Yummy Muffins!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! This is the first year since I have been married that we did not have a house full of people. So we went dinner hopping and had amazing meals at our friends' houses. It was refreshing having someone else cook for us, but I was saddened when I realized there would be no leftovers at home for late-night munchies :(

I didn't go out and brave the crowds this year for Black Friday, I hid behind the safety of my laptop and picked up all my gifts online. However, I will be fighting with the masses for the sales on the day after Christmas! There are a few Christmas decorations that I would like to have and they are the cheapest after the holiday. We put up all the decorations inside our house, including our new tree (a day after Christmas purchase!). We had to make sure all the decorations were out of Little Misses' reach, we have quite a few decorations that have been passed down from family that we could never replace.

Hubs has duty today, so I am cooking up a storm in the kitchen. I have the perfect occasion for it too! Everyone likes muffins right? I found this recipe on the back of our giant container of oatmeal. While it does have alot of ingredients, it is very easy to make, and quick too! I have tweaked it a little bit to ensure the muffins were moist and extra cinnamon-y.

Oatmeal - Applesauce Muffins

1 c quick oats

1 c all-purpose flour

1/2 c packed brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 c cinnamon applesauce

1/3 c vegetable oil

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400. Grease or paper line 12 muffin cups. Combine oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Combine applesauce, oil, egg, and vanilla in separate bowl. Add all at once to oat mixture, stirring just until moistened. Divide evenly among prepared muffin cups. Back 20-25 minutes or until toothpick tester comes out clean! Makes 12.

Mmm Cookies!

I have been baking quite a bit lately and my Pampered Chef consultant shared a recipe with me that I MUST share with everyone! It is super easy and it comes out amazing every-time. I figured with the holiday season coming up, a new cookie recipe is needed!

Fast & Easy Cookies 
1 cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
Optional: morsels or nuts

Mix together fully (I use my PC Mix N Scraper). Scoop onto cookie sheet (I use my bar stone!), 1 tbsp. is a good size! Flatten slightly. Bake at 350 for 10 mins. Let cool & enjoy!

I have tried this with a few different cake mixes, my two faves are spice cake with pecans and yellow cake with chocolate chips! The combinations are almost endless; my next batch will be red velvet cake with white chocolate chips. Let me know what you come up with!

2 of the cookies disappeared mysteriously before I took the picture...

 




 

New Ideas for My Blog

I have been thinking about this blog a lot lately, trying to come up with ways to put out there all the information and ideas I have going through my head. As I am becoming more crafty and embracing my inner domestic goddess, I want to share my projects and recipes. With my new role in my husband's command, I am becoming aware of some great programs for military families and I want to share that as well. Of course I also want to continue with the random thoughts and topics that I come up with too! So this is the direction I plan on taking my blog into in the coming weeks, I hope everyone enjoys reading as much as I enjoy blabbing about it :)


The last week has been fairly hectic. We had our command holiday parties and they were both a blast. Of course I loved getting dressed up with the hubs and spending an evening with adults sans children! Events like this remind me how lucky I am to have friends that I can have so much fun with. I've even included a photo of us all dolled up, it isn't very often we take cute couple photos! 

We had the children's party a few days later, so excited we took a family Santa photo! We are very fortunate our command puts on such wonderful events for the families. Did I forget to mention I was able to go to the movies this weekend...twice!...to see Breaking Dawn?! Stay tuned for an upcoming post about why I think the Twilight series has become so insanely popular and it doesn't have to do with how good looking Taylor Lautner or Robert Pattinson are or even werewolves versus vampires. 


I hope everyone has a great Turkey Day. If you haven't gone shopping for your groceries yet, be aware the shelves are already empty! I was at WalMart late this evening and the store was packed. Thank goodness I just needed milk and cheese!

Getting My Craftiness On!

Life sure is keeping me busy! It is totally my fault though, I want to do as much as possible each day. You know that feeling you get when you finish a project or complete a task? I am beginning to think I am addicted to that feeling, haha! 

I just completed another dress for Little Miss. It is my first dress with sleeves and I think I did a pretty dang good job. This was also my first project I've completed without my mom here to help me understand the patterns. One night we skyped just so she could help me figure out a step! Sewing has also made me realize something about my husband: He is way smarter than I give him credit for. I was confused about one of the pictures and I was almost frustrated to tears. He looks at the picture, reads the directions, and shows me what I need to do. My jaw literally hit the floor, I was astonished. So now I have been teasing him, they must be teaching the Nukes how to sew on the ship! That man never ceases to amaze me and I love it. 

 3/4 Sleeve Lightweight Flannel Dress with Yoke Neck

My next project: A fleece hat, scarf, and mittens for Little Miss!

I am hoping to find fleece with a super cute pattern in different shades of pink. That way it will match Little Misses winter coat which is a light pink. 

