Redhead in Raleigh

Foster Friday: Random Prep

2012-02-10T06:06:00.000-05:00

Not much new going on in the soon-to-be-foster-parents world. We. are. still. waiting. But I don't want to disappoint without some kind of update. So here is a glimpse into the smaller things going on to prepare for the foster kid(s).

Vacation planning that is potentially kid-friendly.
This year vacation planning was a bit more complicated because we don't know when our family will transform from 2+dog to 2+dog+ kid(s). I have to admit that I'm MUCH more excited to have little ones with us on vacation that it just being Kevin and I, but as we all know we don't have much control over when the foster kid(s) will come into our lives. So we booked a bigger-than-we-need beach house, instead planning to head to Great Wolf Lodge and look like creepers if we don't have any kids yet!

Take advantage of Old Navy's awesome sales for kids clothes.
Our last run we bought 3 packs of socks (12/124m. 2T/3T, 4T/5T), long sleeve shirts (4T and 5T) and 4 of the sweatshirts below (2T, 3T, 4T and 5T) all for $30!!! No, we aren't hoarders. We just don't know how old the foster kid(s) will be. And Lord knows I don't want them to be cold on their first night in our home. I think we are now equipped with 2 outfits and one pair of PJ's in newborn to 5T. With our luck, we'll end up with twins so that I'll only have enough clothes to make it through the first spill, spit-up, explosive diaper or whatever type or disaster can occur. FYI- It is really hard to find gender neutral clothing after 18 months. So we have a lot of red, orange and navy.

Eliminate pointy corners.
There is some construction going on at our house (pictures to come soon) and we have purposely tried to remove any pointy corners. I can't guarantee all of them are gone, but we definitely eliminate a few prominent ones!

Eat the macaroni and cheeses that you were saving for the foster child(ren) to eat on their first night.
Do you see the candycanes, stockings, snowflakes and snowmen shaped pasta? I thought it would make a great conversation starter during our first dinner. But now it could make for an awkward conversation since that first dinner will definitely ont be during winter months. So it made for a bittersweet dinner for me, paired with a bottle of wine. Now I'm on the look out for non-seasonal shaped macaroni and cheese.

The Power of New Shoes

2012-02-09T13:51:00.003-05:00

It has amazing how a stressful hectic bad day can be brightened continually by new shoes!

They definitely aren't the cutest thing you've ever seen. But they are so comfy! And they fit the bill perfectly for being professional in a casual office.

Superbowl Randomness

2012-02-06T10:36:00.000-05:00

First: If you are the head coach of one of the teams, you need to dress up just a bit. I'm not talking anything outrageous, but a polo would be nice. It's the super bowl for heaven's sake! A hoodie is not acceptable. And an awkward cropped sleeved hoodie is definitely not appropriate.

Second: Thank you Kelly Clarkson! Finally someone who did the National Anthem justice. Thank you for singing the song as it is without putting so much of your own styling on it that it is hardly recognizable. You did a great job! And you looked fabulous!

Third: This was my favorite commercial of the night, mainly because the naked M&M did "The Kevin" dance at the very end!

Fourth: Bison sliders are the perfect Superbowl food! So yummy! Especially with blue cheese, onions and barbecue sauce!

Fifth: I love lazy weekend days when you don't have to leave the house!

Foster Friday: Scared

2012-02-03T07:07:00.000-05:00

Most of the time I'm super excited abour our Foster-Parents-To-Be status. But this week, I've found myself asking "What the hell are we doing?" more than a few times. The truth is..

I'm scared.

Scared we will be overwhelmed
Scared we won't know what to do
Scared that we will make mistakes
Scared the kid(s) won't feel our love
Scared the first night will be awkward
Scared we won't know what to talk to the kid(s) about
Scared that the kid(s) won't like Rudy
Scared Rudy won't like the kid(s)
Scared of why the kid(s) came into care
Scared that no one will really know the fully story since their case is strictly confidential
Scared that I won't ever be able to fully vent due to confidentiality
Scared my friends/family won't understand why I can't tell them everything
Scared we won't be able to incorporate their culture correctly into our family
Scared we will white-wash the kid(s)
Scared we won't know how to do their hair
Scared of the public's reaction to a transracial family
Scared of my response to the public's reaction to a transracial family
Scared I won't know how to explain the kid(s)' relation to us in public
Scared the birth family won't want anything to do with us
Scared I'll stop cheering for the birth family
Scared I'll forget the ultimate goal of reunification
Scared how our marriage will change with kids in the picture
Scared of not being part of their lives after they leave our daily life
Scared of the temporary

But that is all part of this process, right? No one ever said that is was going to be fun and easy. I think the most important part is that despite the fear, I'm excited. Actually, I'm really excited! And the list of reasons why is ten times longer than the reasons I'm scared.

WW: Motivation

2012-01-29T22:17:00.002-05:00

Motivation is a funny thing. Sometimes I'm full of it (motivation that is) and sometimes it is no where to be found, which is where my Weight Watchers motivation currently is. At first I stressed out about it. I know I'd like to lose a few pounds, so why am I refusing to count points and stay on plan? I really don't have an answer. But for the first time, I told myself that is okay. Better to try to limit eating out and eat more healthy in general than halfheartedly diet to only become more disappointed that the weight isn't coming off like it should, right?

The good news is that my motivation isn't completely gone in all aspects. I have still been running the C25K program after taking a few days break for a mega blister. And that is making me happy. I like pushing myself on the runs and knowing that I've completed another hard workout. To be honest, there have been days that I "should" have ran per the schedule and I just didn't feel like it. So I didn't. And it was great to have a night to myself to go to bed early or spend time with my girls!

I am motivated to get all of our projects done and over with. This might mainly be fueled by the urge to stop living in a construction zone more than the actual completion of the project. But you have to take what you can get.

Hopefully, I will motivated to get back to Weight Watchers one day, preferably soon. But I think it is a "win" this week to go with what feels right and not worry so much on what I'm not doing. Enjoying what I have chosen to do is enough.

Foster Friday: Meet my Friends

2012-01-27T07:30:00.000-05:00

Have you noticed the foster parent blogs listed on the right? Yep. Right over there!

I figured I should stop being rude and introduce them since they are increasingly becoming my BFF's, even if they don't know who I am.

Readers, These are the awesome-sauce foster parent blogs that I've mention here and here, which you should really check out.

Foster Parent Blogs, Hi! I'm the Redhead in Raleigh who loves your blog. Glad we're friend now so it won't be so creepy when I confess my love for you publicly! These are my fabulous readers. Please take good care of them!

A Distinctive Love and Unique Path This is the incredibly awesome blogger who answered our thousands of questions when we first started down the foster parenting path.

Redefining Normal This blogger has become a good friend in real life, which tells you that she and her husband are just amazing! She makes a point to be very honest about their foster parenting journey, which is much appreciated! Not only has she been a great resource for us, but she's an amazing cook- try her recipes here!

Fosterhood in NYC Making it hip to be a young foster parent in New York City! Her blog lets me live vicariously in NYC and is a great insight on life post reunificiation

FosterWee Another NYC based blog showing the day-to-day challenges of foster parents face.

Popp Life These are the career foster parents you hear about! They welcomed many children into their home, including their two bio children.

Rage Against the Minivan While this blog is more adoption focused than fostering, it discusses many topics that are still relevant. I have to admit that I loved this blog a little more when I discovered our mutual love of Taye Diggs. He is not only on my list, but he is my list.

Nesting Preview

2012-01-25T17:04:00.001-05:00

Good ole Wikipedia defines the nesting as the "instinct or urge in pregnant animals to prepare a home for the upcoming newborn(s)".

I'm not pregnant. And we may have a child that is definitely not a newborn.

But we are definitely nesting. In fact, we may be considered nesting champs.

We are fully taking advantage of the fact that my body isn't occupied with cooking a baby and that we have longer than nine months to get our nest in order. Please note my attempt to be positive about the delays in our licensing. We have definitely gone beyond the simple cleaning and organizing. There might be an office-turned-playroom in the works along with some home remodeling a la built-ins and a side of kid-friendly backyard fun.

Here's Proof!

The problem is that they aren't complete and therefore blog worthy yet. But stay tuned for completed nesting projects coming soon!

Excitement!

2012-01-24T12:54:00.000-05:00

I must be getting old when a new roof is the highlight of my ~~day~~ week.

It has been on the roof for a week now and I still get all giddy and excited when I see it!

Ooooo! Ahhhhh! Architectual Shingles!

It is even more embarassing that I'm excited about the type of shingles that are on my roof.

So Pretty!

Sometimes you just have to take what you can get! Today I'll enjoy my roof more than I'd like to admit!

WW: I'm Running Today

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

Instead of listing daily "winnings" this week, I have one "winning" that is big enough for the entire week. I am really proud of this achievement and super excited to see where it leads me.

I completed the first week of C25K! Woot! Woot!

For those of you who are new around here, C25K is a 9 week running program that utilizes running/walking intervals to transition beginning runner from couch to a 5k race.

For those readers who have been around awhile, you know that this isn't my first attempt at this program. In part that is why I'm so excited about finishing the first week. For me it is definitely harder to restart something that you haven't finished before, than start something new. I had lots of self doubts going into my first run. Would I be able to keep up? Would I get injured again? The truth is- I completely rocked that first run! So much so that I really surprised myself at how fast I was able to run and how good it felt.

This go round I have a completely different mindset. I am no longer focusing on everything. What 5k I should sign up for? What if I need to repeat a week? Then I need to find another 5k. How am I going to squeeze in my run 3 weekends from now when I might be out of town? Is my foot going to hold up? What am I going to do if I get injured again? Should I keep running through some discomfort, but not pure pain?

So what am I focusing on this time? I'm running today. That's it. That's my entire mindset this go round. Sometimes it might just be- I'm running this minute. I'll decide about the next minute when it comes.

Will I complete the entire program? I have no clue. But I know I will complete my next run. And that's enough for me.

So Proud

2012-01-22T21:28:00.002-05:00

If you have ever met our little man, you know that he is an attention whore. Everyone is his best friend (even if they don't know it yet) and they must be showing their love constantly. Because of this, he isn't a fan of other dogs competing for his affection. This weekend we were dogsitting and either Rudy learned some manners or he fell in love. Thankfully since he is neutered, I don't have to worry about which one it is!

Foster Friday: Technology's Role

2012-01-20T11:39:00.000-05:00

I often wonder how different our lives would be without technology. Of course, there are the obvious things like not being able to catch up with family and friends on my commute home. Or not being able to call my husband to add essentials to his grocery list, like ice cream and wine. Or having to file for divorce because we ~~are not good co-pilots~~ want to kill each other after any car ride without a GPS. Seriously, I think Garmin saved our marriage. Sad part is that I'm not kidding.

But there are also less obvious things that were impacted by the lack of technology. Would we have ever seriously considered becoming foster partents? At first it may not seem linked to technology at all.  But the occasional post I saw on discussion boards mentioning foster parents or the foster parent blogs I came across on the interwebs stuck with me. They intrigued me. I was curious of how it all worked. I followed their journeys, the ups and downs, the smiles and cries, the pure happiness and the pure pain.

Then Kevin and I started talking about kids in the short-term. They had always been a part of our long-term discussions since we knew we would eventually have kids. But when it became a discussion of how these little boogers would come into our lives, foster care was mentioned in passing a few times.  But then came the long car ride where our GPS allowed us to concentrate on a more-life-changing-conversation-than-we-ever-had-planned instead of wanting to kill each other trying to figure out which exit we were supposed to take.

When we got home, there was more blog reading and researching to figure what exactly we were considering getting ourselves into. A very kind blogger/foster parent answered a million questions over tons of emails.  Her honesty and openness to the both the joys and frustrations allowed us to be able to wrap our arms around enough of the basics to know this was for us!

What if we lived in ancient times before the internet and GPS and emails and blogs? **waves to my distinguished, wise and seasoned readers who remember such a horrific time** Would we have decided to go down this same path? I sure hope so!  I'd like to think we would have bumped into a foster parent who was willing to share their story with us to plant that seed for us to discuss after we made up from our latest co-pilot "discussion".

I am thankful I don't have to wonder.

I'm thankful technology helped lead me to my future family!

I'm thankful for peaceful car rides. Not gonna lie!

Yet Another Delay

2012-01-18T14:12:00.001-05:00

I have to admit that I'm not surprised this time, which goes to show you how many delays we have had in this process. When we started this process in June of 2010, we were told that you would be licensed 2 months after completing the MAPP class. We decided to enroll in the Saturday class instead of the weeknight class so that we would finish 2 weeks earlier, hoping that would mean that we would be licensed 2 weeks earlier. I'm still unsure how that decision impacted our timeline, but ever since that class ended we have seen delay. After delay. After delay.

We had to wait 2 weeks for our first home study after MAPP ended.

After we completed all of our paperwork, medical screenings and fire checks, we had to wait 3 more weeks for our second home study.

Then we had to wait 6 weeks for office visit.

Found out today that we have to wait 6 more weeks for our paperwork to be finished and sent to the state for review. Slightly bitter because we were previous told the wait would be 2 weeks!

The expected wait for the state to review our application is 60 days for us to become licensed. Forget the 45 mentioned before.

Then God only knows how long we will wait for the call.

I know the wait will be worth it, but this is crazy! Although it does give me a few more Sleep-In-Saturdays to enjoy!

