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Take Me Out to the Ball Game

20 Jul

The Yankees are in town, so PoppaNut and I headed to Tropicana Field to get in on the action. One of PoppaNut’s clients gave us these amazing seats right behind home plate. We were so close that you could practically smell the sweat coming off each coachs’ foreheads. It was incredible. And yes, I was wearing my Victoria’s Secret Yankees shirt that I blogged about last week … and it was also incredible.

Me and PoppaNut at the game

But as we nestled into our front-and-center seats, it wasn’t the actual game that got my attention. In fact, the actual game has never been what draws me to the ball park. It’s the smells and the sounds that remind me of my childhood that keep me coming back for more.

When I was little, my family used to drive up to Chicago to watch the Cubs (who would usually lose) play at Wrigley Field. I’m always telling PoppaNut about my love for Wrigley Field. Besides Disney, it’s the most magical place on Earth. The history of Harry Caray singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” with a big ice-cream cone in my hand just can’t be beat. And my memories don’t hold any record … I can’t tell you how many games I went to when the Cubs won and how many games I went to when they lost … I just remember being with my family and having a great time.

I have a special memory of heading to Wrigley Field with my Grandma Tam. Our whole family was there, and she wore a royal-blue bucket hat with a big Cubs logo on it. My Grandma Tam has since passed away, but I still have that hat tucked away in the Yankees room of all places. It’s dusty and a bit tattered, but that memory is still clear as day for me.

Jeter at the plate

My dad got very sick when I was in high school, and I remember when he started feeling better. He asked me to go with him to a Cubs game. I was suppose to work at the KOA Kampground (my summer job), but I couldn’t wait to call in sick, climb into the van and make my way up to Chicago. We didn’t have tickets, but we bought some at the gate … standing-room only. But once again, it didn’t matter. It was a special moment I’ll always cherish where a daughter got to enjoy the game with her wonderful dad!

And PoppaNut and I have had some wonderful moments in the ball park. We have celebrated every one of his birthdays at a spring-training game. We have gone to Yankees games with friends and family … but my favorites are when it’s just us. We may be surrounded by tons of people, but it still feels like we are sharing such a special moment as just the two of us.

And I saw those types of moments happening at the game last night. An older couple shared an ice-cream cone, a group of friends bonded over crazy calls, a dad explained the game to his son, a husband and wife shared a drink and took in the game.

A couple sharing an ice-cream cone

And that’s life in a nutshell … to me, it’s not the players who win … it’s the fans in the stand.

MommaNut

 

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Blast from the Past

11 Jul

Punching Game

PoppaNut and I are pretty much homebodies. We like to stay in, watch movies, play games and just hang out most weekends. It is our chance to sit back, relax and enjoy the life we have created for ourselves.

But every once in a while, we mix it up! And that’s exactly what happened on Saturday night, much to our surprise. We decided to head out to dinner to Chili’s on Saturday night. As we walked into the bar area, we saw two friends: Sam and Kelly. Sam was a groomsmen in our wedding, and Sam and Kelly are good friends. But as life gets busy, you can lose touch with people. And that’s exactly what happened.

So, it was such a nice surprise to see them at Chili’s. We ate our dinner, catching up with them between each bite. After that, we decided to head to a local bar for some good ole bar games: the bowling game and the punching game.

The Bowling Game

Now, I used to be a pro at the bowling game. PoppaNut and I would play it all the time, and we would both get strike after strike. Well, it seems I have lost my touch, because I played TERRIBLE. But, it was fun none the less.

PoppaNut had his eye on the punching game as soon as we walked in the door, so we headed there next. With tons of singles in hand, PoppaNut pumped that machine full of money and went on a punching roll. In fact, he beat the high score!

All in all, we had a great night. It was so fun seeing Sam and Kelly again, and mixing things up by heading out to the bar on a Saturday night.

And that’s life in a nutshell … be open to where life takes you. You never know when you could end up having the time of your life with the one you love and a punching game. 🙂

MommaNut

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Lights, Camera, Action

7 Jul

Since I started writing this blog, I have had so much fun sharing little tidbits with my readers. However, there was one big pain in the butt that I couldn’t get around: photos. For a blog to gain popularity, you have to take original photos.

