Growing Pains

I remember my brother getting horrible growing pains in his legs when he was younger. He was such a tall kid. Shane is his little mini me. Shane has always been in the upper percentile for his height. So...it did not surprise me that for about a month straight he complained about the back of his knees hurting and then all of the sudden his pants no longer fit him. Poor kid...I told him he was growing and he was super stoked about that. But this is not about his growing pains this is about my growing pains. Just keepin' it real here. After I told Shane he was growing...he said to me "Mama you and Daddy don't want me to get bigger, huh?" That is right Bubba...Just Stay Little. 

I have a little frame that has that saying "Just stay little" in his room. Well, I guess I should say I had that little frame in his room until today. For today, Shane got his "big boy room". It was hard when I moved him into his big boy bed awhile back but I still kept a lot of the Cowboy decor. I just added in a few things from Toy Story, since that was his favorite movie at the time. Woody is a cowboy so I could deal with that. I am not into kid rooms being plastered with a certain character...but I want Shane to love his room...so he did have a Toy Story comforter even though Mama thought it totally messed up the Vintage Cowboy vibe I was going for. 

 I normally am ecstatic to redecorate any room...but this room...not so much. I knew that it meant I would have to pack up his horses, his hand prints and foot prints and anything that had to do with being a Lil' Buckaroo. I would then have to put up the Superhero decor. (That is what we settled on. I am going more for an industrial/city look...but there are a few appearances of Iron Man and Captain America). MAN...was this tough. Growing pains for sure...for Mama. Shane will be four in just 7 weeks:(. He is still little but not little little. He can do so much for himself and doesn't need my help. Most days I am super grateful for that..but other days it is sad. I am excited to see him grow and learn. I have loved every stage of his life and it just keeps getting better. So, just in case you have not yet made that switch from baby to big boy or girl room...be forewarned it is rough. I was super cheesy and did a "client" reveal with Shane like you see on HGTV. I shut the door and told him when it was ready. He ran in and said "this is awesome!!!!" If he hated it I was ready to put everything back up...no problem:). It is not anywhere near done...but I had a few things that I had been collecting over the past year and decided to hang all of his art. We are hoping to move soon..so until we have a place I don't want to buy any furniture until I know the space he will have. 

So glad he thought his room was "awesome". I caught him pretending to be a Superhero tonight...jumping on his bed.... in his cape....saving the world!

This I got for free! I also already had a poster frame hanging around so it was completely free! It was Shane's favorite!

I bought an old comic book awhile back at a thrift shop and tore out some pages (Shane was mortified)...hey it was all in the name of design! I used some leftover fabric to cover up a memo board I wasn't using and used push pins to pin the pages up and voila! ART:)

So...my sister in law bought Shane these coloring pages and I instantly thought that is going on Shane's wall! I did go out and buy Shane another one because that would be kind of cruel to take away his gift and say he couldn't color it. Although I could do it in the name of design again...but that would have been pushing it:) Oh and I had the frame already that fit it perfect..which is crazy because it was an odd size. I say God was rewarding me for not purchasing anything yet until I absolutely have to. I think all three of these piece cost like 2.00!!!

 

Ok now to leave you with the saddest picture ever taken! We were visiting with Scott's Aunt tonight, as she is going to be heading home tomorrow morning. She got all the Grand-kids presents. Shane got Superhero jammies...which of course he LOVED! When I got home I realized his jammie drawer was packed to the brim. I needed to take out a pair...then....there they were...his Woody jammies. Seriously!!! Those are the only pair in there that are way too short and I was holding onto because they are just so darn cute. But, it was time. I pulled them out and Shane was like..."what are you doing?". I told him I had to make room and these do not fit you any more. He then proceeded to grab them and do this: 

Not making this up folks. It was super sweet though. Almost like he was telling me it was ok...he is still little and will always be my Lil' Buckaroo!

