A merry-go-round…always fun for those on it.
For those trying to take pictures of those on it…not as much fun!
We started off with a couple of decent ones….because we weren’t moving yet.
But then we started moving. And well, take a look for yourself.
Amazing isn’t it? Love you Auntie Chris 
So how long can I use the excuse “baby brain?”
It’s obviously valid when you are pregnant…but how long after you deliver your baby can you still use that excuse? I have a 6 month old, and a toddler who is 2 years 9 months.
Can I blame baby brain still?
I parked my car in a valet garage today and told the attendant I’d only be two hours. Sometimes when I say that, they leave it right up front. I had a great meeting….two hours and $36 later (don’t you love downtown Boston parking rates?), I returned to get my car. I noticed a small black SUV up front and as I handed the guy my ticket, I said, “Thanks for keeping my car up front.” Then I turned away to pay at the machine.
After I paid, I started walking toward the car and asked the attendant if my keys were in it. I did not understand his response so I just kept walking and opened the driver door to the car.
It wasn’t my car. It wasn’t even the same make of car. I have a Toyota. It was a Hyundai. The only thing this car has in common with my car is the color. Black.
So another attendant drives my vehicle up. I get in, adjust the seat (and by adjust, I mean pull it all the way forward). I thank the attendants. And go.
In reverse.
What?
All I could do was laugh at myself. Out loud. In a deranged sort of way.
Blame it on the baby brain.
Grammy Award
Okay, so not the usual “Grammy” I refer to here at TinySophisticate….but Grammy as in music. I’m never one to pass up a party…or a reason to have a party, and today is no different. Tonight is the Grammy Awards and here are some fun party/menu ideas. Whether you are having people over, or it’s just a Sunday Funday Family Dinner night, any excuse is a good excuse for a party!
Use the genre of your favorite music as inspiration for your party and menu…stick with one type or mix it up with something to represent all:
What are your music inspired party ideas?
2001 New England Patriots World Championship Ring
“Ooooh, shiny, pretty! Ooooh, yummy!”
She just kept giggling and waving her hand around with the big ring.
Here is a picture of the ring next to my poor little wedding rings. And my rings are not poor, or all that little but next to this hunk of metal, they look it!
Have a great weekend all…and GO PATS!
I’ve been talking a lot about Pinterest recently. I’m kind of obsessed. I’m finding a lot of awesome things on there. I’ve even tried some of the DIY things and recipes. But every once in a while, I see some things that makes me scratch my head. Like these:
The Money Rings
Quarter Rings
Dollar Bill Rings
Really? I’m not sure why someone would want to melt down a quarter for a ring. Or fold a dollar bill for a ring. I need my quarters for parking meters and my dollars toward coffees or the kids piggy banks. I just don’t get it. And if my husband ever tried one of these pieces of crap instead of something real for Valentine’ Day…he’d be in serious trouble.
Nail Design
Fast Food Fingernails
To be honest, I’m not a big fan of any nail design other than a traditional French manicure. I don’t like stripes, pokadots or ladybugs on nails (unless you are 6). But these fast food fingernails are ridiculous. I’m sure there is loads of grease under them from the fries they ate as they just went through the drive through. Come on now. Would anyone really do this? I’m still hoping it’s photoshopped but I don’t think so.
Unappetizing Treats
frito pie
Spaghetti and Hot Dogs
Frito pie is not and should not be considered a dinner entrée option. When the main ingredient is a bag of Fritos, you need a new cookbook. And spaghetti through a hot dog? So gross…don’t get me started. Kind of looks like a mouse’s cheeks where the whiskers come out.
And finally, a big WTF goes out to ….
The Rabid Giraffe Tattoo
Did someone really tattoo a rabid giraffe on themselves? Please tell me this is done with a sharpie. If it’s real, I hope they got their money back and free laser removal sessions. This is just awful. And if it really happened, why are they showing it to people. I’m horrified.
But seriously, I do love Pinterest, even if there are some random and crazy things on there. Have you done any projects or cooked any recipes you’ve found on Pinterest? If so, please share! And if you’re not on Pinterest, check it out. If you need any invite, let me know!
Muffin & Nutter
When my first daughter was born, I started calling her Muffin. I don’t know where that came from…I didn’t plan on it, but it happened. I of course called her by her real name, and her nickname that is a derivative of her real name…but many times, she was simply Muffin.
