Show Us Your Life- Parenting Advice

I think it's pretty common for parents to say, "I was a better parent before I was a parent." Am I right? I was, too.

I've learned so much in the just over 2.5 years that I've been a parent, but I know I still have oh-so much to learn.

1. Nothing's going to be perfect. I've always been one to keep things clean and organized. Once Natalie became mobile, and especially now that she's a toddler, I've had to throw that out the window.

2. Be positive! I'm all about kids not getting every.single.thing they want. I've learned with Natalie that things go much more smoothely if I don't say "no", but say something to the effect of, "We can do that after..." or "We have to eat supper before you can have ice cream" (and most of the time she's forgotten about the ice cream once she eats supper). When I say no in a positive way, her reaction is usually, "Okay, Mommy."

3. Every child is different.

• I've always been so concerned about Natalie doing as well as, if not better than, the other kids in her class. She does things on her own time. My biggest stressor was potty-training. I was so afraid that all of Natalie's classmates would be potty-trained soon, but Natalie wouldn't until she was 3.5, so I really stressed, which I think stressed Natalie out. I finally quit pushing her, and within 2 days, she was practically daytime potty-trained with only occasional minor accidents.
• Discipline that works for some kids doesn't work for all kids.

4. Do what works for you and your family, not what everyone tells you "will work without a doubt"

5. Everyone talks about the "terrible two's"...for us two has been so pleasant. It's the three's that I'm worried aboutt.

6. Take pictures (and video if you can)! They grow so fast; it's so great to look back on those photos and videos.

7. Trust your gut. You know your child better than anyone, including the pediatrician. Ask questions of your doc! That's what he/she is there for.

8. Don't be afraid to ask for help from your friends and family. It's not necessary to strive to be an "Alpha Parent".

9. Boogie wipes are not just a money-making-gimick/crock. They really are great for snotty noses; or they were for us, anyway.

10. It's so important to us to raise Natalie to have a relationship with God. If that's not something that's a priority to you right now, and you're having tough time, maybe a spiritual relationship is something to think about.

FabuLESSly Frugal Shopping Trip

Natalie spent the weekend with her grandparents (split time between my in-laws and my parents), and my mom brought her home yesterday...sort of. We met at Kohl's because Mom had some coupons she "had to use". She's so super generous, and shopped mostly for Natalie, Nathan (tomorrow is his birthday), and me. Here's most of what we got:

And a breakdown of our bargains:
For Natalie
Blue tank with floral skirt- originally $28.00, paid $8.40
White tank with floral embellishment- originally $14.00, paid $4.20
Floral skirt below white tank- originally $14.00, paid $2.80
White "Auntie" shirt and pink "Grandpa" shirt- originally $13.00 each, paid $5.20 each
Plus some toys, of course!

For Me
Green shirt- originally $30.00, paid $9.00
Brownish-gray dress capris- originally $38.00, paid $7.60
Denim capris #1- originally $36.00, paid $7.20
Denim capris #2- originally $32.00, paid $17.00 (not a really great deal, but they're cute!)
Jeans #1- originally $29.99, paid $11.99
Jeans #2- originally $29.99, paid $11.99

For Nathan
Light green shirt- originally $40-something, paid $18.00
Blue/yellow stripes- originally $45.00, paid $18.00
Light blue w/ dark blue stripes- originally $45.00, paid $13.50
Brown sweater- originally $60.00, paid $6.00 (WOWZA!)
Black striped shirt- don't remember the original price, but we paid $4.20
Brown-striped shirt- originally $36.00, paid $7.20

Plus I got Nathan two shirts for his birthday, both amazing deals!

Add in there a 20% off coupon plus a $10 gift card, and the deals get even better! I'm so excited about our new clothes, and so incredibly grateful to my momma for buying for us!

What's your favorite store for finding a great deal?

