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The Godmother

27 Sep

So, I’m officially a godmother! Let me say it again … this time in my best Marlon Brando voice: “I’m the Godmother!” Lily Elizabeth Cole was born on September 19, six weeks early from her expected arrival date. I guess Little Lily decided to show her parents who’s boss and let them know they were running on Lily time now. And it seems to be working just fine.

PoppaNut and I had the pleasure of going to the hospital last night to see our god-daughter. She is so little (just four pounds) and so sweet at the same time. And to see Brooke and Brad as parents was amazing! You can see how much they love her! She even gave me a little smile before I left last night … she loves her aunt already!

The funniest story I have to share so far is that PoppaNut made sauce, spaghetti and garlic bread for our friends, who certainly needed a home-cooked meal after days and days of hospital food. Well, the next day Lily winded up smelling like sauce too! I thought it was so cute.

She has the cutest little nose courtesy of her mommy, and a gassy tummy just like her daddy. 🙂 She is perfect. Here are a few photos to share. I’m sure I’ll have a ton more in the future!

And that’s life in a nutshell … watching your best friends start a whole new chapter in their life is completely amazing … and I know PoppaNut and I are so happy to be part of the ride!

MommaNut

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Ashley’s Bridal Shower

22 Sep

If you have been following my blog for the last few months, you know that my cousin Ashley is getting married this October, and I’m the MOH (maid of honor for those not familiar with the wedding lingo).

Well, as tradition will have it, I threw this very special bride-to-be a bridal shower in her honor. Debbie was a HUGE help, selecting the venue (Catch 23), menu and more. I couldn’t have done it without her!

And one of the best parts was a big surprise for the bride: The bride’s best friend and a fellow bridesmaid flew in from Indiana for the big day. It was wonderful! I was so happy to see everyone come out to give Ashley lots of love and well wishes for her big day.

And I captured a few photos that I wanted to share with everyone. I hope you had an amazing bridal shower Ash, and I can’t wait for the wedding to be here!

And that’s life in a nutshell … hosting a bridal shower for my dear cousin was such an honor for me!

MommaNut

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Welcome to Your Thirties

19 Sep

I’ve been a bit MIA since I turned 30. No, I haven’t turned into a hermit crab or decided to buck technology in my new age. Instead, I’ve been actually LIVING life, with little time to write about life. And I’ll take that tradeoff any day!

But I had the most amazing birthday of my entire life. I could get choked up just thinking about it. I have never felt so loved in my life … that people would care about me that much to do so much for me on my birthday blows me away. And I’ll forever look back on my birthday with such fond memories for as long as I live.

So, let’s count down the top 10 highlights of my birthday weekend.

No. 1: Holy F Brad Paisley … PoppaNut took me to the Brad Paisley/Blake Shelton concert, which was completely amazing. Half way through the show, PoppaNut took the concert to a whole new level by handing me backstage passes! Holy cow, I almost peed myself. I don’t know if was the gin and tonics or just pure excitement but I got a massive case of hiccups … and I couldn’t stop screaming! And then I got super emotional, listening to that wonderful country music and knowing how much PoppaNut loved me to do that for me … I shed a few tears over it. And the meet-and-greet was amazing. Brad Paisley actually loved PoppaNut’s Captain Awesome shirt, and who could blame him. It does rock!

No. 2: Jagermeister and Pigtails … Yeah, I’m 30 and I drink Jager and I wear pigtails. Get over it. I happen to like both very much and I’m not stopping just because I turned 30. And I was proud of both when I was tailgating at the concert. Maybe I’ll feel differently at 40, but I would place a bet on that.

No. 3: My Pink Palace … Pulling up to the Hyatt on Clearwater Beach was so exciting! PoppaNut had reserved us a room for the weekend, and I was dying for some lunch by the pool. PoppaNut and I spent our wedding night at the pink hotel. I had dreamt as a child that I lived in a pink house with diamonds, built by my dad. Every time we stay at the pink hotel, PoppaNut tells me it is because he wants all my dreams to come true. I have to say that they have.

No. 4: Surprise Party … I have never been thrown a surprise party in my life, and I couldn’t believe I was seeing all of my friends and family in the cabanas at the Hyatt pool. It was so shocking to me! My Aunt Debbie had made these awesome centerpieces (blue balls!) and there was a beach-themed cake. Old and new friends mingled together. I laughed and smiled so much my cheeks hurt. I’ll never forget that day.