Yes! They are in our calendar!

Today is the Day

2012-01-18T08:31:00.001-05:00

Our last pre-licensing visit is today!!! Woohoo!

Via

**insert the celebratorial sounds of leftover New Year's Eve noisemakers and horns**

The visit itself sounds like it is going to be pretty lack luster. Hope you are sitting down for all of this excitement!

Step One: We prove that we are able to make it to the office. Yes, this is important because we will have to make this trip again (hopefully soon) to pick up our "placement". Side note: I hate that term.

Step Two: We meet our social worker who we will be representing us as foster parents. I'm nervous about this part just because this is a beginning to a long relationship that I would like to go smoothly. For her sake, I pray that she has her sh*t together. Otherwise she is going to be sent more spreadsheets than she's ever knew existed! And yes, anything can put into a spreadsheet- ask Kevin!

Step Three: We sign our lives away- yet again. To be honest, I have no clue what we are signing today. But I'll pretty much sign anything to get this process over with and get us closer to having a "placement". I think this is going to be the last time I use that word.

Step Four: Leave.

Step Five: Enjoy a lunch date with the hubby.

Step Six: Sit. And wait. Then sit and wait some more. All of our paperwork is sent to the state to review. Apparently it is going to be super interesting to them because they are going to ~~read it over and over again~~ take 45-60 days for them to declare we are licensed. Although, from what we hear their declaration isn't so loud since we won't know about it for another few weeks. But the important part is that we are put on the "Available Beds" list once we are licensed so we can get the all imporant call for our "placement". Sorry- had to give it one more try to see if it could describe a child properly. It just fails and makes me feel like we are waiting for a piece of furniture to be positioned just right in our living room.

Me: A to Z

2012-01-17T06:55:00.000-05:00

A. Age: 28
B. Bed size: Queen
C. Chore you hate: All of them? Dishes especially
D. Dogs: Rudy (Golden Retriever)
E. Essential start to your day: At least 8 hours of sleep- will be interesting getting that in with kids!
F. Favorite color: Purple or Green
G. Gold or silver: Gold- too pale for silver
H. Height: 5’4ish
I. Instruments you play: French Horn, Piano and Handbells
J. Job title: Accountant
K. Kids: Expecting Foster kids
L. Live: Raleigh, North Carolina
M. Mom’s name: Ann
N. Nicknames: Not really
O. Overnight hospital stays: Exploding Colon (just as fun as it sounds) and Malfunctioning Gall Bladder
P. Pet peeve: Unmatched corners of sheet and comforter
Q. Quote from a movie: I don't remember since I have movie amnesia
R. Right or left handed: Right
S. Siblings: two older brothers
T. Time you wake up: 7ish
U. Underwear: Yes
V. Vegetables you dislike: Capers, Olives, and Water Chestnuts
W. What makes you run late: Love of sleeping
X. X-rays you’ve had: Dental, Foot, Leg, Tailbone, Abdomen, and Nose
Y. Yummy food you make: Hard to choose (see Recipes from the Redhead)
Z. Zoo – favorite animal: Dog, specifically Golden Retriever, specifically Rudy

Weekly Winning in a Non-Winning Week

2012-01-16T06:06:00.000-05:00

So in the spirit of Weekly Winning, I'm just trying to remain positive in my "get healthy" goal. This week I was definitely not your Weight Watchers role model but I have to say this week wasn't as non-winning as I originally thought after reviewing my "wins" below. I'm looking forward to getting back on track with both my eating and working out this week!

M- Tried to eat healthy despite feeling like sh*t
T- Went to WW meeting and found out I was more successful than I thought
W- Found a healthy dinner at fast food
T- Tried brussels sprouts for the first time ever- and liked them!
F- Improved mental health and got an ab workout laughing with friends!
S- Ate lunch at home instead of on the go while running errands
S- As a first step to get back on the WW wagon, ate a delicious and healthy lunch

Easiest and Yummiest BBQ Pork

2012-01-15T18:57:00.002-05:00

I haven't always been able to cook. There might have been an incident when my mother-in-law gave me a recipe that "you can't mess up" that resulted in burnt pudding in the bottom of a pan that took over a month of scrubbing to come clean. Yes, I did find a way to mess it up and mess it up big.

This recipe however you really can't mess up- I promise and that is saying something! This is always a crowd-pleaser so I highly recommend this for parties, baby showers, or any other random events with hungry people!

Easiest and Yummiest BBQ Pork
Pork Butt (however big you'd like)
Salt
Sliced Onions (I normally use about 4 medium onions for a large pork butt)
2 Liter of Root Beer (I use A&W regular or diet)
Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce

Trim the fat off the pork, if you want to be healthy. Salt the Pork Butt. Put it in your slow-cooker. Cover with sliced onions. Pour in Root Beer until your slow-cooker is just about full. Cook over night (or for 8 hours) on low. Drain off the Root Beer and Onions. Shred the pork and add as much Sweet Baby Ray's as you'd like. Enjoy!

Our Family is Growing!

2012-01-13T09:16:00.000-05:00

That's right! We are going to have a new addition to our family.

I am so incredibly excited!

Why am I posting pictures of an incredibly adorable couple instead of a little one?

Because they are of my brother and soon to be SISTER-IN-LAW!

He did good!

With the ring, but much more importantly with the girl!

Sick Soup

2012-01-09T13:28:00.002-05:00

Sickness. It sucks. Period.

I've been sick for the past few days. It has been quite a while since I caught a bug that I couldn't fight my way through and still carry on with work, meetings, and whatever else life had planned. This one- not so much! It makes you very thankful for a open weekend without any plans except rotating from the bed to the couch.

But we figured out a trick for treating sickness- Sick Soup. It is a delicious soup that tastes amazing when you are sick, and pretty good when you are healthy. But somehow finds the right balance of nutrition, warmth and comforting flavors to make you feel better instantly (if only for a few minutes). Here's the recipe.

Sick Soup
Phone
Local Chinese Restaurant Number

Call the chinese restaurant on your phone. Ask for "Chicken Cream Corn Soup". Then you can deal with payment and delivery/carry out details.

Via

Yes, it is that simple. The base is a less dense egg drop soup with chicken and cream corn. I know it doesn't sound magical, but you need to try it!

Weekly Winning

2012-01-08T22:00:00.000-05:00

This week started of great. I decided to jump back into Weight Watchers and am very excited to see the program work. I also like the dual meaning of WW in future posts. This I think will help keep me positive and not so Weight Watchers focused, which I definitely needed this week!

M- I decided and committed myself to a diet program.

T- Started tracking everything I ate and went to my first Weight Watchers meeting in way too long!

W- Completed a monster WW-approved grocery shopping run.

T- Planned out all of my lunches and dinners for the month of January courtesy of Cozi.

F- Ate my planned lunch even though I really wanted to go out to eat, or order in, or eat anything besides my lunch! *I think the sickness was starting to creep in here, I just didn't know it yet*

S- Stuck to my meal plan until the sickness set in full force and all my points all were used up in apple juice! When I ask for apple juice, Kevin knows I'm not just whiny. It is official I'm sick.

S- I was sick and tried to eat healthy, but decided eating to keep my stomach happy was more important.

I'm hoping I'll be able to kick this bug and get back on track next week!

Foster Friday: Open Book

2012-01-06T07:25:00.000-05:00

From the very beginning, we have made a point to be very open about all aspects of our journey becoming foster parents. Like most people we knew very, very, very little about foster care before we were involved in the process of actually becoming a foster parent. This really is a shame. It definitely is a system that is misunderstood due to many incorrect rumors floating around. That isn't to say that it is a perfect system- we can attest to that! But we have been surprised at how different the experience is than we originally expected.

For the few people that are actually reading this blog, what questions do you have? I'll answer any question you have because I've probably already been asked it! So don't be shy! Do you want to know the different between adoption and foster care? Do you want to know if we are fostering to result in adoption? Do you want to know how much compensation we receive per month? Do you want to know who can become foster parents? Do you want to know how the process of reunifying children with their birth parents work? Or is there something else you want to know?

*** It was a blog post almost identical to this one that finally gave me that final nudge to start asking questions of another foster parent. It was because of her honesty that we felt comfortable enough to begin this journey. It is not my hope to convert someone into becoming a foster parent, but to make people more knowledgable about the system.***

Weekly Winning!

2012-01-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

With this go-round of getting healthy/losing weight/feeling better/concentrating on me/*insert another healthy title* I am channeling Charlie Sheen and focusing on the success I am having and not focusing on the time when I get off track. Here are my successes from this week.

M- I went to the gym instead of sitting on the couch.
T- I didn't eat any Ms. Fields cookies today. Not even a chocolate chip one!
W- I research and actually ordered the healthy items on the menu.
T- I didn't have any coconut cake!
F- Concentrated on eating more protein, which is definitely not my favorite.
S- Added more veggies to my plate than usual.
S- When for a walk when I really wanted to take a nap!

I'm hoping that I'll be able to continue this in the future! At least I had a successful first week, right?

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T16:18:00.001-05:00

2011 was a year of both struggles and triumphs. But through all of the hard times, everything definitely ended up well making me pretty excited about things to come in 2012!

I've never been big on setting New Year's resolutions or even goals. I think the main reason for this is because I was scared that I wouldn't be able to succeed. But while setting goals is a great thing, I finally learned this year that it is more important to change them as life changes- because we all know it will. Previously, I thought changing a goal was a nice way of saying you failed. Then I realized it is more important to make sure you are working to succeeding at the right goal, instead of putting all of your effort into the wrong one. And even if you did fail at your original goal, that failure will be well worth it if it means that you succeeded at the right one. So this year I am making goals for 2012. I am going to be committed to making them happen. But I will guarantee that they will change and evolve so that I can make sure 2012 will be the best yet!

Get healthy
with better eating habits, working out regularly and losing weight.

Push myself out of my comfort zone.
Maybe by running a race or two.

Become a mom ...
or Auntie... or Mimi... or whatever else our foster child decides to call me.

Put myself and my family first.
Stand up for what is best for us and makes us happy.

Fall deeper in love
with the hubby (pretty easy since he's awesome).

Don't miss out on opportunities
because I'm focused on "the plan" since it can suck without you knowing it!

Foster Friday: Baby Shower Part Duex

2011-12-30T07:38:00.000-05:00

This post is LONG overdue, but better late than never, right?

My parents threw us a BaByQ earlier this year. A combination BBQ and Baby Shower was perfect for us since we wanted something casual and low-key. It was so much fun to have our friends and family together to celebrate our growing family. And it was really fun to have so many kids in the house running around and testing out the toys!

One of my favorite parts of the shower were the decorations. My mom came prepared to decorate every inch of our house! Typically I lean towards the non-baby end of the spectrum with decor (as you will see in our nursery soon), but I loved having all of the pastels and baby animals everywhere. It was nice to indulge in the baby-ness for the party since it really made it feel more like a baby shower! I think it also started to prepare us for the baby explosion our house will become once a little one is here!

So this is where I had a blogger fail! I was very diligent about taking pictures pre-shower, but then I had so much fun enjoying the shower that my camera was set down and never picked back up. While I'm sad for this post that I don't have more pictures of our awesome friends, their adorable kids, the incredibly generous gifts, and the yummy food, I'm happy that I was able to be in the moment and take it all in! It really was a great time to enjoy the anticipation and excitement of having a little one in our home soon!

But all is not lost. In exchange for lack of pictures, I'll post the most amazing pulled pork recipe. And the best part is there are 4 ingredients and you can't mess it up- I promise!

Caption Needed

2011-12-29T11:48:00.002-05:00

Raindrops on Roses

2011-12-27T22:51:00.002-05:00

First of all, who decided that "My Favorite Things" was an Xmas song? There is no mention of Christmas in the the song at all and Sound of Music didn't even take place during Xmas. *stepping off my Xmas carol soapbox*

Anyway, I must have been good this year because I got a ton of cool things for Xmas that were definitely blog worthy. And I figured you might be interested if you have some Xmas cash burning a hole in your pocket!

2012 Calendar from Paper Source Whose Christmas is complete without a new calendar? If you know my true love of calendars, it is surprising that I only got one calendar. But this one is awesome because after each month has passed you can turn that page into a file folder, note card, square box, or pillow box! I am way too excited about the file folders in my future.

Plow and Hearth Cable Knit Throw This is the best blanket I think I've ever had. It is a great weight, very soft (especially with the fleece backing) and quite warm! And I love everything cable knit, so it is just perfect! It is a bit pricier than I would have liked, but we caught it on sale and figured it was worth the risk since Plow and Heart has a no nonsense 100% satisfaction guarantee. This will definitely not be going back I can assure you that!

Birch Box This wonderful little box arrived in the mail and I had no clue the wonderfulness that was inside. When flipping through your favorite girly magazine have you ever thought "I'd like to try *insert new beauty product* but I'm way too cheap to buy it before trying it?" This cute little box solves this problem completely! Every month you get 4 to 5 samples of the latest beauty products to try. If you love them, then you can buy them at a discount on their website! This month I tried lip gloss, eyeliner (with smudger built-in), energy drink, fashion tape and discovered that I love dry shampoo! Fabulous gift!

Lands End Essential Down Jacket The hubby jokes that we moved to Raleigh because he was sick of me complaining about being cold. The sad part is that it isn't a joke. I'm always cold. But this jacket is so so so warm. And you don't look like a complete marshmallow since it is gathered at the waist. What could be better than a warm deflated marshmallow? Really, it's awesome!

