Feeling low

The time came. It was tonight, after a grueling day of dealing with my 2 1/2 year old daughter, adamant about not listening and defying my every word.

She spent 1/4 of the day in time out because she wouldn't listen to me telling her repeatedly NOT to do something-- and then following up by kicking and hitting me as I carried her to "time out". At one point I sat her down and asked her, "Does Mommy hit you?!" Of course the answer was no. I've never spanked my child. How am I supposed to instill the lesson in her that "hitting kids is wrong", if I turn around and hit her..? Well, the pot is officially calling the kettle black tonight.

It was time for bed and she kept trying to run from me. She then kicked me in the stomach when I had her cornered. So I picked her up and carried her back to her room and put her in her bed. She jumped out, charged at me and demanded I let her out so she could go watch "T.D.". The answer was no. So I picked her up again, put her in bed and I got kicked again. I didn't even flinch, I flipped her over and swatted her on the butt, twice. Her eyes swelled with tears quicker than I've ever seen. She looked at me like, "How could you?!". She was so scared and immediately started crying for her Daddy (who conveniently has a business dinner tonight).

I don't know what came over me. I just snapped. There have been times I've come close but I've always found the patience to breathe, and let it go. But today she was in rare form-- getting up and running from "time out" as soon as I put her there (something that she's never tried before). After 15 times of putting her back in that damn chair, she finally stayed, while screaming at the top of her lungs for the next 5 minutes. I guess the only positive part about that little fiasco is that we were at home and not in public.

After her nap today I even took her to get ice cream, thinking maybe she just had a bad morning and perhaps a little treat might remind her that Mommy is her friend and we should be kind to one another. Even that trip was a struggle, though.

I feel so guilty and awful right now. Part of me wants to go and lay in her bed with her and snuggle her, partly for her to understand how awful I feel about what happened.

Immediately after it happened, I slumped into the kitchen and opened a bottle of wine, where I then sat down to dwell on the incident. Then I started to make myself feel a little better about the fact that she still wears diapers (that shielded some of the blow, right?!), and about the fact that she wasn't "bare ass", getting spanked with a wooden spoon.

It's the look on her face after I did it that haunts me. Those tears. That look of shock and fear.

I feel like the absolute worst right now-- like I totally let her down.

Boy, this wine sure is going down easy tonight. :-/

My First Pinterest Party

So I've been bombarded with questions as to where I came up with the idea for my Pinterest Party-- and I can't take full credit. You see, a friend of mine posted on Facebook about a party she recently had; the guests came over to her house, created a few crafts and snacked on yummy food and snacks. Given my addiction to Pinterest, I KNEW I had to throw my very own Pinterest Party!

However, I don't have the house that is craft-making friendly for the 40+ guests I wanted to invite (translation= I need a bigger house).

Back to the drawing board.

And then (lucky me) I found another great idea via a different friend on Facebook: A Pinterest craft exchange, white elephant style!

Here's the concept: Each guest bring the necessary ingredients/ materials and directions to make said recipe/ craft. They were asked to have the items in a bag so we could then exchange them, white elephant style. It was a riot. There were a few gifts that were such big hits that they kept getting stolen by the girls, forcing the empty handed guest to go back to the well and pick an orphan gift.

Needless to say, each guest took home an unmade gift, that they may never have had the idea of making. It's sort of like trying on that dress in the window that you never thought would look good... and then BAM, instant purchase.

You get the idea.

As a little thank you to my girls for coming to the party, I made parting gifts! I couldn't making the darling  Cowgirl Cookies (compliments of the cake pop Queen, Bakerella)-- which I discovered on Pinterest. Let me be the first to tell you... making 36 mason jars of dry ingredients for cookies, AND labels, AND ribbon, AND fabric, AND cooking instructions-- well, it's not for the faint of heart. I had to do them in cycles to avoid complete burnout.

I was happy with the end result though. They turned out super cute. Here are a few pics of the process:

This is what I was busy doing during Superbowl Sunday while my hubby watched the game.

