A Healthy Treat

Just kidding, this is my no means a healthy treat.

I have been wanting to make cinnamon rolls from scratch for years now, so I figured today was a good day.  Hubby is home, and we are cooking out tomorrow with family so I can give some away since the recipe I'm using makes about a bazillion of them.

First I had to stop by Kitchen and Company to get a silicone mat to roll my dough out on.  My husband said, "Why can't you just roll it out on the counter?".  I just gave him my, "Really?" look.  He knows the germophobe in me would never do that, no matter how clean I scrub them.

This is definitely an all afternoon even since you have 2 steps that require you to let mixtures sit for an hour.  I had no problem with this, I did laundry, drank coffee, and played in the new little pool we got for the backyard.

The recipe is from here, The Pioneer Woman. A lot of people raved about the recipe so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I'm not going to retype it here, just click the link if you'd like to see it. I did take photographs along the way...

Scalding the milk and oil (ew)

Adding yeast

Lots of flour

All mixed up

So good for you!

Ready to roll (literally)

I couldn't take a picture of me actually rolling these because it was too messy

Heaven

Hello my pretties

UPDATE: So, we've had time to test these. The consensus was that these are like crack.  I've never actually tried crack, but I can't stop eating these, so I imagine it's similar. They were the first thing I thought of (and ate) this morning.  Husband actually asked me to NOT make these again because he can't resist them, and he saw how much sugar, oil, and butter went into these. I gave away one tin to the neighbors, and another to my mom and sister.  One more is going to my in-laws. We already ate one tin. We have one left....for now.

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The Reveal

For the record we were at Ikea for 3 hours yesterday, and would have stayed longer if we didn't have to get home.  It's ashame that the only Ikea in our area is an hour away, so it's a whole day adventure.  That's okay though, even with a little one in tow, since they have food and places for G to play.  The husband was very impressed with everything and actually said that walking through the showrooms makes him want to re-do the entire house! Haha, I told him baby steps, let's finish the basement first!

Just so you know, I hate the pictures I took but there's only so much I can do with my little camera.  Since it's the basement there isn't a ton of natural light, so the colors turned out all wonky (yes, I said wonky).

The yellow is not so yellow in real life, it's a very soft yellowy/beige.  The green is not as bright as it appears in these pictures. Didn't want you to think I picked some ridiculous off the wall colors. The carpet is a little lighter as well.

This is our new family/playroom.  I can now turn our upstairs living room into a little more of an adult space versus the Toys R' Us feel it currently has with all of G's toys.

We also had them put in a little wet bar.  We still have to get a refrigerator, but we are going to look tomorrow since Sears is having a sale. I figured since we will likely spend lots of time down here it would be smart so I don't have to constantly run upstairs to get drinks and snacks.  I see lots of movie/game nights down here in our future!

Here is the little bathroom.

Here is my husbands little office.  Originally this was going to be my craft room, but once I saw what the other room would look like I told the husband it was mine and he didn't have a choice we agreed to switched.

And TA-DA...here is my own little corner of the world.  I'm not sure I'm crazy about the color, it's a pale aqua color.  I kind of wish it was a shade darker, but I'll see how I feel once I get some furniture moved in.  I'm having a hard time envisioning how I want the furniture placed, as well as how I want my shelving/decor to go.  I have a feeling it will be a lot of trial and error until everything is just perfect.

I bought a few things at Ikea yesterday, and we are planning a trip back in the next week or so to get the bigger items we decided on.  I'll share what I did buy tomorrow.

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I could cry

I am so happy I could cry, although it doesn't take much these days with all the pregnancy hormones going on.

The basement is DONE. I made the husband take a half day today so we could go to Ikea and pick up some stuff to get the decorative/furniture side of things moving down there ASAP.  We still have our final inspection next Tuesday, but the house is QUIET. No banging, sawing, sanding. Nothing. Just listening to the sweet sound of Sesame Street while I sip on my (decaf) coffee in my pajamas.  I haven't been able to do this for the past 2 1/2 months. Of course Lucy had to go and mess up my perfect morning by throwing up on G's rug, but I can never expect a day to go 100% smoothly.

I'm going downstairs to snap a few pictures now, and will post later this afternoon with my purchases from Ikea.  Thanks for all your suggestions about using photobucket for my photos! Will be doing that from now on.

The only downside is that the smell of new carpet is nauseating, and since it's the basement it's not like I can open up all the windows to air it out.  Of course I made the mistake of Googling "carpet fumes when pregnant" and after reading for a few minutes was reading to check into a hotel until the smell subsides.  I'm pretty 'green' when it comes chemicals in the house (especially with G around now).  I only use the all natural stuff, or good old vinegar.  I do have some Lysol wipes and bleach, but those rarely get used.  Needless to say reading about all these VOC's has me a bit paranoid.  

Okay, well I am off to print my Ikea shopping list and patiently wait for husband to get home. For whatever reason he thinks that we are only going to be there for like an hour, hahahahahahahahahaha. I keep trying to explain to him the wonders of Ikea, but he just isn't getting it.

