Halloween 2013 Re-Cap

I know there are probably a crap ton of these posts out today, but we had a pretty good time this Halloween and I wanted to share it with you all.

Around here, we have two nights of trick or treating.  Since L was born, we have gone the night before Halloween with the same group of people and we always have a blast.

I was a little worried on Wednesday because it kept raining! I obsessively checked my three (yes, I have three...because I am afraid of severe weather.  There. I said it.) weather apps to see if we were going to get rained on that night.  Most of them said there would be a chance of showers, but no severe weather and the temperature was supposed to be in the mid 60s.  

Okay, cool.  Mommy can work with that. 

I fed L her dinner and once that was finished, we set off to get ready.
Little Red Riding Hood
2013
While we were getting ready, Daddy loaded up the extra big stroller in the car (to haul jackets, umbrellas, and possibly a pooped out toddler) and pretty soon we were ready to go!

Mommy and L
(She wasn't yelling, she was doing her "big smile")
We headed over to the meeting place and in about ten minutes, it started raining.  L was a trooper though!  She kept trucking along!  She wasn't afraid to go up to houses or to people.  She would say hello and talk to them and do her big smile and wave bye bye to everyone. It got to the point where Mommy just kind of stood back behind her a bit and let her do her thing.  Ha!

The rain let up within about fifteen to twenty minutes and we had dry weather for the rest of the night!

We got home, got out of our wet clothes (all three of us), checked the candy, had a few pieces, and did our usual bed time routine. She fell asleep pretty quickly and woke up raring to go Thursday morning!

On Halloween, we didn't do much of anything.  It rained most of the day and was chilly, so we stayed inside and watched Halloween cartoons and just chilled out. 

This was L's third Halloween (There are some bonus pictures below of L's past Halloween's.)  and she's getting pretty good at it.  Next year she will probably be able to pick her own costume so that should be really fun!  (I'm serious.  I love Halloween!) I really want us to all start dressing up.  Maybe we can do that next year!

How was your Halloween? 





BONUS PICTURES!!!
L's First Halloween
2011
L's Second Halloween
2012


Have a great weekend everyone!
See you Monday!










Operation: Get Out of Yoga Pants (Week 2)



It's that time of the week again!  I want to thank you all so much for the great response to last weeks post!  I hope this one is just as, if not more, popular. If you are just joining us, head on over here and get the skinny on what this series is all about. 

 What do you say we get down to it?

Here is this weeks inspiration outfit: 

Source


This is, yet again, a comfortable and casual look.  One of my major goals for this series is to showcase ways that are still comfortable like the yoga pants/t-shirt  style, but that portray a more put-together look.

Here is what I came up with: 

Leopard Love

Tee: Kohls (exact
Denim Jacket: Deb Shops (exact
Jeggings: Wal-Mart (similar
Shoes: Target (currently unavailable online)
Scarf: Evie J (similar
Trademark Black Hair Tie: Target (exact)

I wore this outfit on a quick run to the store the other day.  I normally don't break out the leopard print like this, but it was speaking to me this day. The outfit was easy to put together and I could move around in it without feeling suffocated.  It also made me feel confident and a little extra sassy because of the leopard print. I was glad that I went out of my comfort zone for this one. 

Thanks again for joining me this week!
Leave me feedback!
I love it!

What have you worn lately that was a bit out of your norm?




Honey BBQ Chicken Sandwiches


Welcome to the first post in the From My Kitchen series!  I am excited to share today's recipe with you and hope that you will come back week after week to see what else I have been cooking in my kitchen.

The purpose of this series is to help me broaden my horizons in the kitchen.  I fell into a huge rut cooking this past year and I have to get out of it.  I enjoy cooking (and baking), but I had lost interest.  I had lost interest to the point where I was mainly just fixing the same things over and over again throughout the month.

My poor family....
...And my hips.

I am holding myself accountable to all of you.  Once a week, there will be a new recipe posted.  It may not always be a dinner item.  It may be a dessert or a quick lunch idea.  Either way, it is something that I have made in my kitchen not from a box!  (I told you it got bad!) 

