Commenting Challenge Day 5 - Favorite Meal Ever

We are finishing off the week of Jenna's commenting challenge. I have really enjoyed meeting all the new bloggers and it has been really nice to have someone come up with an idea for me to write about all week. 

My favorite meal ever is anything involving Caprese. I first discovered Caprese when I spent time in Florence after graduation. Traditional Caprese is sliced tomato, sliced fresh mozzarella, basil leaves, salt & pepper and a balsamic reduction. It is very simple to make and absolutely delicious. 

 There was a little Cafe called Bar Daria near FSU's international school. I would get a Caprese sandwich every afternoon after class.  Other than the fact that the flavors are perfect together, Caprese just reminds me of a time in my life when I was adventuresome, stepping outside my norm, and exploring an amazing place all while learning about and bettering myself.  Who doesn't want to me reminded of that!?!?!

This sandwich is made of bread, tomato slices, fresh mozzarella slices, basil, salt & pepper and a little bit of olive oil & balsamic reduction. It can be served hot or cold.  It is pure heaven to me and a staple in Italy (and now my life).   

There are so many variations out there but the traditional salad is great. There is also a pasta version that I first experienced at Danny Rock.  It is no longer on the menu now, but man, this pasta melted in my mouth.  I have a great recipe for the Caprese pasta but I don't get to make it often because JJ hates tomatoes (unless it is a soup or something). 

One great thing about this pasta is it is great leftover. You can eat it cold or heat it up (just like the sandwich!).

Any variation of Caprese is great for lunch or dinner. It is nice and light but filling at the same time. I always feel healthy when I eat Caprese. 

So... that is my favorite meal. A nice simple meal from an extraordinary time in my life. 

Have you ever had Caprese? What is your favorite way to eat it?

I hope that you have a great weekend!

KK

Commenting Challenge Day 4 - Christmas Gifts

                             

 Todays topic is Christmas gifts. This topic is a little daunting. I have only just started to think about gifts and really don't have much on my list yet. 

I like to get something practical and something fun for JJ. A few years ago I gave him a chainsaw. This one was a winner because it was both practical and fun. He has been asking for a chainsaw since he was 2 years old. Yes, you read that right... he was 2 years old when he started asking for a chainsaw. I think this freaked his parents out (as it would any parent) and they never got it for him. On his first Christmas as a father, I figured he deserved a chainsaw. He has gotten good use out of it.   

                                                 

This year I am going to get him an edger.  He loves his power tools and the one we have needs to go. He has the hardest time starting it and once it starts it usually conks out.   The fun gift... i have absolutely no idea. 

The kids will probably get toys and books. I want to get H and indoor trampoline. 

                                                     

He is a typical 2, almost 3 year old boy, and has a lot of energy. We have a lot of thunderstorms in Florida so he can't always play outside. I think this will be a good way for him to have fun and get some energy out without wrecking the house.  He got a tool set last year and loved it so much. I would love to get him this nice wooden tool set & work bench. I like to buy toys that will last and that we can keep around for the (future) grandkids. 

                                        

A is a little tougher. This will be her first REAL Christmas. She was 2 months old last year and just sat there. This year she can move and will have a small idea of what is going on and actually be able to play with her presents. I like to buy presents that she can grow in so most of her presents will be more for her when she is 2 than at Christmas when she is newly 1. 

                                         

I think that a little Kitchen set is a must! I want her to be able to use her imagination and H loves to play pretend as well.

                                                

Maybe we will get her a little doll and stroller set so that she can build her caregiver side. I think that is something that every little girl needs. 

As for my mother & sister, we have started an unspoken trend of making things. So... now that someone has gotten me stressed out about Christmas, I will be scouring Pinterest on stuff to make. 

My Favorite Christmas Present: I don't have any pictures of the present (my mom has them). When I was 10 years old I became very big into Samantha the Original American Girl doll. My heart broke when I figured out that she is discontinued. 

                                                 

Anyway, that Christmas I got the Samantha doll as well a stand and numerous outfits. I was in heaven! I didn't think that it could get any better. The last present I opened was from my Aunt Laurel. Aunt Laurel has yet to get married and doesn't have any kids, so my sister and I got to spend a lot of time with her. I absolutely adore my Aunt Laurel with all my heart. So, since Aunt Laurel didn't have any daughters,  she gave me a doll from her childhood that she had saved for her future children. The doll was/is in excellent condition and even came with a change of clothes. Even at 10 years old, I knew how much that doll meant to her and what it meant that she wanted me to have it. 

