It's a Wrap on Christmas 2011

Well, Christmas is officially over in our house. We finally packed up the tree and put it back in the garage until next year. Since W is now toddling around and into EVERYTHING we made the decision to put the tree in our formal living room this year instead of the den. Thanks to the baby gates we installed a few months ago the tree wasn't the great temptation that we thought it would be. Of course, anytime we did anything around the tree (including opening presents on Christmas Day) the little man was more interested in climbing the stairs.

We had a wonderful and busy second Christmas in our new house and with the little man. We were surprised at his birthday party that he didn't have much interest in opening presents and that continued with Christmas this year too. I'm sure next year he will be all about opening those gifts. Instead this year, I did the wrapping and the opening so it was fun for me.


We were so lucky that my grandmother (and W's only living great-grandparent) was able to come up to Atlanta for the weekend. My granny's at that age where she doesn't like to travel away from home overnight. She claims its because when she's off with us we treat her like an invalid but I digress. I know W won't remember that she was here but our family will and that made the holiday more special. She also bought W his first bible as a Christmas gift and that is something I will treasure for the rest of my days.

We had a house full this year with 8 adults. I wasn't sure if we could do but we can. And we had a great time with everyone under one roof from dawn to dusk. My sister's boyfriend is from Germany so he shared a few special customs with us. We all enjoyed the experiences and I hope it made him feel better to have a little bit of home with our holiday celebrations.

The Feuerzangenbowle - mulled spice wine before the flames

and after

Here are just a few candid shots from Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

I hope you and your family had as wonderful of a holiday as we did. I don't know about you but I'm ready for 2012!

The Happiest Days of My Life

So this post is in honor of my grandmother who just celebrated a birthday. Since its never polite to mention a lady's age, I won't tell you how old she is but I'm in my late 30s and she was 50 when I was born so you can pretty much figure it out from there. 


Every time I talk with my grandmother, she tells me how lucky I am to have been home with my son and how I shouldn't go back to work. Of course, she is of a generation of women that didn't have the option of working and raising children so I understand where she is coming from. 


Even though, my grandmother didn't have a choice about working outside of the home, she loved being a mom and raising her children. She tells me all the time how those were the best years of her life. But I know her child rearing days had to be hard. She had 4 children within 5 years and she didn't have the luxury of disposable diapers and take-out. She had to cook every meal from scratch and in those days husbands didn't babysit or change diapers. I can't imagine what her life was like in the thick of those days. 


Regardless of the reality, here she is at the end of her life and those years were her happiest. I hope that when I'm her age and I look back on my life that I will remember these years as my happiest too. One of the great advantages to being an older mom is that I've done a lot with my adult years. I've traveled the world and enjoyed wonderful experiences unlike my grandmother. So far none of that can compare to this journey called motherhood - it has been the most wonderful of wonderful experiences. 


I hope that when I look back on my son's first year, I remember when and where I was when he rolled over for the first time (that's probably a bad example since I was at work), said his first word, stood on his own, or took his first steps. I hope that I remember the happy days, the smiles, wet kisses, and cuddles and not the arguments, feeling so tired that my bones ached, or the crying, all the crying (from both him and me.) I don't want to remember the bitterness I felt after getting laid-off, the sleepless nights from worrying about college funds and savings accounts, or all of the "things" I didn't get to buy or do. So today in honor of my grandmother's birthday, I'm committing to enjoy this time because as we all know there are no guarantees on tomorrow. 

Christmas Cookie Swap

I recently attended my first ever cookie swap with a play group that we've been hanging out with over the last few months. When I told my husband, I was going to a cookie swap his first reponse was "Are you going to make the toffee cookies?"A few years ago, I found a recipe for Oatmeal Toffee cookies on the back of the Heath Toffee bits bag. My husband loves toffee so I made them and now a few times a year he request them. They are perfect during the holidays. 

I will admit up front they aren't pretty cookies but they are delicious. If you are looking for a new or different cookie recipe this year, you might just want to check out these Oatmeal Toffee cookies. They are a little bit of toffee, a little bit of chocolate, and a little bit of oatmeal and its a perfect combination. You can find the recipe from Hershey's web site and you can find the Heath bits in the baking aisle with the chocolate chips. 

