Making the Most of Our First Unemployed Weekend

We actually did some stuff this weekend…yay.  Usually, during the weekends, we are trying so hard just to get little things done around the house and just constantly looking for time between handing the baby off and making sure Savion gets some one on one time that we rarely get a chance to really do much on our weekends.  Well, that all changed last week.  My husband got laid off unfortunately.  Besides being an incredible artist, he is actually in the oil/gas industry and if you see the gas prices you know it must be bad.  Usually it seems to happen every two years, but this time we are really going to try and reinvent our lives.  Tony (my hubby) really and truly hates his job.  We have been fortunate that it has served us well, but I know that his true happiness does not lie behind a desk.  He is so talented and we both have so many dreams so this is the perfect opportunity to see if we can actually make something work.  If not…well, hopefully the industry picks up soon.  But for now, I have an awesome babysitter, I get to paint more, and we both get to spend more quality time together and with the kiddos.  And I hear if your home gets foreclosed on they usually do physically drag you out of it for about a year (it won't get to that hopefully).  So, I can either feel sorry for myself and totally freak out, or I can make the best of it, and that's what I am choosing to do.  Here are a few pics of us enjoying our first jobless/survival/happpier weekend.

Veggie Black Bean Enchilladas

Have you ever had Chilis Southwest Egg rolls? Well, I found a copy-cat recipe for them years ago and incorporate them into my menu every once in a while.  I even make the avocado ranch to accompany them…yum.  So one night I wanted to make enchilladas and I wanted to save my chicken for another meal, so I started looking to Pintrest for other ideas and I discovered the veggie enchilada, BUT…I decided maybe I should use most of the Southwest Egg Roll ingredients for the enchiladas and Wham…Greatness.  So here is my version of Veggie (Southwest Egg Roll) Enchiladas.

There are two parts to this enchilada business, but don't get discouraged.  They are really quite easy.  I actually usually make them on the nights when my hubby goes to jiujitsu and I have to simultaneously cook while watching an infant.  Usually I actually cut up all the veggies during nap times so I can just dump them in the pan later.

So first, you need to dump the garlic and bell peppers into a couple of tbsp of olive oil and cook for a few minutes until they smell delicious.  Then I add the frozen spinach, which I heat up in the microwave for a few minutes then drain so its not all wet.  Mix it all up until the spinach gets spread around (like 1 minute).  Then add the other green stuff…jalepenos, cilantro, and green onions.  Next come the beans and corn.  I run both through a strainer before adding them so Im not overwhelmed by the juices.  Lastly, mix in the spices and cheese, and give it a few stirs and take it off of the heat.  This is what it looks like.  Yum…see the steam.

Put all of the stuffing into preheated tortillas (I heat them in the microwave a little with a wet towel covering them so they are more pliable).  Pour a little enchilada sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Place the enchiladas in the dish (duh). Pour the rest of the sauce on top, and I like to sprinkle a little cheddar over them too.  Then pop those babies into a preheated oven at 375 and bake for about 25 minutes.  I like mine a little crispy on the edges, so that time works perfect for me.  This isn't in the picture but they are even more delicious with some sliced avocados on top!  Enjoy.  I sure did.

Ingredients:

1 can of rinsed and drained black beans
1/2 can of drained sweet corn kernels
4 cloves of garlic minced
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 jalepeno (minced)
1/4 cup diced green onion
1/4 cup minced cilantro
1 cup of cooked drained spinach (I did frozen)
7-10 tortillas
3/4 cup of shredded cheddar
1/4 cup of cheddar to sprinkle on top
1 can of Enchilada Sauce
1 tbsp of chili powder
1 tbsp of cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
2 tbsp olive oil

My Amazing Home Water Birth

This post will not be too long.  If you are interested in reading my awesome, beautiful, and sometimes gross birth story, please check it out above under the birth story tab.  Anyway, no, I did not just have another baby this week, but I did just finish posting my story so I wanted to share a post about it.  It has been five months ago but it seems like yesterday when I was holding my new baby girl in my arms.  Better yet…we were in the comfort of my home.  My son got to experience the gift of life and was able to cuddle with his new sister all night long in our own bed.  For the record, I am not some super crunchy granola chick, but I am a firm believer in trusting your body and living as naturally as possible.  Im not saying everyone should run out and have a home birth, but every woman should have the choice  to have the experience she wants.  This was my choice and I thank God everyday that it was a good one.  I would not take back one second of it.

