Music Review: Mia Carruthers

I will be waiting by my laptop for this album to pop up on iTunes. For any of you that have been watching "Taking the Stage" on MTV, I am sure that you are as smitten with Mia Carruthers as I am. Now, I realize that I may be the only person over the age of 19 that is watching this show, but you know that I was bound to love any show that is 90% music and dance and 10% drama...what's not to love? In my humble opinion, Mia is a phenomenal singer, songwriter, and musician. I will keep you posted on a future release date. Enjoy!

p.s. I apologize for the fact that you have to listen to a commercial first, but what do you expect? This did come from MTV ; )

Mia Carruthers: "Breathe You In"

Tent Time

I don't know about you, but growing up, Auntie "A" and I made a daily business of making what I will collectively refer to as "sheet tents." You know what I'm talking about...draping the sheet off of the back of the couch and securing it with whatever heavy object you can find nearby. Of course, once we had honed our skills, we could easily make a state-of-the-art tent out of nothing more than a bath towel and some phone books. We kept this up for many years, and I will never forget the look on my mom's face every time she enetered the room to find that a "sheet tent" had taken up residence in the living room...a pure mixture of "not again," "I just picked up in here," and feigned excitement. I get that now.

Since The Husby has been working most of the weekend, I felt that now was the time to pass down the time-honored tradition of the sheet tent. I do have to say...I am impressed by their novice skill. Leave it to The Fred to make the resourceful incorporation of the "Chip Clip" to prevent the sheet from slipping...sheer genius. I think that they are well on their way to making a name for themselves in sheet tent construction...The Husby will be proud.

Been Awhile?

I know...I know...it has been a really long time since I have updated my blog, but what can I say? Sometimes, life just gets really busy. If I tried to blog about all that has taken place over the past few months, it would take up more time than I can spare, so we will go with the run down version with a picture slideshow...

It has been an interesting couple of months...just finished my clinical rotation for med-surg at CG today...hard work, but I am walking away with confidence. Next up, a rotation in maternal/newborn, and I could not be more excited. If I can swing a shift that isn't until the wee hours of the morning, it will be the icing on the cake...keep your fingers crossed. (I will be keeping my fingers crossed on location as well ; )

We have celebrated another birthday! The Fred was 4 years old at the end of March...hard to believe that my baby is so big. At three feet and nine inches tall, I keep looking for the "pause" button. Time sure does fly when you're having fun. StickyBun-Scotti is still staying sweet...plenty of love and laughs, and he is rambling up a storm. You might need an interpreter to understand what he says, but hey, what are moms for?

All I can say is...life is good! We are all happy and healthy, and it is wonderful to have such great friends and family. I know...I might be the serial optimist, but I know a good thing when I see it. Hope all is well in the world...peace!

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day! Alli-Boo sent this to me, and I loved it so much that I just had to share...xoxoxoxo!!!

New Life For Your Britax

In the hunt for the ultimate car seat, we stumbled upon the Britax Marathon a year ago when The Fred needed an upgrade.  Of all of the car seats that we have purchased over the years, this one has been my favorite for many reasons.  When it came time for The Fred and StickyBun-Scotti to once again move to a larger seat, I knew that I would want StickyBun-Scotti to move into a Britax Marathon as well.  Since the Marathon that we currently own had a pink-flower cover, I began the hunt for a new cover that was a little bit more boy-friendly.  

After pouring through hundreds of sites, I came across an eBay store called Sweet Cherubs by Lynn.  These car seat covers seemed to be the most well-made and came at a bargain price in comparison to most of the car seat covers that I had seen.  The selection of prints was also a huge selling point since there was a vide variety of some of the hottest fabrics.  I am always hesitant with my eBay purchases, but with a 100% positive feedback for the seller, I was put at ease.

Even though the covers are custom made, I received my car seat cover very quickly after my purchase, and there was communication from the seller throughout the stages of the transaction.  When the cover arrived yesterday, I was absolutely thrilled!  The pictures on eBay don't even do these car seat covers justice.  As someone who sews, I was extremely impressed by the quality of the craftsmanship as well as the quality of the materials.

I just can't say enough great things about these car seat covers.  StickyBun-Scotti was instantly a fan and spent most of the evening watching his favorite shows while relaxing in his new car seat.  Thank you very much to Sweet Cherubs by Lynn for making my favorite "little monkey" (and this Momma) very happy!

Favorite Recipe: Chicken & Dumplings

This recipe has catapulted to the very top of my comfort foods list, and it is the perfect meal to warm you up on a cold winter day.  I give this recipe extra points for being easy to prepare, child friendly, and easily modified in order to reduce calories.  If counting calories is part of your New Year's resolution, just substitute the Campbell's Healthy Request Cream of Celery and Cream of Chicken for the original.  You can also save time by using a rotisserie chicken from your grocer's deli or just add two large chicken breasts to a crock pot with a 1/2 cup of chicken broth and cook.  Enjoy!

Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients:

1- 32 ounce container of chicken broth or stock

3 cups of shredded cooked chicken

1 can cream of celery

1 can cream of chicken

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1- 10.2 ounce can of refrigerated jumbo buttermilk biscuits

Directions:

1) Stir together chicken broth, shredded cooked chicken, cream of celery, cream of chicken, and poultry seasoning in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

2) Place biscuits on a floured surface and pat to 1/8-inch thickness.  Cut biscuit dough into small 1/2-inch wide strips.

3) Return broth to a low boil over medium-high heat.  Drop strips into broth one at a time to prevent sticking.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.   

It Takes A Whole Village...

Most of us are familiar with the adage, "It takes a whole village to raise a child."  I am realizing the truth in that proverb now more than ever.  After receiving my clinical assignment at the end of last week, I was extremely discouraged.  The assignment makes me feel guilty for having to be away from my children during time that I am used to spending with them, and it is sometimes difficult to figure out ways to maintain a balance.

Thank goodness for the overwhelming support that I have received from friends and family.  Whether it was a good laugh, some encouraging words, an offer to help with the kids, or a hug, I appreciate it more than you know, and it makes me realize that only with the help of the "village," can we really raise our children to be the best they can possibly be.