The Chronicles of a SAHM

Confirmed

2013-06-18T09:36:00.004-05:00

Yes. I am running the 2013 Chicago Marathon. No exclamation point at the end of that sentence for now. I haven't been running...until now.

Everyone says: "Oh Cindy, you'll be fine, you're in great shape."

Between you, me, and the blog, I am NOT in great shape. I've been working nonstop, which means sitting on my bootay on my computer. I haven't been running. at. all.

I'll be OK. I've been doing very easy three milers. I'm also trying to space out my runs, two days on, one day off. If it's a two day, I'll do one in the morning, and then the next day, late afternoon so my legs get to rest. I know they're short runs right now, but I just have to get my body back into the groove of running.

I'm also going to practice my selfies...I promise...there is a city behind all that fog;)

The walls, come tumblin' down

2013-06-06T18:47:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, there were 8 townhomes in this spot...

Today....

Soooo...I'm moving to London...

2013-06-05T10:24:00.005-05:00

...not really, but I would if the opportunity arises. I LOVE this city!

I tried my darnedest to take some selfies in front of all of these lovely sites. I can not take a selfie to save my life:/ Anyone else having this issue? I'm selfie challenged:/

So, I went to London...

2013-06-03T21:54:00.003-05:00

...saw David Bowie. (He says "Hi")

Took tons of great shots with the Nikon. If I come up for air, I'll show them to you;)

Lord Luv a Duck!

2013-05-23T18:48:00.002-05:00

I have been super duper busy lately. For some odd reason when I get so busy I'm on the verge of freaking out, I step back and say "Lord Luv a Duck!"

I don't know what it means...I grew up on a farm, so I'm guessing it is some downstate phrase I picked up along the way. Who knows:/

I spoke at Bloggy Boot Camp last week. These are some of my favorite people. Good times. Check it out...I highly recommend it!

So this happened...

2013-05-13T21:34:00.002-05:00

Miss Peach got some temporary tattoos. Did not know they made them for your feet.

Kinda cute...in a weird, I'm really glad they're temporary sort of way;)

Babies!

2013-05-09T20:07:00.001-05:00

Mom's farm has been busy lately. Two babies in a week!

Foreground is Pepper. (Miss Peach and Little Man named her)

Little one in the back is Fiesta Rose. (She was born on my birthday/Cinco de Mayo/Kentucky Derby weekend)

I want one on the patio;)

Angry Bird

2013-05-02T17:06:00.004-05:00

As we were walking home on May 2 in Chicago, in our ski jackets, one day after walking home in shorts and sweating...The Little Man insisted we stop and take a picture of his Angry Bird sitting in a flower.

I kinda feel like the Angry Bird...Spring...anyone?

Finally...

2013-05-01T21:28:00.002-05:00

...some spring up in here...or should I say...summer? We kinda bypassed spring and went straight to summer. I think we're back to winter tomorrow:/

Cybher Calling...

2013-04-24T22:01:00.000-05:00

I had been feeling a bit off for a few weeks now...

Nothing terribly drastic...just little things...

I first noticed when I was loading the kiddos into the car, as I've done for 7 years now. There's no just getting in the car, I have to get the kiddos situated and strapped in before I can get in the drivers seat. This day was no different...until I got in the car.

I actually belted myself up, had my keys in hand...before I noticed. I was on the wrong side of the car. That wouldn't be such a big deal...had I not heard the sound. Did anyone else hear it, or was it just me? Oh-oh-oh-oh-ah-ah! I turned my head...it was like a high pitched monkey sound...but the kiddos didn't hear it.

Then there was the time I was sitting on the couch, checking facebook on my phone. Normal as any other day. The Bro posted a picture of the elevated train stop. He's been working down there for a while now. (I don't know what app he's using, but he's taking some great panoramic pics...)

Before I even knew what was happening...I had typed "Mind the Gap!"

"Mind the Gap"?!? Where did that come from...and then there's that sound again!

Oh-oh-oh-ah-ah-ah...Am I the only one hearing this???

