A Backyard Wedding

Seeing this makes me almost re-think the backyard wedding idea.



OMG

 via

This is absolutely the most gorgeous backdrop piece I have ever seen used at an outdoor ceremony. I would have to have....

via

 I wish I had the risky bone in my body to pull off an outdoors ceremony and reception.  I am too much of a planner and without a solid back up plan...my blood pressure goes up!

Your Birthday Song

If you didn't know....my birthday is just right around the corner!  The big 28 on February 6th!
Well in honor of my special day, thanks to and idea from Let The Tide Pull Your Dreams Ashore blog, I thought I would share with you my birthday song! 

Your birthday song is the number one hit song on the charts on the day you were born and you can find your birthday song here:  Number One Songs On This Date

My birthday song is:  Culture Club - Karma Chameleon (I bet my momma remembers this one!)

What's cool about this site is that they list the hit song on your birthday every year!


1984  -- Culture Club - Karma Chameleon 

1985     1st birthday:  Foreigner - I Want to Know What Love Is 

1986     2nd birthday:  Dionne and Friends - That's What Friends Are For

1987     3rd birthday:  Madonna - Open Your Heart 

1988     4th birthday:  Tiffany - Could've Been

1989     5th birthday:  Paula Abdul - Straight Up

1990     6th birthday:  Paula Abdul - Opposites Attract

1991     7th birthday:  C+C Music Factory - Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) 

1992     8th birthday:  Right Said Fred - I'm Too Sexy 

1993     9th birthday:   Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You

1994     10the birthday:   Celine Dion - The Power of Love

1995     11th birthday:  TLC - Creep

1996     12th birthday:  Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men - One Sweet Day 

1997     13th birthday:  Toni Braxton - Un-Break My Heart 

1998     14th birthday:  Janet Jackson - Together Again 

1999     15th birthday:  Britney Spears - ...Baby One More Time 

2000     16th birthday:  Savage Garden - I Knew I Loved You 

2001     17th birthday:  Shaggy feat. Ricardo "RikRok" Ducent - It Wasn't Me 

2002     18th birthday:   Usher - U Got It Bad 

2003     19th birthday:   Jennifer Lopez feat. LL Cool J - All I Have 

2004     20th birthday:   OutKast - Hey Ya! 

2005     21st birthday:   Mario - Let Me Love You 

2006     22nd birthday:   Beyoncé feat. Slim Thug - Check on It 

2007     23rd birthday:   Beyonce - Irreplaceable 

2008     24th birthday:   Flo-Rida feat. T-Pain - Low 

2009     25th birthday:  Kelly Clarkson - My Life Would Suck Without You 

2010     26th birthday:   Ke$ha - TiK ToK 

2011     27th birthday:   Bruno Mars - Grenade

 
I am a HUGE fan of my birthday playlist! 

The Green Energizer

Did I tell y'all back in November I bought a Juicer?  Well I did.

After much research, I decided on the Breville Juice Fountain Plus and I LOVE it.

It was kind of expensive but I already feel like it has paid for itself after seeing how many times I use it!

I make juice for my afternoon snacks, breakfast, post-workouts and sometimes as a beverage with dinner if I am consuming mostly carbs and protein in my meal.  There are many critics out there when it comes to juicing but I look at it this way....

I am not using my juicer to consume all my veggies; I still eat salads and cooked veggies with every meal.  I use it in addition to all other foods and I feel in general that its an excellent source of vitamins and nutrients from foods that I normally would not eat!

Last night I juiced my way to a "Green Energizer" drink after my run which included:

3 stalks of celery

2 small apples

1/2 peeled lemon

1" ginger

3 cups spinach

4 leaves Romain lettuce

1/2 cucumber

It was actually awesome.  The hint of lemon and ginger did the trick!

"Charleston" snapped this pic while I was in the process!

If anyone has any good juicer recipes or good reference websites, please share!

New Big Girl Bed for Olivia

Olivia is growing up so fast and with a new baby brother on the way she transitioned into her "big girl" room last week with her "big girl" bed so that Sister and Sam can keep her room as the nursery. 

Blair said they set up her bed, trapped her in with pillows and told her to go night-night and sure enough...she was out cold....

Sister said she checked on her several times before she went to bed and not once did Livi try and climb out.  Around 3:30am Blair heard her talking over the monitor and when she went in to check on her Livi was sitting straight up in her bed saying "socks, socks".  She had pulled her little socks off and her feet were cold! (But still, no effort in trying to escape!)