Snippets

* We are about a month away from our beach vacation. I'm really looking forward to it! It's going to be Nathan, Natalie, and myself, accompanied by my parents, my sister, and my in-laws. We'll be sharing a condo for a long weekend. Should be interesting!

* It feels so good to have a really clean house! We thoroughly cleaned before our pool party Saturday, and I'm doing my best to keep up with it.

* Natalie busted her lip at daycare today. Her poor little top lip is fat, but a "popsicle makes it all better"...according to Natalie, a popsicle makes everything better. She tells me that her friend pushed her to the floor, but the teacher was in the bathroom with another kid and didn't see exactly what happened.

* I've always been a sweets-loving kind of girl. Lately, I feel kinda gross after eating sweets. I could practically live on fresh fruits, veggies, and yogurt, especially this time of year. I guess that's a good thing since I'm trying to get myself in better shape.

* We finally bought Natalie a bedding set! It's about time! Her room is far from complete, but I will post before and after pictures soon.

* My mom took Natalie and me shopping yesterday. Tonight may be a double-post night. I'll post about all our deals!

Pool Party

Nathan and I hosted a pool party yesterday. We invited a few of Nathan's work friends and a couple of our neighbors. I got my mom's love for feeding people, so we bought tons of groceries and spent a lot of the morning preparing food and washing fruit. When I wasn't preparing food, we were cleaning house. It's really amazing how quickly we can clean when we're expecting people, but most of the time, we put it off, thinking we don't have enough time.

People started arriving around 3:30, but the guys didn't start grilling the brats, hamburgers, and hotdogs until about 5:30. It was so nice and relaxing to just talk and laugh with responsible adults, who we knew would have a good time without getting stupidly drunk. It's been so incredibly hot here in Missouri, as I'm sure it's been around most of the nation, so we were looking forward to pool time, since it really was too hot to lie out in the sun for too long. By 4:00, a nice breeze started and the sun hid behind the clouds. The weather really was almost perfect! The beverages flowed nicely (so much so that we ran out of two cases plus a 12-pack of beer, among other drinks...whoa!) and the food was delicious. We had quite the overabundance of food- meat, chips/dips, baked beans, potato salad, pasta salad, tons and tons of fruit with dip, and three desserts. The party didn't wind down until about 11:45, and it seemed like everyone genuinely had a good time.

I'm disappointed that I didn't take any pictures, but I'm hoping last night wasn't our only pool party for the summer.

I read a blog post today yesterday two days ago that really touched me, and that I could totally relate to. We all struggle at some point. We all have ups and downs in our lives, and there are times when we're all totally physically, mentally, and emotionally drained. I've been dealing with that a lot lately. I've considered writing about it, but I was concerned that anyone who may come across my blog, or that post specifically, would think, "Aw, what a Debbie Downer," and never read my blog again. Not sure why I'm concerned with what others think; I guess that's just part of life, right?

Anywho, writing's not my forte, but bear with me. After re-reading this, I got much more specific than I intended to at times. Just throwing that out there. I'm not looking for a pity party, but boy does it feel good to get it out.

Nathan and I have been together for 9 years this month, married for 4 in May. The 'Newlywed stage' is over...it's been over for a long time, and I don't like it. We started    awhile back, and during that time, things were great. We made an effort to make an effort, ya know what I mean? We were challenged to put each other first, and that really made us, or at least me, happy. I can't speak for him. You'd think it'd be easy to always put the one you love first, but, especially as the parents of a toddler, it's not. To be honest, we have barely spoken in two days...until last night. (Remember, I started working on this two days ago).

I have a history of struggling with depression. I was doing great without meds, but then over the last several months, I've been struggling more and more. I think what it all boils down to is finances, and the fact that Nathan will have to quit work in 5 months, and our bills will actually increase while he's in school, so we will be stretched really thin.  I keep telling myself that it will all be worth it in the end. Nathan is really encouraging me to be a stay at home mom when he finishes school, which is looking better and better to me, though I've never wanted be a SAHM. However, I'm afraid to do that. I'm afraid I'll regret my decision. If you are a SAHM, especially if you were once a working-outside-the-home mom, I'd love to hear experience/feedback.