Girl Talk

If you love makeup than this post is for you! If you don't know much about makeup or it just isn't something you are really into, this post is for you. I personally LOVE makeup. Maybe because I grew up with it. My mom was a makeup artist before I was born and even had her own makeup line...how cool is that!?! I usually play it safe with my makeup...but I do like to mix it up from time to time. I know as a mom brushing my teeth each morning is a huge accomplishment(which reminds me...)so the idea of "painting my face" everyday is hard to imagine. But...trust me you will feel so much better. I promised myself a few months back that I would wake up for a full week and get ready...that meant getting dressed(silly I know..but I was in my pj's til noon some days), doing my hair (not just throwing it up in a ponytail) and putting on my makeup. I did it and felt sooo much better about myself and was ready for the day. Also...I didn't look like I just rolled out of bed at noon.

Since I work from home I am not forced to really get ready for the day. I am stuck at home until 4:30. I do have to pick up my son on Tuesdays and Thursdays...so I try to not look like a hot mess on those days. I have a 5 minute face, 10 minute face and a 30 minute face. 5 minute face is no foundation and just concealer(my must have) eye makeup and some blush. There is nothing pretty about under eye circles. It must be my German blood because my under eye circles are insane! Do you have that must have makeup item??? My other is eyeliner and mascara!

I wanted to have a weekly "Girl Talk" post. Thought it would be something fun and informative(not that I am an expert or anything) but I have been watching a ton of You Tube videos...which I will post a link to at the end. I also read a lot of websites about makeup and blogs as well. There are a few new items that I have tried and a few that I want to try so I will give some reviews on those. This week I wanted to focus on brushes.

If you do not have good brushes... applying your makeup can be very frustrating. I used to work for The Body Shop and got a great set from them years ago. Of course, there are a million different brushes out on the market and it is honestly overwhelming. Not everyone will need all of the same brushes but here is my basic list of brushes that I use and work great for me.

Sigma F80 Kabuki Brush

First off this is my new fav...I just got it in the mail today and tried it for the first time and love it!!! It was a little bit pricey but in the long run it isn't all that much. I wanted to buy this to replace the sponges that I normally use to apply my foundation on with. Now, I have to say I still love my sponges...but they don't last long and they suck up a lot of product so that is why the 16.00 that I spent on this Kabuki brush is worth it. Also, the girl who recommended it, on YouTube, always looked like she had an airbrushed look. She gave all the credit to this brush by Sigma. I did not have to use a lot of product and it went on very quickly. I had used a smaller foundation brush by E.L.F. and it just took too long to apply and over time got very grimy...yuck! Although I only have used this once, I really like it. I just put a little foundation on the back of my hand and stippled the brush in it and on my face as well. Stippling(dabbing like motion) really gets that airbrush look you want. You shouldn't look like you have a thick layer of foundation on.

beautyblender

 I am still anxious to try the new rave...beauty blenders. Have you guys tried these? Maybe it isn't new...I seem to be about a year or two behind all the trends! You actually get these wet(if you want or can leave dry) and then wring them out and use to blend on your foundation and concealer. I am thinking I will love this because it is like a sponge and you can wash it out and use for a long time. Definitely my next purchase... I will review it for ya:).

Wow...this post is already long so I am just going to list a few more brushes I personally love:

Slanted Brush...this one I love for smoothing out my eyeliner and making it look less harsh.

This is a blender brush...this is by e.l.f. for 1.00! I bought this brand because I wasn't sure if I really needed this brush but I really like it. If you wear a few different colored eye shadows I like this to blend the two or three together at the line where they meet so there is not a definite line.

And like promised...here are the links to some You Tube videos. I apologize in advance... most of the girls who do these videos are a bit silly...but super cute and have a lot of great ideas. 

http://youtu.be/1W-93hFSl3U
Great video on applying foundation....super long:)
http://youtu.be/JYMNZiaky5U 
This is super great for a quick natural look!

That is it for the first GIRL TALK post...hope you enjoyed! Let us know what brushes you just love!!
 

By George, I think she's got it!

I graduated from Culinary School. I would not call myself a professional chef by any means...but I know what's up in the kitchen. So, it is super embarrassing that the one thing I can not ever get right is the simple...All American...Chocolate Chip cookie!!!!

