Birchbox

I saw a pin on Pinterest about Birchbox.
Ever heard of it? I hadn't either.

The website says "hand-picked beauty and lifestyle samples delivered to your door for $10/month".

I'm a sucker for a sample and a treat delivered every month? I like it.

I got my 1st box and was giddy.



Along with samples, I'm also a sucker for pretty packaging.



It may as well have been a box from Tiffany's....I'm such a cheap date.



I love the perfume sample, a great pumpkin face scrub and although I won't wear green nail polish, it's definitely fun. Once you try the products you can visit the website to learn more about them and order full sizes.

Worth the $10? I think so.
I'm counting the days until my May box arrives!!

Baseball Begins!

It's that time again.

Spring flowers, warmer weather and now...baseball is back.

We signed Cooper up to play in our new town. Instead of over 300 10 and under kids in the league, there are 16. Instead of never knowing where the game will be, there is one field. It's small town baseball and it's a big deal.

It's different, but the same.
Cooper is having a blast.

Saturday was Opening Day.
They announce each player by name, sign the National Anthem and an Opening Day pitch is thrown.



It's very official.
Also official? The uniforms.
Cooper told me that they're just like the major leagues....especially the pants.
I must have checked the wrong box on the order form....his are an adult small. He can barely keep them up but he LOVES THEM!



He had a great game......the kid is playing 1st base again this year and is about the cutest 1st baseman around.



The weather was perfect for a baseball game and for a crazy mom taking pictures like a mad woman.




They won! I just love his happy face.



1 down, 14 to go.
Go Mets!

Today was Good

Saturday.
I thought it would never get here.
It was even a 4 day work week because I took Monday off but it didn't matter.
The week was long and hard and truthfully I could have worked all day long today and I still wouldn't have been caught up.

But I didn't.
And so, today was good!

Coop went to a sleepover birthday party in Richmond last night and Jon left early to do some jobs and pick him up. He took the dog with him so I had the house to myself.

It was blissful.

A little recap-

-slept until 8:45
-watched a DVR'd episode of Grey's
-showered
-mopped the floors
-ate lunch on the porch and read a magazine



(my lunch was pita bread and the MOST AMAZING hummus- white bean and basil from Trader Joe's. i bought it on a whim and i'm so glad i did, it was divine.)

-after lunch called my new friend mary to see if she wanted to run check out some outdoor furniture with me
-spent an hour shopping and laughing!
-came home....Jon was mowing the lawn and Cooper was playing with a friend
-did some laundry
-took down my Easter decorations
-ordered a pizza and watched a movie with my boys
-said goodnight to my boys and am catching up on blogging


I loved my day- got things done, spent time with friends, relaxed and got re-energized and ended the day surrounded by my sweet little family (and our needy dog)!

Today was good.

thankful thursday

i just got a text from jon.
bear in mind that I'm downstairs and he's upstairs.

jon's text to me- "a message just popped up on facebook saying that it's diana's birthday this week"

my text to him- "yup- i gave her her present already. thx for looking out for me honey. love you.

jon's text to me- "just didn't want you to miss birthday week."


does it bother me that he texted me vs. coming down to talk face to face?
it's not lost on me- but somehow his message via text meant more than having this same exchange live.

here is why-

*because it's captured in black and white- and i can go back and re-live the moment and how loved it made me feel.

*because he knows how much i love my friend.....and he knows how much birthday week means to her!

*because he's learned so much over the years about what makes me happy and how important remembering special days can be.

*because he paid attention and took action.....

*because its a small thing but it conveys how much he loves me.


i'm so thankful for him.

Easter Dinner

Easter dinner was magic!!!
I was with people I love, eating food I adore and celebrating the gift that is our Lord.

Who could ask for more?



My 1st official holiday dinner in our new home.
I couldn't wait to make things festive and I loved the way the table looked.

I found the sweetest nests to use as place cards- and then found eggs to go inside. I forgot how handy a glue gun can be!



We had 10 for dinner and although I do have 10 place settings of my china, I didn't love the way it looked with the nests and flowers. Good thing my hubs lobbied for white plates- they have come in so handy!



I only have a place setting for 8 in white so I improvised and brought out some antique flow blue plates. I used glasses with blue trim that we rec'd as a wedding present to carry the blue around the table. My mom and I were both giddy when it came together. The finishing touch- blue bunnies that I bought on clearance at the shop where my sweet friend Arlene works. She was coming for dinner and commented immediately when she saw them.

The best part about the table?



Peeking in from outside, seeing everyone together and sharing the special meal with special friends and family.

