Friday, January 10, 2014

"Chalkboard Romance" Book Review...

...Another new author I've discovered has won my reading heart! Melissa Keir is the author of the book I recently read Chalkboard Romance. Melissa writes a series of books called Sexy Between the Covers. Her books are full of romance and oh so spicy! Check her out on Facebook, her website or her blog.

Summary
 
Lauren Walsh, a divorcee and elementary teacher, wanted to feel sexy again, after her ex tossed her aside for a younger woman. Her teaching partner and best friend encouraged her to sign up for The Playhouse--a renowned dating agency.

Mac Thomas remained trapped in a marriage to a money grubbing socialite. Forced to stay away from his young son, Mac lost the ability to trust. After the death of his wife, he returned to care for his son but his sister wants more for him. She sets him up with The Playhouse.

Passion ignites but Mac’s a parent of one of Lauren’s students. A teacher and a parent dating could cost Lauren her job and her chance at happiness. Will Mac be able to convince the school and Lauren, that love is the most important thing?
 
Review
This was a quick, easy read which as a working mom is all I have time for any more. I loved how quickly the story moved along and how well the characters were described and developed. I instantly was cheering for Lauren and Mac to work out and I really wasn't a fan of Melanie. I know that her and Lauren were supposed to be good friends but it was obvious who her mystery guy was which made me cautious of her.
 
While the book had a great ending, I wanted to know more about the parent that ratted Lauren out. Also, I wanted to know more about Draikoh San. She could write a whole series about clients of The Playhouse. Excellent work by Melissa! I look forward to reading more of her stories.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

THERA°PEARL Children's Pal Review...

...When we received our THERA°PEARL Sports Pack, AR couldn't keep her hands off it. I started surfing their website and saw that they offer Children's Pals. These are the perfect ice/heat pack for bruises, swelling, bee stings, or whatever other injuries your wild child might literally run into. The Children's Pals come in fun characters: Buddy the Puppy, Ping the Panda, Pearl the Pig, and here's Ribbit the Frog:

The sitter calls these "boo boo ice."

 
When the package came in the mail, AR didn't know what they were at first, but she was drawn to the package because of the fun pig and frog.

I took them out of their package which is 100% childproof, almost even mommy-proof, too!

After inspection, she remembered what it was and immediately put it on her cheek.

She shared Pearl the Pig with Mommy, but Ribbit was all hers!

She even shared Pearl with her baby doll. Maybe she'll grow up to be a nurse?


As much as AR loved the Sports Pack, she loved the Children's Pal even better! The fun characters drew her attention, hopefully they would distract her if she wasn't feeling good and help calm her down. It was easy for her to hold the pal on her face by herself so that was nice as it left Mommy with an extra set of hands. She loved squishing the pearls inside. Hopefully we don't use these often, but when we do, they'll get the job done.
 
You can find out more about their products by visiting:
 
Thank you THERA°PEARL for the opportunity to review your Children's Pack!



*I received one Children's Pal at no charge. All thoughts/opinions are mine.
 

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Mattie's Meatloaf...

...Lately, I feel like every time I turn around meatloaf is in my life. People are pinning meatloaf recipes, asking for them on FB, or commenting on how awesome mine is. I have to admit, I think it's pretty awesome as does my husband, my stepsis and most people that sample it. Remember when I had my post-baby surgery, my mom and I had a meatloaf cook-off? Reading back on that post now, it was obvious I was on some major painkillers, why else would I write about dinner and BS in the same post???

Anyways, I found this recipe YEARS ago when Matt and I first got together. He was never a fan of meatloaf growing up, but he would always rave about this recipe. I copied it in my recipe book and titled it "Mattie's Meatloaf." My stepsis is also a huge fan so anytime she watches AR, I make it for dinner the night before so they can have leftovers.


The Loaf
1.5 pounds ground beef
1 egg
1 onion chopped
1 cup milk
1 cup dried bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat over to 350F. In a bowl, mix all ingredients. Place mixture in loaf pan or form a loaf.

The Sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons mustard
1/3 cup ketchup

In a separate bowl, combine all three ingredients. Mix well and pour over meatloaf. Bake at 350F for one hour or until loaf is fully cooked.

My notes: Onions don't sit well with my husband so I only use a half if that much. I always use Italian bread crumbs, not plain. The sauce is what makes the dish in my opinion!

Happy Loaving!

Monday, January 6, 2014

Gorgeous Bride Tiara Giveaway From MyeSoul...

...Wedding fever is in the air! My SIL got engaged right around Christmas and she's already full swing into planning for a beautiful fall wedding, my favorite time of year if I do say so myself! While I'm so glad that my wedding planning days are over, it's still fun to look at wedding stuff, right? I found a company called MyeSoul.

MyeSoul is an online store that has products like dresses, jewelry, and more for weddings, costumes, computers, electronics, and more. Seriously, I could spend HOURS looking through all the items they offer. Not only do they have a LARGE selection, but they have great prices, too. I've been asked to share the awesomeness with my readers!

I will be hosting a giveaway for a Gorgeous Alloy With Clear Cystal And Imitation Pearls Wedding Bridal Tiara as long as I have entries. Some of you may already be married, but I'm sure we all know an engaged woman out there who would love to wear this on her wedding day. The tiara normally costs over $60, but with MyeSoul's pricing, it's only $34.99 and one of you lucky ladies, or man, could win it for free!
 

Check out the Rafflecopter to see how you can enter. The contest is open now until Sunday, January 12 at midnight. Share with all your friends to ensure we have 20 entries!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


This is a sponsored post from 4sponsor.com with my unbised thoughts.

Sunday, January 5, 2014

STL Snowmageddon 2014!!!

...In case you didn't hear, and if you didn't, where have you been???, STL got a little bit of snow today. They'd been forecasting it since Thursday and everyone was taking it seriously. Friday afternoon, when I always do my grocery shopping, it was insane at the grocery store and Costco! People were stocking up like crazy! Oh well, I knew I wouldn't have time on Saturday and Sunday was out of the question so I braved the crowd and got our supplies.

We had a stale loaf of bread in the fridge. I decided, hey, let's be cliché and we'll make French toast for breakfast on Sunday if the snow comes. This meant I had to stop at the grocery store again on Saturday morning for syrup, but luckily, it wasn't nearly as crazy. Side note: Apparently they eat waffles and syrup at the sitter's. When I picked her up on Friday, the sitter told me that after she finished her breakfast, AR decided to wear her bowl as a hat...a syrupy hat. This was actually what gave me the idea for French toast when she mentioned syrup.

Saturday night, Matt set the alarm for 3am thinking he'd go in at 4. I woke up slightly before his alarm. When I looked outside, it hadn't done anything. His alarm went off and he got up. I heard his truck running outside and the tv on in the living room. I fell back asleep and woke up a little before 7 to AR giggling over the monitor. Apparently, Matt was back (or maybe he never left, I don't know!). They took care of the dogs then came and tackled me in bed. I got to sleep in both days this weekend! #winning

The G-Fam all moved to the living room where we watched the news on the tv and the snow through the window. I loved how the reporters were telling everyone to stay off the roads then they'd cut to the Fox 2 Mazda Roadrunner who is driving down the highway. Matt decided to go shovel the driveway for the first time. AR and I watched from inside, she stood at the window knocking on the window and clapping when he'd look at her. Then Daddy left for work!

AR and I went to the kitchen and got started on our French toast. I used my old skillet that's probably 10+ years old and the first two pieces ended up a mangled mess. Then I pulled out my new Ozeri pan and our French toast was perfect!!! While the toast tasted great, my child much preferred to stick her hand in the syrup and lick her fingers. I don't blame her.