She's such a good little girl; makes me melt.

Back In The Kitchen Again

I haven't cooked a complete meal in FOREVER and I am itching to get back into the kitchen.  I used to make Crockpot chicken tacos (my own throw together recipe) ALL of the time because it was super easy and a little on the healthier side then some of my other go-to dinners. 

To get back in the swing of things, I am trying a little spin on my usual thanks to How Sweet It Is:  Crockpot Cheddar Beer Chicken Taco



via

Crockpot Cheddar Beer Chicken Tacos


4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup beer (I used an amber ale)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons pepper
3/4 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese + more for topping
taco shells
your favorite toppings: greek yogurt, avocado, cilantro, salsa, chopped onion, black beans, shredded lettuce, etc.

In a bowl, mix together chili powder, cumin, garlic, onion, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper. Measure out 3/4 cup of your favorite beer, and whisk 1 1/2 tablespoons of the taco seasoning into the beer.

Place chicken in the crockpot and dump in beer with seasoning. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4 hours.

When you first remove the lid, it will seem as though there is a lot of liquid and the chicken is just sitting in it, but take two forks or kitchen tongs and shred, shred, shred until it all comes together. Taste and season with additional taco seasoning if desired, then let sit in the crockpot for another 15 minutes or so. Turn the crockpot completely off, and right before serving toss in cheddar cheese. Once combined, immediately transfer the chicken to a large bowl so the cheese does not stick to the crockpot. Make your tacos!


I can't wait to get back in the kitchen again.....especially to use my crockpot! 

Mini Milestones with Ulcerative Colitis

When one person in the relationship develops a bowel disorder it puts the relationship on the fast track of being comfortable around each other in ALL sorts of situations.  

I have had some girlfriends that refuse to go "number-two" with their boyfriend or husband in the same room or in the same vicinity.  On the flip side, usually the guy is a little more "advanced" in discussing and expressing his bowels, like farting in the same room as you but.... there is still that weird fine line that most couples just don't cross.

Well, "Charleston" and I have totally crossed all lines, several times, back and forth since his diagnosis.  It just happens; it kind of has to happen, its part of this disease.  

We can still be immature at times when it comes to discussing his "poo" as being "pudding like" etc (sorry for grossing some of you out) and we can giggle like five year olds in the middle of describing some of his symptoms but it has become our reality and honestly, it has brought us a million times closer.

I have been in Chapel Hill this weekend with "Charleston" while he has been receiving another treatment to bring this ulcerative colitis flare up into remission and while I have been here, he seems to be making some progress.  Besides performing another colonoscopy, the best way to tell if this drug is working is if he starts to go to the bathroom less then three times a day, starts hearing and having normal bowel sounds and functions,  and if there is less blood in his stool (I hate the word stool but its what all the docs use so I will try to be as politically correct as possible).

Well yesterday "Charleston" called me into his room and he was so proud, gleaming from ear to ear.........

As soon as I walked in, I was floored.  It smelled TERRIBLE.  "Charleston" informed me that he just farted and before, he had not been able to poot in like two months without having to go to the bathroom just-in-case!  He was like a kid on Christmas he was so excited and honestly, I almost had a tear in my eye I was so excited for him.  It was a sign that his bowels were moving in the right direction to being back to normal.  It was a mini milestone.

Its the little things in our relationship that mean so much now :)

This is the weirdest happiest moment I have ever had!

(There is a huge smile under there if you can't tell!)

Blair and Sam Are Having A......

i totally forgot to tell you!!!!

See this little cutie-pa-tutie below...She told us awhile ago that she was going to be a big sister and I couldn't be more excited to be an aunt again!

(She sent me this pic the other day to show me her new pink Carhart coat!)

Well.......

She found out that she is going to be a big sister to a little BROTHER!

Sister and Sam are having a BOY !

This is big news; we don't have boys in our family unless they marry in so I can not wait for this new adventure!

Can't wait to meet Mr. Baby Howard #2 around June 15th!

Love Me Some Family!

A New Face

I have been a Bare Minerals user for MANY years.  It was appealing because, thanks to my parents and their good genes, I have clear skin so I never really needed a make-up to "cover" anything up.  Bare Minerals evened out my skin tone and gave me some color without having to paint my face everyday.  It worked but, yesterday I just realized I was bored of my morning make-up routine.  After (at least) six years I was ready for something new. 

