Co-sleeping Controversy

My weekly column is up!

How dangerous is co-sleeping with your baby?
Do you share your bed with your child?
What do you think of the shocking
PSA recently released?

Click here to read the story
and join the discussion over at Athens Patch.

Leigh vs. Milky Way Cake

After the epic battle that took
place last year when I tried to bake
a damn Coca-Cola Cake and lost...

I decided to embark on baking a new cake this year
for the Thanksgiving feast.

After reading the book The Girl Who Chased the Moon
where a lady makes a Milky Way cake,
I decided to duke it out in the kitchen
with candy bars instead of soda pop.

It was bitter battle to then end.

Any recipe that calls for 8 Milky Way Bars
is a winner in my book.

I had two little helpers in the kitchen
as we tossed butter, eggs, flour,
and a bunch of other junk into a bowl.

I read the recipe and then reread the recipe
because let's face it,
half the time I don't read the whole recipe
until I am on the last step of the recipe
and then I realize that I read something wrong
when I half read the recipe in the first place.

I digress...

It all came down to one stupid stick of butter
that made me second guess myself.
Did I put that stick of butter into the mix?
Uh...better drop in another one just in case.

Guess what?
20 minutes in to the cake being in the oven
I realized that I had put the butter in
and now the cake had one stick to many.

Crap!

In the end,
after I called my mom
and inquired about how badly a
stupid stick of butter can ruin a sticky cake,

and I fussed and beat myself up
about being a disaster in the kitchen,

I pulled out the cake
and even though it was lopsided,

It was SO yummy.

Just one day I would
like to make a pretty cake.

I'm still gonna claim victory
over this bitter battle
with my oven.

For those of you keeping track:



Here is the recipe
if you wish to make
your own ugly yummy cake.

52 Weeks of Happiness :: Week 38

A Friday night to myself.

Roger went on a hunting trip over the weekend
so the boys and I stayed with my parents.
Many of you know that I
normally spend Friday night
curled up on the couch on a date with my hubby.

After the kids were nestled in bed
at my parents house,
I stole the evening to get a little "me time".

I plopped down on my dad's
big ol' leather recliner,
kicked out the footrest,
stretched out and worked
on the New York Magazine crossword puzzle.



My dad's best friend was
once a professional baker
and he was kind enough to drop off
a homemade apple pie.

I heated up a slice with ice cream
and brewed a cup of coffee.
Then, I took bites and sips
between working on the crossword puzzle.

Total indulgence!


Since we don't have cable at my home (gasp!)
it was a super duper special treat
to stay up late and watch
House Hunters International on HGTV.

I love to see all the exotic homes
in far away places.

It's the simple things in life
that make me the happiest.

Like a rare evening spent
all alone
doing whatever
I please.

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Want to join me in my quest
to scout out happiness for a whole year?
Simply post a photo of something that
makes you wildly happy and tell us all about it.
Then, steal my button and include it in your post.
Don't forget to link up to Mr. Linky.

Winner : Ninja Edition

We have a winner for this week's installment of Freakshow Friday. Please take note that my super hilarious and non biased best friend was the judge. Here are the top three in no particular order.

Linda D.
He almost got away with the crime
until he got caught in a thunderstorm
and his disguise washed away!

Caroline
Gives new meaning to a crappy day.

Heidi
Who needs a diaper bag? NOT MY MAMA!!

And the winner is...
Caroline

Gives new meaning to a crappy day.

Caroline
is the funniest blogger in all the land.
Now head on over to his blog
and marvel at this fantastic award he just earned
to proudly display forever.

Thanks to all the people who played.
Tune in this Friday for another installment of Freakshow Friday!

Freakshow Friday : Ninja Edition

It's time for another installment of Freakshow Friday. Where I ask my readers to come up with a caption or story for a funny photo. My best friend will be the judge and she's one hilarious freakaziod. So, bring it! Here is this week's photo, I love this kid!

"You might not see him coming,
but you’ll definitely hear him."

You got a better one for me?

If so, you may just when this awesome award

and have bragging rights forever.
Oh...do I ever have an award for you!
You will win this brand spankin' new award!!

If you win then I'll link up to your
Blog and make a big deal
about how funny you are.
Simply leave your funny caption or story
in my comments section.

The winner will be announced on Monday.

Happy Thanksgiving!

May you get the long end of the wishbone this year!

An Attitude of Gratitude

My weekly column is up!

This week's topic is all about
teaching children about gratitude.


Do you have any family traditions?
Please click here to join the discussion
over at Patch!

The Yummiest Ugly Cake on Earth.

"I want to make dessert tomorrow!"
Griffin announced after dinner the other day.

He wanted to make a
strawberry cake
with chocolate icing
in the middle
and on top
with white icing
around the edge
and it would
have all of our names written on it.

Easy enough.
So, we did just that.

It turned out to be a hideous cake.
It didn't matter though
because we had so much fun baking it.

I really love playing in the kitchen
with my boys.

They love to measure the ingredients for me.
They fight over dumping all the junk into the bowl.
Oh...and somehow stirring the batter
is the funnest thing ever.