Directions to make the cookies... 

I recommend using double stick tape on the two pieces of fabric. Trust me on this. Otherwise, it's virtually impossible to get the ribbon over them.

Slowly getting there!

Cute, right?!

Gotta be mindful of the gals that have kids with nut allergies....

Diaper Changing Table baskets, turned party favor holders!

If you'd like to see some of the crafts the girls brought, you can check out my Pinterest Party Board. Also on the board, are all the foods I made for the day... all of which got RAVE reviews!

Here are a few other pics from the day!

Spiced Oyster Crackers

Chocolate Chip Caramel Pretzel Cookies 

Strawberry Cheescake Bites

Veggies in a baguette with "Comeback Sauce"

Mimosa bar

Yes. I'm fully aware now that I mispelled RasPberry. 

B.L.T. Bites: Make these before you die. You won't regret it... or the calories.

Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Bites

Glittered champagne flutes

Easter Bark Gift 

Crate, moss and herb garden gift (in baby Jack's swing)

Hope you got a glimpse of some of the details. Now, I'm in the midst of planning for our FAMOUS, nationally aired "CBS This Morning" show! I'll have half the amount of guests, twice the amount of food and 85x the amount of stress. Wish me luck, peeps!

Awe sheeet!

Yes, I know I'm behind. I owe you pics of my darling Pinterest Party that I hosted last Sunday.

But I must first share some news.

No.
I'm not pregnant.
Stop it already.
We're done.

Instead, I was contacted by CBS This Morning, shortly after I wrote my Patch article about my recent Pinterest Party. I know, right?! How does that even happen?!

Well... long story short, a producer emailed me the day after the party.... and after a few conversations, they are going to air a segment all about Pinterest and even suggested I have another party for them to film.

Drumroll please....

I will be hosting another Pinterest Party on March 24th... that will be filmed by CBS NATIONAL NEWS! Brace yourselves folks! I know... even I need a diaper right now.

As you can imagine, I am a pinning, spinnning, planning SPAZ! I have so much to do.. and clean... and launder... In fact, I don't even have time to whine to you about it. Peace out! Gotta go slam some more wine, and stumble upstairs to work on my to-do list... way more fun than actually executing on it. Wish me luck  x-)

Well that was easy!

Nate Berkus: "Give me an hour and I'll makeover your day!
Kristi: "Hey Nate- Give me a minute and I'll makeover your face with a roundhouse kick!"

Sorry. Had to get that off my chest. I feel better now.

The reason I mentioned this is because I literally tackled a project that has been on my to do list since Baby Jack's first ultrasound. You see, when they gave me the printout of his sweet little profile, with that darling button nose, I literally raced home to compare it to Ava's.

They. Were. Identical.

I couldn't believe it. I knew I had to do something with those pictures. And it didn't occur to me until today that they were just laying in the office, collecting dust. So I put the kids down for a nap, and took 5 minutes to accomplish a sweet little project.

 

It was so easy. I just took the pictures, and taped them to white card stock (that I pre-printed their names on), so they would look more like Polaroids. Then I just taped those to some scrapbook paper... pink for Ava, blue for Jack.  Voila! It's a lil' campy but I don't care. Those are the first glimpses of my beautiful babies-- moments I'll NEVER forget.

And in other news... Nature girl (me) is at it again-- Cleaning up the backyard and burnin' sh!t! 

Happy Friday people! My fabulous Pinterest Party is on Sunday... get ready for some mega-blog-posts on that! :)

Pinterest Party Planning

I will be throwing my very own Pinterest Party in a few weeks and I am stoked! I have invited a lot of girls from the area that I know are going to love it (based on their mutual Pinterest obsession)!

The object is for them to bring a Pinterest inspired project: a recipe, a craft, an idea. They're to have all the materials, ingredients AND directions and have it wrapped. Then we'll exchange the gifts white-elephant-style. This way, you bring a fun idea for someone else to take home... while you get one in return. Meanwhile, we'll be feasting (and drinking, of course) on all Pinterest inspired foods and drinks.