I get tears in my eyes now just thinking about the love I felt that day knowing that Aunt Laurel thought of me as a daughter and entrusted me with something so precious from her childhood. 

That doll sat on display in my room until I left for college. I have both the Samantha doll and Aunt Laurels doll safely preserved and in storage for A when she gets older. I can't wait to gift her with 2 dolls that have such special meaning to me and my family. 

JJ thinks that dolls are incredibly creepy and has said numerous times that A will not have dolls. I just laugh. The poor guy is going to freak out when I have him build shelves to display dolls in A's room :)

What was the most meaningful Christmas present you have ever given or received? Also, any ideas on present to make for my sister?

KK

Day 3 of the commenting Challenge - PINTEREST!!!

                            

We are on Day 3 of Jenna's 4th Annual Commenting Challenge. The topic for today is Pinterest. A Pin you have actually completed or ones that you want to complete. 

I tend to Pin a lot but rarely complete them... I am trying to get better at it, I swear. (You can follow me on Pinterest HERE. I have made some recipes off Pinterest but there is actually 1 project that I pinned and completed. 

It was around Christmas time and I was trying to find something to go up on our mantel with the Nativity scene.  I came across this on a blog that I follow, I heart nap time, and fell in love with it as soon as I saw it. I HAD to have it in my house. Here is the pin.

Via

                                             

I love the rustic nature of the stained pallet and the sparkly star about the nativity scene. It was just what mine was missing.

This is a fairly easy DIY and only took me 1 night to complete. All you need is some spare wood. I actually went to Lowes and just got some flat pieces of wood (they were really cheap).  I already had the dark stain (I can't remember the name).  I picked up some Martha Stewart craft paint at Michael's.  I got a gold and a gold glitter for this project.

I had my husband cut the boards all the same length and then we nailed them together alternating the way they lined up. I them used my stain and put about 4 coats on the wood until I got the look I was going for. 

When it was time to add the star, I went online and googled "star stencils" and picked this one:

I printed it out on regular printer paper and went to work. I used a straight edge knife to cut out in the inside of the star; then I taped it onto the wood where I wanted the star positioned. Here is how mine looked:

I apologize for the awful photography. This was taken late at night with my phone. 

I then painted the star with the plain gold craft paint. I did several coats so that it would be really gold. Make sure that you tape the pictures down tight. I got the picture as tight as it would go without ripping and I did not have a problem with paint bleeding through or going outside the desired area. Once that dried I put the gold glitter paint in the center of the star. I wanted it the glitter to make the star appear to sparkle and add movement like the star was still guiding the wise men. 

Here is my finished product:

Seriously, please ignore the mustard looking walls (they are not mustard) and the awful photography. 

I am extremely happy with the finished product. I love it and can't wait to get it out of the attic at Christmas and put it up again. Every time I look at it, I smile :)

So... that is my most successful Pinterest project!

Have you had any success with a Pinterest Project or recipe lately?

KK

Commenting Challenge - Day 2: Favorite Show(s)

                                 

We are on Day 2 of Jenna's Commenting Challenge. Todays topic is favorite TV show/series/reality show. 

Let preface this by saying that I love TV. I am not sure what it is but I have always loved watching TV. I was a very active kid growing up by loved TV so much that my parents had to limit me to 30 minutes a day and 1 hour on weekends. That being said, it is pretty hard for me not to list about 100 shows that I watch and love. 

I love that this picture has Damon Wayanes Jr.  He is super funny and missed the boat on this one! That being said, Lamorne Morris is very funny.

First show that I love is New Girl. Anyone want to second that one? It is one of the best new shows. I love the cast and pretty much all episodes are funny (which is rare these days).  Nick Miller is my fantasy crush.  He may be a dirty rapscallion but he has a heart of gold :)

                            

Scandal had me hooked from the first episode. The acting is exceptional and I truly do enjoy the plot lines. I like all the twists and turns and how Olivia Pope outsmarts pretty much every person on the planet. I wish I had that ability.  Also, I hate Fitz! I am not sure what it is about it him (lies... I dislike him because he is a cheater and annoying)  but I do not want to see Olivia get together with him AND I want his wife to leave him. Teach that cheating man a lesson!!!!

                                       

How I Met Your Mother is another favorite. I am completely invested in the show and have waited with bated breath to meet the mother. (I was so glad that they finally showed her in the season finale). I can't wait to see the mother and Ted together as well as Barney & Robin as a married couple. I have always liked B&R together so it makes me very happy that they are getting married. 

