Pinterest Addicted

We all know that social media can be addicting.  Pinterest is my new weakness.  I've blogged about Pinterest before.  It's this social photo-sharing site that allows you to create themed boards by pinning photos.  You can pin items from websites, and then the photos are linked to the website where the photo came from.  You can also search for certain themes of items on Pinterest or scroll through recently pinned items by your friends.  This is one of my favorite things to do.

Some of my boards are just for inspiration, some are recipes I want to try, and some have items from shopping online that are on my "wish list".  JW discovered how handy Pinterest could be in shopping for me around Valentine's Day.  I made him a board that I could pin things that reminded me of him to.  A few days later I noticed he had learned to pin and was pinning things he wanted to his board.  I love it! 

I am a list girl.  I like to write things down so I don't forget them or have to keep thinking about them.  It makes me feel organized.  I currently have a list on our refrigerator of movies I want to rent from Redbox and ones I want to go see in the theater.  We have a grocery list in the kitchen drawer, a menu of meals for the week on the fridge, and I have many lists at work.  Pinterest is a fun way to make a virtual list, if you will, and to be creative.  You can see my boards here.  Be careful if you decide to create an account.  It can get addicting!

http://pinterest.com/ahance/

X-O-X-O

Our Valentine's Day was fairly low-key this year.  I think it's neat that in marriage sometimes low-key can be just right... not any less special, but just comfortable.  If you're doing it right in a relationship, your spouse already knows how much you love them.  It's certainly wonderful to have a day dedicated to celebrating the love you have for one another, and as a hopeless romantic who loves to celebrate just about anything, I certainly would never turn down any excuse to do just that.

Heart Day was on a Tuesday this year, and my March for Babies Kick Off Luncheon was on Friday so work was busy, and a low-key night at home sounded great to us.  We took Dakota to her training class that meets on Tuesday evenings and then came home to cook a yummy meal together.  I shared our Valentine's Day Menu with you last week, but here's a look at the final product.  It was delish!

 Filet Mignon with Goat Cheese topping, steamed garlic broccoli, and roasted garlic mashed potatoes.

 The only down side to cooking a romantic dinner at home is that when you are finished, your kitchen looks like this...  We left it just like this until the day after Valentine's Day though.  No dishes on Heart Day. :)

 After dinner, we exchanged gifts to each other.

Joey got a four wheel drive remote control tank with an air soft gun on top of it that is called the Air Soft Justice Dealer.  Scary sounding, right?  He saw it around Christmas time when we were considering giving it to my brother.  We decided on something else, but I made a mental note because JW thought it was so cool that it could be a present for him one day.  I also found a football bean bag toss game at Marshall's.  It will be fun to play with friends in the backyard or at a tailgate.

Joey got me a pretty porcelain and iron spoon rest for the kitchen that I had pinned on Pinterest.  Yes, a couple of weeks before Valentine's Day when I was showing JW some things I had pinned, he realized what a helpful tool Pinterest could be in his shopping for me. :)  I have a resourceful hubby.

Along with our Valentine's Day card from my parents, my mom sent us these cute Valentine's Day debit cards.  We also got an email with these instructions.

Instructions from Mom: You are to spread them out and take turns picking a card to use for special favors or treats from your mate.  At the end you will each have six cards to collect on the specified "gift" from each other.  The best part is that once you redeem the card it then becomes the property of the other person so they can redeem it at a future time for the same gift or service.  They don't have an expiration date, but the more you use them the more fun you'll have together!  Happy spending and giving!

So fun, right?  So, as directed JW and I spread them out on the table face up, and I get to pick first.  I pick "Write me a Love Poem" because JW is good at that sort of thing and I didn't particularly want to do that one.  JW picks next and he picks "Night out Dancing" because he doesn't love to dance and if he picks it, I can't use it.  Now wait a minute, right?  That is not the idea here.  We are supposed to be using these to love each other, not scheming to avoid the ones we don't want to do...

So, we scold ourselves, put them all back, and turn them over- this time face down.  We take turns picking again and each get six cards that we are excited to redeem at any time.  JW proposes one trade- If I give him the "Dance 'Til Dark" card, he will give me "Breakfast in Bed".  I love breakfast, especially if it's in bed and I don't have to make it, so I agree to the trade.  They have been fun to use and redeem so far.  We have enjoyed "Breakfast in Bed", "Pizza for Two", and bought the ingredients for JW to make me a "Batch of My Favorite Cookies" in the near future.  Low-key doesn't mean insignificant.  We had a great day celebrating our love.  Can't believe this was our third Valentine's Day as a married couple... time flies!

Birthday Weekend in Sugar Land

Last weekend JW and I headed to the Land of Sugar to celebrate a couple of Mullings' birthdays.  My dad and little sister both have birthdays in February and this year happens to mark big ones for both of them!  Claire turned 13 on February 9th.  The rule mom and dad had for Claire was that she had to be 13 before she could wear makeup, so I went shopping and got her everything she needed to get started as a gift from JW, me, and Taylor.  I had a lot of fun!  So, Claire's party was Friday night.  We got there in time to help mom put the finishing touches on the party, and I got to give Claire a make over with all of her new makeup.  She looked beautiful.