This definitely did not come from a box....




Would you look at that?
Oh so good!

I have a huge amount of recipes saved on Pinterest.  This particular recipe came off of my slow cooker recipes board and is brought to you by Liz from Love Grows Wild.  I made this earlier last week on a particularly dreary day here in the Midwest.  I wanted something comforting, yet simple, and this dish provided just that.

Honey BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Here is what you will need: 


Ingredients
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 
1 18 oz bottle of honey BBQ sauce
1/2 cup of Italian Dressing 
1/4 cup of brown sugar
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
Kaiser rolls 


Get out your slow cooker and place the chicken breasts in the bottom.  I used 4 decent sized chicken breasts and we had enough left over for another dinner.  No joke.  This would probably freeze great too!


In a bowl, mix together your BBQ sauce, Italian dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce.  Make sure you get it nice and blended!  Smell that?  Yea....just wait...your whole house is going to smell like it soon...

Pour all of that sauce over your chicken

Like this:


Now, plop the lid on the cooker and set it and forget it!

If you a crunched for time, you can set it on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
Got a little time?  Set that baby on LOW and let it go for 6-8 hours.
I cooked ours for a total of six and a half hours and it was just fine.

About 30 minutes before you are ready to eat, shred the chicken.  Mine was so ready I was able to just break it apart with a cooking spoon while still in the cooker.  You can also take it out and shred it with two forks, whichever you desire.


Let the chicken cook for another 30 minutes so it gets all nice and saucy.

Spoon the chicken onto some Kaiser rolls and voila!  
You have yourself a warm and simple meal.


What I like about this is that it can be used in the warmer months and the colder months.  Can you imagine eating this at a Fourth of July picnic with some potato salad?  Mmm, yummy! 

What have you all been cooking up lately? 


This post is part of the From My Kitchen series.  Please feel free to browse the archive for other yummy deliciousness!


From L's Bookshelf

I thought today would be a good day to showcase some of what L has been reading lately.  I, of course, use the term "reading" loosely because she is just under two and a half years old. However, she knows what books are her favorites and we read them quite frequently throughout the week.


This girl has loved books from the beginning.



Now that she has gotten older, we don't just play with the books anymore, we like to "read" them to anyone who will listen.

Even if it isn't a children's book.



Since the holiday season is upon us, here is a collection of what L has been reading lately.  Maybe you can find a title or two to put under the tree this year for the little one(s) in your life.


The Going to Bed Book || Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Thank You for Being My Friend || Guess How Much I Love You
Where the Wild Things Are || Goodnight Moon
Stay Close to Mama || My Perfectly Purple Purse
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

***Amazon is not paying me in any way by directing you to their website.  I just like Amazon.***

What are your kiddos reading lately?















5 Little Grins

Today I decided to do a post for the 5 Little Grins Link Up that is going on right now over at Warrior Queen.


 5 Little Grins


Basically, this is where I tell you five things that made me smile in the last week. 
 Sounds like a pretty good way to get through a Monday, right?

Here we go...

1. You guys kicked off my Operation: Get Out of Yoga Pants post in an amazing way!  Thank you so much for that!  Seriously!  Go check the comments out on that post-there are so many!  You guys are great-thank you so much! 

2.  I baked something from scratch for the first time in a very long time this week.  It was so therapeutic!  Don't worry-you guys will get the recipe!  



3.  I got to watch my niece on Friday!  That was super fun, but I was exhausted by the end of the day.  Ha!  I also ended up having a play date the same day, so at one point, there were SIX females in the house.  My husband walked in the door and you could see the panic on his face of how much estrogen was in his home. Priceless I tell you!

4.  My hubby and I had a date night Saturday night where we ate brownies and ice cream and watched The Great Gatsby.  (By the way, the movie....SO GOOD!  Oh man!) 

5.  We carved our first pumpkins as a family this year.


What made you grin this past week?


Operation: Get Out of Yoga Pants (Week 1)


Welcome to the first ever post for Operation: Get Out of Yoga Pants!  

Let me just give you a brief rundown of what this is all about.

