MDW 2014

Here's a quick little slideshow of our weekend. We went to Blizzard Beach on Saturday to meet up with my brother-in-law and his girlfriend Jenn. Sunday and Monday were mainly spent at home...nothing crazy. We ventured out to Lowe's for a bit, browsed around for some inspiration for the new house AND picked out a new doorknob, exciting stuff. I'm ashamed to admit that we rented Don Jon on Redbox, and I actually liked it... a lot. Last night's Apricot Chicken made the slideshow...obviously. Three whole days of enjoying Ella's little giggles and smiles. It was the perfect long weekend if you ask me!

By the way, I'm absolutely OBSESSED with this song "Am I Wrong" by Nico & Vinz. There's a chance YouTube will be on to me and the music to this slideshow won't work by the time this post goes live - which is why I linked it juuuuust in case! You're welcome! 

What's cooking this week?

Happy Memorial Day! 

{printable via}

The closest we've gotten to a BBQ this weekend was yesterday when we went to Lowe's and Hubs checked some out for the new house. You better believe this time next year we will be having the traditional BBQ as we remember what's really important today! For this year though, baked apricot chicken will have to do! The Magimix is out. I'll be spending the day making some more fruit puree for Ella, and pierogies for dinner later in the week!
Ella said her first word a few days ago!!!! No joke....it was "COOK"! Obviously this excites me very much! You can't make this stuff up! If I catch it on video I'll post it!

Tonight: Apricot Chicken and Green Beans
Tuesday: BBQ Chicken Fajita Pitas
Wednesday: Pierogies
Thursday: Broccoli Cheddar Soup and steak for Hubs
Friday: Pomodoro Tilapia

Saturday was very eventful, so we've been spending the rest of the long weekend recovering. I'll post more about that tomorrow. Right now I've got a cranky baby who keeps bumping her head under my chair....and some defrosting pear puree with her name on it! 

Strolling

I've watched this video at least 25 times. Frankly, it's not enough. Watching this causes instant smiles so obviously it needed to be shared! Enjoy! 

Busy Ladies

My girl and I just made it through yet another busy week. More importantly, we have somewhat made it through the school year! I say "somewhat" because I still have to work a bit before I can officially celebrate being on summer vacation. The students are finished so THAT is worth celebrating! The days of our mornings starting out like this are coming to a close...

By the way I'm OBSESSED with my fruit infuser water bottle thingy that I got from my friend Rachel! So far, I've tried it with blackberries and watermelon. So refreshing. Not pictured here - my giant coffee that I consume before getting to the healthier stuff! 

On Thursday, Ella came to work with me. As you can see, I put her to work. She had a great time visiting with all of IMS's finest at the end of the year staff luncheon! Of course she also had a great time hanging with her pretty little friend Chloe, who is getting to be so big! Look at these two cuties hanging out in the cafeteria! 

Today was a little emotional saying goodbye to our 8th graders. They were such a wonderful group of kids that I had as 6th and 7th graders. In my FIVE years (whoa, that went fast) as a Guidance Counselor, this is the most attached I've ever gotten. They are the last group that knew me as "Ms. Scoma"! We sure will miss all of our kiddos...but man we are more than ready for a break! 

Needless to say, this has been an exhausting week for us. Ella has been hitting all kinds of milestones...pushing her stroller, yapping up a storm, and her teeth are coming in! The best part of every day has been coming home and snuggling my girl! We are all resting up for a fun three day weekend! Tomorrow we are heading to Blizzard Beach to see Uncle Rich and Jenn! I'm so excited for Ella to meet them and for her first water park experience. It should be interesting fun!

Surely by Sunday, I'll be back in "cozy mode"!
Happy Weekend!!!

I Heart My Magimix {Review}

This review has been in the works for a while now. I wanted to use this bad boy several times before sharing my thoughts with you all. If you are in the market for a heavy duty food processor that literally does it all, then look no further!

A few months ago, the people at Magimix By Robot-Coupe were kind enough to contact me and send me this food processor to review. This powerful machine is no joke! When the box arrived, I couldn't believe how many different attachments and pieces that came with it....

• 6-cup, 10-cup and 12-cup mixing bowls.
• 2 metal Sabatier blades, one for small bowl, and one for medium and large bowls.
• Dough blade.
• 2 grating discs.
• 2 slicing discs.
• Blender Mix attachment.
• Egg whisk.
• Spatula.
• Recipe book and DVD.
• Storage box.

