Thoughts For A Thursday.

While I think it's a little lame and sort of a cop-out to post a quote as a blog post, this one seems appropriate for today:

"I think every working mom goes through the times when you feel that if you weren't working perhaps you'd be giving them a little more. I've always believed the quality of the time is so much more important than the quantity."

~Jackie Zeman

This was the quote today on my "I Love You, Mom" desk calendar that Alex got me for Christmas. Such a good little shopper! I had to Google this Jackie Zeman chica, and it would appear that she's the actress that plays 'Bobbie' on General Hospital. Who knew? While I can't speak to her mothering skills, I think this particular opinion she has is spot on. I've posted my feelings on working vs. SAHM status before, and today's calendar quote was just one more reminder for me that while I might drag my feet on the way into work a few mornings a week, I'm doing what is right for my family at this point in our lives.

Oh, and just so this entire blog post isn't a cop-out, click here to sign up for a free sample of Purex Complete 3-in-1 Laundry Sheets. You're welcome.

Snow Baby.

We bundled up our little man and took him outside to enjoy the snow for a few minutes yesterday.

I adore this kid.

He wasn't so keen on the snow angel process. 

Snow falling in eyes ≠ Not a fan.

Baby print!

Flying with Daddy.

Laughing with Mommy, who looks very tired.

Good lawd I need some sleep!

And what's with the wonky right eye? Sheesh!

Like Buttah.

I'm on a roll.

For serious.

Remember on Sunday when we talked about the life-altering poppingcorn creation? Pause for applause. Today, we review another *gasp* Betty Homemaker moment -- spinach and ricotta stuffed shells were created for dinner last night. By me. From scratch. Like, I used an oven. I know...who am I? And what in the world has gotten into me?

all*you magazine has gotten into me, that's what. Jill and Kyle purchased a subscription for me as a birthday gift, and after a series of address problems and fistfights with the United States Postal Service* I finally got my first issue in le mail last week. This thing is seriously the greatest compliation of recycled paper, ever. Coupons galore. Recipes complete with shopping lists and price per serving for an entire week. Household organization and storage tips and tricks. Little life 'pick me ups'. Style tips for taking work attire into the evening hours. etc. etc. It's as if someone in the publishing world said, "Let's create a magazine specifically for Kristi Van Wormer and all her life's needs," and Voila! all*you was born.

Fast forward to last night, when I donned my "So Sarah Designs" apron (Seriously girl, get your etsy store up. Missed linky opportunity!) and whipped up a fanTAStic Italian dinner that Giada herself would be proud of. I used ricotta cheese and everything...and if that ain't Italian, I don't know what is.

Jill and Kyle, while I adore my magazine, I'm pretty sure Joey and his belly are forever indebted. :)

Oh, and le recipe is here, should you get the whim to be domesticated in the near future.

*No employees of the USPS were actually harmed in the writing of this blog post.

Something's Different Around These Parts.

Is it my hair? No, same old ponytail.

I got taller, that must be it. Nope. Just the heels.

I lost weight! Is that it? A joke, really. Effing hysterical.

Something is definitely new around here. I just can't seem to put my finger on it.

A Rare Sunday Post.

We interrupt what is typically a blog-free weekend to give you this little gift: A RECIPE.

Yes, yes...I know. We're all shocked. Amazed. Whatever. Pick your jaws up off the floor and read what I'm about to tell you. Then make it, eat it, and thank me.

Caramel Popcorn and Peanuts
courtesy of my favorite magazine/birthday present subscription from K&J, All*You

You'll need:
1 tsp. veggie oil
1/4 cup unpopped poppingcorn
1 cup salted peanuts (the snack, not the comic strip)
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups sugar (though, to be more waist-friendly, I used 1 cup baking Splenda and 1/2 cup sugar)
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 Tbsp. butter (again, I used the Brummel & Brown to be a bit less naughty)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. salt (I used closer to 2, as I love me some salt)
1 Tbsp. Lawry's seasoning salt (not in the original recipe; my personal addition for a savory kick in the arse)

1) Line a baking sheet with wax paper.Warm oil in a large pot over high heat. Add popcorn, cover and shake-shake-shake your moneymaker pot until all kernels have popped. Transfer popcorn to a larger bowl, add peanuts and set aside. Note: if you are awesome like the VWs and have your own poppingcorn machine, just avoid the process above and pop le corn per usual.