Happy Baking!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I don't know about your house, but the holidays are in full swing here. I love the holidays and this year it is even more special with the little man around. But this post isn't about the holiday instead its about the movies. I'm so hoping with the extra people in our house that I can steal away a few hours to go to the movies. I love going to the theater this time of the year. The studios put out the best movies in hopes of getting some Oscar nominations. Just a few of the movies I'm dying to see are: 


The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo


I read this book last year and I've seen the Swedish version of the movie. I really like Daniel Craig so I have a lot of high hopes for this movie. I so hope I'm not disappointed. 

The Descendants


Who doesn't love George Clooney? 

Young Adult


I've loved Jason Reitman's "Up in the Air" and "Thank You for Smoking" so I'm hoping to like this movie too. I'm not a big fan of Diablo Cody (the screenwriter of "Juno") but I'm willing to give this movie a chance. I just hope that they haven't shown all the funny scenes in the trailer. 

Hugo


A friend of mine went to an advanced screening of this movie and has been raving about it ever since. Martin Scorsese is behind it so I'm sure its a winner. 

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close


I'm predicting I will need a box of Kleenex to get through this movie, but I think it will be great movie. 

I just recently saw "The Help" on DVD and I loved it more than the book. If you haven't seen yet, add it to your list. The acting and directing were superb. I'm sure it will get a few nods during the award season. 


So are there any movies you will be seeing this holiday season? What else should I have on my list?

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!

Today is my son's first birthday. We had a chance to celebrate last weekend with our family and friends so today was just for us. We had our first year check-up and then we went to the Georgia Aquarium. We haven't been the aquarium in a few months so it was fun to see how much W enjoyed our trip this time.  We ended the evening with W showing off his new walking skills. I think its only a matter of time before he's running all over the house. Lord help me!

Time is Flying By

I have a confession to make, I'm not exactly sure what happened to the last six weeks but they are gone. They just flew right by me. It started with a week vacation at the beach and then we had three sets of house guests within the course of a week. Then Halloween came, and then the first birthday party to end all birthday parties. And now here I am on the eve of my sweet boy's first birthday. I'm not sure where the time has gone. It just seems like yesterday that I was waddling around the house complaining about my back and now here he is almost one. 


It blows my mind to think that this time last year, I was in a hospital bed waiting to be induced the next morning. Waiting and waiting. You wait for those 40 long weeks to end and then when they do you don't know what to do. If you are like me you are terrified when they send you home from the hospital. I remember saying to the discharge nurse, "Are you sure you should be sending this baby home with us? You don't know if we are capable or qualified to care for an infant." She just laughed and said "You will do fine. You are capable of more than you think you are." Boy was she right. I had never changed a diaper until we got home from the hospital and I had never spent any real time with babies. 


In fact, during the pregnancy I called myself the reluctant mommy. Motherhood wasn't something I had ever planned for myself but it happened and I can't imagine my life without this sweet boy. Of course before he arrived, I couldn't imagine my life with a baby either. I guess the saying is true, "God never gives you more than you can handle." He sure knew what he was doing when he sent us this beautiful little boy. 

Our First Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

It seems that once you have a baby you start to do things that you never thought you would do. For us, we moved to a neighborhood last year that we probably would have never moved to if I wasn't pregnant. I've decorated my house with Halloween decorations - not only did I decorate but I had to buy the decorations!?! So last weekend, we were blessed with some great weather and we decided it was time to take the little man to North Georgia for his (and our) first trip to mecca of all things fall - Burt's Pumpkin Patch. Apparently, we weren't the only ones with this idea since the pumpkin patch was packed!


W had a great time people watching and playing around in the pumpkins. It also turned out to be a perfect photo opportunity too. I just love this Halloween-themed outfit from Beehave. But it must have looked girly because for the first time in 11 months, someone actually called my son a girl. I know it was an innocent mistake but still it hurt my feelings a little bit.

Kitchen Adventures: Bourbon Brown Sugar Steak

A few weeks ago, I committed to trying a new recipe a week. So far, some of the recipes have been a success and some have not. To start out my "Kitchen Adventures" series on a successful note. This recipe was a collaborative effort since my husband is the grillmaster around our house. 