                           

Veronica Mars is along the same lines as Scandal but has much more attractive men as a whole. She is a bad ass who solves not only her problems but everyone elses. I was stocked to hear that they are making a movie and can not wait until 2014 when t comes out. I will probably be in line at midnight for it. 

.... and last but not least.....

                            

..... Friends. This is the whole that really started it all for me. I watched all 10 seasons in real time and as much as I am embarrassed to admit it, I cry every time I watch the finale. These people really did become my friends. The show had it all. Laughter, drama, fashion, pretty people. What more do you really want from TV?!?! Monica was probably my favorite character. I am relatively neurotic like her so I identified with her.  Joey really annoyed me the whole series but the show needed him so I always let him slide. 

What is your favorite show(s)? Who was your favorite Friends character? You know you have one. 

4th Annual Commenting Challenge - Day 1 "About Me"

I am participating in Jenna's 4th Annual Commenting Challenge to bring Bloggers together. 

About Me.... this is actually tougher than I had originally thought it would be. 

I am a 30 year old mother of 2 kids age 2 and under, a wife for the last 4 years and a stay at home mom in Jacksonville, FL. That is me in a nutshell. 

Ok... so you were hoping for a little more than that. I went to Florida State University and graduated about 8 years ago . My husband, JJ, also went to FSU but we didn't meet there. We met at the movie Reign of Fire through friends the Christmas of my Freshmen year of college and dated for 4-5 months before breaking up... we call this "Round 1". 

Look at those baby faces!

I am a die-hard Seminole fan. I am actually third generation Florida State grad. My parents met at FSU as did my in-laws. Needless to say, my kids kinda won't have a choice about where they go to school.  That's a lie. They will have a choice but will be heavily steered in 1 direction.

I spent 6 weeks in Florence, Italy after graduation and then moved back home. JJ & I reconnected at the end of 2007. Our first date was the FSU vs. Auburn football game in Jacksonville, FL where Xhavier Lee came in and lit it up. It was a great first date. By far my best first date. Not only did I get to my favorite team win but I got to watch college football (which I think is the best past time ever) but I got to drink alcohol and flirt with a boy I liked) We got married after a year and a half of dating (but we had known each other fora total of 8-9 years by then).  I am lucky that he wanted to marry me because I am a hot mess and not in a good way. He compliments me in every way and according to my mom, I wasn't funny until I met him. Seriously, my mom said that me! 

It took me 5 years to find a job that I love. I fell into being an auto claims adjuster and was extremely surprised about how much I loved it. It helped that everyone who worked in our local off was 37 and under. The job itself was tough but rewarding and enjoying who you work with made the work day that much easier. I am a checklist person and this there was a flow that you tried to follow with every claim. It was great and I excelled at it. 

H 

I had our son, H, 3 months shy of our 2 year anniversary and continued to work. I had thought that it would be hard to leave H but he was a gassy baby so it was kinda nice to hand him off to someone else. He was well looked after and loved while I was at work. I did start to realize how much I was missing by working. I wasn't able to experience the day-to-day life with my son so when we found out that I was pregnant with our daughter, A, we decided I would stay home once she entered the world. 

A

It amazes me how my kids looked exactly alike as newborns.

We had planned to start trying for our second child at the end of 2012 but was surprised by a positive pregnancy test the day after Valentines Day in 2012. Actually, JJ first found out that we were having a second kid when he heard me saying "Oh Shit, Oh Shit, Oh Shit" from the bathroom. So at the end of 2012 (when we were going to start trying to get pregnant) we became parents to 2 kids 21 months apart.  I have had the joy of staying home with my kids ever since. 

It was a tough transition for H & I. He was used to being surrounded by kids all day and I was used to not having screaming kids needing all my attention. After the first 2 months, we got into a groove and have really come to enjoy our time together. It has been a real joy for me to get to know every in & out of my kids personalities and to be there for the little things as well as the big. 

I didn't really start cooking until I stayed home so that I something I am working on. I would not fancy myself a crafty or artsy person but I am starting to like DIY more. I couldn't have cared less about fashion until I started to stay home. All my friends said that I would come to stay in workout clothes all day. As soon as they said that, I set out to prove them wrong. For the most part, I try to dress nicely every day but there are days where I find myself in the same workout clothes from sunup to sun down. 

I decided to start this blog because I have always casually journalled but you can't really add pictures of videos to that. I want to remember what life was like for our family while the kids are growing up. 

So... here we are! That is me! You can find me on Bloglovin, Pinterest & Instagram. Just click on the icons at the top right of the page. 

I hope you enjoy the blog.

KK