Bits and things.

Clearly I jumped the gun on the Wendell Berry poem, because, as I type, it is snowing.  Poor Ellie doesn't quite understand.  She wants to wear short sleeves and I tell her it's cold outside, and she rebuts with, "but it's springtime when the flowers come out."  This morning, I was able to physically show her the snow - which she knows means cold - so there was less of a battle in picking her outfit.    I have a ton of great Ellie pictures and videos to post, but I will save those for when I have more time and can get my thoughts together.

This breakfast smoothie has changed my mornings:  http://www.momontimeout.com/2013/10/mocha-breakfast-shake/ I altered it a bit from the original recipe --> no protein powder (just makes me think of morning sickness), and add two cups of spinach.  So in one smoothie I get all sorts of things I know should have but don't LOVE.  I go back and forth with yogurt - I know it's good for me, but the taste is a little off.  Bananas have a weird texture, and while I love spinach, who has time to eat two cups of it with breakfast while getting school bags packed, toddler and baby dressed and fed, etc., etc, etc.  Bonus:  caffeine and cocoa - two of my favorite things.

These make-ahead-and-freeze pizzas:

Individual White Chicken Pizzas  These were featured in Cooking Light a month or two ago, and the first time I made them at regular dinner time and that was a mistake - didn't have time to make ALL 12 individual pizzas while the hoards were gathering for dinner.  (seriously?  have you ever tried to delay food for a 35 month old?  notagoodidea.)  This time I was much wiser.  Ellie and I made these this morning while Caroline took her first nap.  She enjoyed stirring the milk and later separating the curds from the whey (the recipe uses homemade ricotta - so easy!  who knew?!), and of course, loved rolling out the pizza dough, and putting on the toppings.  Now they are in the freezer, ready for a hectic evening when all we have time to do is pop them in the oven and throw together a side salad.

This blush:

 

More babies = more blush.  I used to think my mom wore a lot of blush.  Now I know.  She was just trying to restore her youthful glow in the fastest way she knew how.  I was a dedicated Bobby Brown Shimmer Brick in Rose girl for, I dunno, seven years?  But when it ran out during my pregnancy with Caroline, I was ready to try something new.  I was going to try the best-selling Nars blush with the infamous name, when Julie blogged on Elf cosmetics and their dupes of much more expensive brand names.  (Julie - I told Pete he should write you a thank-you note when I came home from Target with new mascara, blush, and powder for a total of $9) Elf St. Lucia - you are my new favorite, along with the translucent matifying powder. 

My current beauty quandary:  Should I be filling in my eyebrows?  I have pretty non-existent ones for the fact that my hair is so dark.  I really don't need to think about adding anything to my makeup routine since my daily habit is to put on some under-eye concealer and call it a day, but I've been wondering if eyebrow filling-in is something everyone else has been doing all these years and I just don't know about it.  Like eyeliner was for me five years ago.