A Confession & Some Early Spring Cleaning

Confession: I do not ever leave the house without makeup. Ever.

I even go to the gym with a quick swipe of MAC powder and a brush of mascara on my lashes (okay, okay, and maybe some lip gloss... geez...). And I always wear earrings. I can hear my mother's voice in my head... "Don't leave home with empty holes! Put on some earrings!" And so, I do.

That being said, when was the last time you cleaned your make-up brushes?

It's not a super important, every day, or every week ritual, but I tell ya.. if you keep your makeup brushes clean, they'll last for-eva! I've seriously had 3 of these brushes since Brian and I did Amway back before we were married (that's like 13 years ago for those of you who are new here).

I simply wash them by hand with warm water and gentle soap (hand or face soap will do, as long as it's not harsh or heavily scented) and rub gently until the water runs clear. Then let them air dry on a towel.

And what about your jewelry?

This is probably one of your biggest investments other than your house and cars, and yet, so many people never clean their wedding ring!

Come on ladies... let it shine in all it's sparkly glory!

This is my favorite cleaner. Although, I replace it every 6-8 months because it works best when it's fresh and strong!

I like to drop my ring in this cleaner when I jump in the shower. I let it soak until I'm totally done getting ready (e.g. no more hair spray being sprayed) and then give it a quick scrub with the included brush and then let that baby shine! :)

I've mentioned this before, but if you have a front loader washer, I highly recommend using this product:

 

It temporarily eliminates the mold smell. "Temporarily" being the key word here. As anyone who owns a front-load washer knows, that awful smell returns no matter what you do! UGH!!!! 

The last random place I wanted to mention in this post is baseboards and chair rails. Payton has a chair rail in his bedroom and when I dust it, I'm amazed at the amount of crud that collects there in just a couple of weeks. Same goes for the baseboards.

If you have time to really clean your baseboards by hand, I recommend using the Magic Eraser:

 

You'll go through several of these, so just be prepared. But nothing works quite like it. Then, if you really want them to look like a model home, bust out a quart of white paint and paint them. It's a pain in the rear, but it will make your home feel so fresh and new!

One last tidbit... if you have a glider, a Pottery Barn anywhere chair, or any couch cushions that are washable, I highly recommend giving them a quick wash on the delicate cycle. It makes a world of difference!

And if your couch cushions aren't washable, just remove all the cushions, vacuum underneath, vacuum the cushions, then take them outside and spray them with Febreeze and let them air dry. Fluff them when dry and replace on the couch. You'll swear it feels like a new couch!

Here's to some early Spring Cleaning!

Random Photos

Little man was SO happy that big brother came home yesterday.

He wouldn't let him out of his sight all afternoon.

 Love this little chubby little nook in Parker's leg.

I cherish this image. 

I have the same picture of Payton's hand at this age.

There's nothing cuter than the little dimples they have instead of knuckles.

 Guess who finally started playing with trains today?

Considering we probably have several thousand dollars worth of "Thomas stuff" it would be nice if this turned into one of his favorite past times. :)

Brian took this picture on his phone when they were on the airport monorail heading to Colorado.

There's something about it that makes me smile.

I think it's knowing the anticipation that he was experiencing at that moment... pure excitement that only comes from knowing you're about to embark on something wonderful.

And he sure did!

Bi-Coastal Weekending

Well...maybe not bi-coastal, but definitely across the country!

Brian and Payton spent the weekend in Colorado with his brother, sis-in-law, and two nephews, Zak & Alex. While I spent the weekend in Tampa with my littlest man, Parker and my mom who drove in from Orlando to keep me company while the "big boys" were out of town.

Brian has sent me several really great pictures (and videos) of their trip thus far. I'm sure I'll have lots more once he gets home, but I had to share some of these cute one right away!

They are having SO much fun in Colorado, doing everything from snow ball fights, to tubing in the snow, to playing basketball, swimming, knife throwing (yikes!), celebrating Payton's birthday, a children's museum and playing with chinchillas... phew! That's a lot of activity for just a few days! :)

Here's a few pics to show what an incredible time Dave & Kara have provided for my boys:

How sweet are they to get Payton a cake for his birthday?!?! SO thoughtful!

 And a special gift too! He was SO happy with it!!

(How cute are these boys????)

Alex and Payton played with the two chinchillas in a large cardboard box.

Of course Payton now wants to get a chinchilla. :)

Kara had her work cut out for her getting this Florida boy stuffed into his snow gear.

A frozen waterfall?!?!

We're not in Florida anymore, Toto...

And lots of snow fun for everyone!!

These Florida boys may not want to return to the sunshine state with all of the fun they're having!

Back here in Florida, we didn't do any sledding or snow tubing, but we did do a lot of:

Play-Doh...

Sandbox...

 and coloring...

We enjoyed Starbucks & bagels in the Village on Saturday morning. 

Followed by a walk around the fountain...

 A beautiful "birthday" lunch at Nordstrom...

 Followed by a stop at my all-time favorite French pastry shop...

 And then some fun in the afternoon including cake pops (enjoyed in the park)...

And we ended the night with a cozy dinner on the couch, some good red wine, watching the movie "Eat Pray, Love" and a couple of delectable macarons...

 Of course little man thought it appropriate to wake up at 5:30 a.m. the next morning.

Thank goodness Nana brought her ipad and was willing to download several apps that kept Parker happy while we tried to wake up with some coffee. :)

Oh, did I mention my mom-in-law also celebrated her birthday this weekend?

We love you Mom!!! Happy birthday!!!

Once again, I am reminded of how important... or rather, how incredibly vital family is to me.

