Home made Baby Legs, or Leg Warmers

My little R started her first dance class a few weeks ago. And I gotta tell ya...there's not too many things in life much cuter than watching a bunch of 3 year old little girls twirl around on a dance floor. You just know as they catch glances of themselves in the mirror, they believe with all their sweet little hearts that they are the most beautiful things in all the world...and they very well might be!

As we were putting together the outfit for her first class, she was insistent that she have some leg warmers, just like they wear on Angelina Ballerina. On that day I didn't have any leg warmers, but Reese was a lot more inventive than me. She quickly ran to her little sisters drawer and pulled out a pair of her "baby legs". They worked great.

That's when I remembered a friend telling me that you could easily make your own "baby legs" with pairs of   women's knee high socks. I search for it on Pinterest and found this great tutorial.

So here's my version:

Cut the knee highs at the ankle and below the heel.

These are the two pieces you'll be using.

Take the small tubes and roll them into cuffs.

Pin the cuffs to the long tubes, raw edge to raw edge.

Sew the edges together.

Fold up and wala! You have leg warmers. I made 5 pairs of leg warmers for Reese in less than one hour and for under $10. I got all these socks on clearance at Target! There all on sale now for $1.50 each. Run out and get several pair!!

I asked R to model some for me...this is the best pose she would give me.

I'm a sweat pant, yoga pant...any kind of comfy pant kind of mom...

And I make no apologies for it!

(My fav's from Target)

So I have a little rant that's been going through my head for the last few days. I just had to share it with you.  It started on Wednesday morning when I was watching one of those morning shows which shall remain nameless. The host announced, "coming up next, a fashion segment for mom's". Here we go...another one of those "come on mom's, let's stop wearing those sweat pants and start wearing something fashionable and comfortable that won't make you look like a frumpy mommy" segments. I know you've all seen these segments on any number of day time television talk shows. And I'm just going to say it...They bug the HELL out of me!

Here's why...

I want to know why all these celebrity stylist, magazine editor, fashion designer people think they know the first thing about what it's like to be a full time mom. The so called "fashionable yet comfortable" outfits they usually suggest end up being all too fashionable, none too comfortable...and definitely anything but practical.

The first mom they featured started out in a pair of yoga pants and t-shirt. They gave her the make-over and she appeared in skinny jeans, a beautiful belted tunic sweater and stiletto boots. The designer explained the outfit, "Isn't this such a great alternative to the sweatsuit. Doesn't she look great. The jeans have a little stretch, the sweater is flattering and able to hide curves, and those boots add a little sexiness..." bla, bla, bla bla! Are you freaking kidding me??!! No mom could wear that and be a mom. Maybe on a hot date with her husband on a Friday night, or out to lunch with her girlfriends...but not when she's on "mom duty".

Here's the thing, on any given day I bend over, squat down, and end up on my knees at least six dozen times before the sun goes down. I get spit up on, peed on, and used as a human napkin sometimes all before lunch. Don't get me started on the hours after lunch. I usually end up on the floor playing human jungle gym, barbies, dance party, or picking up Cheerios and gold fish crackers that have been crushed into the carpet. I get food thrown at me and juice spilled down the front of me. I finger paint, hot glue, and Elmer's glue. I prep food, feed food, clean up food, and if I'm lucky I successfully avoid flying food. I play toys, pick up toys, wipe noses, change diapers, clean toilets, kiss boo boos, dry tears, sing songs, fold laundry, Iron clothes...need I go on?? This is my job. It's not a pretty job...it's not a perfect job...but I love my job. I love what I do...most days anyway...and I love my uniform.

Yes, my uniform is sweat pants, yoga pants...any kind of comfy pants. Can you blame me?

