Adventures in Baking

This past weekend was my mom's birthday. Since it was on a Sunday, we thought that a Sunday brunch would be a perfect way to celebrate. Football, food, family, and most important... mimosas. I decided to test a new recipe on them and since everyone seemed to enjoy it, I will share it here! Peanut Butter Banana Bread... who wouldn't love it! It was delicious and not bad for you!

Since that bread was gone so fast, I decided to try a recipe from my new favorite site. I don't know if everybody loves pumpkin as much as I do... but I really love it! I am completely obsessed with Starbucks Pumpkin loaf, but it is NOT ideal for losing weight. One slice it close to 400 calories... yikes! With this low calorie pumpkin bread recipe you get a slice for only 103! It is so good!

Happy baking everyone!

Flashback

Tonight while I was getting the kids ready for bed, a commercial came on tv. I wasn't paying attention until I heard 3 letters- ALS. ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease) attacks the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It is a devastating disease that can affect anyone and it does not yet have a cure. I will fully admit that I did not know much about this disease until a few years ago. I did not know much about it until I found out that one of the kindest, most caring people I know was diagnosed with it. OJ Brigance, the Senior Advisor to Player Development for the Baltimore Ravens, was diagnosed in 2007 and is determined to beat this. I am not in Baltimore anymore, but I still think of him and his wonderful wife often. I know he can beat this and I want to help. Participating in 'The Walk to Defeat ALS' is one small way I can support him. The walk is on Saturday, I am hoping I can meet my fundraising goal by then. If you would like to donate to this amazing cause (any amount helps and all money goes help fight ALS) visit:

http://webco.alsa.org/goto/supportOJfightALS

After signing up for the walk, I started to think about my time in Baltimore. I was thinking about how scared I was to go there. I was so young and I didn't know anyone, but it turned out to be one of the best things I have ever done. I met some of the most amazing women I have ever had the pleasure of knowing and I made friendships that will last a lifetime. It seemed as though we all were pregnant at the same time too! So not only were we friends, but even our kids loved each other! I don't know if I will ever be lucky enough to be in a place where everyone gets along and everyone GENUINELY likes and cares about one another. If I don't, I won't even care... experiencing it once was good enough for me! I still miss all my Bmore girls, though!

Mini meet up this past summer

Sunday Funday

Well... it is late. I don't know what else to say except for today was a great day. DJ slept until 7:30 and then relaxed in my room until I was finished feeding Dash. Usually DJ is a mad man running all over the house as soon as his eyes open. When we went downstairs I made the kids breakfast- bacon, eggs, and toast. Of course they only ate the bacon (little stinkers) and made sure to tell me that they didn't like the eggs they wouldn't even try. I was okay with it though because I was able to make their eggs my Eggies! I admit it, I have a strange fascination with 'as seen on tv' products. I was really excited to order those things (until I saw them in the isle at Walmart, then I realized I could buy them and not pay for shipping!) and let me tell you, they did not let me down. Now I just can't wait to use the egg slicer, it looks pretty exciting. And yes, I do just realize what I wrote. I am a stay at home mom... little kitchen gadgets are very exciting for me.

My Eggies, don't be jealous!

Later on in the day we headed over to my Grandma's house to watch the Giants game. This is another thing that I do not like about being so far away from Derrick. The Giants games are not shown here and it is so annoying. My Grandma has the NFL ticket, so we head over there. My kids are completely obsessed with my Grandma, so it works out well for me... not so much for her! Dash looked beyond adorable today, it's not that I am biased or anything... but he is pretty much the cutest baby EVER (again, totally not biased). He was wearing a new onesie that Derrick brought home on his 24 hour trip and his super cute football hat and booties. The game was great and the Giants won! It was a close game and I had a mini heart attack, but they did it! I was really glad because I can't imagine a plane ride from AZ to NY would be fun after a loss.

Now I should go get on the spin bike, but Dash is sleeping and I am most likely just taking my behind to bed. Oh well... double workouts tomorrow!

A fun and AMAZING week!

Don't worry, I am not quitting already! This past week was just so great, that I put blogging to the back of mind!

