wooohooo, short and sassy!!

Yeah, we got a short and sassy haircut!!  YIPPEEE!!  I LOVE having SHORT hair!!  My grownup's husband doesn't like when she has short hair though.  But she said he'll get over it when she stops complaining about headaches. :)
She is trying to get me "on board" with a few things lately, I'm not so sure I like it.  She joined a weight loss challenge, which means we have to be good on her nutrition plan and also try to get some exercise in.  I don't like exercising.  Sweating is gross and some exercise is really hard and not fun!  But she said if we win the money in the challenge, we can buy new clothes or makeup, so I like that!
She is also trying to get me "on board" with working more.  I do not like to go out, I like to stay home!!  I want to read and write more, which she is trying to let me do, so I guess as long as she keeps letting me do that, then I can learn to be ok with getting out to work more.  I don't know how she is going to manage that with her daughter, but that's not my problem, I'm just the "inner brat". ;)
I think my grown up wants to start another blog.  I don't know why she is going to do that, we never even write on this one!  But I might try to help her do it. It would be fun for her. 

Let's Write!

I love writing.  LOVE!  Writing, putting words out there, but ESPECIALLY the physical ACT of writing.  The feeling of putting a bold, blue ink pen to a smooth sheet of paper and creating wonderful letters and words, it's an indescribable feeling.  I know, I'm strange!  That's ok!  I was that kid who ALWAYS hand wrote her term papers before typing them, always enjoyed writing letters.  But, surprisingly, I have NEVER kept a daily journal or diary!  Until now.
A few weeks ago my grown-up started journaling, not every day, but probably 4 days a week and at first it was kind of awkward, but right away it felt good!  Writing, having a reason to USE one of the many brand new journals we have, and pick a different pen to write with every day.  Not to mention the feeling of freedom and release from actually emptying our thoughts from our head onto the paper.  WOW!  At the end of every entry we write "My current top 10 goals" and end it with "I believe something wonderful is going to happen to me today" (or tomorrow if we journal at night).
Now if I could just convince my grownup to let me write here on this blog more often!

2 fun things in 1!

Making stuff in the kitchen is FUN!  But even MORE FUN is getting a good bargain (or something free!).  The other day my grown up and I made our own tortilla chips!  For less than $2 we made a HUGE bowl full of them!  And it was really easy!

Pack of corn tortillas (we get a pack of 30 at the 99 cent store)
cooking spray
sea salt

Cut tortillas into 6 piece.  Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray, lay tortilla piece out flat, then spray pieces with cooking spray.  Lightly sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake at 350, for 6-8 minutes, check for softness vs. crispness.  Turn pan if cooking unevenly (our oven cooks the back half of the pan faster than the front half).  Cook until crisp, checking every 1-2 minutes.  (Each oven is different)

Don't these look YUMMY?

New Year, New YOU! and New ME!

My grown-up has never had a habit of making New Year's Resolutions.  But this year she has decided to create some New You Goals.  Goals for her daily life, that if she screws up one day, she can start fresh the next.  That way she doesn't get discouraged and give up completely.  Her goals are things that she is working on with me also, including writing in our blog more!  Yippee!!

Here is her complete list (this is also a first, she NEVER writes down goals, for fear of failing them and having written evidence of that failure):
1) Blog more often: at least twice a month, working up to 1-2+ times a week
2) Make healthier decisions daily
3) Sit less, move more
4) Use time productively, including setting an alarm 5 days a week to wake up before the baby

I think these sound ok, I'm not so sure about that last one.  I do not like getting up early, but at least it's not EVERY day.  Well, Baby Penelope wakes us up pretty early anyways, I sure wish we could sleep in once in a while like we used to.  

Have you made any New You Goals?

Scrumptious chicken!

So my grown up is trying to cook healthier stuff that is still tasty. Well last night she made some GOOOOOD chicken! It's best with boneless skinless chicken thighs, but you can use boneless skinless chicken breasts that have been sliced in half through the middle.

6 chicken thighs (or 6 chicken breast halves)
1 can cream of chicken soup + 1 can water
1 packet dry ranch mix

Put all ingredients in crock pot, stir together, and cook on high for 3-4 hours.

Serve with mashed potatoes pr steamed broccoli. Spoon a little sauce over your chicken and vegetables. Yummy!!

My first recipe!

I LOVE BAKING! And my grown up has been trying to perfect her own simple cookie recipe and today she did it! Here it is:

1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 bag chocolate chips (optional)
1/3 package instant vanilla pudding

Cream sugar and peanut butter. Mix in egg. Add chocolate chips, if desired.
Add instant pudding, mix well.

Roll dough into 1" balls and place on ungreased baking sheet. Use the back of a spoon to flatten to 1/2"-3/4" thick.

Bake at 325 for 16-18 minutes

Let cool 3+ minuted before removing from baking sheet.

Oh happy happy day!!

My grown up has really made an effort to "connect" with me today! She did our makeup really pretty, and cute hair, and we wore one of her husband's shirts that she really likes and I like too!

Oh, and to make the day EVEN BETTER while she was getting the baby ready for a nap, we heard the doorbell ring. When we opened the door, there was a little box outside from "Milani" (a makeup brand). It was FULL of MAKEUP! Apparently my grown up won a giveaway and didn't know!! Yippeee!!!!

I put pictures here of my grown up's pretty eye makeup, and of all the stuff we won!

Christmas Time and Rebellion

Ok, well it's Christmas time!  We decorated the our Christmas tree last week, well it's not totally done yet, but we did a good bit of it.  I got a little sad because I remembered what happened to all Nana's ornaments.  But Laura's Aunt gave her a whole bunch of really nice, collector's ornaments to start using and pass down to Penelope.  So that's really special.

My grown up has not lost anymore of her pregnancy weight.  I think she is scared to not eat enough to feed Penny.  I haven't really helped either.  We have been baking pretty often, because it's so much fun! And then I eat almost all of what we baked.  :(  But she hasn't been paying much attention to me, and eating the baked goodies makes me feel better.  I need to make her pay more attention to me, I know it will make her feel better.  She just feels so overwhelmed being a mommy, wife and homemaker.  I wonder how I can help her. 

I'm not the youngest one anymore

It's been a long time since my grown up has let me write on here!  But she's been super busy because she has a BABY now!  I'm not the youngest little girl in her life anymore, but that's ok because I have a LOT of fun with little Penelope.  My grown up lets me come out to play a lot more now.  I think sometimes she misses grown up stuff too though, like taking her time out shopping or spending extra time on her hair and make up in the morning.  
We both miss wearing pretty make up every day, but time just doesn't permit it all the time.  And I miss all her cute clothes, but she's trying hard to look cute in stuff that fits her right now as she's losing her pregnancy weight.  It's a process.
Hmm...I think we just heard the baby wake up from her nap, that means it's time to go for now.  
<3


     

she's pregnant....

So my grown up is 7 month pregnant, and starting to run out of cute clothes.  I'm not so happy about that.  She does make every effort (MOST days) to make us look and feel cute, but yesterday I just wasn't feeling it!  I miss wearing her cute jeans and vests.  But I know that it won't take long for her to lose the baby weight after her beautiful little girl joins us.  So I guess I just need to be ok with it for now.  I mean, she does her best, right!  AND it's for a VERY good reason.

Her little girl's name is beautiful too, I LOVE it!  Penelope Rose.  Isn't that precious?  I sure think so!