Update

Thank you to everyone for your kind words on my Great Granny. I wanted to take a moment to share with you that my Granny has passed on. She left us gracefully on Sunday night. She is now at peace, is comfortable, and is hand in hand with her beloved husband. I again thank you all for your warm and kind words during this time of bittersweet sadness within my family.

Bless you all.

Baby DIVA topples over...

THE BACK OF THE COUCH AND LANDED ON HER HEAD ON THE TILE FLOOR!!!!!!

I am such a horrible mom. Why wasn't I watching? How did she fall? OMG!! I am terrible to have looked away for less than one minute! And how is it that a kid can get into so much trouble during that less than 30 seconds you are not looking at them? HUH? Do they plot and plan and wait till you turn and look the other way? Okay, mom has turned her head for 5 seconds, now its time to dive bomb off the couch!!! SERIOUSLY!!!!!

I felt like the worst parent on the face of the planet. I saw her falling over the couch from across the room (a whole 5 steps) and I think I even got to her about the same time she hit the floor. But I still felt like hell because I did not have my supermom powers in full working order, I did not reach her in time. I scooped her up with the quickness as tears raced from her eyes. Grabbed the phone and starting dialing the peds office, dumbass it was closed. Hung up. Dialed my mom. No answer. Gosh dangit! Called one of my best friends who has lots of practice with falling kids, no answer! AHHHHHHHHHHH. Meanwhile as I am panicked (and yes I did do a complete check of her head, no blood, no breaks, no marks, nada), Baby DIVA has fully composed herself and is sitting in my arms looking at me like I am smoking crack or something. She has this look of "mom seriously what is your deal" on her face, followed by some baby chuckles.

So okay she is fine. No problem. I still felt like I deserved worst mom in the world award. I still watched her every move for the next FOREVER making sure she was okay. I could be found saying things like, "oh my she looked at that toy a bit too long, do you think she is injured from her fall?" or " oh my she didn't eat all her dinner maybe she has a brain injury, should we call the doctor?" Seriously, I am sick in the head. H4L was not pleased with my aftermath behavior. Even making this post took some time. I mean this "incident" occurred on Thanksgiving morning. I couldn't share my horrible mom story with you until now.

Now I have doctored up the living room, Matt's and pillows and blankets cover the floor behind the couch! Supermom is back in action. Never to be without Pink Hair and a super cape ever again!

End of life

My Great Grandmother is dying.

Not like the rest of us, but she is actively dying as I type this post. I have never really encountered this scenario. I have never sat next to a loved one as I watched them actively die. I have never had to watch each labored breath my loved one takes and wonder if this will finally be the last breath that takes all the pain away. have never sat in a hosptial room and had my loved one not really even know I am there, present in the room, caring, loving and grieving for them. It is horrendous. I feel like I am in a bad dream.

I have always been on the fence about my feeling on euthanasia in humans. Watching my Great grandmother suffer to her death has allowed me to find out exactly where my feelings lie upon this matter. Sure, I can see both sides of this option. However, at the point I see my Great Granny, I kow exactly how I feel, no questions asked. I do not think anyone should have to undergo such misery when only harder suffering is on the horizon.

She is not going to get better. In fact she is going to get worse. Her lungs have had significant damage from her lifetime. She is 88 years old. She is battling the flu, much like the horrible flu I myself and still fighting off over a month later. She is too weak to suck liquid from a straw. She is DNR and therefore no invasive treatments will take place. A Bipap machine is her lifeline as of here on out. With each labored breath she struggles with such enormity that panic strikes her. She can not be given any sedatives. Why? They might calm her so much that she would die. And that is against the law. So instead we will just have to watch her suffer.

It is sad. I am hurt. I am angry. I am full of mixed emotions. I am hopeful that she passes quickly and can join her husband in their afterlife. I will miss my Great Grandmother incredibly so, but am very happy to have had almost 31 years with her. I just hate that her last days have to be like this. I wish there was more we could do. I wish she did not have to suffer one minute. I wish she could just go peacefully and not feel this pain.



Instead I will continue to visit her often both in person and in spirit. I will tell her stories about Baby DIVA and how she loves her Great Great Granny (no one under 12 may enter the hospital due to swine flu, so Baby DIVA can not visit). I will hold my Great Granny's hand and tell her that I love her, even though she no longer responds to me by voice or by squeezing my hand. I will let her know I am by her side, now and always, and that I hope she passes soon in to the joy of her afterlife.



It is seriously pure misery to watch a love one suffer in this way. One would think that will all the vast amounts of technology we have, that death and dying could be peaceful. Unfortunately that is not an area we seem to focus on advancing in. What a shame. It is quite sad.

My Great Granny holding Baby DIVA on Mother's Day 2009!

Boppin into Christmas

One of the great things about planning ahead and being on a budget, is that by December all your Christmas shopping is complete. All the gifts are wrapped under the tree. No crazy running around needs to be done. You can just sit back and enjoy the weekends as Christmas approaches and savor the fabulous family moments. These, before Christmas weekends can be spent doing FUN family stuff instead of crazed madness to prepare for the upcoming holiday. I am thrilled about this. Being around my H4L and Baby DIVA and experiencing fun, exciting and Christmasy outings and events and spirit boosters is so much better than Christmas panic!

So, last night H4L and I loaded up in the old family car with our bundled up Baby DIVA (because yes even though we are in the hottest state in the country, we are still quite cold from our mini blizzard on Friday. Still in shock and awe from this festive event!). 4 layers on Baby DIVA and a hot heater blowing in the car, 15 minute car ride and some screams of pure heat exhaustion later, we pulled up to the Cottage Charm. Cottage Charm is a fabulous dancing lights display. I know you have all seen the wondrous house that has swept the nation over the last few years with its dancing lights to the musical sensation of trans Siberian orchestra. Well the Cottage charm is the same idea, on a slightly smaller scale. The Cottage Charm is a free event and runs every 15 minutes from 6pm to 11pm 7 days a week during the holiday season. They invite you to bring non perishable canned goods that can be utilized in the local food bank. So that's what we did. We packed up some cans of baby formula and other canned goods along with our 4 layers of clothes on Baby DIVA, and went out to enjoy the light show. It was so cool. Not very crowded. Quiet. Beautiful lights. We turned on our radio to the requested channel and could hear the music that accompanied the dancing lights! Highly enjoyable family outing!