Unpacking the box was slightly overwhelming, I definitely wondered what half of this stuff even does! Upon reading the instructions though I realized it's not all that confusing...but I'm still unsure what the circular white piece in the upper right of this pic does. Stephen and I thought it was just a piece of plastic used in packing. I'm glad we didn't throw it away- it obviously does something. 

Ahhhh, upon further research I found out it's the blendermix attachment. Now I can't wait to try it out to make Ella's purees extra creamy. 

Let's talk pros, because there are a lot of them. The first thing I noticed is that the Magimix is quiet! I have no qualms about using it while Ella is napping. How convenient is that?! I love how powerful it is, and how it turns all of the fruits and veggies into purees with such ease, leaving no chunks! That is important especially when making baby food. 

It is very durable and sturdy. I could tell this baby is going to hold up for a long time. The chrome is very simple and wipes clean easily. Speaking of simplicity, there are only three buttons on the food processor itself - on, off, and pulse...easy peasy!

Okay so yessss, there are a bunch of attachments. Depending on you you look at it, it can be either a pro or a con. I like to think of it as a major positive even though they all overwhelmed me at first. The little storage box it comes with is perfect for packing it all away neatly. There are a few key pieces that are my "go to" attachments however it is great to know that the possibilities are endless as far as what else I could use this machine for. I don't have a need for a multitude of kitchen appliances since this is an all-in-one food processor. 

In addition to a TON of baby food purees (fruit, vegetables AND meats), I've also made bases for several soups, as well as sauces. The other night I used the smaller 6 cup bowl to make salad dressing. 

One thing I wasn't impressed with the mash and puree kit. Then again I only attempted it once with sweet potatoes. There is a chance I may have been using it wrong, the directions were a little confusing I'm not going to lie. The food processor itself purees her food so well, I just didn't find a need for the extra attachement anyway.

The only other con I could think of is that since there are so many pieces, there is a lot to clean. The fact that there are multiple mixing bowls helps a lot though when cranking out 8 different kinds of purees!

It is definitely on the pricey side ($350)...but I would say it is SO worth it to have one machine that is capable of doing so much. There are also additional slicing discs, and a juicing attachment that looks like something I may want to get into!

For the past few weekends, my typical Sunday has looked a lot like this...

All things considered, I'm more than pleased with this beast of a kitchen appliance. I would certainly recommend it to anyone who is in need of a food processor that can do it all! Ella is loving all of the yuminess that I've prepared for her so far. There is MUCH more where that came from. I hope this review was helpful to you all. Click HERE to learn more about the wonderful products that Magimix has to offer! You can buy one at Williams Sonoma!

This Magimix was sent to me free of charge from Magimix by Robot-Coupe. All opinions shared in this review are my own.

What's cooking this week?

Hello and Happy Sunday! What are you all up to on this beautiful day? I just finished making the grocery list for the week, and it's a good one (in my opinion).

Tonight: Lime Cilantro Linguine with a roasted pepper tomato sauce (my own creation that I'm hoping turns out as delicious as I think it will)
Monday: Not cooking
Tuesday: Grilled Shrimp and Watermelon Chopped Salad
Wednesday: Spicy Creamy Corn Soup
Thursday: Quinoa Chickpea and Avocado Salad with Grilled Chicken
Friday: Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken with Roasted Potatoes

Yesterday we took our little bathing beauty to the pool to try out her cool new float. She absolutely loved it! My Florida girl better get used to pooltime fun...when we move, our new community has equally gorgeous amenities. There are MANY more days just like this in her future! 

Those legs!!! Right now she is chillen by the couch, watching her shows and chewing on some toys. Teething is in full swing. There are two little tooth nubs popping through. Last night she bit me, OUCH! 

In a minute I'll be putting her down for a nap and when she wakes up we're meeting up with my friend Lita and her kiddos for some Fro-Yo! Hello perfect Sunday! The only two things on my to-do list (besides loving on my girly) are making baby food, and finally finishing my food processor review! No complaints here! Happy Sunday!

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Ella's Eight Month Update

Baby Girl is EIGHT months already! I just re-read last month's update and all I can say is "WOW"! So much has changed, where do I even begin? I'm just a tad late on this update so I'm going to try to keep this specific to the eighth month. Look at this big girl!

Ella's crawling all over the place and she's FAST! It seems like the more mobile she gets, the happier she is! In addition to zipping around the apartment, she also started pulling herself up on anything and everything that she can. This includes toys, chairs, and her favorite - the couch. 

 Her hair has lost that "fluff factor" and since it's getting a little longer it's much flatter. She definitely isn't quite ready for clips...but I had to try. Maybe in another month or two!?

