Buggie and Jellybean

A little Valentines Day recap with a recipe on the side.

2012-02-15T08:13:00.000-05:00

Some call Valentines Day "the Hallmark" holiday, and I get it.

But honestly I have fond memories of waking up and finding little chocolates and notes of love from my parents.

So in the ways of always wanting to creating memories my kiddies, we celebrate for them.

Hubs and I not so much.

The aftermath of the v-day loot, honestly not sure what I did before Target $1 bins...

And of course my Bug had to be decked out in hearts.

And then there is this kid...

He is coming more and more out of that baby shell and taking on the role of BOY each and everyday.

Like for instance when I was standing in the kitchen and he decided to chuck Lighting McQueen at his sister and gave her a fat lip last night.

Dude you are lucky you are this cute...

After a day filled with junk I made a yummy heart healthy dinner. I had pinned this recipe for Corn and Quinoa salad and was excited to try it last night. To go along with it I grilled up some lemon chicken.

For the chicken:

- chicken cutlets

- juice from one lemon

- poultry seasoning {I use Adobo}

- shallot {chopped}

- 1 tbsp extra light olive oil

Season the chicken with the poultry seasoning. Then place in a large zip loc bag with all the other ingredients. Seal and then with a jar light pound out chicken, this is something I always do, helps make the chicken tender and juicy. Let marinate for about 30 mins. Then using my grill pan over med high heat I grill for 6 per side. Served with the salad on a bed of spinach, it was DELICIOUS and a healthy dinner for my fam bam.

Hope you Valentines Day was filled with lots of love...

A strawberry pickin we will go....

2012-02-13T08:09:00.002-05:00

Saturday was one of those days, that as a Mom I knew was good for memories.

It was a crisp morning, clear blue skies, and plenty of strawberries ready for pickin.

Bug, Bean, and I met up with our friends Sara and Lilly, for what Lilly calls "strawbellies".

It had rained most the day and night before, which made for some fun muddy puddles.

Lilly will be a new big sister come May, so it is super sweet to see her watching Avery be a big sister.

Nolan thought we should buy some dirt. I think we had about much dirt in his basket as we did strawberries.

We filled three baskets with beautiful ruby red berries, for $7. I love shopping local, supporting small family owned businesses, and eating fresh.

Yep it was a good day for memories...

Ended up making lemon pound cake and making a simple strawberry topping...

Hope your weekend was filled with lovely memories....

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Oh and before I go, I had a pancake request Sunday.

For Barbie.

Well, three tries and half a box of pancake mix later, she got what some might say is more a like a drag queen Barbie.

Notice that strong manly chin and what seems to be an adams apple?!

She did not care and was all smiles...

Central Florida Bloggers Meetup

2012-02-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

The time has come for us to meet.

Emily and I want to hang, so lets do this.

Please RSVP to me by March 5th.

Once I get your email I will provide more details on the fun to be had!

{space is limited, so it will be a first come first serve basis}

So what are you waiting for Central Florida Ladies?!

Come, meet, chat, and make new friends.

My home needs some lovin...

2012-02-06T09:53:00.002-05:00

After looking around and feeling overly cluttered I decided to take the week off from blogging.

{for the super cool frame and more check out I Rock So What...}

Our home is in need of some serious lovin, from my easy bake oven...

See you all next week!

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Oh one more thing before I go, congrats to all of us celebrating the 100th day of school!

Buggie sporting the shirt I made her and shaking the 100 ribbons she had in her hair.

I was offended...

2012-02-03T07:30:00.004-05:00

After reading this article, two days ago when Dani Shared it on Twitter, I was offended.

I was offended as a woman, a daughter, and mostly as a mother to a little girl, and NOT because I have a tattoo, its beyond that.

How dare you Lisa Khoury?

How dare you say this:

An elegant woman does not vandalize the temple she has been blessed with as her body. She appreciates it. She flaunts it. She's not happy with it? She goes to the gym. She dresses it up in lavish, fun, trendy clothes, enjoying trips to the mall with her girlfriends. She accentuates her legs with high heels. She gets her nails done. She enjoys the finer things in life, all with the body she was blessed with.

And then turn around and say this:

But at the end of the day, are you really a happier person? Has this tattoo, for instance, caused you to learn something new about yourself? Has it challenged you? Has it led you to self-growth? Nothing comes out of getting a tattoo. You get a tattoo, and that's it. You do something productive, though, and you see results. That's a genuine, satisfying change in life. Not ink.

Hold up, are you saying going to the gym, dressing up and wearing high heels is challenging?!

Now some might say wearing red lipstick and liquid liner is challenging {insert sarcasm}, but your comparisons make me cringe.

And while you sit behind your computer screen and pass judgement onto other women, I will teach my 5 year old daughter that tattoos do not change a person's worth, education, or feelings and that it is a form of self expression and art. She will learn to value woman, tattooed or not, for their contributions to society. She will learn to love, be creative, have fun, care about others and study, NOT to flaunt her body.

Please take a minute to read the response letter of the tattooed and ever so CLASSY Dani Hampton's.

Promise its worth the read.

Mom in the Shot {Feb 2nd A month in photos}

2012-02-02T08:21:00.000-05:00

I like bandwagons.

They fill my need to feel like part of the group.

So when some peeps on Instgram started posting a photo a day challenge for January,

I was in it to win it.

Here was the challenge....

And here is my month in collage form, thanks to the most helpful Julie, with her CRAY CRAY instructions...

It was super fun.

And like I said above I enjoy a bandwagon, so you know when I saw TWO more challenges for Feb I JUMPED HIGH. Haha.

Linking with Em today, why cause my mug is all up in that collage.

Homemade Turkey Sloppy Joes.

2012-02-01T07:30:00.001-05:00

Like I said yesterday, we had Turkey Sloppy Joes planned for Tuesday night din din.

So here is my from scratch, no jarred stuff here, Slop Sloppy Joes.

{advance apologies for the crap iphone pics}

Ingredients:

- 1 lb ground turkey

- 1/4 cup brown sugar

- 1 tbsp Adobe seasoning

- 1 medium onion chopped

- 2 medium carrots chopped into small pieces {now most people will use a bell pepper, my fam bam is not bell pepper fans, so carrot it is}

- 1 & 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar

- 1 & 1/2 tbsp worcestershire sauce

- 2 cups tomato sauce

- 2 tbsp tomato paste

- potato rolls to serve

First brown the turkey with the brown sugar and adobe seasoning over high medium heat.

Once browned add onion and carrots. Then add red wine vinegar and worcestershire sauce and reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 mins.

Mix in tomato sauce and paste, reduce to a simmer and cook another 5 mins.

And bam!

You have homemade Turkey Sloppy Joes!!!!

For a side I made cucumber salad:

Ingredients:

- cucumber

- shallot diced small

- 2 dollops of sour cream

- 1 tsbp red wine vinegar

- 1 & 1/2 tsp dry dill weed

Mix everything together, add salt and pepper to taste.

Add a little kick with a jalapeno pepper or

if you can't handle the heat, a sliced pickle will be nice.

BUT for the love of everything DO NOT FORGET THE TOTS!!

Enjoy.

Pro meal planning.

2012-01-31T07:30:00.002-05:00

Meal planning it essential on many levels for me.

Lets break it down the top three, shall we.

{this weeks meals}

1. Save dolla dolla bills - Sundays is my normal shopping day. When its time to make my grocery list, I start with our meals for the week. Then I make my list. This ensures, that I will not over buy and can over lap ingredients if I can. And one trip a week is much cheaper then going several times a week for meals.

2. Get our health on - When meal planning its much easier to include fresh veggies and try healthier recipes. And avoid boxed processed foods, like Tuesday Turkey Sloppy Joes, those bad boys are from scratch. Plan on seeing them here Wednesday.

3. Keep my sanity - Like I said above, Sunday is our normal food shopping day. Which means ONE day a week I need to ask myself "what's it going to be for dinner?" and it also gives the family the opportunity to make requests. Every morning I take out anything that may need defrosting and thats it. No standing in front of the pantry at 4:30 pm frantically trying to figure out what to make.

Did I sell you on meal planning?!

Will some free pretty printables help seal the deal?!

Check these out.

In Honor Of Design

The Project Girl

Olli Bird

Ok now get to meal planner people, its for the better!

thoughts on the future.

2012-01-27T10:14:00.001-05:00

I have been thinking a lot this week about being a Mom and the heavy burden that lays on my heart.

It's a job I do not take lightly.

Each day, I set out to love, care, teach, and raise them to be the grown people I know they can be.

Loving, creative, caring, nurturing, responsible, and about 543,689 other adjectives to describe the most perfect citizen.

But this week I am realizing some things.

I can lead them to the path, but it is truly their decision, which way to turn.

This is not an easy pill to swallow. The thought of them making a wrong decision sets my heart in a tail spin.

But it happens, BELIEVE me it happens.

You can lead and lead, but that one moment when they choose not to follow, can send your world crashing down.

I know, I am being a bit dramatic with my thoughts of the future, I mean they are 5 and 2.

But when you see other mothers, mother you know did it, they lead and lead, and then one step down that dark shadowed path altered their future for the worst, just makes me think and think hard.

But how do I know I am doing it?

That is working?

That their lives will be fulfilling and fruitful?

So many questions that will be answered over time.

I need to stop wishing for a crystal ball, cause it takes me out of the current.

I need to focus, on what they are today, and the future will be always be there, waiting.

But these moments will be gone for ever.

Mom in the Shot {Jan 26th To Infinity and Beyond}

2012-01-26T07:30:00.001-05:00

How do you know you married your soulmate?

Is it the way he looks lovingly at you from across the dinner room table as your son dumps his bowl of pasta on the floor?