I am a 30 year old SAHM who used to dress fashionably, back in the day, before I had a kid.  I still love fashion and love to shop, but I am no longer certain what style I am or where I fit in style-wise any longer. These posts are to get me out of my yoga pant/t-shirt rut, facing my closet, and finding my style (and myself) again.

Once to twice a week, you will see a new post that takes something off of my Style Ideas board on Pinterest and is created, in real life, on me.  These posts will be complete with pictures and information on where you can find what items I have on.  By posting here for you all to see, I am holding myself accountable to get out of my yoga pants, into my closet, and be brave.

Alright!  Let's get to it!

This week's outfit inspiration was this:

source


My two favorite things about this outfit are:
1.  It is casual, but still looks put together.
2.  There is a mustard yellow cardigan to wear.

Mustard yellow cardigans are awesome!  They are really hot this year for fall and can be dressed up or down. I had been searching for months for the perfect mustard yellow cardigan to wear this fall and I finally found it about a month ago.  (I'll tell you where in just a second!)

I chose to re-create the above outfit when we went to the pumpkin farm the other day.

Pumpkin Farm Style


I will never again take pictures in front of this door.  Ugh! We have waaaay too much wood going on here and my pic is dark.  Sorry, guys.  Better picture next time-I promise! I was lucky I even got this picture taken. Ha! 

I changed it up quite a bit, but the concept is still there: casual, yet put together.


Cardigan: Target (exact)
Tee: Kohl's (exact)
Jeggings: Kohl's (similar
Boots: Urbanog.com (similar

In hindsight, I probably should have added more accessories (i.e. a scarf) to this outfit.  I have a leopard print one that would have been fun!  
Also, I realized that I need to start getting ready a little bit earlier than normal so I am not rushing the process. 
Lastly, I need a full length mirror.  I'm tired of telling myself I don't need one.  I do.  Period. End of discussion with myself.

And this concludes the first post in the Operation: Get Out Of Yoga Pants series.  Come back next week to see more! 

Have a great day everyone!























New Beginnings

I have recently talked about how there are a few areas of my life that I would like to improve on.  I believe we, as human beings, are better focused when we are actively participating in life.  I am at my best when I am creating something.  I am the type that needs  craves an outlet to express myself.  If I am not able to do that in a timely manner, I start getting very crabby.

The past couple of weeks I have really been thinking about what interests me and what I enjoy doing, aside from being a mommy and a wifey.

Here's what I have discovered:

1.  I say I am not fashion-oriented, but I love clothes.  I love to shop.  I have 317 style ideas pinned to my Style Ideas board on Pinterest.  I am obsessed with clothes.  Here's my problem:  I am stuck in that limbo area with my clothes.  I am not a college kid anymore, but I'm only thirty.  I don't know which way I am supposed to go in the fashion world anymore.  Most days I throw on yoga pants and a t-shirt because I get overwhelmed.  Here's my solution:  I need to take back control of my wardrobe.  I need to find new ways to wear what I have, get some replacement staple pieces that are better fitted to my new body, and I need to hold myself accountable to get out of the yoga pants.  I will call this:  Operation Get Out Of Yoga Pants.  Watch for it coming soon to the blog!

2.  I enjoy being in the kitchen.  It really doesn't bother me to cook dinner most nights or to have to make something for a special occasion. I have tons of recipes in my house and on Pinterest.  Here's my problem:  I have no confidence in the kitchen.  I make the same basic meals over and over again because I am afraid to try and do something new.  I am afraid of failure.  (I am such a perfectionist! Ahh!) Here's my solution: I am going to start making one new meal a week.  No ifs, ands, or buts about it.  One new meal a week and I have to share it with you all.  I will call this:  From My Kitchen...  This, too, will be coming soon to the blog!

I am very excited to start these things on the blog. I think it is going to really help me open up and start testing myself.  These new things will give me something to focus on throughout the week which will break up the monotony on here and even in our house.  

And, don't you worry, I still plan on posting those unique posts.  I could never stop posting those.  I think some of those posts are the best writing I have done in quite a while.  I love being able to just sit down and let it all flow out onto the keys.  Those posts are meant for not just my own personal clarity, but for others too.  I know I am not alone in how I feel most of the time.  I just want others to know they aren't alone.
And that's why I write.






