Wear clean panties!!!

My grandma sent me an email this evening that contained some advice at the end, so I started thinking of all the little sayings that apply to life...
Early bird gets the worm
If there is time to lean, there is time to clean (my fav back in my restaurant management days)
Smiles are contagious, catch one (also in my rest mang time-certain coworkers hated this the most)
...just to name a few.

But more I thought about "always wear clean pretty panties in case a sexy fireman has to cut your clothes off you" or however it goes. Good advice. Pretty underwear always make you feel better, I've gotten to a point in my adult mommy grossness that underwear might be the only pretty thing I put on in a day (ya'll know there is no such thing as a sexy nursing bra). They make me feel alive and attractive. Young, carefree and uncomfortable. All things that I've embraced as not common feelings.

And as I read further through these tidbits of advice I know a few applied to closely to my life that I had to share. Someday I'll share stories as why these hit home, but till then find your own inspiration...

* Accept the fact that some days you're the pigeon, and some days
you're the statue!

* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

* Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

* Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

* Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

* The second mouse gets the cheese.

* When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

* Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

* Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.

* We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

* A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

...and don't forget to wear pretty panties!!

And then life hits you.

Ive been missing the past few days....

It was the one year anniversary of my grandpa passing.
The two year anniversary of my step-grandma passing.
On the same day.

My son scooted 6 inches across the floor on his belly.
He also started teething.
Not sure yet but it looks like not one but two teeth.
He is not graceful and screams in agony.
Top it off with sleep training, and I've lost mommy of the year award.
We started using cloth diapers.

My husband and I celebrated our two year anniversary 7,500 miles apart.
He got me a Tiffany charm and beautiful flowers that included ones I used in my bouquet.

I tried the Carrot Chocolate Chip Cookies Vegan style.
They are beyond amazing (but I used Chia seeds not Flaxseed).
My parents ate them all in one night. 2 dozen. I want one now.

...I will update with a real post in the next day or two but for now you know whats up.....

A new source of satisfaction.

The joys of mommyhood are endless. 

From the magic of watching him learn to roll over, sit up,

 and hold his own sippy cup.

We started our little monster on solid food. I waited till he gave me signs that he was ready. Easter Sunday was his first introduction to rice cereal. Not my favorite thing to feed his since it has zero nutritional value. Kick in 4 day rule, we clear the cereal and move on to bigger and better things.  Next up, natures candy and super food Avocado! mmmm, except he doesn't like it. Next super food, sweet potatoes/yams. He is very happy with those and now almost 3 weeks later eats up to 4 ounces of them a day.  His most favorite is banana, and we just started apple sauce. 

I make all of his food myself. I don't have to deal with lead warnings or glass shard recalls this way. I know where the food comes from and what is in it. Its also so much fun. There is something very rewarding in pureeing the food (by hand none the less). I'm also learning about veggies and fruits that I like and never knew. 

About 3 weeks ago I ordered our little guy cloth diapers (from China!) I was fed up with buying disposable and the amount that he goes through. It was starting to add up since I've burned through ones others bought for us. The website I found sells the diapers at wholesale cost and made this adventure affordable for me, checking out at just over $150 for everything I needed (instead of 400-700).

So when FedEx finally showed up at my door today I was more excited then Christmas. And after a short conversation with the delivery man about how his daughter and me were named after the same TV character of the 80's, I  got to tear into the wonderfulness. Inside were 13 colorful diapers, two wet bags and a bunch of additional liners.  If it weren't enough that I'm doing my part in saving the planet, my son has the best accessories for his booty ever!

Our first cloth diaper!

The assortment

carrot chocolate chip cookies

Time is approaching 10pm. I'm craving some chocolate chip cookies, because the 1/3 of a pint of Ben & Jerry's Cinnamon Buns isn't enough.

I have a snack size bag of quick make cookie mix is the pantry but I would like to make something healthier to snack on, and I'm not sure that Mrs. Crocker has my best interests in mind. (but B&J do? I'm obviously confused in life)

So I pulled from Pinterest and found this little gem:

Love & Lemons - Carrot Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm not vegan, so I followed the recipe a little differently.

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons flour (she used half spelt, half millet, but half white/wheat would work) (I used all-purpose)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 tablespoon ground flax seeds plus 1.5 tablespoons warm water  one egg
• 1/2 cup grated carrots
• 1/4 cup butter (or vegan butter or melted coconut oil)
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup oats
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup walnuts ( I was out so these were omitted)

Guide to Yum!

