Creepy-Crawlies.

I think my house is a vortex that attracts the most disgusting creatures on the planet.

Part I: RACCOONS.

I have a large dog, and he goes through a substantial amount of food. Therefore, we purchase our dog food in enormous amounts. I'm not sure if anyone else has this problem, but storage of said dog food can be kind of an issue, especially when you live in a fairly small home. So, we purchased a fantastically large Tupperware container with a flip top, and kept it in the garage.

Anyways, we noticed that something kept knocking this thing over in the night to eat the dog food inside. One night, after hearing the loud crash, my husband went to check out the situation and found a very brave raccoon in the middle of all this dog food, only momentarily disturbed by my husband's presence. He went back to his meal shortly after noticing Dave walk in. The Tupperware is now kept incoonveniently in my kitchen.

Part II: SNAILS.

Yes, I recognize that snails are hardly menacing. However, when you live in what's referred to as the "Snail Neighborhood," you start to become a little volatile.

Step 1: Try to grow a front garden.
Step 2: Watch your garden get torn to shreds by snails.
Step 3: Cover your garden in snail killer.
Step 4: Discover the disgusting aftermath of hundreds of snail carcasses rotting in your front garden the next morning.
Step 5: Repeat.

Part III: RATS.

That's right. Rats. I'm so horrified by this thought, I don't even know what to do with myself.

It goes without saying that we have tried to get rid of these rats with poison, but it has seriously backfired on us because now (in this extremely warm weather), we can smell them. You know, the ones who have kicked the bucket. But we can't find them to dispose.

Plus, I can still hear something walking around on my roof, so now I'm afraid we've just pissed them off.

Part IV, a Prelude: ROACHES.

I know this is coming. We found one, dead, in our living room today. I have no idea how it got in, I just know I am horrified. I know if there's one, there's a million.

Afterthoughts: What have we done to deserve this? We are reasonably clean people! We aren't perfect, but we take pretty good care of our home. Are we sitting on the gates to hell?

Warmer Climates

This week has been so beautiful. The sun is shining, and I've finally reached a point where I REALLY need to invest in baby sunscreen, because the kid likes to be outside as much as humanly possible. And hey, if it makes him happy, why not?

And you know what? It makes me pretty happy too. I'm ready for long days and warm nights. I'm reminded this week of all the great things that will come with a California spring and summer for me: visiting my folks in Southern California (maybe taking Nolan for his first beach trip), my first Mother's Day, the entire family's birthdays... the list is endless.

My only problem with this beautiful weather is that it's becoming impossible to get anything done (i.e., cleaning, laundry, writing... basically anything that really needs to be done)! All I want to do is stay outside and eat popsicles all day long. 

What is your favorite thing about the season? Does anyone else suffer from warm weather motivation problems?

my weekend in photos

Life has been a little crazy this last week. My husband was home for a week while his school was on spring break, so I kind of took a small break from blogging so I could spend the maximum amount of time with the family. I was a break I needed, but now it's time to get back in the swing of things! Here's a peek at my weekend in photos:

I washed this lion and accidentally made him look a little like Lionel Richie. What was once a glorious fluffy mane is now a little more like a jerry curl. Seriously though, this picture really doesn't do it justice.

Worked Saturday and set up the school's table at the cosmoprof show at the San Jose Convention Center! I wasn't actually able to attend, but it was great to see everything being set up. I'm sure all the students who attended had a great time!

My mom was in town this weekend and it was great to see her. She lives in Southern California, so she doesn't get to see Nolan very often. When she does, she really likes to buy him some cool new stuff. We left with 5 new summer outfits, many of which included extremely cute plaid shorts. While we were there I eyed this beauty. Overalls printed on a sweatsuit? Wow. Just, WOW.

While I was making her breakfast, my mom was also horrified to find we were still rocking her wedding pots and pans, circa 1980. She decided to invest in a really, really late wedding gift for us and bought us these new shiny ones! Is it cool that I'm still totally willing to accept this kind of gift from a parent even though I've been supporting myself for years? 

This is your brain on HGTV.

I think we are watching too much HGTV. Every weekend, Dave and I end up going to Home Depot or Lowe's. It probably doesn't help that we live within a mile of both of these stores. Anyways, I got the bright idea that we needed to redo our living room a little (Pinterest is also partially to blame).

As a change of pace, we decided to check out the San Jose Flea Market, thinking we would find some cool one of a kind pieces, potentially refurbish them, and have a great conversation starter on our mantle. You know, a little like "Flea Market Flip."

Let me just say, the San Jose Flea Market is not the place to find anything "one of a kind." It's more like a place to find random discounted cosmetics that look like they've been through the ringer and stretchy bedazzled pants. Dave tried to spin it as a positive when he said, "Well at least we tried something different." I was less optimistic.

