So many adventures. So few times.

My photo
My life is pretty dull. I play with a toddler, watch a lot of Yo Gabba Gabba and experiment with the crock pot. I have no bed time and I find humor in Laffy Taffy jokes. Conan O'Brien is my anti-drug.

Monday, November 21, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge

November 21st - Favorite Color
I adore a pop of yellow.

30 Day Photo Challenge

November 20th - Self Portrait

30 Day Photo Challenge

November 18th - Treat
My Slatkin & Co cinnamon clove candles... It's better than chocolate.

30 Day Photo Challenge

November 17th - Black and White
My new baby, Sofie. Black, with a few spots of clean white.

30 Day Photo Challenge

November 16th - Everyday Life
Folding clothes, my kid is playing with an empty Gatorade bottle and the dog is being lazy on the couch.

30 Day Photo Challenge

Sorry, I need to play catch-up.

11-15 - Favorite Face
Call and response - if I blow a raspberry at her, she will blow three at me.

Monday, November 14, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge

Nov 14th word of the day: Treasure
My rings. My husband spent a lot of time ordering and sending back diamonds with our family jeweler to find the perfect one. With my actual band, we designed it ourselves. It's simple but perfection. These are my most treasured items.

30 Day Photo Challenge

Nov 13th word of the day: Love
There I nothing I love more than this naked baby bottom.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

How much is that puppy in the window?

I told Emma we were going puppy shopping today.
At first she was shocked.

Then she didn't believe me. She called my bluff.


But then she realized I was serious, and got very excited.

But in all seriousness, we have been meeting puppies since Dolly was put down in July, and have had rotten luck. They are never right. The dog would be too mellow. Too hyper. Too interested (or not interested enough) in Emma. We had a beautiful dog come to our house yesterday, courtesy of Placing Paws located in Libertyville, IL. The woman who showed little Roxy was incredibly nice and honest, but she just wasn't right. I had a sinking feeling (if it were up to me, we'd rescue every random dog I'd see walking down the street. Even the ones on leashes.) that she wasn't it, but at the same time I was hoping Brett would see things differently.
He didn't.

So today, we had plans to cruise up to Milwaukee to run to a mall/Target/BabysRUs/Sam's Club, and I suggested (by "suggest", I mean that I suggested by plugging the address into the GPS) we go to a humane society I was aware of in a suburb of Mke.

And we met Sophie, who was everything we wanted. She was playful as a puppy should be, but not nippy or jumpy. She's spayed, house trained, crate trained, mild and cuddly. She paid attention to Emma, but also turned away when she was bored. She's young and moldable, but some of the hard work has already been done for us.

We're picking her up on Monday. I need to find the perfect lady-like collar beforehand. Ahhh, the stress!


30 Day Photo Challenge

November 12th - Patriotism
One thing I love about my small community is that the flags stay up almost year round.

Friday, November 11, 2011

30 Day Photo challenge

Not so much the dirty diapers as the kid loving her life on the changing table.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge

November 10th: Faceless Self Portrait



My child has become my identity, which I think is common among new mothers. If someone asks me to tell them about myself, I tell them about her. It's unavoidable. It still blows my mind that something so perfect came from me. I have a lot of body issues, especially my stomach. But this is where she lived for almost a year, and there is no shame in that.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge

November 9th Word of the day: Home




My corner of the world. If you are talking to me, this is where I am.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Those Days

You know those days when you have nothing going on, nothing to write about, nothing to dwell on? I've had several of those days lately. Things have been flowing together smoothly. Days are passing. I can't believe it's Tuesday.

My gorgeous sister-in-law was blessed by the blue-box Tiffany gods and got engaged (giant sparkler included) last Friday. My eye was twitching with the urges I was fighting back to snatch her ring and run.

Emma is crawling like a mad woman. I glance away for a few moments and find her in the most random of locations. On top of that, she's desperately trying to pull herself up on whatever. She's not quite strong enough yet - Thank God. I don't think I could handle her actually running everywhere just yet. My sanity would be completely shot, true story.