Croft and Barrow Fleece Pajama Set This set of pajamas actually started out as an Xmas present that I bought online for someone else. Once they arrived I knew that there was no way that I couldn't resist. Now I have two pairs. The are very warm without being hot. The pants are a thin fleece and the top is a fuzzy thermal. The most comfortable pajamas I have found in quite some time! Added bonus is that they are super cheap since Kohl's is forever running crazy sales.

Coldwater Creek Wool Buckle Cap I have a oddly small head, which makes finding hats difficult. But this hat is super cute and it actually fits! I love that the purple color gives it some spunk too!

Lands End Oxford Sheet Set Okay, so this one really is one of my favorite things. People think that I'm officially crazy when I talk about oxford cloth sheets, but are incredible. Yes, they are pricey, but I promise they are worth it! And like wine, they only get better with age since they get softer and softer!

Corkcicle Speaking of wine, I love this gift for that last minute gift exchange. You freeze the corkcicle and then you pop it in a bottle of room temperature red or chilled white to keep them at their perfect temperature. For the wine-snob's this prevents overchilling in the ice bucket or overheating sitting on the counter. For the rest of us, it is a really cool cork for our wine! Yes, this is another gift that I bought for someone and then couldn't resist buying one for myself!

Formal Complaint

2011-12-26T13:16:00.003-05:00

Why can't we have delicious things year round? If you see any of these on sale in the next few days, grab them! You won't regret it, I promise!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T12:26:00.001-05:00

Have I ever mentioned how cool my neighborhood is? Santa stops by every Christmas Eve to read the children a book and make sure he has their Christmas wishes right!

Christmas Cookies Finale

2011-12-24T16:42:00.000-05:00

Kevin and I definitely couldn't finish all of the Christmas cookies that I have been baking this season. I figured I'd box them up and give them to my coworkers. They deserve something sweet for dealing with me throughout the year!

Tip: The easiest way to make your Christmas cookies turn into an awesome gift is to buy a fancy box or bag to put them in! These are Martha Stewart boxes that came complete with the boxes (small and large), ribbon and To/From sticker.

Christmas Cookies Part 3: Creme de Menthe Brownies

2011-12-24T15:26:00.000-05:00

I remember these brownies from all of our "fancy" parties. And by fancy, I mean parties where there were adults. As a little kid, I thought their limited appearance was because they were special. Now I know it is probably more to do with the minuscule alcohol content since serving these only to kids could be frowned upon. But despite or maybe because of the alcohol content, these brownies are delicious and pretty!

Creme de Menthe Brownies

For the Brownie Layer:
Two boxes of brownie mix (Ghirardelli recommended)
Double whatever ingredients the box calls for

Mix everything together and pour into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 325°F 45-55 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

*If you don't want extra thick and chewy brownies, then just follow the directions on the box.

For the Mint Layer:
1 stick of butter
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons creme de menthe
green food coloring if the creme de menthe isn't green

Mix the butter with the powdered sugar and the crème de menthe. Spread it over the cooled brownie layer.

For the Top Chocolate Layer:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
6 tablespoons butter
Crushed candycanes

Melt the chocolate chips together with the butter, either in the microwave or in a double boiler on the stove. Pour the chocolate layer over the crème de menthe layer. Sprinkle with crushed candycanes. Transfer the baking pan into the freezer or refrigerator and allow to cool before you cut and serve.

Foster Friday: Wrapped Up!

2011-12-23T12:13:00.000-05:00

After tons and tons of shopping, we have Christmas times ten covered- or so we hope.

The pile of goodies prior to wrapping!

All the presents and stockings (in the back) ready for delivery!

Just enough room in the car!

Ten

2011-12-21T09:39:00.002-05:00

In day-to-day life this number is just that a number. It isn't overwhelming or shocking.

Until it is followed by the word "kids". Ten kids. Okay, now we have our hands full!

And it gets even crazier when that is followed by "in one house." *blank stare*

Say it with me. Ten kids in one house. Yes, it is quite a picture!

But when we heard that their foster parents were having a hard time making Christmas happen, how could we not volunteered to be their Santa 5 days before Christmas!?! Did I mention I can't resist kids at Christmas?

So much for being done with my Christmas shopping before Halloween!

Kids at Christmas

2011-12-20T11:47:00.000-05:00

Christmas is such an amazing time of year when kids' excitement becomes so magical and infectious. So we decided to have over a few of our friends (and their parents) for an afternoon of Christmas and ~~chaos~~ fun!

Christmas Music is a must!

Play-Doh is always in season!

Present time!
Not sure if the big kids or little kids were more excited!

Magic 8 ball, what is 100 + 100 + 100 + 100...
Not quite the question he was expecting!

Game time!

Giant Slinky!

And then the little lady showed the big boys how it is done!

More Christmas Music!

Christmas Crackers!

Trying to figure out the "toys" in the crackers

Another Dad decoding the crackers...
at least we figured out the crown part!

Hot Mamas!

Really Kevin? No smile?

Merry Christmas!

Power of Pictures

2011-12-20T09:24:00.001-05:00

They are worth a thousand words, right?

Recently, I saw a few pictures of myself that were less than flattering. You know you have a good friend when they will say, "Well, you do look a little thick!" when it's true! So after seeing said pictures, I decided my butt needs to get in gear since it is growing a bit too much.

For those of you who have followed this blog for a while, you know that there have been many attempts at getting fit. Running programs have started and ended due to injuries and laziness. I have also tried personal training (which I hated) and crossfit (which I loved until I realized the schedule was too limited). I'm hoping that this go-round I will have better result by having less of a plan. Sounds weird, but I think my strict plans put too much pressure on myself leaving me always feeling discouraged.

Last night, Kevin and I toured the fancy ~~gym~~ fitness club right by our house. I'm hoping that this will be the solution to keep me working out regularly. My plan is simply to go to the gym. Since quite a few of my good friends are members, I'm hoping the social aspect will help get me there in the beginning. And I'm planning on trying out all of the equipment hoping to find something I enjoy enough to keep going back. Or maybe just trying something new will be enough to keep me going back!

But the dieting part will definitely start next week since bags and bags and bags of Christmas cookies were just laid on my desk! What timing!

Foster Friday: Sing Together

2011-12-16T10:48:00.000-05:00

Many of you may not know that Kevin and I met when we were teenagers at summer choir camp. **insert "One time at ~~band~~ choir camp" jokes here** Seven years later we returned to that college campus to get married. One of the most memorable moments of our wedding ceremony was during the pastor's charge (aka sermon aka long speaking part) where she simply requested for us to "sing together" throughout our marriage to remind us of how it all got started.

Almost seven years later, I am typing this post to try to explain how we made our decision to become foster parents. It is a surprisingly simple answer: to sing together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Since choosing to become foster parents, it has amazed me at how quickly people make assumptions on how we are choosing to grow our family .

"Oh, so you guys couldn't have a baby"

"Maybe if you practice a bit more, you won't have to be foster parents."

"You know you can just adopt?"

While I realize that the decision Kevin and I have made is pretty unusual, so I think these questions are in an attempt to understand why we chose foster care. We are very open about all aspects of this process, so for the inquiring minds here are the questions that people are probably wondering about.

Did you try to get pregnant? No, We have not tried to get pregnant. In fact, we have purposely avoided it.

Do you have fertility problems? The honest answer is I don't know. Since we have never tried to get pregnant (or even stopped avoiding getting pregnant), we just don't know. I will say that fertility issues scare me. I have no warning signs that I will have any issues, but the struggle I have seen others go through is enough to give me pause.

So why not at least try getting pregnant? There are a few components to this question.

I have had a unique medical history that raises concern for my health while being pregnant. In other words, the doctors are not concerned whether I can get pregnant but what will happen to my health once I am carrying a child. These concerns have led doctors to tell me not to consider getting pregnant. Now I am thankful to have a wonderful team of doctors that agree I could pursue pregnancy if I choose. However, they do not know exactly how pregnancy will affect my health and the baby's health. Things could go smoothly or things could get pretty crazy. They just don't know until it happens.
Kevin and I have always been very open to different ways to grow our family. I remember numerous conversations about adoption when we were dating in our teens. At that point we had no knowledge of any of the unique medical circumstances I would soon encounter. But it was just something both of us were open to and always left on the table as an option to consider.
So far it has never felt "right". Both Kevin and I have started to get the "itch" to grow our family, but have always held off from trying to get pregnant because it didn't seem "right". I know this seems weird. Normally, if you want kids then you pull the goalie. But for us, we wanted to explore other options before pulling the goalie just because that's the typical route. And if you know either of us, we usually don't do things the typical way.

Have you considered adoption? Yes, we have. And it is still an option that we may pursue in the future. Please note that the verb used was "may" and not "will" since at this point we have no clue what the future is going to hold. Adoption is an amazing thing, but again it didn't feel right for at least right now. In addition, it is really expensive and the process is very long, which is saying something after my complaining about the longer foster parent licensing process!

So why foster care? The first response that comes to mind is "Why not?" This is where we usually lose people because our decision to pursue foster care was made more with our hearts than with logical analysis. Here are a few of the reasons that made this decision feel "right".

We can provide a safe and loving home to a child in need.
We will open our hearts to the child so that they can learn how to form meaningful relationships.
We are able to show the child what childhood should look like, despite the adult things they may have witnessed.
We will become attached to the child and hope to be a part of that child's life long past their stay at our home. (Note: This is highly encourage and practiced in our county.)
We will be heartbroken when the child leaves our home but our hearts will swell seeing a family reunited after all of the hard work they have done to get to that point.
We can give a family a second chance at a healthy and functional home life.

Is your heart singing?

Ours are. And we'll keep singing together.

Christmas Cookies Part 2: Muddy Buddies

2011-12-16T07:02:00.000-05:00

This is my go-to Christmas Cookie, well maybe I should say Christmas Treat. It is very, very easy to make and always is a crowd pleaser. I have filled individual bags with it or even brought it in a large bowl to be eaten in the office with baggies to fill and take home to family.

Muddy Buddies from Betty Crocker
9 cups Corn Chex®, Rice Chex®, Wheat Chex® or Chocolate Chex® cereal (or combination)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.

In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.

Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Christmas Cookies Part 1: Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

2011-12-15T08:39:00.000-05:00

These are fondly referred to as "piles of poo" in our household, because... well... You can figure that part out! But I guarantee that they are delicious despite their appearance and have been a holiday favorite of my coworkers (from all of my jobs actually)!

Chocolate No-Bake Cookies
2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
1 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups oatmeal
Waxed paper

In a heavy saucepan bring to a boil, the sugar, cocoa, butter and milk. Let boil for 1 minute then add peanut butter, vanilla and oatmeal. On a sheet of waxed paper, drop mixture by the teaspoonfuls, until cooled and hardened.

***Confession: One of the reasons I agreed to getting granite in our kitchen is because I knew it would make these cookies harden quicker. Kevin was not thrilled by this tid-bit since he isn't a fan of the poo piles covering our entire house since one year I got a little carried away and made 5 batches and covered every flat surface in our apartment (including the treadmill and ironing board)!

Click, Click, Click

2011-12-14T10:13:00.003-05:00

Many people compare foster parenting to a roller coaster. It seems quite appropriate. The ups, the downs, the love, the heartache, the joy, the frustration. And somehow at the end you want to ride again.

Our foster care roller coaster ride so far hasn't been off to the start that I expected. Despite being in this process for 6 months, it doesn't even feel like the ride has begun.

Decided to get in line to get a closer look. Attended the Intro Class and first round of background checks.

Actually got on the roller coaster not knowing every curve to come. Decided this really was our path and committed to the process, which we still don't fully understand.

Buckled up. Completed crazy amounts of paperwork, home visits, and fire inspection.

We hear the expected phrases "Keep your arms inside the car". "The next step of the process is..."

"Enjoy the ride!" "You will make a child so happy!"

But now we are just sitting. Waiting. Sitting. Waiting.

All of the preparation is complete and we hear *click, click, click* as we climb that first huge hill, which never seems to end. The anticipation builds as you expect the craziest ride of your life to begin at any moment.

I've always hated that first hill, but I definitely think this one is the worst one I've ever been on. Ever.

One Step Closer

2011-11-29T11:20:00.007-05:00

We officially passed our home fire inspection today! Woohoo!

I'm not really so surprised that we passed since we have a) working fire detector b) working fire extinguisher c) outlet covers everywhere and d) a posted evacuation plan. Yep, you heard read that right! You mean you don't have an amazingly awesome posted evacuation plan like this? Not sure how you are going to know where to evacuate to... literally!

All kidding aside, I'm just happy that we are one step closer to having a child in our home!

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

2011-11-28T23:35:00.002-05:00

Seriously!

If you haven't tried whore pie, you need to get on that.

Note: That sentence sounds much dirtier than I ever intended!

If you are too lazy to click on the link above and discover a hilarious blog, here is the recipe.

Whore Pie aka Chicken Pot Pie
1 box Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts

2 cans Campbell’s Cream of Potato soup
2 cans chicken breast (or the equivalent in boiled & diced chicken)
frozen carrots, peas, carrots (toss in however many you like)

Line your pie pan with one pie crust. Mix soup, chicken, & veggies in a bowl. Toss this mixture on top of the pie crust. Place the second pie crust on top & press edges. Make like a serial killer & stab a few holes in the top of the crust. Pop in the oven for 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mary Shawl Scalloped Corn

2011-11-28T11:13:00.004-05:00

I have been inspired lately by various bloggers sharing their go-to recipes. My favorite so far is Whore Pie, which will be baking tonight in our home!

