*happy dance*

Every once in awhile something really nifty happens.

Like today, for instance, I got my table runners for the wedding for 63% off! 

Originally $3.99 a pop, they were on sale for $1.49! 

I ordered them as soon as I saw the price. 

One less thing to worry about.

Seriously, I am so excited about it. 

 

And I bought my Christmas cards today and picked up the second batch of my Save The Dates.  I get to start addressing those soon and hopefully have them done by the 16th so I can throw our Christmas pictures in them and send them out.  I know I said mid-November, but my photographer didn't have any openings until mid-December to get our family pics done, so everybody has to wait. 

 

I am so excited for this holiday season!  I have tons of cookie recipes that I want to try out (and will be posting pics of!), lots of crafts to do with our Whimzy, and even more presents to give! 

*sigh of contentment*

Hopefully, everybody is as excited as I am!

If not, come over, I am completely willing to share some holiday cheer!

Holiday Spirit and BBC

I put aside all day yesterday to do Christmas decorating.

Including bringing the boxes up from the basement and then bringing them back down afterwards, it took about an hour.

Tree up, decorated, and the rest of the decorations up.

Still, it looks pretty nifty and completely reflects my little family.

A bunch of decorations are Nana's, but we are slowly building up our own collection. 

Our stuff is glittery and un-traditional.  I love it. 

And, I just got done wrapping round 1 of presents.  I need a few more boxes for some of them, because they are so oddly shaped.

I also started watching Merlin on BBC tonight.  BBC sucks me in once again.

 

On a more emotional note, even though this is the second Christmas that I have been able to truly enjoy the season, it still surprises me that I am enjoying it. 

I am so lucky that life has given me a chance to actually enjoy it. 

Whimzy is going to know the true meaning of family because of my second chance!

 

Well, off to engross myself in more British TV.

Thankful!

So, today is Thanksgiving!

A bunch of my friends did those "whole month of thankfulness" thing.

I didn't. 

I would have forgotten a few days and looked silly ;)

So, I am going to list a few important things I am thankful for on here! 

1. First and foremost: my new life.  I was on the wrong path for a while and I am so happy that I feel like I've been heading in the right direction for a while now.

2. Second of all, Ty.  I love him so much.  I am so lucky to have such a great guy to call mine.  He is a wonderful Dad, a wonderful best friend, and an all around perfect guy. 

3.  Whimzy.  She is amazing and has inspired me to be a better person.  Not to mention, she alwasy makes me giggle and amazes me everyday.

4. My Miteks.  I am so lucky to be supported by an amazing family. I am so happy that Whimzy has a real Grandma and Papa to spoil and love her. 

5.  My new relationship with my Dad. I love that I talk to him so much and that I am able to have this chance to re-build it.

6. My friends.  Even at my lowest, they have always loved me and helped hold me up. 

7.  Noodles.  No explanation needed :)

8. My second chance to go to school.  I am loving it and I love that I finally have a chance to live up to my potential.

9. Ty's job.  He is able to support us and do something that he seems to enjoy.

10.  My upcoming wedding.

11. The fact that I am fighting my anxiety without meds.

 

I really could go on and on, but these seem to be the important ones!

What is everybody else thankful for?

Addicted To Pinterest

So, I did another Pinterest recipe. 

 Cheddar Bacon Ranch Chicken.

I almost died it was so good. 

 

So, this is where I got the recipe from:

http://www.halfhourmeals.com/recipe/cheddar-bacon-ranch-chicken-pasta

 

And here is the recipe:

Ingredients

1 lb mostaccioli or other short pasta
6 strips bacon, diced
1 Tbsp butter
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 packet ranch dressing mix
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to package directions in boiling salted water; drain, return to pot, and keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Drain all but one tablespoon of bacon drippings from the pan.

3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the butter to the reserved bacon drippings, then add the chicken to the same skillet. Cook until tender, no longer pink, and slightly browned.