Needless to say, I'm very excited. I've already made the party favors for them to take home, a few of the decorations, a raffle gift as well as the wreath for the front door that I'll put up on the day of the party. Yes. I am a wee bit obsessed. But I can't help it! It's my first shindig at our home and I want it to be a blast!

I thought I would share with you, just how easy the wreath was to make! Here are the materials you need: wire wreath, three 6' feather boas, and pipe cleaners. Easy, right?!

As you can imagine, you simply attach the boas, one at a time, around the wire wreath, securing it with the pipe cleaners. I was literally done in 5 minutes. And, voila!

So easy-- and so cute! In fact, I made one for Halloween this past year-- using black boas instead-- and adorned it with a few accessories (glittered mini pumpkins and glittered spiders) from Michael's.

The white wreath will be fun because I can use it at Christmas by attaching a gorgeous red bow; at Easter, by putting a cluster of Easter eggs on one corner; and at Valentines day by adding a few glittered hearts.

See?! Told you it was an easy idea! Yes--it's a wee bit tacky up-close, but from afar it's absolutely adorable... and certainly one of a kind.

In the spirit of the party, I've also created a few other ideas I've seen on Pinterest-- but I'll keep them a secret until after the party. I want to keep a few surprises for the girls!

And in other news, Jack has started eating solids! And little Ava had her first dental visit today. Cavity free, baby!

Safe to say, both kids have happy mouths!

Look what I found!

So I was cleaning out email folders and came across a rather interesting one. Here goes:

Ken,  

I would like to thank you for speaking with me this morning.  I truly enjoyed meeting you and learning more about the company.  After interviewing with Jason, and now you, I have been able to learn a great deal about Access One and realize why my interest is so invested in becoming part of your sales team. 

 

Your company possesses the values I have been hoping to find in the job market; the upbeat environment, rewarding benefits, and opportunity for growth are all very appealing to me.  More importantly though, I want this position for the reason that it is in outside sales for a very lucrative, expanding company; increasing the overall earnings while improving and perfecting my selling skills are ideal goals of mine. 

 

I realize you are in the process of interviewing other applicants, but I want you to know that I am the candidate you have been looking for.  My strong work ethic, my attitude and my perseverance are all qualities I possess that will contribute to the success of Access One.  I hope that you will give me the opportunity to prove this to you. 

Once again, thank you for meeting with me this morning, Ken.  I look forward to becoming an integral part as well as an asset to your sales force.   I will be speaking with you this afternoon, as promised.

 

Regards,

Kristi Houston

This was my thank you email to my now-husband Ken. Apparently I def became an asset to him! :)

Something for your tastebuds

While snooping around on Pinterest, I came across a delicious looking appetizer: Bacon wrapped pineapple. It sounded so good, my mouth literally started to water.

Why do you care? I'll get to that...

You see, I was responsible for bringing an appetizer to our monthly paddle tennis group, so I thought, what a great opporunity to make this tasty little nugget?! After all, who doesn't love anything that is surrounded with bacon?! I knew it would be a hit... especially with the guys (I think Ken ate around 12 or so).

I should first give credit to Aunt Nubby's Kitchen Blog, because that's where I found the recipe (via Pinterest).

I followed the directions perfectly and found that there should be some modifications to make this particular recipe even more delicious! Here goes...

First of all, leave out the brown sugar. The pineapple is oozing with so much sugar already-- the brown sugar makes the overall flavor entirely too sweet. And second, unless you like your bacon smacking you in the face like a rubberband, you need to flip them over halfway through the cooking process, and cook them longer. Following her directions, the bites weren't great; the tops were cooked but the bottoms were still chewy and fatty.

After I flipped and cooked them a little longer, they were great (despite being overly sweet).

