Michaels Decorating Basics- Day 1

I had my first day of cake decorating at Michaels. I should say "we" since it's me, my sis and my niece. But it was...interesting. We got off to a late start since the instructor could not find booklets for us, and then we didn't have all the supplies we needed. It was really confusing. The instructor was horrible. She would come around and help some people and not others. You never knew when she was moving on to the next thing because she would only tell those she was near. So weird. I think this class would be so much more fun if we had a fun and engaging instructor, but we do not. We'll see how the next 3 classes go.

But anyway, I did learn a lot of cool tips. My favorite is that if you want to smooth out frosting on an iced cake, just use a spatula over parchment paper, and you'll get a smooth finish. Love it! We also practiced on basic stars, shells, and small flowers. But, since we were so unprepared, I felt unmotivated to even try (look at my awful cookies & they were smashed in transit). Oh well. We have our next class. Next week we'll be doing a cake. I can't wait! Funny things is, we'll be bringing home 3 cakes!

Ketchup

It's time to catch up! I've been away. I'm sure all 3 of my readers didn't even notice. Hehe. But I was on a break. A few things have happened in the last week and a half. Bella is now walking the perimeter of the playpen and the couch, and she has a top tooth coming in for a total of 3 teeth. I'm sure to be 4 even sooner. She also pretends to talk on the phone, holding it up to her ear, and plays peak-a-boo, covering her face. It's so crazy!

And I had a nasty little dental problem that I had to take care of, and it sucked. As a matter of fact, I'm still working on it. Yuck. I hate the dentist, but I'm trying to teach my kids differently. I'm trying to change.

Anywho, I have some fun things coming up that I can't wait to share like cake decorating classes at Michael's and a photography workshop. I'm looking forward to doing something for me. And I've been working on Bella's party like no other. I'm finding it fun and challenging since I'm doing everything myself as far as design. I can't wait to see it all come together.

Good Bye, Oprah.

We'll miss you. I'll miss you. Oprah's show is now over, just in case you lived under a rock. It's a sad, sad day. Oprah has been in my life as far back as I can remember. I've watched her since I was in junior high, but more so in college. In junior high I also had a thing for Ricky Lake, in high school it was Jerry Springer. But no other show has taught me so much. She brought light to situations many of us did not know about or wanted to confront. Oprah always asked the questions us viewers wanted to ask. Despite it all, she was always looking for the good in every situation and person. And let's face it, Oprah gave away some amazing things in the last few years. And, what I wouldn't give to go to a favorite things show. I seriously had hoped I would in my lifetime. Oh well. But alas, Oprah is a force to be reckoned with, and if you didn't know it (live under a rock) she has her OWN network. So, when I need my Oprah fix, and something to contemplate or ponder over, I can watch her network.

Isabella's 10 Months Old!

This past Saturday, my baby girl turned 10 months old! Eek, 2 months 'til her first birthday! No! Actually, that is why I'm posting so late. I've been shopping for Bella's party. But anyway, Isabella has quite the little personality. She knows what she wants, and will get it. She suckers everyone in, except for her mom and dad. She is still saying Mama, is it a coincidence since she babbles so much, probably. But I can pretend that she says it, right? She also screams...a lot. And she learned how to snap her fingers a few weeks ago. She'll start waving Hi or Bye and it'll end in her fingers snapping. Too funny. And it's time to move the crib all the way to the bottom notch! She's started pulling her self up last week, but she's not ready to walk yet. She's still using her walker. She loves that thing. Jacob HATES it. She runs him over. That thing hurts when she runs over your feet. She uses the walker to run and crash. Oh, and it's so funny 'cause she'll chase Jacob around the house, and all you'll hear is laughter and squeals. The best sounds ever!

As for height and weight, I have no idea. But it's nothing too drastic. She no longer fits into 12 month clothing and is in size 18 months. She eats more table food now, and is a bit more pickier than Jacob when he was a baby. She likes sweet things but sour stuff, not so much. My baby girl is growing along like a pretty little flower, and I can't wait to see what she does next!

Let's Talk TV

Oy! My DVR has been burning up for the last 6 months. My TV schedule changes all year round, but I'm currently into a few new shows, and some oldies...