What We Did This Weekend: The Pumpkin Farm

Saturday we took L to the pumpkin farm to pick out her first pumpkin.  We went to a place called Relleke's and they had all kinds of things for kids (and adults) to do.  It was a great way to spend a couple of hours outdoors and we came home with three pumpkins, which we will be carving later this week!

The first thing we did was, of course, feed the goats.
Our child has a thing for goats.

And then we were off to pick out a pumpkin!


"I want dis," she said.

She settled for a photo on top of the giant pumpkin.

Daddy and L searched all over looking for the perfect pumpkin.

Found it!

Getting weighed!
(I got Daddy's hands in the picture. Oops!) 

Then we went over to the pre-picked pumpkins and got one each for Mommy and Daddy.
And another photo with some pumpkins.

And then this happened.
(We drove around for an hour so she could nap. Ha!) 

We all had a great time and can't wait to go back next year!  I'm looking forward to cutting into those pumpkins this week and showing you all our mad carving skills!

What did you do this weekend? 

Etsy Love

Oh, Etsy. You have turned out to be one of my favorite websites since discovering you about four years ago.  I love browsing through the shops, "favorite-ing" those one of kind finds, and then pinning them to my Etsy Love board on Pinterest.

I have found and purchased some great things from Etsy over the years.  A lot of our wedding supplies came from Etsy.  If I need something unique, that is the first place I go!  Etsy is also a great place to get some inspiration on gifts, craft ideas, birthday party ideas, etc.  Don't just stick with Pinterest, ya'll!  Broaden your horizons!

Since Christmas is coming, I started hitting Etsy hard the past couple of weeks in search of unique, one-of-a-kind, handmade gifts for those that I love...and myself from time to time. :)

Would you like to see what I've been digging on Etsy lately?



All of these shops have great, one-of-a-kind items, in my opinion. I have a hard time stopping once I get started on an "Etsy binge", as I like to call it.  Go ahead and take some time to browse around some of the shops.  I guarantee you won't leave without selecting a few things for your favorites list.

Have a great weekend everyone!
I have some new things planned for the blog next week so I will see you all on Monday!











Spaghetti Sauce

While making dinner last night, I reached into the refrigerator  for the spaghetti sauce, (I know, my bad.  Scratch is better.) opened the lid, and was met with mold on the inside of the cap!  WHAT!?  I checked the expiration date-still good. I promptly tossed the jar into the trash can and went downstairs to see if I had any spaghetti sauce in my (small) stash.

There wasn't any sauce.

Crap.

.....

I sent a shout out on Facebook seeing if anyone had a quick and easy spaghetti sauce recipe they could give me and started frantically searching for my Mom's sauce recipe in my (totally unorganized) recipe basket.

No dice.

Craaaaap.

My aunt text me a link to a Pinterest pin and it seemed easy enough except....

I didn't have all the ingredients it called for.

Craaaaaaaaap.

So, in my Aries way, (I work best under pressure) I began searching up recipes on the iPad, seeing what all the recipes in the internet world had in common.

(Mind you, my child is running around like a heathen, screaming and throwing things.  Daddy is downstairs working in his office.  The cats are running a muck and Mommy is having a panic attack.  Welcome to my life at dinner time.) 

My trusty iPad informed me that spaghetti sauce had these things in common:

Garlic
Sugar
Black Pepper
Basil 
Oregano


Tomato Paste
Diced Tomatoes
Tomato Sauce


Cool!  I have all of those ingredients!

Uh...no I don't.

Craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap!

I had everything but the garlic, basil, oregano, and tomato paste.

So, I began rummaging around my spice cabinet again and came up with garlic powder and Italian seasoning.

BINGO!!!

I started throwing ingredients in my skillet with the meat already browned, stirred it around really good, and let it simmer, while covered, for a good fifteen minutes.

Result:  It was a little watery (needed the tomato paste), but it was really good! It had a sweet taste to it (sugar) which also killed the acid that would have been found in the diced tomato and the tomato sauce.  

