Babies, Bumps and Bottles

It's been a loooooong time!

A few Saturdays ago I helped host a baby shower for our good friend Laura. Laura is due in December (hopefully Christmas day!) and she and I used to work together (sadness in the "used to" part...but moving on.) We had a little trio last year with our friend Mary Ruth but that member sadly broke our hearts and moved away to be a good wife. To the tune of Frosty the Snowman I like to sing "She'll be back again somedaaayyy..."

Anyway, Mary Ruth surprised her and flew in from Virginia to be at the shower! And of course in the midst of the craziness of getting things ready, I didn't have time to delete pictures from my camera to make room for new ones. So unfortunately these are the only ones I got...not even a group picture of us! Just an excuse to see each other again soon I guess!

Some fall flowers and decorations for the day!

I wanted to get a picture of all the pretty food but the doorbell started ringing and it was a lost cause. By the time I had a chance to take a picture the food was half gone!

The one picture of Mary Ruth in it and she's looking out the window!

Lastly, the two baby bumps at the shower. Teeny tiny mommas!

It was a fun day and I'm so glad we got to see everyone! We finished the night with a trip to Trudy's which was delicious! We can't wait to meet baby Landon!

Before & After Mildly Extreme Home Makeover

After many weekends of hard work, deal finding, and magazine flipping here are a few house projects we've completed on our long list to make our house a home. It's been fun working together to figure out how a chair rail is installed, what the "right shade of maroon" is for our dining room and how our furniture works best for us. We've laughed alot, cursed a few times (me) and grown closer as a couple. We've got lots more in the works!

Office Before:

Office painted

Office with chair rail and old college furniture but minus plantation shutters (not that you can tell).

Office completed with plantation shutters. Now obviously it's not technically an office yet as there is no furniture in the room, but patience...

For now just enjoy the walls and windows...

Formal Dining Before:

Formal dining painted minus chair rail and shutters:
Partial chair rail, dining table, no shutters:
Chair set:

Formal dining with completed chair rails, shutters, and table with chairs.

Now all that's missing are the accessories...

Living room minus accessories:

Yes we've since fixed the fact that the coffee table and tv stand are off centered. :)

Rainy Sundays

It's been a while since my last post. So much has happened since that last post!

My mom and grandma are officially moved into their new home! After 2+ months of living out of our guest room she was very ready to have her own home and to have my grandma join her up here. They're adjusting well and having fun decorating their new home and exploring the big city.

This past week was in fast forward. We spent most of the nights after work unpacking the two huge PODS my mom filled up to move here. We also celebrated Tony's 26th birthday with a few dinners out and some very delicious Snicker's cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory (no pictures...sorry we ate it too fast!)

Today was a rainy, cold day...just like I like them. :) We started the day catching up on our dvr'd shows and after an hour or so of that forced ourselves to go to the gym. I'm so glad we did that because after some time on the treadmill and lifting weights our moods were uplifted and we were pumped to be productive the rest of the day. Thanks endorphines!

When we came home it was lunch time so Tony got to fixing his world famous grilled cheese sandwiches while I started making chocolate chip cookies (both excellent ways to celebrate a successful trip to the gym). Here's a blurry outtake from this event.

Yes the remote is next to the amazing cookie dough. That would be me catching up on Real Housewive episodes. Yay for the OC ladies coming back soon!

I could have stopped right here and never even put these guys in the oven. But I did...and they ended up looking like this:

Afterwards Tony got to painting touch up spots in our formal dining room and office. This weekend we finally painted the chair rail we installed many months ago. After waiting months to get the plantation shutters installed in our windows so that we could finish the chair rail next to the windows it is complete! Pictures to come soon! Here is a look at the hubby working hard!