We've been actively looking for a dog to finally seal off the wound left when Dolly passed away. It's been hard trying to find the right match for our little family, and the process has been painstakingly slow. However, without having met her officially yet (and fingers crossed, we will as of this Friday) we believe we've found the unfortunate soul who needs a permanent family to love her. Her current name is Roxy (we'd keep it, but I had a dog growing up named Roxy. It seems weird to keep the same name, doesn't it?!) and she is located in Libertyville.

And, obviously, fall is here and practically over already. I've officially purchased my first Christmas present, and have a horrible itch to start putting up Christmas decorations. Please tell me I'm not alone.

30 Day Photo Challenge

Word of the day: red
Never ending adventures in her favorite red shopping cart. The kid definitely takes after her mama

Monday, November 7, 2011

30 day photo challenge

Word of the day: Season
The leaves are brown, the air is sharp and our morning jog now requires multiple layers.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

30 Day Photography Challenge

November 6: Outside my front

I live on a semi-quiet street in a sleepy town, next to another sleepy town and another after that.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge

November 5th: puppy love
I've never seen his eyes so wide, I've never seen his face flush so brightly, as the day I walked towards him in a white dress.

Friday, November 4, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge

November 4- Favorite Thing(s)

I have a ridiculous, chaotic shoe collection, which is located on the floor of my large closet.

No matter how chubby or skinny I am, my shoes always fit. I sort of feel like a jerk for not saying my wedding and engagement rings, but I REALLY love my shoes.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

30 Day Photo Challenge

Day Three Key Word: Youth
Nothing helps me express my youth more than shaking, dipping, grinding and giggling in my Zumba class.

Pork Roast is not the Devil

Of my three lovely and talented sisters-in-law, one is the Martha Stewart of all things domestic, one's idea of cooking is to drive through at McDonalds and add her own salt to her fries, and the third aspires to fall somewhere in between. As I've been on a slow-cooker kick lately I've been encouraging my young family member to dabble with the great ceramic beast.
"I don't know how much water to add!" No one does, unless you're following a recipe. Just experiment.
"I don't want to overcook anything!" I promise you, for the majority of meats and soups... the longer it cooks, the better.

Today is a grim, damp day in Southeastern Wisconsin, and it's prime slow-cooker weather.

 I picked up a pork roast at the store a few days ago, and now is the time to show my beloved sister-in-law just how easy it is to have a comfort meal waiting for you at dinner-time.

In goes the roast, about a cup of water and some powdered chicken broth.

I dumped a bunch of garlic pepper on top, and after discovering chopped green onions in the fridge from Monday's dinner, in went those as well.


Carrots and garlic, check.
And finally, some red potatoes. I ground some pepper on top of the potatoes and threw on the lid. BLAMMO. What is there to fear?!
I'll be seeing this pork again in about 7 hours from now. And when I say that I'll be seeing it, I mean my stomach will be seeing it. NOM NOM NOM!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

It was supposed to be rainy

But instead, it was a beautiful (albeit cloudy) day in Wisconsin. The kid had napped and was bored & crabby sitting in the house.
We decided to go for a walk. Emma liked this idea.
No doubt about it, the leaves are changing and falling.
... But man oh man, it was beautiful outside.


30 Day Photo Challenge

Day Two Key Word: Calm
Calm is my mild, chocolately beer and the warm, lingering effects it has after a long day. Snuggling with the husband, watching crap tv and having a delicious beer. Definitely calm.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

E @ Play

The child was chaotic today.
Between playing outside



and crawling everywhere inside (only to immediately sit up, which is her new favorite trick)




Mommy is absolutely exhausted.
Chocolate beer and crap tv to relax? Check, check and check.

30 Day Photo Challenge

Day 1 key word: Halloween


A very exhausted angel in a graveyard... only on Halloween.