i should be cleaning

i should be cleaning my cold infested house right now, but i'm not quite motivated yet.  we've all had this nasty head cold.  can we say "snot"?  good lord, i've never seen so much!  it knocked me for a loop on Friday...fever and all!  hubs to the rescue!  since his building still didn't have power from the snow storm, he stayed home and took care of everything.  kids, dishes, snotty tissues.  he was an awesome house husband! 
i was feeling much better by yesterday.  since my parent's came over for dinner, i decided we needed dessert!  found THIS recipe for spiced pumpkin cupcakes.  oh, betty crocker, i heart you!  it was super easy and it didn't have an overwhelming pumpkin flavor.  which is nice if you don't have pumpkin lovers in your house(like i do!).  i changed the pecan recipe a tad...i added 2 TBS of butter to the pan, and along with the final sprinkle of sugar, i added a couple pinches of salt!  mmmm  salty goodness!  i made my own cream cheese frosting too.  (2- 8 oz pkgs fat free cream cheese-softened, 1/4 c butter-softened, 5 C powdered sugar and a splash of vanilla...beat 'em all together til ya have frosting!)  num.

as you lick the gooey frosting off of your lips, you get the salt from the pecans!  delish!

on a side note:  LOVING miranda lambert's new album!!

Merry Halloween!

yes, we have a white halloween this year.  a first in my 30 years!  school is cancelled, millions are without power, trees and lines down all over NJ!  i feel like i'm in the twilight zone!  the town i grew up in has essentially cancelled halloween.  ok, let me rephrase, they have "postponed" it to november 4th.  just insane!  the kids have already used 2 snow days, and we haven't even hit winter yet!!

anyhoo, lets have a little halloween treat anyway!  these were supposed to be for the now defunct halloween party at emily's school...

i turned a hi hat cupcake into a bat!!  they turned out really cute!  i used THIS as my inspiration for the cupcakes!  instead of piping a swirl, i just piped a "blob"(yes friends, that is a technical term!)onto mini cupcakes.  after the big dunk(and don't be a afraid of the dunk, go for it!  that swiss butter cream isn't going anywhere!) i let the chocolate set up for a few minutes and threw on a dash of chocolate sprinkles, then smooshed the eyes on(yes, very specific terms here!)  for the wings, i used the same chocolate i dunked the cupcakes in a zippie bag to free hand the wing shapes.  this took me right back to coloring in elementary school!!  so fun!  you can throw them in the frige to set up faster(or if you have a very cold laundry room, that works too!)  if the chocolate on the bat bodies sets up too much, the wings will be hard to push in, and even break.  so...use a paring knife to slice a slit into their little noggins to help!  then let them finish setting up!  cute and delicious!!  oh, and by the way, i found the candy eyes at walmart in the baking section!

Happy Halloween!!
linking up with:
skip to my lou
the artsy girl connection

mommy to the rescue!

crisis was averted earlier this week after david's poor blanky suffered serious injuries! 

this poor thing has been through the ringer!  it was a gift from my sister when he was a baby, and he soon chose it as his favorite.  its been chewed on, spilled on, peed on, and dragged!  i've been nursing it along for a while, tying off areas that came undone.  but this time was different.  a huge chunk was pulling out, and it needed some evasive action.  he was devastated.   i was able to hide it from him for about a week until i came up with a plan.   it was simple in my head, but have you ever tried to sew something that has been crocheted(sp?)?  it is not easy, my friends!  but i did it.  it was the biggest pain-in-the-ass-thing i have EVER had to sew!!.  i added a satin blanket border.  it looks terrible!  however, the smile on that kids face made it worth it! (and hopefully it will hold everything together for a while!)

the tingles

ok, i think i may be feeling them.  the vibes, the tingles, the itch...to CRAFT again!  and even, dare i say it...to WORK OUT!  i really think this weekend was exactly what i needed!  this morning, i'm calm.  even though the kids don't have school.  its ok.  i don't really have the usual anxiety that normally envelopes me on a day such as this.  even typing that didn't make me anxious!  hubs went back to work this morning, but he'll be home for dinner. 

david got a little homework from his speech therapist, so i think we'll sit and do that before emily gets up.  its some fun color/cut/paste stuff so he can practice his sounds.  i think he'll like that.  later, when david is napping, emily's teacher sent her home a big packet of coloring pages...so we'll color. 

its unseasonably warm here in nj.  i'm dealing with that.  i want to wear a sweater, damn it!  at least the sun is shining!  i was going to make a stew for dinner tonight, but its not really "stew weather" so i have to come up with something different.  hmmm....

anyhoo.  i hope that my new found calm is here to stay.  i really haven't been liking the panicked, cranky, overwhelmed me as of late.  *deep breath*  we'll see!!

here are a few more pics from over the weekend!

