Archives for 2011

Recipe: Two Cheese Egg Frittatas to Go

November 8, 2011 · Narrative

Weekday breakfast has always been one of my challenges. And it remains so. The mornings are crazy, trying to get the kids up and to school and me to work on time. All while making lunches, checking backpacks, and making sleeping beauties move at the speed of light. Children that don’t wake up on their own are not happy children, and then rushing them only compounds the situation. So breakfast? Usually the grab-and-go variety.

The folks at Land ‘O Lakes and Betty Crocker asked me, along with a few other bloggers, to come up with a new breakfast recipe highlighting Land ‘O Lake products, natch. Frittatas are one of my favorite on-the-run breakfasts because you can make them the night before and totally customize them to suit every little picky eater’s palate. Aside from not having to rush to be somewhere, what more could you want?

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Nearly One Word Update

November 7, 2011 · Narrative

Challenging

Explaining to Madeline why we gave the man at the grocery store money for a flower, who he was, if the flower was real or not, if it should be kept outside or in, if she should put it in her hair, where America was, what the word veteran meant, and why the old man was at the grocery store to begin with if he was fighting in the war.

Patience

For all of Maxwell’s little pain-in-the-arse antics, he knows what “stay” means, as he patiently waited nearby while I photographed cookies for a Pillsbury job.

Sweet

Said cookies. Mint Buttercream Sandwich Cookies….

Weekend Photos in Review

November 6, 2011 · Photos

Madeline loved, loved, loved her unicorn costume (and a big thanks, again, to Pottery Barn Kids for hooking her up). It kept her warm, and was totally in keeping with her fun-loving free-spirited personality.

“Mommy, I made you a picture, but my hands got a little messy.”

This little girl used to live across the street from our old house, but we’re still in the same neighborhood. Now that she’s in Kindergarten, she rides the bus with Nick and has developed a little crush on him, which is super cute. Well, for me to watch. Maybe not so much for Nick.

Terrible picture, but the only reasonable one I have of the kids. We didn’t get our annual picture on this specific rock on Friday night, so I’m making them dress up again tomorrow night so I can get it. We’ve done it for a bazillion years and I’m not missing one, darn it.

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Snowmageddon 2011

November 2, 2011 · Narrative

Whether you called it Snowtober, Merry Halloween, or Snowmageddon, if you reside in the Northeast, it’s entirely possible that your weekend was turned slightly upside down. Thankfully we have our power restored, and a bit earlier than their original moving target predictions. That’s the good news. I almost came here to post last night, but I needed to get rid of crankiness, tears, and alter my perspective. That’s still a work in progress. Many of our friends are still without power. Some have lost their cars or homes due to fallen trees. The weekend dumped a ton of snow on our area, and with all the leaves largely still intact on our trees, the limbs just couldn’t bear the weight. The cracking as the branches gave way was scary at best. Our area’s damage has been placed at worse than that of Hurricane Irene.

The schools were closed Monday and Tuesday (and some remain closed) due to power outages and road closures. Trees still block entrances to many roadways and you’re tested on your knowledge of your hometown as you try to navigate new ways to get where you’re going with all the detours. It seriously broke my heart to come back and empty the contents of the refrigerator and freezer into the garbage, and for the second time this year. I doubt this one will be covered by insurance. The day we got power back, my car died. I loved my car. Several hundred dollars later, it’s now fixed enough so that I can drive it to a dealership this weekend, just enough to dump it and get a replacement. Something that I wasn’t planning on doing for several more years, but it now needs more work than makes sense to do.

I have honestly burst into tears every single day this week. When Mystic came over last night to tell me about my car, he came bearing Starbucks and a hug, so I knew it wasn’t going to be good. This week has sucked. And it’s only Wednesday. But, I swear I’m working on my perspective…

We are back in our home. We are healthy. Happy. And together. I have an awesome network of family and friends, and live in an amazing town. We were lucky that we could stay with my parents (and had many offers from my sister and other friends) until we regained power, while some had to shell out upwards of $200 a night to stay in neighboring hotels or the evacuation centers. Our town is still struggling to regain its footing from the blows of Hurricane Irene, and this week, everyone has come together once again. Opening up their homes to offer hot showers, food, and warm beds to friends and strangers. Patience was shown as the lines and waits at restaurants got crazy. Since no one had power for at least three days (and many are still without), every food establishment was filled to capacity, and then some. Neighbors grabbed chainsaws and pick-up trucks and began the hard work once more. It seriously does take a village and days like these make me love our town even more than I already do.