Is it when you go to snuggle up with him in the middle of the night to find a kid has pulled a sneak attack and is currently acting as the Great Wall of China in your bed?

Or maybe its when settle down with your little fam bam to watch a movie and 20 minutes in, its just the two of you on the couch sharing a bowl of popcorn watching Rio for 543rd time, while your kids have abandoned you for better offerings in the playroom?

For me, its when stuff like this happens...

Yes, as the kiddlets played safely in the tub, we modeled and posed in Bean's Buzz towel.

What you don't stretch the neck out in your sons towel, strike a pose and stare randomly up and to the left, then take photos?

Well we do and when it happens, its magic.

Soulmate magic.

In other Pixar related news, I totally made this for Bean the other day...

I had seen it on Pinterest and have been wanting to make it.

*Poof* I made it.

*Disclaimer: I was by no means paid by Pixar for this post, but in related news they can so pay if they are feeling so generous.*

A Spoonful of Sugar Valentines {DIY}

2012-01-25T07:30:00.001-05:00

Remember that super sweet picture I took of Buggie the other day?

While here is what I ended up using them for...

I did this DIY, where I personalized spoons, a while back. But this time I decided to paint the spoons for a little added flare.

Supplies:

- spoons {dollar store has 2 for $1}

- wire

- wire cutters

- letter beads

- spray paint

Once the dollar store spoons were painted, we got to wrapping.

Buggie had a good time helping me spelling out all her friends names in her class.

Starting at the bottom of the spoon on the back, fold a little wire up, and wrap a few times.

Then start adding beads, wrapping a few times in between each letter.

To end wrap several times then tuck the wire through the back.

Add a little Kiss to the spoon with some double sided tape, for that little bit of sugar.

I am OVER THE MOON with how they turned out.

Enjoy!

Valentine's Day Chair Pockets {DIY}

2012-01-24T10:22:00.000-05:00

I love a DIY project that I have EVERYTHING I need on hand.

Can you imagine, something you do not need to get dressed and drag your kids to Joann's, to get one single thing for?

EEP, that happened to me!

Here is my SUPER easy Valentine's Day Chair Pockets.

What I used:

- Felt cut 8 in. wide x 21 in. long

- Twine or embroidery floss {I use Twinery Twine}

- embroidery needle

- embellishments {this part is totally up to you}

- ribbon, long enough for two straps to tie on the chair backs.

- fabric glue

First thing I did was draw out the kids names and cut them out.

Then I folded the felt with a 2 1/2 in flap.

Then I decorated the flips with a trim and their names.

This part I did backwards, but I would suggest sewing the ribbon on BEFORE you stitch the side of the pocket together.

Then I did a blanket stitch up the sides with the twine. Click on my post here to learn this SUPER easy stitch.

Then after adding some embellishments,

my kiddlets had their own Valentine's Day Chair Pockets!

For Nolan's robot, I just cut up felt.

And for Avery's I had a flower from Ikea laying around that needed a home.

So there it is, a SUPER easy little DIY.

ENJOY!

Mom in the Shot {Jan 19th I am a Mom, always learning and adapting}

2012-01-19T07:30:00.001-05:00

When I started writing this post it started out humorous.

All about me embarrassing my kids with public displays of affection and how I will try to make them do this forever and ever.

But then my mind got serious looking at this image.

Tears weld up and flowed all over my keyboard.

Wasn't sure why at first.

But then I realized what was going on.

I was afraid.

I was afraid that my own guilt about things might bring insecurities of their own.

That my wanting them to stay forever my little babies might bring moments of doubt of who they are or should be.

That loving on them as fiercely as I do, could make them dependent on me and not the independent thinkers I know they should be.

And most of all that my dreams for them will cloud their own.

I know these feelings may dissipate and just be replaced with new mommyhood insecurities.

Or they may always be there.

Learning the best thing I can do when these moments happen, is to take deep breathes and let the tears come.

Because when I suppress them, the my world gets smaller and my emotions become more intense, creating a claustrophobic effect in my chest = no bueno.

Another thing that helps is blogging these feelings and hearing from you all, that I am not alone.

So, now I ask, any mommyhood insecurities you want to get off your chest?

Please share.

As always linking up with Em.

We play with our food.

2012-01-18T07:30:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to share two lunch plates I made the kids this past week...

Not much of a post today, just wanted to share.

Oh one more thing before I go.

My sweet friend Jess made Buggie this adorable owl hat...

Check out My Charming Colors for more!

Ok peace out!

When good things just happen...

2012-01-17T07:30:00.002-05:00

Sunday Buggie and I found ourselves outside enjoying the gorgeous day.

Pre usual sidewalk chalk was out and I started doodling.

When I had drawn a few hearts, something came to me.

I could take a picture of Buggie for her Valentines Day card for school!

Then after a little brainstorming, we go this shot...

Later I came in downloaded it to my computer, added some text, and then sent it back to my phone.

Where I opened up Postal Pix, click a button and ordered 20 prints, for $7 bucks after shipping!

I can not wait to get the little 4x4 prints and work up a little DIY to go with them.

Look for it, cause you know I will HAVE to blog it!

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Oh hey did you notice new social buttons have been added to my sidebar -->

You can run but you can not hide, cause now I am everywhere, HA!

Join in some fun...

SWAG SWAP WEEK 2012~coupon codes galore!

2012-01-16T07:30:00.002-05:00

we.are.HERE

the long awaited swag swap week is going on right now :)

Cliff Notes: All shops participating in the swap get to trade their swag with swag in other shops too!

Not participating in the swap? No Worries! Our shop owners have graciously offered you fine folks COUPON CODES so you too can go all "click, add to cart" crazy on these awesome handmade shops!

Are you participating in swag swap week? Make sure to re-read all the rules and contact your swapper via email! Please make sure your swapper is actually participating in swag swap week by referring to this list :)

Now what are you waiting for? Browse our shops, go swapping, use their coupon codes, and check back later in the week at YellowHeartArt.blogspot.com for group giveaways from some participating shops happening this Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday AND Friday!

[shop] [blog] [twitter] [facebook]

COUPON CODE: homegirl is giving 15% off ALL items in her shop with the code "CELEBRATE", works worldwide too! Go on our friends in Europe and Canada, get shopping!

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COUPON CODE: enter SWAPLOVE at checkout for 15% off!

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COUPON CODE: enter SWAGER at checkout for 20% off!

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COUPON CODE: score yourselves 20% off EVERYTHING in the shop with SWAG20 at check out

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COUPON CODE: Enter SWAG20 to get 20% off all these hair lovelies! GO GO GO!

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COUPON CODE: Enter SWAGSWAP20 to nab yourself 20% off! (WOOT!)

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COUPON CODE: If you enter SWAGSWAP12 at checkout you get 15% off on ANYTHING in the shop! ((US & Canada only please)) ((good till end of swap Jan 21st, 2012))

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COUPON CODE: Enter SWAG10 at checkout for 10% off! ((US only please))

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COUPON CODE: Enter SWAPWEEK for 30% off (WOWZAS!)

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COUPON CODE: Enter SWAPWEEK and get 10% off anything your heart desires <3

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COUPON CODE: Enter SWAGSWAP at checkout for 10% off ANYTHING! (holla)

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COUPON CODE: Enter SWAGSWAP10 and get 10% off any and all items in the shop!

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PROMOTION: Free Shipping on all prints until December 20th. No coupon code necessary- all print shipping is already discounted. Free shipping available on U.S. print orders only with discounted shipping rates internationally.
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COUPON CODE: Enter "SWAGSHOP" at check out for FREE domestic shipping!

[shop] [blog] [twitter] [facebook]

COUPON CODE: Enter SWAGWEEK for 20% off anything in the shop! (she also has items for big people too! Fun iPad sleeves and purses)

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***IMPORTANT NOTICE*** Kristina had to put her shop in vacation mode during this week, please visit her "sold" section to see what items she has. She will be available for contact. She apologizes for any inconveniences!

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COUPON CODE: Enter SWAG15 for 15% off these ADORABLE purses! (I should know I own 4)

[shop] [blog] [twitter] [facebook]

COUPON CODE: Enter "SAVE10" at checkout for 10% off anything you want!

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COUPON CODE: Enter "SWAPIT" for 15% off these hand stamped lovelies

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COUPON CODE: Enter "SWAPWEEKLOVE" for 20% off ANYTHING in her shop! (aww yeah!)

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COUPON CODE: Enter SWAGSWAP20 for 20% off these lovely rosies!

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Swag Swap Week is going on from January 16th 2012 - January 21st 2012. Coupon codes will expire once the week is over.

When life throws you a curve ball.

2012-01-13T07:30:00.002-05:00

Back in the first week of December our life was turned upside down.

It is amazing how one phone call changes everything.

With respect to my family and their privacy, I can tell you this much, my mother in law was diagnosed with a brain tumor that night.

She had it successfully removed.

We were blessed to learn it was not cancer.

But we have the long rode of recovery ahead of us.

During those first crazy weeks, I found out about a friend from high school and her recent curve ball.

Here is Ethan's story written by his Momma, Melissa.

Ethan was born January 6, 2009. A few weeks before Ethan was to turn 3 years old, our world was turned upside down. After multiple visits to the pediatrician for a puffy eye, we were sent to St. Joseph's Children's Hospital for an MRI that revealed a tumor above Ethan's left eye. Following this discovery, we consulted with the cranial-facial plastic surgeon who would eventually remove the tumor. He ordered a CT Scan for Ethan so that he could get a better idea of how involved the tumor was with Ethan’s skull, eye, and brain. Due to the location of the tumor, it was determined that we would need a neurosurgeon in addition to the plastic surgeon; we also realized that due to the proximity to the brain and eye, we could not biopsy the tumor prior to surgery, which lead to wide speculation of a diagnosis.