I am going to share with you some video of the Fabulous Cottage Charm. Just bear in mind that I am a mom, so some Baby screeches blend in well with the cool Christmas sing along music! Oh and a Baby arm or head might pop in the way every now and again. Just adds the fabulous cool factor! You know how it goes!

SNOW???? in Houston

***BIG NEWS***

It is SNOWING outside!

My backyard bushes!

Some of you are probably saying "Ya! So What. its been snowing for weeks." Well let me tell you it does not snow here in Houston, Texas! EVER. In fact, my first time to ever see snow was just a few years ago when H4L and I took a little vacay to Chicago for New Years aka my Birthday to visit our family! If we do happen to get a little flurry here in the great state of humid and hotness, we most definitely never have it stick to the ground...until today!

My ass is cold and wet mom, Not digging it!

My usual "sunning" spot

Mister weather dude is saying we should expect 2-6 inches over the next 24 hours! That is like a huge blizzard for my part of the world! Stay tuned for more pics! I am gonna go cook up some turkey chili and homemade hot chocolate to warm our bones before we head on out and try and build a snowman (mini of course)!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Baby DIVA's first EVER sugar. Her Birthday cupcake with mom and dad!!

Are you a clay potter?

I have been quite the little Domesticated Pink Haired Momma in the kitchen. This has been established quite well. And I just got married. All of this is old news right? Well! A good friend of mine gave me a little gift for my wedding, that just happens to work in the kitchen. She gave me a Clay Pot.

Hmmmmm. You must be thinking "WHAT?" Well that is if you are newly domesticated like I am, or if you are not German, like I am not. Here have a little lookey for those who are like me.

Clay Pot for cooking not potting!!

At first I was a bit scared of this clay pot. I have never used a clay pot for cooking and I was a bit unsure on what to do with this new addition to my kitchen repertoire. But after a few dabbles with it in the kitchen, I am in LOVE with this clay pot. This is by far the greatest addition to my kitchen, and I didn't even know they existed.

I simply soak the pot in cold water for about 10 minutes before using. Then I load it up with some edible yummies, stick it in a cold oven, turn oven on and then walk away for a set amount of time. When I come back and remove my friend little clay pot, not only is dinner complete, it is absolutely phenomenal! Seriously, chicken falling off the bone and melting in my mouth good! I am so in love...

Chicken Napoli. The meat just fell off the bones! And that is the juice there of the chicken! I added nothing to the pot. No water, no broth, nada! The clay pot enables the food to cook nicely in its own juices. YUM!!!

A few apples, raisins, cinnamon, and a splash of rum and Voila. A delicious yummy sweet treat baked up in my little clay pot friend and served immediately with some vanilla ice cream...calorie free of course!



I must say I am now the biggest fan of clay pot cooking. It is easy, delicious, easy, yummy, easy...well you get the point. I am interested to hear if you are familiar with clay pot cooking. If so lets swap recipes and get to clay pot cooking!!!

Thank you so much G!!! I LOVE my clay pot!

Christmas barfed on my house

I love the holiday season. I love the warmth that a glowing tree fills our living room with. I love all the snazzy decorations all around town. I love that my entire house looks like Christmas barfed all over it! It is awesome. It is fun. I love that by living in Texas you can often find me shopping about town in flip flops and shorts for those last few stocking stuffers. It is the holiday season! We won't even think or talk about that in just about 3 weeks I will be begging for it to be all over. Come on you know it is true, you will too!

I don't love that the holiday season is pushed upon us WAY to early. I like to wait until after thanksgiving to even think about decorating. Unfortunately I have been looking at Christmas decor in the consumer world for nearly a month now. We also have implemented a very strict "No Christmas" policy until after thanksgiving because of Baby DIVA's birthday. I do not want her to ever feel she has to compete with thanksgiving or Christmas to have her birthday honored. I myself know how it feels to be a holiday baby! I am a New Years Day babe. Therefore the house that was barfed on by Christmas is all packed up and removed before New Years Day in order to separate my birthday from the holiday. I am thankful for my mom for doing this for me and now I will do the same for my daughter.

That being said, thanksgiving is history and we have climbed our way all the way in to December...

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ...

our Christmas tree is up

and the house is covered with holiday cheer!! It is time to crank up the holiday tunes and dance around after a spiked cup of nog to my favorite Christmas jam Run Run Rudolph while we allow Christmas to barf all over the house!!

I have a wee bit of an obsession with these Christmas Frogs! I absolutely Love them. H4L thinks they are a tad bit creepy!

Even our toilet is excited it is Christmas!!

Baby DIVA's first PARTY!!

This last Saturday Baby DIVA celebrated her birthday with a fabulous shin dig just for HER!! Balloons, streamers, cake, ice cream and lots of family and friends! It was absolutely perfect! Baby DIVA hammed it up and loved all the attention (imagine that). Thank you to our fabulous friends and family that joined us on this wonderful occasion. You helped make Baby DIVA's birthday a grand success!

We didn't host the largest bash of the century for our Baby DIVA's first birthday. I personally think that is silly. I planned her party as age appropriate for her. In between her naps. A very quick lunch (and ummm I introduced Baby DIVA to pizza and would you believe my petite thin child scarfed 2 whole pieces of cheese pizza all by herself?!? She has my skills!) followed by cake, gifts, a little play time and then down for a nap and party is over. I decorated the house with streamers that were at Baby DIVA's level and invited her sensory skills to kick in. I scattered balloons about the house on crawling level so that my Baby DIVA could engage in "chase the balloon". All in all it was a hit for Baby DIVA. And that is what is important. For HER to have fun at HER party.

And she did. And she had her first sugar followed by first sugar rush heathen child behavior. Awesome. No more sugar for her! LOL And she received a fabulous playhouse and tunnel as well as her very own couch from mom and dad. She digs it!

DIVA's Throne

Balloon pit

Big Birthday girl

H4L, Baby DIVA, Pink Haired Momma
Happy Birthday Baby girl!!!

