Peppermint Bark

Yep, another Christmas recipe. I don't think I could ever get sick of 'em! This one comes courtesy of my wonderful, awesome, amazing sister. Don't let the measly two ingredients fool you. Once you pop one piece of this deliciousness into your mouth, you'll want to devour the whole batch!

Peppermint Bark

  

1 bag white chocolate chips

6-10 candy canes (to taste)

Place desired amount of candy canes (or you could use just peppermints) into a Ziplock bag and crush well. Melt chocolate chips (and 1 Tbsp oil, if desired... sometimes this helps white chocolate not seize up) in microwave for 1 minute. Stir, and keep melting in 15-second increments until smooth. Place a sieve over melted chocolate and add candy canes. Shake the sieve. This allows only the powder to fall into the chocolate. Add as much or as little as you want, mix well. Pour peppermint chocolate onto foil-lined cookie sheet and spread relatively thin. Sprinkle top with larger candy pieces. Let set and cool.

Voila! Tasty, festive goodness. Merry Christmas!

On Breastfeeding

Yep, I'm going there.
And no, I am not going to post any pictures. I know I know, what's a blog post without pics? Well, I guess I'll give you one, but not of breastfeeding...

Princess's blessing day pictures, December 2009

I have a lot of people in my life that are very opinionated about breastfeeding. I also have others who are very UNopinionated about it. I get to see both sides of the spectrum on this issue, which for me, has been a real eye-opener.
There are many, oh so many, women out there that feel that breastfeeding is the only way to feed your baby. That if you don't breastfeed, you're dooming your child to a life of low immunity, high obesity chances, and abandonment issues. Okay, I know this is the very extreme viewpoint, but I digress. It is a very real ideal, believe me.
I have always been a big supporter of breastfeeding. I have also had MAJOR issues with breastfeeding both my children. If you don't already know, nursing is hard. Really hard. For some women it does come very naturally and easily, but I am not one of those women. I wanted so badly to be able to nurse my babies! I remember with Studley trying to nurse him almost constantly, but knowing he was not getting enough to eat. Watching him fuss and cry and try so hard to get something to eat was so heart-wrenching. It was so hard for me to have to admit defeat.
With both my children, I was only able to breastfeed until they were about four months old. And every time I went to feed them from a bottle instead of nurse them I felt judged. I felt like all the other moms that saw my child eating from a bottle were looking down on me for the horrible decision I made to feed my child that horrible f-word... formula. I hated that feeling!  I just wanted to shout, "I tried! I tried with everything I had to nurse my baby!"
I guess all I want to put out there is that its okay. If you can and want to nurse your baby until they're four, its okay. If you don't ever want anything attached to your chest, its okay. If you want to try it out to see if it works for you, its okay. If it doesn't end up working out for you, its okay. YOU are the mama, YOU are one with the miracle body that created your beautiful child. YOU are capable of making the best decisions for your baby, and YOU know your own abilities.
Whew! That feels good. :)

What about you? How do you feel about breastfeeding?

My Adorable $4 Christmas Wreath

So I used THIS tutorial as a guide to make my wreath, with some alterations to make it more 'me'. I do love burlap, but I decided to make my ruffles out of duck cloth. I had an awesome coupon for some awesome duck cloth that was awesomely on sale. ANYWAYS, here's what you'll need:

~ 12" straw wreath (I found mine at the DI for $1)
~1/4 yard each red and white duck cloth ($2 w/ coupon)
~1/4 yard green tulle ($0.25)
~Glue gun and LOTS of gluesticks
~Ornaments (I only used 3 $0.75))






Cut the cloth into strips. My strips ended up being about 2 1/2 inches wide and 12ish inches long. I am not a big 'measurer', so I just winged it.
Hand sew a loose thread along the long edge of the strip. Pull tight, creating the ruffle, and tie off. Repeat for each strip of fabric. I ended up using 10 red and 10 white.

Glue your ruffles in alternating colors all the way around the wreath. I had to use three clue sticks to get all mine on.

After all your ruffles are on, create the embellishment with tulle, ornaments, and LOTS more glue.

Enjoy your Christmas wreath, and Merry Christmas!

Onto the next holiday!

Remember when I posted my kids' Halloween costumes and I said that I LOVE the holidays? Well, Christmas is certainly no exception. It is by far my favorite season of the year. I guess this is just a disclaimer that December is sure to be filled with lots and lots of Christmas posts... so be ye warned. (!)

