NINEmonths.

give you a little freedom.
you take a mile.

you love your voice.
especially when you yell..
you belly laugh is contagious.

you think minion is so entertaining.
he thinks you're scary.
mastiff tee from here!

three months
& you'll be one.

happy 9months santino!

a family stew

last weekend the butternut squash was such a hit for santino.
but j&i found ourselves sneaking pieces all week.

when i saw this stew recipe i knew i had to try it.
we all ate it for dinner tonight.
santino barely let a crumb hit the ground.

j would have liked some meat,
but it's good to have a veggie only meal every now & then.

i bought all the ingredients at a produce market
the only subs i made was chicken broth (couldn't find veggie)
& green lentils instead of red (couldn't find red either).
i didn't use the specific spice used in the recipe
just cumin, cayenne, basil, parsley, garlic powder.

the pre picture:
butternut squash
chickpeas
carrots
jalapeno
onion
lentils
tomatos
broth
spices

& the final product:

recipe from HERE!

in season.

love this,
had to share.

eat healthy
& keep prices reasonable!

maybe i'll give brussels sprouts a try this weekend.
maybe :)

from: this lunch rox

ventnor nj.

i wrote this entire post last night.
and then it disappeared.

so yesterday,
santino & i were driving home from work/daycare.
i work in atlantic city.
he schools in margate.
in between is ventnor.

i've kind of fallen in love with ventnor.
it's a city/beachtown.
the perfect mix.
very diverse..
old school..
yet some modern flare.

a great fog settled over the beach
& i pulled down a random street.
& we hung out in someone's drive way
next to the beach.

butternut squash

halved.
seeded.
roasted for 55 minutes
at 400 degrees.

diced
& served.

way more meat than i expected.
he'll be eating this all week.

but he's messy
& happy.

hair fascinators

my newest creation.
floral hair fascinators.
i used THIS tutorial
with a little help from these videos.

still playing around
trying to make them look professional!

random.

i've begun to realize one of the reasons
i don't post more often is that:
a. i don't have time (that's a lie.)
b. i have so much i want to post about i get overwhelmed.

i do have the time.
i have the time to finish the entire
hunger game series.
i have the time to make floral hair fascinators
(my new project).
i have time to watch tmz.
don't you wish you had a machine that you could just think it..
and it blogs itself.

anyway here's what's on my mind.

1. it's saturday & it snowed.
what a waste of a snow day.

2. we're in the process of putting our house on the market.
hurray! (that's a lie.. i'm not excited.. i'm dreading the cleaning,
the walk throughs of potential buyers.. the fact that i think our house is unsellable..)

3. i'm really out of shape.
even though i'm at my goal weight..
i literally look like a fool at TRAIN.
nobody makes me feel like a fool..
but i know.
you'd think i'd be stronger from lifting a 20+lb baby..
but no.

4. i was happy to find out that the 4 kettle ball is not pounds
but kilograms.
i did look like a fool when i said 'i can't even lift 4lbs'
& everyone laughed.

5. i think i should just carry a picture around of me 40lbs heavier.
than everyone will stop hasseling me with the 'why do you need to work out'
umm hello people EVERYONE needs to work out &&& EAT HEALTHY.

6. i haven't bought a new pair of jeans in two years,
(besides maternity) i'm convinced my jeans are out of style.
but they make my butt look good.. so whatev.

7. i'm sure black leggings are out of style.
but that doesn't stop me from wearing them everyday.

8. my glasses are 2+years old..
& they're hillary duff brand from walmart.
TRUE STORY.
i need some new ones..

9. mom, sister in law & i are going to see sylvia browne in a week.
we've decided if she doesn't come talk to us she's a fraud..
because we've got some serious history with ghosts.

10.  my etsy store clearance is almost over.
i'm hesitant to restock until i move..
which could be over a year away.. or never.
i'll keep you updated.
like you actually care.

cheers to the weekend.

a photo update.

i forgot what 5day work weeks are like.
but happy to:

finish catching fire.
hit TRAIN for 3days this week.
enjoy a bottle of wine with the mejor.
decorate for valentine's day.
make some big moves..

have i told you how amazing this month number eight has been.
santino is generally a happy/easy baby.
but this month he has just been hysterical.

i love dropoff/pickup at daycare..
his excitement in seeing his little playmates
& the stories they have at the end of the day.

how he just plays in his play area forever.
and climbs all over us..
&squeals with delight.

there's even been a few 'maaas'.

here's to a relaxing/exciting/enjoyable weekend.

fitness.

happily i've pretty much mastered diet happiness.
i know what i can eat
& what i need to stay away from.

however, my body still sags & bulges in all the wrong places.
i've been wanting to up the fintess game for months
& finally gave into kate's recruiting.

today was my first day at TRAIN
& i'll be paying for it tomorrow.

i'm scheduled to go back tuesday.
after i came home,
i wasn't that sore yet..

so i took the bambino for a quick mile walk.
nothing like fresh air = happy baby.

hoping the fitness gene hits him too.