2) In a medium pot (meh meh meh), combine water, sugar (or combo of Splenda/sugar) and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook without stirring until mixture turns a light amber color, 4 to 6 minutes. Note: if using Splenda, you probably won't get the amber color. Try not to freak...just trust the 5ish minutes of cook time.

3) Remove pot (meh meh meh) from heat and stir in butter, vanilla and salt (and Lawry's if you so choose). Stir the caramel into the popcorn/peanut mixture to completely coat. Scrape the deliciousness onto the wax paper and let cool for 15 minutes before devouring. Or, do what we did and eat it warm. We don't judge.

Domestic goddess, what?!? I mean, really...who makes homemade caramel poppingcorn? This girl, thankyouverymuch. What's more, this DEEEELISHish snack is a mere 38¢ per serving. Now that's a snack that is speakin' my language.

Enjoy!

Stupidity Police.

While driving home from work last night, 9 out of 10 drivers on I-75 were being total douches.

Cue Joe: "I wish we had a sweet police light for Tessa." (a.k.a. my vehicula. Yes, I name inanimate objects. Yes, it's weird.)

Me: "Um. Ok. Why?"

Joe: "Cause then I could drive around town all day giving people 'stupidity tickets.'"

Treasures.

It's strange to think that a year ago I would have posted a "Hump Day, Bump Day!" picture today. Actually, this would have been the one. Scary!

Back to today's post - recent treasures!

For starters, I won a blog giveaway yesterday! The savvy savers from Cha-Ching on a Shoestring hosted a partner giveaway with Jiffy Lube and its "Go Red for Women" campaign. I won a $35 Jiffy Lube gift card and a coupon book worth over $100, which is simply fab because a) Jiffy Lube is the only place I will take Tessa for her oil changes...for the locals, Andre and his peeps at Dequindre and 14 are the b-o-m-b. and b) my love for coupons is limitless. I can't wait to get it in the mail! Oh, and if you're not a follower of this blog, do it now. I guarantee that every day you'll learn something new about saving, couponing or some other trick of the trade that will put more $$ back in your pockets.

...which leads me to treasure #2. I received a package in the mail yesterday which contained some of my recent ebay purchases. Another small obsession. I found a goldmine of a seller who has impeccable and expensive taste and a closet full of boys' 12-18 month summer clothing being sold for pennies on the dollar. Even with shipping, it was all a steal.

And finally, my favorite treasure of the day - my bracelet! It came yesterday and I couldn't love it more. I like to think of it as a little successory for my "Mommy branding," because from pretty much here on out, I'm no longer Kristi, I'm Alex's Mom. Sorry it's such a craptastic picture. Cell phone + desk ≠ Olan Mills Portrait Studio.

Design Distraction.

It's been awhile since I've redecorated a room in our house. One could argue that we just did the basement, but we really didn't get new "decorating" stuff. Just paint, carpet & furniture. Most of the decor items were repurposed from the bedroom formerly known as our office (now Alex's nursery).

I think I'm getting the itch to redo our bedroom. Here's what we have now:

The bed has cranberry sheets and far too many decorative pillows to count. It's a sickness, really. I can't avoid the pillow aisle at Home Goods. I incorporated little touches of various shades of red around the room with accessories and tied it all together with a cool, circular rug. I always, always, always wanted a black, white and red bedroom, so to have one as my first "married" bedroom was simply fab.

But as women usually do, I'm getting bored of it. Time for change!

The new spring ads are really starting to make me obsess over the yellow/gray (grey?) combination. I'm currently loving this:

I would pair it with slate sheets that would coordinate well with a new wall color:

It's a small room, but if we had the space I would totally have to own this little chair to place in a designated reading/putting on socks area:

And just imagine the pillows I could get at Home Goods!! I kill myself.

Oh Joooooeeeeeeeeyyyy?? ::bats eyes::

Alex And The WIPpo.