Every afternoon I pick up my daughter at school. Every afternoon, it's the same scenario..."Do you have to go potty?" I say. "Nope Mommy" she says. Then we get a few blocks from home and "Mommy...I have to go potty!"

This day, I picked her up...and said "Do you need to use the loo?"

"What's a loo Mommy?"

...and then that sound again! Oh-oh-oh-ah-ah-ah...Was that a guitar? I looked around...

I think the hat incident is what pushed me over the edge.

Did I actually BUY a cocktail hat?!?

Does anyone in Chicago WEAR a cocktail hat??? I mean...I can see if my name was Beatrice...and I was invited to William and Kate's wedding...but come on. Chicago...I've never seen ANYONE wearing a kooky hat like that.

Cue the darn Oh-oh-oh-ah-ah-ah...I'm defiantly the only one hearing this!

Holy Madonna Penn Ritchie Ciccone Batman!

I know what this is!

It happened to Gwyneth...and now it's happening to me!

I've got Brit Fever!!!

HOW can this happen?!?

I must go to the Cybher Conference and get my Brit on...

Help me Collective Bias...you're my only hope!

Oh-oh-oh-ah-ah-ah...Cybher Calling...I never felt so much a like a like a like a...

A New Mariano's!

2013-04-18T10:00:00.000-05:00

I was SUPER excited to tour the new Mariano's in Harwood Heights! I had never been to a Mariano's, but I had heard incredible things...and boy this store delivered!

Right off the bat, you walk in and are hit with a rainbow of fresh, organic produce. Any fruit or veggie, any way you can imagine it, they have it. Fresh fruit, got it, sliced fruit, got it...they even have a juicer...and the fresh juice can't be beat:P

As we toured, the gelato bar was next up. Gelato is a soft ice cream containing little or no air. Our guide told us how Mariano's makes it's gelato, as we gazed at the offerings. Yes, we got a taste test, and I know it has to do with the amount of butter and the amount of air, but let me tell you it is SO good. I tried the coconut, the berry and the lemon. No winner here, they were all. so. good! Seriously though, how can you go wrong with a gelato bar taste test?

If I had to pick a favorite, (and I'd hate to have to do that) I was blown away by the bakery. The cupcakes, the cake pops, the cakes...oh my! The lovely woman at the bakery told us how they are allowed to be creative with their cakes and make whatever they can dream up. How fun! I thought to myself, "these cakes must cost a fortune"...but they don't. Most of the cakes in the display were $10-$14. She also said that they make any cake request you can dream up. (I see a custom Lego cake from Mariano's in a little boy's future.)

I have been in many grocery stores, and I have never seen a grilling station. Mariano's Harwood Heights has a grill, right between the fresh seafood, and the meat department. Brilliant! They will grill up whatever you buy, to your specifications...wait. for. it...FREE!

We even got to meet Mr. Mariano. He told us that Mariano's is all about bringing families back to the table. The dinner table is where the family meets to catch up and discuss the day. These days families are so busy, Mariano's wants to give them options for getting a great meal on the table, every day. I'd say they succeeded:)

After a tour of such a wonderful store, how can you not end with lunch...right? What to choose, what to choose? The soup bar sounds comfy and good. I love me some salad bar, and Mariano's salad bar went on for days. Todd's BBQ was cooking up some of the yummiest smells...SO tempting....

But...You know me...

If sushi's on the menu...I gots to go with my sushi! Mariano's has a full sushi bar. I had the Godzilla roll. While I'm typing this...I'd like another please:)

Don't forget to check out the Mariano's reward card. Sign up is free, and with it you get all kinds of savings, recipes and even cooking videos.

If you get the chance, I highly recommend checking out the Mariano's Harwood Heights. It is WAY more than just a grocery store. Be sure to check them out on Twitter, Facebook, and check out the Mariano's Community as well! For more pictures of the new store view my Google+ post.

*I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Mariano’s#cbias #SocialFabric #MyMarianos

The Elephant and the Whale

2013-04-15T09:48:00.001-05:00

You could not have picked a more appropriate play for my little Peach to see.