From the realization that surgery was a necessity, the plastic surgeon wanted to schedule the operation ASAP in order to protect Ethan’s eye. Unfortunately, due to hospital politics, he was unable to schedule the surgery with a neurosurgeon that he was comfortable working with, so we were referred to the University of Miami. On December 6, we arrived in Miami. We stayed in Miami for 5 days and consulted with multiple doctors and ran more tests. Following more speculation, surgery was scheduled in Miami for December 30, 2011; it could not be scheduled sooner because the neurosurgeon was going on vacation for Christmas. In the mean time, our doctor in Tampa was still working around the clock and calling in favors in order to schedule the surgery in Tampa sooner than December 30 as he did not want to risk allowing the tumor to jeopardize Ethan’s eye. We were sent home to wait until the end of the month and told to “enjoy the holidays.” It seemed that the roller-coaster was never going to end.

On December 16, we got a call that our doctor in Tampa, after exhausting all of his favors, was able to schedule Ethan’s surgery in Tampa for December 22, 2011.

The surgery was a success and the tumor was completely removed. Ethan was diagnosed with Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH), a rare cancer-like disease that affects 1:200,000 children. While the diagnosis could be worse, this is still a serious disease with no government funding available for researching a cure.

We went to meet with Ethan's oncologist on January 5th and were informed that we would need to be admitted into Tampa General Hospital for a 4-10 day stay so that they could install Ethan's port and test to see if the disease was present anywhere else in his body. During our stay at TGH Ethan had an MRI, CT of his head, chest and abdomen, bone marrow extraction, X-rays of ALL of his bones, a spinal tap, his port was installed and he was tested for diabetes insipidus. This particular type of diabetes is common in children that have LCH. At this time we have gotten all but the spinal fluid test back and they all have been negative. This is WONDERFUL news!! Ethan starts chemo today 1/12/12 and we should get to go home tomorrow!! Ethan has been a trooper through all of this. Definitely stronger than I would be.

The next six months will be difficult as we begin the journey of beating this disease.

On September 27, 2011, our family was blessed with the addition of Liam, Ethan’s younger brother. My husband and I have used all of our available sick time through June 2012 with the leave that we took following Liam’s arrival, making it difficult for us to be off of work. However, Ethan needs us around as much as possible, especially Mommy, over the next 6-8 weeks during his first round of chemo and during any future treatments. We are trying to raise money that will help with the costs of Ethan’s care so that we can keep our focus on keeping his spirits up and beating this disease. Asking for and accepting help has been one of the most difficult things that we have done, but we need any and all help that people can provide.

I know Ethan is not the only child fighting a deadly disease and I know the Haas family is not the only one in need right now.

But helping them could make the difference for a complete recovery and clean bill of health for Ethan.

Melissa has setup a GoFundMe page for Ethan.

Its an easy way to give this sweet little boy a cancer- free future .

If you can't donate, spreading the word would also be amazing way to bless this family with your generosity.

The page is a great way to stay updated on Ethan progress.

So please take a moment for Ethan.

**UPDATE: The Haas Family was told today that chemo will be a year long, not the 6 weeks they originally thought.**

Mom in the Shot {Jan 10th A family shot to remember her}

2012-01-12T07:30:00.000-05:00

This past News Years Day, we gathered, we eat, we laughed, and we remembered her.

It was just in October that we had all gathered last, when my Abuela passed away.

She is was married to the love of her life for 55 years, she was the mother of 7, grandmother of 23, and great-grandmother 9.

She gave the best hugs.

And even though I was one of 23 grandkids, she always made me feel like I was her favorite,

but I am pretty sure she had 23 favorites.

My Uncle took a picture of our crazy crew, minus a few who could not make it.

Can you find me?

It was a great day.

We love you and miss you Abuela.

Awk2theWard Wednesday {Jan 11th}

2012-01-11T07:30:00.005-05:00

I have not done one of these bad boys in a while.

But lets roll...

Now this image is not necessarily an awkward moment, thats unless he does not stop this habit by the time he is 4, cause then its on the verge of becoming a "situation" {pun intended}.

But it was the moment right after I took this that took the awkward cake.

-Upon leaving the holy land we call Nordstroms, I took Bean into the bathroom for a quick diaper change before our car ride home. As we walked in, a group of 4 ladies walked in with us. I decided I need to use the potty, so by the time I was out of the stall, three of the 4 ladies were washing there hands. I then proceeded to change Nolans diaper. While taking his pants off, I thought oh man did you go number 2? Nope he diaper was just peeps. Then I look over and still just three ladies are lingering at the counter chatting, waiting on their friend.

Um oh wow.

How do you tell your friends to just go ahead and you will be right out?! It was VERY clear what was happening. I kept looking at them trying to do some Jedi mind trick and well them out the door, so their friend could finish her "business".

Nope they just stood there.

AWKWARD.

- See this kid...

He has reach the perfect butt height on me.

Which makes for a ton of awkward moments when he decides to come behind me and wrap his little arms around me and hug fiercely, resulting in his head snug between my bum cheeks.

Yep that awkward.

Come join the fun!

2012-01-10T08:22:00.000-05:00

I am a sucker for a handmade swap.

So when my hometown girls of Oh Strumpets, put this little diddy together, I was down!

You should sign up too!

And may we will be partners, can you imagine?!

Felt Heart and Doily Garland

2012-01-09T07:30:00.006-05:00

I love decorating for Valentines Day.

It makes me smile.

Little hearts and cheer throughout the house.

This weekend I worked on a little Felt Heart and Doily Garland.

LOVED how it turned out.

Supplies:

- felt

- twine from The Twinery {or embroidery floss}

- piece of paper

- embroidery needle

- paper doilies

- scissors

- glue stick

- stuffing {you can always sacrifice a stuff animal for this}

First thing I did was make my heart template.

Went old school and just folded a piece of paper and cut a heart out.

Then cut to hearts for the front and back. And did the blanket stitch around the heart, you can read my tutorial on Em's blog for this stitch.

Really I wish everything in my world had a blanket stitch.

Once you have 80% stitched stuff your little heart. Remember you need more stuffing then you think.

Once you finish off the stitch, take a piece of twine the length you want the hoop for hanging to be, and thread it through the needle. Pull through and then tie into a knot.

Make as many as your heart desires..

Then I took paper doilies {I bought last year at Target}.

Folded them in half and cut them.

Then spaced them on a piece of twine and added the hearts in-between. Gluing the doilies down with the glue stick.

Hung it up on our family photo wall...

Yep I am in love with it.

Here is a few I embellished...

Another little Valentines Day project from last year.

And the wreath I made last year is making its rounds on Pinterest.

Can you tell I like these colors together?!

Enjoy!

My favorite photo of 2011 {The Paper Mama Challenge}

2012-01-07T08:47:00.001-05:00

When I read The Paper Mama's challenge for the week, my first thought was *phesh* I know

exactly which photo was my favorite from 2011.

Then I went to find it and came across at least 50 more that I thought *phesh* thats my favorite, no this one, oh man but I really like this one.

I guess this will happen when you take at least 15 photos a day.

So lets do the math if I average 15 photos a day x 365 days = an OBSCENE amount of photos.

Here is the one I settled on...

{taken with my phone}

A moment when Buggie was doing her thing and Bean was on the sidelines cheering her on.

I love how it captures a single moment.

Not one of them posed, sitting pretty, and holding hands.

Just them being who they are my fun, loving, carefree kiddies.

And for the cherry on top it is at our beach.

The same exact sandy shoreline that has been our families spot for 5 generations.

My great grandparents owned a little motel right here, so my kids are now the 5th generation to play in this little stretch of the Gulf of Mexico.

And just the thought of it gives me goosebumps.

So yes this is my favorite photo I took in 2011.

Let us take a look, what's in your pocketbook? {Guest Starring Marissa from Controlled Chaos}}

2012-01-06T07:31:00.000-05:00

Hi all.

Wow it has been a hot min since I blogged.

Not intentional but I guess life got away from me.

But today I am back with "Let us take a look, what's in your pocketbook?"

This month I wanted to share a momma, that I not only know IRL {in real life} but she is part of my extend HUGE fam bam.

Marissa, who I just call my cousin, is actually the sister of my cousins wife.

Yes, we count people that far deep as fam.

Marissa, from Controlled Chaos, is plain and simple the bomb.

She is a Momma to not one, not two, but three, yes three littles under the age of two.

When I tell you she is one of the funniest people I know, I AM NOT KIDDING.

Her blog is a dumping ground of some of the best heart felt, Hi-Larry-Us, Momma rants out there. Not convinced? Read this. Did you laugh out loud? I snort laughed through the whole thing. And honestly I could link about twenty more posts just as AWESOME as that one, but you should just head over and find the gems as there are many!

But lets get to what we came from today.

The bag.

So I normally ask for a picture of the bag and contains, with a "BRIEF" description of the contains. Then based off that I ask the fellow blogger questions. BUT when I received Marissa's pictures and "BREIF" description, I honestly could not think of questions that would even compare to the "BREIF" description that Marissa so graciously provided.

1. Diaper

2. Sunglasses with no case which means they are terribly scratched.

3. Toothpaste. I hate cleaning so much that sometimes I pick stuff off the floor and throw it in my purse. It's easier than walking it to the bathroom.

4. Dried apple snacks. I feed my kids in the car to keep them quiet.

5. A lollipop from Halloween.

6. A fork.......ummmmm I dunno.

7. My E-ticket to Disney for The Very Merry Mickey Parade.

8. Wallet. I am so glad you asked me to do this today because I bought a new wallet. And two days ago all of my cards and receipts were strewn everywhere in my purse. True story - I have lost my wallet a total of four times since the twins were born. That's four times in less than two years. But now I have two drivers licences because I found my wallet from the fourth time right after I bought the new wallet. Redic.