Well, I didn’t have a camera. PoppaNut has a great camera, but I didn’t have the software downloaded on my computer. So, I would take photos with his camera, download them to his computer, put them on a USB port and then put them on my computer. WHEW … You get the point. It took forever.

So, I ordered this handy-dandy Samsung PL90 camera. I got it at Walmart.com for just a little over $100. It’s lightweight and takes great photos (I used it in CT for the first time and you can see the photos I took in that blog post). And the best part about the camera? It has a built-in USB port. That means no cords or cables to lug around or lose in the future. I just plug it right into my computer, and I’m ready to access my photos right away.

My Blogging Camera

I love it! And it allows me to share all my great pictures with you!

And that’s life in a nutshell … finding a way to simplify your life can be as easy as upgrading your camera.

MommaNut

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CT: July 4th Weekend

6 Jul

PoppaNut and I love surprises, so when my sister-in-law’s birthday came up, we knew we had a chance to surprise the heck out of her. PoppaNut and I boarded a plane in Tampa and arrived late Thursday night in Connecticut. Stacy, my sister-in-law, had NO IDEA we were there. Her hubby Chris picked us up and snuck us into the house, where PoppaNut jumped on Stacy’s bed for the big surprise. The video of the surprise is classic!

The next few days were super fun and we stayed busy for most of it. Let’s see if I can remember all the great things we did. Friday led us to a country-breakfast diner, where we ate everything in sight! I had a cheese omelet and PoppaNut had the Tower of Power (cinnamon french toast) and an omelet too. After that, we headed to Six Flags. Kayla and Karissa went on every death-defying rollercoaster with us! In fact, they had to talk me on most of them. I don’t remember these rides being so scary!

That evening, I straightened the girls’ hair as they prepared for a boy/girl party. We ate AMAZING pizza, had a few drinks and hung out together. Casey and John came by as well, and it was great catching up with them. Saturday was a cookout day, so Stacy and I headed to the store to pick up some food. As Christopher yelled “Habba Babba” to everyone he saw, Stacy taught me how to pick out corn and we shared our favorite recipes. I drove the jumbo, car-designed cart and almost ran into every person I passed. 🙂 It was fun!

Chris made homemade salsa, and I swear I ate a pound of it! I don’t have the recipe, but maybe Chris will share it with me some day. We cooked out that night, and watched PoppaNut and Chris almost burn down the pool with out-of-control fireworks.

The next morning, we headed to Collins, a farm that serves homemade ice cream. You can watch the cows graze by the nearby corn fields as you scarf down your S’Mores ice-cream cone! Now, that’s living.

We had such a great time that it was very hard to leave. See the photos for yourself!

Kayla and Karissa

 

My Breakfast

 

Kayla at Six Flags

 

PoppaNut and Stacy

The Habba Babba King

 
 

And that’s life in a nutshell … spending time with your family is the best way to spend a holiday.

MommaNut

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Painting Party

30 Jun

Last weekend, PoppaNut and I hosted a painting party at the gym. Well, it was less party and more painting, but the result was the same.

PoppaNut painting

It started a few weeks back when PoppaNut handed me a collection of one-million paint swatches. I took on the challenge of figuring out the best color for the gym with flying colors … pun intended. In the end, we pitched a soft blue and a light gray for the gym space.

With buckets of paint, rolls of blue tape and every size paintbrush you have ever seen, we got to work. We painted and painted and painted until all the pre-existing orange was gone. Our arms were cramping and our feet were swelling by the time we painted the last stroke.

There will be more painting and decorating in the future, but I wanted to share the progress with you.

And that’s life in a nutshell … watching PoppaNut see his dream come true was a dream come true for me too.

MommaNut

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Girls’ Day Out

27 Jun

When was the last time you spent some much-needed time with the ladies in your life? Really … it has been THAT long? I had the pleasure of spending a rainy Sunday morning with four lovely ladies over the weekend, and we had a really good time.