Oh, and more importantly, line your cookie sheet with aluminum foil. The brown sugar literally molded itself onto the pan during the broiling process-- had to throw it out because it was impossible to get off.

They were a hit at the party to say the least! There were only 2 left from a pan full of 2 lbs of bacon. :) Now that I've perfected them I'll be sure to bring 3 lbs next time!

I ove you

Did you just shoosh me?!

A few months back, as a gift to Ken for our anniversary, I booked a room at the W Hotel and bought tickets for us to see Mamma Mia-- and last night, we cashed it in! Ya see, I booked it when I was pregnant and I wanted it to be during a time where Jack was old enough to survive a night without me... and so I could drink myself into oblivion.

It was our first EVER overnight date night. And it was a hilarious evening, full of surprises-- and a few disasters.

Our sitter arrived at noon on Saturday and we left shortly thereafter to head downtown for our colossal date night. On our drive down I told Ken that he should lie to the hotel staff and tell them it was our 10 year anniversary-- just to see what perks we could score.

When we arrived, he pulled the anniversary card-- which landed us a free room upgrade. Not bad! We had a few bloodies in the hotel bar before heading up to the room to get cleaned up for the evening.

Apparently, Ken fibbed to them too.

We had 5:00 dinner reservations at Mastro's, which came highly recommended by a friend of mine. The music at the joint was awesome, as was the food. After we asked for the check, a complimentary dessert was brought to the table. I could not keep the laughter in. "Happy Anniversary" was written on the plate in chocolate.

Next up, we were off to see Mamma Mia. After a few glasses of champagne, we headed into the theatre to check out our seats. Go me! They were awesome!

The show started and everyone was having a blast. People were dancing, laughing, etc. I was loving it.

That's when it happened.

Halfway through the first act, the woman next to me shooshed me.

She actually shooshed me!

I couldn't believe it. I looked at her like, "Seriously?! Did you just shoosh me?! You do realize you're at a musical comedy, right!?"

What am I? 12 years old? The nerve!

People all over were laughing and moving to the music and here I am, stuck next to Grumpy McMiserable. I brushed it off and continued to enjoy myself despite her bad attitude.

A few minutes later, her douche-of-a-husband leans forward, looks at Ken and I and goes, "Hey! Knock it off! You two have been talking the entire show!". I shot back, "What are you talking about?! We haven't said a word! We are just enjoying the show!" Ken chimed in with a few choice words and the guy sat back and shut his trap.

I'm happy to say that nothing came of it. We returned to our seats for the second act and I made sure to have Ken sit next to them. And that was the end of their crabby commentary.

After all the drama from the sour-apple-couple, we decided to head to Trump for a drink. One drink for each of us-- and $32 later-- we decided it was time to venture on to a new spot.

After circling the loop for what seemed to be miles, we landed at Local 22 for some karaoke.

I don't think I've ever felt so old in my life. Everyone there had to be in their early 20's; Ken and I were definitely the old folks. Lucky for me, I got carded at the door. Ken didn't. ;-)

After bribing the DJ with entirely too much money, they called me to the stage. For some reason, I felt compelled to dedicate my song to "my little 12-week-old at home", where I received a lot of WOO-HOO's!  And I am happy to report it was the best rendition of "Red Neck Woman" I've ever done. Ahhhh. Liquid courage!

We made our way back to the hotel around 1 AM and managed to down a pepperoni pizza in 2 minutes flat.

We woke up today with pounding heads. Is the sun really that bright!?

We made it home to suburbia by noon to face reality (the babies). I sure do wish kids understood the meaning of a hangover-- their screams seemed so much louder today. Ironically, I found myself doing a lot of "shooshing" at them.

Thanks Jill for sending these adorable pics of the kids while we were out! And of course for taking care of them while we were allowed a night off. :)

"ET Phone Home!!"

33? Here we go!

Man! Where have I been?! I haven't written in almost 2 weeks. Must be a record.

