P... Pink!

I stumbled across this adorable pink maxi skirt on Pinterest and immediately bought it at Old Navy!  It was a steal.  $15 bucks.... seriously.  I think this is officially the first maxi skirt that I own.    Bright pink just screams spring and I am so ready for spring.  This skirt can be styled in so many different ways.   Once it arrived the mail- I immediately hit the web to get some ideas of how to wear it.  

Check out these inspiration images!

See Jane

Little XO

Rebecca Hearts

My Dressy Ways

Want this skirt for yourself... get it quick!  On sale $15.99.  Until next time...xoxo

C is for cupping!

So, I tried something new this past weekend.   My back has been killing me and I had the cold from hell for two weeks so I thought I deserved some TLC.  I decided to give cupping therapy a try.  It is one of those things I had always been curious about.  When I mentioned it to the husband, he of course rolled his eyes.  But, I did it anyways! :)  


Cupping has been practiced for thousands of years and is a form of eastern medicine... in the realm of acupunture, reike, etc.  Chinese medicine belives that it is believed that illness or disharmony, such as stress and pain can be caused by stagnation of blockage of Qi (vital energy), Blood and lymph fluids.  Cupping therapy involves creating a vacuum in several cups and applying them to the skin. This causes a suction sensation which stimulates energy and fluid flow and eliminates toxins.  And yes for those of you have heard of cupping, it leaves perfectly cylindrical bruises after treatment.  But, I thought if it is good enough for Gywenth (Paltrow), Victoria (Beckham), and Jessica (Simpson) it is good enough for me.  

So, the woman who did my cupping therapy was hard core.   At one point I yelped and she said "pain is good".   It was clear, no pain, no gain.  Where my muscles were tightest the suction did hurt.  It was like getting a very deep tissue massage.  But, after the treatment I felt amazing.  Truly amazing.  I had a range of motion in my neck that I have not had in months!   I will be doing it again.  The husband was horrified that I paid someone 90 bucks to physically bruise me.  Men... just don't understand! :)  I will be curious to see how long it takes for the bruises to go away as I do look like a leopard.

The next day after my cupping therapy treatment I still felt great. I felt a bit sore like I had a intense gym workout.  I wonder how miraculous a second treatment could feel! :)  Until next time...xoxo

F.C.... Fried Chicken!

Okay... so I have a recipe for you today, but not meatless.  Just recently the husband and I made this fried chicken.  I did not tell my husband until after we ate it all and he raved about how good it was that it was a weight watchers recipe.  Yes, he loved it and it was a weight watchers recipe.  This oven fried chicken is truly amazing.  It is crunchy, has tons of flavor and was really moist.  We just cooked this and I am already craving it again! A big thanks to Everyday Maven for sharing this delicious recipe!  I found it on Pinterest, of course!

Ingredients:

• 1 whole organic chicken, cut up into 8 pieces, skin removed  (I just bought a big package of chicken thighs on sale rather than dealing with a whole chicken.)
• 1 5-ounce box Classic Melba Toast, crushed
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• non stick cooking spray or oil mister

1. Start by lining a baking sheet with tin foil and place cooking rack on top. Lightly spray cooking rack with non stick cooking spray.
2. Now, lets crush the Melba Toast. If you are a patient person and want the best possible results, place the Melba Toast in a large ziploc bag and use a rolling pin to crush it. If you are crunched for time or slightly impatient like me, throw it in the food processor. Help the process a bit by crushing it in the package before tossing into the food processor bowl. You do NOT want the Melba Toast to be completely pulverized. Leave some little pebbles and texture for maximum crispy crunch! 
3. Add in salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, garlic powder and oregano. Pulse a couple more times. 
4. Combine Dijon and light mayo in a shallow dish. 
5. Get an assembly line ready: chicken, a shallow dish or plate with mayo mixture, Melba crumbs and lined baking sheet. 
6. Coat one piece of chicken at a time with mayo mixture (just enough to lightly coat) and press into Melba toast crumbs, making sure the chicken is evenly coated. Repeat until all chicken is coated. 
7. Use an oil mister or non stick cooking spray to lightly spray each piece of chicken.
8. Preheat oven to 400F. Place oven rack in upper middle position. Cook for 60 minutes, rotating the baking sheet one time at 30 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve and Enjoy! 

