Day 9

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

• Up with the alarm
• Morning routine
• The liquid gold aka coffee
• Work
• Staff meeting
• Worked through lunch
• More work
• Car appointment
• Cleaning and gassing up the car for “For Sale” pictures
• Dinner with the in-laws after they dropped off “our” new ride!!
• Quick trip to Wedgewood due to Clomid Crazy/allergic reaction fun
• Home to twitch and go to sleep. 

Day 8

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

• Up but not awake
• Morning routine in complete auto-pilot
• Eye doctor appointment – finally cleared to wear contacts again!!  Scratched cornea is healed.
• Starbucks just happened to be on the route to work – score!!

• Calls to banks about a car loan.
• Work work and more work
• Lunch with the boss
• Busy afternoon
• Home to load up a chair and meet some kids (college students) that were buying it.

Please note this is our storage area....we don't live like hoarders!!

• Husband convinced me to buy him Mexican food with some of aforementioned profits.
• Received call that my Father In Law is dropping off our new car tomorrow…..please note we haven’t got a loan, insurance or sold my old car yet so that was a little overwhelming!!
• Home to take relaxing bath.
• The Voice
• Tossing and turning and finally shutting my mind off to sleep.

Holly Hall/Rachael Ray….see a similarity there?

No, me neither, but it was worth a shot.  And hey, I have her cookware (shout out to the awesome bridesmaids who got me that for a wedding shower gift!!)

The latest things cooking in those pots:

Update on the Ham, Potato, and Broccoli Casserole that I mentioned here.

I followed some of the tips and tricks and here is my version – everyone had seconds so it must have turned our alright =)

1 - 16 oz bag of frozen crinkle cut fries

1- 16oz bag of frozen chopped broccoli - thawed

1 1/2 cups of cooked, cubed ham (I bought a bag from Aldi)

1 small can cream of mushroom soup

3/4 can of milk

1/4 cup mayo

1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Garlic salt

Onion powder

Black pepper

Preheat oven to 375

Spray 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.  Layer bottom with single layer of french fries, add a layer of broccoli, then sprinkle ham evenly on top. 

In a small bowl, mix together milk, soup, parm cheese, spices and mayo.  Pour mixture evenly over ingredients. 

Bake uncovered for 40 minutes.

Add cheddar cheese to top of casserole and bake an additional 10 minutes. 

Then there was the Pinterest recipe that caught my eye.  I was mid-cooking this dinner when I remembered that we were suppose to be at my Grandma’s for dinner so we loaded this up and took it for a side item.  The bowl was licked clean and the recipe was demanded.  Will definitely make again (Only modification was I used less noodles than listed simply because I only had half a pack in the pantry.)   

Fried Cabbage

And Potato Soup – recipe from my friend Debbie Arnette.  This ain’t healthy folks, but it is amazing on a cold day. 

Wash, peel and dice 7 large potatoes

Cut up 15 baby carrots - I slice into 4 pieces

Boil in 3 parts water, 1 part milk (until veggies are covered) with a few dashes of celery seed, salt and pepper.

Mix one packet of pepper gravy mix with the water required on the package to make the rue.

Slowly add this into the veggies/broth after they become soft.  Continue to stir as added. 

Add one can of nacho cheese or pepper jack Campbell’s soup, 4 large chunks of Velveeta cheese diced (I use Jalapeno) and a few TBSPs of butter. 

Cook until thick and all ingredients melt down. 

Day 7

Monday, October 28, 2013

• Rise and Shine
• Morning Routine
• Work (are you starting to see a pattern here)
• Coffee…considered a coffee IV
• Pay some bills that finally found their way to our new address
• Lunch with my Seester
• Pure and complete frustration – I think ex-wives should be outlawed. 
• Finishing out the day
• Home to change into something more comfortable than works clothes (accidentally wore the opposing team’s colors)
• My cousin, Lindsey’s, volleyball game – they lost =(
• Dinner in got replaced by dinner out.  My Aunt and Cousin agreed to join us so we ventured to Eat n Park. 
• Random chores
• The Voice
• Bedtime

Day 5 and 6

Saturday and Sunday. October 26 and 27, 2013

Weekends can be one entry when I am making the rules ;)

Saturday

·       Wake-up and enjoy snuggle time with husband and kittens

·       Decide to remind the husband how lucky he is so I made omelets with gouda, ham and veggies.

