$15 for $30 Adorable Aprons!

I'm in LOVE!!! Bubbi just got a super cute apron for her birthday and I don't even have an apron! Solution!?! Get a super cute one for cheap at Groupon!

I am in love! I am trying to quickly decide which one I want...here are my faves:

Only limited quantities available to go to Groupon's Flirty Aprons now!

Screw sorry, here's some bling

My dear husband was a totally a$$ a few days ago. No way around it...straight up a$$.

He comes home from work and I see a jewelry box sitting on the counter (picture staged....no I didn't ruin the moment to take pictures)....

I ask him if I can open it, assuming its some of his grandma's old jewelry (she died a few months ago and jewelry boxes come and go since then like we are Cartier...ok, maybe Zales).

I open it and THIS is what I see!!!

He remembered I wanted some black diamonds...and then bought me some?!? No way!

So I ask if its new? And its for me? Why? Just because huh...Not wanting to push my luck I thank him enormously and put it on.

Later that evening I finally get it out of him that yes, it was a sorry gift because he'd rather buy me diamonds than say sorry!! WTF? Whatever, I'll take diamonds over words (thanks Danielle for that awesome quote)!

Cookbook: A Guide to Simply Good Eats

If you know me even a little bit, you know I don't cook. Blue Box mac and cheese needs a measuring cup if I'm cooking it (yes, I've messed it up several times).

So believe me when I say that this is an awesome and amazingly easy cookbook!

I made the Artichoke Chicken, Chicken Salad and Elyse's Artichoke Dip. Tonight I'm making the Roasted Red Pepper Poppers. Everything has been to die for!!!!

Here is a little peek at my favorite things so far if you want to try it at home...

Chicken Salad

If you’ve had one too many turkey or ham sandwiches and are in need of a change, this chicken salad will hit the spot. Also a great salad for any celebration, just double the recipe.

~ 4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts (fresh or frozen)
~ kosher Salt
~ olive Oil
~ ½ cup red grapes, chopped
~ ½ cup celery, chopped
~ ½ cup red, yellow or green onion, chopped
~ ¼ cup almonds, sliced (or any nut)
~ ½ cup mayo
~ ¼ tsp curry
~ Salt & pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350°F.

Place chicken in a greased baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake uncovered until fully cooked, about 30 minutes (45 mins if chicken is frozen).

In a large bowl, add all ingredients except mayo. Set aside until chicken is cooked.

Once chicken is cooked, chop in small cubes. (do not let chicken cool) Add chicken and mayo to bowl and mix well.

Let salad cool for at least 30 minutes.

Serve on your favorite bread with lettuce and or sprouts.

SOOOOO GOOD! My mother-in-law, a total foodie, is going to be making this for her next hosted event because she claims it is the best chicken salad she ever had!

There are also tons more of great recipe including some Low Carb Fried Chicken and Better Than Sex Cake!

You want one? Well the author is  offering five of them directly on here for only $25 each PLUS two free hair bows from her etsy shop, Tiny Toppings. Contact her at texdahls@yahoo.com. She accepts paypal. Free local delivery or $6.50 shipping. I will be buying one for my mother-in-law for mother's day (my mother thinks a cheeseburger is healthy because it has all the food groups and she "cooks" by cruising through the drive-thru)...done and done!

Coupon Code & Review: Tiny Toppings!

Check out this ADORABLE hat from Tiny Toppings Bubbi's modeling! Tiny Toppings is offering my readers

twenty percent off!!! Just use the coupon code BUBBIANDBOO20 when checking out of her etsy site. Hurry as it is only good for the month of April.

These are super cute for spring and cooler summer nights by the beach or bay (I don't live by one, but I hope we are going to Monterrey in August and spending a weekend in San Francisco in July - both get cold at night year round). Plus they make great newborn gifts as those little munchkins need a hat the first few weeks no matter how warm...and they make for cute pics! Also keep your eye out for girls clippies soon.

 She can custom make the size for any you see as well, so keep that in mind when your browsing her adorable goods. Be sure to like Tiny Toppings facebook page and tell her Bubbi and Boo sent you!

I hope to post some pictures of your little ones wearing her hats for Wordless Wednesday next month so be sure and submit them to me at ramonaselman@yahoo.com and put "tiny toppings" in the subject.

These are just a few pictures taken at home, but she'll be doing a professional shoot in the next few weeks.

And in case my links don't work (because I'm a stay at home mom, not a computer geek), here are the links to Tiny Topping on Facebook and Etsy.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TinyToppings

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Tiny-Toppings/101130963305669

Diary of neurotic mom: Alcoholism, please

Let me quickly start that I would like to call this section "Diary of a neurotic mommy", but Boo, Mr. J Cool himself, calls me mom more than mommy...so mom it is. Another note, I am neurotic. If you know me well, you will have thought "no shit". Thanks for the love.