There are a few family recipes that I hold near and dear to my heart, but Mary Shawl Scalloped Corn is my favorite. To fully appreciate this recipe, you have to understand the kind-hearted woman who shared this recipe with our family. She lived in the very first apartment of my grandparent's apartment complex. Every time we would come to visit, she would always keep her front door open so we could stop by to say hello on our way to see our grandparents. It really was the best 2 for 1 deal ever! You thought you were going to see G'ma and G'pa as we called them, but you got them and Mary Shawl as well! Since Mary Shawl joined us for our holiday meals, she would bring this Scalloped Corn dish that was always a hit. Very quickly it got renamed Mary Shawl Scalloped Corn because if Mary Shawl was there, so was the corn! Now this dish holds many memories of not only those large family gatherings but of Mary Shawl who became family.

Mary Shawl Scalloped Corn
1 can creamed corn
1 can whole kernel corn
2 eggs
10 saltine crackers crushed
1/2 stick of butter
1/4 milk
salt and pepper

Place butter in medium sized bowl and melt in microwave. Beat eggs well in separate bowl. Add crushed crackers to butter and stir in eggs and corn (both kinds). Add salt and pepper to taste.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let set 10 minutes before serving.

If feeding a larger crowd or planning on leftovers, we typically double this recipe.

Foster Friday: Top 3 Questions

2011-11-26T19:31:00.003-05:00

"We are in the process of becoming foster parents." is usually followed by these three questions.

1. “Why?” The most appropriate answer seems to be “Why not?”. We wanted to expand our family, but getting pregnant or even adopting didn’t feel “right”. Foster parenting felt like the perfect way for us to expand our family while giving another family the chance for a new future!

2. “Won’t you become attached?” Yes! We are actually excited about the attachment because that is when the child really becomes part of our family. It is strongly encouraged for foster parents to not only form a relationship with the child, but also with the birth family. This way these relationships can continue after reunification. We view our role similar to that of an aunt/uncle, who step in when the parents need time to straighten out their lives but still remain in the child’s life after that period of time has passed.

3. “Are you going to adopt?” Our ultimate goal in foster parenting is to reunite the child with their birth family, so we are not fostering to adopt. However, if parental rights are terminated then we will have the option to adopt the child. At that point we will consider adoption, which means the answer could be no. Or the child could steal our hearts and complete our family in a way we never knew, and we'd obviously say "yes"!

Turkey (or Steak) Day

2011-11-25T23:48:00.003-05:00

We had a very relaxing Turkey Day this year. We enjoyed sleeping in and lounging around the house. My brother drove down to join for dinner. Since he is on the Paleo diet and I didn't want to worry about cooking Wednesday night or Thursday morning, we decided to head to a local Brazilian steakhouse. We were expected their typical fare but were surprised with a Thanksgiving inspired spread. The problem is that I am very picky about holiday dishes and theirs just didn't cut it. It wasn't a complete loss because the filet mignon wrapped in bacon was excellent. But it definitely made me crave a "real" Thanksgiving meal, which we will cook up later this weekend. Despite the change in menu, we had a great time! We definitely don't get to see him often enough, so we always enjoy hanging out with him!

Chocolate Wrapping

2011-11-23T20:35:00.004-05:00

I'm not sure that this Thanksgiving Eve could get any better.

Step #1: Kill a workout at my Crossfit gym.

Step #2: Have a productive, yet relaxing day at work.

Step #3: Be told to leave early!

Step #4: Fall in love with a daycare

Step #5: Nap

Credit

Step #6: Wake up to a Willie Wonka/Charlie and the Chocolate Factory marathon

Credit

Side note: This is my favorite scene by far in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (the original one for those not well versed in the title difference). I love this scene so much that if Kevin's wish of getting a library with a ladder comes true, there will be an entire section of the bookshelf with containers of candy!

Step 7: Wrap Christmas presents!

Credit

Side note #2: Yes, I'm done with Christmas shopping. And yes, I love wrapping presents. It really is one of my favorite parts of the holiday season!

Foster Friday: The Kids

2011-11-21T07:51:00.002-05:00

Sorry, this post is a bit late. But our Friday evening was spent having a great dinner with another set of foster parents and their adorable boys! It was great to get to know them more and be able to talk without having to explain the process. While I love answering people's questions about foster care, it is so nice to be able to talk about more than the basics!

Speaking of questions we get often, many people want to know about the kids that are in foster care. They have ranged from everything from "Do we have one picked out?" to "Why are they in foster care?"

Here's the scoop. Kids come into foster care for many reasons- none of which are "good" reasons. They could have been abused (physically, sexually, verbally, etc.), neglected, or their parents may be unable to take care of them due to death, inprisoment, etc. Really the reason why a child enters care is heart-wrenching no matter the reason.

The kids in care are just like any other kid. They range in age from newborns to 18, with some children opting to stay in care through college. They are any race, ethnicity, religion, etc.

Foster parents are allowed to set parameters for the foster children that they will take. You can be as picky as a blonde hair, blue eyed, 2 year old, white male. But you will probably not get a placement very quickly since that is so specific. Our parameters are newborn to 2 year old without severe medical/mental issues. So this means any race, any gender, and some medical conditions. However, we are pretty flexible with this.

When a child comes into care due to the reasons listed above, the social worker's primary concern is to get them placed as quickly as possible. They begin with relatives, since this will cause the least amount of change for the child. If this is not possible, then they begin calling foster parents. They start with foster parents who have available beds and are in the same area (to allow for similar environment for the child). When they call the parents, they give them all of the information they have about the child. Normally this isn't very much information since they just met the child a few hours ago. The parents then decide if they would like to take the placement. You are allowed to say no to these calls. Then within a few hours (or less as the case with the parents mentioned above) the child is at your house! Yes, it is that quick.

The children stay in foster care until they are either able to be reunited with their parents (the ultimate and preferred goal) or until parental rights are terminated and they are adopted. Foster parents do get first "dibs" on adoption, but if they choose to not adopt then the child will be placed with adoptive parents. Look at all of these cute kids that need a good home!

If you have any other questions about the children in foster care, let me know!

Never Expected this at the Drive-Thru

2011-11-17T12:23:00.005-05:00

After placing my lunch order and paying, I pull up to the next window to pick up my food.

Black Male 30ish Drive Thru Operator: "Wow! You're a real redhead!"

Redhead in Raleigh:***nervous laugh because what are you supposed to say to that!?!***

BM3DTO: "You must be feisty and all that." *pause where he is hopefully realizing how awkward this is* "Have a nice day!"

RiR: "You too!" *drive off utterly confused*

So I have a few questions:

1- What the f*ck just happened?
2- Does real redhead mean that he thought we didn't actually exist?
3- Or just natural redhead?
4- If so, how is he certain I am a natural redhead? (I am but I get asked that often)
5- What exactly is included in "all that"?
6- Was that some kind of pick-up line?
7- Or was that a compliment?
8- Or just mere diarrhea of the mouth?

Be Careful What You Wish For!

2011-11-15T12:40:00.003-05:00

Last night Kevin and I picked up our new car! *squeel* And for the first time ever it isn't a new-to-us car. It is just new! And one of my random goals has always been to drive a car that is ahead of its time. You know, 2012 in 2011! And I'm that cool person. I just won't mention that this 2012 car was available in March, but whatever!

I had been anticipating that "new car smell" that you hear people speak fondly of. And of course, I have smelled it before and that it was nice. But I thought this would be an amazing experience for me this time since it was MY new car smell. Well, it sucks. As I sat in our car for the first time filled with excitement, I was instantly slapped across the face with a horrendous headache. And that was while the door was still open! Despite my hatred for driving with the windows open, it has become a necessity. Thank God the weather has decided to be unpredictable and warm up considerably. So at least I don't have to decide between freezing and a headache! I guess there is always an upside, right?

This Date Night Thing Isn't For Us

2011-11-13T22:11:00.002-05:00

After a relaxing weekend of hanging out a home and getting random things checked off our To Do list, Kevin and I decided to head downtown for dinner. We figured we should take advantage of these date nights while we still can. After Kevin commented that a girl looked like she "had just come out of a movie", I realized that we had forgotten about those people that get all dressed up (or maybe they are just always stylish) to go out to dinner! That is so not us! We are happy to throw on jeans and head to the local Mexican place.

Despite our lack of style, we were excited to try a new place that was surprisingly packed for a Sunday night. The calamari appetizer was excellent and we were both excited for the meatball special. Their meatballs were delicious and the pasta was great! Sounds like a fun night out, right? All until I bit into a raw meatball! Ugh! If there is one thing that I hate it is raw meat! This completely ruined our dinner.

Poor Kevin was really trying hard to make sure our "date" wasn't a complete loss. So we went to the one place in Raleigh that would make any one happy- Krispy Kreme doughnuts! I do have to admit that the warm glazed doughnut did help, but I'm still not sure that I'll be having pasta anytime soon!

As we suspected, we aren't so cut out for this date night thing with cute outfits and fancy restaurants. I think both of us are looking forward to littering the Mexican place's floor with Cheerios!

Foster Friday: Favorite Baby Items

2011-11-11T13:50:00.014-05:00

Between our showers (yes plural- there is 1 more I need to tell you about) and all of our shopping, we are ready for a little one to come toddling into our home at any moment! Or at least we can survive the first 24 hours before a frantic Target run and a plea for help to our friends and family! Anyway, this preparation has opened our eyes to many products that we never knew existed! So here are a few of my favorite items we have acquired for the baby!

Our very first baby purchases are pictured below. And as you can tell, we knew from the start that our nursery was going to be themed after our first born, Rudy! Even before we decided how a child would enter our lives, I bought the dog hook from Ikea on a business trip. It was just too cute to pass up! Then after deciding that foster care was right for us, Kevin and I bought the dog piggy bank the very next day! There definitely was no turning back since once the first purchase was made! And well, we both fell in love with "Floppy Ears". A nursery post is coming so you can see all the pieces!

Next we tackled our hall bath. We didn't want it to make it the official kid bathroom since it the bathroom used by our guests. But it definitely needed to be more kid friendly. One of our biggest foster parenting supporters bought us our *entire* bathroom set- yes, she's pretty awesome. We loved how colorful it was! And then I found this artwork on Etsy and decided a monster theme would be unexpected but so much fun!

Check out this Esty shop because her artwork is adorable and she is awesome to work with!

Our next task after finishing up the nursery and bathroom was to baby-proof the house. We certainly were not excited about and were not expecting to find any "favorite" products. But the Safety First Magnetic Locking System is awesome! Not only are they not visible with the cabinet closed, but you are able to turn them off! So we are prepared by having them installed, but our cabinets don't have to be on lock down until a child is actually in our house! Pretty cool! And my aunts and uncles many states away generously sent us many gift cards to cover these and the many other baby-proofing items we needed.

Then we realized that our current glass and metal coffee was just not baby friendly. And we realized our white couch probably wouldn't last long with a kid around either. Our next purchase was this! I mean it was for the baby, we just have to make sacrifices sometimes! No one wants a baby cracking their head open on a hard coffee table!

We quickly realized that this little person requires quite a bit of "stuff". Meaning that traveling with said kid will involve bring along said stuff. Talking with friends we also began to realize that some cars were more family friendly than others. And since I have always despised Kevin's car, we bought this. The baby really wanted it!
For those of you who want to know more than the color (Copper Red), it is a 2012 Mazda5 Sport with leather interior in "sand". I also negoitiated all-weather floor mats to keep a handle on mud and snow and a cargo cover to hide our goodies in the back. Kevin and I are both pretty excited about it since it is the first new car either of us have owned!

The best part of the buying experience was Kevin's feeling of pure horror and my excitement when we were told it can securely hold 4 car seats with the Latch system!

Foster Friday: Exciting Weekend Plans!

2011-11-04T09:49:00.005-04:00

Because there is so many different aspects that I want to share in our journey to becoming foster parents, I decided to start a Foster Friday series. So every Friday you can look forward to learning more about the process, the system, and the reality of it all!

This first edition is going to start off with our very exciting weekend plans. We have been planning this weekend since September! Yes, the anticipation has been building for well over a month. I know you are going to be jealous that you can't join us, but life sucks sometimes. What are our fabulous plans you ask?

Sleep! Yes, we are going to spend the weekend sleeping in that comfy bed! But we are most excited to sleep in on Saturday morning and probably take a nap Saturday afternoon too. Why is this so exciting you may ask? And what does this have to do with foster parenting?

1. We are done with MAPP classes!!! Last Saturday was our final class! Woohoo!

2. We are enjoying our childless life while we still have it! We definitely know that our "Sleep-In Saturdays" are definitely getting closer and closer to extinction as we move further in the process of foster parenting. So instead of prematurely mourning our loss, we are going to embrace and celebrate the sleeping we still have left!

So our weekend is going to look like this:

And a little bit of this:
And definitely some of this:
What momma wouldn't be happy about sleeping all weekend?

Why?