9. 3 MAC Lip Glosses. I can never find one and today I empty my purse and find three. I really only put it on when I see someone I know in public. That is, if I can sneak it on without them seeing me do it.

10. Bobbypins. But they're blonde bobbypins and I went dark about six months ago.

11. One pair of Stella's shoes and one pair of Chloe's shoes.

12. Playdough

13. Gum and chocolate

14. A Target receipt. I actually had about four of these but it looked too trashy so I threw them away. Sorry. It's the only way I edited the contents.

15. Eyeliner I actually put this one some days.

16. Money. Singles only. Boo.

17. Wine/Bottle opener. I don't know from when or why but, I do know it's staying.

18. A perscription for Stella

19. Wipes.

20. The diaper cover from Stella's Christmas dress.

21. A pair of Colton's pajama bottoms. No top, just bottoms???

22. A outdoor carpet sample from Home Depot.

And one thing that I always have in there but isn't for some reason - Bendable Straws because of YOU! Thank you for the fabulous tip. Although, mine are just in a ziploc, not in a pretty toothbrush holder like yours.

Is this too long? Sorry. I have a bunch of crap ; )

Seriously people could I have done better?!

I think not.

So like I mentioned before Marissa, is the bomb diggity.

And I am IN LOVE with her first Pinterest project!

MUAH, Cous, thanks for hanging with us today!

Our Christmas...

2011-12-27T08:42:00.001-05:00

A little peak at our Christmas Eve and Day through pictures...

Seriously I could take pictures of my kids all day long if they would let me.

My heart exploded when I saw this picture I snagged on my phone.

Oh Bean your little facial expression get me every time.

The table set at my parents house.

The meal I wait for ALL year long. Sour orange pork, black beans & rice, with homemade cranberry sauce.

Bean and my grandmothers dog {Wyland} got matching Christmas Eve jammers, BAHAHAHA!

Digging into their stockings.

She kept saying when she opened this "He knew! He knew! Santa knew!" I loved every second the fat guy got credit...

Her own camera, love how much she loved it.

Then there is this kid, he cracks me up. Lots of cars and trains made his day.

Hope you all had the most Merriest of Christmases!

finding my place.

2011-12-20T09:25:00.001-05:00

I feel like I am living Ground Hogs Day.

You know the movie where Bill Murray wakes up over and over to the same day.

"Phil?! Phil Conor?!"

Thats me.

Waking and doing.

Doing the same things day in and day out.

So while I sit and fold my fifth load of laundry or stand at the sink for the third time that day, my mind starts wondering...

Is this me.

Is this what I am supposed to be doing?

One thing I know for a fact that I am meant to be, is a Mom.

It centers me.

But.

And I truly hate saying this and feeling this way.

There are days where my heart longs for something else.

Dear sweet baby Jesus, I wish they were it and I could move on with the school drop offs, diaper changing, cleaning, and fight negotiations, and feel like I did it.

I did what I was meant to do.

But I am afraid.

I am afraid of resentment.

I am afraid of regret.

I am afraid of the what ifs.

I am afraid of not loving myself.

My kids give me more then I could have ever imagined.

But somehow there is always a feeling of something missing.

Is that something the "real" me?

Will next week I wake up to a new day, of this feeling gone?

Maybe.

It seems to move like the seasons through me.

Always changing.

I know this single post will not bring answers.

But putting it out there maybe it will stir some to the surface.

But in the meantime, I am a back to making enough memories for my kids to last a lifetime.

It was necessary...

2011-12-14T08:16:00.001-05:00

There other day I had had it.

The consistent whining.

Having to ask not once, not twice, not even three times, but more like 5 or 6 times to do something.

The lack of general courtesy and manners had reached it all time high.

Lenny was watching my frustration.

And the next morning we woke up to this hanging over our kitchen table.

Listen I get that the shelf Elf is fun, cute and likes to get into funny things.

But he has a J.O.B.

And that morning he had my back.

Tis the season to dangle the fear of no gifts over your kids head.

No shame.

Happy Wednesday.

______________________

Thank you for the prayers for my family.

Please keep them coming, as we need them.

My MIL had surgery on Saturday to remove {a thank God, not cancerous} brain tumor.

But now we are on the long road to recovery.

So the extra prayers are WELCOME and APPRECIATED!

The Blankie Cape {DIY}

2011-12-12T07:30:00.003-05:00

This Christmas I decided to participate in a little gift exchange for my kiddies.

It was world wide, so its pretty exciting.

The budget was $10 a gift.

We were paired up with two boys.

One 2 and one 5.

So my mind raced to come up with a handmade goodie

{that was not a requirement, but for me always make it that much more special}.

Then I thought what ~~little kid~~
superhero wouldn't like a cape, but not just a cape but a blankie cape!

What you will need to make 2 capes-

- 1 yrd a minkie fabric {which is normally $14.99 I got for 50% off}

- 2 yrd regular fabric washed for shrinkage {which was $4.99 a yrd on sale for 50% off}

- some ribbon {about 6 in}

- fabric paint and paint brush

- card stock

For my pattern I took Buggies cape and shaped it with pins into a smaller version. And then I traced it on wrapping paper and cut out for my pattern. You can easily freehand the shape, my pattern was 24 ins across at the widest point, 27 inches from the tip of the neck to the bottom and the neck was 8 ins at its widest point.

Then I cut the pattern out of the fabric and the minkie.

Taking a piece of card stock I made a letter template. Then traced it with an invisible pen.

Then painted with the fabric paint. You could use freeze paper to make a stencil or if you are super cool you can use a silhouette machine, which I clearly am not.

Once the letter is dried I added a little lighting bolt.

Before pinning the fabric inside out together, add a small piece of ribbon to one of the neck strips.

Then pin the fabric, and sewed. When you sew the ribbon part, lift it bit so it makes a loop before sewing both sides down, this is where the other neck piece will go through to hold the cape on. Leaving a small opening to pull the cape through the hole so its right side out. Then sew the hole up.

Now you will have a blankie cape!

The ribbon loop acts as the perfect way to hold the cape on, but easily pulled off.

My little model loved it.

{and yes she was dressed as strawberry shortcake, we went with it..}

It clearly will help the ~~little kid~~ superhero leap from a single bound...

Or twirl through their enemies...

And when they are done saving the city, they can snuggle up for some rest before the next villain comes to town...

***I apologize for the lack of pics during the pinning and sewing process, please feel free to ask any questions you may have!"***

On a serious side note:

Please send prayers and healthy thoughts our way, we need all we can get as our family

deals with a serious health concern. Thank you so much!

A house full of magic.

2011-12-09T07:30:00.002-05:00

Wednesday after school something BIG happened.

One of those milestones, that for sure is sealing the fact that my little Buggie is growing up.

She lost her first tooth!!!

I may or may not have aided in the losing of the tooth by feeding her an apple.

I may or may not have done this because I wanted her to loose it at home.

I may or may not have been a little jealous if this were to have happen at school and I was not there to witness it.

Then Wednesday night she tucked her tooth under her pillow and went to sleep.

And when she woke she found this...

Lenny our scout Elf and the Tooth Fairy had a hot chocolate date.

The Tooth Fairy even left behind a little bit of pixie dust with bum prints.

You should have heard the giggles from my little girl.

These moments are what I cherish, making my daughters childhood memories filled with wonder and magic.

And guess what the tooth next to it is super loose too!

I keep telling her she will get to sing "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth."

Hum wonder what Lenny and the Tooth Fairy will get into next time she visits?!

Projects of Christmas Past

2011-12-06T08:03:00.000-05:00

Just a look back on a few things I have done over the past two years...

Peppermint Marshmallows Stirs. {perfect gift topper}

Gift wrapping caddy

Doily Basket

Felt words to add a little Christmas flare.

Painted Ornaments

Happy crafting...

We play with our food.

2011-12-05T07:30:00.000-05:00

I realized it has been awhile since I have shared on the blog any of the lunches I have made for the kids.

I think because I share on IG and Twitter, I forget.

Any who, there is a few plates as of late...

Yes this is made from pancakes. I will do a tutorial on it soon.

Hope these bring you some food fun inspiration!

Oh not only are our lunches fun, but we usually dress up for them too :)

_______________________________

Hey come visit me over on Anderson Crew today, I am sharing how to make these cuties.

Let us take a look, what's in your pocketbook? {Guest Starring Chelsey from The Paper Mama}

2011-12-02T07:30:00.000-05:00

It's that time again.

First friday of month means a lookie into another bloggers bag.

This month the lovely Chelsey from The Paper Mama is gracing us with her presence.

I hate to admit it but I am relatively new follower of Chelsey's, but fell fast for her.

I love her candid look into her life, even the not so fun things like her birth story or her battle with postpartum depression. And her super creative side like her hair posts {girls got some hair to envy} and her shop. She is a momma to a beautiful little almost 2 yr old Rurai.

Seriously how freakin cute is she?

Ok now on to the "bag".

- Love backpack style bags, but never have bought one. Was that a strategic move after having Ruari? What do you look for in a bag?

Yes it was. When I went searching online for my bag.... I was specifically looking for a leather bag that doubles as a purse and a backpack. BUT, I didn't want it too big. I was finding I didn't need the huge diaper bag anymore since Ruari is now a toddler... and, this bag has been lovely! I usually randomly get a new idea about a bag I'd like... then, search EVERYWHERE for it. It must be under $35 (with shipping). If I find it thrift: that's a plus! I just cannot spend much on a purse... I change it so much!

- EEP, your iphone case, WANT. Spill the beans, Momma is in the market for a new case.

I love my case... and, it seems to be pretty darn sturdy. I've dropped my phone about 10 times. ;) It's a Cath Kidston case that I found used on eBay.