While at the mall yesterday I stopped into Sephora to pick my new poison!  A sweet girl Lindsay set me down and gave me a new fresh face. 

She washed my face and started with a moisturizer.  I requested one with SPF because I NEVER leave home, no matter what time of year, without a little protection!  I really loved this product because it was not greasy at all and if I did not already have two bottles of face moisturizer at home I would have bought it.

(But Lindsay was sweet and gave me a sample to go so maybe next time!)

Philosophy Hope In A Jar

She then proceeded to teach me all about primer; never used it except to paint my walls!

Primer sets your skin up to "hold" makeup without it absorbing into your pores.

This stuff is amazing because it is all natural and after it is applied it actually makes your face feel really clean.

Boscia Skin Perfecting Primer

She then set me up with a new compact powder foundation.  It is still light like the Bare Minerals but goes on smoother and creamier.  The coverage is just a little stronger then loose powder which is definitely what I need in the Winter with no tan!

Sephora Collection Matifying Compact Foundation  

And then a new bronzer.  I am a true believer in the rule that if you only have a couple minutes to do your make up in the morning, never leave home without a powder to even out the skin, blush and mascara.  But, if I had those extra 30 seconds...Bronzer would be my number 4 product. 

Benefit Boxed Powders Hoola Bronze

I left home this morning with the freshest new face and I am excited! I can already tell a difference with how well this make up has stayed on even through the morning hours where I have a tendency to rest my head on my jaw bone and forehead while working :)

Featuring Dauphine Press

I find myself scouring the Internet in my free time looking at wedding invitations.  I always thought wedding invitations were not that big of a deal because in all honestly, I love you all my married friends, but I could not tell a one of you what your wedding invitation looked like.  I'm sorry.  Therefore, I always thought I would be the bride that does a quick search on the Internet, mainly looking for the right price, do a quick comparison and bam, invitations done.  I would have found some that "worked" and I saved some money to put towards something else.

BUT...I was wrong.  Invitations do have a larger role in the wedding than simply stating Who, What, When, and Where. They set the mood for the entire day.   If I am planning a more formal event, I can't just select an invitation that might portray to my guests that they can wear a sundress; especially since the formality with the-time-of-the-ceremony setting the dress code slowly vanishing.  

Within my search I have come to the conclusion that I am a HUGE letterpress fan.  Its absolutely elegant and gorgeous.  One of my favorites includes the Kentfield Suite from Dauphine Press.  So many of the designs from Dauphine are simply unique.  Check them out!

KENTFIELD

In Health and In Healing

After a visit to the GI Clinic in Chapel Hill on Friday to get a second opinion on further treatments for his Ulcerative Colitis, “Charleston” has decided to go through with a treatment which will put him back in the hospital, in Chapel Hill, for the next 8 days, to receive doses of another medication that will HOPEFULLY this time, but him into remission. It was a big decision on his part because of the side effects of this drug as well as the fact that it will take him away from home and back in the hospital for another week but…something has to be done and I support him with the decision he made.

“Charleston’s” mom is taking him this morning to the Chapel Hill hospital where she will stay with him for several days and then I will join him on Thursday or Friday to give her a break to come back home. Hopefully I will return to Charlotte on Monday or Tuesday with a “healthier” future husband! Fingers are crossed.

While I am here this week working, I plan to utilize as much time visiting several possible locations for our reception. As much as “Charleston” wants to visit all of them with me, it is proving slightly difficult with his condition and because we want to nail something down in the next two weeks or so…we need to jump on the train. It might seem like a lot to tackle now but we have both decided that we don’t want to put our planned wedding months of Feb/March 2013 off anymore. We feel like we have given ourselves adequate time to get something planned and get him well and healthy which is first and foremost! It’s our plan and we are sticking to it! We can do it.

So a lot going on this week in our little world….between wedding planning and getting him better we are stretched kind of thin. I do believe though that these two things came hand in hand in our lives right now because it has proved more times than none that our talk of anything wedding related has brought a smile to his face and his thoughts away from his illness. As always….Everything happens for a reason!

Wedding Planning and UC Treatment = In Health and In Healing. 

I love you babe and can't wait to make this commitment to you forever!