beautiful day & cranberry cake.

i'm typing softly,
it's 6pm
& santino's already in bed.

his eyes were closing as he was eating dinner.
and quickly fell asleep.

i'm thinking he'll be up in about an hour,
but hoping he sleeps longer.

this is all my fault.
it hit 65degrees in south jersey today.

i skipped the afternoon nap,
for a walk
& a trip the park..
in his new truck.

the park is just across the street
& usually deserted.
but oh no..

someone left their dog behind.
call the SPCA.
but it was a perfect day for an impromptu photoshoot.
these days happen a lot lately..
not complaining!

oh blue eyes,
please stay.
how you melt my heart.

i spent most of my time at the park
pulling pine needles out of his mouth.

prior to the park
we stocked up at the local market.

i wanted to bake with cranberries for christmas,
but couldn't find fresh cranberries.

alas they were at the market today!
here's to trying something new (hello, resolution!)

i looove simple cakes.
they're my new obsession.

just butter & sugar.
i'm also getting use to baking with eggwhites
& whisking feverently.

recipe here!

snowday.. kind of.

so is it just me..
or is everyone in a negative post holiday mood?

as i browsed my facebook wall,
i was completely brought down by everyone's status updates.

complaining about the weather,
other people,
or life in general.

yesterday we saw our first accumulating snow of the year.
okay so it was a dusting,
but you would have thought it was a blizzard.

so how do we get out of this slump?

think positive,
plan
& set small goals.

this weekend i want to head to cawman's
& update my display.

i'm also dying to get back to the gym.
either go back to my company gym,
or try out a friend's new personal training location.
not trying to lose weight,
but just tone up
& feel the endorphins!

my schedule makes gym time next to impossible,
so i'm also looking for some new at home workouts.
any good dvd recomendations?
i love tracy anderson's method..                                  

stand tall.

just as i was so ready to get back into a normal routine.
no holidays,
no shopping,
no craziness.
pink eye.

i have no clue how/why/where..
it just appeared on tuesday morning.

so santino's been home with me,
if i didn't want to claw my eyes out..
this would be pretty much perfect.

home with my little boy all day,
happy & relaxed when j gets home..

it's so hard to enjoy my nights after working all day.
stress, needing to get ready for the next day..
dinner/bath/bedtime routine..

such mixed emotions about being a working mom.
so i'm just enjoying these sick days home.

we're just conquering crawling
& now he's pulling up..
something new everyday..

more snacking.

santino's lunch today.
leftover bite size pork loin
& shredded broccoli rabe (just a little bit to taste)
bite size avocado
pastini
& squished blueberries.

this just a glimpse of what's keeping
him happy at 8 months.

he makes a mess,
and i sit close by to make sure he's okay.
it takes a lot longer than giving him the jars..
but each meal he gets a little more in his belly..
and not on the floor for minion to munch.

doing something new: winter classic

winter classic
flyers vs ranger
january 2, 2012

what a great day.
cold, but beautiful.

citizen's bank park.
home of the phils.
became a hockey rink!

great date time with j.
and then halfway through the game..
it began to snow.

if only the flyers could have won :(
back to reality tomorrow.

had to share.
helps you eat healthy
& keeps the cost down
by buying what's in season.

from this lunch rox

ventnor nj.

in my mind i keep dreaming about beach weather.
about an 80 degree afternoon.

grabbing santino from daycare in margate,
and driving literally one minute away to walk on the beach.

driving home tonight i was loving the thick fog.
i decided.. why wait?

it was so windy.
i didn't think i was going to get a smile.

we hung out in someone's random beach front driveway.
and i just know,
he's going to be a beach boy.

happy january, from the beach!

bitesizelove.

a few days ago i talked about finger foods.
this was last night's dinner for santino.

diced steamed carrots
diced avocado
& pastini

i probably cut it smaller than necessary,
but i'm crazy.

he's still having trouble picking up the food
& getting it to his mouth,
but everyday it's a little better!

resolve.

happy new years day.
i woke up at midnight to the sound of a shotgun.
typical southjerseypiney behavior.

i'm making the usual resolutions.
eat healthier
get in better shape.
get out of debt.
but in reality a few years ago,
they stopped being resolutions -
and turned into a lifestyle.
and that makes me happy.

this year..
i want to
learn something new (brain)
do something new (courage)
share something i love.(heart)
accomplish one each week
& share on the blog.

tomorrow i'm heading to the winter classic.
a professional hockey game outdoors?
that is doing something new!
there was some big drama when we found out
8 month old santino needs his own ticket.
luckily his grandmom c is hanging with him
& j&i get to have a date cheering for the flyers.

santino & i had an impromptu photo shoot
today in the front yard.
not sure what the neighbors think.
ohwell.
i'm hoping to blog at least a picture each day.
i usually post to facebook & twitter daily,
but need to get it up here so it's a little more permanent!

8months is a fabulous time.

ps i'm still clearancing out the shop
want to start the new year fresh.
SHOP HERE