Hope your Easter was wonderful too!

After Hours Easter Egg Hunt-

I saw this idea on Pinterest and thought it would be fun to try for our Easter Egg Hunt. As Cooper gets older I like to try and maintain our traditions but make them age appropriate at the same time.



Lots of times things seem easy...but they really aren't. This was one of those times.
It took four of us at least 30 minutes to stuff 30 eggs with glow bracelets. If you're thinking about trying it, I'd recommend light colored eggs that are larger than the "normal" egg. We really had to contort the glow bracelets to make them fit inside the eggs (and even used packing tape on some to hold them together).

Good thing we had some wine with dinner!



In the end it was so worth it- although there is a possibility the adults were more impressed than the kids!

Glowing Easter Eggs- pretty genius.
Thanks guys for playing along!

For Eli (because he's a WINNER!)

Last year I introduced you to Eli. He's still adorable!


Last week I got an e-mail from his mom, Jen, with details about helping them in their quest for support of the Central Virgina Autism Society.

I read the e-mail and ended up in tears. Then I sent our friend Diana a message and warned her not to read the e-mail at work. Luckily, she hadn't seen it yet and heeded my advice.

My next message was to Jen to 1) let her know that she made me cry 2)tell her how amazing she was and 3) ask whether I could blog about them again.

She apologized, said her intent was to be fun and lighthearted and that of course I could blog about them. I love that girl.

You be the judge....and if you're so inclined, click to help the fight against Autism.

**************

“I AM A WINNER!”
These are the exact words that Eli shouted as he crossed the finish line at last year’s Autism Society Central Virginia 5K Run/Walk.

Our family has been participating in the ASCV 5K event for 4 years and it has become one of my favorite days out of the year. It is a time where my family and friends get together and raise awareness about autism. It is a day of no special education, social skills classes, speech therapy and/or occupational therapy appointments. It is a day that educators don’t have to gather any data that determines how far Eli is delayed or the challenges he faces.

We simply spend the day celebrating Eli for the fun loving smiling little guy that he is!

I often wonder what Eli thinks of the ASCV walk that we participate in every year. We often speak the word “autism” around him but have not had that “formal” conversation of telling him that he has autism. He has yet to question why we walk, why we wear shirts with his picture on them and why he sees so many familiar faces at the event- former speech therapists, occupational therapists, teachers, daycare teachers, coaches, family and friends. I am actually looking forward to the day that Eli asks “Mom, why do we participate in this event?” I think my response will go something like this:

• I walk because you are my son … my only son.
I walk because you are mine!
• I walk because you are brave without knowing it. You encounter noises and textures on a daily basis that make your body uncomfortable yet you continue on.
I walk because you make me proud!
• I walk because you teach me how to be a better person. You have made me a better mother and a more compassionate person.
I walk because you are a gift!
• I walk because you are smart. You see things in such a different way. You see the small joys in a spinning washing machine, an opening door or the smell of bubble gum.
I walk because you give me insight!
• I walk because other families do not have support that we are blessed with.
I walk for more information and research!
• I walk because one day a person will tell you that you are different and not typical and they won’t do it nicely.
I walk for understanding!
• We walk because you are a son, a grandchild, a nephew, a cousin and a friend to many.
We walk because autism has affected ALL who love you!
• We walk because we love you!

Last year Team bELIeve came in 2nd place for the highest fundraising team- a big accomplishment! We are hoping for another successful year. All funds raised from this event will stay within the greater Richmond area, providing much needed support to families and individuals living with autism.

Click here to make an online donation to the ASCV Walk and to support Eli.

************
Thanks Jen- for making us understand, for making us act, for allowing us to support your family and making a difference.

I'm so proud to be considered a bELIever!!

Favorite Smoothie

I've long been a smoothie fan, but until recently I have considered a smoothie only to be ice, milk, yogurt and fruit.

Lately I've started to give in to the peer pressure of adding veggies to my smoothies. I know- STOP THE MADNESS.

This is even too radical for Jon, who is typically up for whatever new zen phase is out there. Chia seeds? He's interested. Ear candling? Sign him up. Random vitamin supplements to cure what ails him? Yes, indeed.

Spinach in his smoothie?
NO WAY.

But I've been reading about this craziness and everyone says that you can't taste a thing. I've got one friend who has been filling her kids with so many veggies in smoothies that they ask for "green smoothies" now by choice.

So, I tried it.



And I loved it!!!
I've started my day with one for the past few weeks and I do think it makes a difference in my energy levels in the morning.