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Sweet Summer Tea

The other day I was half asleep watching Food Network and heard this recipe for iced tea.  I LOVE iced tea. I especially crave it when pregnant, of course I go the decaf route for the most part.  I went to the store last night JUST to get the stuff to make this tea.  It is so light, fruity, and a little sweet.  Delish.  I can see myself making many variations and sipping on this all summer long. Plus, it's super easy to make.

Photo courtesy of Food Network

Ingredients
1 Orange
2 to 3 Plums (my local produce stop didn't have plums that were ripe, so I used 3 nectarines instead)
8 tea bags (I always use Lipton for my iced tea)
1/2 cup sugar
1 Lemon

Directions
Fill pitcher with 8 cups (2 quarts) cold water
Quarter orange, squeeze juice into pitcher and toss in peels
Pit and cut plums into wedges, drop into pitcher
Add tea bags to pitcher, mix
Let tea steep in refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight, stir occasionally (I didn't stir since I was sleeping)

When ready, remove orange peels and tea bags.  Add in sugar and stir until dissolved. Cut lemon in half and squeeze juice from 1 half into tea. Slice the other half into rounds and add to tea (I skipped this step because I used the other half the night before for my asparagus). Stir and serve over ice.

So easy...no boiling water or anything! Just throw it in the fridge. As I mentioned, I had to substitute nectarines for plums and it was a success!  I was thinking of also trying pears, peaches, raspberries, any fruit really.

It's actually sunny here today, after a long string of rainy days, so we are out enjoying the sunshine. There's nothing more G loves than running around outside.  Less than a month for our first beach vacation of the summer and I can't wait. G is very much a beach bum just like his mama :o) (A few pictures from last summer)

PS- Can someone tell me why every picture I upload to Blogger is so grainy? I never had this problem before they did all that maintenance stuff a few weeks ago. It's really getting on my nerves.

6

Pleasant surprise

The other day I posted on Facebook : "There's no chocolate in the house...how did I let that happen??" To which my husband replied, "There are chocolate chips!"  I should have been more specific and said there was no GOOD chocolate left in the house.  I usually have something!

So yesterday morning, while G and I were eating breakfast, the hubby showed up with these goodies for me.  I'm a pretty lucky lady.

You may not be able to tell but, both bags of chocolates are already open.

Oh and here's a beauty of a picture.  Does this make you want to cry? It makes me want to have an anxiety attack.  Only another week and a half before the basement is complete and I can sort this mess out and get back to crafting!

I have to climb over boxes and junk to get to my table...waaaaaahhhhhh. Not to mention my camera has been taking horribly grainy pictures.  I'll have to look at the settings...that's what I get for letting G play with it.

On the crafting front, I did just order some molds from Mold Muse on etsy. I had been thinking about it for a while, and after seeing Christy's post the other day I just had to have them.  I have some clay, so I figured that would be something I could easily do at the kitchen table.  Eventually I'd like to try the molds with resin, but it's a little pricey so I'm going to see how my clay ones turn out first.

Did anyone watch Real Housewives of New Jersey last night?? I haven't yet, but DVR'd it.  Little does my husband know he will be watching it with me tonight.

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Opinions please!

We are nearing the end with our basement renovations!@!##$!!  Now it is just minor finishing work like trim, painting doors, carpet, and furniture.  The husband and I have already chosen furniture for the main family room area, but I still need to get a few things for my room.

Here are some tables from Ikea I have been eyeing up.  I already have a small table I stamp on, but what I need is a sewing table. Something I can put my cutting mat and sewing machine on.  Let me know what you think!

This is the one I am leaning towards, the VIKA AMON/ VIKA ANNEFORS from Ikea.  It would provide me with a large table space to have my sewing machine on one half, and cutting mat on the other.  When I am not cutting, I can put my laptop up there and use it as my office as well, plus it has room for storage on each side.

Only downside:  It's quite long (about 6'6"), so I'm going to tape it out on the floor to see what I'm left with.  Also, I wish it wasn't entirely white.

This was my second choice.  The VIKA AMON/VIKA ANNEFORS . Very similar to the first, but smaller and has the wood which I like.

I also liked this one, almost a combination of the two. 

I for sure am going to pick up these shelves. I saw some of them on Jessica's blog, and knew they were perfect for my room! (Lack shelf and lack walls shelf unit)

I also spied these pretties (Salong vases).  I think they will fit nicely with the color scheme I have planned.  I'll try to get some pictures of the progress so far, but my camera is currently m.i.a, so no promises.

So let me know what you think about the tables, or if you have any other suggestions!

In other news, I am itching to get this baby's room started, which can't happen until 1. the basement is finished (to move everything out) and 2. we find out the sex.  We find out in a few weeks so I am very excited/impatient. At first I thought it might be fun for this one to be a surprise...but then my Type A personality kicked in and I panicked thinking about how hard it would be to prepare if I didn't know. What color would I paint the room? What kind of furniture? What about clothes? Toys? Just too many unknown things for me to lay and worry about all night long. 