I mean...remember the first live elephant she ever saw? She's a bit on the crazy side when it comes to elephants.

Cue Saturday, we were invited to see The Elephant and the Whale at the Chicago Children's Theatre.

I really had no idea what we were in for...and I was blown away. Miss Peach was beside herself from the moment Ella the Elephant came into the scene. Vintage cartoons, wooden puppets, actors and silhouetted projections were all used to tell the tale of Ella, and her unbelievable friendship with the unfortunate whale who found herself at the circus.

Being Mommy, I was worried that Miss Peach would get upset if anything happened to our hero Ella the Elephant. Happily, Ella was a brave loyal elephant, determined to get her whale friend back to the sea.

We jeered, cheered, got sprayed with water and had a grand old time!

If you are in the city, or coming to the city with kiddos, I highly recommend seeing the show.

Check out the Chicago Children's Theatre for ticket info. The show runs through May 26.

*While I was given tickets to the show, all the views are mine, and there was no compensation for this post.

Spring's not coming...

2013-04-10T21:48:00.004-05:00

It should be...but it's not:/

So over 30 degree rainy Chicago weather. Tell me again why it is I don't live in Vail???

Lego Man Band

2013-04-04T20:43:00.005-05:00

It's a rare moment when my Little Man isn't talking about Legos.

Yesterday after school, he made me film a Lego Band video to the tune of Gangnam Style. (No...I will not torture you with it...although I know you want to see it.)

That said, on the way home from school, he said: "I think it's ridiculous to put lip stick on a skeleton...I mean...they don't even have lips."

Well OK.

Nature Walk

2013-04-02T21:58:00.003-05:00

Miss Peach and I went for a nature walk over the weekend.

Not much nature around here...still lots of brown, muddy ground.

We saw this little flower peeking through the dirt.

She insisted I take a picture.

Glad she did;)

Happy Easter

2013-03-30T11:35:00.001-05:00

Couldn't find bunny ears in his size...you got off easy Mr. Smokey...

Summer?

2013-03-26T22:14:00.002-05:00

...it's been cancelled:/

If you need us...we'll be swimming at the health club.

*Warm up darn it!

Feeling Happy, and Healthy!

2013-03-21T13:30:00.001-05:00

I take a TON of pictures with my iPhone. Yes, I have the great digital camera...but I never carry it:/ SO, I've made it my mission to take great iPhone pictures.

This leaves me to wonder. If my photos only exist on my phone, or on my blog...do they actually exist? Does anyone print photos anymore???

You bet...and it's SUPER easy with the Walgreen's app!

First thing you do is download the app...easy.

Once you've done that, it is shocking how straight forward it is to cue up pictures and print them. I chose to print from the albums on my phone, but you can take a picture, or load from Facebook.

They had them ready to print in uder 30 minutes...how crazy is that?!?

I chose to go to a Walgreen's Food Oasis store, because I had no idea what I was making for dinner tonight...so let's go pick up my photos...and do some shopping while we wait...

Check out all this loot! Yes...we're making tacos...no, they won't include orange juice and bananas...that's tomorrow's breakfast;)

I already had meat at home (or you could go meatless) so I grabbed:

1 head of lettuce

1 can of diced tomato's

1 avocado

1 can of black beans

1 package of Mexican style shredded cheese

sour cream

salsa

2 packages of corn tortillas

If you are going with meat, go ahead and brown the meat in a frying pan.
Heat the corn tortilla's about 20 seconds on each side.
Heat the black beans.
Dice up the lettuce and avocado
Place them on the counter, with the sour cream and salsa and let the kiddos have at it!

So fun, so easy and REALLY yummy...just ask Miss Peach!

Walgreen's is at the “Corner of Happy and Healthy”!

Don't forget to plug your Walgreen's App into your Walgreen's Balance Rewards card so you can earn Balance Reward Points!

To find more #HappyHealthy recipes, be sure to follow Walgreen's on Facebook and Twitter.

Don't forget to check out my google+ post for more.