1. Mix together flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
2. Grate carrots into large bowl. Add brown sugar, egg, vanilla, and butter.
   
3. Once wet ingredients are combined, stir in flour mixture.
   
4. Chill mixture in fridge for 15-30 minutes. Turn on oven to 375 degrees and line cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper
5. Remove dough from fridge and stir in chocolate chips, oatmeal, and walnuts.
   
6. Scoop heaps of dough onto cookie sheet a few inches apart. (this is a small batch and makes 12 cookies perfectly!)
   
7. Bake for 10-13 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and slightly crispy.
8. ENJOY!

I'm so happy I stumbled onto this Love & Lemons blog. I'm in ♥! Chewy Goodness!

Sharpie Ring Scandal

It's 2 days until our second anniversary. We got married while my husband was home on R&R from Iraq, so we were on a short time frame. Just over two weeks together if my memory serves me. I wanted him to pick out his wedding band but he liked the one I had tentatively chosen  . I had originally picked him a David Yurman but not knowing his ring size the purchase was impossible. And upon many calls once I knew the size not a single store I had access to could produce since it was 2-3 week orders only. Backup Plan: Find a jewelry store and pray they have any ring he liked in stock.

After a little shopping,  a small jewelry store in this small town assured us they could order one and have it delivered to us in plenty of time (meaning hours of our departure). We got married in Lake Tahoe on a Saturday so we had to leave town the Thursday before so we could be there before our guests arrived. Thursday rolls around and we go to the jeweler to pick up our ring. Now this is where we have to just laugh.....

2pm: arrive to pick up ring. Said ring is (in their words) "missing". okaayyyyy.....It was the shop owners wife who had helped us originally and the owner himself was there to help us that day. To my horror and delight he informs us that he can MAKE us "a very similar ring" within a few hours since we must leave town by 5, and in the meantime his wife was on the hunt for the ring.

3pm: Still no ring(s) Sitting in our rental car watching Weeds on a little computer, smoking cigs out of boredom.

4pm: Have watched the Jeweler leave and come back, still no rings. My anxiety is kicking in so my man buys me a slice of pizza to take the edge off.

4:30pm: Owners wife arrives and lets us know the ring we bought and payed for was delivered to the wrong address in a town about an hour away, and she thinks she can overnight it to us the next day. So now we are relying on the replica ring her husband is working on in case it doesn't get in the mail on time.

5pm: Ring still isn't ready. At this point we are standing in the shop pressuring the guy. We have no where else to be but on the road so we sit and wait. Finally he produces the ring. My husband takes the ring and is some what hiding it from me, I think nothing of it as we get in the car. He waits till we are too far gone to turn back around and hands it over. I'm not sure what I was expecting in that amount of time, but the ring we received with such good intentions was such a joke! The jeweler had pounded out some sort of metal and had drawn (in the place of titanium) a black ribbon with a SHARPIE!! then put a sealant over the sharpie to make it shiny!

Ring we ordered on the bottom.
Ring that was made (minus sharpie) on top
*also forgot to mention ring on top is smaller by nearly a size

Thankfully the ring we wanted made it to the venue with a few hours to spare. And forever the Sharpie Ring will live in infamy. Once we got home I took nail polish to it, and the purple/black color came right off. My husband still wears it on occasion if there is any worry about losing it.

Mini-Vacay!

We just got home from our mini-vacation from our extended-vacation. It was an event filled few days. So here are a couple key stories for your enjoyment:

Miss Safety Glasses

We were perusing our favorite thrift store. My mom always lasts longer then me (no wonder she makes money with it.... Her Etsy shop) so I was bored and over it standing toward the front of the store. To my delight, in walks a wonderful creature. She was carrying a fold up chair, like used in stadium bench seating and was wearing clear frame less safety glasses (think wood shop). Her first victim was a poor man talking to his wife, and as he ignored her she yells through the store "you must not have gotten a good nights sleep, MR. SUNSHINE!". This caught my attention, other then the accessories. I couldn't help myself but look up at her loveliness. Wrong move!! She approached me and my son who was babbling away in his stroller. As she walks past I hear her mumble "should have got a dog".I smile out of shock, and just keep making faces and fart noises to encourage my kids talking.   My mom has zero idea what is going on at this point and is still shopping. Then comes the best part, I look up and Miss Safety Glasses is staring at me, about 10 ft away. We make eye contact and I smile. Her response was her simply mouthing " F YOU" while still maintaining eye contact! I about die laughing as she returns to her shopping. I leave the store to escape and proceed to tell my mom all about her. We go to lunch and shop a few more stores and who is standing on the sidewalk as we leave lunch, Miss S G!! Slightly scary, but now my mom and I make eye contact and mouth her choice words to make each other laugh.