Try it and see what you think-

"Green" Strawberry Smoothie

1 individual container Activia Vanilla Yogurt
1/4 C Milk
Big handful of fresh spinach
1/2 avocado (because this makes them SO SMOOTH and RICH!)
6-8 strawberries (I was slicing...I've since started throwing them in whole with the stems on)
3 ice cubes

You can add sugar if you want...sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.
Blend until smooth.


Enjoy!
I think the best part is knowing that I've eaten at least 1 serving of leafy green veggies before 9am. Impressive.

Minimize it

This picture has nothing to do with my post...it just makes me smile. This is Aunt Kathy and Cooper at her big 5-oh birthday party. I love his grin and how adorable he looks in those crazy glasses. I also love how much they love each other!

I want to remember his goofy little grin (and those adorable baby teeth)..I also want to remember the funny things that he says. They are coming less and less often these days but every once and a while he says something that is priceless.

Coop and I were driving home and he was telling me about something on the computer. He explained that he couldn't see the whole thing at one time on the screen....

He said, "Since I couldn't see the whole picture, I decided to minnie mize it."
It was like he was saying Minnie Mouse except minnie mize.

I couldn't resist...and I made him say it again. Except he's getting too smart and he said- "you know the word momma, I'm not sure exactly how to say it."

"Minimize buddy. Minimize."

I wish I could minnie mize him....and keep him in my pocket all the time.
So sweet that one.

fatal attraction

I love Easter.
I love the weather, the colors, the food, the festivities and the reason for the celebration.
It's such a happy time.

To prepare, I got out my decorations over the weekend. Since we've moved I had fun trying to decide where the best spot was in our new house for the beloved treasures.

Enter this adorable little straw rabbit (not truly this one...but one that looks pretty similar).



I got him years ago and he's one of my favorites. I found the perfect place in the living room and as I was admiring my handiwork Jon made a comment that maybe I should put him somewhere else.

I blew him off.
After all, what does he know about Easter decorations.

Fast forward to this afternoon when I got this message-

From: Jon
Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2012 02:52 PM
To: Carolyn
Subject: fatal attraction

I knew there could be a problem when you set it out……when I came home to change from the doctor, the rabbit cage, the grass, and two rolls of paper towels had all been violated……

The rabbit is still missing.
I don’t know if she turned on a boiling pot of water or not.

***********************

OH. MY. WORD.
That crazy dog.

I might have been mad, but the message made me laugh so hard that I couldn't be too upset. I love that man- he is FUNNY.

I give you the evidence...



What would possess a dog to eat a roll of paper towels?
What would possess a dog to eat a straw rabbit in a tiny cage??

My poor decorations....destroyed.



Great news though- we found the rabbit (minus his nose)!




Sadly, I think my rabbit will not make it to see his pal the Easter Bunny.
Here's hoping your decorations come through the holiday unscathed.

old blogger vs. new blogger

I'm old school.
I don't love change.
I'm set in my ways.
I like the familiar and the comfortable.
Sometimes I push myself to try new things.
Sometimes they work and I'm elated!

Blogger has a new interface.
I thought I could handle it.
I thought I understood how to maneuver.
I was wrong.

There has been no elated me as of late.
This video brought me back to the light.

My old interface is now back!
Hello old friend!

Cauliflower Steaks- who knew???

I got this awesome recipe from Janet @ The Gardener's Cottage. Janet has no idea who I am but I read her blog regularly and find her life to be fascinating. She's a living simply in an adorable cottage, is a vegan and puts together great looking outfits for under $10. I'd classify her as pretty fabulous.


I'm not sure what pushed me to try this recipe- something about the title, cauliflower steaks must have appealed to my inner vegetable lover or maybe my outer meat lover. Truthfully I didn't think I had an inner vegetable lover but I'm willing to give it a go. Jon loves cauliflower (I had no idea this was the case....wonder what else he's got hidden up his sleeve) and since I had nothing to lose, I tried them.


Janet altered a recipe from here. I used the original and modified it a bit to suit my taste and what I had in the refrigerator. I love the presentation!

It was delish. I read the comments and took the advice of one person who added Parmesan cheese. You really can't go wrong with Parmesan (unless of course you're a vegan....and then clearly my statement is vastly incorrect). We grilled the steaks vs. pan cooking and had great results- the flavors were amazing.

Verdict from BOTH of us- A.
I highly recommend!

growing up

My sweet kid is growing up so fast. It makes me dizzy.
I took this picture to commemorate a pretty big milestone.
Cooper took his 1st Communion.


