Re-Doing the Girls' Room

Ugh! I don't even want to think about it, it frustrates me so much. Trying to incorporate two children into one room, without spending a ton of money. Luckily I am having another girl, or else this would be much harder.

Dakota is so obsessed with the Disney Princesses, I would hate to choose princesses for the new baby's bedding but I do want them to match in some way! Then I have played with the idea of changing Dakota's bedding to match the bedding of the new baby, but I don't want Dakota to feel like we are changing her room around completely!

So, what do I do? I think about this every day and I usually stop thinking about it just because I can never come to a solid decision!

Here is what I have put together so far...

Dakota's current bedding and crib bedding choice?



So with that idea, I am basically sticking with pinks, yellow, blues, greens, and whites. I can decorate the walls however I want, flowers and princesses.

But I LOVE this bed set for the new baby! Which wouldn't match Dakota's current bedding what so ever! But possibly could replace her bedding with something that sort of matches?


Then you figure, that by just picking a bedding that matches Dakota's Princess bedding, it would be much cheaper! Luckily the walls are plain since we are renters and haven't decorated since we have moved here.

Now can you see why I can't think straight when I start to think about it? One the plus side though, a totally awesome mommy from JustMommies.com offered to make us ladies some nursery letters! I will get them in the mail shortly and I can't wait to start decorating them... but I need to know what bedding I am using first!!!



Any input on this whole room decorating this is greatly appreciated!!!

Amazing, Easy, Salsa Dip

Oh!! I can't believe I didn't post this dip sooner. I am obsessed with this stuff! I don't know if its my pregnancy cravings or what, but I can't get enough of this dip. I am usually not really a huge salsa fan, so it has to be pretty good for me to like it so much!


You will need:
1 jar of Salsa, your choice
1 package of cream cheese
1 block of cheddar cheese

First, you take a regular dining plate. You spread the cream cheese on the bottom of the plate. Throw it in the microwave just enough to warm the cream cheese.

Second, poor the salsa on top of the cream cheese. You can use as much or as little as you want. Spread it around so that it is even.

Third, shred the cheddar cheese on top of the salsa, use as much as you would like! Then throw in the microwave until cheese is melted.

Let cool a bit and DIG IN! Use your favorite chips. Great for parties and guests! Or for yourself, because I can eat a whole plate of it for dinner (this has been proven.. way too many times).

Cheesy Tortellini Bake

I tried this recipe a week or two ago and it was FANTASTIC! It is so easy to make and the family loved it. The other night I tried it with just a 13oz bag of tortellini and cooked chicken and it was just as good! This is a great recipe to use on an evening where you don't have much time to cook and you want to throw something together other than just a plain pasta and sauce dish. Feel free to comment on what you thought about it!

Cheesy Tortellini Bake

Ingredients

2 (9 ounce) packages cheese tortellini

1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce

1 (16 ounce) jar Alfredo sauce

1 (10 ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning

1 (8 ounce) package shredded Mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions; drain. Adjust oven rack to the highest position and turn oven on to Broil. Generously butter or grease an 9x13 inch baking dish.

2. Bring marinara and Alfredo sauces along with spinach and 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir cooked tortellini into sauce, then pour into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and remaining 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning.

3. Broil for a minute or two until cheese has melted and turned golden brown.

Cooking Newbie

I have never been much of a cook. When I met my husband 4 and a half years ago, the only thing I could make was scrambled eggs or anything that had to be microwaved. Although I still messed up microwaved items frequently.

Well, I have sort of taken on a new hobby... its going threw online recipes and picking ones to try. I work so much, that this is sort of a way for me to do my own thing, and hopefully be rewarded afterwards with a yummy meal. And being pregnant, NOTHING is better than food as a reward!

I am going to start posting recipes I am currently trying and will let you know the results! So far I have had great success, regardless of a few mess ups. I like to leave steps out and forget ingredients! I don't do it as much anymore, but it just proves, cooking takes practice! You aren't born knowing how to make pasta sauce from scratch!!

One tip I can give you already: Being a mom and cooking takes SKILL. Having a 3 year old grabbing ingredients off the counter probably doesn't help the fact that I FORGET to put those ingredients in.