Tweet Tweet

It's my newest purchase from Old Navy.

Yes those are birds....and no...I am not werid; I just loved the colors!

It's light and silky and it is going to become best friends with my skinnys and brown boots!

I was also willing to pay full price for it but ended up getting it for less that $25 with coupons and discounts!

Might not be everyone's cup of tea but I love it....and I will rock it with pride! :)

I am a neat freak when it comes to my house.  O.C.D. neat freak.  I get a high when I see vacuum lines in the carpet and when I am done hanging on the couch, all the blankets go up and the pillows are straightened.  Oh, and don't even get me started on the blinds!

BUT...

There is one part of my house that just doesn't get enough attention and I am almost ashamed to admit it...

I HATE cleaning bathrooms.  HATE it.  I shed like a dog and I use hair products and powder makeup.  There always seems to be a layer of "Blain" all over the place.  Its not mildew-grimy-need-your-shower-shoes-dirty, it just never seems as spic-and-span as the rest of my home  And the one thing that makes me gag to clean, the toilet bowl! (I almost just threw up in my mouth saying the words)

BUT my problems are solved.  I found this:

Clorox Toilet Bowl Cleaner

I will swear by it until the day I die. 

No more toilet bowl ring and.....gone without scrubbing!

The trick: 

When the toilet is dry (as in it hasn't been flushed in awhile), squeeze some of this junk around the inside top rim and let it ooze it's way down covering all areas of the bowl.  Then, DO NOT FLUSH.  Close the lid and walk away. 

Return several hours later and its magic!  All grime is gone!  No nasty ring and no scrubbing!

Makes My Day

i love him. he's a rock.

i am emotionally exhausted.

medicine is such a #*%$#!*$^*#   *^%$#@*&^*%$

i find myself so angry at times but also at the verge of sad tears.  i honestly feel helpless.

ulcerative colitis. prednisone. disease. sickness. drugs. steroids. hospital have become terms in my everyday vocabulary that i am having a very hard time adjusting too.

i lay awake at night praying to God to help.. but ... end up asking him why.  why "Charleston"?

i should be happy now.  excited that i am engaged to the man of my dreams but instead we find ourselves crying because of the unknown.

"Charleston" is turning out to be the 1% of ulcerative colitis patients that do not respond to medication.

if you missed us on new years, it was because we were spending the week in the hospital.

he got poked and prodded at. tested and medicated.  but still....nothing helped.

i bite my lip and hold back tears when the doc delivers the same depressing news because i can't fall apart.  he has been SO strong through this entire thing that i have to take his motivation and run with it. he is my motivation.  he is has proved to be the strongest and most mature man i know.  i am lucky to have him by my side for life. 

i tell him everyday that we are a team and we are in this together.  i hope he listens.  he is not alone. we are blain and matt forever. i am here.

what's up next?
we are not really sure.

his docs have suggested getting second opinions on colectomys and speaking with other docs about the side effects of strong strong drugs that inevitably just delay a colectomy.  but with stronger drugs come stronger more sever side effects. which way do you go?

everything happens for a reason and a good friend told me once that God doesn't give us more then we can handle.  it runs through my head all day.

i am having a hard time accepting this situation and coming to the reality of it and i am not even the one physically carrying this disease.  how the hell does "Charleston" feel?  i can't even begin to put a finger on it. hes a rock. he impresses me more and more each day.  hes determined.

God give me the strength to be everything he needs in a caregiver, a teammate, a supporter, a fiance and a best friend.  for him.

he will get through this. prayers.

"Charleston" and I on the porch of Granddaddy and Shelbies house in Galax, VA over Christmas.

that's Pilot Mountain in the background

Christmas in Kville

I am beginning to love how every year Christmas at the Higgins house gets a little different and more exciting.

Olivia is now old enough to understand Santa and the whole concept of giving and receiving presents.  It's fun to watch her rip into them with excitement and as soon as she can get her hands on the new toy she is in an instant fairytale world until the next gift is shoved in front of her.

Kids make Christmas fun.

Sam, Sister and Olivia

The girl is going to be a bookworm!  Already very studious like her Aunt :)

"Charleston" and I showing off his new workout gear that Blair and Sam got him.  After this pic he changed into his new stretch running pants and wore them the rest of the night around the house.  God love him for the way he is when he gets new "toys" as well; has to put everything on immediately!

