Indiana, Sickness and Baby Showers.

So guess who's home sick again? If you guessed me, you guessed correctly. I feel like it's the story of my life. I'd like to thank my visit to Indiana for this wonderful sinus/upper respiratory infection. It never fails. Anytime I go back during the winter season I get sick. So I've decided no more winter visits! My immune system can't handle it. The last two days I have gone through two boxes of tissues. I think that might be a new record.

Though I hate going back to Indiana I always enjoy seeing my family and friends. This trip was even better because my sister also came home from NYC. So I got to see everyone.

Reunited and it feels so good

 While I was home I decided to have my baby shower since I don't plan on going back before the baby is born. My moms put on an awesome baby shower. Unfortunately the day of the baby shower was the day I started feeling sick. I already dislike being social and being sick made it worse. I survived and actually had fun. We had amazing food and the cutest cake ever. I got a ton of cute baby stuff and gift cards. I want to send a special thank you to all who came! My moms did such a great job and deserve an extra special thank you! They are the best!

The Cake!

So I guess it's time to start getting ready for this little guy. I'm almost 6 months which is crazy! I feel like it's flying by now and he will be here sooner than I think. I only have about two weeks left of work before I become a housewife and soon to be stay at home mom. It's getting serious now. 

22 weeks. Only belly shot I have right now

I guess I will now go cough up a lung and maybe take a shower. Oh and a new thing I learned while being sick and pregnant. If I have a coughing fit or a sneeze attack I pee my pants. Talk about a not so fun surprise. 
 

OMG is that a........?!

Once again I am home sick. I can tell you that being sick always sucks especially for me, but being pregnant and sick sucks so bad. Of course I got my usual upper respiratory infection so that's fun. Anyways since I am confined to the couch I figured what better thing to do than write a post. 

 So we had a doctors appointment last week to check on the baby. All is healthy which is always a good thing. We are finally at a point where we had the option to find out the sex. Of course I had to know. I mean I need to know what colors to use in the nursery. Oh and I was getting tired of calling my baby it. So we did the ultrasound and the very first thing we saw was a.....PENIS! That's right we are having a boy and he was not shy about hiding it at all. I still remain the only girl in the house. Which I'm ok with. I always wanted a boy first so that there was a big brother figure. Though a girl would of been cute too. My sister said he will be the cute older brother and also a hipster. Both in which I am ok with. 

Legs in the air showing off his manhood

Anyways we are both very excited! I also like to think the boys are excited. They are very protective of the belly. I like to think they know what's going on. With the bump getting better Cosmo seems to be more and more protective of me and the belly. 

16 weeks

Now I am going to go take my Z-pak and get some sleep. Maybe I'll be adventurous and take a shower. 

Hello Second Trimester!

I made it to the second trimester! It's a big accomplishment for pregnant ladies everywhere. According to the blogs I read morning sickness should be going away. I should have more energy than ever. Oh and my boobs shouldn't hurt anymore. Well let me tell you the morning sickness has started to give up though I still have my bad days. My boobs don't hurt as bad but they are still a little tender. As long as I have a bra on I'm good. The tiredness on the other hand is still very present. On my days off of work I could take 1-2 naps a day and still feel tired. I still can't stay up past 10 and could sleep in until 9 or 9:30. Which if you know me you know that's late. 

According to the fruit chart baby is the size of a lemon. Even though if you looked at me it looks more like the size of cantaloupe. My wardrobe is now down to yoga pants and basketball shorts. Oh a dresses! They are my new best friend. I think it may be time to go shopping though. With the colder weather coming along I should by leggings or something. I'm sure Rob doesn't care but for date night I'd like to wear something other than yoga pants and an oversized t-shirt. 

Welcome to week 14

Oh and we purchased a mom mobile. Up until this weekend we've been carpooling to work. We never really had the need for a second car. I would drop Rob off at the train on my way to work and pick him up on my way home. Now we have a need for a second car and one with four doors. Our current car only has two. I'm not doing gymnastics to put the baby in the car. So insert my new car.

The new ride!

Pretty gansta for a mom. While at the dealership I overheard a teenager say that moms only drive vans and SUV's. Man did I prove her wrong! 

Big Trips and Bigger News

So the last few months have been busy and exciting! First off my little sister is officially a New Yorker. She's off doing what she loves. We moved her in last week. I'm so jealous of where she lives. It's a cute little apartment in Greenwich Village. I fell in love with New York and if I ever hit the lotto I will move there.  

       

Manhattan

Greenwich Village

                  
Oh and did I mention I'm going to be a mom in April? That's right people! I am almost into my fourth month. I'd love to say " Wow! I feel great!" but that would be a flat out lie. If I'm not nauseous I'm tired. Apparently in a few weeks I am supposed to feel like a new person but I'll keep you posted.  Also I have exploded into full on preggo belly. This last week it just popped out. While in New York my step mom asked if I was sure there was just one in there. I told her last time I checked there was. 