Every day brings challenges, both little and big, to all of us, and the tests are all in how we handle it. Although tears have given way a bit more this week, I know despite the challenges that we’re indeed very lucky and are absolutely positively fine. The kids are thriving, growing like weeds, and are super happy. Our home is warm (now!), inviting, and a safe haven. We are all healthy. And we have love. Lots and lots of love. And with that, how about some happy weekend snaps?

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Snow Day in October?

October 31, 2011 · Narrative

Yes, indeed. Sixteen and a half inches of snow Saturday night into Sunday, the kids are having their first snow day in October. Unfortunately, we have also been without power since Saturday afternoon, and now they’re saying we won’t have it back until Thursday or Friday. We are all fine, but I will be offline for a few days until our power is restored. See you in a few days. Be safe, and Happy Halloween!

How to Snap Out of a Funk … in 10 Easy Steps

October 27, 2011 · Narrative

But, of course, we all know it’s not that easy, is it? But the idea really isn’t about snapping out of your funk, but more so, redirecting your funkiness. A dear friend popped up on GoogleTalk late this afternoon and mentioned she was in a funk. Given the cold, wet, and downright dreary day we’ve had here in the Northeast today, I can’t say I blame her, but this funk was pre-weather. We’ve all been there. Sometimes more often than we care to admit. A big overwhelming feeling of the blahs. The I-don’t-want-to-do-anything thank you very much. But the question is … how best to defunk yourself? For me, it comes down to basically taking a mind break. Doing something that requires absolutely, positively zero brain power.

Make a list of things that put you in your happy place. And go do one.
Watch cartoons with the kids.
Bake up a batch of homemade cookies. Nothing says defunk thyself more than a warm chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven.
Take a nap.
Grab a coloring book and a box of fresh Crayolas and go to town. In my early 20s, it was one of my favorite forms of therapy. And to this day, the reason why I have my very own set of markers and crayons that I don’t share with the kids.
Clean out your pantry or a kitchen cabinet that overwhelms you. I don’t just mean rearrange everything. Empty it, wipe it down, throw away what you don’t need, donate what you don’t want, and put it all back. Neater. Better.
Go through your shoe collection. What fits? What doesn’t? Toss, donate, trade, trash.
Chick-lit. Invented for defunkifying sessions, no doubt.
Purge. Whether it’s your filing cabinet, the top of your desk, or your nightstand, or a combination of all three, go through and purge. Nothing makes me breathe deeper than getting rid of stuff.
Paint your nails. The Fall line of Essie is swoonworthy, just ask my friend, Beth. Take a few minutes, indulge in some me time, and pretty up those digits.

Would love to hear about YOUR ways to snap out of a funk – do share with the class! Although not currently in a funk, my mindless activity tonight included hole-punching millions of scalloped circles and butterflies. And I don’t think “millions” is an exaggeration. The circles are for a project I’m making for Madeline’s room (tutorial coming when it’s done), and with the scraps I had leftover, I made butterfly confetti. Butterfly confetti which can be yours with a purchase from my Etsy shop. Perfect for scrapbooking, a photo shoot, table decorating, or an upcoming fete, they are tiny, pretty, and all shades of pink. Doesn’t pink make everything better? Oh wait, that might be bacon. It makes me happy just to look at them. And now I can send YOU that happiness too.

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Wordless Wednesday: The LOVE Edition

October 26, 2011 · Photography, Photos, Wordless Wednesday

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Easy Decorated Halloween Cookies

October 25, 2011 · Narrative

This:

Plus this:

And this:

Equals this:

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DIY Halloween Costume: DailyBuzz Moms 9×9

October 24, 2011 · Ad-Free, Narrative

Hard to believe that Halloween is just one week away. Although I’d like to say it’s one of my favorite holidays, regular readers know how much I seriously love them all! I have finally gotten my kids to nail down their Halloween costume choices, and the O’Malley household will be sporting a unicorn and a vampire this year. I was really pulling for Madeline to be Rainbow Brite this year, you know, one of Strawberry ‘hortcake’s (as she calls her) best friends, but I lost the battle and gave in to a unicorn. Given her unabashed love for unicorns, horses, cows, dolphins, and whales, it should come as no surprise that we’re having an animal trick-or-treating with us this year.