No. 5: Family Photo … My brother hates to take photos! And he reminds me every time he stands next to me for a photo. So, it is a miracle that this photo was taken and actually turned out pretty good. It was nice to have the Tam family all together. It doesn’t happen as often as I would like … and it was very touching!

No. 6: Sunset … Who can resist sunset at the beach? PoppaNut loves to capture the sunset in his photos, and I love watching it too. This one, I spent with Kenzie, looking up and down the beach. PoppaNut got a great photo of it.

No. 7: The Presents … I really made out with all the amazing gifts for my birthday! Thank you all so much. I can’t wait to put every one to use. Here are two gifts that PoppaNut gave me: a tablet and a LV purse! Hell, I’ll turn 30 every year if it is gonna be like this! It was a designer kind of birthday!

No. 8: Pool Time … My actual birthday was spent at the pool, just PoppaNut and I.  I got some great sun, I read my eReader and just relaxed. It didn’t take long until my skin was fried, but we had so much fun. I love that relaxation and cool breeze. I want to go back right now just thinking about it.

No. 9: Island Way … PoppaNut and I got all dressed up and headed to Island Way Grill in our grownup car for dinner. I got sushi, which was amazing! Get the firecracker roll if you every go there. I also got a little dessert for my birthday. It was so yummy!

No. 10: Martini Time … Things start to get a little fuzzy around this highlight, but it is still a highlight to me! Martinis and tequila shots … now that is the way to ring in 30 if you ask me!

And that’s life in a nutshell … grabbing 30 by the balls and never letting go!

MommaNut

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Kraft Beef Enchiladas

19 Aug

When I got back from my trip, I decided to whip up a homemade recipe for dinner. I ate out enough in San Jose, and I was ready for a homecooked meal.

After a quick trip to the grocery store, I was ready to create! I picked an easy recipe I found on KraftFoods.com. Beef enchiladas is a recipe I have started making … and PoppaNut seems to love it too. I’ve included the recipe you can try it at home too!

What You Need

Kraft Beef Enchiladas Just Out of the Oven

1/2 lb. extra-lean ground beef
1/2 cup  chopped green peppers
1/2 cup chopped red peppers
1-1/2 cups  TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick ‘N Chunky Salsa, divided
1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese, divided
2 Tbsp.  KRAFT Light Zesty Italian Dressing
8 corn tortillas (6 inch)
2 Tbsp.  chopped fresh cilantro

Make It

HEAT oven to 400°F.

BROWN meat with peppers in large nonstick skillet. Stir in 1 cup salsa; simmer 5 min., stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in 1/2 cup cheese.

PoppaNut Helping Me in the Kitchen

SPREAD 1/4 cup of the remaining salsa onto bottom of 13×9-inch baking dish. Brush dressing lightly over both sides of tortillas. Stack 4 tortillas; wrap in waxed paper. Microwave on HIGH 20 sec. or just until warmed. Spoon 1/3 cup meat mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place, seam-sides down, over salsa in dish. Repeat. Top with remaining salsa; cover.

BAKE 20 min. or until heated through. Top with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, 2 to 3 min. or until melted. Top with cilantro.

And that’s life in a nutshell … find an easy recipe that will make you a star in the kitchen and make it for the one you love.
 
MommaNut

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San Jose: Day 3 Though 5

11 Aug

So, I’ve been working like a crazy woman, so I haven’t been able to post much. This is going to be short and sweet with a bunch of photos for you to enjoy! I’ve included photos of the basketball court and original SKYPE house that I wrote about on Day 2. You’ll also find a photo of Yankee Pier, the restaurant I ate at on Tuesday evening on Santana Row.

Santana Row is a wonderful shopping district, and the restaurant served fresh seafood. I got fish tacos, and they were so yummy.

On Thursday afternoon, I headed to the Winchester Mansion. This woman in the 1800’s built the most amazing mansion with 160 rooms including 40 bedrooms. She lived a very sad live … thinking ghosts were haunting her since her husband created the Winchester gun. So, this woman built a confusion home that made no sense at all (a door that leads to nothing, a cabinet that is four room longs, a room put together with glue) to confuse the ghosts. It was pretty amazing to see.

eBay Basketball Court

Original SKYPE House

Yankee Pier on Santana Row

 

Winchester Mansion

And that’s life in a nutshell … sometimes the craziness of life just doesn’t allow for creativity!