 

MommaNut, Stephanie, Ashley

My sister was dropping off her three children at the airport, and us gals organized a girls’ morning to immediately follow that. We created a caravan with four cars, lead by all women drivers, down 275 in Tampa, FL. With the rain beating down, I balanced the GPS gadget in my right hand as I drove with my left.

Now, I’m not saying this is the safest way to drive, but it got the job done. I spotted the First Watch in Downtown Tampa, and the search for parking began. I can’t parallel park for the life of me, so I knew this was going to be a challenge. I was lucky to find a space very close to the restaurant that I could just pull right in to. GLORIOUS!

With umbrellas and jackets in our hands, we all managed to make it inside. It was Stephanie, Aunt Debbie, Ashley, Miss Madison and I. Once we sat down at the table and wiped the rain off our faces, it was time to enjoy some good company and some great food.

MommaNut, Stephanie

We talked about Ashley’s upcoming wedding and I showed her the bridesmaid dress! We talked about the blog (Debbie, I hope you get a notification for this one!!!), and we talked about public nudity in the Safety Harbor Resort & Spa. I’m not even getting into the details of that one, but it was hysterical. We talked about a whole host of things, while we laughed and ate our breakfasts.

If you haven’t been to First Watch before, you have to try it. I had the cheese omelette … I always get the same thing every time I visit First Watch, and it is still my favorite. PoppaNut loves it too. He usually gets the Killer Cajun omelette and the Floridan French Toast.

So, I’m encouraging you to make plans with the women in your life. Life can get busy, and you can get wrapped up in the errands and cleaning and work and whatever else is on your plate. But a girl has to eat! So, make plans and head to breakfast with your girls for some girl talk.

MommaNut

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It’s a Guessing Game

21 Jun

That’s right, folks. We are going to play a bit of the game today. There are two reasons for this: 1. is that I want to share some great photos from the Father’s Day dinner I made for PoppaNut, but I don’t have them downloaded yet. 2. I’m crazy obessed with a song.

So, today we are going to play: Guess that Song! I’m placing a few photos down below that represent the lyrics of the song. Send me your guesses and I’ll tell you who wins!

Good luck!

 

 

 

Any guesses? Send in those posts!

And that’s life in a nutshell … giving your friends a brain-teaser just for the fun of it.

I wanted to say happy birthday to my amazing sister-in-law Stacy today! She reads my blog and comments from time to time. Thank you for your support.

And hello to Dustin, my cousin that has been living in Germany forever it seems! He recently told me he is following the blog as well. Feel free to share the blog with others!

MommaNut

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Happy Father’s Day

17 Jun

In honor of Father’s Day, I want to take a moment to thank the fathers in my life. GrandpaNut is my dad, and he has had a lot of names over the years: Tambo, Mr. T, Hoosier Daddy and Dockside Dave are a few of my favorites, but I have just always called him dad.

GrandpaNut, GrandmaNut, MommaNut, PoppaNut

You couldn’t believe how much those three words mean to me. My dad has always encouraged me, always supported me and always loved me every day of my life. I couldn’t have asked for a better father. I have some amazing memories over the years with my dad. He used to take me on the job site when I was a little girl, and I would practice how to use a hammer … I still can’t quite master that, but it wasn’t about mastering the hammer back then either. It was about spending time together.

He took me fishing, and I actually caught a fish. We used to play music on the back porch in Indiana, him on the guitar and me on the clarinet or singing when I was brave. While I’m sure we didn’t sound great, I remember it differently. We were a great country band, playing our hearts out for all of Granger to hear.

GrandpaNut and MommaNut

My dad took me to get my first car, a pretty painful process when you have a daughter that expects the world. 🙂 I’m sure I was difficult, but I don’t remember my dad complaining at all. In the end, we had purchased a green Sunfire, and I couldn’t have been more excited.

My dad used to bring me hot chocolate when I was a cheerleader in high school. It would be so cold out at those games, and my lips would be chattering away. I would see my dad leave the stands while the game was still going on just so I had hot chocolate waiting for me at half time.