I say that staying home "is looking better and better" because I'm starting to think that maybe I didn't make the right career choice. I chose nursing school because I'm a female (excuse the stereotyping), and I didn't know what else I might want to do, so it seemed like an obvious choice. My heart's not in it, but I don't want to leave my current job in search for another position, because I have a pretty sweet set-up. I work Monday- Friday, about 7:30am-4:30pm. No weekends or holidays. I do my own thing. I technically don't have to supervise anyone or have anyone over my shoulder supervising me. My schedule is super flexible, so if I want to go to one of Natalie's holiday parties at daycare or if I need to leave to pick her up because she's sick, it's not a problem. This may not seem like anything special to some people, but for a nurse, it's great. Being unhappy isn't worth it, but I don't want to burn any bridges.

Ok, so I had a lot more to get off my chest prior to Nathan and me having a heart-to-heart conversation last night, but I feel better about some things since then. That just goes to show that communication really is key in a relationship. It's also our biggest downfall.

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10 Random Facts

* I recently gave up regular coffee and usually feel like I can't make it through the day without it. I think I'll start drinking tea, especially chamomile tea, to decrease stress and give me some energy. Thanks for the great info, Mrs. T! I still drink the souped up coffees from Panera and Starbucks.

* I've never wanted to be a stay at home mom. I think I'd go stir crazy. However, for the last two weeks, the thought of being a SAHM sounds wonderful! Nathan's really encouraging it when he finishes grad school.

* I cry. A lot. For instance, earlier this baseball season, I started crying when Albert Pujols hit a homerun (for the record, I'm a huge Cardinals fan).

* I get really angry when I see someone smoking with a kid in the car...even worse when the kid isn't in a carseat.

* I have lots of celebrity crushes (male and female)...Kimberly Perry (from The Band Perry), The Rock, Jeff and Jordan (from Big Brother...ok, not really real celebrities, but ya know), Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert, Josh Turner, Brad Paisley, Hilary from Lady A....I'm seeing a trend with country music singers.

* I like country music. I like music period. My car radio is usually either on a country station or a contemporary Christian station. I have never owned an iPod or any other music device like that (except the good ol' Walkman and Discman back in the day).

* I get a thrill out of organizing and making things pretty. You couldn't tell either of those by walking into my house.

* Pretty much the only tv I watch is reality tv...The Bachelor/Bachelorette or Big Brother, anyone?

* I bought a super nice camera, planning to learn it inside out and get some amazing pictures of Natalie. Nope, hasn't happened. I still just take regular ol' snap shots....but taking some great pictures of her is still on my to-do list.

* Two of the shows that annoy me the most are 5,000 Kids and Counting (you know, the Duggars) and Toddlers and Tiaras. Some of those parents are flippin' crazy, and I feel bad for the little girls and boys who don't want to be there. I've been on the fence about putting Natalie in a natural pageant, but I just don't think I can bite the bullet. A co-worker showed me this, hope you get a chuckle out of it:

Show Us Your Life

This weeks Show Us Your Life is all about how you told your husband, family, etc that you're pregnant.