Lets talk Diapers

Hello there. Welcome to Pink Haired Momma's Exploding poop post!

Baby DIVA is an "on the go" kind of kid. The girl has so much energy it is exhausting just thinking about it. Her "on the go" behavior has recently brought us to a quandary about our choice of diapers. You see way back when my little Baby DIVA burst into the world, we were introduced to pampers. Mainly because that was the brand of diapers that most of our friends and family purchased for us before her grand arrival. We did have a brief stint with huggies preemie size diapers right there at the beginning, but that was short lived, as my precious Baby DIVA exploded right out of those bad boys. We quickly migrated back to Pampers. And that is where we stayed right up until a month or so ago. We were proud users of pampers cruisers, during the crawling stage. Now that we have moved on to the "climb on everything, leap frog, dangle from anything that is higher than the floor stage", we have are having some issues. It appears that those explosions from very early on have resumed their place in our life. Nice. Gross. Crap. Literally.

So I went on a mission of trying different diapers to see what might be able to contain these "explosions" during dangle sessions. I started with some Huggies. The diapers seemed to fit nice on Baby DIVA. She seemed comfortable. We had a pee and everything seemed great. Then it happened. EXPLOSION. Right out the leg holes down the legs and up the back. Isnt that nice. Clothes and baby DIVA needed an immediate dunk in bathtub. Gross. Crap. Moving on.

LUVS were purchased. Diaper number 2 proved to be an epic failure. A brief pee pee session resulted in a Niagara Falls effect upon a brand new fresh from the dryer cutesy outfit of Baby DIVA's and a fresh cleaned and dressed Pink Haired Momma. Failure. Trash. Crap. Didnt even wait to see how explosions handle this brand.

Parents choice from Wal-mart were bought in as drastic measures were being undertaken to resolve this diaper issue. This diaper is very lightweight. Fits very well. But does not house a full bladder of excretions or an EXPLOSION. Both incidents resulted in both momma and Baby DIVA needing a fresh change of clothes. Failure yet again.

So I am stuck. We are back with old faithful, Pampers. I am hoping that the "dangling" stage moves at a rapid pace and we can go back to no escaping EXPLOSIONS or leaky waterfalls. Perhaps This is just our destiny. Who knows. Please feel free to entertain my thoughts and my diaper game trials with your stories or suggestions! Is it just my kid that has the horrific explosions of mass proportion? Are there others out there going through my exact dilemma? Is this normal?

Black Friday Goodies

It is true I am just about done with all my Christmas shopping for this year. It sure does pay off to budget and shop year round. Today as so many people scramble about and fight with one another over that goofy over priced whatever, I sit here at home with my H4L and Baby DIVA and enjoy a day of relaxation. Our shopping is almost complete. All the gifts are already wrapped courtesy of my fabulous H4L. It is wonderful. In honor of this wonderful day of relaxation, I thought I would share with you some of the great items I have found on the net this year. Each one is special to me because it brought about belly laughs or a brief pee on myself from laughing so hard (Yep still happening 1 year post birth, Nice). Let's get started!

I don't know why I keep pissing my self laughing when I look at this little gifty poo for just a mere $39.95. But I do. I just keep cracking up every time I see or think about it. Seriously? Do we really need to pay a whopping$39.95 for a half of a phone to plug into our cell phones that we use to get away from having giant land line headsets? Too funny. And it comes in a wide range of color varieties as well. Oh and it is radiation FREE!! Holy Crap! Got my running shoes on now and gonna score me one on Black Friday! How bout you? You want it? Click YUBZ.

Here is another little goodie! Carry on that traditional drink right from the lovely family gathering around the tree to the solitude of the shower. At least this variety is a cleansing kind and probably wont leave you with a terrible headache, or will it? This just tickles me so. Why on earth would you want to smell like the NOG? Or better why on earth would you want to bathe in it? I know there are some die hard spiked egg nog fans, but this is just taking it too dang far! Bath Nog

Okay this one really calls for some good running shoes this Friday. It actually is quite funny. I personally find myself enjoying a few pages of a good parenting or woman's magazine when I hide, I mean sit down from some crapper time. This could be a very humorous start or finish to the day though. This one invokes a good giggle in me as I have a great history in the crapper and with toilet paper. Those involved know what I am speaking of. Those who are lost will hear about it in a later post! Crapper jokes

Here is one that I expect to find H4L placing in my stocking...Reasons. We all know that the husbands are ready to go 365 days a year 24 hours a day. The wives, well you know.

This is pretty cool. Brought about a laughing moment because i myself have no self control when it comes to bubble wrap. If this fabulous calendar adorned my walls, I would totally end up popping all the dates before New Years was over. Yep I cant help myself. Bubble Pop

I hoped you enjoyed my fabulous giggly black Friday goodies. Going to go and laugh and giggle and pee with my H4L and Baby DIVA.

Gobble Gobble

I would like to extend a warm and fabulous thank you to all my readers. Without you I would have no one to make laugh. I would have no one to share the trials and tribulations of being a Pink Haired Momma with. I appreciate each and every one of you and wish you a fabulous Thanksgiving! I hope you stuff your faces and have fabulous afternoon naps! Thank you for being my friend!

Time out for mom Thursday: Thanksgiving style

I find it ironic that this week Time out for Theta Mom Thursday falls on Thanksgiving. I find it so ironic because my time out this week is of a different variety. It is a time out that I am very thankful and privileged to have. This week I took a mommy time out with my daughter. And I have never been more Thankful for it. How is it that a time out you may ask. Well This week, Wednesday to be exact, My Baby DIVA turned 1 year old. I took the opportunity to turn off all of my duties except being fun momma to Baby DIVA. Everything ceased to exist except my daughter and me. No laundry. No dishes. Not cleaning. No organizing. No answering phones, emails, or anything else that distracts me from my daughter. I simply tuned the world out and focused just on her for a full 24 hours.