At 6 weeks

At 11 weeks (sorry for the quality)

The best thing about being pregnant is seeing the baby at the ultrasounds. We just went yesterday and saw he/she swimming around and flapping its legs and arms. Talk about the cutest thing ever! We are super excited. So spread the word! The coolest kid is going to be born around April fools day. 

Holy Paleo!

If you know me then you know I'm always down for a good food challenge. By challenge I mean "let's see how long I can do this without hating myself". That is how I became a vegetarian for close to a year, and vegan for a few months. I usually just go with the flow until I'm over it and go back to eating meat, sugar or whatever I was determined to give up. 

My newest challenge is the Paleo diet. If you have never heard of it, the diet is pretty much food that can be hunted, fished or be gathered. So meat, fish, eggs, berries, nuts, seeds, veggies and mushrooms. The best thing about it is I can still bake, eat meat and veggies. You're probably asking yourself "how did she come across this diet?" Well I've been wanting to try it for a while now. Then we went out with one of Rob's co-workers and his wife. Well his wife follows the paleo diet and even writes a blog about it. You can check out her blog at Sweet-Paleo. She has some pretty awesome recipes.  So it sparked my interest again. I thought to myself let's start a paleo challenge. So I started by making breakfast muffins that turned out pretty good. Then we had made plans to hang out with our new friends on the 4th of July. I decided to make paleo brownies and let the experts tell me how I'm doing. They were better than most brownies I've made in the past. Oh and our friends loved them! Now I can't stop myself. Last night I made paleo chocolate chip cookies that were AMAZING! Here's where I found the recipe Paleo Cookies.

Paleo Cookies

 So since I got the baking down I'm going to try making my meals paleo starting this week. I'm pretty excited but I always am at the beginning of a food challenge. So if you follow me on Pinterest I apologize now for the paleo overload you are about to experience. Oh and if you have any good recipes shoot them my way!

Birthdays and Andes Mint Cupcakes

As many of you know today is father's day but today is also a special birthday.  Today is Rob's 31st birthday. You read that right my husband is 31! He's really getting up there. It's about time to trade him in for a newer model. Not really though because it doesn't get much better than him.

Yesterday I took him out for a fancy meal at one of our favorite places called Wink. We decided to try a few new things including rabbit and sweetbreads. If you don't know what sweetbreads are Google it. They sound weird but are DELICIOUS! We of course got our favorite beef tartar. Which I thought it may be my last tartar for a while since you cannot eat raw meat when pregnant. No, I'm not pregnant yet but it could happen any day now. 

Today I decided to make his favorite dessert....cupcakes! Which are my favorite to make. I decided to make Andes Mint cupcakes since it's one of his favorite candy/mints to eat. I've been wanting to try this recipe for a while and finally had the chance. The recipe looks difficult but is actually pretty simple.

Andes Mint Cupcakes

Cake:
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk
Devils food cake mix

Chocolate mint ganache:
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
3 Tablespoons Heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/3 cup powdered sugar

Mint Buttercream:
8 oz cream cheese
6 tablespoons butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons peppermint extract ( you can add more if you want a more minty flavor)
A few drops of green food coloring. 

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Wisk together sour cream, oil and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time. 
Add cake mix and liquids alternating between the two.
Fill cupcake liners a little over half full
Bake for 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

For the chocolate mint ganache melt chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream on the stove top.( I use the double boiler method) Stir in peppermint extract and powdered sugar. Place in squeeze bottle. When cupcakes come out of the oven use squeeze bottle to fill center of cupcakes.

Sorry for the mess

For mint buttercream Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, heavy whipping cream and peppermint extract. Finally add green food coloring. 

Rob loved his birthday cupcakes. Along with his birthday dinner I cooked for him. We are going to spend the rest of the evening watching movies and relaxing. Hope everyone had a great father's day! 

The Big Move

So if you haven't heard I have a little sister. Well she's not so little since she is WAY taller than me but she's still my little sister. I'm not sure if I have ever talked about how awesome of a dancer she is. She is extremely talented.   Well she got accepted into the Joffrey Ballet School in New York. Yes, NEW YORK! So after a trip there and some convincing of my parents my little sister is moving. Though she is still a teenager she gets to have this amazing experience. It's an awesome opportunity for her to focus on her dance. I am so proud of her. Watch out New York DJ Sexy Jerk (my nickname for her) is coming through!