And I could go on and on about all the amazing things my dad has done for me over the years. So, Dad, if I haven’t made it clear before, I love you very much. Thank you for supporting me and loving me over the years. I’m proud to be called your Mookie.

My Father-in-Law and MommaNut

And now that I also have a few new family members thanks to PoppaNut, I have two more fathers to appreciate on Father’s Day this year: Steve and Anthony. Thank you both for welcoming me into your family with open arms and treating me like a daughter.

And that’s life in a nutshell … appreciate the fathers in your life this Sunday.

MommaNut

Jordan, Anthony, Kayla

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O-Cedar, I Hate You

9 Jun

I was looking through some old emails today, and I ran across this funny email I had sent to O-Cedar. O-Cedar is a company that makes terrible mops, sold at Walmart. Anyway, PoppaNut had bought this mop (not knowing how bad it was) and couldn’t wait to clean, but that dang mop was the worst piece of junk we had ever bought. I was so mad about the mop, I wrote an email to their customer-service department. I found the letter … I hope you find it funny too.

The mop we bought was similar to this.

“My husband purchased your roller mop yesterday from Walmart. Upon opening it, we both tried for about 30 minutes to attach the mop head, to no success. The package claims that it is easier than ever. Then why was I left feeling that I would have to live with Lou Ferrigno in order to get this product in working order to clean my kitchen floor. We tried to attach it while standing, while sitting and we even rolled on the living room floor trying to get the leverage needed to attach this completely insane mopper head. Next time, I’ll bring Andre the Giant with me to make sure it is actually possible to use your products. Actually, I think we will stick with the Swiffer pads. Thank you.”

And that’s life in a nutshell … knowing when to laugh when a mopper head really makes you want to cry.

MommaNut

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Happy Hour Meets Dessert Hour

6 Jun

Can anyone tell me what is better than sweets? I could spend every Sunday making peanut-butter pie, Texas sheet cake and cheesecake bars, using my beautiful Kitchen Aid mixer until the motor blows. I could wear my custom-made apron and say things like “It’s a good thing,” with a Martha Stewart-like tone. I know PoppaNut wouldn’t mind one bit sampling all the delicious things I would bake up!

But now baking just got so much better. The secret ingredient: LIQUOR! That’s right … Cheesecake bars, please meet Bailey’s Irish Creme. You guys are going to get along just fine. And in honor of such a partnership, I have added a list of liquor-loving desserts that you just have to try. In fact, I’m thinking about whipping up one this week. Which one should I make?

Strawberry Daiquiri Cake

Cake
1 package Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix
1 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs (including yolks)
1 box (4-serving size) strawberry-flavored gelatin
1 tablespoon grated lime peel
1 to 2 teaspoons rum extract
 
Lime Frosting
1 container (1 lb) Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting
2 teaspoons grated lime peel
 
Garnish
8 fresh whole strawberries
 
  1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom only of 13×9-inch pan with shortening and lightly flour, or spray with baking spray with flour. In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil, eggs, gelatin, 1 tablespoon lime peel and the rum extract with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan.
  2. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
  3. Stir 2 teaspoons lime peel into frosting. Spread frosting evenly over cake. Store loosely covered at room temperature. Just before serving, cut each whole strawberry in half, leaving leaves on. Garnish cake with strawberry halves.
Makes 15 servings
 
Pina Colada Cupcakes
 
1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon rum extract
1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
3 eggs
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 teaspoon rum extract
1 container (12 oz) Betty Crocker® Whipped vanilla frosting
3/4 cup shredded coconut
 
  1. Heat oven to 375°F (350°F for dark or nonstick pan). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. In large bowl, beat cake mix, oil, water, 1 teaspoon rum extract, the pineapple and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
  2. Bake 14 to 19 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
  3. Stir coconut extract and 1 teaspoon rum extract into frosting. Spread frosting on cupcakes. Dip tops of frosted cupcakes in coconut. Store loosely covered at room temperature.
Makes 24 cupcakes

You can find more at BettyCrocker.com. And that’s life in a nutshell, giving happy hour a whole new meaning is just priceless!

MommaNut

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