Where are these cool, antique-y flea markets? Most of HGTV is filmed in Canada. Quietly contemplating relocation, but then again, we did just paint the living room.

High Five for Friday

1. I officially have the best dog ever.

2. It was supposed to rain. Instead it was sunny, beautiful, and warm. So we decided to break out the grill. Oh Northern California, you slay me.

3. Finally got around to a little spring cleaning. We'll see how long this newly organized closet lasts...

4. Oh, hey Ma. Just doing a little light reading in bed.

5. Easter Brunch! Yum!

Hallelujah.

Last night was the first night my son has not woken up at 2 a.m. in weeks. WEEKS. It started like this...

About 6 weeks into my son's life, he started sleeping through the night. It was kind of amazing. Friends of mine kept complaining about their children's sleep habits, and about the pending agony of sleep training. My thoughts? Puuuhhhlease. My kid is naturally good at sleeping. 

But I was wrong. So very, very wrong.

A few months ago, NJ started waking up in the middle of the night. Not frequently, but just enough for me to think, Hey. Kid. What's going on here? Mommy needs some sleep.

Then, March 10, 2013 came. I think I can speak for all parents of infants and young children when I say, "F--- you, daylight savings time." NJ began waking up 1, 2, and 3 times a night, every single night. Finally in the middle of a long, sleep deprived argument, my husband and I decided something needed to change. We had to start the ugly process of sleep training.

Let me just say, I had a really hard time deciding which method was best. I think something different works for every family, and you really have to pick something that caters to your kid. I know that for me, I really wanted to avoid the "Cry it Out" method. I hate hearing my kid cry. It's pretty unbearable. But after several attempts at different methods, we learned that A) I was going to have to suck it up a little, because NJ was going to cry a little no matter which method we stuck with, and B) Any method that involved picking him up and putting him back down just seemed to aggravate him more, unless I was planning to give in and nurse him.

We essentially decided on a sort of modified Cry it Out. Make my husband go in and let him know it was bedtime, turn on his mobile, and let him cry for 5 minutes tops. Repeat.

Yes, it felt harsh. But here I am 2 weeks later, with a baby sleeping through the night.

Look at this kid. Happy as a little clam in his stripey suit.

Moral of the story? Sleep training sucks no matter how you look at it.

What are your experiences with sleep training?

Perfection

I’m forever searching for that perfect one-pot dinner.

You know, the one meal that can be made easily and contains all the basic elements necessary to please my husband and me?

It has to be healthy. It needs to contain protein, veggies, and a starch. It has to be filling enough to satisfy. Easy to reheat or eat cold. And of course, it has to taste good.

This is easier said than done.

Problem A: I like cheese. And salt. And grease. Essentially anything heavy and bad for you, I like. My husband likes sweets, but other than that he’s a pretty healthy guy. I ask him what he wants for dinner, he says, “Something fresh.”

Problem B: I’m by nature kind of lazy, and I’ve found “one-pot dinners” are very rarely made in one pot. Yes, I know, Crockpots exist, and I love mine. But still, often times there are guidelines like “Brown the meat before placing it in the Crockpot.”

Problem C: I almost always want something else on the side to round it out. I make enchiladas, I want rice and beans. Lasagna? Salad on the side please. Soup? Don’t even get me started.

After years of searching for the perfect dish, I think I’ve found it. The secret? Lentils.

That’s right, lentils. I know, I know, they get kind of a bad rap. There’s nothing particularly sexy about a lentil. When I first told husband what we were having for dinner, he gave me a particularly disgusted look, as if to say, “Lentils? Blech.”

But he was wrong. He even admitted he was wrong (a rare occurrence in this household).

It can easily be made vegetarian by substituting with soy sausage or omitting it altogether. See something you don’t like? Sub it with something different. Need to add cheese to every meal because you have an addiction? A little crumbled goat cheese on top = amazing. The real beauty of this dish is it can truly fit your needs. Just keep the basic outline and get cookin’.

So here it is, friends. Lentils with Sausage and Spinach. YUMM.

Ingredients:

• 1 package of pre-cooked lentils
• 1 package or 4-5 links of fully cooked chicken sausage (I used a Mango Habenero)
• 1 small onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 package of pre-washed spinach
• 1 red bell pepper
• Olive oil

In a large pan, heat olive oil. Add chopped onion and minced garlic. Sauté until onions are slightly translucent. Add chopped red pepper and sliced sausage, and cook for a few minutes until heated through. Add spinach to the pan and heat until just wilted. Remove from heat, and add pre-cooked lentils. Season with salt and pepper to taste, or with a little Cajun seasoning if you’re feeling feisty. Mix thoroughly.

That’s it. Seriously. Easy Peasy. Enjoy!

What are some of your favorites?