House tour. Make yourself at home!!

I have moved more than a month ago, but just now the husband stopped home long enough for me to put him to work, and this past couple days have been used putting up pictures, fixing holes in the wall his wife made, some complains but lots of smiles and finally seeing the transformation from a house we are just passing through to a home.

So lets do the tour. It's not done, his todo list and my project list is still humungous, but its good enough for now.


Come on it :



Still searching for the perfect Christmas mat for the front door and still waiting on the husband to hang the lights.





Ignore the pantless baby. Pants is optional lately. Also why the lovely husband decided to pile the stockings on the left side instead of spread them out is beyond me. I love my stockings though. There is still more going on the mantle in terms of crafts and decorations but everything is put on hold for now.




Some more pinterest projects that will be posted later on about.



To the right is my bedroom. See that bedroom set? It use to be brown. 3 tutorials, 10 cans of spray paint, a heavy duty sander, some bubbles here and there, countless trips to Home Depot is now black and I am so happy. There is still a bookcase that I am searching for that will need to go there just to hold yearbooks and the printer. The curtain forget about it. I have no clue what color I want, so until I decide, it will be sans curtain.



My kitchen next. If I were to buy this house, I would totally knock down that wall and make it an open floor plan, but thank God we won't be here long enough to buy.




Behind the kitchen is my dining room that is also open to the living room




Down the hall to the left of the front door, there is dd room. Its not done at all. I have a lot of plans in terms of art in the wall. Her curtain is just on wait for a decent rod. But I did, I sew her curtains. Crooked and beautiful ;)
Unfortunately the walls will have to stay the same color. I drew asshole landlords. Aren't I lucky.




There is a bathroom in between both rooms and then ds's room. He got lucky. Its a huge room and with plenty of space for him to play, and make mess. A ledge shelf bookcase will go on that left corner. Just waiting for me to come back and instruct the hubby.



and of course a picture of the children on Thanksgiving. Lately they been difficult telling me no more pictures and making mean faces. MEMORIES CHILDREN MEMORIES. I need these pictures. Why don't they get that?? lol


Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the tour, and if you are around these parts, knock on the door, I would love to have you.

Much love A

Siblings

When I was pregnant with dd I was extremely afraid. I am an only child, I have absolutely no idea how to deal with sibling issues. None. This thought has kept me up many nights and I was sure they were going to hate each other. I mean am I suppose to get involved? let it slide? let them figure out on their own?? Will they be close? hate each other??

Suffice to say, I worried a lot.

I read a lot, spoke to many seasoned moms and took some important measures to make sure Ty wasn't going to be jealous, scared or anything and that this baby mommy was bringing home was a fun addition to the family, not someone that was going to steal away his spotlight.

I don't know if it was my own doing or divine intervention, but Tyler was in love with his sister from the moment he met her in the hospital. To him she was the coolest thing since sliced bread. When we brought her home, he never had any jealousy, always wanted to help, she made a pip and he ran to her. She was spoiled and mostly by him. He would tell us she was his baby and his only.

Asides from one incident in which I turned around and saw him holding her because he had picked her up from the swing when she was 1 month old, things flowed greatly.

As she got older and started crawling, I was sure my luck was running out. Nope. He always let her play with his trucks, would take the books from her mouth and tell her in a kind voice "No no no baby, we don't bite we read" and he use to sit down and read to her.

I didn't think I could fall more in love with him, but I sure did. My heart was warmed and even more broke over the fact I would never had a sibling to care for. Oh well. At least I was doing something right and my kids were getting along great.

The transition from 1 to 2 kids was a piece of cake for us. Seriously, I couldn't have asked for anything better.

As she grew, more and more they played together. He has always been very protective of her and she only has eyes for him. He says jump she will say "how high". She will clap and run and hug him when we pick him up for school. She will sit there and rub his hair and clean his toys for him. He got her wrapped around his finger, and she got him right there too.

For almost 2 years they shared a room and I could hear them giggling way past it was time for them to be asleep. In a stern voice but with a heart full I would remind them its bedtime and to go night night. More giggles followed.



Life was perfect, then suddenly everything went to shit.

I don't know if its the changes, this move, trying to get more control, but for the past month all they do is fight and bicker and fight and bicker. They will argue over toys, over a spot on the couch, over the blanket, over the fact one has more grapes than the other, over this over that. God forbid she enters his room, he gets mad and vice versa.

Who the hell are these children?? What the heck happened?? Where did I go wrong??

Everyone tells me this is normal that siblings will fight and bicker. Its a normal part of sibling relationship, but its scary.

I know they still love each other, because here and there I will catch a glimpse of them playing together or giving each other a hug after a fall, but you got to be quick, it happens so fast, if you don't see it you will miss it, and then he chaos starts up again.

I can honestly say for the first time in my life, I am thankful I am an only child.

This constant bickering and fighting and acting like they can't stand each other is grating on my nerves and making me worry.

I truly hope its a phase and that things will once go back to what it was before, because at this point, I doubt they will even speak to each other in 3 years time!!!!!!

Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy

You are reading the title and going "huhn??

Well that was me before I found out what it was, and now I am calling it a lifesaving solution.

I won't bore you with the details. Later on I will make a tab talking about it, but just know I am another fat girl battling obesity since high school. Not that different from thousands others all over the world. I have had enough and decided I am going to have weight loss surgery.

There is 3 common types of weight loss surgery :

1. Roux en Y also know as the Gastric Bypass.

2. The lap band

3. The Vertical Sleeve.


The gastric bypass is divides the stomach into a small upper pouch and a much larger lower "remnant" pouch and then re-arranges the small intestine to allow both pouches to stay connected to it. There is various issues with it because of dumping (throwing up) and nutrition absorption. I don't know one person that have had it and had no problems with it. I went against that because I want a better quality of life. Not more issues.

The lap band doesn't really work. Its a band that goes around your stomach and requires fills and upkeeps and can easily slip.

The vertical sleeve they go in laparoscopy, cut 80% out of your stomach, gives you 3 rows of titanium staples and you are done. No rearranging of anything, no problems with nutrition absorption, no upkeeps, no fills. Nothing.

and now you have learned more about weight loss surgery than you care to. Sorry. I promise I won't flood my blog with this. I do want to share with others what I am going to go through, so every so often I will make a post about it.

I decided to have this surgery done in Mexico for various reasons that later I will go on more in depth about it.

I just wanted to let everyone know what is going on and if everything goes according to plan, on the 28th I fly to San Diego, on the 29th I have my surgery in Tijuana and start my new life.

I am more than glad to answer any questions anyone might have and any comments about it. The world is full of different opinions and while I have been flooded with support, I have heard some nasty things also. Not a problem, I expected worse, so I am happy that for every negative comment I get, I receive 10 good ones. It all evens out in the end.


Anyways that is that.

Love A

A-Z of me

Saw this in another blog and decided to do it!!!!!!



A. Age: 30
B. Bed size: Queen have debated for so long on getting a King but we like to snuggle and have feet rub up on our faces.
C. Chore that you hate: Cleaning toilets and putting away laundry. I hate it so much!!
D. Dogs: None. I don't love dogs enough to clean up after someone else.
E. Essential start to your day: Wake up brush teeth and race for the coffee.
F. Favorite color: Red. I am obsessed with red
G. Gold or Silver: Gold and yellow at that!
I. Instruments you play: HA!! I was born without the artistic bone. I can barely whistle much less play anything.
J. Job title: Wanna be Princess ;)
K. Kids: 2 sometimes 3, depending on how the husband is behaving.
L. Live: Where Judas lost his other boot...aka El Paso, TX.
M. Mother’s name: Carla
N. Nicknames: Line Line (pronounced Lee-nee Lee-nee)
O. Overnight hospital stays: Various times I broke my arm and 2 c-sections.
P. Pet peeves: I am full of them! I think the biggest is people saying they will call me back and they don't.
Q. Quote from a movie: "Every passing second is another chance to turn it all around" and the rest of the dialogue from Vanilla Sky.
R. Right or left handed: Right
S. Siblings: Only child that I know of ..dad won't admit to anything lol
U. Underwear: ??? I wear them!!
V. Vegetable you hate: Brussels Sprouts.
W. What makes you run late: Refusing to get out of bed because I stayed up too late the night before. Other than that I'm usually early because I hate having to rush.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: On my arm, ankle, elbow, ribs, and wrist.
Y. Yummy food that you make: Everything I cook is yummy except spinach casserole when I forgot to drain the water from the spinach. I don't recommend it at all!!! I am known for making a delicious perfect rice.
Z. Zoo animal: Sick and tired of them. I have been to more zoo's in the last 5 yrs of being a mother than the previous 25. They are all the same yet the children don't think so!

What I been up to???

Knocking down pins. No, I don't bowl. Pins from Pinterest ;)

This yarn tree:

Tree

became this :





These were so easy to make, I made 3 and want to make more. Wonder if mommy would like some?? lol

Then this spy game for the kids:


Spy Kit

became this :





I wish I could find that bottle. It seems clear and less cloudy. Oh well!I highly suggest everyone making these. Its an easy project for the kids, they had a blast doing and have been playing for a long time. I hit a sale @ Hobby Lobby and got so many little santas, and trees, and tools. All kinds of things. They will actually sit there for hours shaking it trying to find something than come and show me all excited and my kids don't know how to sit still. So this is truly a miracle.

Then this

COLLAGE


became this :






Its not perfect by any means but I am really happy with the way it turned out. Instead of doing same size pictures, I chose to do a couple different size ones.
You see, the 1st year is my favorite. I love children from birth to 1. If they never grew up, I would have a bunch, but they do and they talk back, so I like to have their 1st year pictures up where I can see and easy reminder not to strangle them. So I started at birth and ended with 1st birthday for each child.

I still have a ton more to finish and show like "wanna be" professional lined curtains for dd room and homemade snow globes.

