there. I got to an emergency point (to spare gruesome details) knowing I needed to be at the hospital immediately. We only lived 5 minutes away. I had her while my husband was driving and right before the exit for the hospital. She was fine. Very traumatic and exciting for us. My husband can tell the story so well you'll pee in your pants! We are still waiting to see her full personality. She is definitely a loving girl, often resting her head on our shoulder or chest. She gives the best kisses. She loves her brother more than any one. Right now she is not walking, we know she can, she has taken steps, but she just won't take the plunge. She is showing signs of stubbornness, or is this every girl at this age?

So this is my family. They are my world. I promise you will hear a lot more about them.

I said yes!

2009-06-07T17:18:00.000-07:00

I am in love with my DVR from Direct TV. Actually "in love" does not quite describe my relationship with this wonderful piece of equipment, I am head-over-heels, freakishly obsessed in love with my DVR. I've had it for a while. I started with Time Warner, but of course I had to switch over to Direct TV when my favorite soap, "Passions," moved off of NBC to Direct TV's own channel The 101 in 2007. However this trashy, romance novel of a tale will wait for another day.

This weekend I was clearing off my DVR and noticed I had a stockpile of TLC's Say Yes to the Dress! I figured this weekend would be a great time to catch up on a few there was nothing better on TV late Saturday night. My hubby was out on the town, the kiddies were fast asleep in bed, and I grabbed the remote and got comfy on my recliner. I love this show. I love the different fashion I get to see in all the different wedding gowns. I like to see the drama filled bride-zillas. One episode even had a "maid-zilla!" I like to see the different taste the consultants have, I especially love Randy. It's just another reality that suck me in like a black hole.

Like most normal girls I had dreamed of my perfect wedding dress. Almost instantly after Dee proposed, no that's a lie, I started looking at wedding dresses whenever Dee and I moved in together (which was 2 years before he popped the question). So I was ready with my favorite choices. I had scoped out the different places I could go on-line, even the bridal mart in the next city. I decided to go dress shopping 8 months before I got married. It was sort of a last of the minute thing, I had went in on a Saturday, realized it was too busy, and made an appointment the following week. I took my mom, my maid of honor, Chass, and another bridesmaid, Lauren. We went to the standard bridal store around here, David's Bridal. No it was not at Kleinfeld, but it was still so very magical to me. I had never felt like an actual princess until I started trying on dresses. When I started I thought this would be a long, tiring process. I think on my 2nd or 3rd dress I had found it. No it was not some famous designer I drool over today on the show, just a standard, but it was my dress. My mom was crying and I could not stop smiling. For those of you who have not gotten married yet, it is true, you will know you will find "THE ONE." We bought it that day! This was totally out of my nature. I bargain shop, especially for my wedding, and I bought this dress right then and there with out checking out any others, but I had to have it. I was in love with it. So on the show they say "So is this the one?" and the bride to be says (or occasionally cries out) "YES!" and I had said "YES!"

On my wedding day I felt amazing. My hubby was tearing up, trembling, smiling ear to ear the instant he saw me.

I didn't need the TV show, nor could I afford being on the show. But dress shopping was one of my fondest memories. After this marathon of bridal gown mania, I had the stangest urge to put on my dress, but my husband thinks I am crazy enough I don't need this one on my record as well.

Joys of Summer

2009-06-06T12:54:00.000-07:00

While I was setting up my blog, I heard a noise that brought back wonderful childhood memories....instrumental version of "It's a Small World" on a loud speaker. Yes you guys, that only means one thing, the ice cream truck. Since we were at Nana's we had to indulge. Dorian still does not know the magical music means to run outside, even though we have frozen treats on wheels that frequent our neighborhood. We were not buying ice cream for Kayla, she'd only want a few bites then quit and Dorian is more than eager in sharing his.

So for this day, Dee and I are the best parents in the world in Dorian's eyes. We have succeeded for today!

Introducing...

2009-06-06T12:21:00.000-07:00

If you had asked me a week ago about starting a blog, I would have said you were crazy. After seeing tonlyhe possibilities I have now changed my mind.

My name is Liz. I am currently 24 - only a month away from being a quarter century. I have been married for 2 years to a wonderful, supportive man, Dee. We have 2 kids, Dorian, 7, and Kayla, 13 months. I have a bachelors in biology, received from Salem College, an all women school. I work in research at a medical school, and love it! In my down time, I am playing with my kids, trying new recipes or the good old ones, and catching up on my DVR.

I wasn't into blogging before. I had read a few religiously, or followed in the blogger world, but a couple of weeks ago I was introduced to the possibilities of winning goodies from fellow mom bloggers. This was all too exciting. No, that is not the only reason why I am starting this. I have a strong opinion, especially about topics close to heart, like parenting, science, religion and others. I'm just hoping some one will take interest in what I have to say, or at least entertain them. So we will see how this goes!

My Two Loves

Writer's Block

Look Me Up

Welcome back!

Traditions

Milestone alert!!

Check this out....

I'm not giving up

Tasty Tuesday

***WINNER***

Giveaways!!

Tasty Tuesday

Don't come in 3's

"Not-So-Scary" Halloween Giveaway

Weight Loss Challenge*

Another "Conversation"

Tasty Tuesday

Tasty Tuesday

Weight Loss Challenge

Beach Trip

One Last Note

Winners!!

Greiving...

Weight Loss Challenge and more

Two Loops Lunch Tote Review & GIVEAWAY!!

Tasty Tuesday

Weight Loss Challenge

Weight Loss Challenge

Small Talk Six

It's starting

Weight Loss Challenge

Small Talk Six

Gotta Get Away!

Wordless Wednesday

Tasty Tuesday

Weight Loss Challenge

Small Talk Six

SKID Marks

Celebrate World Breastfeeding Week 2009!!

Tasty Tuesday

Weight Loss Challenge

Check out MomTrend and BabyStar

No vans for me!

Weight Loss Challenge

Small Talk Six

Another year older...

Tasty Tuesday

Happy Birthday Dorian

Weight Loss Challenge

Small Talk Six

Get rid of the stereotype

Weight Loss Challenge

Dorian would love this...

Weight Loss Challenge

Fireproof Review

I want a double standard!!

Tasty Tuesday

Win a Waterslide Bounce House

Weight Loss Challenge

Giveaways from MomTrend

Small Talk Six

Tasty Tuesday

Weight Loss Challenge

Little Miss Fix-it

Wordless Wednesday

Tasty Tuesday

Small Talk Six

Weight Loss Challenge

Jonah

Kids eat free?!? **Updated 6/17**

Summer is almost here

Piggy Paint Giveaway

Wordless Wednesday

Technorati

Tasty Tuesday

Small Talk Six

Who are my loves??

I said yes!

Joys of Summer

Introducing...

WINNER

Kids eat free?!? Updated 6/17