We surprised Daddy after dinner
with the cake.

"Here's a cake for no reason!"
Griffin announced proudly.

Sometimes just wanting to bake
is reason enough to turn on the oven.
Sometimes letting the children
lead in the kitchen is the best reward.

I'm discovering that there is freedom to be found
in making a really ugly cake.

52 Weeks of Happiness :: Week 37

I helped chaperone a field trip
with Griffin's class
to a Gold Mine Tour.

This was my first time
going a class field trip with my kiddo
and it was so much fun!

There was gemstone mining.
Really, it was sifting through a bucket of sand
that had gemstones planted in them.

It didn't matter though,
it still felt like an adventure.

The water washed off the sand
to expose all kinds of beautiful gems.

Griffin would yell "I'M RICH!"
every single time he discovered a new stone.

Then, we traveled down into a real Gold Mine.
It was dark and damp.
I felt like a Goonie as we
went deeper and deeper into the mine.

It was easy to let your imagination
run wild with the history of the mine.
We all imagined that we heard people yelling
"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" before TNT exploded.

I could just see the dusty men
as they pushed a mine car
full of gold down those tracks.

There were even little bitty brown bats
hibernating all over the rocks.

They were so cute,
just look at that little guy's ears.

We had a blast.

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Want to join me in my quest
to scout out happiness for a whole year?
Simply post a photo of something that
makes you wildly happy and tell us all about it.
Then, steal my button and include it in your post.
Don't forget to link up to Mr. Linky

Winner : Hunting Edition

We have a winner for this week's installment of Freakshow Friday. Please take note that my super hilarious and non biased best friend was the judge. Here are the top three in no particular order.

Moooooog35
The day Walmart allowed hunting in it's parking lot.

Snidely Whiplash
Principal William Joseph "Billy Joe" Clinton
and homecoming queen Wilma Jo (Billie Jo)Clinton
cordially invite you to their wedding and her sweet sixteen party.
Ten AM, Saturday December third.
Deep fried turkey and Bud will be served.
They're cousins so she doesn't even have to change her name

Ben
Obviously a pheasant plucker and a pleasant f...

And the winner is...
Snidely Whiplash

Principal William Joseph "Billy Joe" Clinton
and homecoming queen Wilma Jo (Billie Jo)Clinton
cordially invite you to their wedding and her sweet sixteen party.
Ten AM, Saturday December third.
Deep fried turkey and Bud will be served.
They're cousins so she doesn't even have to change her name

Snidely Whiplash
is the funniest blogger in all the land.
Now head on over to his blog
and marvel at this fantastic award he just earned
to proudly display forever.

Thanks to all the people who played.
Tune in this Friday for another installment of Freakshow Friday!

Friday Night Dates :: 25

I'm inviting romance into my life

one Friday Night Date at a time
and documenting each one here on my little ol' blog.

I want to remember every detail
of these splendid home spun dates.

Date #25

We were going to watch
a more romantic movie
but this one popped up on Netflix when
we were looking for the other.

We both had wanted to see it s
so we watched Limitless instead.
See, spontaneity lives on after marriage!

The movie was suspencful
and you know that I love
to pretend to be scared
so that Roger can pretend to comfort me.

It was a great night
until I got some ancho sauce in my eye.
OUCH!

Here is the recipe for the crostini
Oh the chocolate and the basil...SO GOOD!

Chocolate Crostini with Roasted Tomato and Basil

{By Jamie Oliver}

Ingredients
16 plum tomatoes, each cut into 4 slices
3 T• olive oil
Freshly cracked black pepper
1 French baguette, cut into about 30 ½ inch slices
4 oz Scharffen Berger 62% cacao semisweet dark chocolate, or other dark chocolate of your choice
4 t sauce from canned chipotle chiles in adobo, or more/less to taste
1 bunch fresh garden basil, washed, leaves patted dry and picked from stems
Maldon salt, to garnish

Method
For roasted tomatoes:
Preheat oven to 275 F. Spread olive oil onto a foil lined baking sheet. Place tomato slices in a single layer on baking sheet and season with black pepper. Roast for 3 hours until very soft, golden and caramelized around the edges. Allow to cool slightly before removing from the baking sheet. (Can be prepared 1-2 days in advance. Store the tomatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before assembling the crostini.)

For the bread:
Put the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake at 400 F for about 5 minutes until lightly toasted.

For chocolate sauce:
Break chocolate into squares and place in a microwave proof glass bowl. Melt in 30 second intervals until creamy when stirred. Add 2-3 teaspoons of adobo sauce, mix gently, taste, and adjust to your liking.

To assemble the crostini:
Place a slice of baguette on work surface. Spread about 1 t of the chocolate sauce on top. A basil leaf goes next, followed by 1 or 2 tomato slices (depending on how big they are). Sprinkle with a few grains of Maldon salt. Repeat with remaining baguette slices. Serve immediately.

Any romance for you over the weekend?

