Pitter-Patter

Valentines Day gift bags for Brody's Preschool class

One of my FAVORITE holidays is right around the corner and I am counting down days! I am such a romantic and love anything and everything to do with Valentine's Day. 

I have been busy putting together the gift bags for Brody's class party next week. Luckily, for him, his Momma loves to do arts and crafts so he always has unique personalized bags to share with his class (and eventually his girlfriends).  I try to make all of his gift bags something that is unique to the holiday and personalized for the kids. I typically always use a brown paper lunch bag because they are a blank canvas that you can do practically anything to and their economical! This time around I decided to use the Candy Hearts as flowers; I cut grass out of construction paper and painted it with glitter paint. I used a green sharpie to draw the stems of the "flowers" and I added ladybug stickers to the  "flower garden". Brody and I made the clay hearts last month when we were on our clay crafting kick. I painted those with purple glitter glue and wrote their names on them with a black Sharpie. I really liked the way they turned out because it was exactly how I pictured them in my head! That always feels great!!!

Too Cute & Yummy!

I also got into the baking spirit and baked 90 mini Valentine themed cupcakes last night!! Cupcakes are so much fun because you can make them for almost any occasion and the possibilities are ENDLESS when it comes to decorating them. I took several of these cute little cupcakes over to my friends house this morning for our coffee/play date and they were beyond YUMMY! I'm sure they won't last very long in our house if Victoria, Brody and Mike have anything to do with it.

My Strange Addiction

During this whole Valentines day preparation that I have had going on I've came to the conclusion that I have an addiction.......to Hershey Kisses. I am not kidding; it's a full blown addiction to the wonderful little tin foil wrapped pieces of love. I have been eating a bag a day -- DEAD serious. No joke. I don't know how I have become addicted to something that I used to hate. I was never a chocolate eater; never even ate sweets growing up. Now I can't keep this chocolate candy in stock in our pantry. If they are depleted before I can get a new bag I seriously go into bitch mode and start feeling like a walking talking anxiety attack waiting to happen. It's insanity. My husband doesn't care for it too much either; not because I am gaining weight (that's a good thing) but these candies are $5 a bag and I am buying a bag every other day! Add it up people and you will see his concern. I might have to have an intervention soon because this is getting out.of.control! Maybe I need to be on the show "My Strange Addiction"; I am sure I would fit in just fine because that show has some crazy people with some very strange addictions. Why not add an episode with a Hershey Kiss addict?!?!? 

NOTE TO OLD CLASSMATES: If you see me at any future reunions and I am overweight; don't ask, just know it was the damn Hershey kisses that caught up with my once skinny ass. 

This will be Brody's first year exchanging Valentine's so I am really excited for him. I may be more excited than he is but once he sees all of that candy he will be on cloud nine. 


3 days and counting....

02.08.11 - Recipe of the week - Chicken Taco Soup w/ Tortilla chips

I have had many inquiries of recipes that I have made or make so I thought why not post a recipe each week that our family enjoys! These are Beemer tested and family approved for your dining enjoyment! 


This recipe is a rendition of one that my friend Kristen made for us when we first moved to Albany. I took her recipe and changed it a little and it's still great. Very fast and easy! 


Chicken Taco Soup with Fried Tortilla chips

INGREDIENTS:

1 onion, chopped

2 (10 oz)cans of Rotele, undrained

1 (15 oz)can of Whole Kernel Corn, drained

1 (15 oz)can of Chili Beans or Red Kidney Beans

1 (8 oz) can of Tomato Sauce

1 (15 oz)can of Chicken Broth

1 (1.25 oz) packet of Taco Seasoning

2 Large Cans of Chicken Breast, drained and shredded

Add Salt, Pepper, Cumin, Garlic & Chili Powder to suit your taste

Add all ingredients together in a crockpot and set on High for 5 hours. Can cook longer but I would suggest putting it on low if you are cooking this all day. You can top this soup with Sour Cream and Shredded Cheese if you want. 