I didn't get to tell Nathan in a cutesy way, but the story is still fun(ny) to tell.
It was April 6th, 2008, in the evening. (I won't get into why I thought I might have been pregnant. That could get a little TMI for some people). Nathan was outside cleaning out my car; we lived in an apartment on the 3rd floor at the time, so I could see him in the parking lot and knew when he'd be coming inside. I had plenty of time to test; I wanted to do it while he was outside because I wanted plenty of time to think of a cute way to tell him, and because I wasn't really sure how I would react (I knew I'd be excited, though). I took a test, and immediately saw a "+". I couldn't really believe my eyes, so I took another, and another (and maybe even another). Just to be sure, I grabbed a digital test that I had picked up a couple days prior. Yep, sure enough, "Pregnant". I quickly ran to the computer to search "Cute ways to tell your husband you're pregnant." About that time, my sister called. I was walking around the apartment talking to her when Nathan walked in. This NEVER happens, but the first place he went was to the computer. Guess what he saw on the screen? It didn't take long and I heard, "AMY! Come here!" I kinda wave my hand at him since I was on the phone. Nope, not gonna cut it. "No, get off the phone and come here NOW!" So I cut my sister a little short, and Nathan began inquiring about what he saw on the computer screen. Then....silence. For about 10 minutes. No joke. I won't bore you with the mundane details from there, but it didn't take long for Nate to get excited and show it. The following day Nathan was on an all-day fishing trip with a good buddy of his (who's then girlfriend/current wife) is one of my BFFs. I had planned to use his time away to plan a really great announcement, but obviously it didn't work out that way. Apparently that whole day on the lake, Nathan was very short and quiet with his friend. To this day, Friend laughs about that and says he "knew something was up" but he never dreamed it was the announcement that he got 3 weeks later!

As far as telling our families-

My dad's birthday is April 13, so I wrote on his card something to the effect of, "You're a great dad, an awesome father-in-law, and in December, you'll be an amazing grandpa! Love, Nathan, Amy, and Peanut" I made him read it outloud so he could tell my mom. Even though Nathan and I had been married for almost a year, I was still a nervous wreck to tell my parents, like I was going to be in trouble or something.

The same day we gave my dad his birthday card, we went to Nathan's parents' house (I think this was the following Saturday) and gave his mom a gift. She thought it was strange to give her a gift out of the clear blue sky. The gift was a bib that said "Because Grandma said so!". She was over the moon! The only grandparent we had left to tell was Nathan's dad, who was at work. We drove 30 minutes out of our way home to stop in on Nathan's dad at the car lot and handed him a 6 week ultrasound picture. He stared at it like he was looking at an alien or something. I don't know if he really knew what it was, but when I asked him, he said he knew. We didn't get much of a reaction out of him, but now he dotes on Natty more than any of them.

I can't wait until there's a "Baby #2" to announce!

Did you see this article? I saw it on our local news website and on Yahoo! news.

Should parents lose custody of super-obese kids?

By LINDSEY TANNER - AP Medical WriterCHICAGO (AP) — Should parents of extremely obese children lose custody for not controlling their kids' weight? A provocative commentary in one of the nation's most distinguished medical journals argues yes, and its authors are joining a quiet chorus of advocates who say the government should be allowed to intervene in extreme cases.

It has happened a few times in the U.S., and the opinion piece in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association says putting children temporarily in foster care is in some cases more ethical than obesity surgery.

Dr. David Ludwig, an obesity specialist at Harvard-affiliated Children's Hospital Boston, said the point isn't to blame parents, but rather to act in children's best interest and get them help that for whatever reason their parents can't provide.

State intervention "ideally will support not just the child but the whole family, with the goal of reuniting child and family as soon as possible. That may require instruction on parenting," said Ludwig, who wrote the article with Lindsey Murtagh, a lawyer and a researcher at Harvard's School of Public Health.

"Despite the discomfort posed by state intervention, it may sometimes be necessary to protect a child," Murtagh said.

But University of Pennsylvania bioethicist Art Caplan said he worries that the debate risks putting too much blame on parents. Obese children are victims of advertising, marketing, peer pressure and bullying — things a parent can't control, he said.

"If you're going to change a child's weight, you're going to have to change all of them," Caplan said.

Roughly 2 million U.S. children are extremely obese. Most are not in imminent danger, Ludwig said. But some have obesity-related conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, breathing difficulties and liver problems that could kill them by age 30. It is these kids for whom state intervention, including education, parent training, and temporary protective custody in the most extreme cases, should be considered, Ludwig said.
While some doctors promote weight-loss surgery for severely obese teens, Ludwig said it hasn't been used for very long in adolescents and can have serious, sometimes life-threatening complications.

