Entry Way: New and Improved

Despite the fact that I am due with baby #3 in 6 days and should probably be laundering, cleaning, or panicking, I wanted to show you one of the DIY projects we've finished at our house.  Remember how our entry from the garage looked before?

Plain and blah, and absolutely no functionality...in steps the handyman hubby. We originally thought we would fill the space with bead board, but plank walls are everywhere now and well, we decided to jump right on that bandwagon.  We started by painting the wall white so it wouldn't show our wall color through the planks (excuse the bad lighting):

Then we built a bench, set painted white planks on the walls, and added a built in box on top for baskets.  Here it is in the middle of the project, almost done:

Here it is after the hooks and decor were added:

Does it look this clean and organized all the time?  Heck no.  I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old after all.  But they have learned pretty quickly that this is the spot to put on/take off shoes, hang their backpacks and jackets, and just unload their stuff.  It's amazing what you can do with such a small space--I had no idea it could be so functional and pretty at the same time.

Resource list:

Doormat, baskets, and white frame from Target

Shoe tray from Bed, Bath and Beyond

Blue vase from Down to Earth

Blue chair from Four Chairs Furniture

Metal mail holder from Office Max

Linking up here:

Read more at http://diyshowoff.com/buttons/#7EuPZDPD9vtVMVuS.99

What We've Been Up To

Thanks for the encouraging comments on my I have no friends post...and for not making me feel like a total L7 weenie.  Anyway, here's a little snippet of what we've been up to lately:

The hubs and I celebrated 8 years of marriage by going out to dinner and seeing Oz in 3D.  I know a lot of people are good about dating their spouse...we are not those kinds of people.  So it was nice to get out and again reminds me that we need to do it more often.  (A lot of people said they hated the movie, but I really liked it.  Maybe that's because I don't get out much, but it was visually stunning and I was thoroughly entertained).

We have been blending like mad.  How did I only just start making smoothies for my kids?  My 2 year old is my picky eater when it comes to fruits and veggies so this has been perfect.  He drinks these things right up--and sometimes they have spinach in them.  HA!  Now I just need a fancy Blend Tec.  Our favorite recipe is to just dump in a bunch of stuff--usually about a cup of organic plain yogurt, a handful of strawberries, a banana or 2 and then top the blender off with either frozen raspberries or blueberries.  And now and then I add some spinach.  You can't even taste it.

My sweet sis in law doing my toes...because I can't reach.

34 weeks along (AAH!) and I swear I am DONE.  I feel like I am days away from delivering and yet I still have 6 weeks. How we women do this is beyond me.  It is just so uncomfortable.  The other day my maternity pants were curling and folding down off of my belly so much that I came home, ripped them off,  and started bawling because I just wanted to wear pants like a normal person.  I know...dramatic.  But I think it's safe to say it's yoga pants from here on out--so don't judge me if you see me. :)

We had a visit last month from my brother and his wife.  They were in town from Hawaii for a wedding, and it was sooo good to see them.  My brother had just gotten back a few months prior from his year long stint in Afghanistan.  It was a great week of family (and that means tons of games! Yes!) and fun.

We finally upgraded our entertainment center.  After going back and forth about whether to refinish, completely build new, or buy new we opted for the easiest option and bought new.  The TV cost us practically nothing (we had saved gifts cards for over a year), so we justified the purchase.  Also it is pretty massive and was exactly what we wanted so all in all, I am in love with it.  And the 60" TV makes the hubs happy. Here it is:

Love!

A pic of my munchkins just for fun.
Happy weekend!  And here's to the next month going by wicked fast.

Pinterest Test Kitchen Part 4: Dessert Edition

Here are some recipes I've pinned and tried lately...and if you are trying to be healthy right now stop reading. :)

Pretty immediately after I pinned this recipe for Mandy's Swig Sugar Cookies I made them for my monthly bunko group.  They were an absolute hit and I could not stop eating them.  They are TO DIE for.  So seriously, make these.  Like right now. And delete any other sugar cookie recipe you have pinned, you don't need it anymore. :)

Another one I tried pretty recently was the Eclair Cake from The Girl Who Ate Everything.  I would love to make eclairs but they just sound like too much work and this was a great substitute.  Delicious!