For the "homemade" tortilla chips you will need to buy a bag of corn tortillas. I use half the bag for our family but it's up to you how many you want to fry. Using a pizza cutter cut the tortilla into 4-6 slices (as you would a pizza) and place in hot oil. Fry until brown on both sides. It will not take long once the oil is hot; depending on your stove 3-5 minutes max per batch. Sprinkle salt on the tortillas as you put them on a plate. These can be put in a ziplock bag and saved for several days if you have leftovers.  

Enjoy! 

Crappy Carts

When I was childless going to the grocery store was NO problem. I got a cart, went on my merry little way and filled it up to the rim. I never thought twice about what cart I was going to get and honestly, it never crossed my mind....EVER.


However, I was blessed with a beautiful baby boy two years ago and my shopping trips have never been the same. Never, in a million years would I have thought that a shopping trip could turn very, very, very bad before we ever went through the sliding glass doors! 


Whoever made the lovely "kid friendly" shopping carts to the right needs to be fired shot immediately. This person has made every single shopping experience a living hell for me as a parent. I can't even begin to express how much I H-A-T-E these stupid little racecar carts. Plain and simple; they suck! Obviously they thought it was a *BRILLIANT* idea but the moron must have never went shopping with a kid. These type of things are a parents worst nightmare and they are rapidly catching on to almost every.single.store that I shop at!!! I can't get away from them no matter how hard I try.


I know you are probably thinking why can't I just put my child in a normal cart but that's not an option once my little guy has laid eyes on the prize. I mean, seriously, if you saw this at his age would you want to ride in anything different? Probably not. He is too smart for his own good because he can scope these hot rods out before I have a chance to maneuver my way around them. I try to avoid these at all costs but lately I think they are giving them away for free because the stores I frequent have a ton available for his riding pleasure. Brody will have a complete meltdown if he sees one of these and he's not in one. I have tried bribing him when it comes to this issue and it does not work. There isn't a piece of chocolate, drink, snack or toy that is better than a ride in the racecar cart. 


Brody doesn't have a problem with the cart because he doesn't have to push it around the store. My son gets to "make believe" that he's driving so in his little world it all good...in my world, not so much. Pushing one of these things around is torture and that is BEFORE it's filled up with several weeks worth of groceries. Pushing it is like trying to park a large SUV in a compact car parking spot or trying to parallel park with a limousine. NOT TOO GOOD. It's horrendous. Unlike cars, these carts do not turn on a dime and you don't have brakes. It's a major "cart accident" waiting to happen. Once my cart is filled up it's nearly impossible to push or turn it; I look like an idiot trying to. You KNOW it's bad when people ask you if you need help with your cart...could it get any more humiliating?!?


So, to whomever the responsible party is for coming up with these glorious buggies I would like to give you a BIG shout out....


MY MIDDLE FINGER!!!!!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!!

Today is my Daddy's birthday and each year I think they mean more to me because it reminds me how lucky I am to have him as a father. He has been there to mend my scrapes and bruises, toughen my skin when it needed to be thickened, made me feel pretty when no one else could, yelled at me when I was misbehaving, picked me up when I have fallen, supported me even when I shouldn't have been, believed in me when I didn't believe in myself, proud of me when it was most needed and most of all.... 

has loved me unconditionally for 32 years. He will always be the first man that I loved and I will always continue to strive to be a better person because of him. 

Happy Birthday from Daddy's little girl. I love you! 

Solace

There is something about the ocean and salty air that calms and soothes the soul. I have never figured out why I always have felt more at ease and peace while vacationing at the beach and even the short time I lived in Jacksonville, NC....it's something I wish I could bottle up and put on a shelf for later use.


Two years ago my husband retired from the Marine Corps and we were relocated to Jacksonville, NC for his new job at Camp Lejeune. Moving to the beach had always been a dream of mine (and my parents) so it wasn't too bad of a move for us. The beach on base was only 10 minutes from the house and we were only 30 minutes away from beaches in both directions. Also the drive back to Concord was only a little over 4 hours so it wasn't too shabby of a deal.


