Things I Love Right Now....

1.)  Green Mountain Naturals Hot Apple Cider K-Cups: I drink ALOT of coffee, but sometimes I need a warm mug of something that does not contain caffeine...like once my 5th cup of coffee has me feeling sort of jittery or right before bed when I don't want to be falling asleep just as my hubby gets up for work. I'm already head over heels in love with my Keurig Brewing System and the incredible variety of K-Cups they offer. Although, I have a really yummy recipe for homemade Hot Apple Cider (using cinnamon sticks, cloves, and Red Hot candies) these K-Cups do a great job of imitating the real thing. K-Cups are beyond convenient, and these little babies pack a delicious apple flavor with only 80 calories a serving!!! 

2.) Silk's Pure Coconut Milk: I cannot get enough of this stuff. It's hands down the BEST cow's milk substitute ever...it puts Soy milk to shame. I use it in absolutely everything: my morning cereal, a splash in my coffee, or just a big cold glass before bed. With only 80 calories and 5 grams of fat per serving, it's a great substitute for skim milk, but has the creamiest texture with just a hit of coconut flavor. I love making homemade smoothies, and this would be a fabulous addition.

3.) Fresh Brown Sugar Lip Polish: I adore cold weather with a few snowfalls, hot chocolate by the fire and warm, fuzzy sweaters. I, however, do NOT like what cooler weather does to my lips. The minute the weather takes a dip my lips become a chapped, flaky mess. That was until I found this little pot of miracle stuff...okay, basically it's just a brown sugar-based exfoliate that taste yummy and works like a charm to keep my lips kissably soft and lipstick ready. It might seem a bit expensive, but a little goes a long way and the small pot lasts forever!!! I got mine at Sephora. I  LOVE Sephora!!! Just walking into that store makes me feel like a 5 year old on her 1st trip to Disney World. 

9 Months

On Tuesday my beautiful baby boy turned 9 months old!!! He has officially spent more time in this big wide world than he did growing in my tummy. We went for his 9 month check-up with Dr. K and everything went swimmingly. He was deemed "a perfectly, happy, healthy baby"...the words every mother wants to hear. He has gained almost 6 lbs. since his last appointment. As the doctor says, he's still a "petite fellow" but he could shoot up any day now. That might be up for debate considering he comes from a large family of very SHORT people...only his Daddy hits the 6 foot mark. However, his Nana tells us that Bubba was a small child and then grew like a giraffe during his pre-teen years. Our sweet boy has hit all his milestones and showed off quite a bit for the nurses:) To commemorate each pediatrician's appointment Mommy and Britton take a picture together in the exam room in the exact same spot.

                                     Britton's 1st check-up @ 5 days old

                                          Britton's check-up @ 9 months old

One lesson learned about picture taking: Always take the photo BEFORE the shots are given or you wind up with this....

                                         Britton's check-up @ 6 months old

Luckily, at his 9 month appointment all Britton got was a small finger prick and a snazzy band-aid. Unfortunately, that band-aid lasted all of 10 minutes before he peeled it off and immediately stuck it in his mouth. It was awful cute while it lasted. Goodbye, dangerous choking hazard!!!

Weekend Wrap-up

We have such a busy week ahead of us. This past weekend was all about RELAXING!!! We watched tons of this....

We ate a huge pot of delicious Chicken Tortilla Soup...

I drank several of these refreshing frozen mojitos....

And we had a visit from my favorite little girl in the whole world, my 2 year old niece, Emily Tatum...

We also played several games of Bananagrams, watched NFL on Sunday and followed my Fantasy Football team, the Peach Fuzz, until the last game of the night. Luckily, the Fuzz pulled it out and won a hard match even with 9 injuries on the team. Baby Britton added several new words to his ever expanding vocabulary: "woof" and "duck". It was another great weekend spent with my favorite folks:) I am so blessed!!! 

