Ham, Cheese and Pineapple Sandwiches

"Hello, my name is Bubba, and I am a Pineapple addict." 

Bubba loves pineapple. Its actually a little bit disgusting how much he likes pineapple. We always have an open can at our house just for snacks...and the snacks happen daily. I like pineapple, but not like this man does.

The other day I asked him what he wanted for breakfast. He told me he wanted a ham, cheese and pineapple sandwich. So, I made it for him. 

It's super easy. 

Just use a sandwich maker, and make sure you use ROUND pineapple slices.

And Swiss Cheese.

Bubba ate three of these he liked them so much.

I think that says enough for the sandwich.

A Trip to the Zoo

We're taking full advantage of the warmer weather with the little dude. The other day we even went to the zoo! I am so thankful I brought my camera... little man LOVED IT!

"MOM! AN ELEPHANT!"

We didn't think he'd hold his arms out for the photo... but when the other kids did it he wanted to as well. He's the size of a juvenile Ape! 

All the animals were awake, playful and happy. So were all the kiddos there, including little dude!

He spent most of the trip on Daddy's shoulders... but lets be honest, that's where the best view is!

I have multiple photos of me and this drinking fountain. I am so thankful they kept it for emotional saps like me!

He loved looking at all the birds! He's checking out the Geese (or as I like to call them, Satan's Swans, I HATE Geese!) 

All in all, it was a wonderful trip. Everyone was happy. Everyone loved the trip. Everyone got to see cute animals. And afterwards, everyone got a nap! 

Hope you're having a great day!

Mani Monday: China Glaze - Awaken

I'm not a fan of these photos, mainly because my nails were painted this way for a week...so the nails look trashed. That being said, can you believe this polish lived through me being a mommy, sick baby, sick daddy, work, school, etc? I love it!

My husband call these my "gunmetal" nails. I love the color. The only thing I don't like about this polish is the price. That being said... lets talk about how to get it for cheap. 

Orig price $8.00

ULTA sale - buy one get one free - $4.00

Foursquare Check in Bonus - 10% off total purchase
Final Price - $3.20 per bottle.

What color are you wearing this week? 

St. Patricks Day

The day before St. Patricks day was a big, busy one! We went downtown, per our tradition  to see the Parade. We started doing this when Bubba and I had first started dating, he was actually IN the parade and asked me to come see him play. I had worked a night shift the night before, (13+ hours!) and was exhausted, but agreed to go. I am so glad I did!

Since then last year was the only year we missed (yeah, we had a 1 month old and it was snowing. do you blame me?), and we were so excited to take little dude, who LOVED IT. The Motor squad did their start to the parade, which he just loved. The loud music he danced to, the colors he ooh-ed and ahh-ed over. He even waved at the fire fighters sitting on top of their ladder trucks. He certainly had a great time! 

We got to go to the RSL season opener later that night, where we played Colorado Rapids. The score ended up being 1-1, and we got to stay for the reserves match later! We were loud, proud, annoying RSL fans, but it was so much fun! We went with my dad and brother who made the night that much more fun!

Now for the not so fun part... 

After picking up little dude, who was sick and not feeling well (teething, poor kiddo). We got a phone call from a friend of Bubbas.

"Your apartment complex is on fire. Is it yours?"

Needless to say, we rushed home, to discover, thankfully, it wasn't. It was actually right next to our old unit though, and the entire complex was hazy, smoky, and chaotic. Everyone was on cell phones, everyone was outside, everyone wanted to see the fire. Bubba and I are both certified in emergency training, so we hunkered into our apt and waited for word on whether we needed to evacuate due to the fire being out of control or if we could sleep in our own bed that night. We watched the Lorax and kept our eyes on the news for information. 

We got to stay the night. The fire was extinguished. No deaths, no injuries, and thankfully all we have as a memory is a destroyed building and some hefty smoke smells. 

Here's some video/news links: KSL - KUTV - 

Needless to say, I really think we will remember this St. Patrick's day!