Now let's see, where to start? Well, on Monday night the best thing happened! My wonderful husband came home! We haven't seen him since the beginning of September, so we all were really missing him. I was excited because Dash has already changed so much and I hate that Derrick is missing it. Derrick's flight came in after the kids were already asleep Monday night, so they were both so excited when they woke up with him here! Then Derrick was able to come with me to... their first day of school!!!!!!

They were not very cooperative taking pictures before school

That's right, DJ and Harlow started school on Tuesday and I can already feel my sanity returning. They only go two days a week, but it is perfect for them. They get to interact with other kids their age and I can run errands without my whole posse (I still am afraid to leave the house with all 3 of them by myself, getting them in and out of car seats is an adventure in it's self!). While they were at school, Derrick and I (and Dash) were even able to have a little lunch date. We had sushi and it was so good! It was the first time I have had it since I got pregnant with Dash... boy did I miss it! DJ and Harlow both had a great first day of school. DJ loves it there, Harlow is skeptical, but I know she will love it too... eventually.

Derrick had to go back to Jersey Tuesday night. I am always sad when he leaves, but at least this time I was able to hold back the tears until he got out of the car. The hardest part is telling the kids to give him a big kiss and let them know he won't be there in the morning. They are total Daddy's babies, so they are the happiest kids when he is home. Apparently I can't wrestle like he can and I am not nearly as funny. We all miss him, but it was great to see him even if it was only for a day.

Today we went to the circus and let me tell you... it was FUN! The kids loved it!!! We went with my mom, so of course the got absolutely everything they wanted. I loved seeing their cute little faces light up whenever they would see an elephant, watching them laugh at the clowns, and hearing DJ keep asking "How they do dat?!". I remember going with my mom, aunt, and cousin every year when I was little, so it was wonderful to pass on something so fun to my kids.

Time To Shape Up

So over the weekend, my healthy eating habbits went down the drain. Cupcakes, cookies, cake pops, pasta, and even more carbs. So today, I have really have to try and focus on eating healthy again. I want this baby weight off of me!!!! The kids and I are going to go for a walk today, I am taking the double stroller and strapping Dash in the Moby. I know I am going to look like a crazy lady with all these little kids, but it should be a good work out.

I found a 5k that I really want to run in December. My main goal, however, is to run a half marathon next fall. When I was in high school, I loved to run. Now? I don't think I could run a mile without passing out! I am really determined to get in running shape again. When DJ and Harlow are in school, I am going to put Dash in the jogging stroller and start training. Wish me luck, because I don't think this is going to be easy.

I would love to do this with some people! I know most of my friends live in different states, but I am going to try and figure something out. If you are interested in doing this with me, let me know!

Party Party Party!!!

Yesterday was Harlow's birthday party! It was so much fun and I am so happy with how it turned out. The decorations looked awesome and the food was delicious! Everyone had so much fun (at least I think they did) and it was nice to catch up with family. Harlow was completely obsessed with her dessert table and her outfit (which she is wearing again today). She kept getting everyone else cake pops and chocolate covered pretzels. All she wanted was the chocolate covered strawberries, without the chocolate! What a little weirdo!

The dessert table was my biggest project. I made the cupcake stand to showcase the super yummy cupcakes. I covered canvases with fabric and rhinestones for a pretty background for the table. Most importantly, I made lots of really tasty desserts! We had cake pops, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate covered strawberries, cupcakes, and cheesecake pops. I loved the way it turned out and it was so worth the effort.

On another note, all of the vendors I ordered from were amazing. I put this all together pretty last minute and they still managed to to get everything to me on time. If you ever need anything, I highly suggest using them! Sweetie Pie Couture did the adorable bows. The tutu that Harlow adored is from Tiffany's Tutus and Ties. The shirt that started it all is from Shepherds Flock. The cupcake toppers were so cute and they are from Pamper Your Party.

Let's Play A Game

Can you tell who is who?

Could you do it? The top picture is Dash and the bottom one is DJ. It makes me laugh how much they look alike, they have the same facial expressions and everything!

Happy Birthday, Harlow!

My little girl is 2 today! Where does the time go? I can't believe that it has been 2 years since she came into this world. Even though the "two's" kind of scare me to death, I am so excited to watch her continue to come into her own. She is so sweet, yet she still manages to be one of the toughest little girls I have ever met. She knows what she wants and there is no changing her mind! I mean, honestly, getting her dressed is already a struggle. She likes to pick out her outfits and never wants to wear what I pick out, I thought that didn't happen until at least 10! She is just so much fun and I love her so much! Happy Birthday, Harlow!