Mommy's Day Off

I love having my Bubba home with us for the day, and I have zero guilt in taking complete advantage of a second pair of hands. I get to sleep in way past my usual wake-up time...seriously, I got to sleep in till 11:00 am today!!! I'm so lucky because my Bubba is the BEST daddy in the whole world and takes such amazing care of our boy. Baby Bubba relishes in all the extra undivided attention from his Daddy and loves getting to spend an entire day with him. It's a win-win situation for eveyone:) So how did I spend my day off??? Well, I first treated myself to a really LONG bubble bath (something I have probably done twice since the baby was born) and then organized my entire wardobe. Otherwise known as pushing all my summer clothes to the back of the closet and moving all my fall clothes towards the front. My Bubba even made lunch for us all. Daddy and Baby Bubs did their guy thing...ummm, watched alot of ESPN, and Mommy got to play on her computer, chat with her best friend, and read a few magazines. I even had time to begin a photo project that I have been meaning to start forever and got a little early online Christmas shopping done for Baby B (Toys R' Us is having a great "Buy 2 get 3rd free" sale going on right now). And during nap time this is how I found my boys.....

It's been a very GOOD day:)

A Boy and His Toys

My once immobile bundle of cuddly infant joy is now a bouncing ball of never ending energy. Long gone are the days of sleeping in mommy's arms for hours on end or just cuddling in my lap while I work on my computer. Baby Bubba must be moving all the time!!! Keeping this boy entertained is now top priority for this weary mama.
For the last several months, we have finally found a groove in our little schedule. After breakfast, the Baby Bubs spends time in his Precious Planets Jumperoo and watches what Mommy deems educationally appropriate television. Current favorites include: PBS' Word World, Super Why, and Sesame Street. It's amazing that these shows can hold my 8 month old's attention for any span of time, but he just adores them and stares at the TV, giggling and bouncing away. This morning TV time/self-play gives me just the right amount of time to get my chores done, enjoy a cup of coffee and grab a bite to eat.

We have also been spending alot of time in our Pack-n-Play. Since everything is not completely baby-proof yet, this gives Baby B a safe place to roll, crawl/scoot, and practice all his other physical feats without mommy worrying he's going to eat a stray piece of Sophie's dog food or bang his head on the hardwood floors. Little Bubba has now moved from mindlessly fumbling with a teething toy to truly being engaged and playing with his toys. Therefore, I make sure he has a never ending supply of toys to keep his little mind entertained. Our current favorite toy is Leapfrog's My Pal Scout, a plush talking pup that can be hooked up to your computer and personalized with your child's name, favorite things and the music of your choice. Scout interacts with baby at the touch of a paw. I think it's so cute how he yawns and asks if my little one is sleepy...he even plays lullabies!!! Other favorite toys of the moment include:  Vtech's Around Town Baby Driver and Leapfrog's Learn and Groove Musical Table .

Now don't go thinking that all we do around here is watch TV and play. I have made it a priority that we spend several quiet story times thorough out each day. Usually Mommy and Baby Bubba read in the mid-afternoon, and Daddy takes over evening reading time. Baby B has an ever expanding  library of children's books that are quickly beginning to overflow his little bookshelf into every nook and cranny of the house. Where once our coffee table was strew with issues of Cosmo, Sports Illustrated and Cooking Light it is now covered in little piles of baby books. I hope starting this tradition of reading early on develops into a lifelong love of books for my precious son. Current favorites include: The Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Cargle, Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise, Elmo's ABC Book and Little Feet Love (a touch and feel book for his tootsies).

Wonderful Wednesday (Things I Love Right Now)

1.) Nook Color: I absolutely love my new e-reader from Barnes and Noble. I finished my 1st book on the device last night, Birds of Paradise by Diana Abu-Jabar.  I love the fact that I can read in the dark and not disturb my bedmate, or that I can play games while I listen to Pandora radio. Since I am a creature of instant gratification, I adore the fact that I can hear about a book on TV, or read a review and immediately download the book in the time span of a few minutes. The Nook also offers children's picture books that Baby Bubba and I enjoy reading together. I have already subscribed to several of my favorite magazines (US Weekly and People) and downloaded three new bestsellers, just waiting for me to dive into at the swipe of a finger.