Tater-Tot Casserole

Casseroles are the best. You get them when your sick, or after you have a baby, you get them when someone brings over dinner, or you make them yourself when you want a really easy dinner that tastes great.

I make casseroles when the crockpot is dirty and I want to be a very lazy chef. 

That's just how I roll. 

Tater-Tot Casserole

What You'll Need:
16 oz bag of frozen tater tots

1 lb ground beef

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup cheese (I used fiesta blend)

Salt and Pepper to taste

How to do it:

In a skillet, brown your beef. The original recipe calls for salt and pepper on it. I used Grub Rub, and it worked out great as a substitute.
Spray your baking pan with oil and let sit. Before your beef is finished cooking, open your can of cream of chicken soup and spread it in a thin layer in the baking pan. Once your beef is finished cooking, set aside and let cool for at least one minute. Mix beef and cream of chicken soup together in the baking dish.

Add your tater tots. I layered them in order nice and neat. You can just throw them on, you don't need to be as OCD as me. :)

Bake in the oven at 375 for about 35 minutes. Once cooked, remove from oven, add cheese (and trust me, you can add more than I did if you're a cheese-a-holic) and return to oven for about seven more minutes. 

Remove from oven. Let sit a few moments to cool.

Serve with veggies and enjoy!

Spring Soccer Training Camp: In Session

The weather was perfect, and sunny, for the first time in a long time. We were all going stir crazy, so we took a soccer ball outside and started to play.

Coach Daddy made sure Little dude's form was good, and that his focus was on the ball!

He coached him on proper use of footing while kicking the ball.

And he enjoyed every minute of it!

March Glam Bag & Mani Monday

Signing up for a Glam Bag is one of the smartest moves I've ever made. Its fun too! Each month, for only $10 I get 5 items, a cute makeup bag and coupons! I love it, and the surprise is the best part! 

This GLAM RX case is has a mirror in it! You can add your makeup as needed. This has to be one of the cutest things EVER!

This months bag was all about protecting your skin, keeping clean, fresh, pretty and hydrated.

Yeah, these babies went immediately into my purse. Love em!

Love the natural look of these two colors. I'll be wearing them to work!

Oh, and Mani Monday, as promised!

This color is Revlon. I could not resist. I have an addiction to glitter lately (as proven by my phone case).  

Hope you're having a great day! 

Stuffed Toast

Is it cheating if you see a recipe, but don't follow any of the instructions and just wing it? Because that is what I totally did for this breakfast. Inspired by a pin that supposedly had all the instructions, I totally winged it. But it was a tasty wing, I'll tell you that.

What You'll Need:

Bread (2 slices per stuff)
1/2 block cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar (and then a little for decoration on top!)
Blueberries to taste
Butter (to butter the bread before cooking)
Sandwich maker 

How to do it:

1. Butter the bread on one side each. Set aside. Start the sandwich maker up and let it warm up.
2. In a bowl, mix your powdered sugar and your cream cheese. It helps to soften the cream cheese first. Add blueberries to taste, or to color, whatever YOU prefer!

3. Place butter side down on the sandwich maker, and then add the mixture to the face up portion of the bread. Make sure with your top piece of bread the butter will go against the metal. (Trust me, buttering the bread always makes sandwich maker sandwiches taste better!)

4. Cook until completed. Unplug your sandwich maker and let cool (they'll fall apart otherwise). Add toppings as desired and serve. 

Enjoy!

When the Bathtub Glows

We had had a very busy day. We ran errands. Dealt with teething woes. Handled meltdowns. It was nearing time for bath and bed, and I wanted to make it special for a grumpy little man.

As the time was nearing closer and closer, I was finishing a project of organizing one of his toy bins, to discover the glow sticks I had placed in there were untouched.

Game on. 

Snapped them to glow and tossed them in the tub and turned out the lights. Little man couldn't get in the water fast enough. He LOVED it. 

Daddy and mommy played with the sticks too- making it fun for all of us while little dude got to play, enjoy a bath, and have a happy end to a grumpy day. 

