Running on Empty

Chrispy, hubby, and I all have been under the weather lately and it has been a challenge for sure for my temper not to reach the level of the ceiling. As anyone could tell you, caring for a toddler while your sick is not ideal, and being that my hubby doesn't feel well either, we just do what we can, we are not trying to be parents of the year over here at this casa!

The morning begins with me trying to feed a sick toddler who just won't eat anything that I make, so now the kitchen is a mess with a bunch of food that will now have to be leftovers. No milk for this kid when he is sick ever again, which is unfortunate because it's the only thing he wants…..as he threw it up all over my shirt and his sleeper :( Epic failure of logic on my part, DON'T GIVE A SICK KID DAIRY…..EVER!

I than rushed him to the bathtub, were I begin to strip his sleeper off and my shirt off. I decide I will bath later, when I'm alone and it's quiet…might even get a nap in the bath too.

For 2.3 seconds he is happy in the bath, playing with his toys and dumping quarts of water over onto the bathroom floor…great, I will clean that up later too.

About .5 seconds after this last picture is taken, we have a meltdown unlike any we have ever had before. As he is kicking, screaming, and using his body weight to lay on the bathroom floor, I grab him and put a towel around his body. Got suckered punch right to the nose….now I'm crying. I finally get him back into some comfy clothes for the rest of the day of hibernation.

NO NAP NINJA and I laid on the couch for the next few all day hours, watching 101 Dalmatians for the hundredth time while Chrispy yelled at the television, "Tiiiitus" because that is what he calls all dogs now (our oldest dogs name is Titus). As I see the clock finally reaching the hour of 5 I realize I have to get up and start making dinner because Dada will be home any minute.

I am browning some meat to make spaghetti, my go-to dish when I have no time, as Chrispy is climbing and holding onto my leg for dear life crying and throwing punches into my leg. HELP ME GOD! The door opens and a miracle happens, Dada is finally home! 

Chrispy runs down the hallway like he is an Olympic runner and grabs onto Dada while I am holding onto the spatula like its a deadly weapon if anyone comes near me and asks me when dinner will be done. They eat. I sleep. As I walk back into the kitchen, Dada has been so kind as to give my Chrispy a cream donut and some milk. Another epic failure about two seconds later as everything that he just ate is now on the kitchen table, his front shirt, and floor…way to go honey!

After another bath, new sleeper, and some Dada snuggling, comes playtime. Godzilla style of course with a new dose of Motrin for the little guy and Mama. Chrispy was even kind enough to give Godzilla some medicine too.

By bed time, little man was tucked into bed, Mama finally got in a bath and than proceeded to jump straight into bed as well. The Bachelor came on which is always entertaining to watch idiots on TV "fall in love" in a matter of weeks of seeing each other a total for 4 hours the whole time! But hey, that's love right? Bed time.

Have a Happier Day than me Y'all!

Makeup List

I actually don't wear a lot of makeup…most the time I focus on my eyes. I have found through the years of being a total makeup junkie that the better quality of products you use will generally have higher pigmentation, making a little go a long way!

Face

SHISEIDO Radiant Lifting Foundation This stuff is the bomb! I apply it with the recommended brush and it covers so well and I barely have to use a full pump to get my whole face covered. It is also SPF 17 which is really important to me because I'm almost pale white and the sun and me aren't always friends. I usually use this product in the winter for a better coverage.

SHISEIDO Perfect Hydrating BB Cream This is an amazing BB cream that has full coverage too! I love this one and I generally wear this all day long, especially in the summer because it breaths. Mine in the picture is actually from Japan (when I lived there) and has lasted me an entire year so far with half a tube to go, really good bang for your buck!

bareMinerals Original Foundation I love bareMinerals!!! The products are just amazing and now you can buy them in stores which makes it so much easier. I use this foundation mostly in the summer and spring because of how it breaths. 

Ben Nye Luxury Powder Banana This is the best powder I have ever used! It like makes your makeup stay on all day!!! I love it. I can't say enough about this powder except that its cheap, lasts for awhile, and has great coverage!

