random, non-teenybopper-related tidbits

is it really bad that i feed my family what the hub calls the "2,000 calorie breakfast"? it's so freaking good, and i don't make it very often.

"hat!"

remember a couple of weeks ago, when i mentioned doing a review for a product from a site that contacted me and offered some sort of freebie? well, i'd been given a price limit of $55, and it was tough narrowing it down to something in that range. i finally decided to just pick something already - a cute pillow for the bean.

now, we've been co-sleeping all this time with her. yes, that means we've been sharing our bed with the little starfishing bean. i finally bit the bullet and realized that with her second birthday looming in the not-so-distant future, it was time for a transition. and with this adorable pillow to dress it up, we finally emptied out the crib (which had been serving as storage for clean laundry, toys, what have you) and moved the bedroom furniture around.

it kind of cracks me up that with the front removed and the whole thing situated alongside my side of the bed, the crib has now turned into a giant co-sleeper. like, it's just a big ass bassinet. but hey, whatever.

the teen and her sister had fun hopping into the revamped crib.

she took a nap in it that afternoon and slept in it for a little while on saturday night before waking up and looking for some comfort. so it's a slow transition, but the wheels are definitely in motion. baby steps, people, baby steps. for her AND for me. and as for that review? i still need to write it up, but let's just say that while i think it's super cute and the website offered great customer service, there's no way in hell i'd pay full price for it. they may not like me too much after that, but i sure hope they wouldn't want me to lie.

these were the outfits that the teen and BFF had originally planned on wearing to the concert(s), but chickened out at the last minute. at least they let me take a couple of pictures before they whipped 'em off and changed into less flashy attire.

i am a breadmaking machine, people. i seem to be addicted to baking fresh bread - and eating it. heh. this time? pretzel bread.

getting the water to the right temperature to activate the yeast:

mixing and setting aside for the first proofing:

yup, still cool.

making the baking soda "bath" and after soaking it for 30 seconds:

22 minutes later. it doesn't really look like pretzel bread, nor does it resemble the photos in the recipe, but it made my house smell wonderfully like wetzel's pretzels. a light brushing of melted butter, a few minutes of cooling time, and then i sliced into that bad boy.



so, so, so good. as with the brioche buns, this one's a keeper.