She's such a good eater. Right now we have her eating solids twice a day, and she gets about 4 bottles a day. Some new foods she has tried are, peaches, plums, mangoes, blueberries, and turkey. She snacks on her "puffies" and she's getting really good at picking them up and feeding herself. Miss Independent is very proud!

She's taking baths in the tub like a big girl now, getting her to stay seated is not easy. I know they sell bath seats, but I'm pretty sure that would be a waste of money! You can not keep this kid confined anymore...she just wants to be free!

We've been hearing a whole lot of "Ma-Ma" and finally there are some "Da-Da's" in there! I love hearing her talk to herself in her crib. The variety of sounds that come out of this kids mouth crack us up. True story, it's the sweetest sound! 

At this point we get about two naps out of her. The first nap is usually anywhere between 1-2 hours, the second one is anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. We keep a pretty steady bedtime routine. If we stray from the usual every so often it doesn't seem to make a big difference. She's great about settling down and getting cozy after dinner. It's one of my favorite times because I get the most snuggles in! We put her down for the night around 8, and she sleeps until we wake her up at 6 on weekdays or until about 7:30 on the weekends. There are no complaints in the sleep department by any means! 

She likes jumping in her jumparoo, playing with her vanity, and taking all of her eggs out of her Easter basket. I love the fact that she is able to sit and play so nicely. She also LOVES watching the puppets on Baby Einstein videos, and she goes crazy over the intro to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse! 

This is my absolute favorite video from month #8! Shake that booty little lady!

This lovable little girl continues to amaze us every single day! She is growing WAY too quickly! I'm afraid that if I blink I'll miss something amazing! I just love her so much! 

 

The Boys Behind The Blog {Link-up #12}

This month's The Boys Behind the Blog is bittersweet. It's been a year since Mal and I started this linkup and I can't believe how fast time has flown by. We have decided together that this will be the final month of The Boys Behind the Blog (sorry sorry sorry). We know how much you all love it and we hope your men will continue to be involved with your blogs without us.

We have both had many offers to "take over" this link up but we have decided to not pass the official BBB name on. However, if someone wants to start another man-centered linkup, they are more than welcome to. There are no Blogland police!

We hope you will join us one last time and we cannot thank you enough for all your posts over the past twelve months! You all (and your boys) are the best!

My Hubs has been such a good sport over the past year! I'm pretty sure he has secretly loved being a part of this! Thanks so much babes!

This was the first of many "Daddy/Daught" photos...it's a favorite for us both!

1. What was your first job?
I was a loader for UPS. I packed out the full-length tractor trailers with outgoing shipments. Needless to say, I’m really good at Tetris now.

2. What is the biggest risk you've ever taken?
Packing up and moving to Florida. Yes, it was on a hope and a dream. No, we didn’t have jobs lined up, a place to stay long-term, or a whole lot of money in the bank to live on. Absolute risk, but absolutely has worked out so far.

3. What is one thing you can't live without?
My morning coffee. I can function, but it really is just not enjoyable at all.

4. What is your least favorite food?
I’m a fan of breakfast cereal (I mean, who’s not?). And not just the sugar-coated, marshmallow-loaded stuff either. However, I cannot stand Honey Bunches of Oats. I don’t know if it’s the flakes that immediately melt into mushy goo upon contact with milk, or if almonds just don’t belong in breakfast cereal, or something else altogether. It just doesn’t work.

5. If you could time travel, where/when would you go?
How could I possibly pick one place or time? Just change my name to The Doctor, I want to see it all.

Now grab a button, and link up with us on last time!

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An InLinkz Link-up

You know you're a mom when...

First of all, Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful Mammas out there...especially Mom Sco and Mom Sko!!! Oh how I wish Ella and I could spend the day with them today! Even though I was lucky enough to spend last weekend with my mom at the beach, I miss her already! Also Happy Mother's Day to all the new mommy's I know! Surely your sweet babies will treat you extra good today! XO

Obviously I'm very excited about my first Mother's Day! My friend Jaime told me she's taking her son Sawyer swimming for the first time, which gave me the idea to do the same with our little lady! She has yet to go all the way IN the water...should be interesting! A laid back day of fun in the sun with my girl? Yes please! 

It hasn't quite been a year that I've been a part of the "Mom Club". I'm not claiming to be a pro by ANY means, but I feel as though at this point I've put enough time in to be able to talk about some clear cut signs that you're a mom. Here are TEN, I'm sure many of you can relate!