Benefit Boi-ing Concealer The best concealer ever made! Even with sleepless nights or jet lag this industrial strength concealer makes it look like I've had 8 hours of sleep! I love it it so much that I usually have one in my purse too, just in case the day gets away from me and I'm on my way somewhere that I actually need to look good for. I love it!

bareMinerals All-Over Face Color I know my picture has a different container for bareMinerals but on my way from Japan to South Carolina, my container got a crack in it and the powder was going all over the place so I put it in another container that a sweet girl at the airport gave me. Loved her! I use the Pure Radiance color to get a nice little tan/color on my face without looking faux. I just love how it brings some warmth to me without looking cra-cra!

Apples

NARS BLUSH I have used this blush forever now and love it more everyday. It really is perfect for everyday with a light finish and all the amazing colors it comes in. I use Super Orgasm (to this day, I have no idea why makeup companies decided to use THAT type of heading for products) and its combination of a pink with some gold flakes in it, making me look radiant!

Eyes

bareMinerals Eye color Once again, bareMinerals is my favorite in eyeshadows….they are gorgeous and  you use hardly any when applying to your brush. My favorites right now are nude beach and queen tiffany.

BH Day & Night Palette Great because it has wonderful shades for all year long, fun colors for Halloween, and also is cheap but covers like a $100 palette. Love it!

CLINIQUE chubby stick I love my chubby stick! I barely use any when applying but I put it under my eyes and in the crease and what makes it wonderful…it doesn't smear!!! Fuller Fudge is my favorite color right now.

NYX Super Skinny Eye Marker This has to be the best liquid eyeliner pen ever invented! On top of that, it's cheap! I use it in the color Carbon and I would have to compare this to the MAC eyeliner…but at half the cost! I love it. I will never buy another liquid eyeliner but this one. I use it every.single.day!

Loreal Voluminous False Fiber Lashes I love you! Currently my new favorite mascara…I go through mascara phases. Love the brush, it lifts and separates (like anything you want that "supports" you) and has amazing effect of making your lashes look fuller. I use it in Black Lacquer.

Lips

Sally Hansen Lip Inflation This is normally the whole time on my lips while I'm putting on the rest of my face. I makes my lips smooth, moisturized, and of course, does make them plump up a little. When I'm ready to put on lipstick I just wipe of the excess of the lip inflation serum and apply the color. I will warn you though, don't lick your lips when wearing this…it does not taste good :(

Highlighter

Loreal Magic Lumi Highlighter I really like this highlighter. It is natural looking and really makes an impact without having to use much product…and, it's cheap. You can buy this at almost any drug store in different shades.

What's your favorite makeup products? I am always up for trying new things and would love to my hands on something new.

Have a Beautiful Day Y'all! :)

Wrestling Around

We have been rather restless in our house lately due to the weather being so crappy here. Snow, snow, snow, and freezing cold….and than repeat cycle it seems. What to do with a crazy wild animal (Mr. Chrispy) in the house but have some boy time.

Honestly, nothing makes this boy happier than when Dada roughs him up a little….ALL BOY! The hubby came home for lunch, as he normally does, and Chrispy was waiting for the wrestling match to begin.

Yep, that is Chrispy flying through the air onto the bed….smiling and laughing the whole time. What is it with boys wanting to be tossed around?

Pure joy over some quality play time with Dada since Momma won't play rough with me. On top of being cooped up in the house, Mr. Chrispy is teething, making everything come up roses…..said no Mom ever!! :(

He is just so happy here as he is about to leap off into Dada's arms for another round. Yep, my little Daredevil.

Honestly, these two boys crack me up….I can't even get over how lucky I am to have such cute guys to hang out with all the time :)

Happy Thursday Y'all! :)

Chicken Pot Pie and Rice

Chicken Pot Pie & Rice

3 Chicken Breasts

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon of Butter

2 teaspoons of Thyme

3 Carrots, skinned and chopped

3 Celery Stalks, chopped

1/2 Cup of Flour

1/2 of medium Onion, chopped

2 Cups of Milk

2 Cups of Water

2 Chicken Bouillon

1 can of Sweet Peas, drained

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 Bay Leaf

Rice

Add oil and butter to a dutch oven on medium heat. Brown chicken breasts on both sides until golden. Remove chicken.  Chop chicken in 1 inch cubes. Add onions, celery, and carrots. Sauté for about 3 minutes, add a little of the milk and flour. Stir until there are no clumps, continue alternating between milk and flour and stirring until all is incorporated. Add water and chicken bouillons, stir. Add peas, bay leaf, thyme, salt, pepper, and chopped chicken. Stir for 1 minute to remove any clumps. Cover dutch oven and cook for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve over rice.