It started when she woke up. I smothered her in thousands of hugs and kisses, much like I did 1 year ago when she first entered my arms and my life. We then dined on a fabulous breakfast of fresh banana and yogurt. Her absolute favorite, well at least today. This breakfast feast was followed my Baby DIVA and Pink Haired Momma "dress up" time. I enjoyed every minute of dressing her and brushing the wee bit of hair she has on her head. It is just now at a length where a tiny bow can be placed comfortably on her head. After we finished playing dress up, we loaded up in the car and headed out to our local children's Museum. Our museum has a fabulous Tot Spot. Baby DIVA enjoyed this to the max. I again tuned out the world and basked in the beauty of watching my Birthday Girl Baby DIVA squeal with delight as she made new friends and discovered a whole new world she has never seen. This is truly the greatest time out ever. A moment where nothing else matters in the world except the wonderful sound of your child's laughter. Pure bliss.

Tunnel time at the TOT SPOT

I usually enjoy my "me" time very much. This week however I am incredibly thankful for the gift that I have been given. That gift being motherhood. There is nothing in the world better than being a mom!

Thank you Theta Mom for reminding us each week to take care of ourselves! I feel blessed and very thankful to have met you in the blogosphere! And most of all I am thankful for being Baby DIVA's momma. My life is complete! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!

Wordless Wednesday

Yummy! Edible Play dough!
Baby DIVA plays with her food and EATS her toys!
Gotta Love it!

MY BABY IS 1 YEAR OLD TODAY!!!!!

I am in total awe of Baby DIVA.

Today my darling sweet angel turns 1 year old. I can not believe 1 year has gone by. I have watched for the past 365 days as this helpless creature came in to the world barely able to open her own eyes. I have watched as she learned about life and grew into a tiny little person under the guidance of myself and H4L. I have watched as her little personality has crept up on us all and we can see hidden pieces of ourselves embedded in her mind as well as a whole new branch of a person growing each day. (those little fits of frustration arms flailing and red faced when she doesn't get her way, totally from me). I watched as she found her hands and the joy that embraced her soul as this new "toy" entertained her. (And the look on her face when she realized she could grab daddy's phone and mommy's remote are totally priceless). I watched her face glow with shock and amazement when she rolled over the first time and then realized she could do it again and again. (all the way to the kitchen when mom wasn't looking or off the side of the bed during a wardrobe change). I watched with great anticipation as she took her first bite of pureed peas and thus opened a door to her future culinary loves. (and all the fabulous messes that could be made by the awesome game of "toss your lunch"). I watched as she found out there is a whole world around her to explore and I watched the excitement her body glowed with as she enveloped herself in this fabulous world. I watched as she quickly learned to climb and reach the remote that H4L and I thought we so strategically hid. I watched as she took her first few steps and blurted out "Mama" and "Dada". I watch with tears of joy as my darling baby DIVA becomes more and more independent and grows into a young woman. I am in awe of my perfect little girl. I am amazed. I am honored to be her mother. As I think about it, I cry. I realize there are no words that can describe the amazing, fabulous, joyful love of a mother to her Baby DIVA.

Today I will spend and entire day only devoted to my precious Baby DIVA. No cleaning. no errands. No mommy needs a time out. Just pure bliss watching, playing with, talking to and loving the wonderful I love so dearly! Today is truly a day to be thankful for her little hands, toes and sweet little voice. And the greatest of all her laughter!

Hello there World! I HAVE ARRIVED!!!

Proud Daddy!

So tiny! So perfect! My Baby DIVA!


And then there was 3!



The DIVA as of NOW!

Pinto Bean Cake

Domesticated Pink Haired Momma has been fooling around in the kitchen, Yet again. Seems to be a lot of cooking going on in my house lately! As I have mentioned previously, H4L and I are really try to evict our flab rolls. They have been given official notice, and are thus packing their lives up and preparing to move on out! As much as we love their company they gotta go. Its kind of like relatives. you sure do love them, but after a while they begin to weigh you down! So anyway, I have been on the hunt for all kinds of fabulous recipes to stimulate our senses and sway us in the healthy direction of leanness. The other day while staggering through allrecipes.com , again, I came across and interesting dessert.

Pinto Bean cake

hmmmmm...

Definitely ticked my fancy. I thought, "I sure do have to give that a whirl". So I grabbed me bag of dry pinto beans from the good old stocked pantry and got them to soaking. Gave them a good cooking in my trusty cast iron pot and then took this...

and turned it into this...

via this fabulous recipe!

Ingredients
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
2 cups cooked pinto beans, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 cups diced apple without peel

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease one 9 or 10 inch bundt pan. (I used a pie pan as I seem to have lost my bundt pan)
Cream butter or margarine and sugar together. Add the beaten egg and mix well. Stir in the mashed cooked beans and the vanilla.
Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground allspice together. Add the chopped pecans, golden raisins, and the diced apples to the flour mixture. Stir to coat. Pour flour mixture into the creamed mixture and stir until just combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

*Recipe states you can dribble with confectioners sugar icing and serve with candied cherries and pecans. I didn't. We just sliced and ate it up! And it is FABULOUS!!! Protein packed dessert. Hello! It does not get any more perfect than that! Try it! Don't freak because its beans in a cake. It is sweet, light, and super delicious!! You can cook it, feed it to friends, then watch their reactions when you tell them what it is!! That is what I did to H4L! Hilarious I tell you! Hilarious!

I dont have a Jupiter size ass!!!

I have been craving lasagna like a mad woman the last few weeks. NO! I AM NOT PREGNANT! But you know lasagna just isn't the healthiest of foods. And lasagna is also one of those foods that makes you feel like your ass is the size of Jupiter after you eat it. Lasagna really needs to be consumed in the cooler months so that wearing of sweat pants to disguise your Jupiter size bootie seems perfectly normal.

Slaving away in the early morning hours!

Well that is all true, unless you make up this fabulous batch of lasagna that I cooked this weekend!

Ingredients
cooking spray
9 uncooked lasagna noodles
1/2 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1/2 tablespoon dried Rosemary
1 (14 ounce) can marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
1 (28 ounce) jar tomato pasta sauce
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium-high. Saute onion and garlic for 3 minutes, or until onion is tender-crisp. Stir in broth and rosemary; bring to a boil. Stir in artichoke hearts and spinach; reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in pasta sauce.
Spread 1/4 of the artichoke mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish; top with 3 cooked noodles. Sprinkle 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese over noodles. Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with artichoke mixture and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle crumbled feta on top.
Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, and bake 15 minutes more, or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Freshly removed from the Fridge and ready for some cook time!

