Chicken, bacon & broccoli fettuccine

You'll Need:

• 1 pound cooked and chopped chicken breast
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 4 cups cooked fettuccine
• 2 cups steamed broccoli florets
• 6 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Cooking Instructions:

1.  Cook chicken breast how you like it.  I boiled mine for 30 minutes.

2.  Cook pasta accordingly, Drain.

3.  In a large skillet over medium heat, add the minced garlic and saute' for about 1 minute.  Add in heavy whipping cream and milk.  bring to a boil.

4.  Add in Parmesan and mozzarella and stir until cheese is melted into mixture. Remove from heat.

5.  Steam your broccoli.  I bought the kind in a bag ready to steam in microwave.   

6.  Add the pasta into the sauce mixture.  

7.  Add in the broccoli, chopped chicken and bacon and mix together.

8. Serve and enjoy!!!

 

My oldest baby turns 5 today!!!!!!

 So I wanted to write a sort of different blog today in honor of my oldest sons birthday.  He turns 5 today and I'm not really sure where this time has gone.  I look at him and I am proud that he has grown up to be such a smart and handsome little boy.

 He has shown me that you can love another person unconditionally and has shown me what challenges are and how to become stronger from them.  He pushes me everyday to be the best mom I can be for him and his brother.

 He has such a big personality and is not afraid to be silly.  He makes me laugh when he know i'm not having a good day.  He is always doing silly little dances or making silly animal sounds to make others laugh.  He is a big comedian and I have always said that.

 Jordon is a very curious little boy.  He is eager to learn and loves animals.  He loves the ocean and is always looking for more information when it comes to the ocean.  He loves it more than anything, I think.

 I am so lucky to be his mom.  I can only hope that he will grow up to be a well rounded man and always keep the things I teach him in his heart.  He has made me so happy over that past five years and I don't know what I would do without him.

Jordon, Mommy loves you more than you will ever know buddy!!!  Happy 5th Birthday lil' man!!!!!!!

Favorite Things in Fall

Fall is obviously the Best season of all.  The weather is beautiful, the leaves all turn immaculate colors, the clothes are gorgeous, I mean I could go on for days.

One of the best things about fall are bonfires.  I love a good bonfire.  Roasting marsh mellows, making s'mores, listening to music, having a good time with friends, I mean you couldn't ask for anything better.

Pumpkin patches are super fun.  If you have little ones, they are sure to enjoy pumpkin patches.  Even if you don't have children, anyone can enjoy a pumpkin patch.  Pumpkin picking is another great thing to do in fall.  Going with you kids, or a group of friends and picking out pumpkins and then bringing them home to carve into jack o lanterns is sure to be a great time for anyone.  Going apple picking is another activity I enjoy in the fall, or going to local farms and picking berries in general.  Going on hikes, breathing in fresh, cool, crisp Autumn air is amazing.

Halloween is also another favorite of mine.  I love Halloween.  Everything about it is amazing.  I Love the month of October basically. Haunted houses, scary movie marathons, dressing up and taking the kids out to trick or treat and best of all, My oldest sons birthday!

Thanksgiving is another favorite holiday of mine during fall!  Enough said about that!!!!!!!! :)

Staying in and having a cozy movie night with the family is one of my all time favorite things to do in fall.  I so enjoy cuddling on the couch with my husband and kids and watching movies.  Hocus Pocus is an ALL time favorite of mine.  I love this time of year so much especially when those marathons of all the Halloween movies comes on.  I am a huge fan of horror movies, but I'm alone on that one in our house.

The fashion in fall is beautiful and so comfy.  I love to wear big cozy sweaters and leggings and boots.  Leg warmers, scarves, dark colors, flannel shirts, hoodies, motorcycle boots, and layering clothes are just amazing.  I love love love this time of year oh so much!!!

What are your favorite things about fall?

-XO
Danielle

New Career Path

Hello Everybody, 

Sorry for the blogging hiatus.  It's been a pretty crazy time for me these last few weeks.  I am just going to come right out and say it.  I quit my job.  I know some of you will understand where i'm coming from and some of you will think that is the most absurd thing a person can do but it is what it is and in the end it was a decision my husband and I chose carefully.

It was a pretty difficult decision to make, i'm not going to lie.  I was given the opportunity to be able to be a stay at home mom and wife and it is a decision that I am happy to have been given.  I have always wanted to know what it was  like to be able to stay at home with my children and be home when they get home from school and be the one who takes care of the house and make sure my family had a hot meal and clean home waiting for them when they get home.  Now, I finally get that chance.