I was very proud of myself in the kitchen last night.  I actually used my resources (and my brain) and was able to produce a spaghetti sauce on the fly.

Go me! :)





Please pin this image.  

Ingredients: 
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can of tomato sauce
1 can of tomato paste
2 tbsp. of sugar
1/2 tsp. of black pepper
Garlic powder
Italian seasoning

Add all above ingredients into your skillet with your browned (and drained) meat.  When you get to the garlic powder and Italian seasoning, these are to taste.  We like garlic around here, but not overpowering amounts.  I did 3-4 shakes over the entire skillet of both seasonings and it turned out just fine.

Mix everything up in your skillet, set your stove to simmer, and cover for about 15 minutes.

Do a taste test before you serve.  If it needs more of something, add it now.

Voila!

On-The-Fly Spaghetti Sauce!

So, tell me:
What's your go-to spaghetti sauce recipe?



This post is part of the From My Kitchen series.  Please feel free to browse the archive for more yummy deliciousness!



Literary Junkies: October Edition

***If you are new to the blog, see what this is all about here.***

It is time for the October edition of the Literary Junkies! I must admit, I am a bit behind on my reading, but I intend to catch up very soon!

Here are this month's questions:

1.  What are you currently reading?  Tell us a bit about it.

I am not currently reading anything, but my Amazon wish list is calling my name!

2.  What are your five most recent book purchases?

Well, the last books that I purchased were all of Gillian Flynn's books.  You can read more about those here and here.  The two before that....I couldn't tell you.

3.  Have you ever named/nicknamed anything (person, pet or thing) after a character? Who and why?

Not that I am recalling, no.  

4.  If you could live in one book, all of its characters and in the town, which would it be?
Oh wow....Hmmm.....I can't really think of one off the top of my head.  However, when I was little, I wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder and live just like she and her family did.  

5.  Can you think of a book you read that taught you something concrete that you've never forgotten? Tell us about it.

I have read a lot of books and I have taken in a lot of things from books, especially over the past five years or so.  I have learned a lot about myself through the various books I have read and I always seem to be just a tad more unique after each book I read.  Books add a special spice to my life that my soul needs to feel whole.  


Do you love books?  Do you love to write about books?  You should join us for our monthly Literary Junkies party!  Find out more here






quick note monday

Hey everyone!  Just a quick post today to let you all know that I am working on a couple of things for this week.  I did some thinking over the weekend like I said I was going to do, and have come up with a couple of things I want to start doing here on the blog.  I am excited to start implementing some of these things and can't wait to see what you all think about them as well.

Have a great rest of the Monday and I will see you all tomorrow for the October Literary Junkies Link Up!


creating peace

I've been thinking about those reader surveys again.  I got less than ten responses, but those that responded gave some good feedback and quite a bit to mull over this last week or so.

When asked what they wanted to see more of on the blog, they responded with pictures, series, recipes, and more uplifting posts.  I see all of those requests as things that I can use to grow this blog....and myself.

You see, here's the thing, all of those listed above are things that I would like to improve on in my life.  Example:  I've always wanted to be a great cook. As it stands now, I am an okay cook in my book.

My husband will read that statement and roll his eyes, but I am a "room for improvement" kind of person.  Room for improvement means you have things to work on in your life.  When you have things to work on in your life, you are a productive person.  When you are a productive person, you are happy.

You know you want to pin this.
Go ahead, pin it. 


I could take the areas in my life that I want to work on, such as cooking better dinners for my family, hold myself accountable on the blog, and voila! I will have content that will probably even produce some blog series along the way. I would be benefiting from it, my family would benefit from it, and my readers would, too!

I'm not sure how I'm going to put all of this in motion, but I am going to take this weekend to think some more on it and try to come up with a plan.

Here's the bottom line:  When I am creating, I am happy.  I enjoy gathering supplies for a craft and putting it together.  I enjoy writing words until my head is empty.  I enjoy the process of making food for my family.  When I am creating, I am at peace with myself.

I need more creating in my life.
I need more peace.





nature walk

After I put the kiddo down for a nap today, I stepped outside to do something that I hadn't done in quite some time.