·       Laundry

·       The Voice

·       Chores

·       Shopping with Heidi – a simple trip to return an item and grab a few things turned into $400.  Some of the deals were just too good to pass up and I FINALLY HAVE OUR HOUSE DECORATIONS COMPLETELY BOUGHT.

·       Fondue Factory for Emily’s birthday celebration.  Crab fondue YUM

·       Bedtime

Sunday

·       Wake-up and enjoy coffee from the new Keurig

·       Laundry

·       Venture out to get Chinese food

·       Hit Aldi to get some odds and ends

·       Make husband chop onions for me

·       Return to PJs and begin Operation Lazy Sunday (Keith had to work)

·       Friend Whitney stops by to say hello

·       Make Potato soup and cornbread

·       Do some dishes

·       Contemplate doing something more productive but instead watch NCIS

·       Bedtime

Day 4

Friday, October 25, 2013

• Wake-up – hello frost
• Early morning disappointment – stupid reproductive system
• Morning routine complete with a few tears
• Coffee and a quick gathering of trash for trash day
• Work sporting my new polka dot scarf while partaking in Jeans Day for charity

• Lunch with my moh and she surprised me with my favorite donut to cheer me up
• More work
• A nice convo with my Uncle Bob, one of my favorite people in this world
• Read some blogs about infertility and laughed out loud at the term “Clomid Crazies”….maybe I’m not alone in my looney world.
• 5 o’clock on Friday!!!
• Go home to a cheer up package from my hubby.  He’s good to me…. 

• Cooked a simple dinner
• Watched The Voice reruns
• Bedtime

Day 3 (Totally lacking pics)

Thursday, October 24, 2013

• Wake-up – more rain
• Morning routine
• Coffee and a quick kitchen tidy up
• Work
• Trip home to meet the furniture repair guy (small seam issue when they delivered our new living room furniture)
• Unload the dishwasher….grumble because it doesn’t have a fantastic heated dry.
• Work some more – staff meeting day
• Receive phone call from husband informing me that I am taking him on a date
• Pick up husband and take him to Buffalo Wild Wings
• Convince aforementioned husband that we need frozen yogurt
• Small happy dance over the arrival of Amazon package-Big Bang Theory boxset and Will and Grace boxset (hey I’m allowed to buy myself presents lol)
• Return home to do some chores and climb into bed

Day 2

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

• Wake-up – notice rain and contemplate calling in semi-dead
• Morning routine
• Coffee – Used the big cup and 2 k-cups to offset the rain

  

  My cup and desk are not as dirty as they look....horrid pic.

• Work
• Lunch with a friend who has been dealing with some major medical issues….breaks my heart to see her suffer.
• Worked on Christmas list during a break.
• Work
• Home to rest – stupid headache
• Tried a new Pinterest recipe (more on that later)
• Realized I had committed to family dinner at my Mackels so we rushed up the hill packing the dinner I just cooked. 
• Visited with family
• Scored an oh so hip homemade rubber band bracelet from my teenage cousins….makes me feel like part of the in crowd again lol
  
• Home to rest some more and watch some Greys Anatomy reruns with the kittens.

• Sleep

Day 1

Severe writer's block = jumping on this bandwagon.

 

Tuesday October 22, 2013

• Wake-up
• Morning routine
• Coffee – Thank you, Lord for coffee and flavored creamer
• Work
• Lunch including amazing hummus with my MOH (aka April)
• Work
• Physical therapy – well because I adore still having neck problems even after neck surgery.
• Mild heart attack after receiving letter from Tax office stating back taxes are due on our new house (update: not true – lawyer mistake)
• Friends come over to visit.  One from VA, Jenni, and of course the MOH.
• The Voice followed by 19 Kids and Counting (don’t judge)
• Kitten cuddling
• Sleep

Now that I think about this, I am going to have to purposely make my life more exciting for the next month as to avoid looking like a total boring dork. 