Here is a picture of a portion of my Christmas tree...

You don't get the whole thing because only the top 2/3's of the tree is decorated! Thank Studley for that one.

Can you tell what my ornaments are? YEP! Gingerbread cookies! I made them the first year we were married, and we are still using them for our Christmas tree. With Knight being in school, we've had to find creative ways to stretch a dollar, and this was one of them. I remember when I was really little, we would make gingerbread cookies every year to put on our tree, so this was the perfect fit for us. And the cool thing is you don't have to make them every year, you just can't eat them. However, they will make your house smell absolutely heavenly!

What you'll need:

Christmas cookie cutters (I found mine at Wal-mart for $2.50)

Ribbon for hanging the ornaments (mine was left over from a different project- $1.00/spool)

Tool to cut hole in cookies (I used a metal straw we had)

Gingerbread cookie recipe (BELOW!)

Gingerbread cookies

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl, set aside.

• 3/4 sticks butter, softened
• 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar

Using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed the butter and brown sugar until fluffy and well blended.

• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup dark molasses
• 1/2 Tbsp water

Beat in the eggs, molasses and water until well combined.

Beat half of the flour mixture into the molasses mixture until well blended and smooth. Stir in the remaining flour. Knead (or use your mixer's dough hook) until well blended. If dough is too soft, add a little more flour.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least two hours, preferably overnight. You can make it up to 3 days ahead of time. Let sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes before rolling out.

Roll out on flour and cut shapes (like you would with sugar cookies).  Don’t forget to poke the hole in the dough for hanging with ribbon! Bake on parchment paper at 350° for 11-13 minutes. Let cool. String ribbon through and hang on tree. Enjoy! 

Merry Christmas!

On Being Grateful

Its not too late to talk about being grateful, right? I kind of took a computer hiatus last week so I could focus on spending time with my family. It was so wonderful!
So now I need to catch up and blog about some of the things I am most grateful for.

1. The thing I am most grateful for in my life is Jesus Christ. 

I am grateful for the ultimate sacrifice He gave to the world so we can return to live with Him and our Heavenly Father again. I am grateful to have been raised in a faithful home, and to have the knowledge of His plan of happiness. It truly gives me the greatest happiness I've ever known. If you want to learn more about my beliefs, visit mormon.org, or just ask me!

2. My wonderful, handsome, loving, caring, smart, funny husband comes in as my close second.

He is my rock, my shoulder to cry on, my best friend. He is so kind, SO patient, and so tender. He is such a wonderful father to our children. He is an incredibly hard worker. He is slow to anger and quick to forgive. He puts God first in all he does, and loves me and our children unconditionally. I will be forever grateful for him in my life.

3. My beautiful, high-spirited, curious, life-loving children.

I honestly never knew the joy that would come from being a mom. It is the hardest yet most rewarding thing I've ever done. My children teach me daily. They constantly amaze me with everything they know and how quickly they are growing up. I am so grateful for the blessing of being a mother.

4. I am grateful for tender mercies.

“But behold, I will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance” (1 Ne. 1:20).

There have been countless instances since I've been married where things have fallen into place that shouldn't have. We have been blessed so many times when it just didn't make sense. Our car has run longer than it should have, we've found extra money at the end of a tight month, we've avoided catastrophe's, been comforted during family crises, had our daughter's life spared, received work when needed, been healthy among sickness, and the list continues. Its not just the big instances, but every day I find more tender mercies that show me the Lord's love for me and my family. Even things like finding the energy to get through a rough day or having a friend stop by just to say 'hi'. I am so grateful for tender mercies.

5. I am grateful for the little things.

I love starting my morning with hot chocolate, watching beautiful sunsets, game nights with friends, playing in the snow, a hug from my kiddos, a call from my sister, and finding awesome deals. There are so many little things that put a smile on my face every day, and for that, I am grateful.

What about you? What are you especially grateful for this holiday season?

 

My Homemade Bread Recipe

Okay, folks. You asked for it so here it is.

I make our families' bread for many reasons. The main one being it is sooo much cheaper to make than it is to buy. Isn't that the case with so many groceries? It costs me right around $1 ($1.08 to be exact) to make one loaf bread. The comparable loaves at the store sell for over $4. That's a 75% savings for bread that tastes better and is better for you! I was really hesitant in the beginning to start making our own bread, but now its second nature to me. I have been making it for almost a year now, and I can honestly say we will never go back to store-bought bread again.

