Zumba FREAK

Have you ever stumbled upon something in your life that you thought was complete and utter greatness and thought to yourself, why haven't I been doing this all my life?  I have said this to myself a few times so far in life: 1)When I discovered maternity pants (am I right?), 2)Dove caramel chocolates...need I say more? 3)and my latest discovery...ZUMBA!  So, I must admit that every once in awhile I want to go out on a Friday night and shake my tush at a club.  But that's not really possible with a 3 year old, a 1 year old and a husband who doesn't shake anything except the coffee creamer before pouring into his coffee...so that is a little white lie, he DOES shake it from time to time.  And it's cute.  Really.  But I'm talking about sweaty, drop it like it's hot, Beyonce-like moves!  (You know what I mean...)

I started going to Zumba in September 2013 because they offered it at my awesome church (of all places).  But, it was only $2 per class and since I'm always on a budget, this was a steal!  Tired of my 3-4 mile walks around the neighborhood with my toddlers in tow, I needed something new.  And, since I was in drill team in high school and took dance in college, this was right up my alley.  I went on a Thursday night and that was it.  I was hooked.  I was a Zumba FREAK, y'all!  I remember coming home and just thanking my husband for giving me the time and space to go and just being so HAPPY that I did something new and fun.  It was a life changing moment (ie. maternity pants, dove chocolate...)

So...now I am a certified Zumba instructor as of May 2014.  It was completely daunting going into a room with 40+ other sassy ladies wanting to also make Zumba a part of their lives.  But, it was beyond exciting and I'm so ready to start this new little chapter of my life that is COMPLETELY for ME.  It's not about the money but more about the confidence and health benefits it has given me in my mind and in my body.  I don't look at my Zumba class as a workout - rather a very short hour full of smiles, "WOOTS!", drippy sweat, and becoming the ME that I actually PERCEIVE myself to be.  Not, the frustrated SAHM juggling 2 toddlers, an Ipad, a Starbucks drink, a dirty diaper, 2 sippy cups, a 4 seater basket from Target, a bag of last minute groceries (and other miscellaneous items that were purchased that were not needed...Target...) and...a partridge in a pear tree.  Nope, all that disappears and ya know what?  It allows me to be that SAME loving mom, but with more energy, more patience, more muscles and less pit-stains.  Ok, that was a lie.  I am a sweat-er.  There will ALWAYS be pit stains whilst juggling toddlers in Texas heat.

So...If you haven't gone to a Zumba class yet - DO it.  Find the time.  Because it will give you confidence, gain you friendships and make you a better you.  Lots of love...and ZUMBA ON, ya'll!

Here is a link to my Zumba website in case you want to go to one of my classes!
http://britneymccormick.zumba.com/

This is me getting 'Zumba-fied'.  I'm the one in purple, second row from the front, second on the left.  And in case you are wondering - Kass Martin (the hot thing in the front practically doing the front splits) is off the chain-link-fence - AWESOME! 

Dressed to Impress...

So, I discovered that me dreaming of making my daughter cute dresses was just that, unless I got out my sewing machine and just tried to do something...even if it was the most horrible looking thing ever, at least I tried, right?  So, that's exactly what I did.  And...I succeeded!  Ok, I'm not super shocked.  I have an unbelievably determined attitude and pretty much NEVER give up unless I've been physically impaired.  So, I found this super easy tutorial on Pinterest and gave it a shot.  This is my outcome...I am impressed with myself.  Here's the problem, now I'm addicted and I need to make another one...and another one...a different style, a trim here or there...a pillow dress...some ruffle bloomers, maybe?  The possibilities are endless!!  This has me in a state of sewing euphoria!  Hobby Lobby and Hancocks, watch out.  I'm about to spend some major coin in your store on an abundance of thread, fabric, trimming, ribbon, buttons and snaps.  My next project?  A maxi dress for me!  If I can master it, maybe it will be our next craft night project.  Feeling like I accomplished something is just the best.  Much better than having spent half the day watching TV, perusing Pinterest or Facebook...I did something that I pinned on Pinterest - YAY! (cyber high five, y'all)!

1st dress that I made!  I used random fabric I had around the house in case it majorly went haywire.  Turned out pretty cute!

I'm pretty sure this is going to be her Easter dress this year.  I love the little crochet flower embellishments.  Thank you Micheals $1 aisle!  