 

Date Night: Heathen Highlanders and SWAGGER

My father in law has the coolest job ever, and every now and then we get to benefit from it, like by attending concerts for free, or getting to go to cool events. My husband has been able to go to the high speed motorcycle races, we've gone to charity auctions, and many bar events, and now, a concert. Its pretty freaking sweet.

Here are some photos from that night - and even better, Bubba and I got to have a date night!

Enjoying the live music!

Swagger, warming up. They were AMAZING. If you like Johnny Cash, Dropkick Murphy's, and traditional Scottish music, you'll LOVE these guys. Ring of Fire played with Bagpipes? Yeah, it was pretty freaking bad-ass. 

The drummer is Justin, a dear friend of ours. He plays with Heathen Highlanders. These guys are FUN. Not only are they super talented in traditional/competition pipe and drum music, but they throw pirate flags on their pipes and play heavy metal and rock music with their pipes and drums. Love them. If you live in Salt Lake, go to Piper Down, you'll see them there all the time!

The highlight of my sister-in-laws night with us, was seeing who we supposed was a pimp. After talking to my friends that came also, we discovered he's not a pimp, but he thinks he's one. This guy goes to bars all the time and hits on the hot chicks, and is basically the dirtiest old man we've ever seen. 

All in all it was a blast, we had a great time, listened to fantastic music and enjoyed the evening! A BIG thanks to my father-in-law for letting us come out and join him!

Not too shabby, Shabby Apple!

Lets be honest here. We are all in love with the products Shabby Apple comes out with.

Like their line Ferris Wheel. I'm in love. 

Or Aquamaids. So beautiful. 

Now that I've bombarded you with beautiful pictures, I have to tell you, they're having a buy one get one 50% off sale! Click on THIS LINK to find out more, and to ooh and ahh over more dresses!

P.s. If you buy something, let me know! I'd love to see what you decided to get!

GLOP

My sister-in-law Amanda, gave me this recipe. I remember her telling me it was one of her sons favorites, and that it was ridiculously easy to make. Since then (and its been awhile!) I've been wanting to try it! Why not on a busy night? 

What you'll need:

1 box Mac'N'Cheese

1 lb ground beef

1/2 can corn

1/2 can tomatoes (died, petite)

1 can mild chili

In a skillet, prep your ground beef. Add season salt for taste. In a large pot, begin your mac'n'cheese according to the box. Once cooked, drained, and with the cheese packet, milk, and butter added, turn to low heat.

Add Chili, corn and tomatoes, stir well. Once ground beef is cooked, add that too. 

Yeah. Just that easy. 

Enjoy!

Liebster Award!

Lacie, from The Danielsons, being the sweetheart she is, nominated me for my FIRST blog award! Lacie,  thank you SO MUCH. You have no idea how excited I am! 

Leibster, (Leibste) meaning kindest, dearest, beloved, cute, endearing in German.The Liebster award is a blogger-to-blogger peer award, used to highlight up-and-coming, smaller, lesser known blogs that have less than 200 followers. This award is one you accept with the intention of paying it forward. 

 So, here are the guidelines for the award1. You must post 11 random things about yourself.2. Answer the questions that the nominator set for you.3. Create 11 questions for the people you nominate.4. Choose 11 new blogs you love and link them in your post.5. Please leave me a comment on this post with the URL to your Liebster post so I can learn more about you!

My 11 Questions for the  to answer:

1. how did you and your spouse meet? Bubba and I actually met my Senior year of high school through a mutual friend. We hung out once or twice that year, and he even attended my graduation. The November after I graduated we agreed we would visit mutual said friend in college in Arizona, and would road trip together. That's where we really got to know each other and started to fall in love. 

2. how many children do you currently have? One. And boy, do we love that little one!

3. do you wish you had more or less children? Honestly, that is a discussion we've had lately. We love our little dude tons, and we'd always discussed having more kids, but we just aren't ready yet. This topic comes up every time a friend with a child our childs age (or younger) announces their second or third child. We want more, but aren't ready yet. 

