Restaurants.com

How does one spend only $2, buy get $25 in return?!?!

restaurant.com

Currently they are having an 80% off sale on all of their gift certificates. Have you ever used them before? You purchase a gift certificate (generally $25) for $10, print it off, then go enjoy a cheap meal.

The code is PORTION

I just stocked up and will probably buy more tonight.

Missing Dog

What kind of awful, low life, scumbag of a person would steal a dog?

The other night my brother's dog was stolen out of the back of his truck. There were witnesses, so they know he was stolen and did not just run away. He made a quick grocery run and the dog hopped into the back of the truck and went with him... while he was in the store Blue's collar was chained to a leash in the back of the truck. The f*ers that stole Blue took his collar off, grabbed the dog and sped off.

I hope that Blue attacked the crap out of them... or runs away from them and finds his way back to my brother.

To make matters worse, they also had a dog run away / get stolen from their property last week. This beautiful white dog is Lyra.

If you live in Austin and see either one of these dogs around town, let me know. Sad...

Adios Amiga

We met our very first day of college orientation… and the rest is history.

I introduced her to her husband… she introduced me to Mr. We have lived together. Worked together. Traveled together. Shopped. Partied. Laughed. Cried. The list can go on and on.

We can communicate with each other without even talking. We as much alike as we are different. When out husbands die (everyone know the husband’s die first) we are going to get our other girlfriends together and live in a huge house on the beach. I think sometimes the husbands get jealous of our future plans. She was there when Baby M was born…

This girl is one of my very best friends in the entire world and tomorrow she will be driving off into the sunset in a moving van. I knew this day would come, but I would always push the thought out of my mind every time the subject came up. I am excited about the opportunity she has up in Connecticut, but I am sad that she is leaving. If you know me in real life, you know that I do not like to be sad. Sad and the Mrs. do not mix well.

Therefore tonight I will be hanging out with my other best friend. Mr.Merlot. He will never leave me for the East Coast.

Baby 101

In the past 5 months I have learned some useful stuff:

• Cute burp cloths are a necessity. Check out these super cute ones from A.Tierney... I always use one that coordinates with her outfit. These are durable, cute and a great price!


• Test out baby equipment before you register. I made a rookie mistake – I wanted something that was not too big, plus looked nice. That blew up in my face. Our Maxi Cosi car seat and stroller system was a disaster from day one. The straps were constantly getting twisted, the car seat would sometimes not latch properly into the base, the stroller was very tricky to get collapsed and once collapsed was huge…. This stuff was expensive AND ended up getting recalled.


• We now have a Maclaren Quest stroller and LOVE it. The only thing I would change would be to add a cup holder.


• We also have a Britax Marathon and love it, thus far. Easy to get her in and out, plus she sits up higher so she can look out of the window.


• I want Miss A to be a spokesperson for Janie and Jack. Seriously… that store is insane. I want to buy everything in the entire store, but I will settle for their sales OR getting it at local baby resale shops.


• Baby Einstein is baby porn.


• I still do not have a diaper bag that I really like. I have 1 large one and 2 smaller ones, but I am not crazy about any of them. Someone needs to send me one of these**:

** If you sent me the Not Rational - Berry Hansel Diaper Bag I would talk and talk and talk about it. Promise.

Hey good lookin.....Whatcha got cookin?

Last night I made grilled salmon, bacon & feta packets and they were delish. It is a Take 5 recipe from the Rachel Ray magazine ... the entire dish is made using only 5 ingredients, not counting olive oil, salt and pepper. And yes, the bebe sits on the table while we eat. That way we can talk to her during dinner, plus we both get to eat at the same time.

RECIPE

Four 6-ounce, 1-inch-thick salmon fillets, skin on and at room temperature
1/2 cup ranch dressing
3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used Canadian bacon... much less fat)
1/4 crumbled feta cheese
2 tomatoes, chopped

DIRECTIONS
Preheat a grill to high. Cut four 8-by-12-inch sheets of heavy-duty foil. Place each salmon fillet skin side down on a sheet; top each with 2 tablespoons ranch dressing, 1 tablespoon bacon and 1 tablespoon feta; season with pepper. Fold up the sides of the foil, leaving the top exposed. Place on the grill, cover and cook until almost opaque in the thickest part, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve topped with the tomatoes. (I cooked the packets with the tomatoes, versus adding them at the end)

Latisse - Before

Every time Brooke Shields comes on TV talking about 'longer, fuller lashes...' I get excited. I am a complete mascara junkie, so Latisse was right up my alley. Pretty in Pink Megan has been using it for a while now and she has had great results, so I had to try it. My optometrist wrote me a script for it yesterday and last night was my first time using it.

Here are my before shots:

If my lashes grow according to this chart -- WOW! That would be crazy long and I would love it.

It is really easy to use... you just put a drop on the wand and brush it over your lash line.

Looking at these pictures makes me realize how I need to go get my brows waxed.... looks like I know what I will be doing during lunch.

I am going to post updates weekly.

Car seat advice

We found out over the weekend that our Maxi Cosi infant car seat has been recalled (UGH!) so now we are on the hunt for a new convertible car seat. I am thinking of going with either the Britax Roundabout or Britax Marathon. Have you used either one? Thoughts / opinions?

My main question is regarding the maximum weight capacity. The Marathon goes up to 65 lbs, vs 40 on the Roundabout. Did your child complain about sitting in a "baby chair" once they got a little older? Should we just go with the Roundabout and then get a different booster once she gets past 40 lbs? OR should we just buy the Marathon and have that last for a couple years longer?

In the middle of the night

Have you ever walked around your house (or apt.) in the middle of the night? In my opinion, everything seems just a little bit creepy. I am not a scared or fearful person, but whenever I am up with Baby M during the night I find my mind going to crazy places. Such as:

• Why is the cat sitting in the window by the front door? Is he looking at something (or someone)??
• Why did our sensor light just come on?
• Would I be able to jump over our fence with the baby in case there was a home invasion?
• Would I be able to fight back or would I just freeze?
• How fast can I dial 911?
• How fast can I run barefoot?

And then there are the other things that go through my head:

• I wonder what the living room would look like painted _____.
• I need to hang _______.
• Is that a possum walking along our fence?
• I hope our tree does not fall thru the neighbor’s window during the next storm.
• I need to clip some basil for my next batch of pesto.
• What other names sound good with Baby M? (NOT Pregnant. Remember, it is the middle of the night and I think crazy things)

In order to get my mind off the crazy train, I now think of positive things. Like, planning her 1st birthday party….. which is about 8 months away. Some might call that crazy as well.