Claire's party was a dance party in the foyer of my parents' house.  Those that know my mom won't be surprised at how amazing everything looked.  Obviously, the theme was a black, white, and red club-like vibe.  Check it out.

One of mom's friends who has a daughter Claire's age made the cake.  Wow, right?  It nearly killed my mom to cut into it.

Look at all the vignettes mom had around the dance floor.  Another one of our family friends who also has a daughter Claire's age happened to have a lot of black and white sassy zebra decorations that fit perfectly with Claire's theme.  The mannequin is wearing the dance-off competition awards that mom made.  At the party, Joey and I judged a dance-off and gave out the best Boy/Girl Dancer awards and the Wish You Could Dance award.  It was a tough decision.  These kids had moves. 

Yummy food table.  We had fajitas for dinner, and along with cake, chocolate covered strawberries and red velvet cupcakes for dessert.  Notice all the red and black... my mom is a detail girl for sure!

Claire and her friends tearing up the dance floor.  At one point I joined them and learned how to Wobble.  It was fun!

JW sporting some of the cool party glasses and enjoying a red strawberry slushy

We were deemed the "cool chaperones"... don't we look cool? :)

Dad and Mom with the birthday girl

Me and Claire Bear

So, in addition to celebrating Claire's 13th, dad turns the big 5-0 at the end of this month.  Hunter had a baseball tournament on Saturday, and we enjoyed getting to watch him play.  It was freezing and of course I forgot my camera... bummer.   :(  We hadn't seen him play baseball this year, and JW was pretty impressed with how athletic Hunt is.  Then, Saturday night we had a birthday dinner to celebrate dad and his upcoming birthday.  My dad is a pretty awesome guy who is very fun and young at heart.  We are pretty lucky to have him.

Chocolate and peanut butter are two of my dad's favorites, so we made a Chocolate-Peanut Butter pie to sink his big candles into. 

When we came out singing, he said we had the wrong numbers on his cake.  Silly dad!  You may not seem 50, but that is how many years you have been a blessing on this earth. :)

We had a great weekend in Sugar Land celebrating dad and Claire.  It was fun to be a part of their weekend, and we look forward to living closer so we can see them more often.

Happy Birthday, Dad and Claire!  You are both loved very much.

Valentine's Day Menu

Instead of braving the crowds at a restaurant this year on Valentine's Day, JW and I decided to cook a yummy meal at home.  We do have a gift card to a nice restaurant here in town that we want to use to celebrate this weekend, but tomorrow we will have a romantic dinner at home.  Here is what we'll be making.

Filet Mignon with Balsamic Syrup and Goat Cheese

recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 6 (5 to 6-ounce) filet mignon steaks (each about 1-inch thick)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 ounces soft fresh goat cheese

Directions

Boil the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/3 cup, stirring occasionally, about 18 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Melt the butter in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper. Cook the steaks to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer the steaks to a baking sheet. Crumble the cheese over the steaks and broil just until the cheese melts, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with pepper.
Transfer the steaks to plates. Drizzle the balsamic sauce around the steaks and serve.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

recipe courtesy of The Neely's

Ingredients

• 1 head garlic
• Olive oil
• 2 pounds red potatoes, washed well and quartered
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Slice off the very top of the garlic head. Drizzle head with olive oil and wrap in foil. Place on a sheet tray and bake until tender and fragrant, roughly 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Remove the cloves and mash with a wooden spoon.
Place potatoes in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Add salt and bring to a boil. Cook until fork tender and drain. Mash the potatoes until smooth.
Meanwhile heat butter and cream until butter melts. Add the roasted garlic and potatoes and mash all together.
Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

We will also have salad and steamed broccoli as additional sides.

And for dessert....

 Molten Lava Cakes

recipe courtesy of The Neely's

Ingredients

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, plus more for the ramekins
• 4 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting (optional)
• 6 large eggs plus 6 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter eight 6-ounce ramekins and sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar.

Combine the butter, cinnamon, cayenne, nutmeg and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently until melted and smooth. Cool slightly. Whisk the flour, confectioners' sugar, eggs and yolks, vanilla extract and almond extract in a bowl until creamy. Whisk in the melted chocolate mixture. Divide among the prepared ramekins.

Bake the cakes until the tops are stiff and the edges darken, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 5 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cakes with a small paring knife and transfer to plates while warm. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

Yum, right?!  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.  I hope your Valentine's Day is full of great memories with those you LOVE! 

Beauty Favorites

Disclaimer to male blog readers: This post is about beauty products of which you probably have no interest.  I won't be offended if you bail now.  Now onto the blog... so ladies, do you have certain products that are your favorite?  I do.  I buy the same brand and kind every time I need certain items.  JW has a few products that he likes, but would use whatever he found that was cheapest.  There are some things that I'm not picky about, like the brand of my nail polish, but then there are some things that I know exactly what I want, and if I can't find what I normally buy or one of my items gets discontinued, it really irks me.  Been there?  If you find something that works, it's frustrating to have to switch.  So, this post is to share all of my favorite beauty products.