After a few botched recipes, burnt bread, doughy bread, and flat bread, I have found THE BEST method for bread making. It is pretty specific, has one 'special' ingredient, but the results are totally worth it!

I make the dough in my bread maker (that I found at the DI for $8), then transfer the half-risen dough into bread pans and let it finish rising and bake in my oven. (Thanks for that tip, Alesia!) This way, the bread gets well-kneaded without adding more flour, which can make the bread dry and crumbly. The kneading, in my opinion, is what makes the bread so perfect!

So, add these ingredients to your bread maker in this order:

2 1/2 Cups HOT water

2 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup oil (I use canola oil)

2 1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup sugar

Then sprinkle evenly over top of water mixture:

1/2 cup gluten flour

4 cups wheat flour

1 1/2 cups white flour

Make a hole in middle of flour and add 1 1/2 Tbsp. yeast

Place your bread maker on the 'dough' setting, and let it do its work. I allow my dough to mix and sit in my bread maker for 30 minutes. The whole cycle is supposed to take an hour and  half, but remember, I let my loaves rise in their bread pans before hitting the oven. 

This recipe makes two loaves, so after I take the dough out of my bread maker, I split it down the middle, form two loaves, and transfer to well-greased bread pans. I use 9"x5" ceramic bread pans. The rest of the rising usually takes about 30 more minutes. I stick my loaves in a 350­º oven when they are a little smaller than what I want them to be when I take them out. They will do a little more rising in the first 10 minutes in the oven. I bake them for 25 minutes, then immediately turn them on their side on a cooling rack. Letting them cool on their sides ensures the top won't deflate during cooling, and also leaves nice little guidelines on the side for cutting. 

Voila! Now you have homemade bread! 

**Some Notes**

*I have made this recipe with honey instead of sugar before. It works just as well, but does not freeze well. 

*I live at a high altitude, so the oven temperature, cooking time, and amount of flour may differ accordingly.

*The original recipe I followed was meant to be made in a kitchen mixer, so it is possible! I think the only difference is the order in which you add the ingredients. (Letting the yeast dissolve in the water, etc.)

*Gluten flour is hard to find! I buy mine in the bulk section at a Kroger store near me. It does seem expensive when you buy it, but remember the recipe only calls for 1/2 cup for two loaves.

Please let me know if you decide to try this recipe! I'd love to hear your input!

Cider Nog

I know what you're thinking. "What did that title say? Did Nicole type that right? What in the bageezes is Cider Nog?" Well my friends, it will revolutionize your holiday drink world. I served this odd drink at my monthly recipe exchange this week, and everyone loved it! The girls were definitely a little weary of trying it at first, but most even went back for seconds!

Like apple cider? Like egg nog? Like neither? This is the holiday drink for you!

Cider Nog

1 part vanilla bean ice cream

1 part apple cider

pumpkin pie spice to taste

Let the ice cream melt. Like all the way; until its runny. When I make it, I just eyeball how much of each ingredient I want to use. Put the melted ice cream in a punch bowl or other serving dish. Pour the cider and spice in over your ice cream, and whip together for about a minute. Sprinkle with some cinnamon if desired and enjoy!

What about you? Do you have any great non-traditional holiday treats?

I hope you're enjoying the beginning of this holiday season!

On Family Meal Planning

Our family is on a budget. Surprised? Well, you shouldn't be. Knight is a full-time student, so we have to carefully plan out our expenditures every month. I'm sure we are like a lot of you out there... right? RIGHT???
Meal planning is one way we are able to anticipate and manage our food budget. I HATE- okay, hate is a strong word, but I really, really, really dislike- deciding what we want for dinner, starting to make it, and finding out we are missing one crucial ingredient. Does this ever happen to you? Well, it gets my panties all in a wad, so I try to avoid it as much as I can. I have done this method of meal planning for about a year now, and it seems to suit our needs quite well.
Now, this is a simple method, and some may even call it 'old-school', but like I said it works for our family.

Excuse the chicken scratch... I'm the only one who usually sees this!