"We don't know the long-term safety and effectiveness of these procedures done at an early age," he said.

Ludwig said he starting thinking about the issue after a 90-pound 3-year-old girl came to his obesity clinic several years ago. Her parents had physical disabilities, little money and difficulty controlling her weight. Last year, at age 12, she weighed 400 pounds and had developed diabetes, cholesterol problems, high blood pressure and sleep apnea.

"Out of medical concern, the state placed this girl in foster care, where she simply received three balanced meals a day and a snack or two and moderate physical activity," he said. After a year, she lost 130 pounds. Though she is still obese, her diabetes and apnea disappeared; she remains in foster care, he said.

In a commentary in the medical journal BMJ last year, London pediatrician Dr. Russell Viner and colleagues said obesity was a factor in several child protection cases in Britain. They argued that child protection services should be considered if parents are neglectful or actively reject efforts to control an extremely obese child's weight.

A 2009 opinion article in Pediatrics made similar arguments. Its authors said temporary removal from the home would be warranted "when all reasonable alternative options have been exhausted."

That piece discussed a 440-pound 16-year-old girl who developed breathing problems from excess weight and nearly died at a University of Wisconsin hospital. Doctors discussed whether to report her family for neglect. But they didn't need to, because her medical crisis "was a wake-up call" for her family, and the girl ended up losing about 100 pounds, said co-author Dr. Norman Fost, a medical ethicist at the university's Madison campus.
                     
State intervention in obesity "doesn't necessarily involve new legal requirements," Ludwig said. Health care providers are required to report children who are at immediate risk, and that can be for a variety of reasons, including neglect, abuse and what doctors call "failure to thrive." That's when children are severely underweight.

Jerri Gray, a Greenville, S.C., single mother who lost custody of her 555-pound 14-year-old son two years ago, said authorities don't understand the challenges families may face in trying to control their kids' weight.

"I was always working two jobs so we wouldn't end up living in ghettos," Gray said. She said she often didn't have time to cook, so she would buy her son fast food. She said she asked doctors for help for her son's big appetite but was accused of neglect.

Her sister has custody of the boy, now 16. The sister has the money to help him with a special diet and exercise, and the boy has lost more than 200 pounds, Gray said.

"Even though good has come out of this as far as him losing weight, he told me just last week, 'Mommy, I want to be back with you so bad.' They've done damage by pulling us apart," Gray said.

Stormy Bradley, an Atlanta mother whose overweight 14-year-old daughter is participating in a Georgia advocacy group's "Stop Childhood Obesity" campaign, said she sympathizes with families facing legal action because of their kids' weight.

Healthier food often costs more, and trying to monitor kids' weight can be difficult, especially when they reach their teens and shun parental control, Bradley said. But taking youngsters away from their parents "definitely seems too extreme," she said.

Dr. Lainie Ross, a medical ethicist at the University of Chicago, said: "There's a stigma with state intervention. We just have to do it with caution and humility and make sure we really can say that our interventions are going to do more good than harm."

So, what's your opinion on this matter? I'd love to hear it!

Does It Work Wednesday: SuperTooth Buddy

 

 

(KFVS) -

SuperTooth Buddy is supposed to make it easier and safer to talk and drive. The key is: you can hook up multiple cell phones to it. We'll see.

We start with an iPhone. We make a call to coworker Stephanie Byars. She reports no troubles hearing or talking with us.

Next, we hook up a second phone. This one from Verizon. I took a call on it just fine, and then tried a different iPhone. All are compatible with SuperTooth and saved in the phone's memory.

So, essentially, you and your passengers could link up all your phones, and thus take and make calls with all your different contacts, all with this one device.  It's like a super-sized speaker phone.  It easily attaches to the visor. So, once you're all connected, you could take this device wherever you go. Just pop it in different cars and talk.