Fast forward two years and our second daughter joins the family. What would her nickname be? I actually gave it some thought.
“Okay, what goes with Muffin? Cupcake? Croissant?” (kidding on the Croissant option).
But I actually gave it some thought….and then suddenly it happened.
Our second daughter has a nickname.
Nutter.
I have no idea where that came from. Seriously, no idea. Nutter was never on my list…I had never thought of it…and yet all of a sudden, I realized that is what I call her sometimes. Maybe it’s a derivative of Peanut? Or Nutter Butters (although I haven’t eaten those in years!)? I’ve heard my husband call her Nutter too. I guess that’s how true nicknames come about. Just randomly and then they stick.
I remember some of my nicknames growing up. Small Fry (so original) and Minelly (for mini-Kelly) are two that I remember but none really stuck. For the most part, I was Kelly or Kel. I wonder how long my girls’ nicknames will stick…and what their nicknames may be when they get older.
Do you have nicknames for your little ones???
My husband and I recently celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary on January 1st. This year, my husband surprised me with a weekend in Newport, just the two of us! We got married in Newport so there is special significance to this location. After some debate, we ended up only going for one night this past weekend…since we’ve never been away from our girls at the same time, we figured we’d start slow with one night away. Technically it was for 27 hours.
I love Newport. It’s the perfect spot for a weekend getaway. Even in the winter, it was great. If you planning a trip to Newport, even a day trip, check out where we ate…we highly recommend these spots (maybe not all the specific dishes but the spots are great):
Dinner: The Mooring Seafood Kitchen & Bar – My husband chose this restaurant for dinner because it is one we’ve never been to. One of my favorite things from the weekend was being able to enjoy a 2 hour dinner. We take our children out to dinner all the time, but usually at 5pm for a quick 60 minute or less dinner. We had a 7pm reservation but arrived at 6:30. It was quiet when we arrived, but within 20 minutes, it was packed. A good sign on a freezing cold, windy Friday in January! We started off with a few appetizers, soup and salad to share.
We started with the Tuna Tartare, the Bag of Doughnuts , the Scallop Chowder, and the Autumn Salad.
The Tuna Tartare was a great start and the Ponzu vinaigrette was light and tasty.
The Bag of Doughnuts was interesting. Lobster, crab & shrimp fritters with chipotle-maple aïoli…we felt we had to try them, but we were underwhelmed. They came out of the kitchen piping hot. When I cut into them, I expected to find larger chunks of seafood, but I did not. The aioli didn’t seem to work either. I never met a donut I didn’t like…until this one.
Next. The restaurant’s Scallop Chowder is “award-winning” and it did not disappoint. It was fantastic. Even though it is a cream based chowder, it didn’t feel super heavy. And it was full of scallops.
The Autumn Salad was fantastic. Local greens, toasted pepitas, sun-dried cranberries, poached pears, gorgonzola cheese with honey black pepper vinaigrette. It was a great contrast to the creamy chowder and offered nice flavors. I wish the pears were larger but overall it was a great salad.
On to the entrees. My husband ordered the Acadian Red Fish, which was bacon wrapped and oven roasted stuffed with crab meat, served with sautéed spinach and tarragon beurre blanc.
He said the spinach was the best part, which isn’t probably the best compliment….but overall said it was okay. I ordered the Mooring Scampi, pan-roasted lobster, shrimp, sea scallops, tomato, garlic-herb butter and angel hair pasta.
It wasn’t great. I think the scallop chowder was SOOO good, that any other scallop dish paled in comparison. I feel like I needed a filet or something totally different. I would not get it again….but I do compliment them on the amount of seafood in the dish. There was a full lobster tail, lots of scallops and shrimp. We enjoyed our appetizers so much, we were just let down with the meal a bit.
On to dessert. I ordered the Grand Marnier Chocolate Cake, served with fresh berries, whipped cream and mint. It was like a flourless chocolate cake, very rich and dense. Not my favorite.
But that could be because of my husband’s dessert. It was a special I think because it is not on the online menu. It was a Limoncello soaked angel food cake with some sort of frosting and maybe some white chocolate. It was DELICIOUS!!!!! Oh wow, it was amazing. I’d definitely recommend this.
I know I was hard on some of the dishes, but I am just being honest. I would definitely go back to the Mooring, I would just order differently. If we go back, I’d order as follows:
They also offer a season 3 course tasting menu during the week, along with a Paella special on Thursdays that sounds amazing.