MommaNut

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Happy Birthday, Miss Madison

5 Aug

Last weekend, PoppaNut and I headed to New Port Richey for Miss Madison’s first birthday! Wow, how the time flies. It seems like just yesterday that PoppaNut and I were living with Miss Madison’s Mom and Dad (Ashley and Randy), who were not parents at the time.

Ashley and I had moved in together when she relocated from Indiana. We had a two-bedroom place in Tampa, and we had no idea how much our lives were about to change in one year. PoppaNut proposed to me in the living room of that very apartment, and Ashley and Randy started dating while we were there as well.

I used to laugh and say apartment changed everyone’s lives. You either got married, found out you were preggos or broke up. Yes, there were several breakups that happened in that apartment, with Ashley and I listening from the balcony as a few couples we know fought in the parking lot. It was quite a time! Luckily, Ashley and I had better luck with me getting engaged and Ashley starting a family with Randy with the arrival of Miss Madison.

So, celebrating Madison’s first birthday makes me celebrate how far I’ve come in my own life as well since Madison came along. It was so great to get everyone together, and see Madison enjoy her very first slice of cake.

It was also good to see Uncle Greg, Aunt Debbie, Bryan, Ashley, Randy and my brother Davie. I hope you enjoy the photos I took while we were there too. We love you, Miss Madison!

 

And that’s life in a nutshell … celebrating a milestone as a family is the perfect way to spend a Sunday.

MommaNut

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Wine for Dinner

29 Jul

So, I recently posed a question on Facebook: Is it wrong to have wine for dinner? And you wouldn’t believe how many responses I got! It was so hysterical that I had to write about it to you.

First, I don’t think there is anything wrong with a glass or two of wine during the week. I work hard, and I like to come home and relax. So, last night, that is just what PoppaNut and I did. We opened up a beautiful bottle of red, sat on the couch and talked about our days. What a nice way to end the week!

And it seemed like my friends and family agreed! Here are the responses I received:

  • Lisa Hoyt, who I used to work with at Tampa Bay Illustrated, said: Never, darling! Have an extra glass for me!
  • Jack, my brother-in-law, said: Sometimes a liquid dinner is a necessity. Enjoy!
  • Ashley McDonald, or Ashley Byszewski as my family knows her (who is expecting her first baby soon!), said: Absolutely not! Have an extra one for me please!
  • Kelly Meyer, a good friend (I used to work with her mom at the magazine too), said: Grapes are a food!
  • My dear aunt Sherry said: No, go for it …
  • My good friend Jen Whalen from IU said: I consider it your fruit intake for the day
  • Susan Barnes, a writer in the Tampa Bay area that I have met a few times, said: Uh, no …
  • And my aunt Deb, another fun Irish woman who married into the Orlando family, said: For dinner or with your dinner?? Lol, have some pretzels with it at least!

So, that either tell me wine for dinner is just fine … or all my friends and family are nuts!

And that’s life in a nutshell … follow your own rules and have fun, with or without a glass of wine!

MommaNut

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Slammin’ Daiquiri Day

19 Jul

In honor of National Daiquiri Day, I wanted to share a food-related newsletter. “Hungry Girl” is an amazing newsletter that shares a the healthy version of recipes we all love! The founder of this business really shows you that you can eat good and still stay healthy. I love it!

So, try this Slammin’ Slimmed-Down Strawberry Daiquiri recipe from her site. It only has 121 calories per serving! And sign up for the newsletter too, so you’ll receive lots of healthy-food ideas.

Ingredients:

One 2-serving packet (about 1 tsp.) sugar-free strawberry powdered drink mix (any

variety, like Crystal Light Strawberry Kiwi or Energy Wild Strawberry)

1 1/2 oz. white rum

1/2 oz. lime juice

3 frozen unsweetened strawberries, slightly thawed

1 cup crushed ice

or 5 – 8 ice cubes

Directions:

Combine drink mix with 4 oz. cold water in a glass. Stir to dissolve. Transfer to a blender.

Add all other ingredients to the blender, and blend at high speed until slushy and uniform.

Pour into a glass and add a straw. Slurp that baby up!

MAKES 1 SERVING

And that’s life in a nutshell … enjoying a delicious yet healthy daiquiri on National Daiquiri Day is simply blissful.

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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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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