This sewing stuff really isn't that hard, trust me! I am getting lots of feedback and people are saying they wish they could sew. I was intimidated at first too, but once my mom walked me through my first dress it wasn't that bad. Yes, I still get confused and frustrated but alot of that is my own fault.Instead of walking away and coming back later with a fresh perspective or looking up help online I let myself get too flustered. There are plenty of tutorials online, especially videos that walk you through it! It is so rewarding to accomplish something you have always wanted to do. So go ahead and give it a try :)

Sew Crafty!

Wow, has it really been over a month since I've blogged?! Where in the heck did the last 35 days go...I have been a bit busy lately, lots of new and exciting things happening! 

Hubby took his first class exam and we are anxiously awaiting the results. 

Our FRG had their elections and I am anxiously waiting (lots of waiting going on for me it seems!) to train my replacement, the new board is going to do a great job there is lots of potential there. I am glad I was able to work with the FRG and I plan to still participate but just as a "Big E" family this time :)

I start ombudsman training next week which I am SUPER stoked about. 

3 of Little Miss's friends had birthdays this month so every weekend we have had a party, including hers! I can't believe my baby girl is 2 now. We had her party at a local bounce house and of course ELMO was the theme. My parents even came in town to help celebrate!

 Little Miss with her birthday cake!

I have been experimenting with my craftiness: I have been baking alot more and I have a minor obsession with Pampered Chef. I am even hosting a PC party in December! I've NEVER hosted any of those sort of parties before, but it will be a good excuse to have a get-together while the ship is underway.

I learned how to sew. Finally. My mom gave me her sewing machine (passed down from my great-grandmother!) and taught me how to use it. I can't believe I made it by all these years without knowing how to sew on buttons and hem pants. I made Little Miss a dress for our holiday photos while my mom was here, its navy blue corduroy with white snowflakes. I bought a pattern for another dress that I plan on starting on next week. I have been looking around online today for things to make for Christmas gifts. I found lots of cute stuff I want to make, especially lots of stuff for babies! So any suggestion on nifty website/blogs about sewing would be greatly appreciated.

I think she likes her dress!

She has a white shirt she will be wearing with it, she just had a pink one on for the day.

I started a new workout routine and it hurts. At this point, I am working on maintaining my weight-loss (I've lost 60lbs now over 2 years!) and building muscle. I wouldn't mind having more muscle, but I don't want scary muscle like Madonna or Cameron Diaz. Icky they almost don't look feminine anymore!

Slowly but surely I am getting the drama out of my life. The last week has been pretty great and stress free. Well, except for normal stress like a toddler and husband and family in town. That sort of stress I can handle though. I DO NOT like the stress that is reminiscent of the gossip that goes on in high school. I know I will never eradicate the useless drama, but I'll be damned if I knowingly allow people into my life that bring that sort of chaos on a regular basis. There are some people that just thrive on that sort of nonsense and I don't have room in my life for that I have better things to worry about. I hate having to separate myself from certain people in order to achieve this though. I've realized it is better to lead by example, so by stepping back and refusing to taken down by negativity maybe they will realize the error in their ways and cross over from the "dark side". 

I hope everyone else has had a productive week!

Ready for Sweater Weather!

I am officially ready for cooler weather! I was going through my closet and looking around online to determine my fall wardrobe. All the stores at the mall are starting to have huge sales, I scored some amazing pieces at Express to work into my fall looks! Of course I have my favorites from last season: 

Tall boots: They go perfect over straight or skinny leg jeans, with skirts & dresses!

 

A cardigan with a belt! 

 If you are having a fat day, wearing this combo won't make you feel like you are saying "Hey look at my tummy poking out" plus the skinny belt accentuates the smallest part of your midsection: your waist! You can dress this look up or down, wear with jeans or a skirt!

 

I love sweater dresses, I have like 3 of them! I can dress up or down in these, add cute patterned stockings & statement jewelry! You can pair this one with that skinny belt or even a wider belt. Or go for a dress with a different cut, like empire waist if you are self-conscious about your midsection.  

 

Lastly, a ladies inspired blazer! I love how it can be thrown over a white tee and jeans (like the pic). I like to dress it up by throwing it over a dress or wearing with a sparkly top underneath. I personally like the longer blazers that hit below the hips, I think it makes for an elongating and slimming effect. 

And of course a MUST have is a basic long sleeved tee. They go with anything, pair with skirts or any color jeans. Wear them under cardigans or any sort of jacket. Also great to wear as layering pieces. I like this tee especially because of the light cotton material, the extra long sleeves, and the detail around the neck so it isn't just a plain boring tee. I love tucking these into skirts like in the photo too!

 

What I like best about all these pieces: it doesn't matter what your size or shape is, you can make each one work! If you don't like skinny jeans, go for a straight leg cut! Just make sure they fit, baggy jeans don't flatter at all! If you are small chested like myself, you can wear a blazer with wider lapels or a sweater dress with ruffle detail along the neckline. If you were blessed with a larger bust and hips, the belted styles will definitely help accentuate your amazing curves! Don't let style intimidate you because you see it on stick thin models, you can make it work for you. 

