Oh my the time did fly!

Has it seriously been almost a year since I've blogged?  What the heck?  Not much has changed since my last post, I don't think.  Let's see, what's new....

I'm working night shift now at a local hospital.  3 nights per week, not bad!  It's been quite the adjustment for our family!  I think I'm finally getting used to it and getting a little more sleep.  Mackenzie has made it clear that she does not want me to work nights.  Sweet kid.  Mackenzie is in kindergarten now so I'm able to be home during the day and sleep while she's in school.  The plus side is that we don't have to worry about child care before or after school.

Working in the hospital is very different from the outpatient surgery center!  I started out having A LOT of anxiety but I think I'm adjusting.  I just have to say that I work with some of the most amazing and supportive nurses around.  I can't say enough good things about them.  They are awesome.

Matt also changed jobs after 10+ years.  He is no longer managing which makes him happy.  The downside is that is that he's working farther from home.  It can be a little stressful trying to get him home in time for me to get to work.  Traffic can be a nightmare.

All of the above leaves me not much time to do cupcakes but I still try and make time for them.  It is still a passion of mine.  My goal is still to someday have a commercial kitchen on our property so I can really get the business going.

Mackenzie is growing like crazy.  She loves kindergarten right now.  We recently took her to the eye doctor and found she needed glasses.  She is loving her disney princess glasses.

That's about it for now.  Until next year!  :)  Just kidding.  I hope to update this more!

Hey there!  Wow, it's been forever since I've posted anything here.  Life has been keeping our little family super busy.  Mackenzie will be 5 in just over 3 month.  Wait, what?  Seriously?  Man, where does the time go?  She is full of spunk and is so much fun.  Her favorite thing to do right now is to sing or dance.  And, it can only be to Glee music.  So funny.  She belts it out too. I just love this little girl.  Hard to believe she starts kindergarten in September.

I started a cupcake adventure in April of last year.  I've met some amazing people and have learned so much.  I love baking.  I love making my own flavor combinations.  I still need to keep my day job though.  Trying to do the cupcakes on the side doesn't allow for much since my day job has varying hours.  My day job pays the bills, baking keeps me sane.  I'm in the midst of changing up the cupcake thing.  I'm going to keep doing it for family and friends only.  I want to stay connected in the blog world so my plan is to share recipes/how to's with the world.  There have been so many things I've wanted to do with my business and I just don't see how that can happen any time soon.  Cupcakes are HUGE right now.  Every idea I had over the summer that I haven't been able to play out, I've noticed other people having the same ideas.  It really sucks but I have to put my dream on the back burner for now.

I started a gluten free diet about a month and a half ago and I'm loving it.  I also more recently have started an ovo-vegetarian diet.  Meaning that I eat no meat, not even fish.  I also don't eat dairy but I do eat eggs.  I tried being straight vegan but I found I wasn't getting enough protein so I added eggs back in.  I watched a couple of documentaries that changed my views about what I eat.  Forks Over Knives is a fabulous one.  You should watch it.  It's on Netflix instant play.  I've also started juicing more.  For a great documentary on that, you should watch Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.  So far, I feel amazing.  I have more energy and the majority of my headaches are gone.  I find I don't need nearly as much coffee.  It can be hard finding a quick bite.  It's really hard going out to eat.  Most veggie burgers have gluten in them or cheese in them.  I like getting creative with food.  My favorite thing to eat right now is tempeh sauteed in coconut oil with some veggies. I love quinoa!  Cook that up and pair it with some black beans.  YUM.

Well, there is a little update!  We got quite a bit of snow since yesterday.  It's time to go enjoy it!

A long overdo update

I wish I could update this blog every day. To be honest, I never have anything interesting enough to say.

We have been super busy with getting a new puppy, celebrating birthdays, baking cupcakes, trampoline jumping and various day to day activities.

Where shall I start? The puppy?

Meet Bruno. Mackenzie named him after Cinderella's dog.

This is Bruno at 7 weeks when we first got him in March.

This is Bruno now and he's almost 5 months old. Crazy how big he is. Our vet is predicting he'll be about 75 pounds. Right now him and Mackenzie both weight 32 pounds.

We are happy to have this little guy in our home. Even with the excessive barking. We have him crate trained and he is now house broken too. He loves to play and Mackenzie loves to love on him.

Mackenzie turned 4 in April. Crazy how time flies. We got her a trampoline for her birthday and she LOVES that thing. It's really hard to get a good picture of her on there because she loves to run around and jump all over the place. This is the cake I made her. I used cake tattoos by Duff. Fun stuff to work with.

Baking, baking and more baking. I've been experimenting with different cupcake flavors recently and have been having so much fun doing so! My coworkers are my guinea pigs and they seem to love them. At least they tell me they do. My favorite so far is the cookies and cream. I have a big order coming up and am very excited for it. I plan to update the cupcake blog tomorrow so I'll share some info there.