Oh my it was absolutely fabulous. H4L even loved it. He said he would even let it slide that there was no meat because it tasted divine! And you know what was really awesome about this recipe? I actually made the lasagna and put it all in the pan early in the morning. Then about 40 minutes before meal time, I pulled the covered pan from the fridge and plopped it in the oven. 45 minutes later wee were sitting down to a nice hot home cooked meal without me having to slave away in the kitchen hours before dinner. Totally fabulous! I would like to try and freeze a batch and see how well it holds up for future use! When I make this variety of lasagna again, I think I may add some browned ground turkey and maybe a tad more cheese. Just to give it a change. However the basic simple recipe from above is simply delicious and does not need to be altered at all if you want to devour some lasagna and not have to worry about sporting your fat girl pants!

Enjoy! Happy Healthy eating!

PS! I got so excited when I pulled it out of the oven that I forgot to snap an "all done" pic. My Bad! Use your imagination!

Hometown reception

First Drinks in our Pimp glasses!

Wow I am so slacking about our wedding details and hometown reception! I am BAD!! But man I was really tired and then really sick!

Hometown reception was a super fabulous blast! We had a wonderful time, but it was a hell of a lot of work. I think people forget sometimes, that even though you are the Bride and Groom, it is a lot of responsibility and time consuming efforts to pull off a fab shindig for all your pals! And just being the Bride and Groom does not allow you to sit tight and have people serve you, as much fun as that would be.

So Friday before the big event, H4L, Baby DIVA and I headed out to the family ranch in the wee early morning hours to get the ball rolling. We spent hours upon hours setting out all the furniture under the multitude of tents for our guest to rest their precious tushes upon. It didn't seem like it would take too long, but man it did. Meanwhile my pops and this other dude went all around town in a refrigerator truck and gathered up all our favorite foods from all our favorite restaurants and brought them out to the family ranch. After an exhausting day of set up, we all crashed out in great anticipation of the fabulous affair that would commence on Saturday morning!

Shawn modeling ZOLTAR!!

Saturday morning. Zoltar showed up, along with his friends. Bounce houses were set up for some bouncing fun. DJ was in place. Food was ready to be devoured. And H4L and I hit the bar! Then our fabulous friends and family begin to show up! We visited the BAR multiple times throughout the day, oh and of course chatted with friends and family. Chatted as best you can when you are the guests of honor and have adult beverages streaming through your body. Baby DIVA showed off her fabulous social skills and blinked her eyes at everyone in hopes of being held...again. And of course she was! The balloon launch was amazing. The tree planting ceremony was fun...the kids loved it! And at the end of the day H4L and I were exhausted, drunk and happy!

Cake eating

Beware: Drunk Bride with a knife!

Here is a litle glimpse of the Balloon launch!

Still shot of flying balloons

Like my balloon Hat?

Hungry, I mean Healthy eating

With the wedding far behind us and all the hustle and bustle starting to settle down (Yea right we are headed into the holiday season, who am I kidding?!?), I have finally implemented our "We need to eat healthier" plan. H4L and I have been "talking" about getting healthy for a long time now. But I found it was time to put my foot down and get us started. We have no more excuses. I joked before the wedding that I couldn't lose weight because I had my dress custom made to my exact size, well no more, the dress has been worn, so diet has commenced. H4L has borderline diabetes. He was a fabulous bike in the garage with a Baby DIVA seat in place and ready to roll, diet and exercise have commenced. We are well on our way. One big problem we have is that we both LOVE food. I LOVE to eat and cook delectable yummies. H4L loves to savor delicious yummies. So how do we couple a healthy lifestyle, emphasis on the healthy eating, with a passion for food?

Well let me introduce you to what has been happening in my kitchen:

Butternut Squash Soup and Cheese Ravioli

Ingredients
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup diced onions
2 1/2 cups peeled, seeded and cubed butternut squash
5 cups chicken broth
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground ginger
1 pound cheese filled ravioli
3/4 cup light cream
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Place the cumin seeds and nutmeg in a large saucepan over medium heat, and cook until lightly browned. Stir in the butter, and saute the onions until tender. Mix in squash and chicken broth. Season with cinnamon and ginger. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 to 15 minutes.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ravioli, and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
With a hand mixer, puree the soup mixture. Blend in light cream, and season with salt and pepper.

Mix in the cooked ravioli just before serving.

Oh my goodness it was absolutely divine! And quite healthy too! I even cooked enough for H4L to take to his work's Thanksgiving Potluck and it was a hit! Now I did cheat a bit used store bought pre made cheese ravioli. I could have made some from scratch utilizing squash as the base instead of flour and making it that much more healthy, but I was a tad lazy and HEY we are just starting this whole diet and healthy life, so I cut myself some slack! It really is good though. Give it a try. It is a breeze to whip up and serves fabulous as well as warms the body on a cool fall night!

Happy Healthy eating!

*I originally found this recipe on allrecipes.com. I made some minor changes to it from the original recipe.*

Agoo Apparel Leg Huggers

I have a very mobile Baby DIVA. Seriously she is "on the go" 24 hours a day. And this "on the go" involves crawling, walking, well of sorts, and climbing. All fine and great except that we live in an entirely tiled home. Poor Baby DIVA has hot pink legs all the time from her brushes with the tile. Not so cool.


Well that was until I was introduced to a fabulous product known around the globe as Leg Huggers. Agoo provided me with a fabulous pair of Leg Huggers to try on my stylin Baby DIVA. And so I did. I slipped these fabulous gigantic socks with no feet over Baby DIVA's long fluffy legs, and sent her off across the tile. The Fabric of the legs was soft to the touch and seemed very gentle to her skin. Despite its fabulous softness, it provided enough traction for her to still be able to maneuver with ease across the tile floor. Her little legs did not turn hot pink from tile scooting. I let her play all day in the fabulous legs and she seemed quite content and happy. Later that night I pulled them off with ease and tossed them in the washer for a quick spin. They came out of the wash and dry cycle soft as ever and ready for another day of tile scootin!