We don't eat red meat that often so when we do its a real treat. We've been experimenting over the last year with flank steak and so far we've found a few great ways to make it but this might just be my favorite. You can find the recipe for the steak at food52. I just marinated the steak for about 2.5 hours before grilling it. We also through some asparagus on the grill with the steak and baked a few potatoes in the oven to finish off the meal. The steak had a slight bourbon flavor and smell so if you like bourbon this is a dish for you. 

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. 

Happy Cooking!

The Queen of Butter is as Sweet as Sugar

Today, we got a chance to meet the quintessential Southern cook, the queen of butter herself - Ms. Paula Deen. The Savannah restauranteur is best known for her cooking shows on FoodTV network, "Paula's Best Dishes" and "Paula's Home Cooking." We've been lucky enough to eat at her restaurant, The Lady & Sons, a few times over the last couple of years and every recipe I have ever cooked of hers has been a big hit. Generally, I go to her site when I'm planning a special meal or entertaining. I always know that the dish will be great. Some of my favorite Paula Deen recipes are: Pumpkin Gooey Bars, Tomato, Corn and Avocado salad, Black Pepper Shrimp, and Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup.  Last week, Ms. Deen's new cookbook, Southern Cooking Bible, was released and she is currently on a book tour.

W and I got to her book signing today just as they were wrapping up so fortunately we didn't have to wait in line to meet Ms. Deen and her husband Michael Grover. They were gracious enough to pose for pictures with W. I wasn't really sure what to expect but Ms. Deen was just as nice and friendly in person as she appears on TV. Both her and Mr. Grover talked with me for a few minutes and asked me about my son. Having met her, it is obvious she is family-oriented and a boy mom (and boy grandma too). 

A European Dining Experience

The Swiss have are probably best known for bringing the world fondue. But these cheese loving people have also given the world another cook as you eat dining experience, Raclette. Earlier this year, my sister's friend introduced us raclette. I think the best way to describe it is a dining experience.


The raclette machine has eight trays to which you add your dinner ingredients and top with raclette cheese. Once you add the cheese, then you put your tray under the grill. There is a grill tray on top that you can use to toast your bread. When the cheese is melted, you can add your raclette ingredients to the bread and you start the process again. 


Since we have done raclette for both meat eaters and vegetarians, so we have used an assortment of deli meat, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, olives, and vegetables. The great thing about raclette is you can do it with lots of different fruit, vegetable, and meat combinations so each version you fix can be different from the one before.  Since you are "cooking" your dinner as you go, raclette is perfect for a small dinner party.

Have you had raclette or a similar dining experience?

Apple, I'm in Love

Its no secret we are an Apple loving, Mac family. We've been drawn to Macs partly because we are creative types and partly because one of our hobbies over the last few years has been filming, editing and producing a documentary. Apple has made film editing accessible to anyone who has the interest. 


Several years ago, we made the very difficult decision to leave Verizon and we sold our souls (and decent phone service) to AT&T so we could purchase the iPhone. We've been using the iPhone 3G for several years now and it has been a great phone - I wish I could say great things about AT&T's service but I can't so I won't. 


We've been eligible to upgrade our phones for a couple months now but we decided to see if Apple was going to release a new version. The day we have been waiting for happened yesterday. The new iPhone 4GS will be available next week. I can't wait! In case you missed it, here is the video introducing the new features. 

I'm not sure which upgrade I'm most excited about the new 8 megapixel camera or the voice command virtual assistant. What are you looking forward to in the new iPhone? 

White Chicken Chili Recipe

I may spend a lot of time watching Food TV network but I am no Paula Deen in the kitchen. In the last few years, I have cooked more than ever and have perfected a few easy recipes. My poor husband doesn't complain but I'm sure he hopes I expand my repertoire and soon. So one of my goals is to try out at least one new recipe a week. Stay tuned because I'm sure that will make for a few interesting blog posts. 


Since we've gotten a preview of fall weather these last few weeks, I had been itching to fix up a batch of white chicken chili. I think I originally got this recipe from mother-in-law a few years ago and since then I've been making it at least once a month during the fall/winter months. Its easy to make and you can easily freeze any leftovers. 


