Around Here

Around here it's been busy lately. Busy good and busy exhausting, but generally just busy. Here's what we're currently up to:

Battling: a double ear infection and nasty yeast rash (Campbell, not me!). Since Cam refuses to take his antibiotics or sit still long enough for me to slather his body with ointment, our progress is slow.

Cooking: I made these pulled chicken sandwiches (you guessed it... in my Crock Pot!) for our Super Bowl party on Sunday. They were a hit!

Reading: Behind the Beautiful Forevers (Book Club #1 book) and Beautiful Ruins (Book Club #2) book. Yes, I'm in two book clubs with two different groups of friends and no, I don't generally read two books at once. But, our "meetings" (I use that term very loosely!) fall three days apart and I'm in a pickle. I'm not hooked on either one yet, but I'm hoping I'll get there.

Watching: Girls. Rick and I finished Homeland and I mourned it for a couple of days. So now I'm looking for other shows to get into, and thinking Downton Abbey may be next on my list. For now, Girls is making me laugh.

Planning: oh man we have a lot going on in the next six weeks. A bachelorette party this weekend, Campbell's Valentine's Party next week, a trip to Aspen (just me and the hubs!!), a short trip to Austin, a wedding I'm standing up in, and a trip to Florida for Passover. It's making my head spin, but it's all happy celebrations so I can't complain.

Wondering: how my little munchkin is possibly going to be fifteen months old on Saturday. He's such a little man now it's unbelievable. Rick and I were trying to count how many words he says last night just out of curiosity and we couldn't. We think it's probably around 25 but every day he says something else and I'm losing count.

We have so much to look forward to, and I'm trying to focus on all that good stuff when I want to cry from trying to force Amoxicillin down Campbell's throat twice a day. I know his illness and strong will are peanuts compared to so many others' problems, so I really am trying not to stress about it. Oh am I thankful for his overall health and happiness. Focus on the good stuff, Gill,...focus on the good stuff.

Baby Boy ate Goldfish and wore his jambes all day yesterday. Whatever makes him happy.

Crock Pot Virgin

My awesome sister (well, one of them!) bought me a Crock Pot for my birthday. I've always been intimated by them, sorta wanted one, and figured I should give it a shot, so this was a perfect gift!!

I decided to use it Tuesday night for the first time. I made Mac n Cheese (it was birthday night and I'm pretty sure calories don't count on your birthday)! The recipe wasn't too complicated, though I fidgeted with it a bit (I added some different cheeses and spices because the comments said it was sort of bland). I would give this one an 8 out of 10. It was really indulgent, cheesy and gooey. I had a little bit of curdling with the milk, but not terrible. It was total comfort food.

Photo credit

For dinner tonight, we've go this pesto chicken on the menu. Looks super easy and flavorful.

Photo courtesy of Picky Palate

And, while not a Crock Pot recipe, I'm on a quinoa kick lately and am going to tackle this spinach quinoa recipe as a side dish.



I've also ordered these liners which I've heard are a life saver and am hoping they arrive in time for today's prep work.

So far, I'm loving the simplicity of dumping ingredients in a contraption and it cooking a meal for you. It's really nice to have dinner ready after we put Cam to bed instead of me having to finish cooking dinner. Gives us more time to be together in the evening and watch episodes of Homeland (because yes, my amazing husband ordered Showtime for me as a birthday surprise)!

Do you have any favorite Crock Pot recipes?? Leave me a comment with some ideas!

Things I'm Loving

Thanks for your input on the Things that Confuse Me post. I get the whole artificial sweetener is not considered sugar, but it still seems like false advertising.

But today, let's talk about some things I'm loving right now!

Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Facial Peel 

This stuff is awesome. As I inch toward another birthday, I can see the effects of aging, pregnancy, and the environment taking its toll on my skin. I know I'm not old, I'm not saying that. But I do believe that the skin you take care of today will be the skin you are proud of in thirty years. So, after a friend recommended this product, I thought I'd try it. I'm using it along with some Dermalogica products that I also really love (Active Moist moisturizer!) So far, I'm noticing smoother and more vibrant skin.