These cuties arrived in a fabulous cute package!

A great big thanks to Agoo for providing myself and Baby DIVA with these wonderful Leg Huggers. We really appreciate the opportunity to try a new product and want to share our excitement about how much we enjoy this product with all our friends and family. Agoo not only offers Leg Huggers but a full range of clothing for active kids. We have now seen that the product is of fabulous quality and can withstand the beating of a toddler, is fashionably adorable, and is great to the touch, so we will definitely be a long lasting customer. Please feel free to drop by Agoo and check out all they have to offer. But please don't forget to tell them Pink Haired Momma sent you and come back here and let me know your thoughts!

Baby DIVA likes them very much!

Ebeanstalk Cutest kid contest

Ebeanstalk is a website dedicated to selecting great, safe toddler toys and toys for a 2 year old. They rely on the opinions and feedback of bloggers and moms around the country. Also their team of child experts help to pick out kids toys...but you be the judge! Ebeanstalk is a great source to utilize while doing your Christmas shopping this year. you can be rest assured that the toys provided on their website are mom and child approved, because they do in fact use real moms to test and review their products.I know because I am one of those real moms! And speaking of Christmas shopping, How would you like to win $50 to spend any way you like at ebeanstalk this year? I know I would. Baby DIVA was barely 4 weeks old last year at Christmas, she could have cared less about anything going on except where her bottle was. This year is so different and so exciting. We might be going a little nuts and I know an extra FREE $50 bucks could sure help make Baby DIVA's Christmas that much more exciting.

So how do you win this fabulous $50?Take a picture of your little one playing with a toy, and email the picture to emily@ebeanstalk.com. It's just that easy. Seriously! Not only do you get $50, but you win it because you have the cutest kid! How easy! How awesome! How fun!

Be 1 of 10 lucky winners to win a $50 gift certificate at ebeanstalk this holiday. Entries will be chosen on their cuteness-level. Privacy ensured! Winners will be chosen on 12/01/09. Just in time for the holidays!
Entrants will not be spammed.
Do not send your address for privacy purposes - just email and the FIRST name of your child.

And a little extra treat while you are waiting to win, All blog readers will receive a 10% discount at ebeanstalk of any purchase. Enter the code ebeanstalk100 at the cart!

Thin like Moss

Normally I do not get all hot and bothered and mention here on my blog anything that is happening in the tabloids. Well today I am changing that. I was watching Good Morning America this morning during Baby DIVA's fabulous breakfast of gourmet sliced banana and yogurt, when I hear a "serious" controversy hitting the soundwaves.

"Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels", a quote from Kate Moss. Seriously? This is breaking news?!? What is wrong with that? Apparently the media world finds this simple statement appalling because it leads young girls in the wrong direction and might make them barf up their meals. Give me a break. Maybe their mommies and daddies should be teaching them confidence and to love their bodies instead of allowing them to be hopeless followers of media sensations.



Before you get all pissy with me do know I have been on both sides of the eating world. Many years ago I was the starving skinny hot chick. I went weeks without food in order to hold on to that fabulously sheek thin appearance. I was awesome on the outside and miserable on the inside. Now I am the over 30 momma with some flab that I love to shake at nightclub cardio. I might have some less that desirable curvy flabs but I love myself, my husband, my daughter, my life and all those around me.





Kate's statement is quite true. There is no food out there (and let me tell you I am food's number 1 fan) that tastes as fabulous as the feeling you have when you walk into a room in that fabulous dress you maxed your credit card out on and you know you look good, and the whole room knows you look good, as every head turns and look at you. It is a sensational feeling. Is it a feeling that makes me want to starve myself? Not really. Is it a feeling that might make me want to starve myself if I was 16 again? Not really.



Being thin has its perks. But being happy in your own skin has even better perks. If Kate Moss can tell herself that the brownie doesn't taste as good as being thin to keep herself from eating it who cares! It works for her. Its her mantra. It is her thing. If she is happy with herself and it works then let it be. Instead of harping on her for what works for her (let us remember that her JOB is to be thin), why don't we instead take media time to teach young girls the skills they need to love themselves in their own skin! Big, small, freckled, whatever! I am so tired of of everyone putting the blame for everything on Hollywood and the media! Parents step up and take care of your kids, physically, mentally and emotionally. And young adults learn to stand on your own two feet!!

UGH! GMA just got under my skin today with a full report on this matter! Thanks for listening!

Bare Bellies Review

Some time ago I won a fabulous gift certificate from The Penny Pinching Mama to a wonderful children's clothing store known as Bare Bellies. I received my Gift certificate from them and I went shopping. I found a fabulous shirt at the online store of Bare Bellies that I knew would look divine on Baby DIVA. I put it in my cart entered in the gift certificate at checkout and Voila, purchase made.

I was contacted by Bare Bellies almost immediately. They let me know my transaction went through and my item would be shipped. They were gracious and kind and a pleasure to do business with.

And then just a few days later, my prize arrived in the mail. I opened the package and found inside the softest material of a t-shirt that I have ever encountered. Seriously, this shirt is so soft and fabulous and has the most precious Pink Skull and crossbones on the front. Baby DIVA slipped right into this shirt and felt right at home. Not to mention how absolutely adorable she looked wearing it!

Review: A Masquerade.com

As many of you have noticed from the pictures I have posted of our wedding, we did in fact get to wear our fabulous masks during the wedding ceremony, despite the freak out we had only days before our nuptials. If you are not sure what I mean click HERE.

I would like to take a moment to thank A Masquerade for the fabulousness and their wonderful masks. This company provided my entire Bridal party, including myself and H4L, with hand made masks that were delivered straight from Italy. They are exceptional. I couldn't have been more happy with these beauties. From the very first contact until the final email saying thank you, I felt like the employees gave me 100% of their attention and were very in tune with my needs and desires. A Big thanks goes out to this team. I highly recommend A Masquerade for any of your masquerade needs!