2011-11-03T14:56:00.003-04:00

Why has it taken me this long to discover the wonderful world of leggings??? They are so comfortable that I'm already concerned that I'll be wearing 24-7. Now I just need to find more tops to support my legging habit!

Pie Bird Baby Shower

2011-10-25T15:03:00.010-04:00

Something that has really surprised me as we have embarked on the foster parenting journey is the support we have gotten from friends/family/coworkers. It has felt so good to know that we have a solid support system behind us when we will need them (since we know we will). We have been blown away by the genuine interest and generosity of our friends and family. Also, it has been so fun to see others getting excited about the process. I have read that couples who are expecting through adoption or fostering have often felt left out on the anticipatory celebrations and excitment. I can definitely say that this is not the case for us!

My girlfriends were kind enough to throw me my first baby shower! We met up at the Pie Bird (awesome restaurant in downtown Raleigh) to celebrate our upcoming arrival!

Here's the whole group! It is such a rare occassion that we are all able to get together, so that in itself was a huge treat!

Speaking of treats, here's my yummy Tomato Goat Cheese pie. Told you this restaurant was amazing!

Great books for the baby

Amanda modeling the hat she made for the baby!

Jess and Heidi probably up to no good!

More presents!

And more presents!

And still more!

It was an awesome night full of good friends, good food and many laughs!

Foster Parenting 101: Licensing

2011-10-11T22:15:00.004-04:00

A question we often get is "How does it work?" Here is Part 1 of the process: Licensing.

Disclaimer: This is how we currently understand the process. As we continue through this process we may learn a more realistic process, which we'll share as we discover it!

Another Disclaimer: Foster parenting laws/regulations vary by state, so this is only representative of North Carolina. We are getting licensed through Wake County, so there are differences if you are licensed through an agency or even possibly through another county.

Our first step was to attend an information session given by Wake County Human Services. They are offered monthly, so you don't have to wait too long! Enjoy the short wait at this point because it might be the only part of the process that moves quickly. This was actually much more fun and informative than we ever expected.

At the session we received our initial application. This was a very basic application to verify your residency (have to live in the county), finances (have to be able to pay your rent/mortgage), and a waiver to run a background check (can't have certain crimes on your record).

Then you wait for an invitation to the MAPP class. This stands for Model Approach to Partnership in Parenting. Everyone over 18 living in your house will need to complete this 30 hour course to be licensed. We haven't completed the classes yet, but have been disappointed about the usefulness of these. For example, the first 3 hours focused on the fact that foster care is temporary, aka you have to give them back! It was crazy that this was shock to some people.

During/after the MAPP class, you have individual meetings with the social worker to inspect your home and get to know you more. You also have to complete a very long application, write a detailed biography, pass a simple medical exam, get fingerprinted for an extensive background check and your home inspected by the fire marshal.

Once you complete all of this, your application is submitted to the state for processing. This can take up to 60 days. Then you are licensed!

From start to finish, the licensing process can be completed as quickly as 2.5 months or as long as 9 months. We are hoping that we are on the shorter end of that spectrum!

New Look, New Adventure

2011-10-08T21:53:00.005-04:00

So I've been quiet for a while, actually it has been quite a long while. But the good news is that I'm back and at the beginning of a new, very exciting adventure. More on that in a minute.

First I need to catch you up on everything that has gone on to get us to where we are today.

I took REG, my first test of the CPA exam. The experience sucked. The questions kept getting harder, which is a good sign. But only luck would have gotten me a correct answer in the last testlet since I had no clue what they were talking about. So I waited a horribly long time and found out that I passed. *insert crickets chripping* Weird, right? It wasn't "I PASSED!!! Woohoo I'll conquer the world!" It was just "I passed. So what's for dinner?" Literally. And that got me thinking, do I really want to be a CPA? Is this really going to make me happy? If not, then what would make me happy?

So there was some questioning the purpose of life in there, but I determined I wasn't pursuing the CPA for the right reasons. I was doing it because I have worked in accounting for close to a decade (man I'm getting old) and I thought those three letter should be at the end of my name. In reality, Redhead in Raleigh CPA wouldn't make me any happier than Redhead in Raleigh. So the CPA journey ended, and that surprisingly made me happy!

I decided my job was too much work and not enough fulfillment and challenge. So I threw my resume out there on days that were particularly grueling. I got a bite, an interview, and an offer I couldn't say no to. Leaving my job was awkward to say the least. People I expected to support my decision did anything but. And those who I never expected support from were standing by my side. Funny how things work out like that. Good news is that the amazing offer has continued to be amazing and then some. I enjoy my work. I believe in my new company. And I even like the people I work with! Three sentences I've never been able to say at the same time before!

Work was taken care of, but there was a still a void in my personal life. I am lucky to have an amazing husband who was feeling the same way. What would our next step be? Follow the traditional path and get pregnant? Nope, it just didn't feel right. Most people don't know what to make of that sentence but that's the only way we can explain it. It might be right down the road, but today it isn't for us. But the weird part is that we want a child to love. So... drum roll please... we are becoming Foster Parents!

Even Rudy is excited to be the "Big Brother"!

Intermission

2011-03-05T10:56:00.002-05:00

It hasn't been neglect or laziness that has caused the lack of posts lately. But rather other things have been going on in my life that haven't left me motivated or inspired to blog. While part of me has the urge to just blog about everything, I'm pretty sure I'll regret putting all the details out in the world the minute I hit post. And I really don't want to post half-hearted posts because they aren't fun to write or read. So please enjoy a short break. Grab some popcorn and a drink and your regularly scheduled programming will return shortly.

Today is the Day!

2011-02-21T09:06:00.002-05:00

This afternoon I am going to conquer REG... I hope at least!

I have been a bit MIA from this blog, but it has been because I've been studying, studying and then studying some more. While I feel somewhat prepared, I also feel like there is still a ton of topic would like to study more. But my brain is pretty close to its capacity, so it is probably better that I'm taking the exam today.

I'll have many more details tomorrow in my weekly update (that will cover 2 weeks since studying became the priority over last week's status). But if you have any good thoughts, positive vibes or prayers hanging around, please send them my way around 2:30!

And the Count Down Begins!

2011-02-12T16:52:00.004-05:00

Less than 10 days left until I sit for the REG exam. I'm not sure if I should be scared or thrilled!

BUT, I completed all 1,076 of my required homework questions today. So if I fail, that means I can officially blame Becker, right?

My game plan for the new few days is to complete the following.

-All Supplemental Questions (424)
-All Simulations (9)
-Watch All Final Review Lectures (7 hours and 53 thrilling minutes)
-All Final Review Questions (224)
-All Final Review Simulations (6)
-AICPA Practice Exam

Does anyone have any other last week study tips?

Instant Smile

2011-02-09T08:46:00.003-05:00

My weigh-in yesterday really put a damper on my mood. But I decided to use my bad mood to my advantage and tackle R3 (C Corps). I had been dreading this section because it just doesn't click at.all! So last night I spent 3.5 hours trying to make some sense of it. I figured since I had a bad day I might as well work on R3 so that I don't ruin a good day!

But then I saw this guy and instantly smiled!

Ups and Downs

2011-02-08T08:59:00.003-05:00

The studying went pretty well this week. I definitely am trying to find the balance of studying enough without going crazy which just results in being unproductive. This has resulted in less hours of studying, but I think the studying that I am doing is much more productive since I'm not forcing myself to sit at my desk forever. But I do have to say that my new desk is making the studying much more "fun". It isn't hard to make it more fun when it is incredibly painful to begin with.

I had 2 great personal training sessions this week. I'm really starting to see progress and the amount of strength I have gained. And I think I *might* even be enjoying the workouts. Not completely sure on that one, but at least I don't hate it as much!

Now I am very frustrated with yet another weight gain this week. I was trying to make good choices with all of the studying sessions, superbowl and other general life complications. It really aggravates me that I've put in so much work in my workouts to still gain weight. At least I'm not desperate enough to call my weight gain muscle. But you can't win them all, so I'm going to keep pushing through.

This week I'm in a training session, so I'm going to struggle to not only eat healthy but also have energy to study in the evening. I'm trying to not let this week's set back with my weight gain discourage me. I really need to stay positive this week since the exam is very quickly approaching.

This Week:
Hours Studied: 17.5
Multiple Choice Questions: 242
Workout Sessions: 2(Personal Training)
Weight Loss: up (don't remember the specific number)

Total Results:
Total Hours Studied: 72
Total Multiple Choice Questions: 1004
Total Workout Sessions: 7
Total Weight Loss: don't want to calculate at this point

New Office In Progress

2011-02-07T09:12:00.010-05:00

Friday night it finally hit me that I needed a dedicated study space. The living room couch just wasn't cutting it. I kept being interrupted by Rudy delivery his stuffed hedgehog then platypus then hat and then ball just begging for some playtime. Then Kevin would wander out to the kitchen for water/snack/cookie and talk to himself. For a relatively quiet person, I never before realized how much he talks until I was trying my best to concentrate on the never ending multiple-choice questions. I just wasn't studying well stationed on the couch.

We wracked our brains trying think of a space that I could study until 10pm, since I have been able to go strong in the evenings until then. The typical spots (library, Panera, Starbucks) aren't open that late. But then we came up with the magical idea of creating an office for me in.our.house! We were really thinking outside of the box with this one, but all of the pieces somehow seemed to fit into place.

Here is the office that you have seen before. This truly is Kevin's office and I knew that neither of us would be happy if we tried to share this desk.

So our attention turned to our underutilized guest room.

Well, we would need to start with a desk. So the Craigslist hunt began and I was happy to find the perfect one quite quickly.

Then the search began for the perfect chair. I think this one is going to be the winner, but I'm reserving my final opinion until I see it in the room.

The only question left was what color should we paint the desk. I loved the idea of red since it would match with the existing rug and curtains, but what shade? Clearly, a decision has yet to be made! We'll leave that until after REG is complete.

Here's a picture of the room in progress. (Please ignore the laundry on the bed) I'm really happy with how all of the furniture fits in the room in the new configuration!

One More Change

2011-02-04T09:20:00.004-05:00

I changed my REG test date... again! Yes, I know this is getting a bit crazy but here's the progression of events.

Decided delaying the exam a week would be perfect. I would get an extra week of studying and taking the exam on a Monday would ensure the data was "fresh" after ~~studying~~ cramming over the weekend. And I loved that an afternoon time slot was open so I'd be awake and ready for the exam.

Tried to reschedule online but my session timed out. Ugh!

Tried to reschedule again but the afternoon time slot was gone. Decided I could take the exam at 8am despite not being a morning person. Miskeyed credit card info (you know, where you hit submit just as you see the error) and my session ended.

Tried to reschedule again but now no sessions were available on the 21st. Seriously!?!

Rescheduled for Tuesday at 9am paying my fee. This meant I would take 1.5 days off of work to ensure working wouldn't clog my brain by getting between the ~~studying~~ cramming and the test.

Tried my best to make piece with this, which didn't actually happen. Because the next day I checked their site "just because" to see if any of those precious Monday sessions were available. And they BOTH were! So now do I pay another fee to reschedule back to Monday? Or stick to my Tuesday date that I really don't love?

I called Prometric because I really shouldn't have to pay again since those spots really were available yesterday. I couldn't believe how super nice they were to reschedule my exam without an additional fee! Woohoo!

Conclusion: Send good vibes Monday, February 21st from 2:30 to 6:00! I'll need them!

Romantic, Slacker or Smart?

2011-02-02T12:52:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure exactly which one applies to my decision to move my REG exam from Feb 14th (Valentine's Day) to Feb 22nd.

I am quite excited to be able to "enjoy" Valentine's Day, despite the studying that I will be doing. Although Kevin and I aren't the most romantic couple. We have been known to tile our backsplash on Valentines Day if that gives you any idea of our idea of a romantic night in!

I did push my exam out over a week. Part of the reasoning is that I'm behind on studying, especially after last week. I'm hoping that by having more time, I won't become too comfortable and not push to study every.second.possible. Only time will tell!

While I hate the idea of putting the exam off, I want to make sure I'm able to get in some decent study time. So hopefully this was a smart decision! We'll see in late March when the test results come back. I'm already dreading that wait!

When It Rains, It Pours

2011-02-01T10:13:00.002-05:00

This week has been rough.

First it started out with a work function on Monday night, which made studying that night completely impossible. Then I caught an awful bug, which put me out of commission Wednesday through Saturday. Yes, that was a lot of studying that I missed. Sunday I tried to catch up as much as possible. And then we found out that Kevin's grandpa passed away. Ugh! And to add insult to injury, we weren't able to go to the funeral due to timing, Kevin now being sick and a horrible ice storm on the way. :'-(

So what went right this week? I went to both of my Becker classes, which finally covered topics I was more comfortable with. I kicked butt on multiple choice questions, completing 336 this week! I worked out twice despite having zero energy. And I've tried to keep everything in perspective since life definitely gets in the way of your plan.

This Week:
Hours Studied: 15.5
Multiple Choice Questions: 336
Workout Sessions: 2(Personal Training)
Weight Loss: up .6 pounds

Total Results:
Total Hours Studied: 54.5
Total Multiple Choice Questions: 762
Total Workout Sessions: 5
Total Weight Loss: 2.6 pounds

My game plan for this week is to get back on track and not beat myself up over the hours I didn't study or weight I didn't lose this week.

Three Letters Down, Three More To Go

2011-01-28T13:06:00.004-05:00

MBA done with a CPA soon to follow... hopefully!