Almond-Pecan Energy Bites

If I ever see a recipe with the word 'energy' in it, I'm going to try it, hands down.  Who doesn't need a little more energy in their day, right?  These little delectable morsels were stumbled upon by my ever increasing desire to live in the pilgrim days.  I know that doesn't make sense, but here's my explanation:  I have a feeling that my life was destined for bonnets, open fields of green,  rough hands, dirt floors, cast iron pots and livestock.  Don't get me wrong, I love me a pedicure, a perfect fitting blazer and running water, the modern stuff is wondrous - but there's just some sort of peace and calm that comes over me when I think about that time.  Simplicity at it's finest.  Ahhh....anyway, back to the delicious energy bites.  My Grandmother recently passed in February and her past time was shelling pecans from her backyard.  She always gave us girls a ziploc bag of shelled pecans labeled with the date at Christmas time so that we could put them in our freezer for holiday recipes.  This is something that I took for granted now that I know I won't get them each year, she was a wonderful Grandmother and I have SO many wonderful memories of her.  So, when I went to my Grandmother's house recently to pick up a few things I saw the Braums bag of unshelled pecans sitting by her backdoor and knew that I had to take them for shelling.  Now, I have about 7 unshelled bags of pecans in my house.  What's best is that they are my Grandmothers pecans and I get to use her bowl, towel, and nut cracker to shell them.  And that makes me happy.  So, now I have a plethora of pecans.  No need to ration them out for holiday baking!  So...I made some pecan butter.  Why in the world is pecan butter not a staple in all of our pantries?  Not only is it the most buttery, delicious and creamy yumminess, but its chock full of healthy stuff too!  And if you make pecan butter yourself, there's no added sugary gunk.  Here's my recipe for pecan butter:

Pecan Butter:
2 Cups Roasted Pecans
2 tbsp maple syrup
Dash of sea salt

Directions: Combine all together in a food processor until it turns into creamy goodness.  Take a dollop on your finger and taste it...because you know you want to.  Store in a sealed jar in the fridge, or hide in the corner of your laundry room with some Ritz crackers and go to town.  I won't judge.

So, I usually make these energy bites with almond butter and peanut butter, but since I have pecans, I went with it and used my homemade pecan butter and almond butter instead.  Here's the recipe:

Almond-Pecan Energy Bites:
1 cup Oats
1/4 cup flax meal
1/4 cup Pecan Butter (you can also peanut butter or all almond butter if you want)
1/4 cup Almond Butter (unsalted)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup coconut (unsweet)
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup craisins

Directions: Combine everything together completely in a large bowl.  Stick the bowl in the fridge to chill for about an hour.  Form your mixture into small balls by rolling in your hands.  If it's not quite holding together, add a spoonful of either pecan, almond or peanut butter or even some flaxseed oil.  The size of the ball should be small enough to pop into your mouth easily.  This recipe should make about 20-24 energy bites.  Place into a sealed container in the fridge on a wax sheet so they don't stick together.  Enjoy!

My Little Rosebud

So, my little girl is 11 months old.  Today.  Today, she is 11 months...where did the time go?  I know EVERYONE says it but I swear I was still pregnant, like, yesterday.  She is my little rosebud because her name is Mairen Rose (for those of you who are curious, her name rhymes with Karen or Sharon) and she is always full of little bursts of life and her personality is just the sweetest.  She shows you love by nudging her head against you and 'cooing'...I mean, how adorably cute is that?  Right now she is walking fairly well (taking 5-10 or more steps with confidence), saying Dada, Bubu, Baba and Uh-oh.  No Momma yet...but man, am I working on it...every day.  I keep saying "Mairen, can you say 'Momma'?  and Declan will say, "no, she can only say...(rattles off all she can say)".  Ok, mister smarty pants, I get the picture.  But, one day she will say it and it will be music to my very patient ears.  Some other cute things she does (since I'm on a roll here): snaps her fingers, claps her hands, brushes her hair, turns around in circles when she is excited, points to things she wants, acts coy when strangers talk to her, she has 5 teeth (working on 3 more), literally NEVER cries, she is alway happy, LOVES her bubby, eats like a horse (I mean that lovingly), she loves to be chased and 'startled', loves playing with Declan's toys (and most of all loves playing with Declan), loves tearing out all the moving parts in books, I could go on, and on, and on.  She has this beautiful way of smiling with her whole face too.  Since she was born she has done this thing with her hands when she is tired.  She holds them up to her face and sucks on her bottom lip.  She must have been doing it in my womb.  I love it and I know I will probably cry when she stops.  She is my little rosebud, always showing a new 'petal' of her personality with each new day.  I do love her so much and although I am sad that she is almost a whole year old, I am looking forward for the next year of growing, laughter, development, silliness, beauty and love that this little girl will bring to our lives.  She is the perfect addition to our family.  I don't know how it could get any better!
Her birthday theme will be roses in honor of her middle name.  I'm so excited about it and although it will just be a family celebration, I will still be decorating quite creatively.  I'll post more about it after the festivities!