Freakshow Friday : Hunting Edition

It's time for another installment of Freakshow Friday. Where I ask my readers to come up with a caption or story for a funny photo. My best friend will be the judge and she's one hilarious freakaziod. So, bring it! Here is this week's photo, this guy has it all!

What a catch!

You got a better one for me?

If so, you may just when this awesome award

and have bragging rights forever.
Oh...do I ever have an award for you!
You will win this brand spankin' new award!!

If you win then I'll link up to your
Blog and make a big deal
about how funny you are.
Simply leave your funny caption or story
in my comments section.

The winner will be announced on Monday.

Last Call, Ladies!

Last chance to enter the Mary Kay giveaway
doing on over at my review blog.

Click on Mary Kay up there

to head on over!

You Capture : Something Fun

I have so much fun
buying reduced flowers
from the grocery store.

With our tight budget
buying fresh flowers is
a bit of a luxury.

I only buy the bouquets that are $2.00 or less.

Sometimes they look like
they might be coughing a little bit.
I love them anyway.

The center of my dining room table
is a place of honor for
my cheap little flowers.

I love to clean them up
and put them in a pretty vase.

I can feel their appreciation.

Barbie Gets Inked

My weekly column is up

over at Athens Patch.
Parents are in a tizzy
over a new Barbie covered in tattoos.

Do you think that she could
be a bad influence on children?

Click here to read the story and
comment over at Athens Patch.

The Stay at Home Mom Chronicles : When I Meet Them There

I'm realizing that my days around here seem to run together.
Ordinary moments unfold around me daily
and I need to stop and relish in them.
One day, my boys will be out living life
and I will miss these everyday experiences.

So, I am taking the time to document
the simple moments that pass between us.
I'm calling this little collection of memories...

If you read my column a few weeks ago,
Zen and the Art of Motherhood
then you already know that
I went to LOVE BEYOND LIMITS:
The Spiritual Practice of Parenting
with Zen Buddhist priest and author Karen Maezen Miller
(I just copied and pasted that btw)

Miller quoted my favorite Rumi quote-
"Out beyond the ideas of the final way and the only way
there is a dreamy field.
I'll meet you there."

She said that scholars and philosophers
were always debating where that dreamy field was.
Was it the heavens, in our hearts, in our minds?

She said that she believed that that field existed
in that place early in the morning when you
hear a little voice calling out "Mama!?"
That moment when you meet your child with groggy eyes
and they smile when they see you, that is the dreamy field.

I decided to start collecting the
moments in my life
where I dwell in that dreamy field with my children.

As we drive to school
and have wonderful
and imaginative conversations
through the rear view mirror.

I just love the creativity and trust
that we have in each other as
we make up stories
or talk about life.

When my little one
follows me into the laundry room
and "helps" me put clothes in the dryer.

He says "Thank you, sir!"
as I hand him the wet clothes.
It's the sweetest thing.

When I take a moment to sit at the table and
help Griffin with his homework.
I can feel his little spirit
thanking me for taking the time
to stop and help him when he needs it.

Those moments when Koen
feels so big as he "helps" daddy
with an outdoor project.

I can see him learning to be strong
and handy around the house,
juts like Roger.

That dreamy field is all around us
as we sit together and read bedtime stories
Koen literally tries to climb into the book
and fly the rocket ship sometimes.

Playing airplane
is such a thrill.
There is so much freedom in pretending to fly.
The joy of being silly is contagious.

Perhaps my most treasured time of day
is sitting at the foot of Griffin's bed
and telling him bedtime stories.

Even though I'm usually tired
and grumpy around the edges,
I feel so privileged to watch him
as his drifts off to sleep.

My days are spent weaving in and out
of that dreamy field.

52 Weeks of Happiness :: Week 36

I had the BEST birthday last week.

The morning started with these
beautiful flowers.

Years ago, when my husband and I were dating,
I told him that I liked to get flowers.
He has given me flowers for
every birthday since then.

Smart man.

My mom asked me what I wanted
to do on my birthday
and I told her that I wanted a day by myself.

Funny how things change after you have kids.
So, she took the boys for the day
and I ate lunch all alone.

It was wonderful.
I sat on the patio and ate
Tortelli di Zucca- Butternut squash ravioli with
mascarpone cream and radicchio sauce.

I drank a glass of wine
in the middle of the afternoon
and read People Magazine.
I was in heaven.

Then, I indulged in dessert.
Dulce le Leche frozen yogurt
with cheesecake bites and caramel.

While I ate this dreamy cup of sugary delight,
Radiohead just so happened to play on the radio.

Total bliss!

Then I treated myself to a massage.
It was so serene and relaxing
that I almost drooled all over myself.

Later that evening, we all met up at my parents' house
and celebrated my big day
with a delicious cake made by our Uncle Kroger.

I opened a ton of presents and felt so loved.
My 37th year is off to a great start!

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Want to join me in my quest
to scout out happiness for a whole year?
Simply post a photo of something that
makes you wildly happy and tell us all about it.
Then, steal my button and include it in your post.
Don't forget to link up to Mr. Linky