I finished up my MBA this past December. I realize this post is delayed, but I was hoping to include a picture of my diploma, but it has yet to arrive. But I did confirm that it is on its way since I had a mini breakdown wondering if I somehow missed a class and really didn't graduate. But it was confirmed that I completed all of my requirements and did gain three little letters to add to my resume.

So that this post isn't completely boring, I will include a shot of my favorite graduation present- a ring! I wanted some sort of ring to commemorate my graduation with, but I didn't want the typical class ring. So I decided to get a ring in yellow gold with an amethyst stone since yellow and purple were my grad school's colors. And as an added bonus, amethyst is my birthstone. Now the tricky part of getting a ring was me and my extremely particular jewelry taste. I think things simple, but different. That sounds simple enough, but it clearly isn't since we visited over 12 jewelry stores to find "the one". Here it is in all of its glory! I just love it!

And if anyone is considering getting their MBA solely online, I strongly suggest East Carolina University's program. There is very little busy work, completely flexible schedule and you end up learning quite a bit.

Planning the Labyrinth of Life

2011-01-26T08:19:00.000-05:00

Staying true to my anal-accountant tendencies, I am a planner to say the least. I plan everything from the placement of serving platters at parties, to shopping lists, to major life stages (moving, kids, etc.). It is how I find order in a crazy, unpredictable world. Recently, I have learned that even the best planning doesn't make things fall in place.

As some of you know, our decision to move to Raleigh was not a sudden one. We researched for over a year to determine which city we should move to. We took a 10 day trip to visit various cities in 5 different states where we looked at houses, schools and jobs. Raleigh won by a landslide and it seemed that our plan for our life in Raleigh initially fell into place quickly. I got a great job earlier than expected that included relocation. We ended up in a house that we truly love and were surprised to discover that we have the best neighbors you could ever expect. But unfortunately the plan hasn't continued to play out as we expected leaving us uncertain of the future. But this uncertainty and lack of planning has not been with out some positives. Our marriage has grown stronger as we lean on one another through the ups and downs. And I have learned that it is okay to revamp the plan. But we are still left wondering how everything will play out and the impacts that will have on our family, which will hopefully be more than us and Rudy.

Since our move to Raleigh, I have been struggling with trusting God's plan. I'm a huge believer in everything happening for a reason because God has things figured out. But recently I have been searching to grasp onto something that indicates that this journey is actually going somewhere. Many times I feel defeated and frustrated since our hard work doesn't seem to get us any closer to "the plan" (or even the 17th revision of it), being more prepared for kids or even just having a clear picture of what to expect in our future. And yes, as you guessed it! That last one is the one that really bothers me. How can you even start to make a plan when your future is so uncertain? And without a plan, how can I feel secure in such an ever changing world?

This brings me to the sermon I heard this past Sunday. The scripture was Matthew 4:18-22 where Jesus asked Simon and Andrew (and then James and John) to come follow him and be fishers of men. And they just got up, leaving his fishing nets, and followed Jesus. They had no clue what was in store, but trusted that things would work out. The pastor then related their/our journey with Jesus to a labyrinth. For those of you unfamiliar a labyrinth is like a maze, but there is only one path (no dead ends) that leads to the center. As you follow along the path of a labyrinth you may think that you have it all figured out of how to get to the center. But then the path turns in an expected direction, possibly further away from the center. It can leave you questioning if you are on the right path. But if you continue to trust the path laid before you, you will eventually make it to the center.

This analogy really spoke to me since I feel like our journey is in the labyrinth and we are currently walking away from the center. It doesn't feel like I'm going to the right direction, but I don't know where else to go but forward. So my new plan is to just keep following the path because I'll eventually make it to where God intended. Now I have no clue where this journey is going to take me or even where I'm going to end up. But now more than ever, I need to trust the journey and trust that God does have a plan and things will work out sooner or later!

2 Weeks Down in Reg

2011-01-25T10:30:00.000-05:00

This past week I really started to feel the pressure. Not only did I have to balance my studying with life (aka my brothers visiting from out of town), but I also started to realize how difficult this material is. I knew all along that it was tough, but now I'm seeing how tough it really it. But I think I did a great job of studying 24 hours, only 1 hour short of my intended 25! Also I was much more aware of my diet and made better choices. This was essential since my workouts were a little slack this week!

For next week, I'm vowing to get back to my schedule and really focus on making progress with the CPA material. I feel like I'm drowning right now and I really want to conquer some topics (specifically in R3) so I can feel like the studying is paying off. I also want to keep being committed to WW and exercising because those results are always so encouraging!

This Week:
Hours Studied: 24
Multiple Choice Questions: 244
Workout Sessions: 1(Personal Training)
Weight Loss: 1.4 pounds

Total Results:
Total Hours Studied: 39
Total Multiple Choice Questions: 426
Total Workout Sessions: 3
Total Weight Loss: 3.2 pounds

Because I need a laugh to start off the week!

2011-01-24T12:25:00.000-05:00

1. Go to Google Maps and click on "Get Directions".
2. Write "USA" as your start point.
3. Write "Japan" as your destination.
4. Go to the 31st step in your route
5. When you stop laughing, repost this so others can laugh too!

Overwhelmed by R3

2011-01-23T22:27:00.000-05:00

Now I definitely felt overwhelmed with R1 and R2 (both on individual taxes), but I felt like they were do-able sections for me. At some point it was possible for me to conquer them. R3 (C Corp, S Corp and Non-Profit) is just not happening. I have been studying on the first section (C Corp) for the last five hours and am struggling. Some concepts I have down pat, while others are still remaining a complete mystery, and there are a few that aren't even ringing a bell! Ugh! I'm trying my best to just keep taking deep breaths and telling myself it will make sense one day. I just hope that day is before I sit for the exam!

The Craziness that is My Brothers!

2011-01-22T22:56:00.001-05:00

Oh, how I love my brothers and all of the craziness that comes with them! Here are few shots from their visit last night. I'm sad that I didn't break out the camera earlier in the night to capture all of the antics and the entire cast of characters. But I think you'll get an idea of how the night went!

Me and the hubs! Please note the train whistle in my hand, as it is a necessity for a good night!

Nate (my oldest brother) and Kevin chilling out on the deck!

Me and Mona (Nate's girlfriend), also known as Awesome!

Mona and Jon (my older brother) doing shots as expected.

My neighbor Lisa showing off her moves on the dance floor.

Lisa and Jeremy- what a cute couple.

Amanda (another neighbor) and I enjoying too much punch!

Amanda and Jason- another cute couple!

And don't think Rudy wasn't part of the party!

Doing my hostess duties!

It is more than a little apropos that this one is blurry!

And for those wondering, it was the best lasagna I've ever had! And we went through 2 batches of the punch, which might have something to do with a bit of the craziness, just maybe.

Warning: This Punch is Danger!

2011-01-22T12:01:00.000-05:00

... but oh so delicious! You'll love it and that is half the problem. The other half is cause by the vodka and wine!

Cranberry Party Punch from Rachael Ray

One 750 ml bottle Finlandia Cranberry Fusion vodka, chilled

1/2 cup cranberry-flavored mixer, such as Rose’s Cocktail Infusions Cranberry Twist Mix, chilled

6 cups cranberry-raspberry juice, chilled

3 cups fresh orange juice, chilled

Juice of 1 lemon

1 orange, thinly sliced

8 ounces fresh or frozen raspberries

1 bottle sparkling wine, chilled

In a punch bowl, combine the vodka, cranberry-flavored mixer, cranberry-raspberry juice, orange juice and lemon juice. Float the orange slices on top. To serve, place a few raspberries in a wineglass, fill the glass halfway with the cranberry punch and top with sparkling wine.

Best Lasagna. Ever.

2011-01-22T11:58:00.000-05:00

This lasagna turned out so well last night, I have to post the recipe. It is found here, which gives much better step-by-step directions. But beware the pictures will make you very hungry.

Best Lasagna Ever
1-1/2 pound Ground Beef

1 pound Hot Breakfast Sausage
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 cans (14.5 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes
2 cans (6 Ounce) Tomato Paste
2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
2 Tablespoons Dried Basil
1 teaspoon Salt
3 cups Lowfat Cottage Cheese
2 whole Beaten Eggs
1/2 cup Grated (not Shredded) Parmesan Cheese
2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
1 teaspoon Salt
1 pound Sliced Mozzarella Cheese
1 package (10 Ounce) Lasagna Noodles
(add 1/2 Teaspoon Salt And 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil To Pasta Water)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or saucepan, combine ground beef, sausage, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until browned. Drain half the fat; less if you’re feeling naughty. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons parsley, basil and salt. After adding the tomatoes, the sauce mixture should simmer for 45 minutes while you are working on the other steps.

In a medium bowl, mix cottage cheese, beaten eggs, grated Parmesan, 2 more tablespoons parsley, and 1 more teaspoon salt. Stir together well. Set aside. Cook lasagna until “al dente” (not overly cooked).

To assemble:

Arrange 4 cooked lasagna noodles in the bottom of a baking pan, overlapping if necessary. Spoon half the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles. Spread evenly. Cover cottage cheese with a layer of mozzarella cheese. Spoon a little less than half the meat/sauce mixture over the top.

Repeat, ending with meat/sauce mixture. Sprinkle top generously with extra Parmesan.

Either freeze, refrigerate for up to two days, or bake immediately: 350-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until top is hot and bubbly.

Friday Night Plans

2011-01-21T11:04:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned previously, my brothers+girlfriend are coming into town today! Woohoo! I'm so excited to hang out with them since it is so rare that we are all together. I have invited some of our friends/neighbors to join us for dinner and drinks at our house, so it should be a great time!

I should also confess that I am super excited for the food tonight! We are making lasagna, salad, and garlic bread for dinner. I should mention that it isn't any lasagna, but The Best Lasagna. Ever. Seriously! That's the real name! It is the Pioneer Woman's recipe that you can find here. My favorite part is that it has hot sausage in it, which is one of my brothers' favorite things! So I hope they think it is the best lasagna ever. Or at least second best since my momma can make some mean lasagna. Doesn't this picture look so yummy?

My awesome friends are bring appetizers and desserts, which will be super yummy as usual. I am so lucky to have amazing friends who are also incredible cooks!

I am also known for having a house drink at parties. It just something fun that gives people a different option besides the typical beer and wine. So I'm making my favorite punch tonight- can't wait! I got this recipe many years ago from Rachael Ray. I know she's kinda annoying and talks like a man, but she knows how to make a delicious, yet very strong drink! Just the way I like it! You can find the recipe here. Cheers!

Schedule Revamp

2011-01-20T08:53:00.000-05:00

I've only been at this CPA nonsense for just over a week and I'm spent. Exhausted both physically and mentally and just done. So I've decided to revamp my schedule since I can't continue at this pace until July. Previously I was scheduled to study 30 hours a week and I've come to realize I just can't do that and stay sane. So I'm eliminating my morning study sessions so I can get a full 8 hours of sleep and increasing my study time on non-class nights. I also have reduced my weekend study hours because they were a bit unrealistic. Here's the new schedule:

Monday: 3 hours in the evening
Tuesday: 4 hours in class
Wednesday: 3 hours in the evening
Thursday: 4 hours in class
Friday: FREE NIGHT!!!
Saturday: 5 hours (broken apart as needed)
Sunday: 5 hours (broken apart as needed)
Total: 24 hours a week

I really would like to make it to 25 hours a week, but I'll see how difficult squeezing in that extra hour becomes. Giving myself this extra breathing room has really helped get some of my motivation back. And my trainer last night even said to me, "I really like your enthusiasm!" Um... I guess that means I'm doing a good job faking it until I actually believe it!

Motivation, where did you go?

2011-01-19T09:08:00.001-05:00

All of my motivation and excitement over conquering this week has quickly worn off into exhaustion. I think (or maybe that is hope) that deep down I'm still motivated, but I'm having a hard time seeing it through the sleepiness and sore muscles. I'm hoping that my exercise will soon result in an increase of energy that I keep hearing about. Right now I just feel exhausted and sore... very, very sore! And I'm hoping my body will quickly adapt to my new schedule of evening classes/study sessions. I think it is currently rebelling since it isn't getting the 9 hours of sleep it is used to!

Have I mentioned that my brothers are coming into town on Friday? I'm super excited to see both of them and my brother's girlfriend Mona- love her! It isn't very often that all of us get together since we are scattered across the country. So today I'm trying to figure out how to not be exhausted or incredibly behind in my studying when they get here. Because if you know any of us, you know that Friday night is going to be a ton of fun! Here's a picture of us at the beach this summer to give you an indication of how Friday night will go!

Here's to making it to Friday!

Survived the First Week!

2011-01-18T12:41:00.000-05:00

Not only did I survive my first week of the journey to be a CPA, I came out of it feeling encouraged and motivated to kick some butt next week!

Life threw me some curve balls this week. I got all of my ducks in order on Monday night in preparation for my first Becker class for REG on Tuesday. But then it was canceled due to snow leaving little to study or do on Tuesday and Wednesday. I was super nervous (not sure why) for class on Thursday night, but it ended up not being as terrible as I expected. I will even admit that the dork in me enjoyed parts of the class. I was starting to stress about the lack of hours I had logged for studying, but my boss surprised us with a day off on Friday. Normally I would have spent this napping and taking it easy, but I got in 5 hours of solid studying. Saturday I was a true slacker and didn't study at all. But Sunday I was right back on track with 4 hours.

