the week of crazies…birthday rewind, misc details, and wedding wishes

a happy birthday indeed
I felt so lucky this year to have a few birthday celebrations…even better, that gave me an excuse to have dessert for 4 straight days because let’s face it, the older you get, the more important a sweet treat is! Tres leches cake + brownie a’la mode + key lime cupcakes=maybe I need to refrain a bit after this week.
My family surprised me with some wonderful birthday gifts this year… a brand new ipod and armband for workouts, some fabulous new work attire (aka pajamas), The Pioneer Woman Cookbook that I have been eyeing for quite some time, giftcards and money (which always seem to fit nicely),  the leather travel jewelry box I have been wanting for what seems like forever, and a brand new Tory Burch purse I decided was an absolute necessity (thanks hubby).
I was an emotional basketcase on Sunday afternoon after we returned home from lunch with my family. I looked around and realized life can’t get much better than this. I have everything I have ever dreamed of: a loving husband, a darling daughter, a family that loves my unconditionally, a great support group of the best friends, and of course I started crying just because I was just so happy. I know, nerd alert, but I just couldn’t hold it in…pure happiness indeed :).

new recipe from the pot of crock
I think i could be the only southern lady who only uses her crockpot to make chili come fall, however, with all the fabulous concoctions from Pinterest, I decided to give another recipe a shot, and it was a HUGE success at our house.
Here’s the breakdown for yummy Italian Crockpot Chicken:
1 lb chicken breasts (thawed/fresh)
1 can of reduced fat cream of chicken soup
8 oz of reduced fat cream cheese
1 dry packet of Italian dressing mix
salt and pepper to taste
Drop all ingredients in crockpot and let cook for 4-6 hours on low. Mix together with white rice and enjoy! Seriously, it’s that easy and I used crockpot liners which meant my clean-up time was nothing…I will be discovering many “throw everything from your kitchen pantry into the pot and cook it” recipes and promise to share the keepers.

the funhouse keeps growing
This past weekend we finally made the big exersaucer/jumper purchase from BRU and I think I might have been even more excited than CC was for her to try it out. Daddy and I got it assembled as she just stared at us in amazement over the blinking lights and music. We sat her in it and away she went…I can tell this thing is going to be a LIFESAVER for occupying her time. We ended up buying the Fisher Price Animal Krackers Jumperoo and so far it’s been a winner for the little peanut. We will be starting to charge admission for all the fun activities that occupy our house soon so come on over and play! 😉

home organizing challenge…ready, set, GO!
I think by now you’ve all learned I am a neat-a-holic and I love to be organized and have a proper place for everything. I found this fantastic website called Home Storage Solutions 101 that has a 52 week challenge to get your home organized. Sure, it’s a long process, but fairly manageable to tackle 1 specific item/room each week as to not overwhelm. I started it this week, and my first task was to declutter my craft room/space. I got it done in under 2 hours and I felt so good that it’s now tidy and I can actually find my crafting necessities!

wedding crasher time
The weekend is almost here and I am super excited because it’s one of my best friends’ wedding weekends! The planning is complete and we are ready to party…woo hoo! Candice, I couldn’t be happier for you and Adam-I hope you savor each and every moment this weekend with all your friends and family here to celebrate this exciting new adventure you’re embarking on. Marriage is tough, but it’s so much fun and I know you and Adam are going to be so stinking happy together. Now let all the celebrating commence!!

And one more friendly reminder to sign up for the SwimSpot $50 giveaway…it ends next Monday!