I Heart a Sweet Tooth!

I Heart a Sweet Tooth! 

Yep, the sudden urge has hit me to bake up some chocolate chip cookies, heart shaped of course! I didn't feel like actually making the dough homemade today, the feeling of laziness has really hit my house hard this time of year and I skipped that whole messy step, I bought the pre-made cookie dough…shhhh!!!! Don't tell the other mothers ;)

I actually made a mistake thinking to myself that if I went ahead and cut them out they would come out in the shaped of a heart…ummm no  bueno. They expanded into a circle, as they should I guess. So I cut them out after they were cooked.

Yep, just right there on the cookie sheet seconds after they were cooked and still very soft and hot, but don't worry, none of that "scrap" cookie will go to waste since it will be really tasty later on top of a bowl of vanilla ice cream…yummo!

 One of the cookies was harmed during the shooting of this photo…oops ;)

I just loaded those gorgeous girls up on a plate and had them ready for when Daddy came home from work today. He was mildly impressed.

And there is no one to better judge a cookie than a child, so Mr. Chrispy had a few just to be sure they were delicious. He really is the best help I could ever ask for ;) See ladies, not everything has to be hard and from scratch….Ain't Nobody Got Time For That!!!

Have a Happy Thursday Night Y'all! :)

Brown Sugar Salmon

Brown Sugar Salmon

Brown sugar

Butter

2 Lemons

1 medium Onion

Fresh Salmon Fillets

Salt 

Pepper

This salmon recipe is really my go-to when I'm in a crunch to make something really yummy and have little time to prepare anything. It's really basic but packs so much flavor that even little one's love it!

Lay out parchment paper in selections, depending on how many fillets you have, and cut the paper so that there will be enough excess paper to wrap the entire fillet for cooking. I used aluminum foil here since I just ran out of parchment paper. Cut all lemons and onion into slices thinly. Lay onion and lemon slices, about 4 slices of each, on the paper, overlapping each other. Salmon rests on the slices. Add about a teaspoon of butter, or however much you like ;), onto of the fillet. About a teaspoon of brown sugar onto of the salmon, or however much you like. Salt and pepper, just a pinch of each should do. Wrap everything into it's own little package so no openings are available. Bake all packages on a baking sheet at 400 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes. The salmon will come out moist, sweet and citrus, and delicious! 

*I usually serve this salmon recipe with creamy garlic and chive mashed potatoes to add more of a base.

Busy As a Bee

This old girl has been working hard to try and organize and put together a whole house…..let's just say, it's been a challenge this time around. Usually I can get a house in working order in a week after a move but I'm really taking my time with this move, just feels better than rushing around like a chicken with it's head cut off. Plus, apparently from living overseas for like for-evvvv-er we have two of everything!!! I mean everything, does anyone need 5 drills…like really honey? So we are now trying to sort out what will be kept and what will end up at our local Goodwill. So if you live in the Dayton, Ohio area, you might want to go check out your Goodwill since they just got a bunch of great, name brand stuff ;)

One of the first things I unpacked was my coffee maker because this Momma was going to be needing some coffee to get through this mess! The coffee maker was originally sitting on my kitchen counter, or lack of counter space, and out of no where all these amazing Pinterest pins starting popping up on coffee stations….duh!!! I loved it from the moment I saw the creative ways to make a coffee station, and wouldn't you know it, I even have a spot in my kitchen I didn't really know what to do with…so the coffee station was born.

We use the DeLonghi K-Mix coffee maker, it's kinda pricey but can you put a price on a good cup of Joe? That's what I thought ;)

 I love this chest of draws! It's actually from Japan called a Tansu and it is very old. I picked it up at a Furniture Recycle shop for about $45 and it comes in three pieces. It's also got some great deep draws that allow me to store all kinds of my bulky items that go in the kitchen. The pulls are also original and have this amazing swirl detail in them.

  Coffee never looked so good and now there is a special place just to prepare it!  I also didn't have to buy anything since I already owned all of these items, it was just a matter of putting them all together. I am thinking about replacing the coffee cups because they are just too tiny of my coffee addiction. Maybe some really cute and pretty ones from Starbucks.