Book of Mormon (The Musical... not the actual Book of Mormon)

Okay, I know this one is controversial, but I loved it. Rick took me out for a night on the town this week to see it and we laughed so hard (and cringed a few times, too)! You definitely need a sense of humor, and you certainly need to be able to laugh about religion in order to enjoy this. There were a few comments we heard of people sitting around us who were obviously offended, but it's produced by the guys from South Park, so what do you expect?! Two thumbs up from me!


Clean Eating Avocado Pesto Recipe

I pinned this one on my Yum Yum Pinterest board a while ago, and my sister, Allie, told me she tried it last week. She said it was yum yum, so I tried it last night! Rick and I both agreed it was delish and with minimal ingredients it felt light and healthy. We even have leftovers to put on whatever else we want this weekend. Score!


Homeland 

Between people posting about it on Facebook and the actors being nominated for Emmys and other awards, I decided I needed to see what all the hype was about. We ordered the first season on DVD because we don't have Showtime. This show is so addicting we watched the entire first season in three nights. I have been dreaming about it, talking about it, and obsessing about how we are going to see the second season. At one point I almost made Rick call the cable company to order Showtime, but he reminded me we need not make rash decisions. Men.

Anyway, if you have Showtime, watch it. Great television and it is guaranteed to make you feel unsafe and insecure about your country's ability to protect against terrorists. Awesome, right!?


Happy Friday!

Things That Confuse Me

I don't know if it's because I just have too much time on my hands (yea right!) or I think too much (more likely), but I've been rather confused lately by some things. Can you help me!? 

1) Cam loves mandarin oranges. I specifically looked for ones that are "packed in water" instead of syrup to reduce the amount of sugar he's consuming. So obviously when I saw these and read "no sugar added" I thought, "score!"

So I brought them home, he gobbled them up, but after looking more closely it says, "artificially sweetened." What? How can there be no sugar added but it's artificially sweetened?! Explain please.

2) What does "na na" mean? Every time Cam is hungry, he runs to his high chair (or wakes up from his nap) and says, "na na". I say, "are you hungry?" or "do you want to eat?" and he gets excited and says, "na na". What does it mean?!?! It's definitely NOT banana because he hates bananas now and hasn't eaten one in months. So, tell me... what is "na na"??

3) Why on earth does Parenthood (the show) have such mediocre ratings? It's brilliant television I tell ya. I only watch a couple of shows regularly, and this is one of them. In fact, Rick even enjoys watching it with me every Tuesday night. I cry every time. And everyone I know who watches it loves it, too. So why is it always in danger of being cancelled? Confusing!

4) The "baby on board" signs. Really, thanks for the information, minivan but I find the decal confusing because I think it's worthless. Does it really make anyone drive more carefully around you? Doubtful and confusing!


So there you have it. My confused brain on this Thursday morning.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, my husband so kindly informed me that today is National Peanut Butter Day. I'm taking it as a hint to have something prepared for him involving the gooey stuff for dinner.

A Special Wish

Well, call me crazy but it's time to knock off another item on my 30 Before 30 list. So here's the story:

Some days, I miss working with my students. Some days, I miss my internships I held in college for organizations that helped sick children and made impacts in our world far beyond a classroom. But, I really love being at home with my baby and have no desire to split my time between him and a job. So my craving for making an impact in the world and my desire to continue being Campbell's primary caregiver poses a bit of a challenge.

I've been researching and thinking and throwing ideas out to Rick constantly over the last couple of months. I even secured a website domain name to start my own non-profit one night, just to wake up the next morning and cancel it because I realized I'm crazy for thinking I can start an organization and raise my child in the same manner I'm doing now. I'm a dreamer.

After a lot of research and reaching out to various groups, I finally have joined a non-profit organization called A Special Wish Foundation (Chicago Chapter). I went to my first meeting last night and immediately was welcomed by the small, completely volunteer-run group. I was hoping I wouldn't feel like just one of a mass, sitting on the sidelines listening to a head honcho lead a meeting. And I was so pleased when I arrived at the little bar where the group met and everyone introduced themselves to me and told me about their history and goals. They shared a few stories of recent wishes that had been granted, and then presented a couple of kids whose wishes needed granting. One of the guys asked if I wanted to help him grant a wish for an eighteen year old boy who has cerebral palsy and various seizure disorders and is confined to a wheelchair. He wants to go to Disney World. I immediately said yes, and will be meeting this young man and his family next week to start the planning!