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Walgreens #cbias #SocialFabric

Bring me some spring...

2013-03-18T17:01:00.002-05:00

Sad that I have to go to the Conservatory to get my spring fix on...

C'mon Chicago...warm up already!

Oopsies...

2013-03-14T22:19:00.001-05:00

My little fellow has had a loose tooth for weeks.

Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle...nuthin'

Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle...nuthin'

A couple days ago, he was sitting on my bed eating oatmeal cookies...all of the sudden, he turned white...

"Mommy...I swallowed my tooth :( "

Poor little fellow swallowed his first tooth. I felt so bad. Thank goodness that Tooth Fairy is a sharp cat. She came anyway;)

Mmmm...Mariano's at the Chicago Flower Show!

2013-03-10T22:22:00.005-05:00

I have always wanted to go to the Chicago Flower & Garden Show...and this weekend, thanks to Mariano's I finally did!

The kiddos were SO excited to run around and enjoy some springtime...even if it was inside.

The first thing we did was head over to check out what Mariano's had cooking (#MyMarianos).

So many lovely flowers!

How nice it was to see some fresh flowers and colors after the drab winter we've been having. While that would have been enough, we turned the corner and found the smoothie's!

"What kind of smoothies are these?" I asked. When she said Kale...I was super psyched, but I didn't think for a second I'd get my kids to try it...

"They taste like bananas!" I said...and they tried them...LOVE! Both kiddos.

Then, we headed over to the Garden Gourmet Stage learn how to make Eggplant Parmigiana from Executive Chef Marcello Petrini.

I'll tell you right now, I have never liked Eggplant Parmigiana....but the kiddos and I agreed, we'd keep an open mind, and try it out.

I was surprised how interested they were in watching the cooking demonstration...

and it looked doable...very doable.

When the samples came out...they looked SO yummy...

...And. It. Was. Super. Yummy!

To quote The Little Man "This is the best thing I've ever put in my mouth!"

I don't know if it was the Roundy's sauce, or just the fact that the chef really knew what he was doing...but I will be trying this recipe at home.

After attending the Chicago Flower Show, I am convinced Spring is coming...and until then, I'll be hanging out at Mariano's Market, pretending it's already here;)

Check out more pictures from the Chicago Flower Show.

*I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Mariano’s #cbias #SocialFabric @MarianosMarket

Ooph

2013-03-05T20:14:00.001-06:00

I've been so busy.

A little bird has been buzzing in my ear to get into the passive income arena...SO, have have written a couple child themes that I will be selling soon. (I'll show you when they're ready)

BUT...

I have put a couple clients on one of my new themes...and I am just SO pleased with it.

Share time:

Isn't it so pretty?

She wanted something really light and bright...go check it out: Ooph

Work, work, work...at least I like what I do;)

King of the World

2013-02-24T21:21:00.002-06:00

Little Man: "Mommy...the Doughnut Titantic sank into the milk....It's OK though...all of the passengers were sprinkles;P"

*I know Titanic is spelled wrong...that's how he says it;)

Bring it

2013-02-21T21:52:00.002-06:00

We are supposed to get dumped on. "It's on it's way" is all I'm hearing from the talking heads on the news.

All I can say is...

Bring it.

Valentine's!

2013-02-14T11:37:00.004-06:00

I saw all kinds of super, Martha Stewart looking Valentine's on Pinterest for the crafter in me. (I know there's a crafter down in there somewhere...)

I did have every intention of getting my craft on and making some super Valentine's for the kiddos to take to school...

Then, Little Man said: "Mommy, I want Fruit Roll Up Valentine's."

OK...my world just got easier. The good folks at Fruit Roll Up, actually made to: and from: packages for Fruit Roll Up's...yay team. One down, one to go...

Miss Peach: "Mommy, I'm going to make my own Valentine's...you don't need to help."

SUPER STAR! She sat down with her list of 27 students...and hand made a Valentine for each one of them. Then she taped a fun dip package to each so everyone would have a treat. LUV!

I got off easy...may your Valentine's go as well:)