I also have been taking my resolution to be more healthy much more seriously. The main reason for this is that I hate my personal training sessions. I'll even admit I was delighted when our session was cancelled on Monday due to snow. I don't hate my trainer- he is a nice guy. I just hate sweating, "the burn", and all of the moving that is required. All in all, I think I just despise exercise. So why am I doing this?

#1 I read somewhere you retain more information after you workout. I have no idea if this is true, but I like to think my evening study sessions are more productive because I broke a sweat beforehand. So in some ways I'm hoping it is helping me become a CPA.

#2 It's healthy. Simple as that. I figure that if I am busting my butt working out, I really need to make that worthwhile by not eating crap. It really has helped me stay accountable to a healthy lifestyle. I even joined a local gym on Saturday so that I would no longer have an excuse to skip my weekend workouts. And I did much better on WW this week, but I am looking forward to continuing to improve next week! But down 1.8 pounds is a great place to start! I can't wait to be a CPA, but I really hope that when I get there I'll be a skinny CPA! Now I might be getting greedy, but it is a nice thought!

Hours Studied: 15
Total Hours Studied: 15
Workout Sessions: 2 (1 Personal Training, 1 at the Gym)
Weight Loss: 1.8 pounds
Total Weight Loss: 1.8 pounds

And it begins...

2011-01-10T14:21:00.001-05:00

... the moment we have all been waiting for, or was that dreading?

Today begins my adventures in preparing for the CPA exams. For those of you who aren't up speed with these exams, there are four exams that you must pass within a 18 month window. So that means if you pass one exam, but haven't passed the other 3 within 18 months then you lose that passing score and have to take it over again. So the name of the game is to pass and pass quickly!

My first exam is scheduled for Monday, February 14th. What a romantic way to spend Valentine's Day! The exam is Regulation, commonly referred to as REG, and covers tax, business law and ethics. Sounds exciting, right?

Because I'm the typical anal accountant, I've planned on my life for the next few months and here's what it looks like.

Yes, it is in a spreadsheet. Yes, it is incredibly blurry because I can crunch numbers much better than I can do technical things. Hopefully that means good things for passing these exams! But as you see my life is comprised of work and then 30 hours of studying a week! Yes, you read that right- 30 hours of studying a week. While I'm hoping that you don't really need to study that much to pass these suckers, I figured I might as well go all out and do everything I can to pass. That way hopefully I can pass every test on the first try and be done with this by early July. Oh how nice that sounds!

In order to make this adventure as "fun" and "exciting" as it can be (if that is possible), I've ordered some new accessories to help me through my journey. First, protection for my laptop who I'm going to spend way too much time with over the next months.
It is the Built Bumper Laptop Sleeve in Black Raspberry. Although one review called the "Pinot Noir", which I definitely prefer since I'll be missing more glasses of wine due to studying than I want to think about! I'm hoping the "bumpers" will give my computer a little extra loving when I'm too tired to remember to not throw my bag around. Speaking of bags, here is my next purchase.

I am so excited about this purchase. I was looking for a bag that looked more like a purse than briefcase to lug around my computer, notebook, calendar, review book, and all the usual purse stuff (wallet, sunglasses, etc.). I figure I need no excuse to not be carrying my CPA-ness with me every moment, so that on that rare occasion I can meet the girls for coffee they don't give me the side-eye for bringing my briefcase along. Because you know they'll probably be running late and then I'll be able to cram 15 more minutes of studying in instead of cursing myself for "wasting" precious study time. I'm also in love with this bag because it is made of denim! Super durable and will even allow Rudy to carry in my bag as he drags it along with sidewalk and up the steps inside the house. Finally, I love the stripes. They aren't boring black or seasonal, which is important because it is going to be attached to my hip 24-7 for at least the next 6 months.

I also bought some fun pens (purple and green) and a new binder! But I won't bore you with my complete nerdiness. You'll get plenty of nerd in the next coming months! Wish me luck with my first night of studying tonight!

101 List Update: Christmas Style

2010-12-28T18:41:00.000-05:00

43. Exercise regularly

This year I am using my Christmas money for personal training sessions. I get an awesome deal through work (they pay half), so I figured this would be as good of time as any to get into shape! Hopefully this will help me check this one and all of the other exercise related items off the 101 list.

55. Create and maintain beauty routine for skin, hair, teeth, etc. for 3 months
56. Get a makeup consultation

I should start this update by stating that I am completely head-over-heels in love with Mary Kay. Their products are incredible and it doesn't hurt that my Mary Kay lady is just so much fun! So for Christmas I was able to expand on the colors from my consultation and get the microdermabrasion set. I love this so much!

63. Learn to knit
64. Knit something that can be used

My very talented neighbor (the one who taught me to run) also recently taught me how to knit. I have really been enjoying myself. So for Christmas I got a few more sets of needles, yarn and an awesome cable knitting book. On Christmas Day I completed my first item: coffee mug koozie!

74. Decorate my office

My office is definitely getting very closed to finished. However, I saw this calendar and couldn't pass it up! It is so colorful, yet so practical! This was an early Christmas present since it was too cute to wrap.

Big News!

2010-12-08T14:18:00.002-05:00

I have been a posting slacker lately, but I promise it is because things have been crazy.

First, I have finished my MBA. Hopefully I find out soon that my hard work was good enough and then I'll graduate! But at least for now I'm celebrating the fact that there is no more work! Woohoo!!

Second, we found an amazing house that we want to buy. It is right down the street from our current house, but is quite a bit bigger to be able to fill with kiddos one day! It isn't perfect since it is yellow, has popcorn ceilings and quite a bit of carpet (Kevin's top 3 house pet peeves), but the layout is awesome and the potential is there!

Third, our house is now on the market so we can have a chance to buy that house! We love our house, so it is bittersweet to think of saying goodbye. But we will see if all of the stars align so that the move can happen. If not, then at least we can stay in a home we love in a neighborhood that could never be topped!

Here's some pictures from our listing. I've always wanted to do before/after pictures of all of the work we've done to the house. But I figure I should put these up now since I may not have time for those before/after posts!

Living Room, excuse the Christmas decorations
since we decorated before putting this on the market.

Dining Room

Kitchen

View from the Living Room to Kitchen

Master Bedroom

Master Bath

Guest Bedroom

Office

Saying No

2010-11-28T21:30:00.000-05:00

I knew from the minute I started considering sitting for the CPA exam that it would require a lot of sacrifices. Some of these sacrifices are more obvious than others, like time and sleep. But today I said "No" for the first time solely due to the CPA exam.

I have been coordinating Supper Club in my neighborhood for the past two years. This has been something I've really enjoyed since it has allowed me to meet so many awesome neighbors. And the yummy food has been a great bonus! The next round of Supper Club is schedule to begin in February with all of the advertising, RSVP'ing and Supper Club creating in January- right when my CPA review classes start!

Saying "no" to this responsibility was liberating since I was able to relieve some future stress. However, it was also painful. This is the first real sacrifice that I've had to make since deciding to sit for the CPA exam. In the big picture, it isn't that big of deal. But the realization that this "thing" is going to happen and I better get ready for it is pretty scary.

Not to mention that the delivery of the gigantic stack of review books really helped it hit home that this Spring is not going to be fun... at all.

Giving Thanks for Cherpumple

2010-11-25T19:40:00.000-05:00

Today I hosted my first Thanksgiving dinner and I have to admit that one of the many things I'm thankful for is that it was a success! And here is proof!

It was a great meal, or really day, spent with Kevin and my brother Jon. Nice and relaxing and lots of yummy food. But I think the award for the Yummiest Thanksgiving Food definitely goes to the Cherpumple. You may be wondering what exactly this is. Well, it is the most incredible dessert ever! You start with three pies (apple, pumpkin and cherry) and bake them into three cakes (yellow, spice and chocolate). Then you stack them all together with cream cheese icing. Here is some pictures of the wonderfulness.

The cakes cooling waiting for frosting.

The beginning of the frosting.

Putting the finishing touches on the icing

True deliciousness! I love how you can see all of the delicious layers. For those of you not as quite as familiar with Cherumple-ness, that is a apple pie inside a yellow cake on top of a pumpkin pie inside of spice cake on top of a cherry pie inside of a chocolate cake all with cream cheese icing!

Hope you also had a great and yummy Thanksgiving!

I'm Approved!

2010-11-01T10:14:00.000-04:00

I can now officially try to be a CPA! Doesn't that sound so exciting?!?!

CPA Examination Candidate:

Your state board has found you eligible to take the Uniform CPA Examination.

This is an excerpt from my official notification that my CPA application has been approved and I've been granted access to sit for the first of four tests! I'm quite excited that I made it through the first approval process, but not so excited about the actual test taking. But I guess I should take the excitement as it comes, since I think there isn't going to be too much in this process!

And I am also officially registered with Becker for the face-to-face review for all four sections. Now I just need to finish my MBA so I can have some time to devote to CPA-ness.

Two Paper Firsts!!

2010-10-30T10:52:00.001-04:00

I won my first blog giveaway over at Katie Loves Paper. If you haven't stopped over there yet, you definitely should! She sells PaperConcierge products (which are super cute) and has great tips for entertaining and ideas for decorating! See I told you, you should check it out!

It was on her blog that I discovered the most clever, yet useful, office decor. It is a calendar from Paper Source that adds so much color and character to a boring beige office! I can't wait to get mine for 2011 although I have a feeling it will be going up in 2010. Hey you got to plan ahead, right?

My second first is that I won personalized stationery!!! Somehow I have never had personalized stationery before. I'm not really sure how that happened, but I'm happy that my life will now include it! Here's the awesome set that I won!

Won't you be my neighbor?

2010-10-29T14:38:00.000-04:00

Because if you were, you'd be pretty cool!

Have I mentioned yet how much we love our neighborhood? This really was something we didn't quite expect when we picked our house. But our neighborhood has become one of our favorite things in North Carolina- right next to raindrops on roses! I mean how can you not love Santa visiting on Christmas Eve, or summer evenings spent with neighbors at Happy Hour, or fun times at the block parties, or getting to know your neighbors at Supper Club or even free meals for a week when you have a kid! Seriously, our neighborhood rocks!

Here's a picture of the family enjoying the Halloween block party which was complete with a costume parade, pizza, beer, and It's a Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown! What a fun night!

I Just Got a Letter!

2010-10-22T09:42:00.000-04:00

I just got a letter!!
I just got a letter!!!
Let's see who it's from!

That's right! My CPA application finally made its way back to Raleigh! I'm pretty sure it had quite an adventure since it is pretty banged up. But the important part is that it is here! Hooray! Looks like I'll be officially applied very soon!

Stupid Foot!

2010-10-21T12:31:00.000-04:00

I actually haven't been slacking on C25K posts, I just haven't been running. My foot has been acting up again and was way too painful to even consider running. I tried the 30 day shred and my foot was not a fan of Jillian. So off to the doctor I went!

Bad news: It is plantar fasciitis and another pulled muscle (don't remember the name). Good news: I'm not in physical therapy and have an at-home plan that the doctor thinks will work. Basically I need to stretch all the time and take a TON of advil (really I should buy some stock). I'm really hoping this will work since I'm missing my runs. And I know Rudy is too!

CPA Application Frustration

2010-10-19T14:55:00.001-04:00

I'm sure most of you have no clue how big of a pain it is to apply for the CPA. I'm still not quite sure why they have to make the entire application so complicated. After reading through countless websites, blogs, and forms, I think I have everything figured out. I have determined (tentatively) when I'll be taking each of the four exams. Figured out when I can apply for each exam since your ticket to register is only good for 6 months from the date issued (which only God's knows when that will actually happen). I requested and received transcripts from the 5 colleges/universities that I have attended. This is when you really regret transferring in undergrad. My three non-blood character references were identified and signed my application. But now my application is somewhere between Chicago and Raleigh (or at least I hope)! It was mailed over a week ago and has yet to turn up. I'm hoping it will be delivered soon so I can put the last finishing touches on it and send it off for review. So if you see my application laying around somewhere, let me know!!!

Week 2 Day 1

2010-10-12T09:06:00.000-04:00

No you haven't missed some posts. I just haven't been running due to midterms. But since my foot hasn't been acting up and the Week 1 workouts felt pretty easy, I decided I was ready to start at Week 2! My run last night was great! It was challenging at times, but I was able to push through and run all of the segments (even the uphill ones)! I'm hoping I can get running back into my routine because I really missed it last week.

Dreaded Day = Amazing Day, Who Knew?

2010-10-01T21:57:00.000-04:00

I had been dreading today for quite some time. For those non-accountants out there, it was the first day of quarter-end closing. The most stressful time in an accountant's life, excluding year-end closing. And to make things worse, this closing had to start on a Friday which totally sucks all of the fun out of a Friday! We have to go into work early, work hard, and to top it off work late. Ugh!