I have gone through 100's of recipes trying to find the perfect chewy chocolate chip cookie. I love thick and chewy or thin and chewy cookies. I can make a crispy chocolate chip cookie like no other...but I don't like those!!! It is a bit of a joke in my house that these suckers get the best of me in my kitchen. I blamed it on my oven for years...until I got a new one and they still turned out crispy.

I tried cooking them for a shorter amount of time...with butter...with margarine...with shortening... and so on. I have tried different pans...different temperatures and to no avail have failed....until yesterday!!!!!

Pinterest is one of my best friends. I love her. This is where I found the "it" recipe. It was by a baker, named Karyn, God Bless you!!! She has a website called Pint Sized Baker. I can't wait to take a look around at some of her other recipes. The reason I think her recipe worked was:

1. She used butter.
2. She chills her dough (1 -24 hours)
3. She uses a baking mat. 

These three things were key in getting that chewy cookie I love. Sooooo.....here is the recipe!

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

by Pint Sized Baker

Prep Time: 1 day

Cook Time: 9 minutes

Ingredients (6 dozen cookies)

• 2-3/4 C Flour
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 2 1/2 sticks Butter
• 1 3/4 C Dark Brown Sugar - packed
• 1/4 C Granulated Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2 C Chocolate Chips

Instructions

Mix the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugars on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time then add vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the flour mixture until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.

Cover with plastic wrap and set in the fridge for at least an hour, but overnight is best.

Preheat oven to 375 deg F and line cookie sheets with a baking mat. I used a cookie scoop to measure out the batter and left them as balls. I tried a batch that was slightly flattened, and the rounded ones looked better.

Bake for 10 - 12 minutes until the edges are golden and the middles are still soft. Let cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 8 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

***I cut the recipe in half and they still turned out great!!!

Love Is In The Air

Do you celebrate Valentine's Day? Or are you like my husband and think it is a ridiculous holiday where they hike up the prices 300% on flowers, jewelry and chocolate??? I for one LOVE V-day. Mainly because there is lots of pink floating around and I usually get flowers...not on V-day but after when they are back to a normal price. I have never been very romantic...but in the last few years... as I grow older... I really am and The Hubs is adjusting. Oh and he has also learned that I DO NOT like red roses. They are boring to me...I know they symbolize love and all, but my favorite are pink roses or any other unique flower like these beauties:

Blush Peonies...ohhhhh...pitter patter

My love language is receiving gifts. The Hubs finds this hilarious. I told him it does not have to be a new Ted Baker purse that I happened to see and fall in love with which you can find here in case my Valentine is reading this and maybe wants to surprise the love of his life, the mother of his adorable son and hard working wife who makes him dinner and cleans the house(on occasion) and loves him dearly. Oh...where was I ...yes...it does not have to be a fancy purse...but a simple card would do or a little trinket that he bought (not on his way home on V-day) but weeks before. Something with some thought behind it. 

****I do have to say there is a gift waiting for me that The Hubs purchased for me on a business trip to Monterey...which I am really excited about. I don't care what it is...just the fact that he thought of me and got me something is super sweet!

So what are your plans? As much as I love V-day I really don't like going out on the actual day. It is soooo crowded. I think we are going to have a quiet night at home...with the 3 of us. I was browsing V-day pins on Pinterest and came across some cute ideas!

First...we must talk about the sweets! Here are some of my favorites:

Source

These could be made super quick with a package mix. Great idea for a teacher gift too...wrapped in cellophane:)

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie that's amore!

Now let's get crafty!

There was not a source for this pic. I think this is a super easy and inexpensive project. Find some doilies at the Dollar Store or a craft store and add to string, yarn or ribbon. Hang from your bedroom door or your child's so when they wake up they have a "heart attack". 

Source

Can you feel the LOVE? This year marks our 10 year wedding anniversary and I fall more in love with The Hubs everyday! I love talking with him and sharing my life with him. He is encouraging and always puts others first. He has made my life better and I am so blessed to have him as my Valentine!