While he was doing that I started prepping food for our meals this week. My latest adventure in being efficient is to cook as many meals as I can on Sundays so that the week is less stressful. Today it was prepping for beef stew tonight (great weather for it!) and making the lasagna ahead for tomorrow night. I'm loving the feeling of coming home on a Monday and just preheating the oven and sticking that night's dinner in for a little. Makes me dislike Mondays just a little bit less.

Anyway, here's the lasagna obviously before it hits the oven tomorrow night. Yes, still watching the dvr. Only then I think it was the Rachel Zoe Project. Tony's just ignoring it in the other room while painting.

We're off to take a nap on a day that's perfect for being lazy! Happy Sunday everyone!

Flu Fever

So the flu panic has taken the nation, and rightly so I suppose. I started thinking of all the myths and opinions that are out there regarding catching/not catching the flu. Here's what we're doing at Casa de Estes:

1. Wash hands all the time. In public bathrooms, pre-dispense the paper towels before washing hands. Afterwards, use paper towel to turn off sink, open door, and turn out lights with. Then throw away paper towel.

2. Get sleep! We don't do too well (we meaning me) minus sleep. I try to get 8 hours a night. I know it's tough if you have kids or your spouse has a different schedule, but I know it helps keep me healthy. If I go more than one night without nearly 8 hours I feel really run down. Darn the internal clock luck!

3. Eat somewhat decent food! We cook almost every meal during the week. During the weekends we eat out probably twice (Friday and Saturday nights). We try to keep it healthy, or at least include a ton of veggies in the dish. If we eat too much fast food we get cranky (seeing a trend?)

4. Drink orange juice! I really don't know how effective this is for me because I only drink a small glass, but I do almost every morning with breakfast.

5. Get your flu shot! I'm alone on this one as Tony braves the season without one. I'll be poked tomorrow right after school...yay.

6. Clorox wipes for the classroom and Clorox spray for the house. On doorknobs, light switches, sinks, and toilets.

7. Hand sanitizer: before lunch and snack time (yes I teach Kindergarten).

8. Rule around me: if you sneeze or cough on your hand....you wash them IMMEDIATELY.

What about you? What's your method of staying flu free this year?

Someone Else's Super Easy Fettucine Alfredo

I can't take credit for this (as usual) but you should try it. It's VERY easy. You can season it however strongly or lightly you wish. You can make it with chicken, shrimp, or by itself. I got it from here and her picture is way more appetizing and better (can you tell I work with 5 year olds by the way I'm typing?).

Ingredients:

1 box or package of fettucine

1-2 boneless chicken breasts

1 tablespoon olive oil (like I ever stick to that)

salt and pepper

For the alfredo sauce:

3 tbsp. butter

2 cloves garlic smashed (or the equivalent in the jars of minced garlic)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil for pasta. While you are waiting, cook the chicken breasts. Heat the oil in a skillet at medium high heat. Season and cook until golden brown. Remove to a plate and let rest for a few minutes. Cut into small strips. Cover with foil to keep warm while you prepare the sauce.

Cook pasta until al dente.

To make the sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cream, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Mix in the parmesan cheese and cook until completely melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve pasta with sauce and topped with grilled chicken strips.

***Warning: this recipe does not bode well for leftovers. It results in a mystery sauce-less pasta.***

If you make it let me know how it goes! :)

P.S. someone PLEASE make this recipe. It looks killer (in many ways).

Things That Make Me Smile

Long time no post...go figure!

Here are a few things each day that make me smile and keep me sane:

1. The 'delay start' button on my washer. I love that on laundry day I can set my washer to start washing the first load while I'm finishing up at work so that I can come home and immediately put them in the dryer. It's like I'm cleaning house while I'm at work and that alone is why I will forever love GE.

2. My wonderful husband who while in College Station for work surprises me with two FABULOUS A&M shirts from the tent sale happening that day. Not to mention he got it spot on which type of 'colorful girly' shirts I'd love. He's a keeper.

3. Coupons from the wonderful coupon tree at HEB that I will use every week and that don't expire for a month. Watch me take a handful and smile!