Family is what makes my heart smile.

We love each and every one of you so, so much.

Making Me Happy

 Here are some things that are making me happy right now...

This beautiful hyacinth plant I bought on a whim at Publix a couple weeks ago.

(I know, Publix is kind of a strange place to buy a house plant)

The buds were totally closed when I purchased it, so I didn't even know what color it was going to be.

Watching it change and bloom every day has been really fun.

Plus it smells amazing!

Having the french doors wide open every afternoon.

The weather has been in the lower 70's.

There is just enough breeze to make it cool inside, but if you stand in the sunshine you are nice and toasty. Plus, having the doors open allows me to hear the cardinals on the bird feeder. Love.

These adorable finds at Michael's Crafts this week.

Bought some up for me, some for friends, and some for teachers.

Not one of them cost more than $2! 

The new Vanilla Spice Latte at Starbucks.
Have you tried it yet? It's so good!
We enjoyed a little trip to the Starbucks in our neighborhood this week.
Parker got a black & white cookie.
Payton got a bagel from the bagel shop next door.
Mama got a latte.
All was right with the world. :)

 This picture.

I took it a couple weekends ago when we went to the beach.
I now have it as my background on my phone.
I smile every time I see it.
My boy. The ocean. The sun. Good stuff.


My Valentine's decorations.

I didn't put out too much this year, but just enough to enjoy some pink in the house for a few weeks.

This is my fireplace mantle right now:

And of course a couple bowls of candy. I mean come on... what's Valentine's Day without candy???

 




















My almost-done, re-organized, re-designed desk space.

It's not quite done yet, but what I have is making me really happy.

Photos coming soon! :)

What's making you smile this week?

Cub Scouts Pinewood Derby

This past Sunday was Payton's Cub Scout Pinewood Derby race. And while he looks forward to this event every year, this year he was very undecided about his car's design. We actually didn't even start it until a couple days before the race! But the boys worked hard (even the night before it was due for the weigh-in) and got it done!

Sanding...

 Assembling the wheels (of course Parker wanted to help too)...

 And enjoying good father-son bonding time with power tools!

Last year, Payton's car won a trophy for the design, so naturally he was hoping for another trophy again this year. Unfortunately, he did not win one.

The good news is, he had such an amazing attitude during the entire event. Despite the fact that his car didn't win anything, he "high-fived" and cheered on his other Scout friends. He showed phenomenal sportsmanship. And for that, we couldn't be more proud!

I love these photos of Payton high-fiving his buddy, Quin (who won a trophy for speed).

 Very proud indeed!

 

Recipe: Mexican Chicken Stew

I accidentally created a delicious recipe last night. My original plan for dinner had to be changed when I realized I was missing a key ingredient (I HATE it when that happens).

I had already defrosted chicken and I knew I was going to be out of the house until around 6 p.m. so I I wanted to use the Crock Pot. I looked in the pantry, picked out a few easy ingredients, dumped them in the Crock Pot, and voila! Mexican Chicken Stew was born!

Unfortunately, I didn't know just how good it was going to turn out, so I didn't think to take any photos. Next time I make it (which I'm sure will be soon) I'll post some yummy pictures. In the meantime, you'll just have to trust me that this meal will warm you on a chilly Winter night and will become a favorite of everyone in your house!

Directions:
1. Put chicken breasts into greased Crock Pot. Sprinkle packet of taco seasoning and ranch seasoning on top of chicken. Then dump entire can of tomatoes on top of that. Put on the lid and cook on HIGH for 4 hours, or until chicken is beginning to pull apart.

2. Once chicken is easy to pull apart, partially tear apart breasts in crock pot using two forks. Dump in both cans of beans and stir. Turn Crock Pot down to LOW and continue cooking for at least 2 more hours.

3. Ladle stew into bowls, sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Delicious by itself, or scoop with tortilla chips.

This would also make a great dish for a Super Bowl party too!

Adios amigos!

Lately...

I've been sticking to my goal of laying low and not over-scheduling the family.
We've been enjoying lots of down time, snuggles and low-key play dates. This post will be "photo-heavy," but will give you a good idea of how we've been spending our time lately.

We've been...

playing outside a lot. 

The weather has been amazing and this little guy LOVES to be outside.

 ...enjoying watching the birds on the bird feeders. 

Parker found a great spot to set up his stool and watch them eat and sing to each other. 

I love hearing their beautiful noises. It's very soothing to me.

 ...eating lots of peanut butter and clementines; two of Parker's favs.

...enjoying our friends.

 We hosted a Minecraft play date with 4, count em, 4 computers!

 

This little Cub Scout lunch date was after the Pinewood Derby (more on that in another post):

 McDonald's with a friend.

(why do 7-year old boys think it's so funny to be gross or make faces in pictures???)

(Parker was in ice cream heaven)

...doing some crafting.

I think there are going to be some very happy Grandparents when they receive these beauties in the mail.

 

...snuggling in Mom & Dad's bed.

(while talking to Grandparents on the phone)

 (and while watching the premiere of Chima).

...and sharing some laughs.

(Payton said to Parker, "Here, put on this hat!")

 

 We had a friend's son babysit for us the other night. He drives a Jeep. Brian asked him to drive the boys around the block. They were all in heaven. Brian cannot WAIT to get his Jeep some day. :)

So that's what we've been up to lately.

Enjoying the slower pace.

Enjoying the blessing of family.

Enjoying life's simple pleasures.

(like a great cup of coffee at Cracker Barrel in the middle of the afternoon...just because)

What about you?

What are you enjoying these days?