At the beginning of each month I sit down with my handy-dandy notebook and my calendar and make a list that looks like this. Here is a breakdown of what my monthly meal plan consists of:
1. First, I break down the month into weeks. Easy enough...
2. The next thing I do is write in the corresponding week anything we might have planned that would affect the meal plan.  See where I listed my birthday and Thanksgiving break?
3. Then I will list the meals we are having each week for our big Sunday night dinner and our Meatless Monday dinner. Those are annotated with the boxed 'S' and 'MM's.
4. I then write in parentheses next to each meal how many nights it will feed our family. Usually our Sunday meals will last two or three nights, but some are meant for just one night. I don't like cooking every night, so I like making bigger portions to have for leftover nights. We also like having breakfast for dinner about once a week- its really cheap, and my kids love breakfast foods. So those are listed as well.
5. Lastly, I'll fill in the weeks with however many more meals we'll need.

Voila! There is my monthly meal plan. 
But the plan can't stop there, right?  RIGHT!
The next page of my notebook is our grocery list. At the beginning of each month, we also do our 'big shop'. This will be the shopping trip where we'll go to Sam's Club for our big things and our local grocery store for all the stuff we don't get at Sam's. I leave room in our budget for one small weekly shopping trip that usually includes things like bananas, milk, and eggs. But this monthly shopping trip will cover all the items we need for our meal plan.

Its usually a shopping trip we do together as a family on a Saturday, but sometimes I'll go when Princess is in Joy School so I just have Studley with me. MUCH easier to shop with one kid in tow than two!

What about you? How do you do your family meal planning?

Bird Feeder Tutorial

We are having unusually warm weather over here in the western half of the states. It has been great for my kiddos to enjoy crunching the fall leaves without freezing off their toes at the same time!
We did this craft with Princess' Joy School group and it was a hit. All the kids loved getting their hands messy with the glue goop. Now every morning, Princess wants to check out the window to see if any birds have eaten any of the seeds off her bird feeder.
And its really quite simple....
Step 1: Make the glue goop...

 This is a mixture of one part vegetable shortening and one part oatmeal. We have a little boy with a peanut allergy in our play group, so we couldn't do the traditional peanut butter on our bird feeders. Come to find out, this mixture is even easier to use, and just as loved by the birds! I mixed our goop with a large popsicle stick; also used to schmear it on our pine cones.









I found the perfect pine cones in the yard of a house down the street from us. I went over there, knocked on their door, asked for their pine cones, and the homeowner was elated to get rid of some pine cones! So that part was easy. :)
I ended up baking our pine cones at 200° for about half hour... this was because when I was tying the first string around the first pine cone, a spider crawled out! I freaked out and decided I needed to 'kill' our pine cones. All for a better cause, right?
Step 2: After you've cooked your pine cones, tie a string or piece of yard around the top of your pine cone. I used left over yarn from making my AWESOME Rapunzel wig for my daughter. (had to boast, sorry)
Step 3: Schmear that goop on your pine cone, then roll in bird seed.
Step 4: Hang on a tree branch and wait to hear the chirp of starving little birds!

On a more serious note- Although we are having great weather over here in the west, there have been many families affected by Hurricane Sandy. Our hearts and prayers go out to them!

Happy Halloween!

If there is one thing you should know about me, its that I love the holidays. For me, the holidays begin on Halloween. I've had my kids' costumes made since early September. That's how obsessed I am with Halloween!
I don't have any tutorials on how to do what I did for their costumes, but I HAVE to show off how cute my kids are in them!

 In case you can't tell, Princess is Rapunzel and Studley is a... uh... dinosaur?

 Is she rockin' that wig or what?

I know, I know... Studley is the cutest little dinosaur you ever did see!

While I do love Halloween, I do not love spending a fortune on costumes. All together, Rapunzel and Dinosaur cost me about $17... that includes the yarn for the wig, and tulle for the tutu, and then felt for the dinosaur scales and the gray hoodie they are sewn onto. Not too bad, right?

What about you? What are you doing for Halloween?

Cozy Comfy Fleece Blanket Tutorial

What a perfect day to make a nice, warm fleece blanket to snuggle my kiddos with! Its snowing and windy, and all I've wanted to do all day is drink hot chocolate and watch cartoons.

Nonetheless, I made this blanket during nap time today. Its actually for Studley for Christmas, but hey, I gotta get it done!

I got some fleece at our local Joann's on super-duper sale, so the blanket cost me about $10. Perfect price point for me for Christmas! And its no sew... even more up my alley!

