I Met My Husband At The Zoo

Sounds like a pretty cool place to meet your future husband huh?

Until you find out that The Zoo did not features these:

But instead featured these:

Yep, The Zoo was a bar in our college town.

I bet one day when Drake asks how we met, he will think it is pretty cool that his parents met surrounded by lions, tiger, and monkeys when we tell him we met at The Zoo.

The Story of the Rice Krispie Eggs

The Question: How hard can it be to make Rice Krispie Eggs?
The Answer: VERY HARD
Let me preface this with I'm not a great cook and have had many "mistakes" in the kitchen so what follows is really not all that surprising to me or anybody who knows me.

I wanted to make some treats for Drake's daycare for Easter. I was browsing through the Sunday paper when I saw an ad for Rice Krispie Eggs. They looked so cute and I thought the daycare kids would LOVE them. I ran to the store and bought my supplies and went to work.

Here are some things I learned in the process:

1. When they say butter your hand before you make the eggs they mean butter your hands. I thought I would take a shortcut and spray them with cooking spray. NOT a smart idea as it only made my hands feel disgusting and if it was at all possible made the Rice Krispies stick more! So I got out a stick of butter and started to rub it on my hands (is that what they mean by butter your hands?) and it worked much better!

2. You have to work FAST at making those eggs!! They seemed to leave this part off the recipe. I was taking my time trying to form the perfect eggs and by the time I was getting to the end it was like scraping concrete out of the pan.

3. The recipe said it made 18 eggs and because of #2 I only had 14 small eggs. Yep, I lost at least 4 eggs to being super slow!

4. Forming Rice Krispies into eggs is a lot easier said than done. Most of mine look like...well...not eggs.

5. The eggs still look and taste pretty good despite all the above so I guess we can still call the disaster of a project eggs a success!

Next year I will make Jell-O eggs. How hard can that be?!?

Drake the Crawling Monster

Drake has been crawling for almost a month now and has gotten very fast and was excited to show off his skills to me! If you listen closely you will hear him saying Dada. I've been trying for a couple weeks to get him to say Mama with no luck!!

Because He is Only Little Once

Drake had trouble falling asleep last night (note to self: late afternoon nap=bad idea) and just wanted to play and talk in his crib. I took advantage of this opportunity and scooped up my rosy cheek little boy, carried him into our bedroom, and snuggled him like crazy until he fell into a peaceful slumber.

I will cherish every single moment I get to unexpectedly cuddle my sweet baby boy...because he is only little once and we have lots of memories to make.

Only Cool Kids Have Mohawks

Doesn't the Mohawk just fit right in with his tie onesie and motorcycle boots?!?!

And people who say it is hard to find cute clothes for boys must not shop where I shop!

Target Detox

I am in the process of going through a Target detox. It is necessary, but hard. Below is the story that has caused me to take this step!

                                                     Drake's first outing was even toTarget!

Target and I formed a strong relationship in the 6 months that I was home with Drake. It was very rare for me to not make at least 3 trips in a week.  Oh how I looked forward to those trips and the freedom of being out of the house.

I would load Drake up in his infant carrier, more times than not brave the flying snow and head to our home away from home. I would grab a cart, wipe it down a hundred times with sanitizer wipes and head over to get myself a fountain pop(large diet with a little cherry please) or a Starbucks (tall nonfat whatever I was feeling that day).

This is where the danger began. I would browse the women's clothing aisle in hope of finding some loose fitting shirts to cover the post baby belly. Then I would stroll on over to the baby section where I would spend most of my time and lots of my money. Clothes, toys, diapers, formula, baby food, socks, wipes, sippy cups, new pacis, new bath tub, new nipples, new bottles, books,and sunshades are just a few of the many baby items that I picked up and put in my cart during those 6 months.

After leaving the baby section we would look at the seasonal holiday decorations before making our way to the cleaning supplies and health and  beauty section where many many more items would make their way into the cart.

Now comes the scary part...checking out. The cashier scans item after item and the total on the cash register keeps going up and up. By this point I'm having a slight panic attack because I had no idea those cute baby jeans were $20.00, because I probably forgot to look at the price tag!!! Then comes the fun part "Do you have any coupons you would like to use today" the cashier would ask and I would hand over my stash. I would feel a little weight go off my shoulders with every $0.50 that came off the total and would about jump for joy when I would hand her the coupon made of gold...a $5.00 Similac check!!!  One swipe of the credit card later and we are out the door.