Monday Confessions

Since it is Monday and I’m too tired to censor myself, I figure I’d try confession.  I like the idea of getting some of the “junk” off my chest.  (No judging)

• I feel accomplished when I finish something….anything.  I’m talking like finishing a tube of toothpaste gives me some weird satisfaction.  You would think that I would realize that it means I have to spend more money to replace it, but instead I feel successful.  There are limitations; I don’t celebrate over toilet paper or paper towels which gives me just the right balance of nutjob vs. normal.
• I love washing clothes.  The sad part of this equation is I hate drying, hanging, folding, and putting away clothes, but if those puppies could just continuously be washed I’d be happy.  I think it is something to do with the soap and fabric softener that smells good and clean. 
• I am obsessed with skim milk.  I could drink a gallon a day if I would let myself.  Just give me a big plastic cup and let me at it.
• I used a mop for the first time in probably 5 years this past weekend.  I have spoiled myself with the luxury of a cleaning lady for too long.  Cracking down on the budget and scrubbing those puppies for a while. 
• I cheated on the aforementioned budget last week.  2 DVDs, some work shirts, new shoes for me and Keith and some new work clothes for Keith were totally necessary, right? RIGHT.
• I am struggling to finish the last steps in decorating our house.  Not sure what the hold up is.  I can’t wait to see the finished product, yet I can’t seem to get to it. 
• I have not given my cats a bath in well over 2 years.  This is shameful.  Right now, I can blame the cold weather and the possible effects on their health, but next spring, it is shower time.

• I am dying to make a turkey onesie with the bows for feathers with a big ole matching hairbow.  I refuse to do so as to not anger the baby making gods (joking) and furthermore to not upset the I want a girl gods (again joking).  Let me tell ya, no matter the time of year, if I get a positive prego test, HELLO MICHAELS.
   

• There is a small ounce of me that considers smothering my husband when he snores.  I love him but sheesh can that bear boy make some noise.

That’s enough for now.  I don’t want people to see my full crazy quite yet.  I do feel better….this is cheap therapy!!

27 Dresses

Anyone who knows me, knows I love weddings.  Everything about them makes this big mush melt.  I’ve cried at weddings where I didn’t even know the bride and groom (I was the plus one, not a wedding crasher.)  There is something about the flowers, music, dresses, vows, first dance, speeches, etc. that just makes me happy.

I’m not sure if that directly ties in to me being in so many weddings, or if rumor has gotten out that this ain’t my first rodeo so they hire the seasoned vet.  lol  Either way, I thought I’d sit down and try to remember all the weddings I have been a part of over the years. 

1. Kathy and Mark – I was the ripe ole age of maybe 8 when they got married.  I rocked my 80s glasses and a homemade mint green junior bridesmaid dress.  I personally think my Mother could have applied a little extra hairspray to my hair to tame my fly aways, but honestly, when you’re dressed like a dinner mint, your hair is the least of the concerns.  My escort for the event, couldn’t make it into town so I got to walk with the Pastor (who happened to be the man who married me and Keith.)
2. Kristi and Jon – I was a teenager when this one rolled around and we still laugh at some of the stories from this wedding.  From the navy panty hose, the clean hair and faces, to meeting Lori for the first time, this wedding was full of fun memories.  I wore a navy pencil skirt and halter top.  My button popped open as I was walking into the reception and I remember walking with a guy (I think an Uncle) that looked like a local radio station personality.  During rehearsal we realized why my dress was on sale….the back seam wasn’t stitched shut so I was duct taped together for that eventful evening. 
   