While we were in Jacksonville we tried to take advantage of the beach as much as we could. Having a toddler makes the beach trips a little harder because they can only stand the sand and sun for so long and you have to carry around a ton of stuff just for a 2 hour stay. We really didn't use the beach as much as we should have. Looking back I wish we had. 


I always felt a lot happier and more at peace when we came home from a beach trip. Sure, I had to give Brody a bath after we got home. Everything had to be rinsed off out in the yard before bringing it inside. Sand was always a constant fixture in our house (no matter how hard you cleaned) and vehicles. Extra loads of laundry were present because of those nasty towels and bathing suits couldn't be washed with other stuff. However, with all of that "extra" stress there seemed to be less stress in my mind.


Honestly, it was the ocean that brought me peace. You could sit in your beach chair, toes in the sand and the sound of children, waves and seagulls in the air could put your soul at ease. All of your fears, worries, problems were washed away with each and every wave. It's like your soul was cleaned in that 2 hour trip and you were able to clear your mind for the coming work week. 


If you could bottle whatever that is and sell it you would be a bazillionaire (if there was one) because who doesn't want that feeling? I don't know anyone that doesn't feel better after a trip to the beach. If we could get that feeling daily this world would be a much better place.


So, to all of my friends who still live within minutes from the beach....don't take Gods beautiful landscape for granted. Once you move away from it you will sincerely miss that inner peace you had while living near the ocean. Trust Me. 

Homesick.

If you would have asked me about 10 years ago if moving away from "home" (Concord, NC) would have bothered me I would have probably looked at you like you were stupid. Yeah Right! Moving away from Concord sounded like a fun new adventure and I was ready to get out of the small town that I was born and raised in. 

Now if you asked me that...I would probably burst into tears, well, alligator tears. I miss living only a few miles away from my parents and Pappaw. I miss being able to visit my Mammaw's grave and place flowers on it every month or so. I miss walking into Wal-Mart or the local grocery store and seeing someone I know. Heck, I miss everyone knowing my business!! Basically, I miss E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G about my hometown. You don't even know what I would do to have a meal from Mr. C's, K&W, What-a-Burger, Troutman's BBQ, Rosario's and Sogo's/Tsunami....oh, there are entirely too many eating establishments that I miss! I could probably gain 100 pounds in 2 weeks if I were to stay that long because I would try to eat at every single place several times a day for that entire 2 weeks!!!! 

I know I need to put my "big girl panties" on, suck it up and wipe away the tears but it's easier said than done. I am 32 years old and I should be able to move over 8 hours away from home but it's really much harder than some think. I had a great relationship with my family and consider them my best friends. There wasn't and still isn't a day that I don't go without talking to both my parents via email or telephone. I am the only child and I do carry a lot of responsibility with that title. I am all they have and they are all I have other than my husband and children. 

Don't get me wrong, I love Albany. It has grown on me and the people here are super nice. Everywhere you go people smile, say "Hello" and ask you how your doing. It's just how the locals were raised and that is why it reminds me so much of home and why I know I will be okay here. I have made some good friends and I have an old classmate (Susie) who will be moving here soon. I know that will make the world of difference because it's a piece of home and someone who knows how good a "real" Cherry Lemon Sundrop tastes or how those smaller tater wedges are the best at Mr. C's....she can appreciate where we came from and that will be nice. 

But for now....I am homesick and it stinks! Tomorrow is a new day so I am hoping I wake up feeling better in all aspects. I think being "homesick" has made me sick because I am battling a head cold or something so that is only making matters worse today. 

Snazzy Duds for a Washout!

Tonight is my favorite night of the week....Date Night!!! Well, in this case, Mike's Banquet for work night...ugh. I would much rather spend my "date time" with him, a cocktail (or two) and a inviting atmosphere with good music but his job has other plans for us. Don't get me wrong I am glad he has a banquet for work because that obviously means he has a J.O.B that in return puts money in the bank, allows us to live in an awesome home, pay the bills, enables me to spend money at my favorite places (Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens, Goodwill, Starbucks, anywhere that sells shoes & pocketbooks, etc.) and most importantly pays for Brody's daycare two days a week so I can have some sanity. 