4. Sprinkle the flour and ranch dressing mix over the chicken, stirring to coat evenly. Stir in the milk, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in the cheddar cheese and half of the reserved bacon; cook and stir until the cheese is melted. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

5. Serve each plate of pasta with more bacon sprinkled over the top. Green onions would also be a delicious topping.

 

I used whole wheat four, Barilla Plus Penne, and I had to eat like 2 cups of veggies before I could even try this so I didn't ruin my diet.  Ty absolutely loved it and there were tons of leftovers!

In other news, I also made roasted chickpeas.  Not sure if they are blog-worthy, though.  We shall see.

Spending the day doing school stuff and cuddling with Whimzy. And I plan on updating the wedding binder tonight!  If there are any fun new developments, I will let you know :)

 

 



 



Yummm....Marshmallows!

First of all, I didn't cite my source for the chili-cheese dog casserole recipe:

http://thatchbo.blogspot.com/2010/06/chili-dog-casserole.html

 

I feel much better now!

 

So forever ago I saw a way to roast marshmallows without a fire that still makes them crunchy.  I cannot remember for the life of me where I saw this idea, but I decided to try it.

 

Put your oven on Broil setting (with mine, that means about 500 degrees)

Basically, spray a baking pan (I used a square 9x9) with cooking spray.

Put a layer of marshmallows in said baking pan.

Bake for about 5 minutes. 

Make sure you check on it constantly because it seems like it would be super easy to burn!

Then, serve with chocolate covered graham crackers! 

 

 

So gooey...yumm!

 

And so easy :)  Going to be perfect for cold winter nights!

 

How does this relate to the wedding?  Well, this is why he is marrying me ;)



Chili Cheese Dog Casserole and Pinterest

So, I just made a recipe that I found on Pinterest.

I've decided to add my Pinterest stuff to this blog.

Granted, it might not happen often.  I do not get to do stuff like that nearly enough, but I figured I would add it in :)

 

Today, I made a Chili-Cheese Dog Casserole!

 

This is the original recipe:

2 (15 oz) cans chili with beans (I like Hormel Hot & Spicy)
1 (16 oz) package beef frankfurters (I prefer Ball Park)
10 (8 inch) flour tortillas (the fajita sized ones)
1 (8 oz) package Cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Spread 1 can of chili and beans in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Roll up franks inside tortillas and place in baking dish, seam side down, on top of chili and beans. Top with remaining can of chili and beans, and sprinkle with cheese.

Cover baking dish with aluminum foil, and bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes

I changed it up a bit because I only had one can of chili and a can of cheese sauce.

So, I laid down the can of chili, with a layer of tortillas.

Then, I added the hot dogs and poured the can of cheese sauce over it.

I then put another layer of tortillas down and covered it with shredded cheese.

I baked liked the recipe called for and we all loved it.

I served it with macaroni and cheese and steamed asparagus.

 

Ty absolutely loved it, but I thought it was a bit spicy.  It will probably end up getting made again :) 

 

 



Taylor Swift, Cardio, PMS, and Holiday Spirit

Taylor Swift's mini-series thing "Road to Fearless" is on Netflix. 

I am apparently PMS'ing because it is making me tear up like crazy.

Ugh.

I love that woman but she always makes me cry.

Stupid.

 

So, in order to tackle my anxiety without meds, I have to start doing cardio.

Alot of cardio.

Which, normally makes me have an attack...so I pretty much have to be willing to have an anxiety attack to 4x a week to get rid of all of the anxiety if I want to do this without pills.

It is going to be hard. 

Super hard.

Probably going to need support, mostly from myself.

When I would normally do cardio is when Ty isn't available for his normal cheerleading when it comes to this aspect of life.

So, it is just me, and maybe Whimzy.

I can do it.

I have to.

To make myself happier, to make me a better person, and be a better mom, fiance, friend, and overall better person.

 

Also, it is HOLIDAY SEASON! 

It feels so nice to be excited instead of dreading it.

I cannot believe how much my perspective has changed.

Thank you, Whimzy ;)

Can't mess her idea of Christmas up with my freakin' issues! 

 

Well, I need to go put pants on Whimzy.

Seems to be an issue alot.