I get to watch my children grow up and I never have to feel bad for missing out on anything.  I'm not going to lie, this is very hard to get used to, but I do not regret my decision and I am thankful that I am lucky enough to be able to watch my kids grow up and I get the chance to be the best mom and wife I can be. (not saying that working moms and wives aren't doing their best...because THEY ARE!!)



-XO
Danielle

How to take better Instagram Pics

Hola Todo el Mundo, (I totally googled that)

Have you ever looked at someones perfectly lined, spaced, brightly colored instagram and wondered how the heck they got it so...well...perfect?  Well, to be honest, it's not so difficult after all.  I am here to save the day and your instagram page because I have 10 tips that have your page looking spiffy in no time. 

Instagram has all kinds of tools to help you edit your photos before you post them.  You can crop a photo, adjust the brightness, add a filter on it to make it look professional, I mean, the list goes on.  You just have to play around with the different settings to see which ones you like best. 

Below I am going to list ten different ways to help you get your feed looking like a pro's page. 

1.  Get inspired.  Use pinterest or other instagram pages to help you with inspiration.

2. Stick with a theme.

3.  Have good lighting.

4. Make sure your picture is in focus.

5. follow the rule of thirds for photography. 

6. Take multiple pics so you have a variety to choose from.

7. Practice posing so you get comfy with your camera. 

8. Think about how you want to crop the pics.

9. Shoot straight on.

10. Post often.

Using these tips will help you out tremendously when it comes to making your instagram look amazing.  It takes practice so don't give up.  Just keep in mind that it takes time to get it the way you want it so don't rush and just have fun with it.

-XO,
Danielle

What my blog means to me

Hello Everybody,

Writing is something I have always had a passion for but never thought in a million years I could actually do.  I never thought I had the courage to write and let people read my inner thoughts.  I always felt so insecure with my writing, that I just didn't do it at all.

When I was on maternity leave after having my second son, I realized that I needed a hobby and I needed one fast.  I sat one day and mulled over in my head, things that I could do for fun and only one thing came to mind....BLOGGING.  I had always wanted to start a blog, but never could muster up the courage to actually do it.

Finally, I just went for it.  I didn't have anything to lose, only things to gain.  I have gained a lot of confidence and satisfaction from my blog.  I love it.  It is a way for me to decompress after a long day and get out some of the things that I have on my mind on a daily basis.  It is literally one of the BEST things I have ever done!

My advise for anyone who wants to start a blog or anything, and you feel scared or insecure to do it, just go for it....as long as it makes you happy and you are able to feel good about it, then forget about what the haters are going to say.

Doing something like blogging and putting yourself out there for people to criticize is really a brave thing to do.  It takes a lot of guts and hard work to do so don't focus on the negativity, just do what makes you happy!

-XO
Danielle

Back to School: Week 1 Tips For Getting Used To The New Schedule

Hello Everybody,

If you have children that are of school age, then you know how stressful it can be trying to get everything ready for them to go back to school.  Getting used to the new schedules, making sure the kiddos are up and ready and ON TIME, have had breakfast and are happy when they leave the house.  Once you wrap your mind around all that craziness, think about how you felt when it was your FIRST TIME doing all of these things.   Yeah....all those memories are flooding back all at once....You're welcome for that!!!!! 

Let me just say that I feel for you all because I am going through the same exact experience at this current moment.  My son just started his first year in school this year and don't get me wrong, I am excited for him and glad that he is really liking it, but getting used to everything mentioned in the previous paragraph is complete HELL.  The biggest adjustment in our household, at least for myself, is the whole getting up super early.  When I say super early I mean 6am.  That may not seem so early for some of you, but I work nights at a hospital and for me, that's like graveyard hours. 

In the past few days, I have learned that in order for everything to run smoothly, you have to plan ahead.  By that I mean, get school clothes ready the night before, put the book bag in a place where you won't run out the door and forget it, have multiple alarms set so no one oversleeps, and last but not least, STAY CALM!!!  If you are running a little late, don't freak out, because in my experience, freaking out leads to other mishaps and it just ruins the whole day.  I'm not saying you CAN'T get anxious, but it really doesn't help the situation at all.  If you know you are going to get your child to school a little late, call the office and let them know.  Trust me, they understand.  The first week of school is hard for everyone, so they won't throw the book at you and make you feel like the worst parent in the world.  Remember that the first week is always crazy and hectic and filled with chaos and just because it's like this now, doesn't mean that it will be like this forever.  You will have little morning setbacks, but just hang in there, you will get used to everything in no time at all.


-XO
Danielle