                  <3

daddy days

a whole weekend with the hubs.  i'm in heaven.  we weren't sure if he would be able to get a whole weekend off, and we didn't get the official word until thursday night!  i wanted him to have a weekend off before the "silly season"(aka, christmas) starts!  we know that days off will be slim to none in the coming months. 
yesterday we went to the pumpkin patch and a family bbq.  we had some beautiful weather for it, too!  today i think we're just going to hang around the house.  with all of the rain, our grass hasn't been cut since the beginning of august!!  so i think that's number one on the to-do list! 

my heart needed this.

a seizure?

emily gave us a scare yesterday.  her face completely drained of its rosy color, and her whole body went limp.  we couldn't get her to snap out of it.  so we called 911.  by the time the ambulance arrived, i had already moved her out into the fresh air, and she was perking up.  they checked her heart and lungs before we left for the hospital, and all was good.  when we got the the hospital, her color was coming back.  hubs met us there, he was at work.  thank goodness my mom decided to stop over for a bit, she stayed with david at home.  they took her blood--she didn't even cry!  she's a tough cookie.  they got a urine sample.  all tests came back normal.  thank god.  their guess?  a seizure.  omg, i can't take it.  she has always been so healthy.  now a seizure?  i'm going to call her neurologist to see what he has to say.  by the time we left the hospital, she was completely back to her normal giggly self.

it was the scariest.thing.ever.  i thought at any moment that she was going to pass out.  or stop breathing.  i still get overwhelmed just thinking about it.  i held it together until we put them to bed.  i asked hubs if he would go get me cake or ice cream...then i lost it.  holy cow.  so scary.

Lost

it seems that i have lost my way.  i'm tired.  my heart isn't into much lately.  i haven't sewn anything.  no crafts.  no working out.  a little baking.  and clearly-no blogging!   i want to do all of the things that i love, but apparently i have lost my groove.   my day starts off with a plan, and usually it goes pretty well.  then i hit the wall.  most nights i stare at nothing special on the computer.  well, last night i caught up on the season premiere of csy:ny.  great episode. 

i'm not sure where this funk is coming from.  the kids haven't really been too bad.  hubs is still working his balls off, but i'm getting used to that now.  hell, he's been at wally world for almost a year now!  i have help.  my parents are amazing.  i have a couple of friends.  i usually visit with my one girlfriend and her 3 month old sweet little boy once a week. last week, my sissy and i got together with a friend for munchies and wine. 

its been a while since i've have had a really good belly laugh.  i hate that. 

my head is telling the rest of me to snap out of it, but my heart just hasn't followed yet. 

ok.  enough boo hoo.  how about some things that still make me smile:
*its fall, my favorite season!
*emily lost another tooth!  such a big girl!
*david has started saying so many new words!
*david is 95% potty trained!!(that darn poop!)
*i love my husband, and he loves me.(just celebrated our 8 year wedding anniversary!)
*i wake up every morning with hope.
*i wake up every morning.

hey, self----snap out of it!!

the latest

i know, i know...its been a while.  no excuses really, just haven't felt like making any time for my blog.  i do miss it though!  so what have i been up to?  the kids are having fun at their extended school year programs.  emily goes for a full day, and david goes for four hours.  seriously, four hours to myself is simply amazing!  i can clean without interruptions, sew, or just sit my ass on the couch!  heaven. 

i've been in to doing my own nails.  don't have the dough to get them done, so i found a polish brand that i'm in looove with.  ZOYA.  check them out.  you'll love them like i do.  beautiful colors.  chemical free.  and if you like them on facebook, they run some amazing promotions. most of my collection has been free or seriously discounted!!  i heart that.  a lot.  i am currently rocking sooki from their summertime collection.

ok, so what else?  i've been couponing for about a month now.  i'm officially hooked.  living rich with coupons is an amazing site that basically does the leg work for you.  from coupon match ups to keeping you updated on the latest printable coupons.  its been the best move i have ever made.  with a little bit of effort, a pair of scissors and a printer, i have knocked $50 off of my average weekly budget(and its still going down).  i save anywhere from $60-$80 a week!!  my stockpile is growing, and so is my savings account!  i round off what i save for the week and transfer it into my savings account.  love that! 

i need another one of these metal racks!! lol

other than that, i'm just trying to stay cool.  new jersey is having a horrible heat wave right now.  i hate the summer, i really do!  my white irish ass can't take all of this hot sun!  come ooon autumn!!  