Tomato and Tortellini Soup

This is seriously one of the easiest recipes I've ever made, ya'll.  I'm not quite on the 'pick everything from the earth, dust it off and eat it' band wagon.  I still used canned items in my cooking, and it doesn't make me a terrible person.  It makes me sensible (in my opinion).  I believe in using fresh ingredients as often as I can and every once in awhile using some pre-made items.  I don't think me or my family will die from that.  My life is about balance and moderation.  I just can't quite veer off to the extreme side of cooking yet - I'm just not ready to make that change (kudos to those that do).  And I'm not sure I ever will.  I love goldfish crackers too much.  I can't help it.  Anyway, this is super easy recipe if you aren't offended by canned stewed tomatoes and pre-made tortellini.  Here it is!

Here's what's in it:
1 pkg sausage and cheese tortellini (I use Bertolli's brand)
3 cans of stewed or diced tomatoes (DON'T drain.  You can use plain tomatoes, but I like the Italian-style or the garlic and onion)
1/2 cup half n half
2 cups chicken or beef broth
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Dash of sea salt
Parmesan cheese

Optional Throw-ins:
Throw in about a tbsp of pre-made or homemade pesto - talk about some added flavor!
Fresh basil can add a serious depth to the sauce that you won't regret.
Use different types of tortellini, ravioli or just plain pasta for a vegetarian dish.
Add some sauteed veggies!  Veggies make everything better...kinda like bacon...oooooh...add some bacon too! :-)

Here's how to make it:
In a medium to large size saucepan, empty your 3 cans of tomato.  You will need a hand stick mixer for this next part, don't be scared, ok?  You basically want your tomatoes to be pureed completely except for a few surprise chunks.  Once pureed, add in your half n half, broth, Italian Seasoning and salt to taste.  Now turn your heat on to med/high so you can bring the tomatoes to a boil.  Once things are bubbly, add in the tortellini, cook for another 8-10 minutes and you are DONE.  How easy was that?  Have fun chowing down.  This is great served with a fresh loaf of Italian bread...served by an Italian man in an apron...or an Irish man in a kilt...whatever floats your boat.  (My boat stays afloat by an Irish man named Justin, my Highland Warrior.  So I'm going with that...)

Time is Fleeting...

Time is fleeting.  I've discovered this since I had my first child, Declan, on January 23, 2011.  He has changed my world in ways I never thought possible.  The cliche "you'll never understand until you become a parent" has poked it's bulbous nose into my life and sniffed out its unyielding truth.  Just the other day Justin was telling me about how there was a statistic done on marriage happiness and how it shows an obvious decline after each child until they reach the age of three years old.  Then, it slowly climbs upward until they leave the nest.  I don't disagree with this because obviously there is a lot of strain on a marriage when a child is born.  Lack of sleep and sex can make any man CRAZY, lol.  But, I think this can me true of individual happiness too.  After you have a baby, you will never be more nervous, more scared, more unsure of yourself and more in love with anything...ever.  That's got to be enough to weigh on you enough so that you will never quite be as 'blissful and worry free' as you were before babies.  Don't get me wrong, my kids bring me joys I will have never known if I hadn't had them.  But it's a different kind of joy than the kind I would have had if I'd been able to cross some more things off my bucket list before I had them.  So...when Declan was born I experienced something I'd never felt before.  And now, three years later he is teaching me new things daily and making me a better person.  A person with more patience, more love in her heart, more grey hairs on my head and deeper laugh lines.  I can't imagine a better kind of wrinkle than the ones that are from bringing laughter to your heart.  He is that for me.  I love him so much.  I know he's going to get older and one day he won't want me to cuddle him so much.  One day he won't want me to play with him.  One day he will be able to get his own snacks or make his own meal.  But for now I'll enjoy him being three years old...and I'll just apply my wrinkle cream more regularly.

This is Declan's personality EXACTLY.

 It was a little chilly outside...his teeth were chattering but he was a good sport.

Wanna see my T. Rex?  He will chomp you!

Valentine's Day - Sibling LOVE!

My kids are just too darn cute for words!  Not only have they gotten along since I brought Mairen home, but they just love each other in the purest way.  Mairen leans her head into Declan and squeals with delight when she sees him and he brushes her hair out of her face and says "Aw, I love you too, Punkin"...heart...melting...into a pool of sappiness.  This is all true.  I want to document all of these cute things before they start pulling each others hair, screaming at each other and doing the whole "he said, she said" thing.  I know this is bound to happen, my head is not too far up in the clouds to realize that this sweetness won't last forever (although I am always praying that it will).  But, for now I'm going to revel in the love that they have for each other.  It makes my heart happy.  And I hope it makes their hearts happy too. 

 I made this sign for the photo session!  I just adore it!  It is a quote from a song that is sung in the movie 'White Christmas'...I know you all have seen it.  It is a truthful quote because Declan is always saying how he is going to protect his sister.  I had two older sisters growing up so this brother/sister dynamic is new to me.  But, I had always envisioned that this is the way it would be...

 Love...

Thank you Lindsey Rabon Photography for the precious photos!