Lucky you! Three posts in a row containing pictures of my sweet little boy. Ten months and growing!

Gah. He's so big I can hardly stand myself.

That sweet face...those chubby and delicious cheeks...

"Look, something shiny!"

"Seriously Mom. Totally bored."

"He has a chubby belly just like me!"

I melt. Literally a puddle on the floor.

"I can wave now!"

Happy Valentine's Day!

Alex had a Valentine's Day party with his Daycare peeps on Friday morning, so we were sure to dress him appropriately for the occasion. (Thanks for the bib, Grammi & Poppi!)

I tend to believe he's giving some sort of babies-only catcher's signal here.

The bed head? Adorable.

Love the face on this one. Drama King, much?

"Maaahh-um. I'm in the WIPpo chair. Where's my pal?"
Tomorrow, honey. Tomorrow. Don't rush me.

I had so much fun putting together little Valentine's packages for his friends. I felt so Mom-official. I'm sure when he's in 3rd grade and I'm measuring out baking soda for his seventeenth larger-than-life-really-explodes-volcano science project (while simultaneously scraping the goo off the kitchen ceiling) I will be eating my words like conversation hearts, but for now I'm loving it.

Like Mother, Like Son.

I love sleeping. It is far and away my favorite pasttime, and it's something I do rather well if I do say so myself.

So it should come as no surprise that my spawn is also a gold medalist in sleeping. 2 points for the current event reference. Here are some recent shots of him doing what he does best:

Cashed out in Daddy's chair with his favorite fishie.

Al bundy pose courtesy of Joe, who was certain

it was the funniest thing, ever.

Zonked on the floor. Rear in the air = favorite pose.

Sleeping peacefully in his crib. Yes, he sleeps with blankets AND there is a bumper in his crib. *gasp* If you look carefully you will also see Mr. WIPpo and his glow worm. Don't judge.

Seriously. This is how Joe found him on Saturday morning.

It doesn't look comfortable, but to each his own, right?

And finally, resting peacfully with Poppi during the Super Bowl.

Goofus and Gallant.

Ha. Remember them from 'Highlights' magazine? I can still smell my childhood denist's office whenever I think about it. Strange, but it's the only place I really ever read it.

Anywho, this is my shopping version of G&G.

Gallant

This bracelet that I just bought for myself on Etsy. No special occasion...I basically just loved it and had to have it asap. Perhaps I'll consider it a V-Day gift to self? Obvi, mine will say "alex joseph"...and I even asked the artist if she could add a little heart stamp to either side of his name. Le swoon.



Goofus

Need I say anything more? Well, yes...actually I do. I would like to take this opportunity to hippity hop onto my little soapbox and scold the PR people @ Toyota for their cheesily done "goodwill" commercial proclaiming how they made the decision to do this recall and make things right. Um, bullshit much? The government made them do it. And the quality problems have been present for years...it just took this long for it to catch up with them. Buy American!!! And let me stop this before you go all bananas on me with the knowledge that foreign companies have plants in the U.S. I totally know that. I work in this industry, remember? And in PR, nonetheless. Two thumbs up for the American jobs creation, but the profits still go overseas. Two thumbs way, way down.

::Kristi jumps off soapbox and sticks a perfect 10 landing, arms proudly in the air.::

Tomorrow I think I shall post some recent and adorable photos of Mister Alex. It's  been far too long since his sweet cheeks have graced my little corner of the internets.

Little Known Facts.

I have a tendency to talk to myself. Yes, it's weird. And yes, I have actual conversations. What? It's just plain rude not to answer back!

Anyway, I find myself doing this a LOT at work lately. Perhaps it's because I'm in at a new division and have approximately zero people in my immediate surroundings that I can talk to intelligently about anything non-work related, but it's really starting to become a noticeable problem.

Like this morning, when I was washing my hands in the loo and mumbling something to myself about the urgent need to make a list, gather my coupons and go grocery shopping right as the crazy plant lady walked in and caught me.

I realize how this sounds. I call her the 'crazy plant lady' (for obvious reasons...she waters her plant within an inch of its life and would go so far as to murder someone with a well-manipulated paper clip should you even attempt to move it one inch to the left to see out the window) and yet I'm the crazy girl who talks to herself in the bathroom. I totally get it.