Breakfast: Franklin Spa – My husband is a fitness nut and eats very healthy…so when he said he wanted a greasy breakfast, I was shocked! I did a little research and found Franklin Spa. It was a quick walk from our hotel. We arrived at 9:15 and grabbed a table right away. Within 15 minutes, there was a line out the door and people waiting outside. Considering it was about 15-20 degrees out, I was so happy we arrived when we did.
My husband opted for a sweet, anti-oxidant packed breakfast (funny considering he was the one wanting a greasy diner type!). He started with a bowl of granola, yogurt and berries, then moved onto a berry topped buttermilk waffle. He said both were great.
I, on the other hand, went for the true diner fare. Two poached eggs, over corned beef hash and english muffins, topped with some Hollandaise sauce. Oh and don’t forget the potatoes on the side. It hit the spot but I was only able to eat about half of it. The portion was large.
I would definitely go back to Franklin Spa…it was a great spot. They don’t have a website so if you are interested, here are their menus (they even had a kids menu!).
Lunch: Diego’s – It’s pretty hard for my husband and I to pass up Mexican food. It doesn’t matter where we are. So our little trip to Newport was no different. Diego’s came highly recommended to me by a friend who summers in Newport. We visited a few years ago with my in-laws and decided to stop back again. We had such a big breakfast, we just needed a snack, so this was the perfect choice.
We sat at the bar which we obviously never do with kids so it was a fun departure. I also ordered a “fun” drink, which I never do…typically stick to wine or champagne. I sought advice from the bartender who recommended the Franklin Bog, which consisted of fresh cranberries muddled with lemon, fresh ginger and apple liquor, topped with ice, Triple 8 Cranberry Vodka and a splash of ginger ale.
It was delicious. Such a great flavor combination. The fresh ginger was a great addition that did not overpower the other ingredients. I would definitely order this again. My husband ordered club soda with a lime…no offense honey, that drink doesn’t warrant a photo!
We decided to just get some snacks and ordered the Braker’s Guac and the Crispy Pulled Pork Ancho Springrolls.
The guacamole was delicious and miraculously, there were the perfect amount of chips to scoop up all the guac. The spring rolls were forgettable. But we’ve been here before and had a full meal and everything was great so I definitely recommend this spot. I recognized some of the waiters and many have worked there for a while…so ask them for some popular favorites if you are looking for suggestions.
If you’ve been to Newport, what are your favorite restaurants? We go all the time and are always looking for new spots to try!
My husband and I are going away this weekend to celebrate our anniversary (7th anniversary was on January 1st). My husband planned it all and surprised me with it. To be honest, at first I was reluctant to go. Why? Well, we have not been away without our daughters, except for when we were in the hospital having baby #2. I’ve been to NYC, but he was home with the girls. He’s been away for a night for work, but I was home with the girls. And we’ve been away on vacation but we’ve taken them (well, actually we just took #1…#2 hasn’t been on vacation yet!).
So, I finally agreed and we are off to Newport, RI this weekend where we got married. I’m excited….it’s going to be a great time. But I’m setting some ground rules!
My 2 1/2 year-old helped make cookies for our First Annual Breakfast with Santa party we had over the weekend. I guess it was a dry run for cookie-making for the big guy next weekend. She was a HUGE help and we had so much fun! I am usually big on making things from scratch, but to be honest, I really didn’t know what to expect. So I bought a 3 pack of Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix from BJs. They were delicious…then I frosted them with frosting and decorated. It was such a fun time with my little one and I look forward to doing this more often with her (and #2 as she gets older). I premeasured all the ingredients and allowed my little one to pour them all into the bowl and help mix.
Mommy rolled out the dough
My little one picked the cookie cutters and helped to cut out the fun shapes
Trees, snowflakes, mittens, stars….
Bake for 8-10 minutes
My daughter loved decorating the cookies with sprinkles. I displayed on a tray covered with coconut (snow) and ice cream cones covered in frosting and green sprinkles!
Some other fun cookie ideas and serving suggestions:
Chocolate Chip Cookies & Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Cookies with Milk
Homemade Oreos with Extra Frosting for Dipping
It’s that time of year to be thankful. I try to feel thankful 365 days a year, because really, my life is pretty good. But for this one day, I’ll write it all down. I’m thankful for:
I could go on and on….but time to make more pumpkin pie 
Happy Thanksgiving to All!