You will NOT disappointed with this recipe.  It is so freaking good!  IF you are on weight watchers (we are not), here is the "skinny":

• Skinless thighs are 3 Points Plus each plus 1 Point Plus for the breading so 4 Points Plus each.
• Skinless legs are 2 Points Plus each plus 1 Point Plus for the breading so 3 Points Plus each.
• Skinless breasts 3 Points Plus each for 4 ounces plus 1 Point Plus for the breading so 4 Points Plus each.

Have a I mentioned how good this chicken is?  Yuuummmy!  Until next time...xoxo

B... is busy!

Yes, we have been busy in our household.   Well, to give credit where credit is due, the husband has been very busy.  I have talked many many many times about how much I hate our backyard and the ugly shed that live there!   I really really hate it.  It is in the center of the yard.  It is really badly constructed and just looks cheap.  But, since we have no garage... we need a shed!  Well, here is the where the "busy" part comes in.

Our shed looked like this just yesterday with the sun shining brightly behind it!

This is what the old shed looks like now!

Bye bye ugly shed.  Wanna see what is replacing this beast?  You will have to check back next week to see! :)  Have a great weekend.

Until next time...xoxo

M.M.... Meatless Monday!

It's baaaacccckkkk!  I have gotten my butt back in gear and am back into menu planning and eating meatless at least one day each week.  Today I am sharing a flavorful pasta dish for you that is very flavor, comforting and meatless! :)  Where did I find it?  Budget Savvy Diva... by way of  Pinterest,  course!  


Ingredients:

• 14 oz of Orecchiette Pasta ( or short pasta)
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Cup of Chopped Onion
• 3 Cloves of Garlic ( Minced)
• 1 Cup of Sour Cream
• 4 oz of Cream Cheese ( Room Temperature)
• 3/4 Cup of Parmesan Cheese
• 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice + Zest
• 10 Oz of Spinach ( Make sure to squeeze excess moisture, after it has been thawed of course)
• 13.5 Can of Artichoke Hearts rinsed and chopped
• 1 Cup of Mozzarella
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
• 1 Teaspoon of Pepper

What to do:

1. Preheat Oven To 425
2. Cook pasta according to the box. Keep 1/4 Cup of the Pasta Water before you drain the cooked pasta.
3. Heat oil in pan and cook onions for 8 – 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for one minute.
4. In a large bowl – Mix Sour Cream, Cream Cheese, Parmesan, Lemon (juice and zest), onions, and garlic. Add Pasta and mix.
5. Stir in spinach, artichokes, 1/4 cup of cooking liquid from the pasta, salt, pepper, and 1/2 Cup of Mozzarella
6. Place mixture into greased 2.5 – 3 qt casserole dish and place the rest of mozzarella cheese on top
7. Place in the oven till golden brown on top – about 10 – 15 minutes.

Mmmmm....meatless!  Until next time...xoxo

P...Pinning!

Okay, I am obsessed with Pinterest.  I have it on my phone and find myself pinning a lot!  I have a board that is all DIY Craft Projects.  I have so many projects I am dying to do, but no time to actually do them.  How did I ever survive without Pinterest eye candy in the past?

Here are some things on my "to do" list!

So many craft project ideas....so little time! :(  Happy Pinning.  Until next time....  xoxo

G..... Gray!

Yes, I am still here!  The past few weeks have been very busy, but what else is new!?  I have back and forth to New York twice in the past two weeks.  I am happy to be home again and not scheduled to get on a plane this week or next.

While I have been busy with work, the husband has been busy at home.  As I have mentioned in the past, I wanted to paint Avery's room.  IT was pale pink, but it did not really suit Avery or her personality.  She has more spunk than pale pink.  We wanted to paint her room gray so that then we could accent it with some more vibrancy... think magenta.

I have been perusing Pinterest for the perfect gray.  Something light and bright, but something that has enough contrast against white trim.

And the winner is..... Alaskan Huskie!  (Swatch Shown Above)   We... I meant the husband painted the room and it looks awesome.  We both LOVE it.  Photos to come later, but this nursery is becoming a toddler room!

Until next time...xoxo