Sass and Sippy Cups

Quick and Easy Thin Crust Pizza I'm going to tell you a secret... I'm not a fan of pizza. I know... it's so un-American of me.  Blasphemous, even.  Not once have I ever looked at ANYONE and said "hey, let's order pizza!" with any enthusiasm whatsoever.  When my husband orders it and my only other option is to starve, I end up ordering thin crust.  Now thin crust is tricky. Best case scenario, it gets to the house as the gods intended: in all its deliciously crispy and flaky glory.  Worst case? It comes as that nasty, soggy thing with the toppings falling off, at which point you have two choices: fold it to eat it or use a knife and fork. Gross. Well, I found a way to make it at home so that I can have pizza the ONLY way I like it.  This works especially well when my toddler is being a Stage 5 clinger and won't let me make myself anything for lunch, it's that quick and easy. It also makes a great afterschool snack when the kids get home.  ...

Bird in a Tree Change is difficult for us as humans.   We hate it.   We resist it.   We avoid it like the plague. Most change sucks, and I call bullshit on anyone who tries to tell you otherwise.   Now, not ALL change is bad.   When we CHOOSE to make a change to better ourselves or our situation, we feel great!   But many times unforeseen events (a bad breakup, being laid off, loss of a loved one, financial struggles, etc.) can force our hands. These circumstances can lead to negative thoughts and insecurities. Insecurities plague EVERYONE, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, orientation, or physical appearance.   Whether it be at work or in their personal life, everyone has their moments when they feel like absolute crap about themselves. Everyone has a little voice in their head that repeats something they once heard from a former boss, coworker, friend, ex, or classmate that made them question themselves.   That voice say...

Sensory Play Now that my little munchkin is officially a toddler, I decided to try and fix my terrible time management skills and find a schedule that might work for the two of us and keep me sane in the process. (HAHAHAHA!!! A schedule? For my clingy, teething little monkey? What a joke... I'm lucky if I can get a shower in without her screaming her little head off.)  The crazy thing that happened when I checked Google for ideas was that when I typed in"toddler" it was immediately followed by the word "worksheets" in my recommended searches. Yes, you read that correctly.... WORKSHEETS SERIOUSLY, PEOPLE?!?!!! When was the last time you saw a toddler (ages 12 months to just under 3 years) be able to hold a pencil/crayon correctly, let alone write/circle/color in the lines on a WORKSHEET?!?! Kids this age learn best through sensory experiences (things they experience with their senses).  It is super important to their developmen...

Cozy Chic Playing in the snow, sitting by the fire, drinking hot chocolate… ah, sounds like winter in New England! Evened-out skin, flushed cheeks, and no liner gives off a cozy vibe, and reminds me of all the fun things we get to do in winter (I know, I know, shoveling sucks, that’s why I said the FUN stuff). I’ve listed the products I’ve used below and where to find them. (Taken without Flash) (Taken with Flash) 1. I first used Avon’s Skinvincible Day Lotion to moisturize my skin (it has SPF 50, so as you can tell from my skin tone, I appreciate that.) 2. I then used Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation in Classic Ivory (I honestly like the Avon Flawless foundation, but I have trouble finding my particular skin tone in ANY brand of foundation.) You can find this at the drugstore. I got mine at Walgreens. 3. I covered my under eye circles (thanks, kid) with NYX Dark Circle Concealer in Light . This is also a drugstore product....

Cultured Crooks: A True Mystery at the Museum Short on cash? Looking to make a quick buck? How does 10 million of them sound? Yep, you read that right: $10 MILLION   Probably sounds like some gimmicky sweepstakes, right? Actually, it's a legitimate offer, provided you have some valuable information to share. In the wee hours in the morning of March 18, 1990, guards at the Isabel Stewart Gardener Museum in Boston opened the doors for two men dressed as police officers. Once inside, the imposters tied up the guards and set to work, cutting eleven paintings from their frames and grabbing two sculptures before making their escape.  The entire job took a little over an hour. These men took off with $500 million worth of artwork.  The craziest part?  THEY GOT AWAY WITH IT.. . Neither they nor the valuable pieces of art they stole (pictured below) have been seen since.  To this day, empty frames hang on the walls of the Ga...

Sriracha Lime Tuna Steaks with Rice and Honey Butter Glazed Carrots This recipe requires a little more work than the last one, but it is still quick and easy enough to make on a weeknight. In the interest of full disclosure, this particular time happened to be exceptionally quick and easy because I used a packaged rice side mix. And frozen carrots (I very rarely buy fresh produce unless I plan on eating it raw, or it just goes bad). Yeah, I decided to take the easy way out this time, so sue me... We buy our fish frozen in bulk at the warehouse store because a lot of times they offer a coupon for it. But if it happens to be on sale at the fish market, get it there.  Tuna steaks are meant to be left a little rare in the middle. If that turns you off, by all means, skip this one.  Sriracha Lime Tuna Steaks (serves 2) 2 tuna steaks 2 tbsp. lime juice 2 tbsp. sriracha 1/4 tsp garlic powder pinch of salt pinch of pepper 1 tbsp. olive ...

Chicken Thighs, Potatoes, and Asparagus Sheet Pan Supper If you know me well, you know that I. ABSOLUTELY. FREAKING. HATE. WASHING. DISHES. We don’t have a dishwasher in our apartment, so it’s pretty much the bane of my housekeeping existence.   And if you’ve ever had tiny little humans running around, you know how tough it can be to keep them out of the kitchen and away from a hot stove.   Which is why I have become a master of the sheet pan supper. Depending on the ingredients I’m using, I even sometimes prep it in the morning and just take everything out of the fridge while the oven preheats that night (I just don’t do this with anything that will brown, though). I chose to use chicken thighs in this recipe because, well, they’re cheap (I can usually get them for a dollar a pound at the grocery store).   You can totally use chicken breasts if you want, just cook them at a lower temp (350 ° F-375 ° F, depending on your oven) and a little longer (30 ...