Ingredients
1-1.5 pounds of chicken breasts
2 cans of Great Northern or White Kidney Beans
Jar of Salsa
2 cans or 1 box of Chicken Broth
Ground Cumin 


Garnishes: salsa, cheese and sour cream


Rinse and drain beans. While beans are draining, bring chicken broth to a boil in a stockpot. Add the beans to the pot along with a 1/2 jar of salsa. I use Newman's Own Medium Salsa but you can use any salsa you like. I like to cook my beans for several hours but you don't have to do this. 


Once the beans are cooking, I prepare the chicken for cooking. I like to sprinkle them with salt, pepper, and ground cumin before I bake them. If you don't like cumin, you don't have to use it. Bake the chicken breasts at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until done. Once the chicken is cooked and cooled, shred the chicken. 


Once the beans are cooked to your liking, just add the rest of the salsa and the shredded chicken. 


This recipe is very forgiving, you can use rotisserie chicken instead of baking chicken breasts. 

A Rainy Day for Apple Pickin'

Even though I have never been apple picking before, it seemed like the right thing to do with the little man. Since Friday was officially the first day of Autumn, we decided to head north for a little family fun and adventure. We got a late start out of Atlanta and ended up arriving in Ellijay around lunch. We had heard a lot of great things about a bar-b-que place called the Pink Pig so we made that our first stop. The Pink Pig is in Cherry Log between Ellijay and Blue Ridge. The food was fabulous, the service was great and the prices were reasonable so we will be back the next time we are up that way. 

Since we were close to Blue Ridge, we decided to head up to Mercier Orchards. We knew that they didn't offer apple picking on Friday but we heard that they had the best Apple Cinnamon bread so we decided to ride up there to check it out for ourselves. The bread was good but the "farm stand" was a little too touristy for us so we headed south to B.J. Reece Orchards. By the time we made it back to Ellijay, the clouds had too. We had to settle for buying apples from their shop.  We got a bag of Jonagold apples and a few other things before heading home. I'm sure we will be back to do our apple picking before the end of the season.

Viva la Scarf

Many years ago when I was in Paris, I fell in love with the scarf. Most European women wear scarves, but the Parisians have made an art form out of scarf tying. Since that first trip to Paris, I've been collecting scarves from my travels since they are small and lightweight they are the perfect souvenirs. 

A few weeks ago Meredith, of the Merry & Bright blog, wrote a post about her annual Scarf Swap so I decided to participate. I was paired up with Brandi of Borchardt Birdies. After reading Brandi's blog, I knew she was a huge Texas Tech fan so I picked out a red scarf for her to wear this fall as she cheers on the Raiders. Of course, I forgot to take a picture of the scarf but you can see it on her blog. 

In return, I received this great brown and green striped infinity scarf. This is my first infinity scarf and I'm excited to wear it this fall. I'm hoping it will be cool enough to wear today when we go apple picking. I can't think of a better to kick off the fall than with a new scarf!

My scarf package from Brandi 

Me and my new scarf

Thanks for the Memories R.E.M.

Today, one of my favorite bands R.E.M. announced that after 30 years they were breaking up. I haven't been listening to R.E.M. for 30 years but I have been a loyal fan for about 20 years. I have seen them perform live a total of 3 times and each concert was as great as the one before. As a student at the University of Georgia, I found out just how legendary R.E.M. was. Their first concert was performed in church and even though the church was torn down the steeple was left to mark the spot. Every incoming freshman makes Wuxtry Records a must see, since it is the store where Michael Stipe met Peter Buck. And you have to get your meat and 3 fix at Weaver D's (where its automatic) before leaving town. 


No other band has left such a mark on such town as R.E.M. has done with Athens and its not just the music. Since the members lived in Athens for many, many years they were active in the community and the preservation of historic buildings. They were artistic and business leaders who gave back to their "hometown."


Fortunately for Athens, R.E.M.'s influence on alternative music made this small town in Georgia a hot spot for tours. I saw the Counting Crows and Dave Matthews Band perform live before they hit the big time (ok I'm dating myself with that confusion) and it was all because of R.E.M. So with a heavy heart, I want to thank these four boys from UGA who changed college radio forever for all of the great music and memories. 


Its too hard for me to choose my favorite R.E.M. song so here's a video of all four members performing their classic hit, "Losing My Religion."