Lol.

 

 



Hotels and Invites

Well, I wrote what I want in my invites and how I want them worded!

Still might be some minor changes, but the big details are nailed down.  Not to mention, they are emailed to my wonderful invite-lady/bridesmaid to start figuring out how to get them on the right sized area. 

Also, bought a TON of paper today for the invites and put in an order for the next shipment of paper. 

And because it was Hobby Lobby, I bought some glitter reindeer for Christmas decor. That place is dangerous.

 

On another note, I just booked a block of hotel rooms for the wedding night.

10 rooms booked at Country Inn and Suites!  (Check out the wedding website for more details!)

It was surprisingly easy.  Probably the easiest thing we've done so far.

All I can think about is a hot tub...

 

Almost more excited about the honeymoon than the actual wedding.

I just realized yesterday that Ty and I have never really gone on vacation together.  Freaking crazy!  We've had a kid, celebrated holidays, lived together, and made some major life choices together, but we've NEVER been on vacation together.  Looks like the honeymoon will be the first.  Kind of feeling all warm and fuzzy about it :)

 

Taking steps forward....

Candy Distraction and the Possibility of Me Raising an Alien

I am going to start this post off with something positive. 

Since Halloween, my little monster has been a candy fiend.  She knows where the left-over candy bowl is and what is in it.

I tried putting oranges over the candy to fool her and she is way too smart for that.

So, this afternoon Ty had already given her a box of Dots for a snack and after he left, she wanted more.  I said "no."

And then I gave her grapes.

She ate them! 

Not only did she eat them, she actually sat down to enjoy them at the kitchen table.

Miracles do happen!

 

On a less positive note, I have been having fears lately that Whimzy is not my child.  She has to be a government experiment to see if a woman can surrogate a child without knowing it isn't theirs or she is an alien implant.

How could this be, do you ask?

She destroys books.

Full out DESTROYS!

She ripped the cover off of a book I was reading earlier this week and then spilled fruit punch all over my 20-year old copy of "Call of the Wild".  *sigh* I was so certain that my love and respect of books was so strong that it would be transferred genetically to her. 

Not so much.

Before I get a barrage of "but she is 2, that is what toddlers do", and ways to train her not to do it....I know.

I totally get it. I have to teach her to love and respect books. 

We are working on it. 

She already loves them, I just have to teach her that she can't rip them or try to teach them to swim in fruit punch...

Still...there is a possibility that she is an alien.



Crash Diet and My Mom

First of all, I am FREAKING HUNGRY!

I am doing this 7-Day Detox/diet thing with Angela.  I am miserable.

And, to prove that I enjoy punishment, I am going to do it once a month until the wedding.

Yesterday, I could only eat fruit and drink water.

Today, I can only eat veggies, one baked potato, and drink water.

And...Ty got Taco Bell for lunch.  Ugh. And then he warmed up the leftover Rib-eye and ate that.  Pure torture.

If I don't lose at least 5 pounds, I am going to go crazy. Seriously, and totally crazy. 

 

Second of all, I went to go see my mom yesterday.  Shouldn't have been a big deal. I was just dropping off some new clothes for her and hanging out for a few minutes.

She was crying when I got there. 

Really crying.

And she didn't know why.

And throughout the whole visit, she would randomly break into tears.

I kept trying to figure out what was wrong, but she couldn't tell me.

It just made me sad.

I was there for this one, but what about all the times I am not there?

Definitely making more of a point to get there even more. 

In other news, tomorrow is her birthday! 

Whimzy, Angie, and I are going to see her!  Bring her presents, food, and cake.

It is going to be torture for me and Angie watching her eat.  I guess we could snack on broccoli... :/ 

I hope it cheers her up!

 

 

Wait a minute, this is a wedding blog!  Where is the wedding mention?

Well, not much has happened! 

I promise I will let everybody know when it does.

 

Oh, and btw, Pinterest on my phone is killing me.

Seriously, robbing me of hours of sleep and making me feel lazy because I have not made my life completely Pinterest-worthy. *sigh*