Although it's a big milestone it happened with minimal pomp and circumstance. That's exactly how Cooper wanted it and I actually can't argue with him on this one.

He was ready, solemn, excited, nervous, prayerful and pretty proud of himself.
We were proud too.


My sweet kid is growing up so fast.

Photography Class- Moms Mastering Manual

I got my new camera on Thursday...just in time for the photography class I signed up for on Saturday! Denise and I are sorority sisters and she's got a fantastic photography business just a few hours away. In a crazy twist, Dana (who lives in the UK) saw that Denise was holding a class and thought Diana and I would be interested. We were!! Don't we look like eager students?
The goal? To leave the class with an understanding of how to shoot in manual mode and nail the focus and exposure on my photos. This is one of my 1st "successes"! Denise had help from Kristol, another local photographer and crafter extraordinaire and together they taught us the fundamentals, patiently waked us through our cameras and answered all of our questions. Once we were armed with the process, we headed out to put our skills to the test. Kristol whipped up this super fun centerpiece for us....with M3 on each of those little cameras (which she made herself) Sigh- some people are so talented! Denise took us to some of her favorite places to take pictures and had models come for us to use as guinea pigs. I was nervous and determined to get it right. I took over 250 pictures....and love some of my results. one of my 1st shots... love that I was able to get the light reflecting in her eyes! his too! Aren't these little girls were adorable...they didn't seem to mind at all that 10 of us were snapping pictures inches away from their faces. Yes, that is a train speeding by....we were steps away from the train tracks and such the paparazzi. It did seem though after a while that the train would never end.... love her face (she was asking her mom when the train would stop!) This one is a little blown out in the background, but I still like the shot a lot. Such a great day, such a great group of ladies, such a super opportunity to learn AND spend time with great friends! Thanks Denise- we had a blast (and can't wait to practice even more)!

yay

I bought myself a little treat...I can hardly wait for it to arrive!

Before and After Dog

Before-





I could eat her up she is so fuzzy and great!
Seriously. She's got a fan club in our town...it's a riot.

But, all good things must come to an end.





Poor thing. She's so mad at us...she hasn't wagged her tail since she got home and she refuses to look us in the eye.

Regardless of how long her hair is....she's a funny pup.

I love that dog!

davy

I adored the Monk@es. ADORED.
My friend Karen and I would sing for hours when we were little. We knew every episode of the show and every song they sang by heart.

Such happy memories....I was so sad when I heard the news.

Early Morning Exchange (and Math)

Before we moved, Jon and I traded e-mails frequently before 8am.
And they were hilarious and an integral part of our relationship.
Since we've moved, they don't happen anymore. And I miss them TERRIBLY!

The trade off is that we spend the early mornings together and leave at the same time. It's nice....but I don't have as many funny stories about my sweet hubs.

Thankfully humor sometimes pops up later in the day and I get my fix.

This time we were discussing my commute time and gas prices.
And he casually said that if I got a different car that I could save $300-$400/month.

Huh?? Ok, my interest is peaked and my response to him was a simple "DO TELL".

And this is what I got back-

From: Jon
Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 2:47 PM
To: Carolyn
Subject: RE: updates...


Here is how I derived the gas figure. 150 miles/day= 750 miles a week =3000 miles/month

3000/15mpg = 200 gallons of gas/month
200gallons X 3.50/gallon = $700/month

If gas goes to $4/gallon it = $800/month

Therefore a smaller car getting double the gas mileage sales you between $300 and $400/month. I realize they are round figures but they are not far off.

After Coop goes to school here, you would obviously be driving less mileage. Lets say you drive 3 days a week.
125 miles/day 3 days a week = 375 X 4 =1500/month/15mpg = 100 gallons @ $3.50= 350.00 or at $4 $400

In that scenario it would save you around $200
Think about it.

*********
My eyes had glazed over before I got to the 2nd equation. I can't think about it- I can't even read it!
I'm all about saving $400 if it's simple....I don't think this qualifies.

My sweet hubs...we couldn't be more different when it comes to financial "stuff", or gas milage calculations as the case may be.

Sigh.

Edie & Cheeseburger Soup

Things tend to come in 3's.
My most recent evidence in this phenomenon involves "Edie".

I love the blog called Life in Grace (for some reason I can't get Blogger to insert my link so if you want to read Life in Grace visit my sidebar). It's written by a woman named Edie and I'm a little (maybe a lot) inspired by her. She has great style, strong faith, a quirky sense of humor and is intense in her beliefs about everything from religion to educating her children and the color pink she chose for her laundry room/study. She's also a fabulous hostess and often has recipes that make me drool. More about her in a sec.