That is about all that's been going on here. Mackenzie started dance and gymnastics today. She loved it and I still can't get over how big she's getting. She is such an amazing little girl. She never ceases to amaze me in how polite she is and how she gets along with everyone.

Until next time.....

Chasing my dreams

Wow, it's been almost a month since I last posted. Time got away from me again. I've been so busy! Not just with work either. If we are friends on facebook then I know you know that I LOVE to bake and I've been doing a lot of that. I have had a lot of friends suggest selling my goods and have had friends place orders. Baking is a passion of mine. Don't get me wrong, I love my job as a nurse and that is a passion too. There is just something about baking that gives me peace and lifts my spirits. I love experimenting with different flavor variations and making them all cute. And lets not forget the look on someones face when they see an irresistible cupcake. You seriously have no idea how much joy I get out of making delicious goods. I know, cupcakes are popping up everywhere. I can honestly say that I have loved making them for a long time. But I don't just do cupcakes. I do cookies, truffles and other various things. I have planned for a long time to eventually open up a bakery. I recently started to put that dream into reality. My plan is to first sell a local farmers markets. For me to be comfortable with that I want to actually have a business name and such. Alas, Lucky Star Delectables has been born. I will be doing this on the side of my day job. You can find me at facebook.com/luckystardelectables for the latest news. I will be sharing pictures and ideas there. I will eventually be taking orders once I get boxes and coming up with a good shipping method. I plan to do a vendor party with a friend of mine also. I am very excited for this new chapter in my life. Even if it doesn't work out I will still be happy that I attempted it. What do I have to lose?

Rockin' Bobbin

I have been trying to get this post done for almost a week. Let's see if I can get it done today.

Are you one that loves iced drinks but don't love the water it leaves on the table? The worst is when this happens while you are crafting with paper or in todays case, going through the store circulars. Then the paper gets all wet. I hate that!

I'm sure you have seen all sorts of beverage sleeves. Typically they are used on hot drinks.

Jennifer at Rockin' Bobbin is a genius. She makes reusable beverage sleeves. They aren't just your plain jane sleeves.

They are adorable.

Just check mine out.

See, I told you.

I think you need to have one.

You want one.

And check it out after using it with my iced caramel macchiato.

The table is dry.

My paper is dry.

Genius.

Jennifer customizes each sleeve according to the fabric you desire. She has all kinds of options. You can do the lace up type like I have, you can do a snap closure which I also have.

It's got a super cute cupcake pattern.

Adorable isn't it!

Why do I love Rockin' Bobbin?

Super awesome customer service and super awesome prices. And, Jennifer is a kick in the pants. She is working on something really cute. I linked you to her facebook page which has all of the ordering information. facebook.com/rockinbobbin

Now....GO CHECK THEM OUT!

A windy day at the zoo

I recently got to meet up with an old friend, Jen. We hadn't seen each other in about 10 years! It was so great to see her and meet her beautiful daughter, Zoey. We decided to meet at the zoo. It was so windy and cold! We braved it though. Mackenzie and Zoey got along great. We can't wait to get them together again. It's too bad we live so far from each other.

As I was going through the pictures I realized that I didn't get a single picture of Jen and I. How sad!

Most of the animals were out which made it worth braving the wind.

Why is it so hard?

They say it takes 21 days for something to become a habit.

What they don't tell you is that even skipping a day can get you out of the habit.

It's been 2+ weeks since I worked out. I've either been sick or K has been sick. It went something like this....

"I'll work out tomorrow morning." Then I wake up and am so tired or didn't feel good.

I told myself I'd do it the next day.

The next day came and, nada. And so on.

See how easy it is?

When is it going to end? I honestly don't even have the desire to workout anymore. I get home and have the feeling that I should work out. Then there's the guilt trip of spending time with K before she goes to bed.

Someone help me.

Future cook

Mackenzie got an Easy Bake Oven set for Christmas from her Mimi and Papa. I was so excited to get to do this with her. We opened it up one morning and rather than wanting to make the goodies, she wanted to take all the accessories upstairs to her playroom. She has a play kitchen up there that our neighbors handed down to her. Next thing I know she comes downstairs, grabs the instruction manual and says "I need to read the recipe," then she bolted back upstairs.

I walked up and saw this:

"Next we need sugar."

I think I have a future cook on my hands and I couldn't be more proud!

Overpowering the frustration

If you are a parent, you need to see this video.

I follow the blog for The Mom Creative and, have been for a very long time. I saw this video posted the other day but didn't watch it.

My Aunt shared this same video tonight through facebook.

I took that as I need to see this. You see, Matt and I have been getting very frustrated with Mackenzie. She's getting pretty bold in how she responds to us. Is this what happens at 3 1/2 years old? I hate to say it but it's almost as though she is becoming a brat. I often find myself just staring up at the ceiling not knowing what to even say to her. Do you think she acts this way in public?