2.) Angry Birds: I'm a little late to the game on this one, but as mentioned above the Nook Color offers tons of apps to download, and I have quickly become addicted to this simple game. For the uninitiated, Angry Birds is a game with the objective of destroying pigs with the help of a slingshot that launches several types of birds through various obstacles towards the targets. Sounds stupid, but it is totally addictive!!!

3.) Dapple Toy & Surface Wipes: Yet another product to feed my need to battle the war on germs. It is a green cleaning product that contains all natural ingredients...so important considering my babe has definitely entered the oral-phase and sticks everything directly into his mouth. I spent almost a hour wiping down every toy and playing surface in the house this morning. Fun times!!!

Things I don't like this week: The new Facebook format (this only happened today, so I might be jumping the gun on this one), my Fantasy Football team (darn, you Michael Vick), and the Charlie Sheen Roast on Comedy Central.

Tie me to a balloon....

While pregnant with Baby B, I had all l kinds of notions of the kind of mother I wanted to be. I knew that I wasn't the cloth-diapering kind of momma (those women are quite dedicated to the craft and unsurprisingly this Diva hates laundry). I wanted to try my hand at making my own baby food, but wasn't so die-hard that I wouldn't breakout a jar of Gerber's baby food when ease dictated. I didn't mind if Baby B watched educational TV, but I wanted to more importantly instill a love of reading early on. I wanted to teach him baby sign language, and I'd speak to him in French (I am hardly fluent, but can break out a few key phrases and common words) with the idea of having a little bi-lingual Baby Einstein on my hands. As many ideas of what I wanted to do with Baby B, I had just as many things I vowed I would never do or allow: PACIFIERS being one of them. Ha!!! This was a pipe-dream of a new mother that in retrospect is quite comical knowing now that prying a pacifier from Baby B is like tugging a freshly caught zebra's leg from the mouth of a lion...it ain't pretty!!! Previous to coming home from the hospital I did not buy one single pacifier and NEVER planned to introduce him to one. Guess I should have communicated that to the nurses in the nursery more effectively. Obviously, after his circumcision Baby B was given infant Tylenol, and a pacifier was popped in his precious little mouth to make the meds go down more gently. Well, when they wheeled my day old baby into my room, freshly swaddled and happily sucking on a big, bright orange pacifier I almost freaked out!!! Oh, but he seemed so content that I dare not rip his new "soothie" out of his mouth considering he had just been through what most guy's would consider an invasive and surely uncomfortable procedure even for a newborn. Well, for Baby B it was love at first suck, and for this new momma it was just easier to let him have his Paci than hear his pitiful little cries. So here we are almost 9 months later and still attached to the pacifier like a conjoined twin. Luckily, now that he is talking more and constantly moving, he sometimes forgets about Paci and it's only when he slows down for a minute that he realizes his best buddy is missing. He immediately goes into wail-mode until Paci is safely popped back into place. He MUST sleep with his pacifier, or he simply will NOT sleep. I definitely want to have Paci gone by his 1st birthday. I have read countless online advice columns and magazine articles and sought the advice of other moms who have successfully rid their own baby of the "habit"....one of the more creative ideas was to tie his favorite pacifier to a balloon and have a goodbye launch-off ceremony. How in the world is a baby going to even begin to understand that concept?!? Besides Baby B would just find one of the billion other pacifiers I have stashed around the house and pop that puppy right back in his mouth. I am forever finding one of his pacifiers crammed down in the couch cushions or hiding out in the most random places. Luckily, Baby B is not attached to any one particular pacifier, so each is expendable. However, he is a brand snob and will turn his nose up at anything but a MAM pacifier. Luckily, we currently have 6 of these in rotation, and a stash of new MAMs ready to be called into action at a moments notice. I have one pacifier tucked in the glove box, two back-ups in the diaper bag, one beside the bed, one near the diaper changing station and more times than not one forgotten MAM pushed down into the cup of my bra. You can't say I'm not prepared!!! We were once at Target when Baby B launched his Paci onto the germy floor, since Daddy was the official buggy pusher and baby sitter, I was unaware of this critical situation until I was standing in the check-out line and felt a hand reach over my shoulder and paw at my brassiere. I must have jumped a mile into the air until I realized the hand belonged to my hubby, and he ever so calmly informed me that he was just looking for an extra pacifier. The look on the poor teenage cashier's face was priceless, and the chuckles of the people waiting in line behind me was enough to get the Bubba a very stern talking to from this extremely embarrassed momma on the car ride home.
So I finally come to my point, being a mother isn't always easy and sometimes we sacrifice on ideas we once held so firm. We bend our own rules for the sake of convenience, ease or just to avoid public meltdowns. The most important lesson that 8 months of motherhood has taught me is to just roll with the punches. I'm not saying to give into every whim and demand of your little one, but pick your battles. As long as Baby B is happy, healthy and growing into one smart, loving little fellow then I know I'm doing a good job....pacifier or not:)