the hubs is still working like crazy, but our michigan vacation is coming up!  can't wait for all of us to spend the week together!!! <3

photo tales tuesday

 

this passed weekend, the hubs and i celebrated our 14th anniversary!  we started dating when i was 16!  this photo is from my senior prom, we had already been dating at this point for almost 2 years.    no joke-i knew i was going to marry him the night we met.  

 ~~~{~~{@Always & Forever, Justin.@}~~}~~~

photo tales tuesday

The Deer Whisperer 

we took the kids to space farms yesterday.  they loved it.  and the deer loved david!

hubs and i went to space farms when we were kids.  it was fun to take our kids now!! 

meeeemoriesssss.....

photo tales tuesday

after having french toast for dinner with emily the other night, i came up with a cup cake concoction that i think is pretty darn tasty!  while we ate our french toast, it made me think of IHOP's stuffed french toast!  and i came up with breakfast for dessert!

 you can find the recipe for stuffed french toast cupcakes @ my other blog The Bedtime Baker

i'm linking up with beth @ laugh until you cry

some bits and pieces

*the kids are on "summer break".  thank GOD for extended school year programs!  david goes back in 8 days.  emily in 12.  yes, i'm counting.

*i'm also counting down the days 'til our vacation in august!  we're off to michigan to visit my uncle and aunt.  its going to be, approx, a 13 hr car ride.  pray for us. 

*i turned 30 in april, and in the last 2 1/2 months, my face has broken out like i'm a 16 year old.  WTF?!  trying everything to remedy the situation.

*seriously considering starting a mobile bakery.  just need funds.  and a truck.  this could take a while.

*david is going on a sleep over to grandma and grandpa's house for the weekend.(doing the happy dance internally)  emily and i will shop.(will do the happy dance down the isles of target with emily)

*hubs is still working like crazy.  the money is helping.  i miss him.

*my sissy and i are planning a sleepover.  sangria, sewing, and baked goods will likely be involved. 

*working out regularly again.

*drinking my 8 cups of water daily.

*still hanging on to the last 10lbs.  i'm close to just saying eff it...eat the cake and work out.  i'm good with a snug size 8. 

*my tomatoes plants are getting bigger.  i can almost taste the sammiches. 

*starting a new quilt tonight.  even though i have three that need to be finished.

so that's about it. 

photo tales tuesday

Because i can't usually get the kids to sit together for a nice family photo...

 

... here they are, separately, with their daddy on Father's Day!

love.

photo tales tuesday

ok so this is a few photos, but i'm in love with this video that i was able to create through P&G's Thank you Mom video creator!   every time you "like" their page, leave a comment, or create a video, they make a donation to the special olympics! 

photo tales tuesday

ok, this is a terrible photo, but i didn't want to wake him up. 

i was trying to be all stealthy and stuff...which didn't work, because he woke up as soon as the flash popped.  anyhoo.  sick kids are no fun...

  

photo tales tuesday

this passed sunday, i was feeling weepy.  every little thing made me cry.  we got to spend a few hours in the morning with my hubs, but then he had to go to work.  2-11pm on sundays(and saturdays too, btw).  i was just sad.  so i baked.  i made hot milk sponge cake with chocolate ganache and chocolate butter cream.  it was heavenly.

  then yesterday, i was feeling guilty for eating cake all day on sunday.  so i threw that beautiful cake in the garbage so i wouldn't sit and eat the whole thing.  :o/ 

photo tales tuesday

 

yesterday was huge!  monumental even!  not only did david turn THREE, but it was also his first day of school!! 

 

i mean really, where does the time go?

he had an amazing first day, and grandma and grandpa where here when he got off of the bus!

Happy Birthday, Handsome!  Mommy is so proud of you!  I love you more than words can say!

oh, and i made it halfway back down the driveway before i lost it.  then i locked myself out of the house---momentarily. (i just had to punch in the code on the garage door).  then i cried while getting gas because my car didn't have any kids in it.  good thing for large sunglasses!

two preschoolers

how is that even possible?  on monday, my two babies will be in school!  someone is going to need to scrape me off of the driveway when the bus pulls away with my baby boy on it!  today we go in for his IEP and he gets to see his classroom and meet his teacher!  i think he's going to thrive, i really do!  he's going to have an excellent speech therapist!  she was emily's for early intervention, then she got hired by the district right after emily transitioned into preschool! 
emily goes full day, but david is going to start @ 2 1/2 hours 5 days/week(afternoon session).  it will be really nice to NOT have to tip toe around the house while he naps!  the kid can hear a pin drop, i swear!  i'm afraid to even fart!
i think its going to be good for all of us!
i just can  not believe how fast they are growing up!