My relationship with Target has changed since I went back to work 3 days a week. Now I only go to Target on Thursdays and I go with a list. I decided that maybe I should be using some of the massive amount of money I was spending at Target on something a little more meanigful...you know like Drake's college fund!

I have not yet gone in and only bought what is on my list, but I'm getting better. You see, detox takes some time. Someday I will stick to my list but for now it is small steps.

My Other Half

A lot of this blog is about Drake and me and not a whole lot of attention is paid to my amazing husband! I thought now would be a great time to give him a little attention. So here are a few things that I love about my hubby!

• Loves to eat and pretty much likes anything I make...or at least he pretends to
• Is the most laid back person ever and lets pretty much anything roll of his back
• Makes the BEST homemade pizza
• Gets down on the floor and plays with Drake every chance he gets
• Looks pretty handsome with a shaved head
• Sets a great example for our son on how a man should treat a woman
• Acts like he has been a member of my family forever...and fits right in
• Works only 5 minutes from home and comes home every day for lunch
• Has gotten up with Drake every other night since he was born
• Loves to surprise me by making a nice dinner
• Helps with housework
• Has never ending patience with a screaming baby
• Always puts his family first and would rather be with us than anybody else
• Has the ability to make you feel like you are best friends after only knowing him for 5 minutes
• Works hard for his family
• Turned into a Daddy the second he held his son for the first time and has never looked back
• Gives lots of love and attention to our dog
• Does not mind staying home and playing with the baby on the weekends
• Looks so cute all cuddled up napping with our son

Drake and I really won the lottery when it came to getting a great Daddy and Hubby.

Thanks Ben for being everything to us!!

WE LOVE YOU!!

191 Unlimited Giveaway Winner

Thanks to all that entered!

Our 191 Unlimited Giveaway Winner is :
sandovalita with Comment #2! I have e-mailed you!

sandovalita said...

new follower here! and lovin' it! =]
March 15, 2010 3:56 PM

We will be having more giveaways in the near future so stay tuned!

My Son Thinks He is a Dog...

...and I just go with it.

Boots and Hats

Drake got a new hat and new boots yesterday when we went shopping.

I'm in love.

SO Cute!!

Mission Complete

Jean Mission 2010 is complete!!! I left the Gap with these:

They are the Real Straight Jeans in Dark Wash from the Gap. These are actually the exact same style that I was wearing yesterday when I gave everyone a show at Target, but I bought them one size bigger. The size 12 fits perfect and I feel awesome in them!!

Better yet I had a coupon for 30% off!!

Isn't amazing how great you can feel in a pair of jeans that actually fit?

Jeans Mission 2010

This morning is the start of  my Jeans Mission 2010. I'm finally biting the bullet and buying new jeans. 7 1/2 months after giving birth and 9 lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight I have decided I REALLY REALLY need new jeans.

I'm pretty sure that it is going to a while before I can fit into my size 10 skinny jeans from the Gap, as they are not even close to zipping, but I have been wearing them anyways. Yep, I'm still wearing my Bella Band and will NEVER be wearing these jeans again until I can fit into them because of what happened to me yesterday.

 I was running to Target to pick up diapers when I ran into somebody I knew in the parking lot, we had a nice conversation and I made my way inside where I realized that my Bella Band had totally become all twisted and my jeans were both unzipped and unbuttoned for the whole world to see. Is that is not a sign to buy new pants I don't know what is!

You are probably wondering if I only have 1 pair of jeans. I actually have 2 others, but they are the jeans from style hell not any better than flashthewholeworldjeans.

I have a size 12 pair of jeans from the Gap. I've had them for awhile and they are high waisted,  not a flattering wash, and worst off all the butt of  the jeans literally sag so much that it probably touches the ground. So those are a no-go as they are truly "mom jeans" at there best!

My other pair I'm actually wearing right now. They are a size 10 from Abercrombie. A size 10 from Abercrombie 10 years ago. I might have bough these in the  90's . They have a button fly. They work, they fit, but I have a feeling that they are not anywhere close to stylish.

Oh yeah and Drake, 7 1/2 month old Drake, has better jeans than his poor Momma. He has a super cute pair from Gymboree and a pair of True Religions from his super stylin' Auntie Ellie. Yep, he has designer jeans that fit him in all the right places while I have....nothing!!

So as you can see I really don't have a whole lot of options in the good ol' denim department. I don't feel good or look good in any of my current jeans, so it is time to do something.

Jeans Mission 2010 has officially started.

