Tired

top: Forever21, skirt: JCPenny, shoes: BCBGirls, bag: Kate Spade NY, 

I'm  really tired. 

You know when you are tired and all you can think of is hitting that pillow? 

Well, this is it.

But it's the good kind of tired, knowing a lot was accomplished and planned ahead, so that later on, I can be less tired. If that's going to be ever possible.

Also it's the feeling of not enough sleep, and busy weekend.

Although, that sunshine sure made it all worthwhile. 

And just to let you know, a quick nap on my freshly sprung green lawn was amazing! 

So I'm off to enjoy my delicious homemade breakfast (hubby is home this morning) which includes French Toast, egg casserole, bacon and sausage. So maybe that's why I'm tired? Yep that must be it.

Although I'm not too tired for another piece of toast.

Neva!

Have yourself a nice day!

Casual Mommyform

top: Old Navy (similar), cords: Land's End, flats: Target, tote: Gap

Since becoming a mom, flats, cords (love those things) and easy-to-throw-on tops, that give easy access to merchandise,  have become kind of my thing. Especially if I have a million places to go to. 

Between groceries, dry cleaners, bank and post office it's a lot of times in and out of the car WITH the car seat. I have to get out of the car, take the car seat out, haul it with me, come back, put the seat back, all while making sure Jonathan is not too hot or cold. 

You mommies out there know the drill. 

So as you can tell, heels have become more of a Sunday thing - going to church all dressed up while hubby carries the stupid thing. 

Jonathan is growing fast and it's already hard for me to get up two flights of stairs from the garage to our main floor, with my purse and his diaper bag. (I actually consolidated the two recently) 

 Thankfully, places like Old Navy, Forever21 and Target are selling some cute flats and clothes that I don't have to worry about being too neat (i'm still a perfectionist and a neat freak).

So here I go sporting my mommyform, conveniently having nowhere to go today. 

Wait, I think I need stamps.

Have yourself a great weekend!

Strawberry Cake {recipe}

 I mean, it's obviously a recipe post. Take a look at the picture. Duh. But I went ahead and put {recipe}in there just for kicks. Just to make sure.

So here it is. The cake I was raving about. 

Honestly the first time I made it, I was going to take pictures but forgot and it disappeared too quick for me even to take a shot of one piece. After making it second time and forgetting to take pictures AGAIN I had to finish the cake all by myself. It was too good. This time I was afraid to forget again, so I left a note on my phone telling me to take pictures. If that's not getting old, I don't know what is. 

Let me know how you guys like it. And if you like it at all.

Ingredients:

for the cake

- 2 cups of Bisquick

- 8 eggs

- 1 cup sugar

for the frosting

- 1 cup heavy cream

- 1/2 cup powdered sugar

- 1/2 tsp vanilla

- 1/2 package cream cheese (softened)

- 1 stick butter (softened)

for the syrup

- juice of 1/2 lemon

- 4 tbsp sugar

- 3 tbsp cognac

- 1 cup of warm water

for garnish

- strawberries

-chopped pecans

Method:

Preheat oven to 300 F

Beat eggs and sugar on high until light and fluffy. Add Bisquick and mix just until combined, don't over beat. Divide the mixture between two pans.

Pour 2/3 of the batter into well greased round 9'' pan and bake on 300 F for 45 minutes. Let it cool until able to handle, then take out of the form. When the cake is completely cool, cut it lengthwise in half. 

Pour the other 1/3 into 8'' round pan and bake for 30 minutes at 300 F. Take out and let cool completely. 

Beat  heavy cream and powdered sugar until stiff picks form. (To get best results with whipped cream, place the bowl, whisk and cream in freezer for 5 minutes). Set aside, but not before getting a nice taste of that deliciousness. Yummy!
In a different bowl, beat cream cheese and butter together until uniform mixture forms, add whipped cream and vanilla and combine.