It runs in the family

This reminds me of my first big move. Though I was a little older it was still a big thing. I was only 21 when I moved to California with Rob. At first he was hesitant to move. I told him if we don't take this chance we may never get another one. So off we went. Though it was hard to leave family and friends we had to give it a shot. I think it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Not only did I get to experience a whole new state with so much culture. I also had a chance to grow up and I mean REALLY grow up. At 21 I left my family and friends behind. So when I had a problem or issue I couldn't just drive to my mom's house. I was thousands of miles away from everyone. I always thought of myself as an independent person, but this move really brought it out in me. I feel like it helped mold me into what I am today. 

the "grown up" me

So I am excited for my sister to move. Also, I can't wait to go to NYC. I've never been there. Maybe we can be a extra on Law and Order: SVU (that's my sister's favorite show). I feel like this move may bring us even closer, even though we are super close already. Just knowing that she could come to me if she is having problems with being away since I have experienced it first hand.  So sometime in September I will be New York bound for a little while. That's right be jealous! 

Check Out My Shop!

Hey all! So I've been a busy little bee since I stared making earrings. I've had a few people request a pair or two! I finally decided to change my old etsy store around and start selling them there. Right now I just have a few colors up but I will be adding more as I go. Everyone should go check it out at ColorWonderland. If you like what you see then go ahead and buy it! 

Here's a little preview

I always love feedback so let me know what you think. Don't be shy. If you hate them tell me if you love them yell it from the roof tops! Tell your neighbors and your friends! I really love wearing these and can't wait to share the love.

Copycat Auntie Anne's Recipe

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there! I will not be spending the day with my moms since I live far away from them. Don't worry they still got their gifts and phone calls/texts. Hope all you moms out there are having a great day! I know as a dog mom I sure am with lots of cuddles and sloppy kisses.

This weekend I was craving a salty snack. So I went on my new favorite food website foodgawker.com and looked up something good. There it was, the perfect snack. I found the copycat recipe for Auntie Anne's pretzels! I almost died. Funny thing was Rob and I were at target yesterday and he said he was really craving a soft pretzel. You should of seen his face when I told him what I was going to make that night. The recipe is pretty simple. Now they don't taste exactly like Auntie Anne's but they are pretty close. I doubled the recipe because well we are fatties. Actually we aren't but I wanted to have enough for a few days of snacks.

Auntie Anne's Pretzels Copycat Recipe

Source Food Network Almost-Famous Pretzel

2 cups milk
1 1/2 tablespoons (2 packets) active dry yeast
6 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
4 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt

1/3 cup baking soda
3 cups warm water
Kosher salt
8 tablespoons butter, melted in a shallow dish 

Mine came out a little puffier than the original but they were delicious. If you want something sweet you can dip them in cinnamon and sugar after dipping them in butter. I just might have to do that tonight. Hope you guys enjoy!

My New Hobby

Happy Cinco De Mayo! Hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday. I know I am! I feel like I've been away for a while. It's been what..like two weeks? Sorry to keep you waiting. You are probably wondering what's up with Holli? Well nothing! I've been the homebody I am. I've been extremely lazy lately for no reason. Rob just built a computer and is back to his gaming ways. This means I need to start doing projects since I don't have as much t.v. time as usual.

 I could starting knitting again. I've only been trying to finish the same blanket for almost 2 years now. I don't think I have the patients to knit. I want to start painting again I just need some ideas. So I decided to start a new project. Making earrings. 

I was inspired by a pair of earrings I bought on Etsy. I looked at how they were made and thought I would try to make them myself. I bought the supplies and gave it a try. Success! Actually, they weren't perfect but I liked them.

Sorry for the lack of makeup

I hand colored the first pair with colored pencils. I decided to make another pair and switch it up. I decided to paint the next pair and see what happened. This pair is ok. I want to perfect the design a little but not too bad. I mean I hand painted a skull on a 10mm circle. That's hard enough. 

I think if I can get enough people interested I might add them to my Etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/ColorWonderland. If you like what you see or are interested in getting a pair let me know. Either comment on my blog or contact me through my profile.

The Great Eyeliner Debate

When I first starting wearing makeup I was nervous of this stuff called eyeliner. To be honest it scared me a little bit. It's a nice addition to your makeup routine but some people overdo it. I had never tried eyeliner and was afraid I would poke myself in the eye or make myself look like a raccoon. 

First I watched videos on how to apply eyeliner. Yes I had to watch a video. I didn't want to have the cracked out raccoon look. You know the one I'm talking about. 

 Then there was the great debate of which kind of eyeliner I should use. I had no clue there were so many different kinds! I started with pencil and moved on to liquid. I tried out the gel liner but didn't like it as much. I recently found a kohl liner that I'm in love with. It glides on smoother than my pencil liner and and stays just as long as my liquid liner. My sister told me about the liquid liner I use. Now if you know anything it's that teenagers know a lot about makeup. Or at least more than I do. 

I am a woman who likes variety when it comes to makeup. So I switch up my liner depending on my mood, and how much time I have in the morning. I have my two favorites that I feel are must haves. 