ROLL, WAR, DAWGS....

You've probably heard the statement "A House Divided" in reference to college football team allegiances. Well, in my family that is an understatement to say the least. This Alabama-born girl and her Georgia hubby are diehard UGA fans; my sister and her husband are both Auburn alumni; my mother is on the fence between University of Alabama and Auburn because she attended both; my Daddy is a graduate of both the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech; both my brother in-laws are also UGA alumni; and my in-laws are hardcore Georgia fans (my father in-law is not known by "Bulldawg John" for nothing). I'm definitely the odd-ball out amongst most of my childhood/college friends considering I'm from 'Bama and have pledged my allegiance to the Bulldog Nation. Saturday SEC football isn't just a tradition for us. It is a way of life!!! My husband played high school and then college football at Jacksonville State University and later spent several years in coaching. His love for the game is infectious, and this former football challenged girl has become as savvy as the most die-hard fan. If we aren't at the game, you can bet your sweet stars we will be parked in front of the TV from the first kick-off of the day until Sportscenter's game day highlights at almost midnight. Like all good Southern Sweethearts, I know football and good food go hand in hand. So during football Saturdays I'll be sharing the recipe for whatever football grub I'm serving up that day. Today, I'm going to break out the old crock-pot (a perfect appliance for game days b/c I don't have to slave over the stove while all the action is happening in the TV room). I'll be making a big batch of my mom's famous Italian Tortellini Soup. And if you are aware of my mom's lack of cooking prowess and distaste for the kitchen in general, then using the words "my mom's famous (insert any dish)" is a rare bird, indeed. Luckily, it's one of the few dishes in her repertoire that's delicious and super easy to whip up:)

                                                      Italian Tortellini Soup
Ingredients:
1 (32 oz.) carton of beef broth
2 cans (14.5 oz.) Italian style stewed tomatoes (undrained)
2 cans (14.5 oz) Italian Green Beans (drained)
1 lb. of ground beef (cooked and drained)
1/2 lb. mild Italian-style sausage (also crumbled, cooked, and drained)
Several dashes of dry Italian seasoning, Garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. Cheese Tortellini ( I use Buitoni's 3 Cheese from the refrigerated section)
Shredded parmesan for topping

Directions:
Add all ingredients to the crockpot up to the tortellini and stir. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours.
You can add 3/4 cup of water or beef  broth if soup looks too thick before adding the pasta.
1/2 hour before serving add the tortellini and cook until the pasta is done.
Top each individual serving with shredded parmesan and serve with garlic bread.