So stinkin' cute. Livi got a new baby doll and from the second it was released out of the cardboard she was wrapping her in the blanket and giving her a bottle. Little momma in the makin'.

Told ya!  Nice stretch pants slick!

And then....

Kids also make Christmas exciting for other reasons....

Right in the middle of opening presents we started to smell a lovely stench floating around the living room.  Someone had a little mess in their diaper and upon investigation it was not only in the diaper. Ha Ha.  It was a slight explosion up the back and down the legs!  Bless her sweet heart! Ha Ha

So bath time came a little early....

And then presents continued.

"Charleston" and I got mom some new clothes along with a stylin' new fleece vest!

Olivia and Poppie playing in the floor.

Merry Christmas 2011 !

Together Forever

I am not sure what I was expecting or exactly what feeling I thought I would get, but, I guess from other’s proposal stories, I thought it would be somewhat of a frantic and crazy out-of-body-experience but…it really wasn’t.

It was better.

“Charleston’s” proposal was natural, calming and reassuring. Every bone in my body said that this is right; what life is supposed to feel like every day. It was comforting and soft. I didn’t feel the urge to scream from the top of my lunges that I was engaged. Instead, I wanted to grab a blanket, my new fiancé, a cup of coffee and cuddle up close on the couch with the Christmas lights gleaming in the background.

His tactic and plan hit the nail on the head. It was a “Blain and “Charleston”” proposal and the perfect example of what the rest of our lives will look like together. Simple and thoughtful surprises sprinkled throughout the everyday routines of life. That’s us.

It was Christmas Eve morning and I was woken in bed by “Charleston” and a fresh cup of coffee. He knows better then to try and get me out of bed without a peace offering! He played sweet like he does on weekend mornings and said breafast was ready when I wanted it. I knew our morning needed to get started because around 11:00am we were due at his parent’s house for the Atkins family Christmas gathering. Therefore, I threw on some pants and a T-shirt and quickly followed his lead downstairs to the living room. As I turned the corner and rounded the banister “Charleston” was already crouched in the floor looking like he was searching for something in the entertainment center. I tried walking past him towards the kitchen to refill my coffee cup when he physically sopped me in my tracks. He pulled me in front of him and began talking. Tears came to his eyes and I started balling like a baby. I have no clue exactly what he was saying and the only thing I remember saying back to him was “Are you serious right now?” as he reached to grab a tiny ring box from the shelf of the entertainment center. Somewhere in my blubbered tears I said YES and I was quickly tucked tight in his arms. I remember him having to pull me off of him in order to actually put the ring on my finger; I just didn’t want to let go. It was the most special moment of my life and like I said earlier, more of a calming and comforting moment to know that this man wanted to spend his life with me and was asking me to be his partner forever. It was really a privilege and an honor.

No one knew that “Charleston” was going to propose to me except for my father. The weekend before, Dad and “Charleston” had gone hunting together and somewhere in their trip he asked for Dad’s blessing and of course my father said yes. Therefore the fun part came when we showed up at his parent’s house several hours later and decided that we would just wait and see how long it took before Rob and Barbara would notice my new jewel!
Rob checked out my new purse that “Charleston” had also given me that morning for Christmas and as I held my purse out in front of me with my left hand….No response; he just told me it was a very pretty bag. Barbara checked out my manicure on both hands and said that I had picked a really nice color polish! Ha Ha it was comical! We finally had to make it VERY obvious and ask both of them if they see something different about my hands!

It didn’t take quite as long with my family that afternoon. “Charleston” ended up coming home with me to Kernersville so that he could be there when my parents found out we were engaged and as soon as I walked in the door with him in tow they had an inkling that something was up. I walked into the living room to pick Olivia up out of the chair and give her a kiss and as soon as my hand was in view, Blair burst into excitement which then stirred up the rest of the house.

It was the perfect day to the start of the rest of our lives together!

Our Very First Photo As An Engaged Couple

6:25am Christmas Eve...still in my PJ's right out of bed!

We had bagels, pastries, fresh fruit and all kinds of fun morning beverages!

Later in the day at the Atkins' house

I am not sure who was more excited..."Charleston's" dad or us?!

And of course...a couple pics of the bling

I feel so blessed to be given the opportunity to spend my life with the most amazing man that has become my best friend and teammate and.... has always been my soul mate.