I guess I really shouldn't complain but I really do hate (such a strong word) dislike with every ounce of my being, hanging around a bunch of people who "play a part" for a couple of hours. Let's be honest REAL HONEST...are most of you really the same person you are at work!?!? Heck No! Thank God my husband isn't the same man at work as he is at home because I would have never became Mrs. Beemer! 

I was informed that this event was "dressy business casual"....do what? really?? What's dressy business casual? I know what casual, business casual and dressy means but the three together makes no sense to me? So "dressy" being cocktail attire or what? My "dressy business casual" could be completely opposite than another persons idea of "dressy business casual". What to do?

Yesterday I went shopping for this "dressy business casual" affair and I think I needed a shot of patron before entering the store! I was completely overwhelmed and I was still sitting in my parked car in the parking lot. We have already came to the conclusion that it's hard enough finding "normal" clothes for me to wear so now throwing  the whole "dressy business casual" thing on me is taking it (and my anxiety) to another level. After a few deep breaths and a hail Mary I went into Kohhls with my gameface on ready to conquer this assignment.   

As soon as I walked through the glass doors I saw "The Dress"! I couldn't believe it but I was also not getting myself all worked up because I was still 10 feet away and had no idea if they had my size...however, the price tag was clearly visible $59.00 and I really didn't want to spend that but as usual that's the price I pay for my taste. I inched closer and closer and I honestly felt my heart beat through my clothes --- my eyes met with the almighty size zero. Now, I know not to get too giddy because even if it's the size you need it may not fit like the size you need. All the ladies have to know what I am talking about. We are all made different and our busts, waists and hips aren't the same size. We really do have it harder than a man; they buy pieces we buy a "piece". 

I grabbed "the dress" like it was nobodies business and stuffed it in my cart but I vowed to look for other cheaper options. I looked around and around and around. Sure, I found some other options like skirts but I would have to find a blouse to go with it so I was going to end up paying the same if not more than the wonderful garment that I had in my shopping cart. Now it comes all to the final fitting of the garment in the dressing room. Before I even tried it on I called Mike to see if he would mind me spending $60 on a dress because the worst is bringing something home that cost more than he thought it would. I got his approval as long as I didn't have to go out and buy a $50 pair of heels to go with it -- I could do that because I seriously have over 100 pairs of shoes and most of them are heels. I know, I know, I need a shoe intervention. That's another blog post.

I headed to the dressing room with my dream dress and was hopeful it would fit in all the right places. I slipped it on and so far so good, zipped it up and I was intoxicated by joy....the dress was a perfect fit! O.M.G! Now you know the little happy dance you do in the dressing room when something you really love fits, it's okay, you don't have to admit it but I know you do it. I did my happy dance and Brody looked at me and said "Pee Pee in the potty, Momma?". I could have smothered him with kisses because I was on cloud nine and he just says the cutest darn things at the right moments. I love that kid. 

I got myself back to reality and off of cloud nine so I could get dressed and pay for this golden egg I found. If finding the perfect dress wasn't enough it was on S.A.L.E!!!! Does it get any better? The little devil on my shoulder really wanted to go to the shoe department and buy these super hot Candies heels that I saw earlier but I remembered that I made a promise not to buy anything other than the dress and I wanted to prove to Mike that I could do it. I am usually proving him otherwise so this time I wanted to be good for a change :)

This will be dressy enough once I add some sophisticated black heels to it! 

"Thinspiration"???

Being "skinny" sucks and I despise the word "skinny". To me it's as degrading as calling an overweight person "fat". If you have any common sense and have been brought up with manners you know that you never look at a person and say "You're so fat!" so why is it assumed that it's okay to say "You're so skinny!". 

Today's blog was basically brought about because I have to attend a function for Mike's work tomorrow and I had to go dress shopping. I honestly hate going shopping and it's not because I don't like spending money or I hate clothes; it's because I can NEVER find anything that fits. I probably walk out of the store with the same feelings an overweight person might feel. I spend hours looking through every single rack trying to find my size (which is a size 0 - zero) only to walk away empty handed, depressed, angry, hopeless and my wallet is burning a hole through my purse. 