4. describe what life was like for you growing up? Busy, but in the best possible way. We kept busy and kept out of trouble. We worked hard, played harder. It was very family oriented. 

5. what is your dream house & where would it be located? My dream house is a place we can call home. Where I can put nails in the walls and paint them. Where I can have the floors I want, and not worry about moving in a few years.

6. what is your most embarrassing moment? Any time I need to be serious, I seriously cannot. So I giggle at funerals, doctors appointments, etc. I burst out laughing when a doctor called time of death once- and THAT'S the worst part- having to explain its a nervous thing.

7. what is the most memorable song in your life & why? (ie..wedding song) Drift off to Dream by Travis Tritt. When Bubba and I were dating, I LOVED this song. It came on the Ipod one night, and he pulled the car over and rolled the windows down to blast the music and dance with me. I will never forget it!

8. what is your favorite dessert? My mother-in-laws better than sex cake. Followed very closely by TGI Fridays cup-o-dirt.

9. if you had to pick one thing about parenting that you feel is the most important what would it be? Actually PLAYING with your kids. I sometimes get annoyed at other moms that are always on their phones, or worse, blatantly ignoring their kids. I love to get on the floor and play with little man, chase him, and create memories. 

10. how long have you been blogging & why did you start? I actually was a medi-blogger from 2008-2010, blogging a very Grey's Anatomy style-esque blog about life, thoughts about the healthcare field and the like. It was very successful, but I decided to give it up to focus on the more important things in my life, like my family, school, spouse, and personal likes. 

11. what is your favorite recipe? I don't have a favorite... but I do have a million that I really like. 

My Nominees are....
*drumroll please*

Kelsey @ Stories of Kel

Kenz @ Interiors by Kenz

Marsa @ The DayLee Journal

Jessi @ Haircut and General Attitude

Archie @ The Reluctant Optimist

Farva @ Farva's Fashions

Megan @ and here's to you, Mrs. Robinson

Chris @ Life Under the Lights

Kelly @ A Day in the Life of an Ambulance Driver

Sara @ House of Shoes

Megan @ Absolute Mommy

My Questions for YOU are:

1. If you could do any career for the rest of your life, no limits or restrictions, what would it be?

2. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

3. Tell me about your strangest relative.

4. What is the one thing you cannot live without?

5. What is one store you will never leave empty-handed?

6. What is the one thing you want, but will never actually go and buy?

7. What is your favorite thing about your spouse/significant other?

8. What drives you the most insane during the day?

9. What is your favorite quote/talk/phrase/scripture/etc?

10. Blogger confession time- tell me something super-bloggy, and normally embarrassing, that you've done for the sake of blogging. 

11. What is the average flight speed of an unladen swallow? 

Mani Monday: St. Patrick's Nails

I don't get to really dress up much.

My uniform at work is all black scrubs. My uniform for school is jeans, a tee and a "mommy blogger bun" as my family has come to call it. My uniform for church is a pretty consistent tee and a skirt. I'm the most boring dressed person ever. 

That being said. I love to dress up my nails. And with the holiday coming, I couldn't wait to dress them up! I can actually get away with this mani at work too!

Green Polish: ICE:Free Spirit (Walmart, $1.25)
Gold Polish: Nailtini: Millionaire ( Retails: $13.00/ Mine came from a GlamBag)

This is why we can't have nice pictures!

I'm sure any mom can understand where I'm coming from here when I say my only excuse for not having more photos lately of the family is because I have a toddler. 

If the camera comes out he goes for it. 

And then it becomes a race to capture those moments. 

And usually, I lose that race.

Thats not to say those moments aren't happening.
They are.

Little dude wearing Daddy's tee shirt. He put it on himself and it quickly turned into a toga. That particular morning was full of giggles because Daddy and Brayden were both feeling hammy.

Follow me on Instagram for more photos. I'll be posting more often now that I have a camera with a phone that works.