3. Theresa and Wes – This was a fun wedding for my best friend (at the time), and was one of the first experiences where I learned how to be a bridesmaid and maid of honor.  I remember writing speeches, dealing with family drama, planning showers and just realizing how much fun it all could be.  I wore a navy blue cap sleeved dress, carried a lit candle adorned with flowers and again, my escort didn’t show (rehab).  I was the maid of honor without a best man. 
4. Jessica and Gabe – The wedding of my childhood best friend was one of my favorites.  It was a small and quaint wedding, but perfectly executed.  We wore royal blue dresses and carried blue and white flowers.  My escort was the half brother of the groom, Greg, and my favorite part of the evening was the best man speech.  Background: The groom was the only guy in our circle of friends in Jr High/High School, so when the Best man asked for all of the girls who had dated the groom to please stand, the whole bridal party (minus her sister) and a whole table at the back of the room had to stand.  We got quite the laugh. 
5. Lori and Rob – This was a wedding full of work and fun.  This was my first time planning a wedding on a strict budget, yet it all came together.  I can’t say that I liked the groom, but being there for the bride was all that mattered.  We wore homemade black and white dresses and my escort was my friend, Chad.  Memories of the reception and after party still make me laugh and smile.
6. Alissa and Chris – This was one of the prettiest weddings I have ever been to.  Alissa and Chris chose a small, quaint venue and put together a gorgeous, personalized wedding.  The only hiccup along the way was some flower drama, but a trip to the dollar store and some reworking solved that and the day was back to perfect.  I love the pictures from her day.  This was the first time I wore “the dress” that I now own in 3 different colors.  For this wedding it was lapis (dark purple) and we carried fall flowers.  I was escorted by the groom’s friend, Brian. 
   
7. Jenna and Chris – I have one word for this wedding:  HOT.  Temperatures were well over 100 degrees, we were outside at an awesome farm/camp ground location and the wedding was amazing, but it was hot!!  I was recovering from neck surgery, there was a major power outage in the area, and we had a lot of work to do.  We all worked together and got it done and the bride was stunning.  This was the only wedding where we did not have a shower, but we did enjoy a mini bachelorette party on her behalf.  Dress shopping with Jenna was one of my favorite trips, because seeing her face when she realized there is a dress for everyone was priceless.  I wore “the dress” in black and it was shortened this time.  We carried yellow flowers and I walked with the groom’s brother, Matt.  I was scared to death to give my MOH speech in front of hundreds of people, but it went off without a hitch. 
   
   
   
8. OUR WEDDING – This one was my favorite.  Enough said =)
   
   

   

   Daddio walking me down the aisle

9. Heidi and Randy – This wedding meant the most to me.  Second only to my own wedding, this was the one that I had looked forward to for a long time.  My sister made a beautiful bride and the whole day was amazing.  My favorite part was when Randy finally pushed his nervousness aside and gave her a real kiss when it was time to kiss the bride.  He was so well behaved and she was gorgeous!!  I wore “the dress” in navy blue and it was shortened again.  We carried pink and white flowers and I walked with the Best Man, Randy’s brother, Cody.  I made it through my Matron of Honor speech with minimal tears and the DJ was the only one to slip up and call her Holly!
   
   
   
   
    
10. Whitney and Paul – The wedding that pushed me into double digits.  Whitney and Paul had a non-traditional take on weddings.  They got married last year and had their official ceremony months later.  The bride did a wonderful job with a fall theme and had one heck of a party on a budget.  I wore a light purple dress and carried a mix of purple wild flowers.  My escort was a crazy guy named Pat and the whole wedding was full of rowdy fun.  My favorite part of the wedding was our pictures….that group was crazy and fun. 

Chef BoyarHolly

When my husband and I started dating, I think he was appalled by how often I ate out.  He would volunteer to cook for me, and ask why we didn’t just cook something, but I’d blow past all of this and insist on eating at a restaurant.  At the time, I never really stopped to question why, but recently I have solved the mystery.  I HATED MY KITCHEN.  Or more accurately, I hated my lack of a kitchen.  I despised trying to find counter space, I hated digging out pans, pots and utensils from the dungeons, I hated trying to shove stuff back in after it was clean….I just hated it.  Now, enter new kitchen and suddenly I am the next Emeril minus the BAM! 

I’ve been trying new recipes, making freezer meals and having a blast in the kitchen.  We’ve had pot roast, meat loaf, shrimp dip, cheesy chicken and veggies, hot sausage pasta, and some other classics.  Stuffed peppers, chicken fajitas and steak fajitas are waiting in the freezer. 

Here are a few of the recipes that I have tried for the first time. 