My favorite Kohl liner

My favorite liquid

The thing I love about both is that they are affordable. I have tried the expensive liner and like these just as much. You know I'm all about saving money. Now I'm always up for suggestions so toss them my way!

What's your favorite liner? 

How to Fix Your TOMS

Hi, My name is Holli and I love shoes. I have more shoes than I wear. Honestly though what woman doesn't? My two favorites are gym shoes and flats. As of lately I've been obsessed with TOMS. If you haven't heard of TOMS they are canvas shoes and are super comfy. When you buy a pair of TOMS they send a pair to someone less fortunate. They are what all the hipster kids wear nowadays. Wow I sound like a granny. Anyways they are a great addition to my Tom Boy Chic look a.k.a Geek Chic. 

You could imagine how sad I was when I got a hole in one of my favorite pairs. I mean I really do love the shoes. Do I really want to spend $60 on a new pair because these have a hole? No! You know I'm cheap! So I looked up how to repair your TOMS online. It looked pretty easy so I thought I would try. Well....it worked! It actually worked so well I thought I would share. 

So here are my shoes with the hole. I got a few supplies. 

 

Canvas iron on patches. (like the ones you use on jeans) 

Fabric ( I chose a cute chevron canvas)

Fabric glue

First what I had to do was patch up the hole. This is so you don't wear a hole into the new fabric.

Once the hole was patched I cut out the fabric. I just cut out a square and cut the excess after everything was glued. After you cut the fabric put the fabric glue on the shoe where you are putting fabric. I just did the toes. Place the fabric on the glued area and smooth it down. I pleated the front of the fabric to create the fold by the toe. 

Once the fabric is glued down cut the extra fabric. I put glue around the bottom of the shoe to seal the fabric down. Let them dry over night and BAM!! New and improved TOMS. Well maybe not so new but definitely an improvement. 

Ham, Sweet Potatoes and Finger Tips

So today is Easter. I hope you all had a great day eating, spending time with family or whatever you do. We decided to cook Easter dinner even thought it's just the two of us. We figured it would make enough food to eat all week for dinner. We were so right! We actually have enough food for two weeks. So if your hungry stop by. But really don't. That would be creepy. 

So we decided to make ham, mac and cheese, sweet potato casserole and cabbage. A few years ago we went to Ruth's Chris for Thanksgiving and had the best sweet potato casserole ever. I knew I had to have it. So I found a video of one of the cooks making it. I was so happy. If you haven't had this dish you need to! If you don't like sweets you probably wont like it since it tastes more like a dessert than a side. Here's the video with recipe http://blog.nola.com/dining/2007/11/cooking_new_orleans_style_with_16.html
Rob made the mac and cheese and started the ham and cabbage. While he was cutting the cabbage I was watching tv when a hear a yell from the kitchen. I run in to see what happened. Well Rob cut off his finger tip and was bleeding everywhere. What a great way to say Happy Easter! It wasn't too bad but bad enough. Luckily we are prepared for things like this. I got him all bandaged up and gave him a pain pill. He's back to playing Minecraft and is now taking a nap. 

I finished up dinner and we began to feast! Even after the finger fiasco everything turned out pretty good. Rob was sad because his mac and cheese was runny but I thought it still was good. 

We still have a ton of ham and sides which is fine with me. That just means I don't have to cook dinner this week. I hope everyone had a great Easter! Next on my agenda is movies and dessert. 

Tomboy Chic

If you have been reading my blog you know that I have just recently starting wearing makeup. If you are new here yes I'm 27 and I just started wearing makeup. Don't judge. Anyways I thought I would give you a little update on how good I'm getting at this stuff. I have starting calling it "instant sleep". Why? Because no matter how long I sleep I look like I didn't sleep at all. Once I put on my "instant sleep" I look well rested.  So here is a before and after of me today. 

before

after makeup

Not too shabby eh?! 

So a few weeks ago I had a co-worker tell me I was the girliest person she knew. This was based on my knowledge of make up and hair styling tips (to which I thank the internet). I then explained to her that this was farthest from the truth. I went on to tell her how until middle school I was pretty much a boy. Today I feel I have progressed to womanhood but am still a tomboy. I have decided, starting today, that my look is called Tomboy Chic. You could also call me Geek Chic, I wouldn't disagree with you. I hate wearing heals and own 1 pair. I am starting to like dresses but still don't LOVE them. Jeans, t-shirt and flats are my "going out clothes". Any other day you will find me in workout clothes or yoga pants. On a side note, my trainer and friend have made me President of the Yoga Pants club at the gym. Yeah be jealous. So are  you asking yourself "Holli, what does Tomboy Chic look like?" Well here is an excellent example....

I guess I love flannel

The look on the right. 

Maybe we can make Tomboy Chic a thing. I didn't even Google it to see if it existed. Knowing my luck it does. What do you categorize your look as? Maybe we can start a new trend.