I promise as soon as I am not feeling like death wash over with this nasty cold I got, and the husband gets home to lend a hand, I will share.

Much love

A

The best pumpkin cheesecake yet..

Cheesecake can change your life.

You see, last night I was feeling kind of down. I don't know anyone around here yet, I am sick and tired of staying home, going to parks alone with the kids or going shopping. I am in desperate need of adult conversation and I am tired of doing it alone. 3weeks seems to drag, so I decided to bake.

I haven't baked in over a week because with the husband gone there is just no point. This is odd for me because I usually can't go 3 days without baking something. So yeah, I been that bad. Well baking was what I was going to do to lift my spirits and I did that and it worked.

I made the most amazing pumpkin cheesecake yet. Seriously, I have outdone myself and right after this cheesecake came out of the oven, while on facebook, I found a group of friends of ours from back at Hood that they are here. We are so excited and one of the mommy playgroups I joined accepted me and I have the first get together tomorrow, so my delicious cheesecake set everything in motion.

Give it try, it will change your life.


(I don't have a source because I mixed over 5 different recipes)


Crust:

1 1/2 cups of crushed graham crackers.
1/4 cup of sugar (I used a bit less because I don't like overly sweet crust)
1/3 cup butter melted


Bang really hard the graham crackers and let out some frustration or you can throw it in a food processor. I have lots of frustration to release, so I bang. Throw it in a bowl with the sugar, mix it, then throw in the melted butter. Press it into a ungreased pie plate and refrigerate for 30 minutes.


Pumpkin cheesecake:

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup of sour cream.
1 8oz can of pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon of rum
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground nutmeg


1st cream the cream cheese (if its room temp it will be easier), sugar and vanilla extract. Then add one egg at a time and continue on mixing it. Remove one cup of the batter, spread it on the crust and set aside. Add the sour cream and after that is mixed, turn your mixer off. Add the pumpkin puree, spices and rum. Mix it by hand only until its all incorporated. Don't over mix.
Spread the batter over the crust and bake it @ 325 for 35 to 45 minutes until the center is set. Let it cool and refrigerate for 3 hours. You can serve it with whip cream if desired.


That is it. Easy simple delicious and my first cheesecake that didn't crack and doesn't require a bath.

The H20 issue

Every single day I say I am going to do better and every single day I fall, but since I am a sucker for "Vanilla Sky" and completely believed when Penelope told Mr Cruise: "every passing second is another chance to turn it all around", I continue on this path of trying and failing.

You see I am not a healthy person by any means. I try and try and some things stick, others just fall to the side. If I have the option of nacho loaded with cheese and a salad, I will pick the nachos. The same with the cocktail or the low calorie beer. I don't do it on purpose, I do it because the better tasting one is just better and at 30 years old, I am trying to find happiness everywhere. Some things I have been able to find respectable substitutes for , others not so much.

H20 is the biggest one I have a problem with. I know you are supposed to drink at least 64oz of water a day. At least 8 glasses. Its important, necessary for your body and to keep you alive. Yet I am incapable of doing it.

Things start off great : I am going to drink water tomorrow. I got this fancy new water bottle, and I am going to do good for myself.

I wake up, have my cup of coffee, fill my water bottle and start sipping it through out the day. By noon I realized I only had 3 sips because I left it by the wash machine earlier in the day, and how this diet coke can got in my hand is beyond me. I put the coke can in the fridge, go search for the water bottle, dump it down, refill it and chug it down because I still have 7 to go.

By 4pm I can't stand to look at water. I have downed 2 more water bottles, I got a nasty caffeine headache because I haven't had a diet coke, and I just want my diet coke so I start to make deals with myself...Chug one more water bottle and that will make it 4 for the day. Have your diet coke and then only drink water for the rest of the day.

Fair enough : I drink my diet coke, my body relaxes and I start to feel better, until I get to the end of the can and then start to feel bad again thinking about the last 4 glasses of water I still got to drink. Through my pain, I manage to chug down one more, run to the bathroom for the 70th time and decide never again will I drink water. This shit sucks and I don't like or care for it.

Then I feel bad , so I decide tomorrow I will do better. I head to Walmart and buy 20 different types of Crystal light and Arizona green tea packets in all kinds of flavors. That is it. This is what I need to accomplish this water drinking issue. I head to the cash register floating on a cloud. I found the answer to my riddle. I can do this.

I try one it tastes like ass, the 2nd is not better, the third one is doable, the 4th one tastes kind of good. Okay this will be it, tomorrow I will add to my water bottle and I will be able to drink water.

By tomorrow I have my cup of coffee, fill my water bottle with my delicious pomegranate tea mix and decide today I will be a water drinking woman. I am 30, its about time. Its an important change I need to make. I am a woman hear me roar, I am going to do this even if I have to drink 8 glasses of water 20 minutes before bedtime because, the only thing I have drank all day is ice coffee or diet coke. None of that matter. Every passing second is another chance to turn it all around, and I am going to try again in just a second, I am, I promise, right after I finish this diet coke!


Love A