                                                                           

It's in the Bag

In my former childless life, I was more frivolous with my money and bought so many needless things that this frugal momma shutters at the mere thought of some of those purchases. I once spent more than an entire month's mortgage payment on my dream handbag (no worries, we were still able to make that month's mortgage in spite of my "spoiled brat" move and were not thrown out on the street to live in a box with my pretty new purse for company). The more mature me knows that this was beyond CRAZY, but at the time having that gorgeous Louis Vuitton handbag had been haunting my dreams for weeks. It was a spur of the moment decision. I never went to the mall with the intention of making such a rash purchase. As I wandered around Phipps Plaza, I had a growing itch that would not go away. I passed a dozen women carrying these logo emblazoned.gems, and I knew that I MUST have one....this was during the height of the LV craze several years ago and more stylish ladies' arms sported these gorgeous bags than not (admittedly, a huge portion of those were probably knock-offs). I said to myself, "Self, if you see one more woman carrying a Louis Vuitton then this is a sign that you must buy one now."  Well, needless to say as soon as I made that deal with myself, a young girl strolled into Anthropologie sporting a tiny Louis Vuitton wristlet. Like a lightening bolt, I ran directly to the LV boutique and said " Yes, I would like a Manhattan PM bag, please!!!!". I'll spare you the exorbitantly expensive price I paid and just say it was the most beautiful specimen I had ever beheld...the craftsmanship alone was so exquisite that the bag looks no less worn today than it did over 6 years ago. I got alot of wear out of that bag, too, I carried it for over a year and broke my "new purse for every season rule". I spent way more money than I ever should have on "Louie", and I would be darned if I wasn't going get my money's worth even if I had to carry it till the straps fell off...luckily, that fine craftsmanship and luxury leather was up to the task. "Louie"....no, really that's his name, lives in the back of my closet now in the same box he came home in. Maybe someday he will become very retro and en vogue, and I'll bring him back out again.

I probably own atleast 15 other purses (confession: I also use to have a slight obsession with Coach handbags and own way too many of these, too). This brings me to my point.....I NO LONGER CARRY A PURSE. Yes, you heard me right. This former bling loving, fancy shmancy purse carrying, fashion lovin' gal only carries a diaper bag and when the baby is not with me I just grab my driver's license, debit card and a few bucks and stick those in my pocket. It's not that I don't still ogle the pages of Vogue and longingly window shop past all those fancy boutiques with sundresses that cost more than my couch. I just have new priorities now. I would rather spend every extra penny we have on my child. When I think of buying myself something I think of what that same amount of money could buy Baby Bubba: a new toy, a precious smocked outfit, or a handful of new books, and the urge to splurge quickly disappears. I also think of saving for his future and for the astronomical cost of college (I hear Harvard is quite expensive these days).
My diaper bag is nothing fancy but it functions well. It's the perfect size,  and I don't feel like I'm lugging around a brick-filled duffle bag. After much consideration I bought the Ju-Ju-Be "Be All" bag in lotus lullaby and love it. It has so many compartments for Baby B's stuff and enough room for all my extras. So what's in the bag, you might ask. Well, I'll just show you....

It's magical how I can fit all this stuff in that small bag, but mothers have all kind of tricks they learn out of necessity. The contents: 4 Pamper's Swaddlers, a pack of Pamper's Sensitive wipes, froggie blanket, Gerber Bananas and spoon, Munchkin Pacifier wipes, 2 Mam pacifiers with paci-clip, Boogie wipes, nose aspirator, KY Jelly, 2 thermometers, Destin, teething ring/toy, Goodnight Moon, 2 Bath and Body Works anti-bacterial handgels, a can of Similac formula, Johnson's Hand and Face wipes, a sippy cup, a Tide-to-go Stain Pen, monkey bib, a well worn manual the pediatrician gave me at his 1st appointment, my wallet, Clinique compact, mascara and nail polish...and most excitingly a $10 bill I found wadded at the bottom of the bag!!!

Up All Night....