I know, I know. You must have been beside yourselves, just waiting to hear from me. ;-)

As I write this, I'm surrounded by two sick kids-- both diagnosed with respiratory infections while at the Dr today (don't be too startled--it's just a fancy name for the common cold).

Both kids are struggling with their normal routines due to trouble sleeping from a hacking cough. I've been averaging about 4 hours a night between the two of them-- demanding to be fed, diaper changed, juice cup refilled, etc.

All this creates a super tired Mommy-- especially considering I'm all on my own due to Ken being out of town since yesterday morning. He left for Dallas and won't be back till Wednesday-- which also means, I'll be celebrating my birthday for the first time without him in nearly 8 years (Thank God for good friends who have agreed to meet for sushi and drinks at Nabuki!). In the meantime, Ken is sending me pics of him, in front of Tony Romo's cubby at the Cowboy Stadium, while he is "hard at work". Nope, I'm not jealous one bit. Not at all. Jerk. ;-)

Looking back, I have to say, 32 was a great year! We were blessed with another baby and our family has grown beyond anything I could have ever imagined or hoped for. I also made some wonderful friends and taken amazing vacations. We even had some great, memorable date nights-- despite me being the DD to my schnockered husband.

So tonight as I bid my 32nd year adieu, I am throwing back a hefty glass of wine (think: goldfish bowl). All by my lonesome. Pitty party?? Perhaps.

I do hope my birthday brings a day of healthy, smiling babies though-- and a big, fat diamond from the hubs wouldn't be too bad either.

33-- here I come!

Hoarding 101

This is my daughter's bed. This is what it looks like every morning when she wakes up.

Just this morning she woke up, upset about the stool in her bed, screaming for me to "come take out my stool". Apparently the little hoarder doesn't recall bringing it (and 1000 other toys) into her bed before she passed out.

How the hell does one sleep with all that crap in their bed?!

Dear Desitin

Dear Desitin-
We love your product, Desitin-- also known around here as "butt butter" (I'm not sure where the nickname came from but that's what our daughter Ava began calling it and I suppose it just stuck).

My question is this: How the hell do you suggest we get the thick gunk off once our sweet girl spreads the paste all over her body, hair, toys, blankets and walls????

Do you have a Desitin remover? If not, perhaps it's something you should consider developing. We would buy it by the barrel. It would come in handy on mornings like this:

6 Weeks: Time for the crib!

Baby Jack got the boot today; the little guy's been evicted from our bedroom to his nursery where he will sleep & nap from now on (despite those occasional days where I need to get my mommy-snuggle fix). I moved Ava to her room on her 6 week anniversary so I feel it's only fair to be consistent with the little fella.

Well, it took a few attempts but I can now say that both kids are napping (holding my breath) in their own rooms. Ahhhh. I obviously don't know what to do with myself which is why I'm on here blogging about it.

I hope that my life will resume some sense of normalcy going forward. I'm not counting on it just yet, though. These little boogers have a mind of their own.

With my newfound freedom I'm thinking I might even venture to make a pork loin with roasted veggies for dinner tonight. It's amazing what a little me-time will do! Here's to more days like this!

Love it!

When I moved here, I never in my life thought I would be blessed with friends that are such incredibly sweet ladies. Since Jack's birth we have been brought numerous (and very delicious) meals, gifts, etc. The outpouring of support has been tremendous and I am so very thankful to all of them.

And even more recently we've gotten some adorable, homemade Christmas gifts from some of the very same girls.

I recieved a hand painted Santa canvas as I was leaving a holiday party last night. The host (Anna) painted these darling Santa pics (with the help of her Mom) and gave one to each guest as they exited the party. How ca-ute??! And talk about time consuming! I can't wait to put it in a frame with white matting. I have the perfect spot for it!

And today, I received a text from my friend (Ali) telling me to check the front door. I opened the door and sitting there was the cutest little gift: homemade holiday coasters. The sweet little elf she is-- came and dropped off a homemade gift for us.