Fall TV Season

I have probably watched more TV in the last year than I have in the last 15 years. And I hate to say it but most of the TV shows are terrible, so more often than not our TV generally stays on HGTV or FoodTV. Over the last few years, we have watched "Mad Men," "Boardwalk Empire," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Castle," "The Mentalist," and "Raising Hope." 


I'm kind of excited about some of the new shows that I'm reading about that will be premiering over the next few weeks. I've already heard lots of talk about "Up All Night" with Christina Applegate and Will Arnett from some of the ladies in my mom's group. I think we have the first episode recorded so I just need to sit down and watch it. Some of the shows I'm getting excited to see are:


"The New Girl" - I love Zooey Deschanel so I have really high hopes for this show. 

"Pan Am" - I'm hoping this will "Mad Men" of the skies

"Suburgatory" - I live in a suburb of Atlanta but its still pretty close to the city. So even though its the suburbs we've never thought too much about it until W was born. Now we are learning more and more about life in the suburbs. 

There are also a few dramas that I'm interested in catching as well including "Unforgettable" and "A Gifted Man." I always find that I record a bunch of stuff the first few weeks and then I end up losing interest. But I hope that this year will be different and I find a few new shows to watch.  What new shows are you setting your DVRs to catch this week?

Thankful Friday: Fall is Coming

Last week in Atlanta, we had the perfect weather week. It was Mother Nature's preview of fall and we enjoyed it. Like most of the country, its been a long hot summer and it was nice to have 70 degree weather. In addition to great weather, college football season officially kicked-off last weekend. I think my Georgia Bulldogs are going to have another rough season, but I'm cautiously optimistic that the team can turn it around.


So this week I'm thankful that fall is on its way. Katie at the Loves of Life blog shared a printable Fall Bucket List this week.  She included on her list just a few of things I had planned for us this year. As a matter of fact, I think its time to schedule our trip to Elijay for apple picking. What are you looking forward to this fall? 

Fall Reading List

One of my favorite hobbies is reading. To me there is nothing better than getting lost in a good book. I can easily spend hours wandering around a bookstore. Last weekend, we stumbled upon a Borders that was going out of business. I always hate to see a bookstore close whether its independently owned or a big chain. 

Fortunately for me, I was able to purchase a few books to read this fall at great prices. Since they were closing in just a few days, they didn't have the best selection of books left and I've never read anything by any of these authors. But at $1.50 I'm willing to take a risk. What are you reading this fall?  

A Field of Flags: Remebering 9/11

This week the Kiwanis Club of Marietta is commemorating the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 with the "09.11 Field of Flags at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park." If you live in the Atlanta area and haven't heard about the field of flags, last Saturday the Kiwanis Club placed thousands of American flags at the base of the mountain. Each flag represents a life that was lost on 9/11. The flags will fly through Friday, September 16. 


I decided to take W with me up to the Kennesaw to run some errands and I'm so glad we stopped by the mountain on our way home. Seeing the thousands of American flags was a moving experience. If you live in Atlanta and can make it up to Kennesaw before Friday, please go. These pictures just don't do it justice. 

Style and Function: My Erin Condren Life Planner

I've spent most of my career working in marketing and communications, so I'm a sucker for good design, great presentation, and quality paper. Erin Condren Designs did not disappoint and I was in love from the moment I saw the box on my doorstep. 

After looking at all of the planner designs, I chose the fleur feliz pattern in turquoise. Normally, I would have chosen the black but I'm so glad I challenged myself to go with color. The turquoise is bright and cheery and it adds a splash of color to my kitchen counter, nightstand or desk. Since I'm planning to go back to work sometime in the near future, I kept my planner professional so I could use it for both work and home. 

I also LOVED the gift tag samples that they included in my order. They were such a nice treat! Below are just a few photos of my planner pages. 

The Erin Condren team thought of everything when they designed these planners including a pocket and zip pouch to keep all those loose papers together. 

I'm also hoping the special dates section will keep me forgetting any upcoming birthdays.  

Between my home organization notebook and my new Erin Condren planner, my days should be much more organized. 

Weekend Wrap-Up

This weekend we hosted a game watching party for the UGA vs. USC game. We had a great time and our friends got to spend some extra time with W. Since he's not able to root for either team, I got him this great football themed jon jon from Zulily.