Each mask arrived carefully wrapped in protective paper and bubble wrap. As I opened each piece, my heart warmed. The attention to detail, the time, the energy put forth to each mask, the beauty of each mask really dominated my sight. I liked the store and products when I discovered them online, but when I received the final pieces in my hands I fell in love with the items as well as the company and service behind them.

The groomsmens masks were hand painted and stunning. The red and gold sparkled with the essence of love. The bridesmaids masks were of bountiful beauty in the classic and ageless hue of black with gold embellishments. And of course my bridal mask and H4L's groom's mask radiated with perfection with the gorgeous sharpness of the platinum details and intricate beadwork.

The masks completed the theme of my perfect wedding. Without the lush beauty of these masks, I would just have been a boring Pink Haired Momma getting married in Las Vegas. LOL

Pink Haired Momma and H4L with their wedding party wearing A Masquerade masks!

Butt Face

Flu.

Snot.

Blowing nose.

Nose turns real Red.

Nose chaps.

OUCH.

A flu victim mommy improvises in desperation.

Butt paste on the face.

Works wonders.

Don't knock it till you try it!

Wedding Ceremony: Brides view

So lets us travel back in time to two weeks ago. I am standing in the Venetian Mall in my fabulous Black wedding gown, tucked away in this tiny little hole or rather nook in the wall so no one can see me. HA! No one can see me my ass! Every single person who walks by gawks and smiles or asks to take a picture of me. Is it because I am just a bride on Halloween or could the hot pink hair and black wedding gown be calling the folks in for a quick snap of their camera's?Not that I minded too much, but I was quite nervous.


Hanging out in the "Nook"

It all was quite a blur. I could hear my friends and family and all the strangers talking to me and asking questions but I really was not comprehending their words. All I could think about was in a mere few minutes I would be rounding the corner to a the sights of a lot of people all looking at me at one time. All watching my every move. All waiting and wondering if I would trip and fall. I hoped I would not fall and bust my ass, I hoped I would not pass out, I hoped that my true love would be waiting there for me!!! I bet my hubbs-to-be was sure hoping I wouldn't round the corner and see all those people glaring at me, catch a case of stage fright and run the other way. If I were him I would have been worried. My throat was so dry. I could not stop fidgeting. I tried to keep walking about in my tiny hide away hole so that I wouldn't pass out. I practiced holding my poofy skirt adorned with black feathers and jewels hiding in the tufts, with my left hand, then my right. Practiced stepping while holding my skirt and my bouquet. Wished incredibly hard that a bottle of tequila would miraculously appear for my consumption. Nothing appeared.



Time ticked. Tick tock. Tick Tock. Cheese. Scary smile from Pink Haired Momma. Another stranger snapped a picture of this crazy bride with hot pink hair and a black wedding gown. And then the final tick tock came. My wedding coordinator rounded the corner and said "Its time." I about passed out. I was escorted from out of my tiny hideaway hole and guided round the corner by my bridesmaids. I could see all my wonderful friends and family all gazing at ME through the awesome masks I demanded they wear. I could see H4L, who at that moment was still hubbs-to-be, but I could only see the back of his head. Tears filled my eyes. My throat begin to close and tighten. K-Teach turned briefly and asked if I was okay before she took off to join the wedding party at the top of the bridge. I watched as each of my bridesmaids walked up to the Bridge where my soon to be husband stood. Panic. Oh god what am I doing. I am alone. Crap. Total eyes on me. Pictures were being snapped all around me by strangers. And then the music changed to Canon, the brides entrance, and it was time for me to walk. Graceful Pink Haired Momma. Yep not so much. Panic I tell you. I marathoned it to the staircase careful not to look anyone in the eye, terrified I would pass out or bust or crying and ruin my nuptials. I raced up the staircase at lightning speed totally forgetting all the great poofy skirt practice I had auditioned only moments earlier. Instead I bent over hiked up the gown and boogied up the stairs. No grace what-so-ever. And I even forgot to stop and pick up my parents who are to give me away. Oops. But then I made it to the top and locked eyes with my intended.

Calmness. He took my hand and led me from my parents to the place we were to stand as we shared our vows with the world. The Pastor welcomed us and of course mentioned our "colorful" and different approach to marriage. I took a giant deep breath that did not go unnoticed. Hands held tight we stood there listening to the Pastor talk about marriage. Honestly I have no idea what he said. My heart was pounding like mad, even though the warmth of my Hubbs-to-be calmed my soul, I still found myself spinning and in a blur like trance.

And then I heard Baby DIVA scream and fuss. Okay life is normal again.

Our ceremony was very short and sweet. The pastor performed fabulous (I discovered upon view of the videotape several days later). H4L and I sealed the deal with a short make out session. Both our nerves were shot and throats were so incredibly dry; what better way to improve the situation than sticking our tongues down each others throats. Oh and then we remembered we were not only in public but were standing on a high bridge in front of our friends and family. Oops.

Giant shot of our "make out"


Vow taking

More Vow Taking

The wedding in action

Pictures were taken after the ceremony of course. A white plush gondola ride adorned with a fabulous signing venetian man followed. And then we captured a moment completely alone as husband and wife. Hand in Hand we walked for the first time as husband and wife towards our cocktail reception. It was the best walk ever. Quiet in a sea of madness. Hand in Hand with the wonderful man I choose to marry. Only moments after taking our vows. Alone. Total Bliss. We were greeted with loud screams and laughter and cheers and clapping. Our friends and family welcomed us with open arms.

We did it! We were married. All those months of planning summed up in 15 minutes. All that panic beforehand. Over. We are husband and wife. No one passed out. No one fell over. Everything went great. Marathon race up the stairs and all it was the best wedding Pink Haired Momma and H4L could ever dream of!!

Blogging while on flu meds

Hi!
Pink Haired Newlywed checking in.

Where have I been? Well my little happy Pink Haired family of 3 caught the nastiest flu EVER!! Great way to spend our second week married huh? Oh and seriously there should be some kind of genetic law that no mom should ever be sick with a fever of 102 or above at the same time as her child and her husband. (and don't forget the other law I think that should be put into place, you know the one that moms should not have to change poopy diapers when they have the stomach bug, if you don't remember just click HERE ). I mean that is just the worst possible scenario EVER!!!