There was a time when the words "up all night" translated to a another thing completely in my roaring twenties...perhaps a party where we stayed our welcome long after it had worn out, a nightclub visited until "the last call, or simply a pre-baby night of dinner, a bottle of wine, movies, and Wii games. Now, it simply translates to WE HAVE A SICK BABY!!! As any mother can attest, there is nothing quite as agonizing as watching your child in pain and misery. I should be an old pro at this bad cold thing by now considering this is the fourth cold/cough we have had in 8 months, but somehow a mother never quite gets use to her baby being sick. Experience has taught me not to freak out at the tinniest cough, or go into complete panic mode at the first sign of a sniffle. My husband has crowned me the Queen of Nose Suctioning...one royal title I have never aspired to attain!!! I have earned my "battle scars" from having a sick baby in the hospital not once but twice. The first time was at 9 weeks old when Baby Bubba came down with RSV which turned into a severe case of Broncholitis. This was at a time when Baby and Mommy still only ventured out into the winter weather for pediatrician appointments, and visitors were kept to a bare minimum. I went through a period of complete shock that my tiny "Bubble Baby" could have contracted this. I had taken every precaution and thought I had protected him from even the slightest sign of illness. When shock dissipated, like all mothers I immediately went into protective lioness mode and never left my child's side for the 5 days he spent in the hospital. I slept on the world's most uncomfortable mattress and watched with an eagle's eye while they poked, prodded and deep suctioned (I still get flashback nightmares of this one) my sweet and incredibly brave little boy. The days passed so slowly, but at the same time they seemed so very surreal. I don't think we even turned on the television once, instead I just watched my son. I quickly learned what the numbers on the monitor meant and would press that nurse's button the minute they dropped to a level I deemed insufficient (yes, I was aware that this was also being monitored at the nurse's station, but this was MY child and response couldn't be quick enough). As much of a nightmare as this week was, I also felt so secure being there. I was a new mother who was so ill prepared to care for such a sick little one, and the nurses, doctors, and patient care technicians were beyond wonderful. I knew we were exactly where we needed to be!!! Of course, this whole experience will stay emblazoned on my soul for the rest of my life, but  thankfully Baby B will never remember one moment of it. Only one picture was taken to document those days, and I still cannot look at it without tears filling my eyes. I will say that I have never seen a tinier and more precious hospital gown covered in koala bears and spaceships. On discharge, I had to double check our bags to make sure the hubby had not pilfered that tiny gown. Bubba was obsessed with it, and I had to keep reminding him this was not a Hard Rock Cafe T-shirt or Mickey Mouse Ears. The only souvenir of this experience that we ever needed was a healthy child coming home with us!!!
I'll spare you the details of our next hospital stay. It was shorter, but no less traumatic for Mommy. Luckily, we were discharged with a diagnosis of silent GERD and immediately put on a daily medicine. Finally, my mother's intuition that had constantly been dismissed by my own pediatrician was confirmed and all those wheezy nights and other strange symptoms made sense now. Since then, we have had a healthy, happy and growing bundle of pure baby boy joy on our hands. While last night was ROUGH to say the least, I know Baby Bubba is strong and will be back to his exuberant little self in no time. All he needs is TLC, rest, plenty of liquids and with the Queen of Nose Suctioning for a mother, he'll be fine in no time!!!

Wonderful Wednesday

Alternate title: Things I Really Like Right Now. Every Wednesday I'm going to be featuring some of my favorite finds, products, etc. of the past week (or so...I have creative license here and might have to add something discovered previous to the past 7 days, or I'll run  out of stuff very fast). So with out much adieu, here is my list for the week:

1.) Redbox: This is my fairy Godmother's answer to all the Blockbusters that have been closing EVERYWHERE. Now I know some of you Netflix snobs are screaming at me right now, but I am a creature of instant gratification and must have a movie in hand the minute it comes to mind. Since there is a Redbox kiosk all of 1/2 mile from the crib, the hubby has taken to making nightly movie runs. One night's movie rental= $1 and some change!!! We watch atleast one movie if not the occasional double feature most nights. These few hours of mindless escape have easily become my favorite part of the day. I look forward to climbing into our huge bed with my honey (after Little B is fast a sleep), and popping in a flick. These precious few hours have become our answer to date night/cuddle time. Not to mention I have seen a heck of alot of movies lately...some very good, some horrendously bad!!! I won't tell you about the bad but will mention of few of my favorites of the last week: Due Date (starring Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis was "pee in my pants"  HILARIOUS!!!), The Eagle (a total dude flick, but I happen to think that Channing Tatum is yummy), Insidious (so scary, I made the hubby hold my hand through most of the movie) and Jane Eyre (after all these thoughtless movies, we had to add a little literary culture to our evening).

2.) Bath and Body Works Fall fragrance Anti-bacterial Hand soaps: I headed to B&BW yesterday, and found the most delicious Autumn scented hand soaps (4 for $15 or 6 for $20). Now, If you read yesterday's post, you may have learned that I am a slight germaphobe and nothing tickles my fancy like a bag full of antibacterial goodies:) Seriously, when Little B was a baby and would receive visitors I would immediately gift said visitors with a surgical mask and douse them with a gallon of antibacterial hand gel at the mere hint of a sniffle. Bath and Body works has seriously brought some game with scents  like Orchard Leaves, Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin, Cranapple Crisp, Pumpkin Caramel Latte and Cinnamon Raisin Cookie. These soaps are enough to make a Fall loving germaphobe swoon with excitement. Don't walk, run and pick up a few of these babies TODAY, or I might just buy them out!!!

3.) Starbuck's Pumpkin Spice Lattes: THERE BACK!!!! Seriously, nothing makes me know Fall is upon us like the return of Starbuck's sinfully delicious Pumpkin Spice Latte. Last year, I was pregnant with Little Bubba so I tried to seriously curb my caffeine consumption and only granted myself a few of these sweet treats all season. Now this year I am without child and able to imbibe without any reserve...if only my waistline knew this rule. In other Starbuck's news, I recently tried their Salted Caramel Mocha Frappuccino...ummmm, YUM!!! Pair that with one of their new Starbuck's Petites treats (I like the Red Velvet Whoopie Pie) and you have blown your diet for the entire day, but it was sort of worth it!!!

Welcome to my world

Who ever says that being a stay-at-home mom isn't a real job has obviously never tried it. Don't get me wrong, moms that juggle a full-time job while raising a family simply amaze me. While I LOVE being able to stay at home with my son, this job is no piece of cake!!! It can be very monotonous at times...I literally base my entire day on my son's feeding schedule, diaper changes and occasional naps yet still never find the time to watch a single television show from beginning to end much less read a book. And please don't get me started on the number of times I wash my kid's pacifier...yes, to say I am a slight germaphobe is an understatement. Somehow at the end of the day I wonder where all the hours have gone. I had so many plans and yet not one single scrapbook page was finished nor one pair of little boy longalls were hemmed (confession: my kid has REALLY short legs!!!). That is why I am determined to start and maintain this blog. No, I probably won't post everyday, but I want to at least have a goal of documenting this wonderful, crazy first year of my son's life. As much as I adore being a mommy, and have never been happier in my entire life I still want to maintain a sense of the person I once was: a lover of fashion and celebrity gossip, a connoisseur of trash television (yes, I love Jersey Shore and the entire Real Housewives series), a self-taught mixologist and sommelier, a veracious reader of blogs and a internet detective extrodinare. Seriously, when my friends are looking for ex-boyfriends or long lost relatives I am the very FIRST person they come to. I'm going to use this blog as my outlet for everyday rants, fabulous finds, parenting advice, cooking successes and failures, book reviews (ummm, when I get a chance to read), traveling and all the other fun things that make up my everyday life. I'm so glad you're coming along for the ride:)