I purchased a yard and a half of two matching fleece fabrics. I put them back to back, outsides out. Then, cut the fleece ends into strips, no measuring involved. Come on, that'd be too hard!

Then, double-knotted the ends together and repeated this process on all sides.

Easy, right?!?!?

Super-duper, cozy-comfy, easy-peasy fleece blanket!

On Mommy Fashion

Do any of you other mommies out there have a Pinterest board like this?
Probably my favorite board on my whole Pinterest page! I always see these cute outfits and think, 'One day, Nicole, you'll be so stylish. You'll be just like those other mom's who have it all together. You'll go to Walmart with your hair in a perfect sock bun, wearing your colored skinny jeans, a cheetah print cardigan and matching Sperry's.' Do you ever think that to yourself?
Believe me, I really do hope to have an awesome wardrobe one day like the one on my fashion Pinterest board. But for now, I am happy with my comfy Levi's that have a hole in the knee, my $8 Target t-shirt, and the Doc Martin's I've had since middle school. Sure, I've picked up a pair or two of skinny jeans, but I'm pretty sure the most I've spent on any article of clothing for myself since I've been married is no more than $20. My kids' wardrobe is a different story, but we'll save that post for another day.
I'll still hope and dream with my Pinterest fashion. I'll still stare at those mommy's in the store or at the park that have the cutest outfits on that I couldn't even put together for a hot date. I'll still go to the mall and make a mental list of all the new pieces my wardrobe could use.

But, the Sperry's can wait. For now, I am enjoying my mommy uniform. 

Isn't Studley a stud?!?

What about you? What does your mommy uniform look like?

Way cool trick for making ice...

My mother-in-law is such a wonderfully awesome lady. She is always amazing me with everything she does, and this trick is all thanks to her. (more on her awesomeness in a future post, I'm sure)
She was hosting a going away party for her son and was expecting upwards of 50 guests. I was helping her with her preparations when I saw her pull out some yogurt containers from her freezer. What does she have up her sleeve this time? I thought to myself. Lo and behold, she had made some gigantic ice cubes for her 5-gallon water jugs! Genius right?
Just fill these babies almost all the way full, freeze overnight, then dunk the container in some warm water so your ice will wiggle out into the water jug.
Now you have ice cold water without emptying your ice cube tray or spending money on a bag of ice.  Say whaaaat? I know, I have the coolest MIL on the planet. 'Nuf said. :)
Now you'll never throw away another yogurt- or sour cream- or cottage cheese- or cool whip container again! I apologize in advance to the hubbys out there who will start finding piles of containers in their kitchen. It's my fault.

Awesome Play Dough Recipe

My kiddos love playing with play dough. Do yours? I've tried three or four different recipes for it, and I'm pretty sure this one is my favorite....

Looks good enough to eat, right? Okay, not that good...

Mix in a bowl:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup salt

1 Tbsp Alum

Bring to boil in saucepan:

1 cup water

1 Tbsp oil

1 Tbsp vanilla

few drops food coloring

Add the boiling mixture to the flour mixture and stir until completely combined. When cool enough to handle, knead until cool. Store in an airtight container (we use old yogurt containers for ours) and keep at room temperature.

Easy, right? Enjoy!

Princess' Birth Story

My little girl is about to turn three this weekend, so I thought I'd commemorate it by sharing her birth story with you.
It begins a while before she was born; at my 20-week ultrasound to be exact. Knight and I were so excited to be expecting our first child and were just as excited to find out its gender. I was working in a different city at the time so I just took the whole day off of work to celebrate my pregnancy. As the ultrasound tech was looking at the screen, she kept checking and re-checking the baby's stomach. Amongst all the measurement taking and listening to the heartbeat, the tech told us that we were having a girl! I was absolutely elated! I'm sure Knight was happy too, but I think he was secretly hoping for a boy. That was when the tech said she would be right back, she wanted to show the doctor something on the ultrasound. After about 15 minutes of waiting, the doc came in and did some checking of his own. He told us our baby had an abnormality on her stomach, and that we would need to go see a specialist in our neighboring city. He gave us some information on a couple of different things it could be, but none of them were minor complications. The doctor told us that at least our baby would need surgery after she was born, if she even made it that far.
It was our worst fear. There was something wrong with our unborn child. Our little girl. I was beyond hysterical. Our families were waiting for our phone calls after our appointment to see what their new grand baby was going to be. We had to tell them that something was wrong, and we didn't know what.