While I cooked, she climbed under the kitchen table and watched the wildlife in the backyard. Currently, she's really into the squirrels in the backyard and thinks they're hilarious. It must be the Alpha Gam in her.

After breakfast, we Skyped with Nana, let the dogs out (Silly dogs wouldn't come back in! I had to put on Matt's muck boots and wrangle them back inside), and played, played, played! I broke out my Ugly Sweater Run stocking cap yesterday and AR is obsessed! I'm glad she's found a hat she doesn't mind wearing. Of course, we had to have her baby dolls in the picture...this isn't even half of them! Oh and don't you love her moccasins? My stepsis that lives in Utah sent them to her last Christmas and they fit perfect now.

Around lunchtime, I went outside with a ruler. We had almost ten inches! Some of that could have been because the wind was blowing it all around, but still, that's a lot of snow!

AR watched safely from inside. We, meaning me, didn't go out at all other than to measure the snow, let the dogs out, and scoop the back patio. I had specific instructions not to touch the driveway. Luckily, I don't go in until 2pm tomorrow so hopefully he'll clear it by then.

When I came in the house, AR was really into cleaning off my boots for me. She'd pick up the clumps of snow and carry them all to the trash can.

After a nice, long two hour nap, AR woke up and was so excited to see Daddy had come home! He basically stopped to eat, put on dry clothes, and warm up a little bit. He also plowed in front of our house and the neighbors on either side of us. AR would clap and cheer and get a big grin every time she saw his truck.

But when he'd pass our house, she was confused. "Where's Daddy?"

After he left, we decided we'd make him a cake for him to eat when he gets home later tonight. I took two steps away from her to get the sprinkles out of the cabinet and look what that stinker did. Stuck her finger right in the cake, see it on her lip?

We decorated it with red and green sprinkles. Hopefully, Daddy will like it because it was made with LOTS of love.

After dinner, we finished up drawing on thank you cards and headed to the bath. She discovered the bucket fits perfectly on her head and wouldn't take it off. I let the water out of the tub and she insisted on leaving it on. Silly goose!

We had a great snow day! I've been home with her a lot the past couple weeks and she's been so good! I don't know why I act like I'm surprised because she really is a good kid. Lately though, she just wants to crawl up in my chair and sit by me while she plays with her toys, listens to books my mom recorded, or play on her Leappad. AR will give love meaning hugs and kisses, but she's not real big on cuddling so I'm enjoying the time she wants to spend right beside me. Side note: Definitely have to limit the screen time on the Leappad, but totally excited to have it for our flight to Florida!

Then 12 hours after our day started, it was time to put her to bed. When I lay her down at night is when I get the best cuddles. After story, prayer and love for Daddy, we go over all the animals in her room, sing Grey Squirrel and then she rests her head on my shoulder while I turn on the sound machine. Some nights, I don't want to lay her down!

 
So there you have it, our snow day, where we didn't get to play in the snow, but we watched a LOT of it come down! Hope everyone stays safe and warm out there tomorrow.

Saturday, January 4, 2014

One Last Christmas Celebration!!!

...Today we had one last Christmas celebration with my MIL's side of the family. What a surprise when we walked in and saw Santa!

We'd ask AR where Santa was or tell her to take something to Santa and she'd go straight to Uncle Phil.

Matt with his cousins Katherine and Jenifer, the famous mural painters!

AR had a blast playing with her two cousins. However, this picture doesn't make it seem that way, but I swear they did.

Someone decided to show AR and Eva the piano...they were in heaven!

Big cousin Jen came over and showed the girls how to play while they pounded on the keys themselves.

It was a nice, relaxing afternoon and I love that it's after the holidays so we don't have to rush around. So now, our Christmas season is officially over until next year!

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Back to the Grind...

...Today is back to work for me. I've been off since last Friday and it's been wonderful to chill, be lazy, and hang with my girl. This is a random post of this and that and other thoughts.