Sarah and Wade have a cat named Edie. She's quite possibly the best cat ever- which is saying a lot since cats are generally a pretty run of the mill bunch (no offense to any cat lovers who may be reading).

That's 2 Edie's......

The 3rd Edie stares at me from within the freezer section of the grocery store. Yup, Edie's Ice Cream. Typically Edie's Ice Cream doesn't impact me much either way- except that since I gave up sweets for Lent I am HAUNTED by her day and night.


Anywhoo...back to Edie and her blog.

About a month ago Edie posted a recipe for Cheeseburger in Paradise Soup. Anything that references Buffett is worth a second look in my book. It also called for 2 cups of kale, of which I now adore. I pinned it immediately and couldn't stop thinking about it but couldn't get myself together enough to make it.

Until Sunday.
I bought the ingredients....and Jon was instantly on board!



It calls for a beer- because what cheeseburger is complete without one?



Kale, cheese, ketchup, onion....this is sounding easy and delish!
Add ground sirloin, frozen hash browns, a squirt of mustard, some garlic and chicken stock....



And it's starting to look just like Edie's picture!

Does the story have a happy ending?

Well, I'll give it a B, maybe B+.


I wanted to love it...but I didn't. It's chock full of kale and cheese and potatoes and it was good.....but not as good as I wanted it to be. Have you tried it? Did I do something wrong?

I loved thinking about it for a month and I'm so glad I tried it.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

As for the 3 Edie's though....still love them ALL!!!

Lent Update

Ok, tread mill is functioning...I'm back in business and have completed 3 miles into my 40 in 40 commitment.

What have I learned so far?
That I have NO IDEA how people become addicted to running.

On the positive side...I've run 3 days in a row which has never happened in the history of me.

Tomorrow, mile 4.

(oh, and I am dying to eat a dozen cupcakes. just kidding....sort of!)

40 in 40

My sacrifice this year for Lent is to give up sweets (yes, coincidentally the day AFTER I ate the last piece of Caroline's cake).

This year, I'm adding something to my journey.
I'm going to run 40 miles in 40 days. So, 40 in 40.
Is it a big deal? For me, yes- and that's why I'm doing it.

I'd love to say that I started off strong today.
But I didn't.
I went into sugar dt's around 6:30pm. It wasn't pretty.
I was able to fight the temptation and didn't eat sweets...I did however eat a 1/2 loaf of asiago boule that was delicious.

I had to phone a friend (thanks Sarah) to talk me down.
And, just when I thought I was back on track- my darn treadmill malfunctioned and I kept blowing a fuse.

Grrrrr.
It's day one, I'm having sugar withdrawals and I'm now working on 40 in 39.

Here's hoping that your Lenten sacrifice is meaningful and getting off to a better start than mine.

SWEET!!

Have you heard of Caroline's Cakes?
Um....delish!!!

I wouldn't have ordered it for myself (until now). It was a gift from some very thoughtful folks at work and I have loved every single bite.

My parents came to visit this weekend and I served the last few slices.
I'll miss that cake.....

Seven layers of buttery goodness...with frosting! Stop the madness.

Need a cake? Call Caroline's. STAT.
Even if you don't need a cake....CALL.

I'm sending my brother one for his birthday- there is a guaranteed smile when you open a cake on your birthday.

Actually, I'm pretty sure there is a guaranteed smile any time you open a cake.

thankful thursday

I used to post a regular list of things I'm thankful for....it was my way of reminding myself how much is going right even when things sometimes seem wrong. Just because the posts aren't there doesn't mean that the thoughts don't run through my head- it's just harder sometimes to get them written down.

I'm trying to be diligent. It truly does help me to "be glad"

I'm thankful for-

My parents safe return to the US (and that they had a great trip)
Books that suck you in and make you excited to turn each page
Crock pot meals
Coaches who build confidence (and who schedule amazing facilities to play in!)

New jobs for people I care about
Bonus checks!
Mild winters (and the thought of spring just around the corner)
Little boys who google lifes most important questions
Lip balm
Dinner by candlelight on Valentines Day

Friends who meet for a chat and impromptu Mexican
New neighbors who drop in to say hi
A holiday....NO WORK ON MONDAY!!
Teacher Appreciation Week (and the best Librarian on the planet)
A husband who never wants to lose at racquetball....especially to his nephew (yes, those ARE the shorts he played in)

I'm also thankful that he didn't lose. His comment when he couldn't move the next day was, "I'm in so much pain...BUT I WON!!!" Goodness, I love that man!

Hope you have a long list too!!