Bakerella is famous for her cake pops, but I made her Peach Crunch Cake (I call it dump cake) and it was so easy and delicious.  Two things I love.

I'm sure you've heard of The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake from Pioneer Woman.  Man I ate this stuff right out of the pan and did not feel guilty....probably should have.  But it was that good.  Made all the extra effort totally worth it.

Finally one I made months ago, but still remember how disappointed I was.  I love snickerdoodles, so I thought Pumpkin Snickerdoodles would be amazing.  But alas, they were not my favorite.  I found myself wishing the pumpkin was more intense, OR that they were just regular old snickerdoodles (I use Erin's recipe).

Photo from http://www.5minutesformom.com/

Hi, What's Your Name?

I feel like I start every blog post with "sorry I've been MIA".  But...it has been awhile.  And we've been working on a few home decor projects that I can't wait to share with you.  Unfortunately I don't have pics uploaded, so those will have to wait.  I just wanted to check in and say hi.

The only baby bump picture you will get from me. :)

I'm currently 31 weeks along in my pregnancy and counting down to baby #3.  It's a bit scary, but really I'm so excited to meet this little guy.  And get this pregnancy over with.  :)  Is it weird I just want to run? Like even just a block.  It sounds so good to me right now.  To move without waddling or wincing.
Today at the park I noticed my super shy daughter instantly making a new friend.  And it's got me thinking how funny it is that it happens every time when we go to the playground.  Kids instantly go up to each other and after quick introductions are playing like they've known each other for years.  I wish I could do that with the other moms.  "Hi what's your name?  Want to play? OK!"  But it's not quite like that.  Once you make that crossover into motherhood, or even adulthood for that matter, it's hard to make new friends.  Although I think it might just be me.  Like my daughter, I'm pretty shy (hmmm, wonder where she gets it from?).  Ever since we moved into our new house, and new area, I keep thinking that I really need to find a friend.  Motherhood can be lonely if you don't have some sort of network.  I need a good friend who's also a mom, and one that has kids the same age as mine, and one who likes to do the same things as me and has the same sense of humor.  That's not too much to ask is it?  I just feel so dumb trying to meet people.  I feel like she's too trendy, she's not in the same stage of life as me, her kids are much older, her kids are too young, does she even have kids, she won't like me, she already has 3 best friends and I wouldn't fit in, etc. etc.  Phew.  Every now and then I hang out with my high school friends or my sister in laws, and it is so easy.  Our kids get along and nothing in our friendship feels forced.  But that time with them makes me wish I had that closer to home (my HS friends and I are spread out about an hour apart).
Now I know this sounds really pathetic like I'm the wallflower in the corner with no friends.  And I guess I am. I'm finding comfort in the fact that no one really reads this blog...but I'm curious how people out there find that one friend they can call up any day of the week and say 'meet us at the park'.

I don't mean for this post to be a downer but it's just been weighing on my mind lately.  Glad I have this weekend to relax and recharge, despite the pouring rain.

word vomit

I am seriously dying to get outta dodge.  In general I enjoy having a winter season.  But every year I hit this point where I'm just DONE with the cold weather.   I've been looking at Vegas hotels and wow, talk about cheap!  It would cost us almost twice as much in fuel as the hotel.  I don't care if all we did was take the kids to the park to play ALL DAY, as long as I'm not cooped up in the house. (is there a kids park in Vegas?  I think there has to be.)

Also, we got a new TV.  60" to be exact.  It's still sitting on the ground in the box and it's been that way for 3 weeks.  We want to hang it on the wall in our family room, and I have been busy looking and looking (and looking some more) for a piece of furniture to go underneath it.  This is going to be the death of me!!!  We could do the cheap cheap version and get something ugly and not what we really want but it's good for now.  Or I could do the cheap route and redo a piece of old furniture I find off of Craig's List.  We could get a moderately priced piece at the local furniture place (but it wouldn't really be the dimensions we want, and probably not the color--we need something taller than the standard out there).  Or we could pay out the yang and get something custom made.  As in the exact dimensions we want, color we want, doors/drawers we want.  Part of me thinks what a great investment piece it would be, and I would have it for years and years.  Another part of me thinks, who am I? Donald Trump?  I don't have that kind of money.    Also it terrifies me to pick furniture.  I'd rather have all my crap stuff and have it be ugly, then actually invest in something and have it not work.  Sigh.  Why can't I just be blessed in the decor/style department?  Help.