I took full advantage of my week off from good eating and working out. I also paid $50 to join a 12 week weight loss challenge where the first place price is $700!!! That's the kind of motivation I need to keep going so today marks back to working out. My goal is to do boot camp or run in the morning before work and then run in the evening on boot camp days or do a Pinterest at home workout on running days. I think the next few weeks I'll be able to swing it, but once my class starts at LU, I'm worried about my time crunch. As long as I get one workout in a day and eat well though, I should be okay. Plus the weather will be warming up in the next couple months which means AR and I can do more things outside which will be nice.

Since I've been off, I've been putting all our Christmas gifts away and trying to get the house back in order. AR was loving playing in the box of peanuts.

But once she started hiding toys in them and taking them out one by one, it was time to get rid of it. Bye, bye peanuts!

My sister got AR a broom just her size. Of course, she still prefers to use mine which I let her until she jabbed it in my ear when I was on my knees picking up spaghetti noodles we dropped.

Heading back to work, I'm all caught up on laundry. AR likes to dance around her room while I put away clothes. Thanks for the help!

Luckily, my child tries to crawl IN her crib instead of out of it. Oh, she's also had this nasty cough for a few weeks. The Monday before Christmas, my mom took her to the doctor who said it was just her sinuses. Last Saturday, I thought the cough was getting better and we could stop the meds. Then wouldn't you know it, she woke up Sunday morning with a nasty runny nose. We're definitely getting our money's worth out of that humidifier.

Oh hey, her hair is long enough for a ponytail! Woohoo!!! Now she has three hair-dos we can style. Still haven't got her haircut although those front bangs/hair are in her eyes if it's not pulled back. As part of the sitter's Christmas present, I gave her a whole box of ponytail holders so she can do AR's hair (this was in addition to other goodies and an extra week of pay).

We've had lots of time to play around, be silly, and take pictures like this one. I don't know why, but I really like it. Oh! My SIL got engaged the weekend before Christmas. She's asked me to take pics of them for their Save the Date cards. It's a total honor, but I'm worried that they won't turn out well. I really struggled with outdoor lighting so any tips would be greatly appreciated.

 I'm also considering doing a photo challenge in February if anyone is interested. Here's the challenge I plan on doing.
We've enjoyed being silly girls!

I bought her some new sippy cups. It's like the next step after straws I guess. It's spill proof and helps them to drink from a regular cup. So far, I'm loving it and so is she. The ones we bought were the Playtex brand. I only have two right now so she'll stay on the straw cups at my MIL's but we'll send these daily with breastmilk to the sitter's.
 
Yes, I still have frozen breastmilk but I'm guessing we'll use it all up by the end of this month. I'm happy I had some to help her through the winter this year, but I'll be glad when I don't have to thaw it out every day and then we won't have to send ANYTHING to the sitter's which will be AMAZING! So thankful we had a great breastfeeding relationship. I miss it in some ways, but in others, I'm so glad we're done. Not that we have a choice about baby #2, but that's one of those things that if we had a second, I wonder if I could I do it again for another year. I'm sure I could and would, but it wouldn't be something I was looking forward to.

My sis got AR a LeapPad 2 for Christmas. AR's favorite program is the camera so we have lots of pictures of the two of us. I finally got her to stick out her tongue when I tell her to so here's one of the cuter ones that we have.

And then we did a selfie with my DSLR to match! The little LeapPad doesn't take bad pics, probably just as good as my phone.

 
So that's what we've been doing for the past week. Now it's back to work clothes instead of sweats, fruit instead of frosting, and hanging with adults instead of AR. Today feels like a Monday so I'm pretty excited that it's already Thursday. Oh and an update since I wrote this, Matt has to go in to work at 3am because of the weather so there goes the plan to run before work today. Please tweet or FB me to guilt me into running when I get home this evening!

We're headed to Florida in a couple weeks to see Nana. While I'm NOT looking forward to traveling alone with her, I am looking forward to lounging and chilling with her and Nana in the warmer Floridian weather!