 

I have a few pieces I am dying to try out too, the weather just needs to cooperate so I am not sweaty mess!

I found a pair of AMAZING high waist jeans! Yup, I want to rock the mom jeans. Pros: no worries about muffin top! I found this pair on clearance for $20 at The Limited. Those of you that know me, I have a minor addiction to that store but I never buy anything at full price! They have stellar sales and functional, quality clothing. Anyways, these jeans are a cotton stretch blend so they aren't undesirably clingy on my tummy. Plus they have the flare at the bottom that balances out the way these pants accentuate my hips. I plan on pairing these with this top I bought on super sale from Express:

 

 This is what I would consider to be a thin sweater tee, but it has these cute ruffle sleeves! It looks super cute tucked into the high waist jeans. And guess what? When it gets even cooler out, I can pair this outfit with a long open cardigan, score!

I have been searching for a while now to find the perfect loose style top that didn't make me look like I was 10 sizes bigger than I actually am. I figured it was a lost cause, I mean how can a baggy shirt make you look skinny? Well I think I finally found my answer with this dolman sleeved sweater from Express (on sale of course!). I like how it is fitted from the waist down to the hips, instead of just at the hips with other shirts like this I have seen. When it gets even cooler outside, I can even put a fitted long sleeved tee underneath. 

I may not be able to wear this skirt much, but I am the MOST excited about this piece. Its a bright coral color underneath the black flowery lace. I am planning on pairing it with a simple black tee (any sleeve length) tucked it, maybe with stockings (no crazy pattern though, it would make the outfit too busy perhaps solid lines?) and black boots or flats. I'll have to work with it, I love the skirt but I don't want to wear too much black if there is such a thing!

 

 

 

 Okay there is one thing I have been wanting to purchase since last season and I am officially on the lookout for a cute leather jacket at a good price:

I absolutely LOVE how they mix this leather jacket with feminine pieces. This outfit would even look great if you swapped out the skirt with jeans, dark wash or even a gray color! I would wear the leather jacket with feminine flowing tops, with lots of color or floral pattern, stripes would look great too. So many options...

 

 

What are you most excited about wearing this fall? 

 

 

 

 

Deployment #2 on the Horizon

It finally set in the Deployment #2 is coming up fast. I haven't even really had a chance to adjust to Hubs being home; He came home with an inguinal hernia so standing up for long periods of time bothered him, lifting Little Miss hurt, as well as a long list of other things. It definitely limited what we could do once he came home. He finally had the double hernia repaired last week and he's on 2 weeks of bedrest. So yes, he has been home, but his ass has been planted on the couch until he heals. By the time he is fully healed up, it'll be time for him to leave again but hopefully for the last time.

My husband warned me before the deployment that some marriages don't make it. Not that he had any doubts about us, but he wanted me to be prepared for it when I saw friends' marriages break. Seasoned Navy wives told me the same thing. I guess distance doesn't always make the heart grow fonder.

But I was prepared for that. What I wasn't prepared for, was coping with life AFTER deployment. I'm not going to sugar coat things, it isn't easy. I've seen more relationships break after deployment than while the ship was away. This totally blows me away, even though things haven't been all sunshine and rainbows since Hubs has been home it hasn't been anything catastrophic. I don't think a day goes by that we don't argue about something. No major huge fights or anything like that, it generally goes like this: "Did you really not wash off your dish before you put it in the dishwasher?!" or "Why can't you put your dirty clothes IN the laundry basket instead of right outside it?". See nothing too serious. Hubs has actually been super helpful since he came home: He cleans the kitchen every night after I make dinner, he takes out the garbage and takes care of the furry kids without me asking, we wash our cars once a week now, he even volunteers to vacuum or mow the lawn before I even ask. But I do have to admit, life with Hubs home is a different kind of tough then when he was away. 

When he was gone, we missed each other like crazy and the distance was kind of romanticized. I was counting down to the hour to his return. The first week was pretty damn near perfect, minus the whole hernia thing. Then real life started back. I had to share MY space, there was someone snoring in MY bed. There was another mouth to feed. Another person to fight over the TV with. I know there were adjustments on Hubs end too, he was used to being told what to do daily. Then he came home and I wanted him to plan everything because I was tired of planning daily activities for over 6 months. We are getting used to be around one another again. 

I had just assumed life to return to the way it was before he left. But I should have known that would've been impossible. Life happens during deployment. We both had to change and adapt to our new circumstances. I had to become more independent and self-reliant. Hubs experiences on the ship changed him as well. Now its just a matter of embracing the "new us". And I had better do that pretty quick-like before Hubs leaves again!

For those of you out there that are having a hard time adjusting to your sailor being home or if you are having any sort of problems, you have resources available to you for FREE! Please check out Fleet and Family Support, they offer confidential counseling by professional, licensed clinicians that is free of charge to active duty personnel and family members.