Many of you have known me for years and know that I have always been small. I still weigh under a 100 pounds and I have been the same weight and size since High School. I don't exercise and I don't diet or watch what I eat. I probably have the worst diet of any of you. It's in my genes or make-up and it's something that I have tried to change for years and years. 


My mother took me once several times to see the Doctor thinking I had a eating disorder of some type; which I kept telling her that I love to eat and I hate throwing up so I could never have one. After a series of very lame questions (What do you think of when you see pizza?) and some labwork it was finally proven to my family that I was "a-okay" in the eating disorder category and that my thyroid was working properly. Whew, what a relief that was because I knew I could finally get my family off of my back BUT there really isn't a way to prove to the world or all of the kids in your school that you don't have a eating disorder. I honestly felt like doing a PSA at school stating shouting "Jamie Carriker is normal and she doesn't have a eating disorder!!". 


Middle School and High School was really rough for me because I was constantly reminded of how small I was. I always dreaded when we studied health in school because it was 2x worse when we were on the subjects of "self-image" and "Eating Disorders" -- I felt like the elephant in the room. Some people were envious and others were just plain mean and picked on me about it. I would pray at night just so God would make me a size 3 or 5 because I hated being so thin. I hated everything about my body because in my eyes and to a large majority of others I was not "normal" and I was a freak for being so skinny.  To this day I still have a hard time wearing shorts because I always look in the mirror and hear the comments that have echoed in my head for all of these years...."chicken legs", "you got two strings hanging out of your pants", "bones". 


Being small has some perks but not as many as one would think. I still can get away with buying kids capris during the summer (as long as they aren't too "kiddy" with little sequins, etc. attached). I also can fit into kids skirts and shorts as long as the length is okay and they aren't childish. There was a time when I could wear kids jeans but now I am too tall so they fit in the waist but the length is too short. Those perks save me money but it still a blow to my self esteem if I have to resort to the kids section for options. I can't tell you how much money I have spent over the years hemming and taking in clothes, it's insane. As I have gotten older it's even harder to find clothes for my "age". I am 32 years old and I can't be walking around town with Hannah Montana on my shirt and some sparkley embroidered flower thing on my pants leg nor can I go walking around with some of the clothes from the Juniors department. It's a no win situation, honestly. 


I know this next section may piss some people off so I will go ahead and say I am sorry if I offend anyone but it is MY blog and it's about MY feelings. 


The world and media seemed to be so obsessed with weight that it's out of control. We have "The Biggest Loser" (which I do watch and enjoy), "Dance your ass off" (love it, too) and "I used to be fat". While most of these episodes concentrate on the person getting healthy by eating and exercising right you have a hand full who want to be "skinny" and they don't care what it takes to get there. Those type of people are the ones who really get to me because becoming "skinny" doesn't solve any problems, if anything, they are trading themselves in for another set of insults and jokes -- this time they aren't "fat" they are "anorexic". 


Being small has many disadvantages of a person who suffers being overweight when it comes to society and the way people think. For instance, I get stared at just as much while eating out as a person who is overweight. You know the stares I am talking about; the ones where they are looking at the amount of food your eating. For an overweight person it's the amount of food you are putting on your plate and in your mouth. For me, it's the amount of food I order/eat and then if I go to the bathroom to purge myself. Obese people have problems sitting on amusement park rides, guess who else does?!? I do! Some of the rides at theme parks don't fit tightly enough as I would like but they are still considered "safe". When overweight people start exercising/walking they are observed by others watching...those people are commenting under their breath like "yeah, that person needs to be walking, etc, etc.". Funny thing is that I get the same observations but the comments are more like "poor thing she's exercising/walking she must have some sort of body image problem or she is skinny enough, why is she exercising?". The list goes on and on and on....but I will stop there.