- I see you carry lipgloss. What are your fav makeup items to use just on the day to day to feel pretty?

Yeah, I have my lipgloss in there... only because when I DO go out it is the thing I always forget to put on. SO, I have it with me. :) I'm more of a chapstick girl normally. The makeup I love to help me feel pretty: just some mascara. It makes a world of difference when I put on just a little mascara. :)

- You are always posting beautiful images, do you carry your camera all the time? And is it cool enough to have its one digs?

I don't always carry my camera. I'm actually trying to carry it with me less. It does get in the way and I'm trying to BE a part of the moment... instead of the photographer of the moment. :)

- Love the fact that you carry a pair of earrings, how would you describe your style?

Yes, as a mama I always forget to put earrings on! Before I had Ruari I ALWAYS wore earrings. I would feel completely naked without them. These days I barely wear them. So, like my lip gloss, I carry them with me... just in case. I don't really know how to describe my style... I'm usually attracted to 50's ish and anything coral in color. ;)

Thank you so very much Chelsey for playing along with me!

The funny thing about these posts {I know this is only number two} but I feel I could go on and on asking questions. But I know these are busy Mommas so I find myself restraining from going on and on and on and on. But truth is I am a much more into asking people questions about their lives then talking about my boring one, ha.

Mom in the Shot {Dec 1st One for the Scrapbook}

2011-12-01T07:09:00.001-05:00

You know the feeling of being all dressed nicely for a holiday and thinking,

"We MUST take a picture."

Last week at Thanksgiving dinner at my parents that happened.

It was one of those moments right before we all gathered, I had a crap we need to get a picture.

You know before sweet potatoes end up down the front of someone's shirt, OR red wine ends up on someone's lap, OR gravy works its way into the corners of your mouth, ok enough about Hubs :)

Then this happens...

And all in our little universe is right.

You know the deal...

9 years today, whoop whoop!

2011-11-23T09:15:00.001-05:00

A couple of months back, Hubs was cleaning out his bed side table and came across something that he had saved.

When I saw it, I had a flood emotions.

Amazed he saved it.

Then I thought about it for a hot sec, and was like WOW I was a hussy.

It was the napkin that I wrote my number on for him.

Thats right, I gave him my number, ha.

Hussy.

But today we celebrate our 9 year wedding anniversary.

And that number hangs on our wall.

So I guess sometimes being a hussy pays off.

Happy anniversary Jeffie.

BHH.

10 years next year, its a BIG one.

We want to go somewhere.

Where would you go?

Two Minute Salsa.

2011-11-22T07:30:00.001-05:00

We planning this for this upcoming weekend, I wanted to make a lot of stuff in advance.

When you are going to have 6 extra people around for 5 days, planning is key to a stress free weekend.

One thing I knew right away to make was this salsa recipe passed to me by my girlfriend Jenni.

It really is beyond easy.

What you will need:

- 3 cans stewed tomatoes {original}

- 3/4 onion {diced}

1/2 bunch of cilantro

- 1 tsp chili powder

- 1/4 tsp ground cumin

- 1/2 tsp garlic powder

- jalapenos {to taste}

- 6 shakes of red wine vinegar

- salt {to taste}

Ready for this, combine in food processor and push button.

And now you have salsa!

This recipe filled a large 24 oz mason jar AND a smaller 12 oz.

Which worked out perfect, filled the 24oz jar up, then add some more jalapeno blended for a hot version.

This is better after a day or so in the fridge.

Add chips and enjoy!

Off to check something else of my list.

I will take my Holidays one at a time, thank you.

2011-11-21T09:19:00.001-05:00

Traditions are designed per the individual.

And one tradition I hold dear is not over shadowing

Thanksgiving by decking the halls before hand.

Over this past weekend there was SO many photos popping up of

Christmas trees, mantels, and elfs on shelves.

Not in our house.

This week is all about the bird and giving thanks for all we have been blessed with.

Last Friday Buggie had her Thanksgiving Feast at school.

All the kindergarten classes gathered and gave thanks.

Every child pay $3 and the parents organized the event that was catered by Boston Market.

I am thankful for being a SAHM that has a husband able to adjust his

schedule so I can be there to capture these moments.

I am thankful for the friendships Buggie has made over these past months. And what a wonderful transition she has made into kindergarten.

I am thankful for this group of kids, that call me "Avery's Mom". They are the sweetest.

I am thankful for hosting my first Thanksgiving.

I am thankful for Hubs family from Boston coming to give thanks with us.

I am thankful for 80% off fall clearance at Hobby Lobby.

I am thankful for the beautiful handmade table cloth, that was passed down to me from Hubs grandmother.

I am thankful for so much more and Thursday I will sit at our dinning room table and reflect on them. But not with the glare of a Christmas tree behind me.

I am thankful for all of you.

They all can't be winners.

2011-11-18T08:03:00.000-05:00

Sunday I wrote out our meal plan for the week with the idea of trying ALL new meals.

Not just new meals but using my crockpot {or as auto correct likes to call it "crackpot"}.

Monday:

Pot Roast

We came out of the gates running with this one.

It was AH-MAZING.

Hubs said top five meals I have made, and lets be honest people that pretty high standards here :)

The only I changed for our was instead of putting the potatoes in the pot, I made mashers. Which is just cause my kiddlets prefer them that way.

Oh and do not forget get the loaf of crusty bread to "zamboni" that plate clean.

Tuesday:

Orange Chicken

Going into Tuesday we had some big boots to fill after the pot roast.

And lets just say those boots were not filed, even the little drop.

This meal was disgusting.

Worst part it was in the crackpot all day, smelling up my house. Giving me the sensation that it was going to be EPIC. Yeah it was EPIC alright, EPIC FAIL.

Live and learn.

The taste was over powering, and NO ONE liked it.

We ate cereal.

Wednesday:

Tortellini Soup

This was the only non crackpot meal I made.

It was good.

It was easy.

And it made up for the night before.

Mind you it was not Pot Roast, but they all can not be a "pot roast" type of meal.

I did make my Cheesy pull-apart bread to go with it.

Thursday:

Angel Chicken

I knew this would be our redeemer.

And it was.

Full of flavor.

Everyone loved it.

Even my non-mushroom eaters.

We all agreed it will go into the "routine".

Random side job:

Apple Butter

When I pinned this, I knew it would be a gift for Buggie's teacher for Thanksgiving.

I just thought after reading the directions it would take around 10 hrs, well tack on 6 more hrs and you have yourself some apple butter.

Its good.

REAL good.

Worth the time.

I think were I went wrong was the apples I used were REAL juicy, so it took longer for the liquid to evaporate.

But make it.

The before:

The after:

That cute Thanks little tag came from here, they are free!

Ok so there it is, the low, the skinny, the nitty gritty, the good, the bad, and the REALLY REALLY good.

I encourage you all to take a week and plan a new recipe for each night. Just remember there might be a night you end up eating cereal!

Mom in the shot {Nov 17th A sick little Bean,

2011-11-17T07:00:00.001-05:00

Knock on wood, my kids rarely get sick.

But when they do, oh boy, they are out of commission.

Sunday Nolan started showing the signs.

A little sneeze here or there.

His eyes started getting a little glassy.

And by bedtime we knew.

The fever came.

Monday morning I got him up and we headed to our peds office.

Thats one of my favorite things about them, the 2 hrs in the morning that are just for walk ins.

It's such a relief to wake up at 7, throw on some clothes and not have to call or wait.

As you can see in his little face when waiting for the dr, it had been a LOOONG night. After a quick checkup his diagnose : ear infection. Reason two to love my dr's office, our two dr's carry those little laptops, where they already now our preferred pharmacy, and my dr simply sends over the rx for Bean's prescription with a flick of his finger. So I just leave and go straight home without having to swing by and drop off the rx and just go get it when it was done.

Yeah it was a rough start to our week. Poor guy.

But I can report that my little dude is back on the upswing!

We got to leave the house yesterday!! Even if it was the grocery store.

{Talk about a reflection pic, this is a reflection of Bean through the window reflected on the back of my phone and my image on the window, crazy right, kinda really love it. Even with the dirty window}

As you can see he was all smiles.

***Having one of this days or weeks for that matter, when you think you are losing. Losing against your kids, read my cousins blog post, and take note that you will WIN.***

Did you see his birthday party?!

Linking up with Em.

Fall Florida Style {The Paper Mama Photo Challenge}

2011-11-15T06:53:00.001-05:00

This is my first time linking up with Chelsey from The Paper Mama, and I am very excited to join the fun.

This weeks challenge is fall.

And honestly these pictures may not look very fall to you, but if you do not live in Florida then you my not recognize "our" fall.

Unfortunately for us fall is not about trees filled with techno colored leaves, falling to the ground every time the wind blows.

And it surely is not about scarfs, hats, and mittens.

Nope our falls are shorts, flip flops, and palm trees.

But one thing fall does bring us is time outside in 70 degree weather.

So with the sun hanging low in the sky, giving us an hour or so of sweat free playtime, we RUN full speed outside.

This was fall for us this weekend.

Time at the park playing peek-a-boo.

Then a little pretend game of baseball, where Daddy stood on the mound and "throw" the ball and we "swung" our bats. And every ball we "hit" was a homer! Then ran the bases with our arms stretched high above our head in victory!

And for some of us preferring to draw in the dirt.

It was a magical fall day here in Sunshine State.

And then we partied Part 2 {Bean's Dino-mite 2nd birthday party}

2011-11-14T07:30:00.002-05:00

**WARNING: Heavy link and picture post***

As I already shared last week, we had Bean's party at Gymboree.

Which was a blessing and a wee bit stressful.

The stressful part for me was remembering everything, packing it all up, lugging over there, and only having 45 mins to setup, EEK, I get the shivers thinking about it again.

