What I'm listening to...

For the Love of it.

Since I am very new to the photography game, and I don't really know what I am doing, it can be pretty hit or miss whether I get any shots that turn out.  But once in a blue moon, despite my best effort to screw it up, I get some pretty darn good shots!

This weekend the three of us went up to the White mountains to visit my parents, who have parked their 5th wheel there for the summer. More than just a chance to get out of the BLAZING heat, for me it was a chance to take pictures of something other than ugly cactus and dirt.  Here are some of the pics I thought turned out pretty well.


HUNDREDS of hummingbirds reside around the park.  And these things are pure kamikaze!  I got some good shots, but for a moment I thought for sure I was going to get an eye poked out!

This is one place that my dad, hubby and I went fishing.  Not too shabby!

My float tube.  It was calling my name!  :)

Listen, I definitely don't claim to know anything about photography,  but I love it none the less.  And because it's my blog, I can post whatever I want.  :)  Hopefully it shows that you don't have to be an expert to do what you love.

Lessons in the every day

I was just thinking today about how lucky my little man is.  He has some pretty amazing people that surround him and, even more specifically, some pretty awesome men.  Men who are role models for my little boy, all in different ways.

The other day we went bumper bowling, and my sister and brother in law joined us.  For those of you who don't know, Logan's uncle Ken is blind, or as Logan says, has "lost his eyes". So when I told him that uncle Kenny was going, he was very concerned.  "How will uncle Kenny bowl with no eyes?" he asked me very seriously.  I assured him that not being able to see has never stopped his Uncle.  But Logan just looked at me like I was crazy, gave me an eye roll teenagers would be jealous of, and apparently decided to wait and see for himself.  

Well, low and behold, on the first turn uncle Ken took....he walked up to the line and nonchalantly proceeded to bowl a strike!!  Logan just watched his uncle, wide eyed and shocked, and then a big smile appeared as he realized that a "little" thing like being blind didn't stop Ken from doing amazing things.  I just sat there thinking to myself about what an awesome lesson my son was getting to learn in that moment. That he can do whatever he wants in life, no matter what the obstacles. We went on to have a total blast, and every time Ken got up for his turn, Logan would watch him with a little knowing smile on his face. 

Logan adores his uncle Kenny. He always has. But now, even at 4 1/2, my son admires his uncle. See, what I realized tonight is that my son is learning more from the imperfection of life than he ever could from a "perfect" role model.  And I really like that.

The men in Logan's life:

Featured Product of the Day:Custom Leather Jewelry

Ready for another featured product, and another sweet C2O deal?  Well, I have a great one for you today!

Michelle at Michelle V Custom Jewelry crafts the most AMAZING custom leather goods!  From bracelets and cuffs, to belt buckles, medic alert bracelets and flasks, you can be sure to find a great gift for men and women alike. Her site is full of great ideas for quotes, but you can put your own spin on it.  Personally, I am going to order this bracelet with my favorite bible verse on it:

Don't you just love these?  Here are some more.  

Of course, the best part is that she is offering my awesome readers 20% off of their purchase!!   Just enter the code CO2SPECIAL at checkout to receive your discount. 

So be sure to take advantage of this awesome deal.  Oh, and if you are thinking about christmas gifts, order them now, because she does get super busy during the holidays, and it takes about two weeks to get them out to you.  Happy shopping! :)

Featured Product of the Day: Wedding gifts/accessories

Great news!  Thanks to Kimberly at Roxy Heart Vintage,  I am featuring the my first C2O exclusive offer!  You don't want to miss this.

Today's featured product is more about a featured website...simply because I couldn't decide on which amazing gift I wanted to Focus on! Roxyheartvintage.com is full of beautiful, unique and thoughtful wedding gifts/accessories.  If you are going to a wedding, getting married, or having an anniversary, you MUST check it out.  My absolute favorite item in her shop is the Tree seeds in a decorative antiqued bottle. 

(The sites product description)

Two tree seeds in a darling antiqued bottle to represent the new journey ahead of you! Plant the seeds together at your event in a lovely planter representing new beginnings and new life or plant them in solitude together vowing to nourish what you’ve planted this day. Trees are a lovely way to remember your special day ~ and when it’s large enough you can carve your initials in it for generations to remember.
Each purchase comes with a personalized set of antiqued charms on the bottle. 

This are such a sweet, thoughtful gift.  I just love the jar with the engraved initials. And you can be sure that nobody else will be giving the same gift! Here are some more of her products:

Each product is handmade and many can be customized.

Now for the good stuff!  You can enter the coupon code VINTAGE at checkout for 15% off of your order! And as always, be sure you let her know that you saw the shop on C2O.  Now....go shop!  :)

Life Motto

The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender. - V. Lombardi


I am currently using a "couch to 5K" program on my phone when I run, and for each day it has some sort of inspirational quote.  As cheesy as it sounds, it really DOES inspire me.  I try to focus on the words when I am running and want to quit and go have a cheeseburger instead. 


The quote posted above was from a few days ago, and I have been thinking about it ever since.  I have decided that this is going to be my "life motto." Right now, since my days are consumed with this diet and losing weight, it is mostly just my diet mantra, and so far it has actually helped!


 Maybe this is because, after years of playing competitive softball, I am just really competitive period.  I don't know, but I have realized that I am not a quitter by nature, and I am not going to become one now.  So when I want to stuff handfuls of cheeze-its in my mouth (the italian girl's achilles heal) I just recite these words, and think to myself "why would I surrender now, after all this hard work?" 