You don't see all the talk shows criticizing nurses for their uniforms. You'll never hear them say, "Come on you nurses, let's stop wearing those boring unflattering scrubs and start wearing something more fashionable yet comfortable. Something that won't make you feel soooo...nursy. You don't need to dress boring just to take care of people all day! It doesn't matter if the grumpy man in room 101 pees on your Prada boots. And that kid in room 201 didn't mean to throw up on your wool sweater. What matters is that you look good and feel good! Right?"  And no one's out there telling the construction workers, "Seriously guys...those hard hats do nothing for you. And those steel toed boots need to be burned. Just because a one ton object could fall on your head at any given moment, you don't have to sacrifice your identity in style." No, you don't hear anyone saying those things! That would be ridiculous.

So why do all the haters come out of the wood work for the mom wardrobe?

Listen, don't get me wrong here. I still like to get dressed up. I like nice clothes. I like to feel fashionable. After all, in my former life, I worked in the fashion industry. I wore stiletto's every day and never left the house without my hair done and a designer hand bag over my shoulder. Ok, so maybe they were knock of hand bags...I wasn't that rich.  But now I save that for after hours. Like date night, lunch with friends, church, and the rare day out by myself to just shop and be kid free. I still try to look a little nice on a daily basis. I shower (most days). I try to do my hair and wear a little make-up, but then I slip in to my uniform. Those sweat pants and t-shirt are my friend. They don't care that they're about to get snot wiped all over them. They know I'll give them a bath at the end of the day too.

So listen up all you Tim Gunn's of the world...opps...I wasn't going to name names...sorry. Stop telling me to get rid of my sweat pants. Just keep mentoring all those Project Runway designers (love that show). They need your help a lot more than I do. Don't worry, I'll look you up in a few years when my kids learn how to use a tissue and wipe their own bums; when I can safely wean designer clothes back into my wardrobe. There's a time and season...right?? Let me have my sweat pant, yoga pant...any kind of comfy pant season. I'm cool with it...you should be too. After all, I just may have spent the last hour doing this...

I could have posted a picture of me cleaning up throw-up...but I thought I'd spare you.

And to all you fashionista mom's out there that do somehow pull off the daily motherhood workload while sporting designer jeans and cashmere. I applaud you! If you can make it work...then work it! Just don't judge me when I run into you at the grocery store in my yoga pants :) and no...I didn't just come from yoga class!

AVOCADO & PEA PASTA

I had a completely different post planned for this week, but I ran out of time.  So I thought I throw a fun little recipe your way. This is something I whipped up the other night as a side dish to some grilled steak. It was yummy and healthy.  Enjoy!

As a quick little side note...the diet is going great. Husband is already down 12 pounds and I'm down 10. We're going strong!

AVOCADO AND PEA PASTA
(Mindi Original)

1 1/2 C. dry pasta (In this photo I used Garo Falao Cappelletti from Costco)
1 medium avocado
1 t. lime juice
1/2 C. Parmesan cheese
1 C. frozen peas; defrosted
salt & pepper to taste

1. Mash avocado using a fork, then sprinkle with lime juice and set aside.
2. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
3. Drain water, and while pasta is still hot, immediately toss with avocado and Parmesan cheese.
4. Stir in peas. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Serve while hot.

This recipe serves 4 at about 270 calories per serving. We had it as a side dish to some grilled steak. You could make the pasta a meal by its self or you could toss in some sliced grilled chicken. If you were to add about 10 ounces of sliced grilled chicken, it would be about 350 calories per serving.

Get all your Omega 3's by eating Lemon Pie??

Sounds too good to be true?? Maybe not.



If you've been a follower of my blog, you know about the constant fight with my husband about fish. He hates fish...except for tuna, you know the canned kind...which isn't really "fish" fish...in my opinion. Don't get me wrong. I love a good tuna fish sandwich, but I really love Salmon and Talapia and Mai Mai and...I could go on and on. I have yet to meet a fish I didn't love.

Before I got married I ate fish at least three times a week. So I never really worried about my Omega 3 intake. But since my three fish a week habit no longer exists, I'm always on the look out for ways to get good Omega 3's into my families diet. I used to take Omega 3 supplements, but I hated the terrible aftertaste they'd leave. I would be burping up fish for the next 3 hours, and aftertaste aside you can't give supplements to children. I tried the Omega 3 gummies, but those were disgusting. Even with a gummy candy disguise, my 3 year old was not fooled.