But honestly it turned out perfectly.

I also mentioned last week about 90% of his party was DIY, why? because I love to.

Bean is WAY into dinosaurs, so choosing the theme was a no brainer.

And another no brainer for me was where to go to get the paper good made.

As you know from this party and this party Kori, Paper and Pigtails, is my go to girlie for all things party.

First things first the backdrop for the little dessert table.

I was lucky to find large square plates at Ikea summer clearance section, $1 for 10.

Then with my Joanns coupon I purchased a bifold foam board, the kind for science projects, then hot glued the plates to the board.

Then to add a little extra something I added a fabric garland across the top.

Honestly it took all of maybe 20 mins and cost maybe $10 bucks.

One thing I did buy and not make were dinosaur masks from Oriental Trading.

I loved the variety and price. :)

When planning this party it became clear right away that Pinterest was going to be a BIG tool for me. So I created a "Little Dude is Turning 2" board. And one of the first things I pinned were these dinosaur tails, and knew I was going to make them as favors. The first one was not the greatest but after, oh maybe, number 5 I was on a groove and it took two days to complete 12 of them. To make the ones for the girls a little more girlie I added a felt bow to them.

To say they were a hit would be a HUGE understatement.

Honestly I think they made the party.

Another one of those not made things was dinosaurs on the tables, which I bought one for each kiddie to take home. $1 store came through on this one, $12 bucks = PERFECT!

Now back to the table. Using Kori's snack cups, which are my favorite things in her lines, I put some goldfish and homemade lemon buddies {check the back of the Rice Chex box for the recipe}, so yummy.

Now I was going to make cupcakes, and when I woke up on the morning of the party and realized that would NOT be happening, a quick call to our grocery store solved that problem quick and easy.

The cupcake "stand" was made with a $1 pizza pan from the dollar store, a large can from making tomato sauce for dinner one night, then taking the striped paper Kori had made for the set and gluing it all together. WHAM BAM, thank you MA'AM. Cost maybe $3. I also made Oreo Pops, cause no party is complete without them, TRUTH.

Another thing I had pinned were these Cheerio Snacks and right away I knew they had to be our volcanos. So after making them and letting them cool, I took some red wiltons melting candy, heated it per the bag instructions, added it to a ziploc baggie, snipped the tip off, and squeezed on took to make the lava.

They were super cute! And tasted yummo.

When I pinned these dino fossils, I know I was going to make them into cookies. So after making the BEST sugar cookie recipe, rolling it out and cutting it into circles, I took a {washed} dino and made foot prints, then took a little cinnamon sugar concoction, and sprinkled in the foot prints. Baked and done.

Lastly, came the dino claws. When I saw this pin, I was like "HOLY DINO CLAWS!". After making them, which I am not going to lie was NOT fun, the taste of these salty sweet goodies made up for it!

For favor bags, I took just regular old brown paper lunch bags, filled them up, took one of the circles from the dino paper set and sewed the bag.

I love sewing paper, its kinda of weird how much I love it.

And the bags were filled with a book of dinosaur stickers, $1 bin at Target, stamps from Oriental Trading, and no spill bubbles with dinosaurs on the bottle {regular $2.49 I scored on clearance at target for .50!!}

My last project was to make the birthday boy a special shirt. I purchased the shirt from American Apparel, Kori made the Dinosaur and his name and a 2 for the back. After printing onto some iron paper, he was all set to party!

So there it is Bean's Dino-mite 2nd birthday party. It was super fun to plan and execute.

And this little face made it all worth it!

So I warned you, there was a BOAT LOAD of links and pictures in this post.

If you have any questions feel free to ask away.

And then we partied Part 1 {Bean's Dino-mite 2nd birthday party}

2011-11-11T07:30:00.001-05:00

***WARING: Photo HEAVY post***

Last Saturday our friends and family gathered to celebrate Bean's 2nd birthday.

See every week we attend Gymboree classes, and he LOVES every second of them.

So when planning the party, we decided to venture into new territory and have it out of our house.

It was DIVINE.

No before hand clean up and no after clean.

My sweet girlfriend Jenni took photos for us, and it was a blessing.

Not to have my camera around my neck and be in the moment was the best gift anyone could give me on my "birth" day of Nolan, ha, like that right.

There were SO many wonderful images, that I have decided to break this into two post.

So today I am sharing just images from the party.

Then on Monday I will get to the nitty gritty with the DIY's, since 90% of the party was DIY.

Having it at Gymboree was perfect.

I requested his teacher host the party, and she knows what he REALLY likes.

And she made sure we did it all.

He party was Dino themed. So there was a lot of stomping and roaring about. Which made it nice since there was a age range of 2-5 there.

Buggie got WAY into her role as "girl dinosaur".

Another thing I really enjoyed was the time of the party. We chose 2:30 to 4:30. A time in which we did not feel we needed to REALLY feed people other then snacks. And for us saved money and time for my parting.

This picture cracks me up, because it is so him, throwing his head back and chugging milk!

He got the candle out in one blow. It was super cute.

The group was made up of some amazing kids that made his day so special.

I giggle every time I see this image. I mean he is such a crack up, he loves secrets, and Ms Kelly was telling the kids a "secret". And he just covered his mouth and started laughing.

So freakin cute.

It was a great day, filled with friends, family, and fun.

See you back on Monday for the low down post on the dino details :)

Have great weekends!

Mom in the shot {Nov 10th Remember to live in the moment}

2011-11-10T07:05:00.000-05:00

Life is so busy.

Things happening everyday.

Schedules to follow.

Play dates, lunch dates, and errands fill up the space in between.

The other day I was tired.

Tired of feeling like I had seconds to breath and regroup before moving onto the next thing.

Then I decided we needed a day off, well when I say "we" I mean, Bean and I, Hubs still had work and Buggie school.

But Bean and I lived in the moment.

Which for us meant some super silly photo moments. When Em started Embrace the Camera, I knew it was important, but honestly the gravity of it has grown more on me with each and every post. Will Bean look back at these photos of his Mom with fond memories, I sure hope so because thats the goal here folks. These moments when Mommy put on silly masks with him and made funny faces in the computer, he now has these photos to remember it was not all Mommy dragging him around all day.

Then we went outside for a snack picnic. Where we shared grapes, hummus, and cherry tomatoes. It was just us and the birds flying high in the sky. Life moves around us, stop and watch it sometimes, you might learn something about it.

Because I sure did on this day.

I learned I need more of these days in my life.

It left me refreshed with a new sense of love and worth for my family.

My favorite moment of our day, was laying on our blanket in the shade of the tree, pointing to the the clouds as they slowing passed by us. And just listening, listening to my little boy ramble about the clouds, birds, Toy Story, Cars 2, and dinosaurs. These are the moments that make life sweet. Moments I will always remember and now we have captured for my little 2 year old to look back on and know his Mommy took time out of our hectic life to just be.

I linked up with Em.

You should too, promise it is SOO worth it.

They say it was your birthday!

2011-11-08T07:30:00.000-05:00

{I made him Funfetti Bithday Pancake}

Sunday Bean turned 2.

It's amazing to me because it is hard to imagine him like this fresh out of the oven.

He is such a little dude now.

{I told him back then, if he wanted some cool shades he just needed to ask. Silly boy}

He is such a light in our lives.

There not a day that goes by that he does not have us laughing.

{"Blowing" out his candle.}

We decided to take him to Animal Kingdom to play. He LOVES it there.

The animals, the dinosaur play area, its heaven for him.

"How old are you Nolan?"

"Tew."

{Dino diggin with his Sisty}

He is such a loving boy.

Never short of hugs.

And he looks up to his big sister so much.

She calls him Babykins and it makes my heart skip a beat.

And he may not be a baby anymore.

But he will ALWAYS be my little baby boy.

I hope to post his b-day party later this week.

It was a DINO-MITE time, ha.

Let's get our swap on!!!

2011-11-07T08:08:00.005-05:00

Whats up loves! I'm not sure how many of you guys remember but Leonora and I Hosted a "Swag Swap Week" back in May. What was swag swap week? Well, the cliff notes version is for one week participating handmade shops were able to trade their loot for other loot in other shops! It was a lot of fun & Leonora and I made new bloggie friends from it. Best part? No one was assigned partners, you were able to swap with any of the participating shops!

I really really REALLY wanted to host another swag swap week before the holidays so people could squeeze in some holiday shopping. But being a handmade shop owner I realized it would be too much to try to keep up with inventory in my shop for my holiday customers as well as anyone who wanted to swap with me.

Alternative? Leonora and I are going to host an "After Holidays Swag Swap Week". The pros? As a shop owner, you won't be stressed out making sure you meet the holiday deadlines with your customers *and* your swappers. Also? it's a great way to network and make more friends since we encourage everyone who is participating in the swap to blog about their loot!

Can we be real for a second? Who wants to stop giving/getting presents right after the holidays anyway?? And also, it'll give you a chance to nab some swag that you *really* wanted to get for the holidays but didn't get (I guess emailing the links to your hubs of what you wanted, and printing them out, highlighting them and leaving said print outs on the kitchen table wasn't as big of a hint as you thought it would be…)

Last time Swag Swap Week was only for handmade shop owners. A lot of people who didn't have a handmade biz wanted to know how to get in on the swap, so the lovely Lindsay had a genius idea. Now even if you don't have a handmade shop you too can participate! We are allowing people with popular blogs to swap "ad space" with handmade shop owners in return for their goods. We are encouraging that just people who DO NOT have a handmade biz to swap ad space, we know a lot of handmade biz owners also have popular blogs and do offer ad space as well so we really don't want this to turn into a "Swap-an-ad" week. So please let's leave the ad-space swapping to those with out shops :)

(ok, here is the pseudo sucky part) read ALL the Rules & Regulations below to see if you qualify!