I also started working in Chrispy's room which is going to take FOREVERRRRRR! This kid has so much stuff it's really embarrassing! Lots of it is old toys or things he has outgrown so I'm on a mission to sort through his jungle, I mean room, and get it working order. Which brings up my next question, do I donate or keep? I don't think my hubby and I have any plans for baby #2 anytime soon so it makes me question the whole process of storing it.

I did manage to swap out the knobs on his dresser for these that I've been hoarding for about 2 years now. I picked up these beautiful navy blue and brass knobs in Japan at an antique store and I had the glass ones, from Amazon, from a previous project. I love the mismatched look and that it really adds some character to the dresser.

Sorry, bad lighting :(

And of course Mr. Chrispy's tee pee got put up almost immediately after coming out of the box! He was in the other room as I was putting it up and throw his blanket, pillow, and stuffed friends in there. He walked in just as I was finishing and immediately squealed with excitement, went running straight to the tee pee, and jumped in it….couldn't have been cuter at that moment :) Things like that really make my heart happy. We have already done lots of reading in there and this is his go-to spot when he is trying to avoid me for things like changing of his diaper! NASTY!!! It's his poop spot for sure :(

Happy Tuesday Y'all! :)

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup

1 Rotisserie Chicken

3 to 4 chopped Celery Stalks

3 to 4 chopped Carrots

1 Bay Leaf

1 1/2 tablespoon Basil

1 tablespoon Garlic Powder

1 tablespoon Celery Salt

pinch of Salt

pinch of Pepper

3 to 4 handfuls of dry Egg Noodles

32 Ounces of Organic Chicken Broth

2 cups of water

1 Chicken Bouillon Cube

Start by filling a large stockpot full of chicken broth, water, chicken bouillon cube, rotisserie chicken, bay leaf, basil, garlic powder, celery salt, salt, and pepper on high, until it reaches a boil. Drop the temperature to a low/medium to allow it to shimmer. Add chopped carrots and celery and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. Remove chicken from the broth in whole, do not leave any bones or hard parts to the chicken in the broth. Allow the chicken to cool before handling it. While chicken is cooling, add 3 to 4 handfuls of egg noodles, depending on how much noodle you want verse how much broth. Shred all chicken from the bones, add to broth. Allow to shimmer for another 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Add more spices to your liking. Enjoy!

Sick Day

Saturday morning we woke up bright and early….but not in a good way, little Mr. Chrispy was screaming and crying from his crib, not a normal thing for him to do. As I grabbed him sweat was dripping down his face, poor baby had an awful fever. We spend most of our morning laying in bed between Momma and Dadda doing nothing more than snuggling and rubbing his back. I felt so bad for the little man, I mean, it's not like he can tell me what exactly hurts or how I can fix it, so I just do everything that I would do for myself in this situation.

He managed to eat some toast which I think helped and some fluids later on for a "late" breakfast. By lunch time he seemed to be doing a little better, medicine finally was working its magic and his fever was down. After a super long nap, it was back just to claim another episode of sweating and crying. Chrispy spent most of the day laying in Dadda's arms while I whipped up some chicken noodle soup to cure our issues….all of them ;)

Starting with this one…..my house still not completely unpacked from our move from Japan to Ohio…

So while my soup was cooking on the stove, I made myself useful and cleared out the kitchen completely, cleaned and sanitized all three bathrooms in our house, did two loads of laundry, and managed to finish hanging up some pictures in the house. 

The soup usually works its magic on it's own until the part of shredding the chicken off the bone comes in, than my hands had to get dirty, but in a good way :)

Poor baby. He was like this most of the day….he just looks miserable.

After about three, or four, bowls of chicken noodle soup, we all started feeling a little better. The yummy broth, carrots, celery, noodles, and chicken are little miracle workers.

Unfortunately, Chrispy woke up still sick Sunday morning, even vomited for the first time ever all over his breakfast, but at least we have a warm house and lots of good eats to keep us happy here…..as happy as we can be. Today will be a constant battle of the hubby and I not getting sick and keeping Chrispy comfortable. To top off the wonderful weekend more snow is now falling in Ohio on top of the other "mountains" left behind from all the other snow days….at least we have no where to be :)

Have a Happy Weekend Y'all!