"Be ready to run!"

For those of you lucky enough to have access to a pool or water when you child is young you may know what I'm talking about. We took my son in the pool for the first time. It was high 70's and no one was at the pool. My aunt had given me a $50 gift card to Target for Easter and I bought D iii a swim diaper and a floating covered raft for infants. I put on a two piece for the first time since I was pregnant and jumped in. The boy was happy to begin. Wasn't overly clingy and was splashing around. I do lots of googling. I had googled swimming babies, and something called the "diver reflex". Supposedly you can pull your kid underwater and they will open their eyes and hold there breath. This had to be tested! And as I stood their bobbing my baby up and down in the water I discussed the dunking of this creature with my mom. I was scared shitless and felt like i was trying to murder him. So before I developed the nerve I had a discussion with his grandma, that she better be ready to run for help in the event that he didn't hold his breath.  Finally I mustered up the nerve and pulled the monster under the water. He wasnt all that angry so it happened.   Not 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, but 6 times. All was well till the last time when he sucked in a little water and got pissed. 

These are the only two stories I have for you today, but I'm sure I will share more soon. 

I plan on sharing my first "Pin"-spiration this weekend, should be fun! 

Check back to see what I attempt. 

Pinterest or Bust!

Oh Pinterest, how I love thee. 

You waste hundreds of hours, 

fill my head with craft ideas galore, 

and make me think that I am always hungry.

 Luckily for me I'm familiar with the kitchen and I'm handy with crafts, making all I see possible. Recently I have been struggling (or just lazy) with what to blog. I don't want to be boring and just document my life, so I'll post about my pins, and my life. Offering tips and how-tos on things that interest me, and hopefully you too. I hope to make time for 1-5 pins per week (my dad is gonna be pissed, he is trying to lose weight and has zero will power for the food I create). The guys in Afghanistan are suckers for cookies so they will appreciate this too.

I'm leaving tomorrow for a small vacation, to the local casino for a few days. My parents are gamblers and get free rooms, the weather forecast is mid to high 70's and there is a pool! Middle of up and coming wine country and that's enough to lure me. Chances are good that I'll wine whine to you folks about something while I'm gone, and since the whole family is going there are bound to be shenanigans.

Please follow me on Pinterest. You wont be sorry. 

MrsMalMitch on Pinterest!

Walking Town

As mentioned before my husband is currently deployed. We were stationed in Washington, and my closest family was 5 hours away. This was too far for me to stay there with a newborn. As a result I moved to California to live with my parents. The last time I lived in this particular town I was 12 years old. I walked to school everyday, and my "boyfriend" and I held hands and he pecked me goodbye at my driveway. We stopped at Foster Freeze for ice cream cones and went to the local skating rink to hangout with friends.

 The heart of downtown in 3 blocks from my front door heading South, the ocean is 2 blocks West. I can walk to the corner liquor store and back in less then 5 minutes (handy for days that end in wine).

Sunset over the Bay

Moving back here has connected me with a slower pace of life. I use my car maybe 2-3 times a week (one of which is to go to Target). I downloaded a distance tracking app on my phone and have determined that I walk anywhere from 6-20 miles a week. I say hi to people I pass on the street. The ladies at the post office remember me. Its refreshing to reconnect.

A real sign in a local shop window. Small town living. 

I've reactivated my library card. I go there and browse the books. Colorful pictures with titles in pretty fonts attract my attention. I borrow cd's and rip them to my computer. We feed the seagulls old bread at the beach. We blend in with the tourists then slip away to spots only locals know about.

It's little walking towns like these that make you appreciate the quiet things in life. The slower pace, go with the flow, no worries attitude we all need to be in touch with. So I encourage you, no matter where you live or how busy you are, take a walk, breath fresh air, and get a library card, because free music rocks!

