Attention Attention!

Here ye, here ye...today was a day like no other.  It was a day for crafting! When I saw one of my favorite blogging ladies {blogging lady > cat lady} wearing this adorb necklace I had to find out a way to get my hands on one of my own.  And behold, an hour later - voila - here it is!  Here's the template that I used but now my mind can't stop racing about all the variations that can be made of this oh-so-cute bib necklace.  Hey, bib, I think you might be my new favorite and super quick DIY ever!

Remember that time I was Domesticated?

Over the weekend, I made what was possibly my most sophisticated meal creation to date.  Since I was babysitting a teenage girl all week long, I felt obligated that the meals provide nutritional value.  And our last supper was a hit - grains, dairy, protein, and veggies on the side!  I just kind of whipped together items that we already had in the fridge and came up with this.  Seriously, no recipe!  I kept texting my mom, "Can you believe I'm making this!?" "Can you believe I made this!" She really couldn't.

Anywho, this picture is taken from my phone (Read: not IPHONE) so not the best looking but the two of us were really pleased with the outcome.  The best part is, you can't really mess this one up so feel free to duplicate this really simple recipe and let me know if ya like it or not!

Here's what I used….

8 Lasagna noodles

Ground hamburger meat (maybe ½ lb)

Cottage cheese (1 cup) **as a ricotta cheese alternative**

Parmesan cheese (1/2 cup)

Pasta sauce (1-2 cups)

Basil (to taste)

Milk (1/2 cup)

While lasagna noodles and hamburger (or turkey) meat are cooking on the stove, in a side bowl combine cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, basil, and milk.  When meat is cooked, mix this in too.  Lay the lasagna noodles flat in a row and let them cool for a few minutes.  Pour some of the pasta sauce in a 9x13 baking dish.  Evenly spread the cheese mixture on top of the noodles and one-by-one place the "coil" in the baking dish.  Pour the rest of the pasta sauce on top of the noodles and top with a pinch of basil.  Bake in oven on 350 for 30 minutes. Pretty simp!

happy valentine's day, loverss

What I loved About Today:

                            1. Sleeping in

                            2. My sister's 27th birthday {DATE NIGHT!}

                            3. No lines at Target or JoAnn's {when does this ever happen! 

                            Answer: NEVER!!!!!!}

                            4. Good excuse to indulge in chocolate

                            5. Sunshine in February

                            6. It's all about LOVE {and single awareness}

Remembering a Legend

"My mother taught me beauty really lives in places like a smile.”

 – Whitney Houston

When my family couldn’t agree on what music to listen to, Whitney was always the answer.  Her music was loved by all, and especially by my family.  It was her music that played through our house and stereos for hundreds of parties and road trips.  It was her music that I attempted and always failed to sing for dozens of karaoke sessions. Her voice brought so much joy to my family, life, and home.

To say her death was a tragic loss to the music industry is the understatement of the year.  Her voice had so much power and was beyond incredible.  I hope she finds in Heaven the peace that she seemed to be missing here on Earth.   

Lauren Presents....

Word on the streeet is that these detoxing smoothies are ridiculously good for you.  Celebs like Hilary D., Drew B., Gwyneth., and Olivia W. are all big fans and if they can guzzle down 16oz, why can't I!?  And the answer is, my friends, I can I really can.  Now I wouldn't say it's my favorite smoothie I've ever tasted {putting it in a wine glass definitely helped this}. But if drinking it every once in a while means healthier skin, hair, and more energy I'm in 100% kids.

Here's the recipe I tried.  I suggest using more fruits than it asks, at least until you get used to the taste!  Also, seriously, depending on the size of your blender I suggest halving the recipe.    

Glowing Green Smoothie

* 6 cups chopped spinach

* 5 cups chopped romaine

* 2 stalks celery

* 1.5 - 2 cups COLD water

* 1 banana

* 1 pear (I used blueberries)

* 1 apple

* 1/2 cup cilantro

* 1/2 cup parsley

* lots of ice

The Pats lost but we Still have this

These videos have been cracking me up all week long. So, naturally, when I found out my sister's fiance was coming to town with Brewer we had to do our own.

It turned out to be much harder than it looks.....times a million so I applaud anyone on YouTube that has successfully fed their dog with human hands. My heroes///!

Back from doing the Hollywood thing

Hi ladies (are there gents who frequent here? I'd like to know if there are!)  As you can see, I'm back from Los Angeles and had the best time feeling like a could-uv-been celebrity.  Kind of made me jealous of my bff's that are moving out there soon.  Just kidding, I still couldn't be more thrilled about my March move!!  But seriously, time could not be ticking any slower.  It feels like I still have forever to wait.

On the bright side, with all my friends moving to LA soon, this means I have a lot of beds/couches that need to be crashed on :) It's all about me...and those bright red lips.