I took a walk around our yard and took in the scenery. It was refreshing to stroll along all of the plant life that had been planted by the previous owner; the sun beaming warm on my face.  The air was clean smelling from the rain we had had a couple of days prior and it was quiet.


Here in the Midwest, we are in that cusp between the end of summer and the beginnings of fall.  The sun is warm on your face, yet the breeze has the smell of fall on its end.  The nights are chilly, but the days still warm.  This is the time right before my favorite time of the season.


Currently in our yard, we have remnants from spring and summer mixed in with fall colors.  It's quite an amazing site.  I found it calming how they were content living within the same space as another.  None trying to take over the other; just existing in perfect harmony.

They showed me what I needed to see today.

I get so wrapped up in my own head, that I forget to slow down and just be.  I must remember that things happen in their own time and when we have been properly prepared for them.


I must still being prepared.
And I am okay with that.








reflective epiphany


source
I haven't been around much this week.  It wasn't that it was a busy week, my heart just wasn't in writing.  I felt a bit stifled, put off, and overwhelmed all at the same time.

The blog has taken off the past two weeks and, while that is something I have wanted since the beginning, it sent me into shell shock.  Suddenly, the blog hit 10,000 views and one post has been pinned over thirty times and viewed close to 600 times just since September 23.  I also hit over 500 followers on Facebook in the span of a week.

It was all a bit much at one time and I freaked the hell out. 

Then, I put out the reader survey.  It hasn't been as well received as I thought it would be, but that's okay.  The feedback I have received has all been useful and in some instances, humbling.  However, the feedback has made me start to really examine myself and this blog.

Bear in mind that all of the above was swimming in my head last night, along with a conversation with my best friend on Thursday, and lyrics of a song I heard yesterday, when my epiphany hit me at 12:30 this morning.

So, let me break this down for you:

Overwhelmed about the blog
+
Conversation with the best friend who basically 
told me to stop being a sheep in the blogging world.
+
These lyrics from Sara Bareilles:

"Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave

With what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly I wanna see you be brave..."

=

I need to remember why I started this blog in the first place.



It wasn't to post recipes or crafts.  
It wasn't to display DIY projects.  
It wasn't to be a copy cat blog.

And I let it happen.

I let this whole thing get away from me and now I am sitting here wondering what the hell I have been doing these past months.

I wanted this space for me and my writing.  I wanted to finally share myself with the world, my genuine self, and instead, I showed people another copy cat.  

I am actually ashamed of myself.

And I owe you all an apology.

This blog was never meant for anything but my own words.  I apologize for allowing this space to get out of control and not showing you all the real me.  I am not a crafter (although, I do find it fun sometimes, but not enough to blog about it weekly), I am not a gourmet chef (most of my recipes come from Pinterest or the dusty cook books on my baker's rack in the kitchen), and I'm certainly not a fashionista.  I wouldn't know fashion if it slapped me in the face.  

If you came here thinking that I am a recipe/craft/DIY/fashion blog, I am telling you I am not.  I am also telling you that I understand if you want to stop following me after reading this post.  I really do. It's okay.  

I never intended for this blog to go this way.  I am still examining how it all happened and I think I can pinpoint what set it in motion, but I'm still dissecting it all.

I am so sorry, guys.



Allow me to re-introduce myself: 

I'm just a girl who became a mother and a wife.

My talent is my words.

I am simply Sara.

Reader Survey & Win $20

I had talked a short time ago about doing a reader survey in hopes to better focus the blog.  I have been toying with the idea of a re-branding of the blog, but I'm not sure that is the direction I want to go.  This is where you come in.  I want my readers input on how things are going around here and how they are feeling about the blog itself.

Would you be so kind as to take a few minutes to fill out the survey below?

As a token of my appreciation, one lucky reader will receive a $20 gift card of their choice!

Just two things for you to remember:
*Survey must be completed by Sunday, October 6th, 2013.
*You must enter via the Rafflecopter widget below.

Thank you in advance for your help and good luck to everyone!

Click here to take survey
















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