 I use Suave Rosemary Mint Shampoo and Conditioner.  I am not too picky about shampoo and conditioner, but these are very reasonably priced and I love the refreshing smell.

Dial Clean & Refresh Lavender body wash is my favorite.  It is antibacterial, which I like, and doesn't dry my skin out.  I also love the fresh lavender scent.

 I feel like mouse weighs my hair down often times, but I like this Suave Volumizing Boot Boost Spray.  I spray it at the roots especially at the crown of my head where I like that extra volume and hold.

 Every now and then, I style my hair wavy, and I like this Suave Captivating Curls Mouse.  It gives my hair the right amount of hold without leaving it "crunchy".

 Hair spray is finish I never go without.  I always have baby hairs that need to be tamed, and it helps hold that spot together at the crown of my head where my hair tends to split and part.  This hair spray is the right amount of hold without making my hair feel heavy.  I even carry a travel-sized one of these in my purse for touch-ups throughout the day.

My face is pretty sensitive and I still battle the occasional break-out.  This Clearasil Daily Face Wash works well for me.

 With the colder weather, my face has been feeling dry.  Like I said, oily or new products tend to make me break-out.  So, I found this Clear Complexion moisturizer by Aveeno that I like a lot.

I have used BeautiControl powder since I first started wearing makeup.  I don't like thick cream or liquid foundation, so this powder is the perfect amount of coverage for me.  I order from a local rep who delivers it right to my door.  Couldn't be easier!

 I tend to change the color of my blush throughout the year depending on how tan I am or if I am going for a warm bronze glow or a deeper rose highlight.  I have found that Origins has a great selection of shades that stay and wear well.

 Origins Once Upon a Shine lip gloss in Sheer Lilac is my absolute favorite thing to wear on my lips!  I love the thickness, texture, and moisurizing effect of this gloss.  The Sheer Lilac shade seems to be a good one for me.  I can wear it by itself for daytime or layer it on top of a lipstick for a more dramatic evening look.

 Loreal Extra-Intense Liquid Pencil Eyeliner goes on so smoothly and easily.  I use it in a brown shade most of the time and smudge it up a bit with my eyeshadow.  I like the creamy texture that makes it so easy to apply.

 I am pretty particular about my mascara.  I like a brush applicator that doesn't have too much "give" to it, so that I can lengthen and separate my eyelashes well.  This is probably one of the products I have had to switch the most often because the kind I am using gets discontinued.  I usually stick with Maybelline though.  I like their mascaras. 

This is the best chapstick.  I have one in my purse, one in the living room, and another one on my nightstand next to the bed.  Kleenex and chapstick.  My husband makes fun of me because I have them stashed everywhere, but they are things I like to have handy.

I change the fragrances I wear, but I like perfume that smells fresh... nothing too sweet.  I like to buy my perfume at Marshall's (surprise, surprise), but you can't smell or sample fragrances there, so I tend to pre-shop and test them elsewhere, and then buy what I can find at Marshall's. Shi by Alfred Sung is what I am wearing lately.






So, what are some of your favorite products?  Which ones are great economical buys, and what things are worth it to you to splurge on?

Blast Off

This weekend Rich and Megan came to Waco to visit on Friday and Saturday.  It was a lot of fun to see them and relive life like we used to when they lived here.  It was a low-key weekend that consisted of movie watching, Mario Kart racing, antique shopping, and rocket shooting.  So fun!  Take a look.

JW and Rich playing Tanks while I cooked dinner

They stand up close to the tv and scheme together.  It's pretty funny.  After watching a movie Friday night, the boys stayed up to put one more coat of paint on Joey's rocket and Meg and I went to bed.  The boys didn't end up coming to bed until almost 2 a.m. because they decided to play the Wii some more... addicting I suppose. :)

Kisses for Meg

Dakota went crazy to meet her Aunt Meg and Uncle Rich!  She was bouncing off of everything. literally.

Har giving Meg love

After we told Harley that Rich and Megan were coming, she spent the afternoon waiting by the front door for them.  It was pretty cute.  She kept looking at the door even after they got here looking for Tegan I think, but they had other things to fit in their car and haul back to Coppell with them, so didn't bring her this time. 

Dakota and Megan

We took the dogs to the park with us when we went to shoot off Joey's rocket on Saturday.  Dakota just got her last booster shot on Friday, so this was the first time for us to take both of the dogs somewhere.  I'm glad we had the extra hands.  The dogs were so excited, and Dakota is not very good on her leash yet.  I'm quite certain I would have ended up on the ground in a tangled mess if I was on my own.

The boys surveyed the park and made their calculations accounting for the wind to find the perfect spot to launch from.  This rocket was a pretty big project for Joey, and he was very excited to shoot it off with Rich.  It ended up being a cold and pretty windy day, so we only shot off one of the two he made.  It was pretty awesome, just like JW said it would be. :)

Rich videoed the take-off with his phone.  The rocket headed straight over a neighborhood to the left at first, but once the wind caught it and it floated back down by parachute, the boys calculations were perfect.  Pretty cool.  Check it out!