4. Catch up phone calls from great friends I don't get to see everyday. I always seem to miss the first call but I feel so happy after I get off the phone with them.

5. Setting the dishwasher as I leave for work in the morning. See #1 as to why this makes me smile.

6. My amazingly high up and huge king sized bed. Getting into it is my favorite part of the day (Tony's too) because it's like a pile of cotton in the air (it's seriously high in the sky.)

7. Sweet notes from the hubs packed in my lunch that I sometimes just mistake as a napkin ;)

8. Savings accounts that grow. Amen.

9. Baby Schnauzers that cuddle up with me in the cotton ball bed late at night and the husband who has grown to be ok with letting that happen.

10. Little hugs from my Kinder kids throughout the day from those you least expect it from.

11. Overwhelming random feelings of contentment and happiness that just come up out of nowhere throughout the day.

12. The jazz stations on AT&T U-verse that I play as I cook dinner. Thank you for my sanity.

13. Guilty pleasure TV like 'Operation Repo,' 'Flipping Out,' and 'The Office.'

14. Delicious leftovers from a great dinner the night before.

15. Church early on Sunday mornings with a pastor who inspires us to think, thank, and grow.

16. Bluebell Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream

17. The Friday afternoon drive home

18. The feeling of knowing my career is making a difference in little one's lives.

19. Hot showers after a long day. I can feel the day just washing away.

20. Cool breezes and the changing of seasons. Such a wonderful relief to 100+ degree days!

21. Clorox wipes. The sole reason for my classroom not being a petri-dish. Thank you baby Jesus!

Thank God for the little things! :)

Omelet for Two A La Barefoot Contessa

This recipe is good. Don't get me wrong, it is not good FOR you. But it is good.

Every now and then we like to have breakfast for dinner. Most nights we try to have a big meal with leftovers for the following day, but since today is a holiday (HAPPY LABOR DAY PEOPLE!) we decided last night would be the perfect night to have breakfast for dinner.

I made this recipe probably a year ago and then thought nothing of it. It was good, but we don't have breakfast for dinner that often so it just got filed in my recipes to keep and that was it. However, good ol Ina Garten popped up on my DVR with this recipe again and watching it made Tony and I drool. I added it to the grocery list for this week and here we are.

Here is what you'll need.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 pound good thick cut bacon
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 1 cup medium diced Yukon-gold potato (or regular old Russet and I just used one medium potato)
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
• 5 extra large eggs (see, I told you it wasn't too hot for you)
• 2 tablespoons milk or cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions or green onions (white and green parts)
• 4 ounces shredded cheddar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the bacon cross-wise in 1/2 inch slices. Cook the bacon in 8 inch oven safe saute pan over medium high heat for 5-7 minutes. (Here is where I veered off. We like to have refried beans with eggs so I cooked the bacon in a small pot and saved the grease to use as seasoning for the beans.)

Drain the bacon on paper towels and discard the fat from the pan (or be a genius and save it for refried beans out of a can). Add the butter to the pan and then add the potato and the yellow onion. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, tossing occasionally (or stirring if you can't toss like a pro), until the onion starts to brown and the potato is tender but firm (?).

Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl, beat the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together with a fork. Stir in the scallions and cheddar.

When the potato is cooked add the bacon to the pan and pour the egg mixture over all of it like above picture.

Place the pan in the oven for 15-20 minutes (it feels so scandalous to put a oven pan in the oven!), until the omelet puffs and the eggs are almost cooked in the center like above picture. Sprinkle with a handful of cheddar and bake for another minute. Serve hot directly from the pan.

As I said before, we served ours with refried beans (blame it on my Hispanic side) and also with biscuits. It was a feast! There's something so fun about being in your pajamas and eating breakfast for dinner that you need to do every once in a while. Also, the part I dread the most about omelets is taken out of this recipe: no flipping it over! If you make it, let me know what you think!