Wikipedia defines Neurosis as a class of functional mental disorders involving distress but neither delusions nor hallucinations, whereby behavior is not outside socially acceptable norms. OMG I really am neurotic?!? Hard for me to believe most moms aren't to a certain extent, but that's just my opinion.

Ok, to the post.

Ever since I was pregnant with Bubbi, my second, I often found myself having to consciously choose to not be an alcoholic. Of course it wasn't an option when I was pregnant, but I did think several times a week, "thank god I'm pregnant because this would be the ideal time to become an alcoholic".

Now that my body is mine, the option to become an alcoholic is continually appealing. Especially after last night! Boo, my long-time champion sleeper, has been waking up at night and keeping me up for an hour plus (long story not meant for this post...this one is about the mommies dammit).

Wake up this morning at 8 am after being awake from 2:15 am to about 4:30 am. Grumpy and feel what I can only describe as hungover (no, I took no meds or drank no booze in the last 24 hours). First thought? Oh how wonderful it would be to pop a xanax and chase it down with a fish-bowl sized glass of red wine!

Now there would have been a time when I kept this desire (that's all it is...a desire that will never be acted upon because, well, I enjoy having custody of my kids...usually) to myself. However, a friend posted a jest on Facebook yesterday referring to stay-at-home moms taking valium. The responses were hilarious ranging from calling valium "mother's-little-helper" to stating "I'm on the wine train" and "choo choo"!

My point? If you wake up and find yourself ashamed that you want to start the day with a hardcore sedative and/or a bottle of tequila, don't! Not saying you should act on it...at least not every day.

Don't burn the baby!

So if you're nearly as anxious and worried about everything as I am, you will totally love this Black & Decker SDC850 SpaceMaker 8-Cup Coffeemaker with Thermal Carafe.

When Boo was just starting to crawl I watched an episode of America's Next Top Model where one of the models, Thalia, was terribly disfigured from burns all over her face and body. The culprit? A COFFEEMAKER!!!

Before she was a year old, she pull a fresh pot of coffee/the coffeemaker off the counter and all over her precious face and body. She was very lucky to survive.

I was already terrified of this happening! I didn't drink coffee at the time because I was pregnant with Bubbi, but the husband did...and he was the one who couldn't remember for the life of him to push the darn thing back or make sure the cord wasn't hanging over the edge. More than that, Boo was capable of moving things to climb up but not cognisant enough to understand danger of items he could then access.

Then relief! We bought the Black & Decker SDC850 SpaceMaker 8-Cup Coffeemaker with Thermal Carafe. It has been a fabulous, reliable coffeemaker that we've used everyday since we bought it over two years ago....and one less HUGE thing to worry about! Plus we now have some extra counter space.

Must Have! FABULOUS Tooth Fairy Pillows and DISCOUNT!

The whole idea of teeth falling out icks me out to no end. I'm getting light headed as I sit here and type. NASTY!

That's not the point.

The point is that I found these fabulous Tooth Fairy Pillows!!! When I was oogling over them online Boo ran over (I get mommy online time when kids first wake up and get their timered one hour of TV a day) and told me which one he wanted.

He then proceeded to tell me which one we are getting Bubbi. She doesn't get an opinion yet. I know once she has one it will rule the roost, so I go with it. Plus he picked out the one I was going to get her anyways...hehe.

Here are the two we ordered from purchasing from Little Birdie's Boutique, http://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleBirdiesB.

And here are a few more!

AND if you email her by Friday the 18th, you will get 20% off AND free shipping!
LittleBirdiesBoutique@yahoo.com

Awesome things moms should have!

Weekly Menu Planner -
I think if I publicly committed to it perhaps it might actually happen...plus its cute.

http://www.theidearoom.net/2009/09/weekly-menu-planner.html

Monthly Belly Stickers -

Too late for me, but would have SOOO helped my sad baby book.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/PurplePossom

The Mommy Hook -

A personal favorite...also great for the shopping cart.

Mommy Hook Stoller Hanger (amazon)

Recordable Books -

I kick my butt almost every day for only "thinking" about having my dad do

one for the kids and not actually having him do it before he died.

http://www.amazon.com/My-Grandpa-Hallmark-Recordable-Book/dp/B003N2BGP0

Beaba Baby Cook -

I didn't jump on this bandwagon until Bubbi was almost one,

however I STILL use it all the time to steam veggies etc.

http://www.babycookstore.com/product/babycook-babyfood-maker

A Great Bow Lady -

I started out wasting my money at local boutiques when they just buy from local bow ladies!

Here is my personal favorites...and she is great about custom orders!!!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pinkadottots

And a few things every mom needs, but doesn't include links and pictures -

Good Friends,

A Good Sitter and

A MASSAGE!