W playing while we watched the game

Several years ago, my husband the South Carolina grad stopped eating chicken on game days so I planned my menu accordingly. Fortunately some friends brought a chicken nugget tray from Chick-fil-A so the Bulldog fans enjoyed eating chicken!

My husband has perfected bar-b-que pork in the crock-pot so he just cooked up a big pork butt and we shredded it for pulled pork sliders. I love that you can now by the slider buns at the grocery store. Our side dishes included baked beans, cole slaw (I used Puttin' on the G.R.I.T.S. recipe for simple slaw), broccoli dip with chips, salsa and spicy corn salsa, boilded peanuts, and chocolate chip pound cake.


Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of the food and set-up. Now that I'm blogging I will have to get better about taking pictures to share.


We also watched a lot of the September 11 anniversary coverage. Watching it all again just reminded me how precious and fleeting life really is. Even though it has been 10 years, it felt like it just happened yesterday.


So how was your weekend? What did you do?

Thankful Friday: Bailey

This week I wrote a post about my son W and his obsession with my cat Bailey. Bailey is 17 years old and had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure over five years ago. When he was first diagnosed, our vet explained that for most cats heart failure is a rapid deterioration and she thought we could only keep him comfortable for about six months. Every month we took him for his check-ups and he was getting better not worse.  Our vet was astounded. 


We've been very lucky over the years. There were many times that we thought we would lose him and the inevitable happened this week. While we were on vacation, Bailey stopped eating. We took him in to the vet and she discovered a mass in his stomach. We decided that with his age, history of heart failure, and overall poor health that we would not pursue treatment options. Even though we've known that Bailey wasn't in the best health and he was getting older, it was still unexpected.


I know that we were lucky to have an extra five years with our furbaby - and that is exactly what Bailey was - a furbaby. I know its a dog's world but my cat was as loyal and loving as any dog could be. I got Bailey when I was in college so he and I had been through a lot over the years. I went from being a carefree college student, to a young professional moving to the big city of Atlanta, to wife and now a mother. I'm fortunate that Bailey lived long enough to meet my son. Even though, W won't remember Bailey, I will remember how sweet it was to see the two of them together.


So on this Friday, I am grateful for the 17 years I had with my cat, Bailey. He was the best cat a girl could have asked for.

A House Divided

I'm not sure if I have mentioned this on the blog or not but I am a University of Georgia grad and my husband went to the University of South Carolina. For college football fans, we are known as a house divided. This weekend, is the annual match-up between our two teams on the field.


We are staying home this year and hosting a small game watching party with close friends. Its a tradition we started last year when I was pregnant and one we may continue for a few years. Trust me, watching the game together is making progress for us. In the past, we have either watched the game on TV at different places or attended the game and sat in different sections. Its not a huge rivalry game for either team but we take it personally. I will say I'm pretty lucky because my husband is a much better winner and gracious loser than I am. 


I am still getting ready for the party and tomorrow will be a crazy day getting it all together but I can't wait. Of course, after last weekend's debut of this year's Bulldogs I'm not so sure if we can pull off a win. I'm hoping the home field advantage will work to our favor. 


So what are you doing this weekend? Any big plans? Whatever you do, I hope you have a great time. 

One Sided Love Affair

Long before I met my husband, I met my furbaby, Bailey - a gray and white striped kitten. I was in college at the time and even though I didn’t need the responsibility of a pet I took it on when a friend asked me if I was interested in kitten. Over the years, Bailey has been with me through heartbreak, good times, and bad. He has been a faithful, furry, four-legged companion.

Bailey in his much younger years

Many years ago, Bailey was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and the vet prepared me for the worst. But within a few months, he had improved and his condition is now managed with medication. When I found out I was pregnant, I worried how Bailey would handle to addition to our family. I read all the articles I could find about integrating a newborn with pets but most of the articles were about dogs. As my belly grew bigger and bigger, Bailey would do his best to climb on my chest for his nightly petting not knowing the changes that were about to come.

