Hey there Mommas!!! Oh, how I've missed you all. It's been beyond crazy around here at the new Momma Mojito HQ! Moving is a pain. A PAIN. Seriously, head-spinning, utterly exhausting PAIN. We have officially moved in but that sure doesn't mean we are settled in by any means. We are surrounded by boxes. We are slowly but surely getting things unpacked but it's certainly a process.
So let me tell you all a wild story. When we were looking at the house a couple months ago, I heard a faint scratching sound behind the kids' bathroom wall. Being that it's a brand new home and construction had just been completed, I wasn't overly alarmed. Surely it's pretty normal that some little critters find their way in during construction right? Well it sounded like a large animal scratching, so I assumed that it was an opossum or a raccoon maybe. I explained all of this to the builder's superintendent who acted like it was no problem and he would set out some traps and poison and get to the bottom of it. Okay great. Problem solved, right? Fast forward to our final walk-through on the home....everything looks great and in perfect condition. I am truly pleased. On further detailed inspection, I realize I can detect the very faintest odd and unfamiliar scent in the kids' bathroom and the hall closet that connects. It is so faint that I am partly thinking it may just be in my head and I'm being just overly sensitive. I chalk it all up to being new construction and surely there must be some strange smells that go along with it until the house gets settled. So we sign and buy the home. Happy and proud as we can be. Well, we couldn't move in right away because the movers were not coming to pack up our old home until almost a week later. Fast forward that week, I walk in to the house and of course go check out that smell that I was fairly certain I could smell but no one else could. I open the hall closet and I am overcome with the worst and truly most bizarre smell ever. I can't explain how strong the smell had become. It was gag-inducingly terrible. My suspicions have been correct....I knew there was something weird going on, and something in the back of my mind told me that the strange smell had been an animal. And now I had concrete proof in the smell. My husband tries to convince me that whatever it is has obviously died and the smell will go away. Well, I become busy with trying to set up the home for the next week and I avoid that closet all the while wishing and hoping that the dreadful smell in my brand new home would just go away. A week and a half goes by and I can no longer take it. It's driving me crazy and I want it gone. I email the warranty manager and I'm fairly certain he thought I was just some OCD woman who contacted him complaining about a strange smell. Regardless, he and the builder's superintendent come over and agree there is a somewhat strange smell so they get to work on cutting into the wall in the closet. As soon as they get a hole cut out, the smell becomes exponentially stronger. They get a flashlight inside and see dark fur everywhere. Then comes the possibility that maybe this animal is not dead yet. Things just keep getting better huh? They send over a pest control person who immediately determines that the fur is that of a SKUNK. Yep. A skunk was living in my wall but the man was certain he had now died but given the location near the kids' bathroom tub, we couldn't see the skunk. We had no clue where he was. So at this point, I am thoroughly sickened by all of this. Then the pest control proceeds to tell me that he won't be able to have it removed until the following week. Are you kidding me?!? Long story short, we ended up hiring someone else (a plumber of all people!) to do the job the same day. After a lot of hunting and searching, they remove the little stinker from my wall and send another company out to sanitize and deodorize. How is that for one of the craziest new home purchase stories you've ever heard?? Apparently critters of all shapes and sizes are curious about new homes being built. Including skunks. If I learned anything from all of this, it's to trust your gut--or in this case--your nose. If something smells strange, it probably is something strange. Lesson learned.
In other news, 2016 is just almost over. Tomorrow is New Year's Eve. I know for many people 2016 was a crappy year. I can't say the same for myself. It's been an interesting year for me. Starting my own business, turning 30, moving to some actual civilization finally. 2016 has been a really good year actually. There's a lot to look forward to in 2017 too. Now that I'm finally getting settled into the new place, there is going to be lots of progression with Momma Mojito. New adorable clothing, new accessories, new recipes, and a fresh prospective. Thanks to all of you wonderful ladies for helping me get this fun project going and for following along with us as we push forward and keep on having fun! I'm wishing you all health, happiness, prosperity, and delicious cocktails in 2017!! As it is our last Friday of 2016, I thought I would flash it back to my very first Friday Cocktail Time post which is of course undoubtedly the MOJITO! Love to you all and a very happy new year!!
xx, Momma Mojito
Momma Mojito's Original Mojito Recipe
Ingredients/Supplies:
- 2 oz. Bacardi White Rum
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 oz. Simple Syrup (find it in the drink mixer section at the grocery store or make your own!)
- 7-8 fresh mint leaves
- Club Soda to taste
- Crushed ice
- Muddler
- Lime wheel/extra mint to garnish
Directions:
In a highball glass, throw your mint leaves down at the bottom of the glass and pour the simple syrup on top of them. Muddle those leaves lightly. Not too much or you'll make your drink bitter. Oh and for those of you who are unsure what muddling is -- it's basically just a fancy term for squishing. Also, you don't have to own an actual muddler. Feel free to use the underside of a spoon or any other tool with a somewhat flat side to it. Now, fill the glass 3/4 of the way up with crushed ice. Muddle some more and get it all good and packed in. Perfect. Now add your rum. Bacardi white rum is the iconic rum for the mojito and it is just right in this drink so don't mess with a good thing. Then add the lime juice. Next, fill to the top with the club soda. Give it all a slight stir and lastly, add those garnishes. Hey--it tastes better if it looks pretty right? Okay final step: send those kids outside to play and prop yourself up in a lawn chair to watch! Now drink up Momma! You deserve it!