That sounds pretty rad, how do I participate?!
You want in?! STOKED! This makes me squeal like a little school girl. Simply send an email to SwagSwapWeek {at} gmail.com with the subject line "Holiday Swag Swap Week". If you are a handmade shop owner please include your name, a link to your shop and a link to your blog. You may also include any other links such as your facebook and twitter accounts. If you are a popular blog author who wants to swap ad space please send us your name, your blog, and a SCREEN SHOT of your stats. We also need to know the number of followers on your blog, facebook and twitter accounts. Also please include your rates (ex: 1 month of ad space pricing, 3 months of ad space pricing, if it comes with a shop feature blog post and a giveaway etc) and what size buttons you would need from your partner. Please read rules and regulations below before emailing us, we want everyone to play nice on the Swag Swap Week playground! We want this to be as fun as possible.

Ok, I definitely want in, what rules are there for the Swag Swap Week playground?
First off there is no pushing and shoving on the monkey bars and no jumping off the swings (might break your neck) Ok, I'm getting to the point...I really dig bullet points (what? they're convenient, I know you dig em too!) so here they are in no particular order.

• Swag Swap Week will be going on from Sunday, January 15th 2012 and ending on Saturday, January 21st 2012. We are making it a week long so no one feels pressure to swap right away and it gives owners enough time to get their swappage on. Also we figured this was enough time to replenish your shops with new inventory after the holiday rush.

• You need to register with us by November 30th (you can do so by emailing either Leonora or Myself at SwagSwapWeek {at} gmail.com) The registration ends early so I have enough time to create graphics for my blog of all the participating shops/blogs.

• All participating shops and blogs are asked to please blog and spread the news about all the new items they received in the swap. Please also include links to your swappers shop, blog, twitter, facebook and any other places to get in touch with them in your post :)

• Etsy, Big Cartel shop and Blog owners can participate (Sorry guys only U.S. shops and blogs for now)

• If you have an Etsy Shop you must have at least 20 positive ratings and 20 items for sale. (and no we don't mean 20 positive ratings out of 100--we ask this so that we don't have any "bad egg" shops who won't play nice! :) )

• Big Cartel shop owners: since there is no "rating system" on your shop you must supply us a link to your blog that has at least 50 followers. This is the only way we can tell that your items are "A-O-K". You also must have at least 20 items in your shop.

• It is not mandatory but we are highly encouraging shop owners to supply our readers with coupon codes to your shops. This will help gain traffic to your shop if someone not participating in the swap sees this blog post and digs your loot.

• It is also not mandatory to participate in a "swag swap week giveaway" but if anyone is expressing interest in giving away any items or store credit from their shops or if any blog owners want to giveaway ad space, then please let me know and we'll set up a blog post for a group giveaway.

• If you are a blog author you must email us a SCREEN SHOT of your blog stats as well as how many followers you have. Please also include your facebook and twitter following. Only certain blogs will be considered for swapping ads, we want our shop owners to get the best exposure out there. Also include your rates (ex: 1 month of ad space, 3 months of ad space, if it comes with a shop featured blog post and an optional giveaway)

There is a limit to the number of shops/blogs allowed to participate. We will have no more than 10 shops per category:

Art, Jewelry, Accessories, Home Decor, Bags & Purses, Baby & Kids, and Ad Space

Unsure if your shop fits one of those categories? No worries, here is what we are looking for.

ART: Graphic Design, Fine Art, Photography, Painting, Letterpress, Posters, Stationary, Cards

JEWELRY: Necklaces, earrings, broaches, bracelets, watches & rings. Since this is a popular category we will be putting "hair items" with accessories not jewelry.

ACCESSORIES: Scarves, Hair Accessories, Shoe Clips, Fashionable Clothing Items, Camera Strap Covers, Key Chains, Belts

HOME DECOR: Pillows, Towels, Linens, Coasters, Gadgets, Kitchen Accessories, 3-D Wall Art, Wreaths

BAGS & PURSES: Clutches, Totes, Wallets, Evening Bags, Camera Bags, Back Packs, Lunch Bags

Baby & Kids: Any of the categories above but geared towards children..although I don't know what baby will need a purse, but hey ya never know.

AD SPACE: Popular Blog Owners can Swap Ad Space with Handmade Shops, If you are a handmade shop owner who also supplies ad space on your blog we ask that you try to just trade your goods-we don't want this to turn into a "Swag swap ad week" haha <3

**if we can not fill up one category with at least 10 shops then we will consider adding more shops to the other categories to even it out**

• We want this to be an even playing field so there will be a screening process of your goods. We also do not want too many "similar" shops. For example: If you sell jewelry and make fabric rosettes and another shop contacts us who makes virtually the same item we will only pick one of the 2 stores to participate to keep it diverse. Sorry guys! We want to have a plethora of items but don't worry we'll do more swap weeks so just try again then :)

• We will periodically post on our blogs the participating shops/blogs for Swag Swap Week. We will keep updating the list when we get more entries. We will also supply you a button to add to your blog so you can let others know your are participating in the Swap. This will help get the word out and help have people out there who are not shop owners to see your stuff and potentially get new sales.

• Right before January 15th we will post a final list of all participating shops. If you are participating in the swap you are NOT ALLOWED to contact the shop/blog owners before hand. You must wait till the week the swap is taking place. We also ask that you supply us with an email address so we can include it on the list. This is how you will be communicating with other stores/blog owners participating in the swap.

• Once January 15th rolls around you are allowed to go shopping around and contacting shop owners/blog owners to work out a barter. THIS IS IMPORTANT PLEASE READ: Unfortunately if you really dig someone's shop/blog they might not feel the same way back. Both shop/blog owners must agree to the swap so if someone contacts you and you are not interested in their items/ad space you are not obligated to swap with them. Let's keep things nice though and please tell them gently that at this time you do not need their items/ad space.

• When you find a shop/blog that you want to swap with and you are BOTH in agreement then its up to the 2 of you to come to some sort of agreement. Leonora and I ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS TRANSACTION. Whatever is said between you and other swappers stays between you and other swappers. We are not responsible for any items that may get lost or stolen. We are also not responsible for the actions of others participating in this swap. If you run into a problem with you and your swapper you must deal with it with them directly.

• In order to prevent one person from getting more out of the swap than the other we are setting a "difference limit". If the difference of the items in the swap is OVER $5 then the shop/blog owner who will be eating this cost has THE OPTION to send a bill to the other swapper via paypal to pay the difference. YOU MUST LET THE PERSON KNOW AHEAD OF TIME IF YOU ARE BILLING THEM THE DIFFERENCE. If it is under $5 this action can not be done. You also can NOT charge your swapper for shipping fees (which works out anyway because you are both paying shipping fees for your own items that you are shipping) Please also note we are NOT RESPONSIBLE for whatever transaction happens between you and your swapper. Any problems or questions must be dealt directly with the person you are swapping with.

• The 2 swappers must make an agreement upon when each other should be expecting their goods. Someone like me who prints out graphic prints can get items out sooner than someone who has to make 10 hand bags. So be understanding of one another guys :) Also people who are trading ad space for goods must let their swapper know when their ad will run.

• There is no limit to how many shops/blogs you want to swap with-go crazy and have fun! But please be respectful of other shop owners who do not want to swap back, they might just be getting too many requests and unfortunately can not accept all of them :)

• After you are registered we will look over your shop/blog to make sure you meet the criteria. You will hear back from either Amy or I in 5-7 business days after we received your email to let you know if you are a candidate for Swag Swap Week. If you are not chosen it does not mean we don't like your stuff! There might already by a participating shop/blog that has similar items to you or we have already met our quota.

Here are some Benefits!
• We are asking everyone who decides to participate in the swap to blog about the products that they received. This helps to get exposure to your store. Also any bloggers who are giving away ad space we would love for them to please blog about the products they received!

• Great opportunity to test out other store's products before you commit to an ever bigger purchase from them

• An opportunity to meet other "handmade" folks and grow a network with people.

• The items being swapped don't necessarily have to be for you! You can even swap items that you can see giving away as gifts!

• We will also include on our blogs links to your shop, blog, twitter and facebook accounts--giving you free exposure!

so now, whose in??

PS:

If you go to Leonora's blog post, yes it is exactly the same. Cause she wrote it so well, why rewrite, ha.

PPS:

Leonora made all the graphics for swag swap week, see she is made talented, hence why you should swap with her!

Let us take a look, what's in your pocketbook? {Guest Starring Anna from IHOD}

2011-11-04T07:30:00.004-04:00

I have been toying with the idea of a month blog feature for some time now.

I wanted something fun and different.

But a good way to feature fellow bloggers and maybe see a little bit about them that we may not know yet.

So "Let us take a look, what's in your pocketbook?" is coming the first of every month.

When I was thinking who's pocket book I wanted to sneak a peek at first,

Anna from In Honor of Design popped in my head right away.

See Anna was pretty much one of the first blogs I ever started following.

And her Mom style is something I am envious of, as you can see from this picture.

She is gorgeous, I mean really gorgeous inside and out.

Here is a little bit about Anna's bag:

The Bag:

Cute Tote Bag / disguise diaper bag (via Mimi Boutique)

The contents:

Mama must haves:

Several lipsticks, lip glosses, lip balm, lip everything - its been an obsession since high school. Its just an easy 5 second fix to make it look like you tried that day;)

Phone

Wallet

Emergency Sew Kit (thanks to my awesome friend Monica)

Nail filer/buffer (they have really cute kits at H & M right now for $2.50!)

A pack or three of chewing gum (not pictured)

Baby must haves:

Diapers

Changer Mat

Pacifier

Toys for both kids (always a train for my son;))

Disposable scented diaper bags (for when no trash cans are available. Life saver.)