The following week, we saw the specialist. He confirmed to us that our baby had what's called an omphalocele (umf-al-o-seel). Often times with this condition, the baby will have a number of cognitive and developmental conditions, and may not even survive through the pregnancy, let alone the risky surgery that had to be done right after birth. He gave us the option to terminate the pregnancy. It brings me to tears just thinking about that dreadful conversation.
Of course, we decided as a couple that it was in the Lord's hands, and we would keep this baby as long as He would allow. We had bi-weekly appointments for the remainder of my pregnancy, each bringing us the news that the omphalocele was getting bigger, and that she was a very small baby.  But, we had hope. We prayed fervently together as a couple. We held family fasts. And as a result, we were comforted. Our lives and the life of our sweet, innocent little girl were at the mercy of a loving and all-knowing Heavenly Father.
The day came to have my c-section. Because of the protrusion on her abdomen, having a regular birth was out of the question. I was more nervous than ever before in my life. My heart was beating so fast. As my arms were spread out on that operating table I remember thinking, "Everything will be okay. Things will work out for the best." At 9:51am on October 21st, Princess was born!  My eyes welled up with tears when they lifted her little head over the curtain so I could see her. Knight got to see much more than I did. He said he was so glad I didn't see everything because what he saw was so gruesome. The nurses and doctors (there were about 20 in the room during the surgery) began their tests, put her in an incubator and rushed her up to the NICU. Knight went with her, at my request of course. After I was stitched up I had to wait another two hours until I was aloud to be wheeled up to the NICU to see Princess. It was then that we took our first family picture together.

About five hours after being born, Princess had her surgery. It took over three hours to complete, but we received updates from the nurses regularly. What angels they were! The doctor finally came down and talked with us about how it went. All our anticipation and worry came down to this moment. The doctor told us that the baby was much bigger, and the omphalocele was much smaller than they had anticipated. And that in fact, skin had started to grow on the protrusion, so they were able to completely enclose her liver and intestines behind her abdominal wall. That was not something they did often in this particular surgery because of the stress it puts on the baby's body. The doctor even told us what he was able to do was a miracle. We thanked him profusely. Then the waiting game started.
For the wound to heal, Princess was on paralytics and coma-inducing drugs for the first six days of her life. She was hooked up to a breathing machine too. We were not able to hold her until she was a week old. When they finally started weaning her off her medicines and she began moving, her cry was muted due to her breathing tube. It was the most painful sight I've ever had to witness. Finally, at 8 days old, she was taken off her respirator, and the next day she tried eating from a bottle for the first time. What a glorious day! From that point on, all she had to do to be able to come home was gain weight and maintain her body temperature.

3 days old with an extra 1 1/2 pounds of water weight from her drugs.

First time holding her after her surgery

Right after getting her breathing tube taken out

almost ready to go home!

Ready to go home.

Although she had a couple of setbacks, she was able to come home just one month after being born. Only 30 days in the hospital! The Neonatologist told us that they weren't expecting her to even be home before Christmas, and she made it to our Thanksgiving dinner! She still had a feeding tube for a week after she came home, but we were so happy to leave the hospital! It was a wonderful day for our family.

Aside from high blood pressure for about a month after coming home and being teeny tiny for a long time, Princess was and is a healthy, happy, high-spirited little girl. We are so incredibly blessed to have her in our family!

Happy Birthday, Princess! We love you!

On Losing 'The Baby Weight'

Wasn't this a hot topic in the news recently? When I Googled it, 9 stories came up from the last month. Celebrities' post-baby bodies are always being scrutinized. So I'm going to scrutinize my own... that's a pretty normal mommy thing to do, right?
Can I tell you a funny 'new mommy' moment of mine? When I went to the hospital to have my first baby, I packed a pair of my regular (slightly loose) jeans to wear home from the hospital. Yeah, that was a depressing realization! I didn't fit back into them for almost two months after giving birth, and even then I looked like a popped can of biscuits! Here is a picture of me when I was about 36 weeks with Miss Princess...

I gained 30 pounds during my first pregnancy... pretty healthy right? My worry was getting my pre-baby body back. Let me tell you something folks... ITS GONE. Even though I lost almost 50 pounds after this pregnancy, there are just some body parts that- without medical help- will be gone forever.
Wanna know the funny part of the story? With my second pregnancy, I was at the same ending weight as with my first... yep, a 50 pound weight gain the second time around! Here is me almost half way through #2...