Meanwhile, mix all the ingredients for syrup together and set aside until the sugar dissolves completely. Pour the syrup evenly over the two halves of the cake.

Take the other cake and tear it apart into small pieces. Cut strawberries into small pieces and mix with about 2/3 of the frosting. Just careful not to get carried away with the strawberries and eat them all. They do look good though.

Take the bottom half of the cake and spread a little frosting on it. Then put the cake/strawberry/frosting mixtures and top off with second half of the cake. Spread the rest of the frosting over the cake, covering the sides.

Cover the edges with pecans and top with cut strawberries. Then scrape the bowl of frosting clean, while complaining to your husband that your old pre-maternity jeans don't fit your perfectly too round bottom. Let out a big Sigh. Move on with life.

Let the cake stand in the fridge for at least 3 hours, better yet 12. 

Enjoy a piece. Or two. 

Then sigh about your long lost size 4 jeans.

You Don't Know Until You've Been There.

It's amazing how fast time flies.

Although I have learned a lot in the last two and a half months of motherhood, one thing is for sure - you cannot say you will do this or that, or know better when you haven't had children, or experienced exactly the same situation, or had 'that' kid. 

 Until you've been there. 

Until you've done everything possible to have natural delivery and ended up with C-section.

Until you've been through the sleepless nights and colicky cries.

Until you've tried everything to calm the baby and it just seems that nothing works. 

Until you've stood over his crib trying to put him to sleep and he just wants to smile and play with you.
Until you've realized that all he wants is to be on your chest.

Until you've heard every kind of cry and KNOW what your baby needs at them moment.

Until you tried to introduce the bottle so you can leave him for more then two hours but he wouldn't take it.

Until you've followed the schedule and failed.

Until you've tried to nurse but the baby just won't take the breast but does fine with the bottle.

Until you've lost your milk supply very early on and hated that you had to switch to formula.

Until you've tried to give the formula but baby refuses.

Until you've realized that babies are people, and people have bad days. 

As friends, family members and just acquaintances, I think we all have offered advice in one form or another. 

But until you've at least been there, you can't say what works and what doesn't. 

And even then, all babies are different. 

Some want to be held all the time, others are completely satisfied without being smothered. 

Some want to eat every 2 hours for the first year of their life, others sleep through the night at one month old.

Some take pacifier, others like to suck on their thumb.

Some will be potty trained by 8 months, others still wet their pants at 3 years old. 

Honestly, every mother has her own struggles and until you've been there, until you've had that child, until you've tried everything under the sun, you have no idea what you would do.

So let's stop judging (which I'm guilty of as well) and start encouraging because God knows, we need it the most.

We, mothers, need to support and encourage each other in the fine job that we are doing, because we all know that it's hard enough without being criticized every step of the way.

Brutiful Reality

Here is behind the scenes look.

"I just want to have that boob already" 
Parents trying to take pictures when baby wants to have lunch 

 "Stop with the pictures and take me out of this stupid 
car seat already" 
Pictures after a long ride in the car 

"I was cute and cuddly, and I wore your stupid bowtie Ma, 
now can we get this over with?" 
Too many pictures when everyone wants to hold the baby 

 "Seriously folks! You put me into a jacket and a collared 
shirt and expect me to like it?"
 Taking pictures after a long day at church and out  

It's not always pretty.

Sometimes, babies don't make those adorable, precious and beautiful pictures happen.

Babies have a mind of their own and absolutely no schedule.

Parents are trying to go by the clock and babies... well, who knows what they go by. Mostly, the positioning of the moon and their hungry tummies.

When the two try to co-exist in one world, life gets messy.

And I am a real mama trying to navigate in the midst of dirty diaper, couple sleepless nights and an always-hungry stomach in high heels and couple designer handbags.

My life is not a perfect Instagram picture.

My life is sometimes brutal and always amazingly beautiful.

It's Brutiful.

And I love it. Well, Most of the time.

Have a great weekend!