I feel so energized and excited about this. It's a well established national organization but its Chicago chapter is intimate and completely volunteer run, which means everyone wants to be there. It's small enough that you get to dive right in and do good work, but large enough that I'm not overwhelmed with taking on too much more responsibility in my already chaotic life. And, it's the exact kind of work I was looking for -- I get to work hands-on with some really special children.

So, farewell #5. I couldn't be more thrilled to cross you off!

5. Get involved in a new organization

Nature Museum

Cam and I took a field trip to the Nature Museum yesterday. We were inspired by my friend Rachel who recently told me about this gem and boy was it fun. First of all, it was convenient -- ten minute drive, free street parking, and free admission for kids under 3 ($9 for adults!).

We spent about an hour and a half exploring the different exhibits and Cam practiced walking running around in his shoes, which I think are too big and he kept tripping. I ned to get him measured! By no means do I think he absorbed any of the cool information I recited to him (did you know that only a handful of scorpions actually carry venom that can be harmful to humans!?!? I don't have to be frightened any more!) But I do think the experience was perfect for this age.


He played with various textures and water and listened to the different sounds of insects and bugs.

He spent a good five minutes just pushing the buttons on the insect wall.

He climbed and crawled through "beaver tunnels."

They have a butterfly exhibit in which hundreds of various butterflies fly around a greenroom. You can go inside and literally surround yourselves with butterflies. We went it... and boy was it HOT! Humid and hot are not my favorite, so we didn't stay too long, and I didn't capture any pictures, but Cam was in awe of the little creatures. He kept trying to grab them and thought it was hysterical when they would fly by him and try to land on us. What a cool experience. Can't wait to go back!

And, I get to check something off of my 30 Before 30 list because I consider this a Chicago landmark I have never visited before!

#14. Go to a Chicago landmark I haven't visited (CHECK!)

In the Picture

One of the blogs I follow posted this response to her feelings about this article written by Allison Tate. I couldn't help but relate deeply and start thinking about how I don't want to be one of those moms who never gets in the picture with her kids because I don't love the way I look. I have over 1,600 pictures on my phone alone. I'll take a guess that 1,500 of them are of Cam alone being cute and doing funny things. I'm sure I'm in a couple of them, but I certainly don't jump into pictures in general. I'm a bit camera shy mostly because I can always find a flaw in a picture of myself. But, I need to get in more of the pictures. I need Cam to look back at pictures of me and see how much I love him, not just hear me tell him. I need him to see that I was once youthful and energetic and did fun things with him.

I have some really special pictures of me and my mom growing up. I can think of one in particular of her snuggling me in a crowd when I was a little girl. Her bangs are full and her hair is braided. And I'm nuzzled up in her lap wearing a pink romper. I need to dig that up and frame it... it's a good one. And, I think I love it so much because it's a perfect example of how I remember my mom. Loving on me. Not showy or flashy. No posing with an arm popped on her hip. No perfect lighting or adorable props. Just me and my mom, loving on me as she does so well.

I love this quote from Allison's article:

"I'm everywhere in their young lives, and yet I have very few pictures of me with them. Someday I won't be here -- and I don't know if that someday is tomorrow or thirty or forty or fifty years from now -- but I want them to have pictures of me. I want them to see the way I looked at them, see how much I loved them. I am not perfect to look at and I am not perfect to love, but I am perfectly their mother.”

And, I am so grateful that as a young mother, I can learn from others before me and make an effort to have less regrets later down the road. So today, I'm adding something to my ever growing To Do List -- get in the picture. 

Here are a few (unposed, non-professional) pictures I managed to scrape up of me and my sweet boy that I hope one day he will cherish as much as I do. I hope he sees the ridiculous amount of love I have for him, unposed and unscripted.