And of course, my camera fits in there too, which goes with me everywhere!

- As a Momma what do you look for when buying a bag?

Exterior style and interior SPACE...with lots of pockets;) I like to fit the world in my bag.

- Fashion is such a big part of your life, how do you make it work

when you are just not feeling it?

To be honest, there are many a days when I stay in sweats and don't get dressed till the afternoon. However, I do notice that when I make an effort(even if its just for my husband that day), it gives me a little more pep in my step;) Its fun for me to throw together an outfit. Its that artist in me I guess. On the days I am not feeling it, I like to at least wear a fun pair of earrings. necklace, or scarf with a cute tee to make it feel like I tried at least.

- I see Thomas hangs in your bag, do you have any more boredom busters for kiddies when you are out?

Yes, trains travel with us everywhere for our little man. They solve the limited attention span problem. I always have a teether or two for the baby as well....even if that means a long beaded necklace;) (They now have baby safe ones for those mamas that are more pre-cautious than me.) And of course mini snack packs always do the trick for toddlers.

- What's your best McGayver moment, you know us Mommas have forgotten wipes or diapers at one point, how did you make it work?

We had a very big blowout accident with our son within moments of arriving to a restaurant. Of course, it was the only time I had forgotten to bring an extra outfit (blowouts were a regular occurrence at home), PLUS only had a few baby wipes on me. After borrowing wipes from my sister in law, and practically giving him a full body scrub down in the public bathroom, my husband brought our poor naked baby next door to Target to buy him an outfit. When the day seems to want to take you down, you have to laugh and make light of it:)

- If you could have any bag, price not a issue and you do not need to share it with the kiddies, what would you get?

I am not actually a huge name brand bag type of gal. I guess its the common sense in me. No bag is worth a couple hundred dollars (ahem- a car payment?!). However, I do have a weak spot for Kate Spade bags. Each design and pop of color makes me feel like a kid in a candy store!

Thank you so much sweet Anna for being my first :-)

I hope you enjoyed this little look into Anna's bag.

You can check out more of Anna at:

Her bloggity blog.

Her Shop

Facebook and Twitter

See you in Nov.

2011-10-19T07:45:00.000-04:00

This weekend I bought milk that expires on Dec 1.

Dec 1 people.

Time is not flying by, its more like missing.

I feel like days of my life are just missing.

Oct has turned into one thing after another, the biggest being planning Bean's birthday.

I am starting to feel my posts are forced, which makes me cringe.

So I am going to take the rest of October off to finish up projects, line up some projects, and come up with a game plan for some new bloggie things.

One more thing before I dip, thank you for everyone who responded to the Orlando Meetup,

we are going to push it out to January, that way we can do it right and make it super special.

More details to come on this.

"Nolan how old are you?"

Those little fingers can't figure it out just yet.

See you in November!

So how about we meet?

2011-10-14T07:30:00.001-04:00

Leonora and I have been friends for like 10 years now, ok more like 9 months, but honestly it feels like 10 in a good way. And over the past weekend we got to meet up, since she was in town for a wedding.

See we talk almost every day at least once, through twitter, email, texting, or gchat, so I was not worried about some actual face time. If anything I knew it would rock, and it did.

The ONLY thing I would have changed about it would have been making it last longer.

Oh and for more croutons and prosciutto crisps.

It was too short and honestly sad to say goodbye so quickly.

But we are hoping for another chance on her turf, NYC, next spring.

Fingers and toes crossed.

Meet ups are fun.

Emily and I were wondering if any local central FL bloggers would like to meet up with us one night in the next few weeks?!

Maybe some dinner and shopping.

Thoughts?

Please leave a comment here or feel free to email me.

Look forward to meeting some of you!

Mom in the shot {Oct 4th} Citizenship

2011-10-13T08:24:00.001-04:00

Last Friday my Mommy proud meter was flowing over.

Every month a student from each class is chosen for displaying the trait for that month.

Buggie was chosen for September, which was Citizenship.

We got to bring her a special lunch and got to eat up on stage in the cafeteria.

{lookie there Daddy made it into a picture}

She has done a complete 180 with school this year. And has gone for the kid that cried at drop off {even up til the last day of school}, to the girl winning awards.

Our favorite part of the lunch had to be when her class started a "AVERY AVERY AVERY" chant. She could not stop giggling...

Pinterest Project Party {Hot Chocolate spoons} and Booing your friends

2011-10-11T08:57:00.000-04:00

So it's totally Tuesday and I am posting a Monday post.

Figures.

I came across these fun chocolate dipped spoons and pinned them to my Halloween board.

And I knew they were what we need to make this year when we "Booed" our friends.

Here is what we used:

- Bag of dark cocoa Wiltons melting chocolate

- Fun stuff to decorate with

- plastic spoons

Melt the chocolate per bag instructions, then dip spoons, and lay on a lined cookie sheet. If you do not have a silpat, put it on your Christmas, birthday, or whatever list you have! It is by far one of my most loved and used kitchen gadgets. But in the meantime you can use wax paper. Then decorate.

Put in the fridge to set for about 30mins.

I took little plastic baggies I had with some The Twinery bakers twine and wrapped them up.

And then taped a bag of Swiss Miss around the end of spoon.

Printed out my Booing instructions...

Boo sign...

Decorated a mason jar with spoons and some candy corn...

Then we BOOED.

I know booing is suppose to be done anonymously but Buggie loves hiding then jumping out yelling "BOO!" and running...so thats how we boo.

So the Booing sheets I have are from last year and I can not find them online anymore,

SOOO here is a link to a few others I found...

The TomKat Studio

Anders Ruff Custom Designs

Nola Mommy

Happy BOOING.

Enjoy this time as a family laughing, sharing, and spreading cheer!

Mom in the shot {Oct 4th} Why do you need to grow up?!

2011-10-06T07:30:00.003-04:00

I am finding myself in a very emotional state when it comes to my kids lately.

And honestly it could be any number of things brining it on.

Like planning Bean's 2nd birthday.

2?!

2 whole years this little dude has been making his mark on Mother Earth.

2 years he has becoming a little man.

2 years he has been making me laugh, cry and love him more and more everyday.

{insert tears}

Then here is this little Buggie, or in her case not so little anymore.

When I pick her up, I think this may have to end soon, and this puts me into a straight stream of tears. She has always been a snuggle Bug, and I know that will never change, but the thought of not being able to scoop her up into my arms, oh lordy...

And she is doing so good in school. Everyday she hops out of the car, plants a big kiss on us and off she goes into school. I mean where did my little baby go?!

Then there is the fact that Hubs and I both have agreed, that two is enough. UGH. I mean we both have days where we are like "Lets have a third!" then 10 mins later, we say,

"Remember when I said lets have a third, lets just say that was a fit of insanity."

Then we are back at 2.

Is our family complete?

I believe in my heart it is. {so I just deleted that line three times and then rewrote}

{insert tears}

Am I so indecisive about this because I am so emotional over the kiddies growing up?

Maybe.

But what sits in my heart right now is enough room for Buggie and Bean, and if some space opens up in the future, maybe then we will need to change the name of this blog...

Off to blow my nose.

Geez I am a mess.

What We ate Wednesday. {Crockpot Pulled Pork}

2011-10-05T08:07:00.000-04:00

Easy is my middle name, wait what?!

I mean when it comes to cooking, bahaha.

This is one of those set it forget super easy meals.

Pulled Pork:

- Boston Pork Butt {remember it will shrink down, so get a little more then you think you need}

- 2 beer OR 2 cans of root beer OR 2 cans Cherry Dr Pepper

-If you would like a little kick, you can add a chipotle pepper or two {adobe canned chipotle peppers}

- bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce {we are Sweet Baby Rays family}

1. Put the pork in crockpot, add which ever beverage you have chosen {and peppers if you are using them}. Water to cover the rest. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hrs.

2. With one hr left in cooking, take the pork out shredded and add it back to the liquid.

3. Once done place pork {minus liquid} in a baking dish. Mix with barbecue sauce and bake at 350 for 15 to 20 mins, until sauce gets sticky.

I made garlic buns, melted butter, garlic powder, a little salt and under the broiler.

And I made slaw, I do not measure with it, sorry, mayo, apple cider vinegar, salt and sugar.

And some corn with parmesan sprinkled on top.

And serve.

Enjoy!!

Thinking outside the kitchen floor.

2011-10-04T07:33:00.000-04:00

The kids have been riding cars in the kitchen since we cleaned out the garage this weekend, this is temporary but they have been having too much fun to put them back.

Yesterday one of those crazy people in my head starting yelling

"YOU MUST MAKE THEM A ROAD!!"

Once I found a roll of painters tape, and cleared out the rugs, I got to laying down Buggie Corner and Bean Lane.

I even put down parking spaces.

Then we used Bean Lane for some drag races with shakie cars...

I called boot interference, that little bugger stuck out his boot right at GO!

So here is to thinking outside the kitchen floor...

Pinterest Project Party {Pom Pom Halloween Garland} & Prairie Hen Winner

2011-10-03T11:05:00.000-04:00

I love finding things on Pinterest are for one holiday and switching them up for another.

Today I took this project.

And made a Halloween version...

I love the granny square addition. Sara made these for me, and speaking of Sara we need to announce the winner of her Prairie Hen Circle Scarf giveaway. And the lucky winner was comment 25 Joni! Hey girlie email me with your color choice and address!

What We ate Wednesday, has moved...

2011-09-28T07:55:00.001-04:00

Today's What We Ate Wednesday is over on Yellow Heart Art the blog.

See Leonora {below} is moving into new digs this week and I am helping a sista out with a little guest post...

Hop on over and enjoy!

_______________________

And do not forget to enter to win a knit circle scarf of your choice in color, HERE.

I would pick yellow...