It costs around $40. So, if you like this kind of gadget, you can trust it works. It earns an 'A' on this Does it Work test.  You can find it online at various sites, including Amazon.

Source: KFVS12 News

Does It Work Wednesday

Again, I know it's not Wednesday. I actually posted this on Wednesday, and then realized the video didn't work on Blogger, so I deleted it. I still haven't found a way to get the video to work, so for now it's just the article (which is practically word for word of the video). I'll work on the video thing for next week.

Every Wednesday our local news station does a segment called "Does It Work? Wednesday" in which they have viewers "try it before you buy it". Products range from potty training tools and hair products to infomercial products, hair removers, and baby gear.
Does it Work: DepilSilk

Tired of shaving, the nicks? The cuts? It promises to get rid of unwanted hair with a simple spray.  No pain and a much-better scent than similar products. It's Depilsilk.

Best friends Taryn and Austin to test it out together.

"Don't rub it in but evenly spread."

It claims to work in less than eight minutes, and it is painless.

"Smooth!" said Taryn. 

Smooth yes, but a closer look it seems we still had a hairy situation.

"Ooh, you can pull it out. It's supposed to wipe out easily, and this is pulling your hair out!" said Austin.

We also asked coworker Justin West to try it, just because he's got more visible hair. After all, the product said it can work for men.

However, Justin's not a fan.

"That's nasty looking!"

We don't know what was worse: taking off Justin's leg hair or watching Justin take off his leg hair!

"Ew, this looks gross!"

It appears the DepilSilk works, but the question now: is it worth the trouble?

"It was just 'so-so', I just don't see spending a little bit more money for this product as opposed to just going for a wax or shaving. I just don't see a lot of a difference. I think Nair is a lot cheaper than this product, so," said Austin.

It is, and it's $15 for the bottle! So, it's not a silky smooth finish for DepilSilk. It earns a 'D' on this Does it Work test.

   {KFVS12}

For more "Does It Work?" products, you can go here.

I will also post my own reviews of various products that I've recently tried.
Tuesday night I went to a "Skinny Wrap" party. Ever heard of them? It's basically an organic detox system that you can put anywhere on your body, that detoxes your fat cells, causing them to shrink; therefore, you lose inches. I "wrapped" my thighs {I didn't take pictures. It wasn't a pleasant sight), and it only took one wrap, because we were able to cut it in half. The wrap has minerals and all the good things that we should all get in our diet daily, but the majority of us don't. The material is then placed on the area of the body that is to "shrink", and the body party is wrapped with saran wrap to secure the skinny wrap. It smells like Vicks and feels cold when it's applied. Remember, though, totally organic! You must stay wrapped for at least 45 minutes, but may remain wrapped for 5+ hours. Apparently the longer the wrap is left on, the better it works. Following the placement of the skinny wrap, you must drink half your body weight (in ounces) of water for the next 3 days to "flush" your body of the toxins. I slept in my wrap, but the saran wrap wasn't tight enough, so my wraps moved a bit during the night. It remained moist, so my legs and pants felt moist this morning. (Kinda gross!) My thighs were measured in 2 different areas prior to being wrapped. Those areas were marked with a Sharpie so I can measure the same places after my 3 days. Only one body part may be wrapped at a time, and you can wrap every 4 days. The results typically last about two to six months.
On my left leg, I lost an inch at the top of my thigh and half an inch near the bottom of my thigh (right above my knee). On my right leg, I lost an inch and a half at the top of my thigh and an inch on the bottom of my thigh. I barely squeezed in half my body weight in water this week, which is a shame and disappointing, because I usually drink over 100oz of water each day. This week was no ordinary week though. Maybe that's a topic for tomorrow if I have time. Anyway, the product works, obviously in just one application. However, it can be awkward to apply to certain body parts, and you really need someone to help you wrap yourself. At $25 a wrap (or $89 for a box of 4...or $49 for a box of four with the loyal customer program), it's not that bad of a deal, especially if you're looking for an easy way to lost some inches. Overall, I give the Skinny Wrap a B.
*On a side note: The skinny wrap is intended to be a detox system, so it removes the toxins from your fat cells, which is actually what causes the loss of inches. It was not created to be an "inch loss" system, that's just one of the perks of detoxing your body with this product.