Meant To Be

Simply Having A Wonderful Christmas Time

MERRY CHRISTMAS FRIENDS!

When it comes to Christmas I totally turn into Buddy the Elf.  No joke. Just visit my house after several weeks of wrapping presents!

I think I am going to start answering my cell with "Blain the Elf, what's your favorite color?!"

 I can not wait to spend Christmas with "Charleston's" family on Christmas Eve and then head home to Kernersville for the rest of the weekend to stock up on some of these:

 Love on a little bit of this:

 And spend some quality time snuggling up and hanging out with him:

The holidays put me in such a good mood no matter how busy and stressful it can look from the outside.

I'll be honest, I do become an emotional person during the holiday's becuase it always seems that all the good things in life converge in a span of just several days reminding me how thankful I am to have a family that still cherishes the time together cramped into our grandparents house in order to keep traditions alive.

I am a lucky girl this Christmas season.

A Very Rough Couple Weeks

Without jumping into too much detail too fast, two weekends ago "Charleston" was given some not-so-good-news after he was emitted to the hospital for several days....


It began at CMC Main here in Charlotte where "Charlestons" family and I tried our hardest to ease the pain and be every bit of support that we could for the man of my dreams as he went through some heavy hearted happenings. To give “Charleston” some privacy I won’t go into specifics of what led him to this position but after several doctor visits and a promptly scheduled colonoscopy on Friday the 9th, he ended up in the hospital hooked up to IV’s of antibiots, inflammatory medications and fluids. Long story short, after multiple blood tests and several biopsy’s, “Charleston” was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis which is an inflammatory bowel disease.

It is a chronic inflammation of the large intestine (colon). Ulcerative colitis causes ulcers in the lining of the rectum and colon. The ulcers form where inflammation has killed the cells that usually line the colon. I could go on and on about the causes of ulcerative colitis, the symptoms, the best outcomes, the worst outcomes, and the treatments but, there are so many useful resources on the Internet that I don’t even want to go into all of that. That was not my purpose here.

Resources (if you care to know more):

http://www.medicinenet.com/ulcerative_colitis/article.htm

http://www.webmd.com/ibd-crohns-disease/ulcerative-colitis/ulcerative-colitis-topic-overview

While I sat in “Charleston’s” hospital room, many emotions surfaced over this four day period. So many things became a reality and life became REAL. It became 100% apparent that I truly love this man; although I knew deep down and on the surface I already did. After receiving his diagnosis, my heart and mind immediately jumped into caretaker mode. I will do anything and everything in my power to make his life normal, provide for him in whatever ways he needs and, be his supporter and fan through every stage of this issue in his life. I couldn’t leave his side; I didn’t want to and I never do. He is part of the life plan God made for me and I want him healthy and to never have to worry. I love him, with all my heart.

For the last week or so I have really been at a loss for words. With this event, it has showed me so many things in my life that I need to change and has proved to me that I need to be more thankful everyday for what I have. First and foremost, that being “Charleston.”

Why does it take a life altering event to show us these things?

I am sure in the future this will not be the only post about ulcerative colitis as I will be in the journey to help "Charleston" through the learning curves this diagnosis brings. I also feel it necessary to educated our friends and family so they too are informative and able to help him cope with this never-welcomed news.

Baby Howard #2 !

Yeap, that's right.......

The news came out several months ago but I didn't want to steal Sisters thunder and post it on here before she got the excitement to tell people first so....now it's my turn to say it... 

  I AM GOING TO BE AN AUNT AGAIN!

So far Sister and Sam have done a pretty good job at reproducing:

Exhibit A:

Therefore I can not wait to meet the next little Howard baby!  Sister is due on June 15th which makes this baby and Olivia very close to being almost exactly 2 years apart. (Olivia's birthday is May 27th)  Blair has always said that she wanted her kids close in age and all  I can say is that she is 100% blessed.  They have been fortunate to time this almost perfectly!
 
On January 6th they will find out if Baby H #2 is a girl or boy.  Honestly, I have zero gut feeling on this one!  None.  It would be awesome for Olivia to have a sister and a very close relationship like Blair and I share BUT on the flip side, Sam is an excellent father that I would love to see him have a son.  Sam is such a hands-on, out doorsy, do-it-yourself, smart and caring kind of guy that he would be the most amazing influence on a little boy! 