Now, that sounds easier than it is.  I have chosen, for the first time, to lose this weight the right way (by cutting portions and watching calorie intake) which means it is going to be a slooowwwww and sometimes painful process, and I am not going to eat like I should EVERY SINGLE DAY, but from now on I promise not to give up if I slip up.
 I am not going to surrender.


I am in week three and I have lost 6.5 lbs.  Not mind boggling, but pretty darn good, and more than the average.  I'll take it...and will keep truckin along.

Recipe of the week: Low Cal Boneless Buffalo Nuggets

I got this recipe out of the Hungry Girl 200 Under 200 cookbook, so I cannot claim it as my own.  But it was super yummy so I wanted to share.  The best part....its low calorie and high flavor, the best combination!



Love buffalo wings but stay away from the high calorie, fried food trap?  Try these boneless buffalo nuggets. Full of buffalo wing flavor, these baked goodies are only 180 calories for 5! Just what my diet ordered.  :)

8 ounces of boneless, skinless chicken breast (cut into 10 pieces)
1 oz. (around 14) fat free BBQ flavored Pringles chips
1/4 cup of Fiber One cereal
3-4 tablespoons of your favorite wing sauce
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Salt
Pepper
Cayenne pepper


Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Grind up cereal in a food processor until its a breadcrumb consistency.

Crush Pringles thoroughly.  Mix chips and cereal together with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne.

Dredge each piece of chicken in wing sauce then coat with dry mixture and set on a baking sheet that is  lined with foil.

Bake for 8-10 minutes per side, flipping half way through.



I made some ranch using fat free sour cream for a dip.  These taste like the real thing, without the mess.  Let me know what you think!

Oh, and go buy this.  Now. I'm serious!

Featured Product of the Day

Hello everyone!

Its Monday, and in honor of the worst day of the week (poor kid) I wanted to brighten your lives with another cool product.

Tapas is all the rage in foodie circles, and I recently found some AMAZING tapas trays! These glass trays come in a mind boggling array of colors, with unique and fun handles.  The best part is, at around $40, they are a steal!

Can you say "housewarming gift?"  You can find them at the Tapas Trays Etsy shop or tapastrays.com. As alway, please let Amy know you found her on C2O. Happy shopping! :) 

Gift ideas

So here is my first featured product!

When I travel I am always looking for ways to cart around my jewelry without scratching or damaging any of it.  Well I have the solution.

I found the most adorable handmade travel jewelry rolls!  Jennifer at J.Carter Handmade pairs the most amazing fabrics together, and this thing is mega functional.  Here is my favorite one:

Features:
* 1 Large Lined Zipper Pocket (necklaces & bracelets)
* 1 Padded Ring Holder w/ Pearl Snap Closure (rings)
* 3 Small Pockets w/ Flap Closure (earrings & brooches)
* Soft Fleece Interfacing for extra padding
* Satin Ribbon Ties

What a fantastic birthday or graduation gift!  She also has some great clutches in her shop, so be sure to check it out!  And if you purchase something from her, make sure to tell her you saw it on C2O, so we can keep track.  

The Art of Gift Giving: Unique gift ideas

Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE giving gifts.  I actually take a lot of pride in giving personal and sincerely thought out gifts...it is definitely my love language!  And, in my opinion, the BEST place to find unique and thoughtful gifts is definitely Etsy.com.

 I am constantly amazed by the unique, one of a kind items that you can find on there.  The only problem is that the site can be somewhat convoluted and hard to navigate, and it definitely takes some time to find exactly what you want.

Good news though!  I have decided to do most of the work for you!  I am going to start a weekly post showcasing cool and unique gift ideas, most of which will come from Etsy....just 'cause. My hope is that I will be able to give you some good ideas, and maybe I'll even be able to set up some exclusive C2O deals with some shop owners. Also, feel free to post any cool ideas you find, or shops you think are just too good to keep secret! I'll be posting my first featured item later today, so keep an eye out for it.  :)

Baked beans with Mustard greens

I am making one of our favorite new meals today and so I thought I would share!  This is a super yummy way to do beans, and my son loves it. He will even eat the mustard greens in it...it is truly a miracle! The best part is that it is packed full of vitamins and fairly low in calories. Great for a potluck, and even the veggie haters will love it!


Baked Beans with Mustard Greens


1 Tbl. Extra virgin olive oil                                    
1/2 small onion, chopped                                      
1 stalk celery, finely chopped                                
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped                              
1/2 cup diced turkey or ham
1 15oz. can crushed tomatoes                                 
1 bunch mustard greens or swiss chard,
       stems removed, leaves chopped
 2 15oz. can Pinto beans, drained and rinsed
 1 15oz. can navy beans, undrained
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
 fresh thyme and oregano

1. Preheat oven to 375. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat.  Add onion, celery, garlic and some salt/pepper. Cook until soft, about 7 minutes.

2. Add the greens, turkey and 1/4 cup water.  cook, stirring until greens wilt, about 3 min.  Add tomatoes with juice, simmer for 5 minutes at medium/high heat. Add beans (navy beans with liquid).  Add herbs and let simmer.

3. Mash some of the beans to help mixture thicken, season with salt/pepper. Transfer to oven safe dish.  Bake covered for 45 minutes, then uncover and bake 10 additional minutes.