Then one Saturday at Costco they were sampling this stuff. I'm actually surprised I stopped. Unlike most people, I'm not a Costco sampler. I usually avoid sample days. But for some reason I stopped. I didn't even know what it was, but I'm soooo glad I stopped. This stuff is amazing!! It really tastes like lemon pie, with the consistency of a thin yogurt. I kind of feel like I'm getting a little dessert.

Just two teaspoons a day, and one teaspoon for the kiddo's, and you get all the healthy Omega 3's you need.

I have to note that there were a couple reviewer's on the Costco website that claimed they thought it tasted fishy and they didn't like it. That was 2 reviewers out of 50. But I really don't get that. I can't taste the fish at all. All I taste is yummy Lemon. Even my 3 year old loves it and always wants more more than her one allotted teaspoon.

WHAT'S NEW IN 2012

So if there's anyone out there that's still reading...I didn't think so.

But just for the heck of it, I thought I'd check in anyway. I know it's been a very long time, with no explanation, and for that I'm truly sorry. Changing from mommy of one to mommy of two has had a bigger impact on my life than I thought it would. It's not that I'm that much busier, it's just that my focus and priorities have changed dramatically. I told myself that I would never let this blog get in the way of being the kind of mom I want to be, and unfortunately that meant my blog suffering at the hand of mommy-hood.

I've put off giving any kind of update, because I kept thinking I'd somehow find a way to "do it all", but that's just not happening. And on top of that I started a new, fairly intense, diet that will now prolong any creative cooking for an even longer period of time. Especially if I'm as faithful as I plan to be, for as long as I plan to be. The good news is that the diet is working and I'm already down 8 pounds...with about 70 to go. And I'm gonna do it this time. It's different this time. I know myself and I always know when I'm really ready for change...and now's the time.

About seven years ago I weighed as much as I do now...exactly what I weigh now, and felt this same way; with the same motivation. I started an intense diet at exactly this time of year and with a lot of hard work and motivation I lost 80 lbs. in 8 months. Now I'm not sure I'll be able to do it that fast this time. I'm a different person now...with a husband and kids, and a very different body. In the past 4 years I've had 2 successful pregnancies and 4 miscarriages and a lot of bed rest...this body has changed. I probably won't have the time to work out 2 hours a day like I did then (oh the single days), or never ever cheat. I was crazy faithful that go around. I didn't even have cake on my birthday. Not that I'm planning on cheating a ton. But my life was very different. I didn't have birthday parties to throw, play groups to plan, and children who deserve home-made cookies and fun treats from time to time; at least on holidays...right? But I know I can do this my way, and seriously make a change in my life...

...and get this healthy size 6 body back! Heck...I'll even settle for a size 8 or 10.


(Laguna Beach California, April 2006)

So what does all this mean for my little blog...well I purposely named my blog "Mindika Moments" for a reason. When I started blogging I wasn't sure I'd be able to blog about recipes forever. I knew then that I had a lot of interests and hobbies; food just happened to be one of them. I didn't want to start just a "recipe" blog. I wanted my blog to be about all kinds of things. I think I even stated that in one of my very first posts. Somehow it just morphed into primarily a "recipe" blog. Well, that worked for awhile and I had a lot of fun creating and sharing all my recipes, but it's time for a change. I'm not going to put any category limitations on myself. I hope to post once a week or so, about anything and everything that may be going on in my life. Whether it's my diet, crafting, cleaning, decorating, motherhood, family life, my recent obsession with Pinterest...every topic will be fair game. I may even throw in a recipe from time to time. Most likely they'll be healthy recipes, but I won't post them unless they're really good! I promise.

So for the 10 of you that still check in on me...the 10 close friends I have that have been bugging me to update my blog. I love you for your interest and support! I hope you'll still read, even if it's not all about food!

Love ya!
M.