You can tell Bailey's not spoiled one bit

We followed the same integration tips with Bailey as you would with a dog. My husband brought home blankets and clothes the baby had worn at the hospital. The first night was hard since the baby cried most of the night and it just stressed out Bailey. The first few months were hard on him since the baby cried a lot during those early days. But now that W is older he loves Bailey and since he is mobile he makes a bee line for him everytime he is in our bedroom. Fortunately, for us Bailey has been a great sport and maybe, just maybe in his old age (17 years) he's mellowed out enough to accept the love and affection of a very rambunctious nine month old. Now if only W will get the hang of petting instead of pulling.      

W and Bailey

Thankful Friday: The End of Summer (Among Other Things)

Ok, so I'm now more than a few days late getting to my Thankful Friday post. But my goodness, last week was a rough one. Actually, I think it was one of the worst weeks of the summer. The baby had a cold and I had to make two trips to the unemployment office to clear up an issue with my check. So it was fitting that last week was the last week of summer. We kicked off the summer this year with a family vacation to Hilton Head and ended it the same way.  This was my first summer as new mom and we had a blast. 


Between job hunting and interviews, we squeezed in trips to the Atlanta Zoo and the Georgia Aquarium. We enjoyed visits from family and friends and traveled to see grandparents and had playdates, picnics, and pool parties. Looking back we did a lot of stuff in just a few months. Part of me is sad to see the summer go but its been a miserably hot summer here and I for one am ready for some cooler days. 


So this week, I am thankful for a great first summer that I got to spend with my boy. Not only did we do a lot of things but W had a lot of accomplishments as well. At the start of the summer, he was just starting to sit up on his own and within a few weeks he was crawling and pulling up. We lowered his crib for the first time on June 1 and had to lower it again on July 1. He also started eating solids and grew to love vegetables and fruits. In the last few weeks, we finally got to see a glimpse of his pearly whites when his first two teeth broke through the gums. 


I am also happy to report that W's cold is gone and I was able to resolve my issue with the Department of Labor. Thank goodness that week is done too. 

W's first trip to the beach

Enjoying the surf at Hilton Head

Tailgating Recipes

This weekend kicks off college football for most of the country. My alma mater, the University of Georgia, will take on Boise St. at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. I won't be there to cheer on my Bulldogs this year but I am excited to watch them play on Saturday night. I will be fixing up a few of my favorite tailgating recipes on Saturday for us to munch on during the game. I picked two recipes to highlight this week since its hot these two salads/dips are perfect for this time of year.


My first recipe pick is from Paula Deen. I just made this dish a few weeks ago and I wish I had taken a photo. Paula's Corn, Avocado, and Tomato Salad is a light, refreshing salad that will go perfectly with whatever main dish you are having. We have had it with grilled chicken and BBQ pork. It is a great addition to any menu.


My second recipe is also from Paula Deen. Something about her food just goes perfectly with football. Her South Georgia "Caviar" is a perfect dip during the hot Saturdays of Septemeber. Pair this with corn chips or tortilla chips.


Have a fun and safe weekend cheering on your teams this weekend. I will be glued to the TV with my family cheering on our beloved Bulldogs.

My A Game is Long Gone

In my pre-baby, pre-pink slip days, I was a busy professional who managed large budgets and multiple projects. I took pride in my work and I was known for being the go-to person to get things done. It was a role that I thrived in. But since the little one arrived nine months ago, it seems like the wheels have fallen off my A game. 


When I went back to work, I had more than my fair share of bad days. There was the day I showed up wearing a shirt with spit up on the shoulder, then there was the time that I pulled a pacifier out of my pocket in the middle of a meeting, and of course the creme de la creme was the day that I noticed at 3 PM I only had on half of my makeup. Fortunately, nobody said anything to me and they probably didn't notice but I did and it bothered me. At time, I just chalked it up to the sleep deprivation and adjusting to being back at work after 12 weeks. 


Now here I am four months into unemployment and it seems as though I'm going through another one of these phases where nothing I can do is right. In the last week, I've washed my iPod (for the record, it doesn't survive the delicate cycle), showed up a day early for a playdate, and locked myself out of the house (fortunately, the baby was with me and not in the house.) 


Even though I don't have the day-to-day stress of getting up and going to a job. I am just as stressed today as I was four months ago. It's just different stress and different guilt. When I was working I was stressed out about being late to work, stressed about spending quality time with my husband and baby, and stressed about getting dinner cooked and the house cleaned. 