"Hi, Kettle? It's me, Pot."

Giveaway!

Not mine, though I do have one planned...very exciting things are coming soon to ABM3!

Back to the point at hand: Jackie, my go-to-gal for all things paper and also the creative genius behind bleu soleil design is hosting a giveaway! Weeeeeee!!

Click here to enter. It's very cinchy - just be a follower and leave a comment. Plus, by following, you can also sneak a peek at the updates she posts from time to time about her ahhh-DOR-able daughter, Leighton, who also happens to be Alex's current love slobber insterest. Hey, she shared her puffs with him at lunch. That's like champagne, roses & diamonds at a wee 9 months of age.

You have until Friday - bust a move!

Starting Fresh.

Ahhhh, Monday. Usually I would sulk around, complaining about how it's Monday and how I wish the weekend were a little longer or the weather a little warmer. But not today!

Today I am overwhelmingly thankful for a safe and healthy family. Last week was shitty, there's really just no nice way to sugar coat it. But today is a new start, and for that I'm thankful.

In related news, Alex now has a TOP tooth! I can't get him to sit still long enough for a picture, but I'll get one soon, promise.

Worst Week Ever.

I should NOT have posted yesterday about things "looking better." What's the saying...if you wan't God to laugh, just tell Him your plans? Yeah, pretty sure He's laughin' at the VWs right about now.

So you know the whole drama about our Daycare provider being sick, and how my Momma came to rescue us so we could go to work yesterday?

Well, let's travel back in time to 5 p.m. last night. Mom was on her way home and Joe and I took Alex to Coscto for a little bulk shopping adventure.

About 20 minutes into it, I started feeling rotten. Assuming it was food poisoning from the pizza we had eaten earlier, we vamoosed it home. Prepare yourself...this is where I go into TMI mode. About 15 minutes later, my body was screaming, "Emergency! Emergency!" and I didn't know which end to put on the toilet first. I decided to sit, but immediately screamed to Joe to bring me a bowl/bucket/something to hold what was about to happen out the other end.

The good man had no sooner brought me a bowl and he was face-first in the garbage disposal side of the sink, hurling his brains out. This cat-and-mouse dance of "You go to the sink. I'll go to the bathroom." went on literally all night long...about every hour, in fact. Oh the joys of having a one bathroom house.

It's now mid-afternoon and neither of us are feeling human yet. Gatorade, Ritz crackers and the couch have been our bffs for the last 9 hours. And to make matters worse, my Mom has it, too.

So much for tonight's plans...we were supposed to go to a Cowboy Mouth concert. The tix were part of Joey's birthday present. Boo.

So now, it's back to sleeping, spewing things out of all my orifices and attempting to nap. Oh, and I also should probably disenfect the sink.

New Day. No Drama.

I woke up on time this morning.

My Momma is at home, taking care of my healthy, happy little boy.

Joe and I arrived at work accident free.

All in all, today already looks to be 100% better than yesterday...with the exception of the phantom NAIL CLIPPER that sits somewhere in my vicinity. Seriously. No one's nails can possibly grow that fast. It's superhuman.

Where To Begin?

Ohhhh what a morning it's been. I suppose I will tell the tale from the very beginning, because that's what Julie Andrews would have me do. Buckle in kids, it's gonna be a long one.

Our morning began at about 6:45, when I woke in a frantic flurry because I had overslept the alarm and needed to be at work for a 7:30 meeting. We had worked it out the night before that Joe would drop Alex at daycare and I would pick him up at the end of the day.

As I was tornadoing around the house getting ready, Joe was being a dear and getting Alex ready for his day. You know - food, clothing and all that jazz. About the time I was applying my mascara, Joe hollered that he needed help because Alex was throwing up his bottle.

Lordhavemercy. My child was literally spewing 6 oz. of formula exorcist-style out of his lips. I've never seen anything like it.

After a quick check for fever (none) and realizing he was in very good spirts (still giggling at his 'toons and smiling like a fool), we decided he must've just had an upset tummy and carried on about our business. Five minutes later, I grabbed my cell phone, coat and computer and was out the door.