Sleep.  Do you fall asleep easily?  On a good night it takes me 20 minutes.  The more pregnant I get the longer that gets.  But my hubby...man, he can fall asleep in seriously 3 SECONDS.  We'll be chatting, trail off, and then zzzzz.  I'm like seriously?  We were JUST talking.  If I could choose a super power it would hands down be to fall asleep at a lightning speed pace.

Made a cake yesterday.  With crushed Oreos on top.  And it was good.  I think I'll go have a piece.

And because I can't have a picture-less post, here's a pic of my girl with the cake she decorated 100% by herself for her dad's birthday.  I think she was going for snakes...

Good Riddance

I am so so SO glad January is over.  Halle-freakin-lujah.  Now if we can just get rid of these lingering colds everything will be great.  Staying in for weeks on end is enough to drive a girl insane.
We got absolutely pounded by snow this week--and I loved it!  Especially now that I've got a big ol' SUV with 4 wheel drive, it's even fun to drive in.

The kids enjoying the snow, albeit powdery snow (aka crappy snow that won't make a snowman).

Even though I love the snow, this has been on constant rotation in my car.  It makes me feel like I'm driving around in Hawaii again, and also takes me back to my high school days when No Doubt was a staple in my music stash.  

Are you excited for the Super Bowl?  I'm excited for the food. Awhile back I accidentally bought 2 pounds of Velveeta cheese because I thought I needed it for a soup recipe.  Well I didn't use it and have wondered how on earth to use it ever since--I'm not really a Velveeta kinda girl--but now that the big game is here, this chili dip is calling my name!  Also I'm making these Oreo Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars from Picky Palate.  Can you say yum?  

One last thing...this little collection of What Not To Wear Gif's is my favorite....oh I love those two!

Fresh

Well it's been two months since I last blogged.  I don't know what it is lately but when I go to click on blogger I have this "ick" reaction.  But be assured we had a great holiday and even though January is being its usual cruel self to us, we are doing OK.   We've spent the last week cooped up at home, all of us sick (me even in bed for 2 days which is realllly hard with kids) and miserable.  But I think we are finally on the upswing.
(Oh and we woke up this morning to no water.  So double yay! Fortunately my handy hubby figured it out--our water meter was completely frozen--and fixed it within an hour.  It's hard to go without water even that long!)
So our big news is that sometime before Halloween we found out that I am pregnant.  Baby #3! And I know, I know, remember that post about me not wanting more kids?  Well I just couldn't shake the feeling we were supposed to have another one.  As much as I fought it I just felt like I needed one more.  And I know why I put it off for awhile.  Because everyone acted like if I have a 3rd child, I had to have a 4th.  Because you can't have an odd number of kids!  What about when you go to Disneyland?!  Who is going to sit by themselves on the rides??!?!
Well I finally came to the conclusion that I am not planning my life around a freakin trip to Disneyland.  I'll have 3 kids and everything will be fine.  After all, I grew up the oldest of 3 kids, and no, my life wasn't torn apart every time we went to Disneyland.
So there is no pressure to have 4.  None at all.
Aaaaaaaanyway we found out a couple of weeks ago that it is a boy and I am soooo happy.  Because holy lands, is my daughter hard.  Last night we had scones for dessert and she ran to her room BAWLING because hers didn't have enough butter on it.  We just stared at each other like,  "What just happened?" She is the only girl I can handle.
Baby boy is due the end of May.  And I already feel HUGE.  You know those darling girls that get pregnant and look like they have a little basketball stuck under their shirt?  Yeah that is so NOT me.  I am a beast when I am pregnant.  A huge, fat, ugly, hormonal beast.  So here goes! Another four months until I feel human again!

Man, I sound so maternal.

Because I hate photo-less posts, here are some from our Christmas.

Oh and my brother got home from Afghanistan, safe and sound!  It is such a relief.  I just wish his home wasn't across the Pacific!  Can't wait to see him in March when they come out here.