Mob Wives - So, i was trying NOT to get into this show, but when everyone around me was asking if I'd seen it, and I said NO, their eyes were buggin'. I set my DVR and caught up last weekend on all I'd missed. And it's such mindless entertainment...It's great! These women are seriously crazy, and pathetic. They all knew they'd end up with men who were/are incarcerated. Uh, what goals and aspirations these women have, not really. But man, they live in these big a** houses, and have some major bling. Hmmm, I guess it's a little give and take.

Khloe & Lamar - I, too, tried to avoid this show, but I couldn't. But it's sooo boring. I try to watch and I get easily distracted. So, while my DVR is still recording, I still try to watch. Hubby says they're gonna fall victim to reality TV divorce.

Glee - Everyone was talking about this show so I started watching at season 2, and I love it. It's so cute, and it's one of the only non-reality shows I watch.

RH of OC - It's and old one, but it's my favorite. My favorite this season is...no one. They are all backstabbers. And two-faced. Gretchen has turned into a real b*tch, Tamra is going through some tough stuff, and Vicky is headed toward divorce. So sad. Oh, and forget about Alexis' clothing line. I've seen the dresses and I like a few, but the majority are so cheeezy looking. She swears she has style, but I think not. Peggy, the new one, she's a little pot stirrer.

RH of NJ - This just started and there's already so much drama, it's unfortunate. Not really, 'cause it sucks me in! But, no really, it's sad that Teresa and her brother have so much family drama. On a side note, how many Joes live in NJ? I think Teresa's family alone had like 4? Anywho,  I can't wait to see what else comes up this season.

Disney Cruisin': Final Review!

Yes, I'm done talking about it. It's been a month since we went on vacation. It's hard to believe. It feels like we went months ago. Anywho, I had a lot of fun on our trip, but I also did not have a vacation. Choosing Disney was an awesome choice, and it lived up to all the wonderful things I had heard about it. My family had a ball, and Jacob loved it. The other day he said he wanted to go on the boat with Mickey. However, like I said, I did not get a vacation. My hubby didn't have a vacation. It was a lot of work with a toddler and a baby. Isabella was just too small. Packing for her was such a pain, and every time we would head out we had to pack a bag for her, wash bottles, restock any snacks, make sure she had everything. But she did so well on the trip. Jacob, on the other hand, was easy in that he didn't have any extra baggage. However, he was still too young to really take advantage of the ships offerings and really understand what was happening.

Don't get me wrong. It was amazing, and I would do it again, but I'm waiting 'til the kids are older at least 4 and 6 years old. And let me just say, that I had some amazing perks. We went with my family, and they helped a lot, but it was their vacation too. I loved that I didn't have to pay for air fare. Hello! That saved us sooo much $$$! And it was the perfect destination. Not too far, and we'd never been to Mexico. Although, TJ and Ensenada count as Mexico, right?! Seriously, it was a fantastic family trip, but next time we're going somewhere mom and dad want to go.

Our door! It was easy to find in a sea of doors.

Our first dinner, and I felt as tired as I looked.

Waiting for a show to start.

Enjoying a view of the ocean.

We saw dolphins swimming along with the ship!

  

One of 7 towel animals, the bunny.

Jacob's 1st Dentist Visit

Jacob had his very first ever visit to the dentist this week! And he did exceptionally well. He didn't freak out at all, but he was getting annoyed by the paper bib. He let the DA clean his teeth with the actual machine and not a tooth brush. He also let the dentist check his teeth and paint a polish on his teeth. He has no cavities, but unfortunately, he has a bruised tooth. His top right front tooth is bruised. A few weeks ago, after our trip I noticed that his tooth was gray, and I did some Internet research. Turns out they get that way from trauma. Looking closely at his tooth, it was not only discolored but chipped. A few weeks before the color change, Jacob had a hard fall but nothing out of the ordinary. Turns out, he hit his tooth and it's bruised. The dentist said we just need to keep an eye out for infection, and if we are very lucky the bruise will go away. But not very likely. Thank goodness his adult teeth will be just fine. And we'll be back in 6 months to see the dentist again :0)