Things I Don't Want to Forget Thursday

I realize it's not Thursday as the title of this post suggests, but this was started last night prior to my computer's battery dying (and I had no clue where the power cord was). I have found myself starting posts and not finishing them multiple times lately. Maybe tonight will be the night I finish them and post them all, so forgive me for seeming to be an attention wh*re (as people are so generously dubbed on The Bump) tonight :)

Natalie is daytime potty-trained, and I never want to forget how she says, "I'm so proud!" after she does her business. She seems genuinely proud of herself, as she should be!

I don't want to forget Natalie's requests for me to lie down with her at night. She always says, "Lie down with me, Momma". I usually don't because we had this bad habit last year and broke it, so I don't want to start it again, but I want to cherish all the snuggle time I can.

I often forget to "stop and smell the roses", but I hope Natalie never does. Every evening, she puts on her crocs (she does a great job getting them on, on the correct feet and all!) and asks to "go outside and mells plowers".

 My parents and my in-laws always want to buy things for Natalie. I always used to get offended, thinking they thought we weren't able to provide for Natalie the way we should. Now I just realize it's because they genuinely WANT to get things for her. They find joy in that. I'm finally accepting that; though it was hard at first because I never had grandparents like that. I never want to forget the copius amounts of love evident between Natalie and her grandparents. I hope Natalie nevers forgets, too.

Show Us Your Life- Breakfast Recipes

I have to admit, I have never made either one of these recipes, but they sound too amazing not to try!

Breakfast Hawaiian Pizza with Ham, Eggs, Cheese, and Pineapple

Courtesy of Rachael Ray

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1/2 pound breakfast ham, chopped
• 6 large eggs, beaten
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 store-bought pizza crust, such as Boboli brand (12-inch)
• 2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 fresh cored pineapple, diced

Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add EVOO. Add ham and cook for two minutes.
Beat eggs with salt and pepper. Add to ham, and scramble (cook, stirring until no longer runny).
Place the pizza on a pizza pan or cookie sheet. Top with the scrambled eggs, ham, cheese and pineapple. Bake until crust is crisp and cheese is bubbly, 12-15 minutes.

Cut into eight pieces and serve.

Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup
Courtesy of Paula Deen

Prep 20 min

Inactive 8 hr 0 min

Cook 40 min

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Level: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
• 8 large eggs
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Dash salt
• Praline Topping, recipe follows
• Maple syrup

Directions

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Praline Topping:

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

The Holiday Weekend Has Arrived!

This week has been incredibly busy at work for both Nathan and me. Last night I was asleep on the couch before 9:00pm (but was up at 11pm, 1am, 3am, 4am, and up for the day at 5:30am), and poor Nathan worked all night on call (and all day today), so he's sleeping now.

I'm so grateful this is a long weekend for us. Fourth of July festivities are always so fun. Tomorrow we will go to our hometown (about an hour away), and Natalie will stay with my in-laws while Nate and I have a night out with my parents. We are going to a Wine Company to listen to an awesome band (one of Nate's bosses is in the band). Sunday we will head back home and attend our subdivision's annual 4th of July party. Natalie will love the fireworks this year! Hopefully Monday we can sleep in and do little to nothing. What are your plans for the holiday weekend?

Since work has pretty much consumed our lives this week, I will leave you with pictures of cuteness from the month of June:

And a video

A Kelly's Korner "Show Us Your Life" post will be up later tonight. Be on the lookout!