Not ever.

Watching the video reminded me of the little things that I cherish about her. She has the silliest laugh. Getting reminded of that just brought complete joy to my heart which overpowered my frustration.

Watch the video and find yourself being overjoyed with love for your children. Let the frustrations melt away for a moment while you focus on their silly quirks.

2010 Highlights

The years seem to fly by these days. Maybe it's because we seem to stay so busy and there is no doubt that 2010 was a busy year for us! So far it's been the funnest year with Mackenzie. I thought it would be fun to share our some highlights from this last year.

January: We purchased a membership to the Children's Museum. It has been the one thing that Mackenzie and I can go do on a whim. She loves it there. Each time she finds something different to do. It's great for toddlers! If you have one near you I highly recommend trying it out.

February: this was a HUGE month. I took and passed my nursing boards. Wow, it's been almost a year!

March: Mackenzie was really getting into the Princess thing. She was starting to want to play dress up a lot.

April: Mackenzie turned 3 and received her first bike! That was the BEST birthday ever!

May: Pony rides are always a highlight. She loves them. I think this little girl might end up with a horse some day.

June: First baseball game. She loved it. Can't wait for summer again! This month has two pictures because we also made new friends! Lauren was Mackenzie's first preschool teacher when we changed daycares. We've become great friends and love getting together.

July: Daddy taught Mackenzie how to have a marshmallow fight with a marshmallow gun. We were invited to Lauren's parents house for the 4th of July (why Mackenzie has noise blockers on).

August: We spent August with friends! We have become social butterflies! Every moment with our friends are cherished. This is me with my bff Katrina.

September: Mackenzie got to spend some time with Uncle Jason and I finally got a great picture of them together.

October: It's when it really starts to feel like fall which means one thing to me, PUMPKIN PATCH!

November: We went for a few very nice walks! It was so much fun watching these girls play in the leaves. Mackenzie made a new friend, Hailey, as did I with her mommy. We can't wait for the girls to play together again! In this picture is Mackenzie, Ella and Hailey.

December: A great end to a fantastic year! December is all about Christmas to us. My last blog post you saw how awesome Christmas can be with a 3 year old. Matt and Mackenzie decorated the tree this year and I think it turned out great!

Here is to a wonderful and blessed 2011. I wonder what it will bring...

Our AMAZING Christmas

Matt and I played host for Christmas Eve/Day this year. We had a blast. I really want to express that Christmas with a 3 1/2 year old is a hoot! Mackenzie was super excited this year. And not just when opening presents. It all started when we went on the Santa Train. She talked a lot about Santa after that. She knew that he was watching.....and she was good. The Foster's have always opened presents on Christmas Eve, even when Matt was a kid. So that is what we do. Then in the morning you see that Santa came. When I was child, we opened one present on Christmas Eve and did the rest in the morning.

I took Mackenzie to her first Christmas Eve candlelight service at church. Matt's mom went with us too. It was a lovely service. Mackenzie held her own candle for a couple of minutes and then handed it to me. She was very careful. She was in awe looking out over the congregation (we were in the balcony) and seeing all of the candles. There was a live nativity also. Mackenzie was excited to hear about the how Jesus was born and loved singing the Christmas carols.

Let's talk about the food.

Oh the food. It was delicious! Here is what our menu consisted of:

Christmas Eve we had leg of lamb with a sweet and spicy rub along with plum sauce. Green and white lasagna, broccoli with oranges and almonds, along with rolls. It was wonderful! We were too full to even touch dessert!

Christmas morning we had spiced apple crepes, sausage balls (meat and non-meat), caramel apple sweet rolls and mimosas.

Christmas Dinner we had a black forest ham, mashed potatoes and mustard gravy. We also had leftover lasagna, broccoli and rolls.

Dessert was a cake that had alternating layers of pumpkin and chocolate with chocolate ganache between the layers. The frosting was a salted caramel buttercream. It was wonderful too. I thought the cake was a little dry but it was still wonderful.

It was a great time with our family. The only thing that was missing was my family back home. I miss them so much, especially at Christmas. When I was growing up my sister, mom and I would make big gingerbread houses from scratch while listening to Christmas music. Dad would always come in dancing and singing "Christmas times a comin'" to make us laugh. What wonderful memories we share.

Here are some pictures from our AMAZING Christmas. I tried to rearrange the pictures but blogger is being a bugger.

Opening up her first gift from Santa-Princess Belle doll

The Princess Belle dress up dress from Mommy & Daddy

Making cookies for Santa

Our tree before present time

Pictures before Christmas Eve service

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas! Now it's time to get my house back together.

A day at the beach

Strolling through town

We were walking through town with my friend Lauren and decided to have a mini photo shoot with Kenzie. I think this girl likes to have her picture taken. Ignore the blue frosting around her mouth, she had just eaten a cupcake!