1. Poop, pee, spit up, boogers...or any other mystery fluid you find around...none of it phases you anymore. 

2. You've slept with a burp cloth by your face. No, it's not clean. Why would it be?

3. You know the theme songs for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Doc McStuffins, Sofia the First - all of them. You also have them stuck in your head more often then not. 

4. You often eat dinner standing up, over the sink...in record setting time. 

5. You could do some serious damage at Target like you're in an episode of "Supermarket Sweep". It's a skill really. 

6. Anytime there's a recall on anything baby related, your e-mail and Facebook messages blow up. Thank god for those people keeping you in the loop! Who has time to keep up on the news?

7. You find yourself doing a lot of the things YOUR mom did that you swore you'd never do. And so it begins...

8. You've had lengthy talks with your husband about poop (consistency, texture, color, smell). Some days it's the only conversation. This happened most often during the first three months, but still occurs from time to time. 

9. The only way to take more photos is to delete a few off of your phone to make space. Usually there are a few blurry ones that could go, but it's still a little sad to get rid of it for good. 

10. You've actually started a conversation with "the funniest thing happened on (insert children's TV show here)"! And then you tried to find the clip on YouTube!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Taking It Easy

Hello Friends! I'm alive, I promise. Things have seemed a little more hectic than usual in my life lately, I'm not sure exactly why because "work-wise" things are finally wrapping up. You know the deal if you work, have ever worked or know someone who works in eduction. 

We're finally at the end of the testing window and our 6th grade orientations are behind us (they were a major success). After being somewhat out of commission as a counselor for the past month and a half it's been tough playing catch up. It seems like the counseling issues are a little more intense and I just can't give all these kids exactly what they need. This feeling isn't new, but some weeks it gets me down more than others. Not that we haven't been feeling the effects of only being down to two counselors all year long, but at this point in the school year it's REALLY noticeable. Oh well, I work with a great supportive team and we all do the very best we can. 

Sorry to be a "Debby-Downer", just thought I'd explain why I've been a little MIA this past week. When I get home from work all I want to do is snuggle my little sweet pea. Honestly the last thing I want to do is blog. Trust me, I have about 17 different posts planned out - all in my head - and all fabulous. The plan is to get those posts out of my head and on here for you all as soon as things settle down. Two more weeks until the last day of school (for the kids)! YaY! Until then, this working Mamma is taking it easy!

If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen that I went on the 8th grade field trip to Wet N' Wild. It was amazing! Clearly when I'm referring to this week being a little rough, I'm NOT talking about Thursday at all. Any day you get a tan at work is a good day in my book! I'd like to demonstrate Thursday's awesomeness in a series of selfies...

Speaking of selfies, I'm heading to the trade out my phone today for the new Galaxy S5...it's time for a better camera phone...buh-bye iPhone! Priorities! 

Beach Weekend + What's cooking this week?

Here is a peek at our incredibly amazing little weekend getaway...

These pics are barely the tip of the iceberg. We drove down to South Florida on Friday night (as usual) and arrived to a house FULL of the Orlando/LaRusso gang. Ella slept the whole way down so she was ready to play even though it was 10:00 at night! Luckily they all exhausted her and she still slept well that night. 
Saturday and Sunday was spent crashing my parents "end of tax season" Ft. Lauderdale vacation. There was lots of food, lots of laughs and so much love for our little girl. Ella loved having her little toesies in the sand and getting extra hugs and kisses from Grams and Gramps Sco! It all worked out perfectly. What a fantastic weekend!
We got home a little late tonight which is obviously why I'm just now getting around to thinking about what I should cook this week. Let's just keep it simple, shall we?

Monday: Grandpa's Marinara
Tuesday: Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos
Wednesday: Crockpot Brown Sugar Balsamic Pork Tenderloin
Thursday: Not cooking - Wet N' Wild Field Trip
Friday: Mediterranean Chicken Pizza

I'm seriously looking forward to chaperoning the field trip on Thursday. It will be a much needed little break from the usual chaos at work! Hope you all have a great week ahead!

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The Boys Behing The Blog #12 - {Questions}

It's the first day of May and also the first Thursday in May which means it is time for The Boys Behind the Blog Questions!  

Mal and I have decided that after 12 fun months of this linkup, May will be the final month of The Boys Behind the Blog. We love all of you and we are still blog/ real life BFFs but it's time to let it go.
 

This month's questions are random and easy so we hope you'll join us for the FINAL The Boys Behind the Blog linkup on Thursday, May 15th!   The Boys Behind the Blog #12 Questions: 1. What was your first job? 2. What is the biggest risk you've ever taken? 3. What is one thing you can't live without? 4. What is your least favorite food? 5. If you could time travel, where/when would you go? 

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