Well today started out as expected. I get into work super early only to find my email isn't working. This is a gigantic problem because I need to process a file by noon that I receive via email. After getting nowhere with IT during my 30 minute call, I try for the 3rd time to restart my computer. I think God felt bad for me and magically fixed whatever was wrong. Disaster adverted! So I get my file and it is wonderfully short, which means that it was completed over an hour early! Woohoo! Not only does this mean I got a "Good Job" from the boss, but I'm able to sneak out for a quick lunch with a friend. We had a lovely lunch which was capped off with the best question ever. "Would you mind if we stopped at Starbucks on the way back?" *Insert the sound of angels singing* So all afternoon I was comforted with my Solo Grande Pumpkin Spice Non-Fat No-Whip Latte with extra Nutmeg. Heaven. Pure heaven. And since I rarely have caffeine, the extra jolt of energy made me abnormally productive for a Friday afternoon.

Finally, my day was capped off with an amazing run for Week 1 Day 2 of C25K. I picked up my pace and was really running quite fast during those intervals. I definitely surprised myself with how fast I could run without being completely out of breath. And as an added bonus, my foot is feeling fine!

Exciting News!

2010-09-30T11:24:00.000-04:00

I found out that my company agreed to foot the bill for my CPA exams and prep class! Woohoo! Although it is still going to be a painful process, at least I can take some comfort in that it won't be draining our bank account. In fact, this may help us save money since I won't have any time to spend it! Hmmm, maybe they should include that in the marketing material for the CPA exam!

Third Time's a Charm

2010-09-29T09:58:00.000-04:00

I'm hoping this saying turns out to be true since I started my 3rd attempt at C25K last night. I completed the first workout of week 1 and felt pretty good! My foot is pretty sore this morning, but I'm hoping that will work itself out in time for my next run! I can tell you that Rudy was quite excited that we were running again. While I was getting changed and putting on my running shoes, he was patiently waiting at the top of the driveway!

I was quite excited when I figured out that this was quite perfect timing to be starting this program again. If I can complete C25K in 9 weeks, then it will be just in time for a 5k over Thanksgiving weekend. But if I need to repeat a few weeks, then I'll be able to run in a 5k in December.

Protest and Plunge

2010-09-17T10:14:00.000-04:00

Things have been pretty busy as of late! But there have been two major developments.

The first one concerns running. The exciting news is that I got a new running accessory: Nathan Trail Mix hydration belt. Now I don't have to carry my interval timer (clips to the belt), water, cell phone and mace while trying to run! And I have to admit I felt more like a real runner when I wear my fancy hydration belt.

The real development is that my body is officially protesting running. I had a pretty crappy run earlier this week that resulted in plantar fasciitis aka crazy intense arch pain! I saw the doctor and am not allowed to run for at least 2 weeks! If you did the math correctly, that means I'm going to miss my first 5k! I'm so bummed. The doctor did say I could run the 5k, but I'd be in physical therapy afterward. Ugh! My body really needs to get on board with this running stuff!

Development #2 is a bit more exciting. I recently found out that I have enough credits and accounting courses to qualify to sit for the CPA exam in North Carolina. When I decided to pursue my MBA, I thought the CPA wasn't going to be a possibility. I have been doing research about the CPA exam and have been hesitant to commit since I don't want to do it half-way. But I think I'm going to take the plunge and start studying in January, with the help of Becker. My goal is to have all 4 parts passed by summer (if I can pass them all on the first try), or at least by the end of 2011. Good-bye social life in 2011!

My First 5k!

2010-09-10T09:40:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited to write this post! It is a good thing yesterday I decided to break my running silence on here because I think it gave me extra motivation in my run last night to avoid the blog curse. Anyway, I ran my first 5k! Now it was completely unofficial since it wasn't an organized race or anything. But I did it! And I felt great!

I feel like there are a few people I should thank! First, my awesome running coach Amanda. She has been very encouraging throughout this running process and has kept everything very positive for me!

Second, the Gym Boss. No this isn't my secret name for Amanda when she makes me keep running. It is this glorious gadget pictured below. I hate timing intervals because I'm constantly checking to see how much longer making my runs painful. But the Gym Boss has allowed me to relax and enjoy those running intervals. Plus the hot pink color gives me a girl-power fist pump when I need that extra bit of motivation!
Finally, I need to thank MapMyRun because without this site I would have no clue how far I run. If you are a newbie runner like me, you definitely should check it out! I already have my next 5k loop in my neighborhood all mapped out!

For those of you interested in the official stats of my unofficial 5k, I covered 3.3 miles in 51 min and 18 seconds. I have been shooting to complete my first 5k in 50 minutes, so I was pleasantly pleased to see that I might even be able to beat my goal!

Running Blog Curse

2010-09-09T11:30:00.000-04:00

I have purposely have been avoiding blogging about running. It seems these sorts of posts curse me and I stop running due to injury or illness. But since I've had a small bout with both (runner's knee and an annoying cold), I'm hoping I'll be able to successfully avoid the curse!

First, I started with the all important shoe fitting (#45). Apparently I am a overpronater and these shoes are the solution. I think they have really made a different this go round!

My next step was to figure out a program that would work for me. Luckily my amazing neighbor volunteered to be my personal running coach. We run together about once a week and then I run 2 other times during the week. We are doing interval training (walk/run) that is similar to C25K. I figured it is sorta like my own person C25K, so it can count towards that goal on my 101 list.

So far I have been doing really well. We started with running 1 min, walking 3. Tonight I'm considering trying to run for 3 min and walk for 3. I might chicken out and run 2:30 walk 3. But that is still, I'm very proud of how much I've increased those times in just a month! The best part of all of it is that I actually have been enjoying myself! Wait, did I really just say that?!? It is true, I really have loved not only the actually runs but the feeling of accomplishment when I'm done. I'm definitely addicted to that runner's high!

Things have been going so well that I actually signed up for my first 5k! I know I won't be able to run the whole thing, but my goal is to just complete one and that will definitely be possible!

Chicken Verde Enchiladas

2010-09-08T09:31:00.000-04:00

This is one of my go-to recipes since it is easy, healthy and very delicious! Last night I actually delivered it to 3 of my neighbors to spread a little sunshine. One recently had the cutest little baby girl, another had surgery last week and the last one has done her fair share of spreading sunshine!

Chicken Verde Enchiladas
2 cans of chicken breast (about 24 oz)
15 oz can of black beans (rinsed and drained)
15 oz can of corn (drained)
4 oz can of chopped green chilies (drained) (Add an extra can for added spice)
8 oz of sour cream (I use fat free) ***You can also use cream cheese if you want it creamier***
28 oz can of verde enchilada sauce (pictured below available at Target)
Tortillas
1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese

Combine chicken, black beans, corn, green chilies, sour cream and a generous splash of the enchilada sauce (about 1/3 cup). In a shallow dish pour some of the enchilada sauce. Place tortilla in this dish (to get it wet) and then fill with mixture (you can make them as big as you want). Refill shallow dish as needed, which is probably use about half of the enchilada sauce. Place in a 9x13 pan that has a thin coating of the enchilada sauce on the bottom. When the pan is filled up with enchiladas pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top and finish with the shredded cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-45 until bubbly.

This recipe usually makes around 10 enchiladas, which would be 8 WW points a piece. (7 points without the cheese on top).

Family Time in OBX

2010-08-23T21:11:00.001-04:00

The past week was spent with my family at OBX. We all had an amazing time! Hoping this will become an annual tradition.

We surprised my mom with a session with the amazing Tina Dean for some family pix on the beach! Here are some of my favorites!

Me, Kevin and Rudy

Lace, Barlow, Mom and Dad enjoying the view

Me and the brothers

The original 5

The whole crew

What a cute couple! So happy my brother found such a great girl!

The 'rents

Old Man Barlow

Last but not least, my favorite picture!

Chocolate Toffee Trifle

2010-08-11T08:45:00.000-04:00

About a month ago, I hosted a Pampered Chef for one reason. A trifle bowl! I'm not quite so sure why I was obsessed with this particular serving dish. It was probably the mix of practicality (lid for transport and removable base) and the Susie-Homemaker-ness that a homemade trifle exudes! This week I made my first trifle and despite my nerves it was a HUGE hit. This recipe is so simple, but so yummy!

Chocolate Toffee Trifle
Chocolate Cake- Prepared in 2 round pans according to box directions
2 Packages of Chocolate Pudding- Prepared according to box directions
1 container of Cool Whip
Crushed Heath Bars

Layer crumbled chocolate cake, pudding, heath bar bits and cool whip in the trifle bowl. Repeat layers until bowl is filled. Keep refrigerated until it is served. Can be made the night before. Enjoy!

Blueberry Cream Pie

2010-08-03T12:43:00.000-04:00

I came across the recipe for the pie below at a great cooking blog and couldn't resist since we had blueberries that needed to be used up from our Produce Box. Not only is this pie very easy to make, it is very delicious!

Last weekend we made the peach version, using peach yogurt and diced peaches (blotted with a paper towel to remove the extra moisture). Don't be afraid to experiment with this one since I really don't think you can mess it up!

Super Light Blueberry Cream Pie
9 inch ready made reduced fat graham cracker crust
8 oz fat free Cool Whip
2 cups fresh blueberries
2 (6oz) fat free blueberry yogurt

Combine Cool Whip and yogurt in a bowl. Then add blueberries (reserving a few for garnishing). Pour filling into pie crust and chill in the refrigerator at least one hour. Keep refrigerated until serving.

Serves: 8 WW Points: 3.5

Spicy Peanut Pasta Salad

2010-08-03T10:17:00.001-04:00

After making this salad last night, I can't wait to eat my lunch today! I was inspired by this recipe (could that picture look any better), but decided it needed some chicken. Here's the recipe!

Spicy Peanut Pasta Salad
1 pound whole wheat spaghetti
2 cups shredded carrots
8 green onions, chopped
2 red/yellow peppers, julienned
4 chicken breasts shredded
15 basil leaves, chopped
3/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 jar of Trader Joe's Spicy Asian Peanut Vinagrette

Cook the spaghetti as directed on package. Rinse with cold water and drain. Mix together the cooled noodles, vegetables, chicken, and dressing. Enjoy!

Serves 8 WW points: 7

Success!!!

2010-07-26T09:11:00.000-04:00

While I realize both the weight loss and financial journeys will continue for quite some time, I’m so excited that this week was a true success! It gives me hope that I won’t be fat forever and that we can actually meet that crazy financial goal we set last week.

First up: Finances. As a quick refresher, we decided each week we could eat out 1 lunch, 1 take out meal and 1 restaurant meal. Well, this week it was revised to 1 lunch and 2 dinners, since our take out meals cost just as much as restaurant meals for the most part. I ate my lunch out on Monday- I couldn’t resist the offer of Mexican. I’m proud to say I held strong for the rest of the week, with the company-paid lunch on Tuesday definitely helping! Kevin and I made it all the way to Saturday without eating out, but still got our 2 meal quota in since we don’t want to be overachievers on the first week! We were planning on only eating out at lunch, but were quite disappointed by Milton’s lunch buffet. That afternoon we went to a wine tasting sponsored by The Produce Box that was also disappointing leaving us hungry for a good meal. When in doubt, we head to Torerro’s, my favorite Mexican restaurant. It was yummy as usual!

And now for the big success! I lost … drum roll please… 5.6 pounds this week! Yippee! I can’t tell you how excited this makes me! I was following the program very closely all week concentrating on veggies, dairy, and exercise. Now I just need to concentrate on not straying from the program since it clearly works!

And don’t all good things come in 3’s? Well, Kevin and I tried a new church yesterday that we both actually like! I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves since we thought we had found “our” church before, but this one has a lot of potential! I’m completely content to celebrate the fact that we know where we’ll be going next week!

Double Mission

2010-07-17T21:55:00.000-04:00

I have been MIA for a bit (much shorter than my usual breaks), because we headed down to the beach to celebrate our 5th anniversary and Rudy's 2nd birthday! What can I say, he's a lucky dog! My brother also stopped down for a few days, which was awesome to spend some time with him!

However I am back with a mission, or two really!

First up is finances. While I realize this is a touchy subject and definitely one that I won't go into graphic detail on, we all have to deal with at some point. And honestly, it sucks. Basically our goal was to figure out where our money was going and then make sure that is where we actually wanted it to go. Our big realization is that we spend A LOT (and I mean a huge amount) on food, both groceries and eating out. No wonder my ass is so big- we'll get to that in a minute. So starting tomorrow we are tracking our actual expenses to our budget. I'm really hoping we'll kick some ass and reach our goals the first month, but I know it is going to be a work in process.

Second mission concerns my fat ass. Plain and simple, it is fatter than it should be. But at least I'm glad I have something to show for all that money I've been spending on food! So I'm jumping back on board tomorrow and starting Weight Watchers again. It has worked great in the past, so I just need to stick to the program. I'm also going to try this time around to incorporate regular exercise- regular being the key word.

So there you have it. Spend less money and lose more weight! I'll keep you posted on my progress!

5th and 4th

2010-07-05T11:58:00.000-04:00

On Saturday July 3rd, Kevin and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary! We ate at an incredible Italian restaurant (quite a feat in the South) and then saw Pilobolus (very cool). It is crazy to think it has already been 5 years since our wedding seems like yesterday. But thinking over the crazy ride the past 5 years has been, I'm so happy that Kevin was by my side through all of it! Here's some of my favorite pictures from our wedding!

Sunday was obviously July 4th. Rudy and I marched in our neighborhood 4th of July parade (pictured below). And then we headed to the Durham Bulls game! It was the perfect mix of all things American (nice summer weather, baseball, fireworks and too much food- hot dogs, fries, nachos, popcorn, ice cream, beer)!