The Easiest, Most Delicious Pasta Sauce- ever.

This is really, in all honesty, one of the easiest things I've ever made- it's simple and really tasty. Let's just say I made it twice in one week because we all enjoyed it so much.

Ingredients:
4 cloves garlic, minced
15 roma tomatoes, diced
4 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste, i used about 1 tsp each
fresh basil, chopped, to garnish (or stir in)
your favorite pasta

Directions:
1. chop tomatoes

2. heat oil in pan over medium heat, add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. add tomatoes and any leftover juice to pot. Bring to a simmer and simmer covered for 10 minutes.

4. remove cover and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.

5. using an immersion blender or carefully transferring to a blender/food processor, blend sauce until smooth.

6. add salt and pepper, chopped basil and then toss with cooked pasta.

bada-bing, bada-bomb. easy as that. enjoy!!

woah nelly

Hey friends- remember me?  I'm going to try a little harder to be present this week.. starting with today.

Let me back up and give you some pictures updates of Halloween and my pathetic injured animal.

Hopefully we are getting the poor kitty cone taken off today- and as of this morning we have at least down on 2 meds, which is great news for myself. I took the animal with me to babysit my nephew this weekend and the two were quickly bffs. He loved her- followed around my sister's apartment, gave her "gentle" pets and when he dropped things on her and she ran off, and he giggled with delight. It was an exciting evening.

and that's all folks.

Bigs & Littles Blogging Network

Um you guys, I just had one of the best experiences of my life. Back in the day, i.e September, I came across a post talking about sign-ups for the Bigs and Littles Blogging Network. I was intrigued... a program that would connect bloggers to help each other learn and grow? I was totally down.

And let me tell you- I am so so happy I signed up. I initially signed up with the intention to be a Little and find a Big since I'm a newer blogger but surprisingly enough was matched to be a Big to a Little.

And what a wonderful Little she was. I was paired up with Kaelyn from My Fair Daily. Kaelyn is a beauty blogger, which honestly scared me at first because, not that I don't love makeup but it's not something I blog about. But we exchanged a few emails and I realized I could help her and she could really help me.

Kaelyn wanted help with growing her blog, and time-management skills (not really my forte, but I tried!) and as well with help staying engaged with other bloggers and her readers. I was able to advise her to sign-up with passionfruitads, start participating in link-ups or to reach out to other bloggers about doing a guest or collaborated post. Kaelyn encouraged me to make more use of pinterest, to set short-term and long-term goals, and to be myself.

We continued our journey with google hangouts and good old texting. I am beyond thrilled to have made a new friend and so happy I decided to sign up for the program.

The ladies who run the program- Chelsee, Deb, Kristyn, Tiffany & Christine run the program three times a year, in January, May and September and I adamantly encourage all of you to participate in the next go.  I had fun, learned lots of new things and found a great galpal in Kaelyn. (like we even have a hangout scheduled for tonight, because we are awesome like that!)

And I think the biggest thing I learned from the whole sha-bang is not to underestimate yourself. I didn't think I knew enough to be a "Big"- that I didn't have enough blogging knowledge to help someone else grow or push their own space, but in reality I did. And so did Kaelyn- she was able to tell me things, introduce me to new pages. At the end of the day the fact that you started your own space is a big deal- and something you should be very proud of.

Happy Friday!

My Favorite Children's Books (right now)

Hello friends- long time, no see. I swear I'm still alive. Blogtober took a lot out of me and then one of my cats had to have surgery and I now have the lovely task of medicating her with 6 different things up to three times a day. The joy. Needless to say I've been a little stressed and this space has been pushed aside for a day or two. I'm coming back, like right now.

I originally wrote this post for Ashley over at That Southern Mama, but thought I'd bring it back because November is here which means SHOPPING!! These are some great picks for all those little ones in your life- and some wonderful stories.

As a reminder for my day job I am a house manager for a family- this means I take care of their two children, do all the errands, cooking, scheduling and just about anything else they can think of.

Thankfully both children adore reading just as much as I do- here are some of my favorite to read with them (for now, at least!)

All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon and Marla Frazee: This is such a sweet book with beautiful illustrations- almost like a day in the life of a family vacation or weekend, it describes the wonderful world we live in and how at the end of the day it's about you and your family.

Birdy's Smile Book by Laurie Keller: I'm not sure exactly when I discover this book but it is adorable as books get. Birdy loves her smile- and wants you to love yours too! Written as if a 4-year old is truly talking to you, full of fun tidbits and a happy message. Smile more!

The Snail and The Whale by Julia Donaldson: A little snail wants to go on an adventure! After being picked up by a whale and sailed around the world- the whale becomes beached! Although tiny, the snail uses his might and mind to help bring the whale back to safety. A great message for all ages and a fun ride around the world!

Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers: This book is great for infants and toddlers- a fun board book about babies, what they eat, play, how they learn to move. The youngest I look after started talking about animals from this book. Same illustrator as All the World- beautiful pictures.

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown: An absolute classic and should be in every home! Goodnight Moon is the ultimate bedtime story. The pictures, words, and colors urge you to speak slowly, softly and tuck your little one in, in the most comfortable way. And as a perk the author is an alumnae of the same university I attended, Hollins University in Virgina!

Feel free to check out some of my previous book reviews: 

Look Look, It's a Book/Travel to Your Imagination/you should all read more/ 

I love me some books/big B, little B, what begins with b?/