There were several times this week I thought it was the end, begged for it to be the end. My goodness it was terrible. I don't want to influence anyone about their own medical care but let me state something. I have never been one to get a flu shot. I shy away from the idea. I did though get Baby DIVA her flu shot. Not the H1N1, as I do not think there is sufficient research at thus time to inject that into my child, but I did get the regular flu shot for her. H4L and I did not get the shot. Both H4L and I knocked on deaths door all week long while Baby DIVA fevered and snotted it up only for about 48 hours. Coincidence? I don't think so. Flu shots for this family every year from here on out! Seriously! If you are anti flu shot like I was last week, then let me tell you coming from a now first time flu victim. DON'T DO IT!!! Especially if you are a mom. I could barely pull my head up off the pillow this week because of the high fevers and body aches and all the flu symptoms, but I had to in order to take care of my beloved Baby DIVA. Not a predicament I ever want to find myself in again.

Lucky for you I think I am on the mend. Blogging here on a Saturday night dosed up on all kinds of over the counter medicine for cold and flu. None of which even make a dent. My best friend K-Teach has her Baby Shower tomorrow for Baby K, and I can not go. How awful is that? Not as awful as what could happen to her or Baby K if she catches this hellacious flu bug from me!!! I had to cancel Baby DIVA's first year pics this last Friday because we couldn't bear to get out of bed and I sure did not want to expose my fabulous friend and Photographer Jennifer of Jennifer Watkins Photography to this demon on a flu bug.

But now that we are slowly getting better we have some fabulous things to look forward to. Like BABY DIVA TURNING 1 YEAR OLD IN LESS THAN 2 WEEKS!!!! I can not believe my little baby is going to be 1. This year has flown by at warp speed. You always hear those words from parents "Enjoy it because it goes by so fast". You simply blow them off because you too damn tired after waking up all night from baby cries to give a crap about their enjoy it speech. Then you look up and realize you should have taken that extra moment to watch your sweet baby sleep quietly after she so rudely awoke you at 4 in the morning again with a poopy or bottle shrill. So you then spread the word to the next parent you encounter so they don't make the same mistake you did. And they of course look at you like you are stupid and shrug you off in the same exhausted slumber you did previously and so the cycle repeats itself over and over.

On top of the excitement of Baby DIVA and her first birthday...not that anything can top that, I mean Baby DIVA turning 1 is a show stopper all in itself...I have some fabulous reviews and giveaways coming up.
Fair Haven Health Agoo Apparel Relish A masquerade Ebeanstalk Bare Bellies
Just to name a few! As you know I only do reviews of products and services that I have first hand knowledge and experience with. I also give each review 100% of my my time and efforts. The above listed companies are all companies I have firsthand experience with and I look very forward to sharing with you my thoughts and experiences as well as some freebies for you!!!

And of course more importantly, I have GOSSIP!!!! about ME!!! Yep that is right!!! With a destination wedding followed by a hometown reception the very next weekend with some family drama thrown up in the middle of that and a sprinkle of the flu I have not had the opportunity to grace the world wide web with my fabulous wedding stories!!! I can not wait to share! And I even (NOW) have the pictures to accompany the stories!

That all being said, in an over the counter meds induces babble, I am going to go ahead and turn my computer off now. A nightcap of Benadryl cold and flu is in my immediate future and my pillow is calling out my name! But boy it is good to be back!!!

I am MARRIED!!!!!!

H4L (Hubbs for life) and I are back from Vegas and Happily married! I have so many stories to share but I don't have time just yet. We are 3 days away from our Hometown reception, and lots of planning still to be completed! So Here are a few pics from our Halloween Masquerade ball wedding to tease you with! I promise to update completely after the hometown reception!!

Happy Halloween!!!!

My Mom and Dad are getting married today!!

Since My momma is super busy getting all beautified in her Black wedding dress I thought I would play on her laptop, even though she said "No Touch" and tell all HER fabulous people

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Toodles,

BABY DIVA

Time out for Mom

IT IS THURSDAY!!!! THETA MOM TIME OUT TIME!!

AND THAT IS NOT ALL...

I AM EITHER ON MY WAY OR ALREADY IN LAS VEGAS FOR MY WEDDING, depending on when you read this of course. And yes I cheated and set this to post Thursday, when really in fact I am writing in on Wednesday. So sue me!

I followed my orders from the fabulous Theta Mom and snagged some time to myself! I know incredibly hard to believe that this Pink Haired Momma Bridezilla actually got a few moments alone the week of her wedding!!!! But honestly I really didnt want Theta Mom coming after me and cracking her wooden spoon to remind me that wedding, mommahood, life...none of that matters if I dont remember to take care of myself! And that is what Theta Mom really wants us moms to realize and to incorporate into our lives by taking this challenege each week and giving ourselves, as momma's, that 1 hour of time we need to keep our sanity level in check!

So what did I do? Flab shaking! Yep I took myself again to my favorite Nightclub Cardio class and boogied down. I baked 2 dozen yummy red velvet iced with vanilla and decorated with Skull cupcakes for Hubbs-to-be to take to work. Cleaned the house. Got almost packed for our Las Vegas Journey. Ordered up our best ever baby sitter who raced right over and off I went to shake my butt rolls!! Now somehow I have managed to get a little stress fracture in one of the tiny bones in my right foot, I know classic for a bride walking down the aisle in 3 days, so I just didn't bounce too much on that foot. I just pretend that it is nothing LOL! But I shook my bootie and got my rolls a swinging! I Love it!

Shake shake shake, Shake shake shake, shake that pink haired momma fat shake that pink haired momma fat!!

I hope you momma's snagged you some Theta Mom time too this week. I am not going to lie. I will not be reading your posts today because I am in LAS VEGAS about to get married!! But I do promise I will be hunting those time out posts down when I get back and will run off and tattle to Theta mom if you didn't steal some alone time for yourself! heheheeheh!!

Have a great week my friends!! And fabulous Halloween and I cant wait to share when we get back! I will be updating about the wedding via FB and twitter so stay tuned!!