Cozy Winter Must-Haves

I would say that we've been really fortunate so far that we still have very little snow on the ground, which is unusual for us this time of year, however, it is very, very cold! 

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Now that I have a little one who goes to sleep by 7:30pm, all of our evenings are spent cozied up inside. So I thought I would put together a post on must-haves for staying warm and cozy on a night in!

Obviously I start with what I'm wearing.... am the kind of person that puts on leggings or sweatpants the second I get home. Anyone else?

One / Two / Three / Four

Once Nugget is in bed, I'm snuggled up on the couch with a big blanket! And then depending on my mood and the day of the week, it's either tea & a magazine OR wine & Bravo TV :)

Throw / Candle

When I finally crawl into bed at night, nothing makes me happier than a fresh set of sheets. It is seriously the best feeling ever (it doesn't take much to make me happy!). Have you heard of Parachute Home yet? They have amazing quality bedding and sheets and they had the ingenious idea to sell them with or without the top sheet. Anyone else hate the top sheet? It gets twisted, and stuck and can be so annoying! Be sure to check them out!

What are you must-haves for staying cozy on a cold winter night??

Our Weekend

We had such a great, busy weekend - and while I wish I had today off, sadly, it's January and I work in Accounting. It's balls-to-the-walls! 

Our weekend started off nice and slow, with coffee and playtime in our jammies until 10 am :) 

Almost pulling herself up!

I love her something fierce!!

We ventured out of the house by noon, to resume our search for a sectional for our living room. At the suggestion of a friend, we decided to check out Macy's Home. I always forget that our Macy's has a huge selection of furniture!! 

I think we finally settled on one, but it's on back order, so we won't get it until March. 

Now I can focus on decorating and all the small details! 

What do you think??

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Saturday night, Keith went to dinner with some buddies - and Gracie and I were on our own. There was nothing good on TV, and I ended up watching three hours of Lifetime about Whitney Houston. What an icon. Still can't believe she's gone! 

Gracie slept a 7 hour stretch, and wow up at 7am and I must say, it felt amazing. I forgot how much I miss sleep!! 

Gracie started swim yesterday, and she loved it! I grew up on the ocean and leaned to swim at a very young age, so I'm excited to get her acclimated and loving the water too. 

Is it me, or does her hair look red? WHERE did this child come from??

A little blurry with a little smirk :)

My in-laws came over to spend some time with Nugget and after they left, we ALL took a two hour nap! It was glorious. I forgot how much I miss sleep. #sleeptrainingforthetwin

I spent the rest of the day running errands, meal prepping for the week and, of course, watching the AFC Championship. 

A Gracie-bubba and a Mama-bubba!

Our beloved Patriots are Super Bowl bound!!!! 

This was my sweet Gracie's face when I told her this morning we were going to the Super Bowl :)

Can you stand it?!

Happy Monday friends! Hope it's a good one :) 

Linking up with Biana 

Easy Weeknight Meal

This meal was so yummy and so easy (I literally made it with a crawling babe at my feet!). It was ready and on the table in under 30 minutes. I wish it was a one-pot meal, because I did have quite a few dishes to clean, but I think it was totally worth it!

I adapted this recipe from Diethood.com

Gunner followed me hoping I would drop food, Gracie was following Gunner hoping to grab his tail

Creamy Chicken & Pasta Recipe (definitely needs a more clever name!)

Ingredients:
2 cups orzo, cooked
1 package chicken tenders
1/2 lb asparagus, washed and trimmed
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
olive oil for sauteing
1 tsp minced garlic
salt & pepper for seasoning
1 tbsp. lemon juice

Sauce Ingredients:
leftover olive oil from sauteing chicken + 2 more tbsps.
3 tbsps flour
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk (whatever kind you have on hand)
parmesan cheese (I probably used 3/4 cup, but I just eye it)
salt & pepper

• In a saucepan, saute garlic and evoo. Add whole chicken tenders and asparagus, and cook for 7-10 minutes.While it is sauteing, add the lemon juice. I like my chicken a little more "browned" and crispy, so I left mine in for 10 minutes.
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• While chicken and asparagus are cooking, make your orzo in a small saucepan.
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• Remove chicken and asparagus with tongs, leaving the oil and garlic in the pan. 
• Add 2 tbsps olive oil and the flour, and whisk to combine.
• Whisk in chicken broth, and then milk. Simmer until sauce is thickened. Season with salt and pepper. My sauce was a little lacking of something at this point, so I added a pinch of chicken bouillon powder. You most certainly do not have to do this! 
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• Add the chicken, asparagus and risotto to the sauce, and stir. 
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• Plate and top with more cheese (more cheese is always a good idea right??) and the halved cherry tomatoes. Serve with warm garlic bread. 

This recipe was so good that it is definitely going in our monthly rotation. It was also excellent reheated for lunch!

This was also my first time cooking orzo (nuts right?!) and it tasted like a risotto, without the hassle of making risotto. Win! 

Enjoy -- and please let me know if you make this recipe!!