Super Cute Cupcake Stand!

Harlow's 2nd birthday is on Wednesday. I cannot believe that she is going to be 2!!! Even though there are some really, really, REALLY long days, time really does go so fast. I told myself that this year for her birthday I wasn't doing anything big, order a cake and pizza and invite family over... that was going to be it! I mean, I just had a baby a month ago, Derrick is in New York, my life is crazy right now! A small party is all that needed to happen.

Who was I trying to fool?

It all started with a cute little shirt- a hot pink and zebra shirt. Well then she needed a tutu. Then she needed a bow. Then I wanted cupcakes, but those need cupcake toppers!!! It doesn't stop!!!! So even though I am not inviting many people, I am still putting a lot of time and energy into this party.

There is a blog that I am now completely obsessed with and it showcases the most adorable parties. I quickly decided that Harlow needed a dessert table. If you know me, you know that I believe that presentation truly is everything. So, Harlow could not just have a table with lots of yummy treats, the table had to look like one of the tables from my new favorite blog!

Now I have one problem, what am I going to use to display everything?! I ordered cupcakes, I ordered the cupcake toppers, but I didn't have a stand! I found some really cute ones, but I did not want to spend $80 on a stand (the cupcakes didn't even cost that much!). So I decided that I would make one on my own. After spending a lot of time wandering around Hobby Lobby with Dash (thanks mom for watching my other crazies!) I found everything I needed to make the perfect cupcake stand!

So first thing first! Pour yourself a nice drink, this may take while :o)

To make the stand that I made, you will need 2 candlestick holders, 2 mirrors (different sizes), rhinestones, and glue.

I have been hearing a lot about E-6000 glue, so I decided to give it a try. It did a great job binding the mirror to the candlestick, but you might want to use a hot glue gun to put the rhinestones on.

I added the rhinestones to the candlesticks first.

After all of the rhinestones are on, take the candlestick and cover the rim with your glue. Then stick it to the underside of the mirror. I placed the mirror on the ground and attached it that way, it was easier to get it centered. Leave it upside down until it dries. Repeat this step with the second candlestick and mirror.

Finally, you add glue to the bottom of the candlestick that has the smaller mirror on top. Carefully place the candlestick on top of the large mirror and that is it!

Now you have a super cute (and affordable) cupcake holder!

Quick Crafty Catch Up

Even though I didn't do a ton of bedazzling, I did do some. Here are a few of my favorites!

It's been a while!

Well now, do I get an award for being the biggest blog slacker? I have taken a bit of break from bedazzling. It isn't that I don't still love it, it is that my life has been so hectic! I am starting again, so be ready for some really fun and cute things!

Now let's see. How has my life changed? Well for one, my sweet little girl who didn't walk or talk, is now walking and talking! Harlow and DJ make my life super crazy! They love each other so much, but they are still brother and sister! They fight and love to give one another a hard time. They definitely keep me on my toes!

Aww! See they love each other!

What else happened? Oh that's right, my husband is now a Super Bowl Champion! How cool is that? I got to actually attend a Super Bowl game and it did NOT disappoint! My seat was pretty close to Jerry Jones's box and there were so many celebrities going in and out of it. Owen Wilson was in the row in front of me. The best part of course, is that the Packers beat the Steelers (I still haven't been able to get over my Steelers feelings since Derrick started in Baltimore, so it made the win that much sweeter!)! Oh yeah, Kid Rock performed at the after party! Awesome!

We bought a house! I love it. It is so nice being a home owner and having roots somewhere. Before we just rented where Derrick played, so it never felt like home. Now we are in a state we love, a house we love, and near people we love.

Now, I saved, the biggest, best, most exciting surprise for last! Here... see if you can figure it out :o)

I know you love the prom pose!

Were you able to figure it out?! The Martin family is now a family of 5! Dash arrived August 18th and is just an amazing baby! I was really nervous about how the kids would adjust to him, but they had no problems at all. They always want to kiss him and hold him, they love him so much. Thank goodness it was an easy transition because Derrick is now a member of the New York Giants! I am so proud of him, but I miss him tons. This long distance stuff is no fun!

Warning- A lot of pictures are coming up, a lot.