The Howard Family

Soon to be a family of Four!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

I got all my Christmas decorations and up and I am missing just one little detail.......

My poor little tree is lacking a star, bow, or an angel.....

My family always had a star on our Christmas tree. "Charleston's" family has an angel and my Grandmother always had a bow....I don't know which one I want!

It's a little crowded in the living room with the tree.  I feel like all the furniture is crammed close together but we can make do!  The more the merrier; feels so cozy!

Since we do not have a mantle becuase there is no fireplace at our little casa, the stockings had to go on the banister.  Just make do with what ya got!

Happy Ho Ho Ho Friends!

My Thanksgiving Contribution

We had Thanksgiving dinner this year with the Atkins family and I asked "Charleston's" mom if I could bring anything and she politely said no.  I couldn't take no for an answer (I know that shocks some of you :) ) so I decided to take over a couple appetizers since we would be hanging out for a little before dinner.

It was a no brainer on this first recipe.  It never fails when we go out to dinner, Barbara ("Charleston's" mom), will order some form of spinach dip and I am with her in that decision, it's one of my faves!  I have never made it before so after a short Pinterest search I found one that was super appealing:

Hot Spinach Dip

via Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for baking dish
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 pounds spinach, cleaned, trimmed, and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup milk
• 6 ounces reduced-fat bar cream cheese
• 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 3 dashes hot sauce, such as Tabasco
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• Baguette slices, bread sticks, or crackers, for serving
• **Blain's recipe tweeks:  I used about 1 1/2 cups mozzarella AND also added a half cup shredded Parmesan**

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion and garlic; cook until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes.
2. Add spinach in two additions, letting the first batch wilt before adding the next; cook until completely wilted, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a colander; drain, pressing to release all excess liquid.
3. In the same pot, warm milk over high heat. Whisk in cream cheese until melted, about 3 minutes. Add spinach, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and 1/4 cup mozzarella; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a lightly oiled 1 1/2-quart shallow baking dish; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.
4. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot with accompaniments, as desired.

Overall, EXCELLENT and super easy!
When I asked "Charleston" if I should take anything else he immediately said "Cocktail Weenies."  WTF its Thanksgiving! not the super bowl!
So lets back up a minute.  I made him watch an episode of Hungry Girl one day on Food Network and on the show she made Cocktail Weenies for a gathering.  Obviously those little puppies stuck in his head and he has been wanting them since.  I was very reluctant because who makes cocktail weenies for Thanksgiving but to please the man in my life, I did what I was told:

Pump-Up-The-Jam Cocktail Weenies

Ingredients 

• 14 hot dogs with about 40 calories and 1g fat or less each (like the kind by Hebrew National)
• 3/4 cup very finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup chili sauce (the kind found by the ketchup)
• 3/4 cup low-sugar grape preserves/jelly
• 1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• Directions 

Cut each hot dog into thirds, leaving you with cocktail-sized franks. Place in a crock pot. Add onion to the crock pot as well. In a bowl, combine chili sauce, preserves/jelly, and mustard; mix well. Add to the crock pot and gently stir to coat. Cover and cook on low for 3 - 4 hours.Stir well and then serve up the hot dogs with extra sauce on top!

So we gathered that afternoon, ate spinach dip and cocktaili weenies, all the while I got picked on becuase it looked like my cooking expertise went no further then hot dogs! Yes they joked and picked on me the entire time BUT I will tell you that my crockpot was EMPTY when we were done.  Every weenie was gone.  Obviously they liked my cooking well enough, even if it was only hot dogs!

Got Too Excited For The Holidays

I am embarrassed.

I ran home during lunch today to grab a quick sandwich and as I pulled up to the front of my home this is what I saw:

Yes that is my front porch and my front door.  You can't see it in the picture but right inside the window is also my Christmas tree that I so excitedly put up on Sunday and sitting in that window (as well as all others) I have Christmas candles.

Immediately the Sesame Street Song that I learned years and years ago came to mind:

"One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn't belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song? "

Remember that one?

Yea, I am embarrassed.  I got so excited to decorate for Christmas with my wreath, Christmas tree, and candles that I have yet to throw away my Halloween pumpkin.  The worst is, it honestly hasn't even dawned on me to do it and I walk by it EVERY TIME I go to and from my home. 

Sad times.