Okay, I feel better after getting this off of my chest (that's the point of a blog, right?) and I hope that I gave you some insight on what it's truly like to be "skinny". As you can see, it's not all that it's cracked up to be. I have come to accept that I am who I am and I have the body that I was meant to have. 


And for shopping early....I did find the P.E.R.F.E.C.T dress for tomorrow night but it took some time to dig around for a size that would fit. Nothing like being a size 0 with hips and a bust! 

The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow...

  

Today was a crazy, hectic, crappy day and I am ready to call it a night! Thankful tomorrow is a preschool day for Brody and that we are one day closer to the weekend. 

Until then....Good Night, Sweet Dreams. 

"Naked" & Busy

Today I have been busy as a bee and feeling a bit "naked". 

First to the part that I am sure got your attention; the word NAKED. As I mentioned in a earlier blog post; my watch is missing gone for good. My entire family has searched for it and we've come to the conclusion it's no longer going to return to my left wrist. With that being said, I feel completely naked and lost without it! I keep looking down to see what time it is and all I get in return is a tiny, pale white, bare wrist. How depressing. Anyone that has OCD knows that time is of the essence. I can't stand being late and I absolutely H-A-T-E not knowing what time it is. I know in today's world I should be able to pull out my cell phone and look at the time but that's just too much trouble. Call me "old school" but I like wearing a watch and it works for me. I have several watches and something is wrong with every one of them; one is a old wind-up watch that was my grandmothers and I don't wear it because I would be sick if I lost it. My Rolex has a broken crystal face from falling off the bathroom counter and onto a marble floor. I don't even want to think about how much that will cost me to get fixed hence why it's been broken for 4 years now. My other two watches need batteries. I picked some batteries (kuddos to me for remembering) up today at the store but now I can't get the freaking back off the watches to replace the stupid things. I think God may be trying to tell me something?!? I mean seriously, I have all of these watches and not a single one works. I do know that I need a working or new watch A.S.A.P because I am going to drive myself insane if I can't tell what time it is. My husband may like that idea because Valentine's Day is only 13 days away and if I am committed somewhere he doesn't have to buy me a gift. I am sure he would love that considering he doesn't have to go through the hassle of picking out the card, ordering the flowers and buying a piece of jewelry....particularly a watch. Hint. Hint. 

On top of losing my mind from not being able to tell what time it is I feel like I have been non-stop today. I put Brody in preschool two days a week because I wanted some "me" time but it has turned into "everybody but me" time. I pack my two Brody-less days with errands and chores. It's by choice though because it's so hard to get anything accomplished with a 2 year old tagging along. You have to deal with dragging them in/out of the carseat, finding a cart, telling them "No" a hundred times over for items they think are life or death...I mean, seriously, Brody wants E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G he sees these days. Why does a 2 year old want Moth Balls, don't know, ask Brody...he'll tell you. I can't even stop and "park" the cart in the aisle because he is taking one of everything and putting it in the buggy. You don't even know how many times I have been checking out only to find weird, miscellaneous items that he added to my purchase without me knowing. One day he is going to get smart and put it in his pocket and then we'll be charged with shoplifting...wait on that blog post, I am sure it's coming. 

This month will be insanely busy for the Beemer house because with Vic making the soccer team she has practices 4 days a week, 1 soccer game a week, 1 winter band practice a week, enrollment for the 9th grade (already?!?!?) and a Field trip. Whew. I am not done. I have to help with a Valentine's Day party for Brody's preschool on the 14th which I know will end up stressing me out because I will want it to be perfect. There are 3 other Mothers helping but we all have our own things to do and bring. And to top all of that off (like we don't have enough to do) we are squeezing in a trip home to North Carolina for 3 days. Ohhhh, I almost forgot!!! Mike and I have to find the time to have a nice dinner out to celebrate Valentine's Day! 

I just read the above and I feel my blood pressure rising just thinking about it. Good gracious! That is a bunch of stuff to do in a matter of 27 days. 

Oh well, it will all get done and it will all be perfect...because that is how I am....a perfectionist with OCD who gets things done on time....without a watch (for the time being - pardon the pun).