Cue the cameras to me walking into work and finally looking at my phone, only to find 2 missed calls and a text message from our daycare provider telling me she had the stomach flu and could not watch the kids today.

::facepalm::

In a tizzy, I called Joe EIGHT times, left 2 messages and sent 2 texts, hoping he would see them before he bundled Alex up and shipped him off to Daycare. Meanwhile, I went up to my desk and alerted my boss of the situation at hand. He was relatively cool about it and told me to just call into my morning meetings. And so I did - Supermom hops back in her car, managing meetings and life from the road.

Imagine my surprise upon pulling into the driveway and Joe's Jeep is nowhere in sight. Seriously? Did he not look at his phone? Uhhhm, as I very obviously demonstrated not 15 minutes earlier, this is very possible.

I put my meeting on muted speaker and sent Joe a text message: "Where are you?" I get back: "Headed to Daycare." I say, "Jane's sick. Come home. I'm here."

Fast forward 2 minutes to Joe calling me 3 times in a row. I'm still on my conference call, so I text him back, "In meeting. Can't talk." And I get back, "911."

Shiiiiiiiiiite.

I'll spare you the details moving forward, (mostly because reliving my morning is elevating my blood pressure) but to summarize, Joe got into a car accident as he was turning around to come back home. He and Alex are both fine, but the Jeep has seen better days.

I can't help but think that ALL of this could have been avoided if I just would have stupid looked at my stupid phone before I stupid left for stupid work. You can bet your sweet arse I won't be making that mistake again.

Oh, and Alex? Still spewing. My Momma's coming to nurse him back to health tonight and watch him tomorrow. Thank jebus for her.

Testing, Testing. 1. 2. 3.

The blogosphere is eerily quiet today. Of all the peeps I stalk follow, only about 3 have posted updates.

I suppose that's karma's way of telling me to log off and get the eff back to work.

Night & Day.

I just returned from the aforementioned lunch trip to DSW. Not only did they have le shoes in stock and in my size, they were on clearance. SCHWING!

And, might I add that the sales associate kicked some serious arse. Like, instant nomination for employee of the month arse. Not only was she uber helpful and cheerful, she asked me if I was a hairdresser because I had "such fabulous hair." Exact words. No lies.

Basically, I have a new girl crush. Quality customer service lives on!!!

Hi, I'm Kristi. How May I Help You Today?

Yesterday I had it o-u-t with the kind people at Target who were questioning the validity of a $7 Pampers coupon I was using.

You can already see where this is going, no?

We all know I basically live and die for coupons, and because of the incredible value of this particular one, I was not going down without a fight. I'll spare you the details of my nearly ten minute argument friendly conversation with the store manager, but at the end of the trip that $7 was fo-sheezy taken off my total. I am always right when it comes to couponing - take note, other store managers of the world that might be reading.

As if that wasn't enough, I later had a less than pleasant encounter with a nimrod of a sales associate at DSW. They didn't have the size I needed, so I asked the nearest semi-competent looking twelve year old with a nametag and walkie talkie if she could check to see if another local store had it in inventory.

She looked at me like I had asked her to recite the Gettysburg Address from memory. After twirling her hair around her pinkie finger and faking like she was actually soaking in my request, she giggled the most convincing little valley girl laugh and said, "Umm...I could, like, get you the number to another store and you can, like, call them?"

I'm sorry, what? I deadpan stared at her for 5 seconds and I'm pretty sure my nonverbals were read just fine by her peabrain. I swallowed everything I actually wanted to say and instead handed her the shoes in my hand and said as cheerfully as I could muster, "Oh, well that seems incredibly helpful. Thanks for your help, sugar." And left.

Really, I'm the loser in this situation. Little Miss Twit doesn't work on commission, and I still have to go to another DSW on my lunch hour today to seek out my shoes. I guess it was a moral victory for me...if nothing else.

Soooooooo, in honor of a weekend of shiteous customer service, I give you this:

Click here for a free sample of Pampers Cruisers with Dry Max. (You have to be a P&G Everyday Solutions member...if you're not, just sign up - it's free! And you'll have access to other great coupons, too.)

You're welcome.