How adorable are these girls?! And could they BE more thoughtful?! Have I mentioned lately how much I love living here??! :)

Too fun!

Scrolling through my Facebook feed, I saw a picture that looked familiar. On the page for the Village of Hinsdale, there is an announcement that their program guide for the upcoming season will soon be available.

Well-- guess who is on the cover?! Yep! It just so happens that there is a picture of Ava and I from their Easter Egg Hunt, taken last year by a village employee (I vaguely remember posing for it).

It's hilarious to look at this pic... Ava was still semi-bald and I remember just finding out a few days before that we were pregnant. 

Nonetheless, it's pretty fun! I wonder if Ava knows she's a mini-celeb...???? ;-)

Jingle's here!

Jingle's here!

Has your family gotten your Elf on the Shelf yet? Seems as though everyone and their dog is embracing this tradition with open arms. And why not? The concept is genius—you had better behave you little scoundrels, the elf is watching!

Our Elf on the Shelf arrived a week late. It seems as though a certain someone (oops) didn’t make it to the store to have all the ingredients for the perfect “Jingle Breakfast,” where our elf would make his grand entrance for the Christmas season.

Well, you-know-who finally got her butt in gear—not like I've been busy or anything (insert sarcasm)—and I am happy to say that our very own elf, Jingle, arrived promptly at 9 a.m. on Saturday. He arrived in full elf fashion, surprising us with a delicious breakfast complete with Donner’s doughnuts, Elfy Eggs, Blitzen’s bacon, Reindeer snacks (apples), Claus’s cocoa and Mom-mosas for the hubs and I. Hair of the dog, anyone?! And did I mention how much I miss day drinking?!

Ava was beyond ecstatic about his arrival; I think her exact words were “Ooooh, I lubb it!” And Ken and I quickly discovered that Jingle had some serious bargaining power; just the mention (threat) that “Jingle is watching” made her snap into shape immediately when she was acting out.

The second morning we had Jingle, we discovered him hanging upside down from our chandelier. Ava was stoked to find him there. In fact, when she woke up, she immediately began searching for him, which surprised me—big time. I thought that it would take a few years for her to fully understand Jingle’s pull with the big man in the red suit. Silly of me to doubt her, I suppose. She’s so darn smart. Clearly she takes after me.

Little does she know, Jingle the Elf will be one of many traditions I look to celebrate with her over the next few years. In my opinion, Christmas is the absolute best time of year. I have the greatest memories from my own childhood and I want to be sure to give my own children the same gift.

Letter from Jingle

In recent years, my mom, sister and I have started a new tradition where we have brunch at the Walnut Room at Macy’s on State Street. They ride the train into the city where we do some shopping and dine by the huge, beautiful tree. And then, if the line isn’t out the door and all the way down Lake Shore Drive, we wait to see Santa. The kids absolutely love it.

In a few years I look forward to taking Ava to see The Nutcracker. I myself grew up taking dance and even danced the lead character (Clara) during my junior year of high school. I would love to say I gave a performance worthy of the American Ballet Theatre, but I will humbly admit that during a matinee performance I bit the dust, landing flat on my face during a grand jete. Ahh. Memories.

Enjoying her 1st ever Jingle Breakfast

I look forward to having a girls' day in the city where we’ll have lunch, shop and end the trip with a performance by the Joffrey Ballet. How spoiled are we to have them in Chicago? It would be a shame not to take advantage.

I also look forward to taking Ava on a “Christmas Lights Drive.” When I was little we would load ourselves into the car, turn on a radio station that was playing Christmas music and we would ride around town in search of beautiful Christmas lights. It was one of my favorite things to do as a child. And how great, it’s 100 percent free!

And of course there will always be the morning spent baking and decorating Christmas cookies.

So much fun. So little time.

I wonder what Jingle thinks about Ava painting her face...?

 This story was originally posted on Hinsdale- Clarendon Hills Patch: Jingle Has Arrived