The folks at Pottery Barn Kids have some awesome Halloween costumes for children this year, and Madeline’s unicorn was very nicely provided to us by them. To say she was thrilled that they had her first choice available would be an understatement. It’s all I can do to prevent her from wearing it daily right now. And I’m not letting her because, you know, white and a 3-1/2 year old is just not a good combination. Although they tend to be a little more costly than I would normally spend, a lot of them are on sale now (with free shipping!), and they really are well made. Nice tight stitching, super soft fabrics, and I love that it’s loose enough that I can put warm weather clothing on underneath the costume without making her feel like she’s been smothered to pieces. Because in typical New Jersey fashion, it’s back to being cold again, and who knows what next Monday brings.

Stumped for Halloween inspiration for your own little ones? You might want to check out DailyBuzz. Tomorrow they will be featuring nine DIY Halloween costumes that you can make at home very easily, and I’m happy to report that this Butterfly Catcher costume we made last year for a Disney column is one of the nine featured. It’s super simple to make and you might even have everything you need in your house right now. If not, a trip to your local Dollar Store will quickly take care of that. Can’t wait to see the other 8 creative costumes featured.

Need inspiration for your pup? You can check out the Virtual Pet Parade featured by the folks at Animal Planet, and snag a costume for your very own canine while you’re there. Maxwell, the newest member of the O’Malley household, is sporting butterfly wings (although, unfortunately, not visible in the picture they are featuring there), but he has a fun polka-dotted cap on. Well, I think polka dots are fun. Maxwell might be in a different camp on that opinion. While there, you can certainly cheer him up and give him a vote if you’re so inclined….

Weekend Photos in Review

October 23, 2011 · Photos

One of Nick’s friends, Katie, rocking the honor of being their school’s Safety Patrol Captain.

Told you I’d share my shoes.

Madeline puts serious time into practicing her writing of the letters.

See? Are those not fantastic letter A’s? This year, her teacher is teaching the alphabet in a screwy way. The first few letters were in order, and now she’s all over the place. Something about some of the kids can’t draw circles, so she’s grouping the letters by how they’re drawn. I am so not a fan of this method because I think it’s crazy confusing.

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New Favorite Shoes and New Launch

October 20, 2011 · Narrative

The first time I saw these shoes, I oohed and ahhed, and walked away. After all, they were $56.00. Totally not in the single mom budget. And wouldn’t get enough wear to rationalize the purchase.

Even if I specialize in rationalizing.

Then when Beth and I went down the shore in August, I spied them again. She walked away from me. They were $35.00 then. And much harder for me to walk away from. She thought they were sparkly and I was crazy.

But I walked away too.

A few weeks ago, Mystic and I were down the shore. And I spied the shoes again.

He was off buying ~~something super important~~ socks, and came to find me. He looked at the shoes on my feet.

“For you?” he asked.

Yes, do you like them?

“They’re colorful,” he said. He is many things, and apparently diplomatic is one of them.

They were $21.00.

$21.00!! I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t walk away.

So now they’re in the bottom of my closet, amongst my assortment of sneakers, wedges, and flats.

I realize that given I got a nice, fat sprained ankle walking down my own front steps in sneakers (sneakers!) back in May, they may not be the best choice for me. But that’s ok.

We’ll have occasions to wear them. And I will. And we’ll make perfect occasions just to wear them.

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Happy Girls are the Prettiest Girls

October 19, 2011 · Narrative, Wordless Wednesday

I believe in pink.

I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner.

I believe in kissing,

kissing a lot.

I believe in being strong when everything

seems to be going wrong.

I believe that happy girls

are the prettiest girls.

I believe that tomorrow is another day,

and I believe in miracles.

-Audrey Hepburn

Participating in Wordless Wednesday today.

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