Banana Bread

Review: I trusted the husband to keep track of this while I took a shower so the ends are a little extra crispy.  It’s definitely moist and tasty and a good way to use up bananas.  I was out of nuts, so we are missing that component, but I will add them next time I make it. 

Tortellini Bake

Review: This was a hit with my family.  Next time, I will use less sauce and more spices.  It was a tad on the bland side and too saucy, but still a good, quick meal. 

And here is what’s for dinner tonight.

Ham Potato Broccoli Casserole

I’ll be back with a review on this and some of the freezer meals another day.

BAM!!!

Gray Haired Love

While it is tempting to vent about my hate for the gray hairs that seem to be invading my hair, instead I’ll focus on another form.

Grandparents.

I was spoiled when I was little.  I was the first grandchild on both sides (excluding my Pap’s kids from his first marriage).  Those four people basically thought I hung the moon and did everything in their power to take care of and spoil me.  Pictures from my first couple Christmases are simply ridiculous.  With time, more grandkids were born and while I remain the favorite, their love did have to spread around.  Somehow though, they’ve never lost their ability to make me feel loved.

My Pappy Kenneth is the only grandparent I have lost.  I remember playing checkers with him, him taking me shopping and to Western Sizzlin, but mostly, I remember his health being pretty bad most of my life.  Time in the mines and smoking had killed his lungs, but he still managed to play with me and make a lot of memories before he died while I was in 5^th grade.  My heart was broken when we lost my favorite overgrown child…he was so much fun to be around.

His wife, Grandma Mac, later dubbed Mackel, is one of the spunkiest ladies her age, who I know.  I remember Mackel being stricter and crankier in my younger years, but she still spent a lot of time teaching me to cook and bake and we became really close when Pap was gone.  I’m not sure if her personality changed or I changed, but either way, she doesn’t seem so scary anymore (unless she’s mad, then watch out!).  Some of my favorite memories with her are Black Friday shopping, her cooking (yum) and her taking care of me after surgery.  She’s a good nurturer. 

 

My Pappy Fred is a piece of work.  He’s a big burly man, whose body is worn out from years in the limestone mines.  He looks like a tough guy, but he’s a big ole softy.  He gets his biggest grins when tormenting other people, loves to snag “deals” at flea markets and yard sale and share them with others, and use to love to garden when his body would allow.  His half compliment/half insult remarks never fail to bring on some giggles as well. 

His wife, Grandma Flo, aka Lala, is the grandparent that I grew up the closest to.  She babysat me for years while my parents worked and has spoiled me quite a bit.  I spent many nights with her when I was little.  She’d do anything for anyone, sometimes to a fault and of course I have to mention that she put my arms through a ringer washer once (well maybe I did, but we’ll blame her).   My favorite memory with Lala is doing her hair and make-up when I was a kid.  I would spend hours making her look like a clown/street walker. 

The other day, I started to realize how frail my grandparents are looking.  They are starting to show their age, slow down and just not be the invincible people I once thought they were.  I can’t stand to even think about losing them; they’re a huge part of my world.  I remember always feeling sorry for the kids who only had a few or no grandparents left.  Always seemed like a sad sad world to me.  I already feel a twinge of sadness for my unborn kids because they never get to meet, my Mom.  She would have been the best grandmother, the world had ever seen. 

I guess all the rambling is basically to acknowledge the amazing people who I have the honor of calling mine.  I can’t imagine life without their gray haired love...

BirchBox Take 2

First off, let me say that it is sad that my husband has quickly noticed how excited I get over the small cardboard box that shows up once a month.  He knew I was having a bad day and told me there was something on the kitchen counter to cheer me up.  Hello October box!!