Now I'm dealing with the stress of having a very busy crawler on my hands who always needs to be watched and entertained, the stress of juggling nap schedules and babysitters for interviews, the stress of job hunting and the lack of quality jobs, the stress of having too much week and not enough money, and the stress of finding the time to do it all. Actually, I might be more stressed out now than when I worked and that makes no sense at all. 


What is it about motherhood that I can't manage? More importantly, am I the only new mom out there that can't seem to get it together? I don't know why or how but I hope I find my groove soon and get my A game back because at this rate there's no telling what will happen next. 

Thankful Friday: Former Coworkers

Last weekend, I had a girls lunch with my friend and former coworker - T. Unfortunately, she lives and works across town so we don't see each other nearly enough. I always have a great time hanging out with T and it was nice to get away from the house for a few hours. 


Like most people that live in Atlanta, I'm not from here but I've been here now for over 11 years. In the decade plus that I've lived and worked here, I have changed jobs on average every two years. I know its not for everyone but I think I'm pretty lucky that I've had a lot of jobs. I've been very fortunate to work with a great group of people. In a lot of ways, my former coworkers are my community here in Atlanta. When I have a project that I need help with I know that I can call on any one of them to help me out or recommend a vendor. I've been passed along job leads and freelance opportunities from many of them as well over the years. 


Now with Facebook and Twitter, I am able to keep up with many of them and it has been such a pleasure to see how their lives have changed both personally and professionally. We spend most of our days at work so its great to have a work family that you enjoy being around and who inspire you to do good work. I'm optimistic with the track record I have had that there is another great team out there somewhere waiting for me to join them. 

Homemade Pesto

This summer, we've been eating a lot of pasta. Its easy and pretty simple enough me to whip with just a few ingredients. A few weeks ago I went to a local farmer's market and one of the vendors had a orzo, chickpea, and tomato salad with a spinach pesto. I'm not a huge fan of pesto but this pesto sauce was delicious. Maybe it was because it was made with spinach I don't know but I loved it. 


Last week, I got a wild hair and took to the internet to find a pesto recipe. I had some fresh spinach, arugula, and basil - the perfect ingredients for pesto. I found this recipe to use as my guide. 


I started by toasting my pine nuts on the stovetop. I was afraid they were going to burn so I didn't toast them too long. 

Once I got the argula, spinach, and basil washed and dried, I put it in the food processor with the pine nuts, garlic, and parmesan cheese. 

Then I just hit the puree button, once it got to this consistency, I put the lid on and drizzled the oil olive in while it blended. 

This is what my final pesto looked like with ravoli from Trader Joe's. My husband loves pesto so he thought this was the best pasta we have had in months. I'm not a huge fan of pesto since it can be too oily or too garlicky. I loved this recipe since I could control the amount of garlic and oil. We even had a little bit left over so I'm freezing it for us to use in another dish. I will probably end up making a few more batches while the basil in my garden is still thriving. It will be great to have such a light and summer dish this winter. 

Thankful Fridays

Recently, a friend turned me onto the blog thxthxthx. I read that the blog’s author just had a book published based on her blog, so I think I’m a little late to this party. I’ve been struggling over the last few weeks to remain positive. As a veteran of unemployment, I know that this is a funk that every job seeker faces. Money is tight and employers aren’t calling. I also know the worst thing to do it is to give into this mood.

I decided to start “Thankful Fridays” as a way to remind myself that despite my current circumstances that I have a lot to be thankful for. Why is it always so easy to focus on the negative and never the positive? So here it goes, my first "Thankful Friday" post. 

Today, I am most thankful for my new role of mother. In our lifetime, we have a lot of titles and roles. I was born with the title of daughter, granddaughter, then I became a sister, a friend, a student, a writer, a high school graduate, a world traveler, a college graduate, an employee, a co-worker, a colleague, a volunteer, a wife, a boss, a blogger, a marketer, a documentary filmmaker, and now I’m a mother. Motherhood was never a role I thought I would take on but I’m so thankful that I have been blessed with it. It really is the hardest role I have every had but everyday I know that I have been trusted with such a precious gift.

What are you thankful for this Friday?