I will be back later with an update and hopefully a new pair of rockstar worthy jeans!!

Wish me luck!!

Our Little Leprechaun

Happy St. Patty's Day!!!

Take 1

Take 2

Take 3

I think he is going to get LOTS of kisses today!!!

191 Unlimited Review & Giveaway

I love dressing Drake up like a little man so when I received this shirt from 191 Unlimited I was thrilled!
The boys sized shirts start at size 2T, so it will fit Drake perfect just in time for the cooler weather this fall. I love the attention to detail like the square buttons, plaid lining around the inside cuffs and collar, and the double front pockets. Drake is going to rock this shirt! 191 Unlimited also carries mens shirts and ties and the best part is many of their mens shirts have a matching little boy shirt...how great is that?!?

191 Unlimited was founded in 2002 with $191 and a dream. Long time best friends Parth Sharma and Girish Karnani took $191 to the casino and turned it into enough money to launch their first 191 Unlimited collection. The two college grads then loaded the samples into their car and went on a 2 month trek from NY to LA and back, stopping in as many cities as possible to show their line to specialty stores.

So now to the good part...the GIVEAWAY!!!
Enter to win a boys 191 Unlimited shirt in the size of your choice (2T-XL)

Here is how you enter to win:
You can earn up to 6 entries by doing any or all of the following:
Remember to leave a separate comment for each item you complete to earn all your eligible entries!

1. Either already be a public follower of my blog or start following my blog publicly and let me know that you are by leaving a comment.

2. Go to the 191 Unlimited website and tell me what style you love

3. Leave a comment telling me that you became a fan of 191 Unlimited on facebook.

4. Vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs! Just click my icon on the top right sidebar once and tell me that you clicked it.

5. Blog about this giveaway or post a link on facebook or twitter about the giveaway. Leave the link to your site in the comment so I can see the post.

6. Grab my button and post it on your blog. Leave the link to your blog so I can check it out!


The giveaway begins today Monday, March 15th and will run for one week with all comments closing at 7:00 am CST Monday, March 22nd. One winner will be picked at random, using Random.org. The winner must respond within 48 hours, or a new winner will be picked.

Please Note: I was provided with the shirt to review the product and promote the giveaway. I was not compensated in any other way. These are my own, honest opinions.

Guitars, Dog Bones and Shades

That is what our weekend was made of!

Drake played some tunes with Daddy on the guitar

Then he tried to chew on play with Skinner's bone until the mean momma took it away

And he topped it off by looking totally awesome in his first pair of sunglasses

Pretty successful weekend if you ask me!

The Other Side

I've been seeing A LOT of this side of Drake...

...as I chase his cute little butt all over! 

And the Winner Is....

The winner of the Lincoln&Lexi giveaway is the person with the 3rd comment!

Congratulations Rachel!

Anonymous said...

I became a public follower of yours!- Rachel Wilkening
March 4, 2010 9:00 AM
Contact me at sassysillyspunky@gmail.com within 48 hours to claim your prize!

Don't be sad if you didn't win because I have another giveaway on tap for next week!!!

Stay tuned for details!

My First Vacation:By Drake

I went on my first mini vacation last weekend to this huge city called Chicago. I think I love these vacations things because Momma and Daddy let me eat real food like deep dish pizza crust, stay up late, and even bought me new shoes while we were there. 

My Momma took a million pictures of me in my swim trunks. They kept smiling and laughing at me so I humored them and played along.

Then they took me to this huge bath tub. I liked to put my head under water and loved splashing!!

How would you like it if somebody kept taking pictures of you after you were all tired from swimming and just wanted to nap?!? That is what I thought!

Daddy finally gave in and took a nap with me.

I LOVE riding in my stroller, but Momma was blocking my view of all the sites by taking yet another picture!

Oh, yeah I also started crawling the night before we left...like really crawling...really fast.

Momma seemed to not like me crawling around the hotel floor and kept saying things like "gross" and "germs". Momma then thought she could contain me on a blanket with my toys. Yeah right Momma!! I don't even like my toys I would rather play with cords, and shoes and open and close drawers. Then to top it off she was always coming after my hands with a baby wipe. She needs to relax!

Daddy and I also think Momma might be crazy. She bought me an outfit for my first birthday. I wonder if she forgot that I’m only 7 months old? She said it was just "perfect" and I had to have it! Daddy says I better get used to it because she really likes to plan ahead.