The Holly review

1. Folle de Joie perfume – doesn’t stink, doesn’t smell great.  I don’t think it had much staying power either.   I surely won’t be spending $98 to stock up on this one.
2. Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Cleaner and Muslim Cloth – I tried this in the bathtub last night and found it refreshing.  The cloth definitely worked better than my standard washcloth.  My skin felt cleaner after a good washing.  If it happens to help these darn breakouts I have been having, I would be willing to splurge on the $21.50 price tag. 
3. Miss Jessie’s Pillow Soft Curls – Hello big ole curls.  Used in conjunction with my other products (gel, mousse, hairspray…..I have a ton of frizzy hair), this product seemed to work well.  I didn’t notice a huge difference between my current styling crème so I doubt I switch, but still a good product.
4. POP Beauty Aqua Lacquer – this is where I think Birchbox needs an upgrade.  I REFUSE to wear lipstick or lip gloss.  I would rather saw my lips off with a dull knife than coat them in colored goo.  I plan to pass this along to a friend, but for me personally, I wish I could opt out of colored lip stuff.
5. ChapStick 8 hour moisture Hydration Lock – They throw a mass market item in occasionally and this one was a huge hit with me.  Please note that Chapstick does not fall into the same goo category as I ranted about above.  I really like this product and will definitely buy it again. 

Overall, October made me happy.  My lips are moisturized, my curls are bouncy and my face is a little cleaner.  In a few weeks, I’ll be stalking the mailbox again =)

Home Again Home Again Jiggity Jig

Well after my last “woe is me” post, I decided it was time for something a bit more upbeat.  Let’s talk about the new house!!

We officially got our keys on September 27^th.  I left work and headed to our final walk-through.  We found some outstanding issues, but overall, things had turned out well.  We headed downtown to grab some lunch and then went to our closing.  A few hand-cramps later and the signing was complete.  We had to drive to the builder’s office to get our keys and then we flew drove to the house and started prancing around the place like overgrown children. 



Please excuse how horrid I look...it had been a couple of rough days.



We quickly got to work.  Friday night we drove to storage and Dad, Lisa, Keith and I loaded up the moving truck.  It luckily fit in the driveway so it was able to be parked there overnight.  We worked on unpacking it Friday and Saturday.  Saturday, the help arrived.  Bethy and Heidi helped unpack the kitchen and other assorted boxes.  The furniture was delivered and the washer/dryer were delivered and installed.  My Dad called toward late evening and said he could do furniture so we were off to April’s house to load it all up (my sweet MOH stored it all for us in her garage to avoid us having to rent a 2nd unit...love her).  I think we died that night when we finally laid down.  Early Sunday morning, we were up and at it again.  Chris and Jenna came over to help carry in furniture and we continued working on the madness.  April and I ran 101 errands and got all of the things we were missing (stands, lights, etc.)

Monday, Lisa and Mackel came over to help and we got the living room put together.  Dad came by after work to install lights and ceiling fans.  After we had a few blinds and curtain rods hung, it started to feel like home.  Thursday night, Dad and Lisa came back and installed some more blinds and Keith finished the blinds up on Friday.  Saturday arrived and Beth, Julie and Phil came over to organize closets, install curtain rods, hang pictures, install lights and do 101 other things.  I know there was more madness (including it being our weekend with Perry) mixed in there….but the moral of the story is, it takes a village!!!

According to Perry, his room is AWESOME!

I’d say we’re 85% situated.  We need to hang more stuff on the walls, unpack some more, clean the basement, etc.  We’ve received some very thoughtful housewarming gifts along the way too which made this time even happier.  Thank you April, Emily and Alissa!!!

Sidenote: The cats have adjusted better than I expected.  They have both claimed their "spots" and are loving the windows and new furniture.  (Don't you know that it was all bought for them.)

This is the window over my soak tub.  Perfect for a cat.

Love the new bedset Mom...very cozy and warm.

My favorite parts:

1. THE KITCHEN – there is soooo much room in there.  We went from a galley kitchen to an open concept with an island.  Hello amazing!!!!
2. The master bath – Big soak tub and separate shower stall are pretty much the best thing ever.  We went from a 1.5 bath home to a 2.5 bath home….love it!
3. New appliances – They’re so quiet.  I can run the dishwasher, washer, dryer and garbage disposal and not alert the neighbors.
4. New bed – King sized beds are a gift from heaven. 
5. Everything else about it except for all the stairs lol =)

So in the end, the work and headaches of the whole process were well worth it.  I’ll post much better pics after we are truly settled.  Stay tuned =)

A sneak peek of part of the living room (Please ignore the Daddio as he installs lights)