What Willow Wore

I love this baby turban!!!  I ordered it from Shelby Jane & Co.'s Etsy  shop and couldn't be happier with it.  Willow gets so many compliments very time she has it on and it really makes her blue eyes pop.  I would have ordered more but I wanted to make sure the fit was right, but I will be ordering more soon in every color.  I shopped around and her prices were really good.  I think this was like $8…not too shabby.  Here's the link to her shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/ShelbyJaneandCo?ref=l2-shopheader-name

Clarins Tonic Body Oil … Does this prevent stretch marks? My story

I have been feeling terrible the last few days with a "stuck"  kidney stone, so I haven't really been in the mood for taking/editing photos or really doing anything that requires thinking, so Im doing a review.  When I was pregnant with my son nine years ago, I somehow ran across this stuff, and decided even though it had a hefty price tag (around $60) to give it a try.  For most of my pregnancy I rubbed the Clarins oil on right after showering while my skin was still damp.  I then followed with Cocoa Butter after drying off.  First pregnancy: no stretch marks.  As soon as I found out I was preggos again, I ran to Sephora in hopes that Clarins still made it.  Sure enough, they still sold it and it had amazing reviews as well.  I ordered mine online because I love the Sephora samples, but Im sure they sell it at the physical locations as well.  I followed the same protocol this time around and sure enough, I am happy to report no stretch marks.  By the way, I only went through one bottle for my entire pregnancy.  I really can't tell you if I just have good genes, or if its the fact that I constantly kept my skin moisturized , or if it was the Clarins Tonic, but I know it definitely didn't hurt.  So yes, I do recommend this Tonic.  Save the belly and splurge on this product. By the way, I will update on the kidney stone garbage.  Im trying this home remedy so wish me luck.
http://www.sephora.com/tonic-body-treatment-oil-P95070

My Favorite New Trend: Joggers

I have never been a sweatpants type of girl.  I don't wear my gym outfit to the grocery store.  There is nothing wrong if thats your thing, I just don't get out much, so even a trip to the market calls for an attempt at semi-chicness.   However; I have recently met the jogger.  Apparently now you can wear sweatpants with heels or flats or whatever, so of coarse, I love them.  Not to mention, they are so comfortable.  I now have like eight pair in every color.  These are a pair I picked up yesterday at Forever 21 for $17.90.  I loved that I can wear almost any color cami or tank to match them.  Today I just wore a black tank and black pointy flats and tah-dah…I looked awesome.  At least I thought so.  Im not sure if my husband can wrap his head around the fact that sweatpants on girls is now cool.
http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?br=F21&category=bottom&productid=2000097322

New Kinds of Love

Before I had my son, I couldn't possibly think I could love someone as much as I loved my husband.  I would seriously picture instances in my crazy head in which I would jump in front of a bus for him.  When I had my son, I admit, I was scared I would not be able to love him as much as I should, but of coarse that changed the moment I laid eyes on him.  I found I was able to share my love and develop a new kind of love…the love for a child.  I do not have a big family and had never even held a baby before my son, so you can kind of see where the fear may have come from.  Eight years later, here comes baby Willow.  Again, I felt that I could never love another baby like I do my son.  I still worry that if she would have been a boy…hmmm (just kidding, but I do have way too much testosterone floating around my house).  Now I realize that the love for your family is limitless and unconditional.  I look at my husband, my son, and my daughter, and although the love for each of them is somewhat different, it is love all the same.  So Im dedicating this post to the love of my beautiful boy.  No matter how big he gets, he is always my baby.