I think they will probably take me someplace again soon since I was pretty much amazing in the car and Momma and Daddy kept saying how good I was being. I kept them happy by sleeping, playing with my toys, looking in my mirror and sucking on my paci.

So Momma, where to now?

-Drake

Going Retro

These Nike shoes were mine as a baby. 

Drake makes them look pretty cool and stylish 26 years later.

I Was Wrapped Around His Finger Since Before the Day He Was Born...

It was about one year ago that we found out that we were having a boy.  The weeks leading up to our ultrasound were spent guessing what we were having and talking about names. I wanted a girl...really bad. If somebody was to ask what I wanted I gave the standard "As long as it is healthy, we don't care" response, but deep down I knew that I wanted a girl.

You see, I grew up in a family of mostly women. I have 2 younger sisters who I have a great relationship with and  my mom is my best friend. To me it seemed that a baby girl would just complete our little clan.

The big ultrasound day came and we were not in the ultrasound room 5 minutes before the tech asked "Do you want to know the sex, I can see it right here and I have no doubt what it is." Ben and I excitedly told her to tell us. "It's a boy" she said.  The second she said "It's a boy" the future I saw of dresses, and shopping, and heart to heart talks died and was replaced with cars, and football, and mud...and you know what? I was OK with that because I just saw MY baby boy moving, and sucking HIS thumb and saw HIS little heart beat. At that exact moment I fell in love!!

Our first picture of our little boy

As the months went by, we picked out a name, painted his room and bought clothes. With each of these steps, I fell more and more in love with my little boy. On August 1st, I found myself holding the most beautiful baby boy. The second I laid eyes on his crazy mop of black hair and looked into his huge eyes, my heart melted and I knew this was the baby  I was always meant to have!

2 days before Drake was born

Since that day I have never looked back and I LOVE being a mom to boy. He is wild and crazy and loud and sweet and cuddly and loves his Momma something fierce. I am in love with his little man clothes, his crazy black blond hair, his sloppy wet kisses, his belly laugh, the way he touches my face when I talk. I am in love in a way I have never been before. I am forever changed for the better because I have the honor and privilege of being his Momma.

My sweet newborn Drakie

I can't wait to have more kids and would be happy to have a little girl at some point. But you know what?  I would be insanely happy with a bunch of boys running around the house chasing the dog and climbing on the furniture with their sticky fingers.

I have learned a very important lesson from all of this....God gives you the family you are suppose to have and He knows so much better what we need than we ever will.

Thank God for knowing I needed a little boy!

7 Months of pure bliss!

Lincoln&Lexi Giveaway

 To celebrate the new blog design it is time for our Lincoln&Lexi Giveaway!!!!!

One lucky winner will get their choice of one of the following items:

Little-Man at Work Nash Tie Onesie

available in sizes 0-3M, 3-6M, 6-12M, 12-18M

Cypress Paisley Blush Birdie Onesie

available in sizes 0-3M, 3-6M, 6-12M, 12-18M

Blake 16x16 blanket

Don't you want one of everything?!?!? To see more great items from Lincoln&Lexi visit http://www.lincolnandlexi.com/us/

Here is how you enter to win:

You can earn up to 4 entries by doing any or all of the following. Remember to leave a separate comment for each item you complete to earn all your eligible entries! 

1. Either already be a public follower of my blog or start following my blog publicly and let me know that       you are by leaving a comment.

2. Leave a comment telling  me that you became a fan of Lincoln&Lexi on facebook.

3. Vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs! Just click my icon on the top right sidebar once and tell me that      you clicked it.

4.  Blog about this giveaway or post a link on facebook or twitter about the giveaway.  Leave the link to your site in the comment so I can see the post.  

The giveaway begins today Thursday, March 4th and will run for one week with all comments closing on Thursday, March 11th. One winner will be picked at random, using Random.org. The winner must respond within 48 hours, or a new winner will be picked.

GOOD LUCK!!

Drake sure knows how to rock his Lincoln&Lexi!!

Giveaway Hint

With my new blog layout coming THIS week. I thought now would be a great time to give you a little more information about my giveaway!!

Mommas this is a giveaway to get EXCITED about!!

Our giveaway is coming from Lincoln&Lexi, a children’s clothing line that JUST launched!!

Check them out at:

http://www.lincolnandlexi.com/us/

You will find unique and adorable clothes for both boys and girls!

After all who doesn’t want their baby to be "Couture Since Day One"

I’m going to leave you hanging just a little bit longer about the exact details….stay tuned!