8

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mom's Day to all you out there! Hope you're enjoying it.

My day has been spent out to breakfast, flower shopping, gardening, and reading...all with my little man and husband in tow.  Couldn't be more perfect.

Tonight I am going out with my mama to see Something Borrowed.  Perfect ending to a perfect day.

Below are a few pics of me and my mom.

And the day I became a Mommy myself

4

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens...

You guessed it, a few more of my favorite things.

The past few weeks I have had to trudge over to my moms (all of five minutes away) daily for G to nap since it's much to loud here with all the construction.  She is smart and saves money by only having the most basic of basic cable.  The only downside is that there is literally NOTHING on t.v. mid day (unless you're a fan of the soaps, trash like Jerry Springer, or one of the million Judge whoever shows).  My programs of choice have been re-runs of Real Housewives of NY from 12-1, Judge Alex from 1-2, The Talk from 2-3 (if I'm lucky and he sleeps that long).  But you know what ends up happening to me most days? Three letters...

Q V C  What is it about this channel that hooks me?  I am 26 years old, why am I sucked into watching an hour dedicated to middle-aged women's clothing by Bradley Bayou??  It's just one of those things I can't explain.  Unfortunately (for my wallet), every now and then they actually have something I'm interested in. Several examples are included below.

1. Adele 21

If you're a fan of such artists as Carole King and Diana Birch, then you are bound to love Adele.  Such a soulful voice for a 21 year old!

2. Laura Geller  Spackle Tinted Under Makeup Primer in Bronze & Balance and Brighten 

I actually don't wear foundation, but during her demo she showed models just wearing the primer alone and said you could do that too just to give yourself some color. Well, if you know me, you know I am pretty pasty and remain so year round (even summer, I have a very real fear of skin cancer).  Needless to say, SOLD on the bronzer.  So I've been using it for a few weeks and LOVE it.  It gives me a little color, and unlike other bronzers I've tried it's not glittery or sparkly. THEN I found out my mom has been using this balance and brighten powder and loves it, so I had to get me some too.  

3. OPI - Los Cabos Coral

Perfect for spring and summer. Super cheerful.

4. Motherhood Maternity Short Sleeve Scoop Neck T-Shirt

Nothing fancy here, but boy do I love these tee's.  They're perfect to wear at the park chasing G around, to the gym, lounging around, whatever.  The nice thing is you can wear them from pregnancy start to finish and after.  They were having a sale this week buy 2 or more, and get them for 9.99.  You know I had to get a few more. 

4. Avalon Organics Lemon Lotion

During the first few 14 weeks of the pregnancy I was nauseous 24/7. The only smell I could stand was lemon. The only thing that seemed to ease the queasiness was lemon anything (water, candles, candy, etc).  Bath and Body Works had a lemon lotion I was wanting for a long time, but never bought because of the ridiculous price tag.  Don't you know I found this Avalon Organics lotion on clearance at Acme for $2.19! It was originally $12.99.  It smells so fresh and clean.  Even my husband likes to use it (but I didn't tell you that).

5. Summer Sanders' Prenatal Workout

Sadly, I had to retire my Jillian Michael's DVDs and running sneakers.  For whatever reason during my pregnancies my joints get EXTREMELY loose early on, to the point where I seriously hurt myself running last time.  I was hoping maybe this pregnancy would be different, but right around 12 weeks I started having the same problems so I nixed the running.  After much research, this DVD came highly recommended, I've been doing it for about a week now and really enjoy it.  It is modified for each trimester which is nice.  It's also a pretty decent workout. To be honest, even if I was pregnant it wouldn't be a bad thing for lighter workout days.  I'm also planning on starting prenatal yoga classes soon, will let you know how that goes.

6. Poynt App for my Blackberry

This is a little gem of an app.  I use it most days to check the weather forecast lol.  It also comes in handy when I get lost, or need to find a place to eat if I'm in an unfamiliar area.  You can do things like look up restaurants, movie times, businesses, etc.  Quite handy.

7. Lion Brand Cotton Ease Yarn

My favorite yarn ever.  It's an amazing cotton blend that washes so well.  Unlike gross acrylics that can pill when you wash them, this never does. It is also super soft and perfect for the little animals I crochet, as well as anything baby.  The only downside is I find it kind of stretchy, so it's hard to get a tight stitch on a blanket.  It's also machine washable and dryable which is perfect for G's toys and blankets, God knows I don't need special hand wash stuff for him.  I can't wait to find out if we are having a boy or girl, my fingers are itching to start making stuff.

8. Damn You, Auto Correct!

Have you checked out this website? It is hysterical, if you have a certain sense of humor.  Warning: it is a big vulgar (unintentionally!).

9. Pregnant in Heels

Even if I wasn't pregnant I'd watch this because some of these women are CRAZY.


There are a million other things I am enjoying right now, but Grey's Anatomy is starting soon so I must go! Night friends!

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