Its even beautiful when its grey out. 

Live your bliss

I have recently fallen in love with the tv show, The Chew. I incorporate it into my morning routine. I learn at least one new thing to apply in the kitchen or garden everyday. For instance I learned today that if you eat certain foods together your body absorbs the nutrients better. Chicken and Broccoli. Balsamic and Pasta. Fats with Vegetables. So as Michael Symon points out Asparagus is better with Bacon! I also think that Daphne Oz and I could be really good friends. The show today featured Drew Barrymore. There is something about her I love too. Another girl I could be good friends with. Drew showed a picture of herself in her vineyard in Italy and said something that really resonated with me....

Life isn't getting any longer, its getting shorter. Live your Bliss

(The photo of Drew that caught my attention)

Ive been struggling with a lot of negativity around me in life lately. Everyone constantly has a problem and it gets tiring to listen to it. Life seems like it goes on forever and there is always tomorrow, but one day we are all going to wake up and wish we would have taken advantage of the future and lived in the now.  So when Drew was talking, I sat and stared at the tv nodding. I want to live my bliss. I want the people around me to live their bliss. I want you to live your bliss. The longer our lives go on, they are only getting shorter so don't live with regret and make the best of absolutely everything! Oh and drink wine....it makes you smile.

Silky Pants

A new found mom essential....Silk pajama pants!

Its hard to take care of yourself while your learning to care of your mini. My son leaches life out of me, which results in zero energy to take care of myself. While I haven't completely succumb to the ease of not blow drying my hair or putting on makeup, I do have a hard time feeling good about myself. Ive lost too much weight, which don't get me wrong is a great thing (over 50lbs, and I only gained 28 in my pregnancy) but none of my pants fit me. I try desperately not to live in my yoga pants *its soo cliche* but its been known to happen.

The Leach and I

On top of the lack of motivation to do anything special for myself, my husband isn't around to "encourage" me. I'm much quicker to realize how hairy my legs are when I'm laying next to him. Luckily I also married a man who feels comfortable mentioning when I'm letting myself go...

<<INSERT SILK PAJAMAS>>

I accidentally bought a pair on clearance yesterday. I was thinking to myself, that I didn't need them and had too many pairs of pj pants as it is. Had I known the wonderfulness that was to come I would have bought a few more. Upon putting them on for the first time, I instantly felt luxurious and sexy. I couldn't feel how long my leg hair is, and I almost forgot that I smelt like spit up. When I walked I felt like I was gliding, and as I slid into bed the vision of a goddess crossed my mind, or maybe it was Angelina Jolie (I'm so sleep deprived that it could have been Roseanne for all I know) If my husband wasn't deployed he might actually have gotten lucky.

So I will remember that with my next baby to request on my registry silk pajamas.

All she wants to do is bake, and make a cake.

I've had flour on my face since before I can remember. Some of my most favorite memories of my childhood take place in the kitchen. So it makes sense that even though I'm a licensed Estethician that someday I would love to own a small bakery, or just make special order cakes. I take pride in the food I create. Everything is beautiful in its own right, including the imperfections. I've learned that even if i follow a recipe wrong and think all is lost, I must finish the project, 9 times out of 10 its still amazing just not what I anticipated. The kitchen is one of the last places an adult can play and make messes without being judged. Its a haven for creativity and deliciousness. I don't have photos of all my creations but here are a few of my masterpieces.....

My most recent creation...A citrus upside down cake for Easter dinner.

My 2nd attempt at this Devils Food Cake with Chocolate Fudge Butter cream and Dark Chocolate Shards (Donated to a cake auction and sold for $100!)

First attempt at cake above^ for my dads birthday, per his request.

Vanilla Cake Balls in Candy Melt, drizzled with White Chocolate and Imperials for 4th of July BBQ

(middle tray) Snickerdoodle cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting  (bottom tray) Strawberry Cupcakes with Whipped Lemonade Frosting, garnished with fresh mint and strawberry slices

Close up of Strawberry Lemonade Cupcake

Dark Chocolate Cupcake with a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup filling topped with Peanut Butter Butter cream and Dipped in Chocolate Magic Shell topping. 

First attempt at cake pops. Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Frosting core and dipped in Candy Melt

4th of July Red, White, and Blue Tie Die Cupcakes


...I'm evolving and every day getting better and better. I will share some of these delicious recipes in the future.