Crappy self-portrait, I know!

Amazing how different two pregnancies in the same body can be, right?  And don't worry. The second time around, I packed SWEATS to wear home from the hospital. :)
I guess my weight gain-loss-gain-loss story is backward from most. I was pretty hefty when I graduated high school, and was still a tad bit heavier that I wanted to be when I got married, but after having kids, I am now at my goal weight. How often does that happen? Sure, I still have quite a bit of toning up to do, but that is a slow and steady process now with two munchkins running around. I think that's why I lost the weight with so little effort; my drastic change in eating and activity after becoming a mom. When I was working full time, I would munch all day, and eat out at least once a day, sometimes every meal. Now, I usually only eat two meals a day- a late breakfast and dinner when The Knight gets home, and I am literally running for a lot of my day.
When it all comes down to it, I have seen what a miraculous gift our bodies are. Our bodies (as women) can do amazing and blessed things. Carrying a child is a beautiful ability, albeit hard and painful at times. And I wouldn't change it for the world... saggy boobs and all! :)

So what is your baby weight story?

Scrum-dittily-umptious Homemade Oreos

I am all about easy baking. It almost doesn't get easier than these tasty Homemade Oreo Cookies.

What you'll need:
1 pkg. devil's food cake
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 tub frosting

Yep! That's it!
Combine cake, eggs and oil. Roll into 1" balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet, about 2" apart. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes. They will look a little underdone when you pull them out... this will make them nice and chewy. :) Let cool completely on a wire rack. Make cookie sandwiches by placing a dollop of frosting (I colored mine orange) on bottom of one cookie and topping with another cookie. Done! And mmm mmm, these guys are tasty!

On Making Memories Last...

I have a problem. Like a REAL problem. I have a horrible memory. I have a few standout memories from my childhood, I remember big events, but that's about it. The only things that usually jog my memory are videos, pictures, and journal entries. Heck, some of those don't even help. Anyways, when I found out I was pregnant with Princess, I knew I was going to need to document everything I wanted to remember. I needed a way to remember her childhood, a way to help her remember her childhood. So I made a goal. My goal was to take pictures whenever I could and write down all the fun little "Princessisms" that put a smile on my face every day. Here are a few of the things I've done to turn the fun memories we have together into lasting memories...

1) Both Princess and Studley have baby books. For each of their first 12 months of life, I compiled pictures and memories into these books. I updated them every month, and after their first birthday had them printed. For Princess's book, I just used Shutterfly.com to compile it. For Studley, I used Mixbook.com. I highly preferred Mixbook, but both books turned out really cute. And now I have a place to turn to if when I don't remember which month they started crawling, teething or talking. Its really helped.

2) Another fun thing I do each year is birthday letters. Each year on my children's birthdays, I write them a letter about the year since their last birthday. Throughout the year, I'll write in a word doc little notes about fun things they got to do, and then make it a personalized letter on their birthday. I keep the letters in a cute photo box I found at Ross for $5. The idea is to give them all their letters either when they have children of their own or move out of the house. It has been really fun to remember the year through these letters.

3) We also be sure to get at least one family picture a year, and we ALWAYS send out Christmas cards with a family update letter. I think this is just as much for me as it is for the people we send the cards to. I keep one of each year in a folder, and each year we look at all the previous Christmas cards. It sure is fun to see how everyone changes!

(I was going to use this picture for our Christmas cards, but the photographer, Misty, just took some fall pictures of us... I'll put them up soon! If you want her info, comment or e-mail me... she. is. AMAZING!)


What about you? What do you do to remember fun things your kids do?

Taco Pizza, a family favorite!

We love us some very Americanized Mexican food around here, and Taco Pizza is definitely one of our favorites!

Isn't your mouth watering just looking at that scrumptious pizza???
Here's what you'll need:
2 cans refrigerated croissants
1 lb. hamburger
8 oz. cream cheese
1 sm. tub sour cream
1-2 cups shredded cheese
toppings: lettuce, tomatoes, olives, green onions, peppers, etc.

On a cookie sheet, lay out flat all the croissants, stretching to the edges of the {ungreased} cookie sheet. Bake according to package directions.
While that is baking, brown and season your hamburger, and whisk together the cream cheese and sour cream. After pizza crust is out of the oven, let it cool for about 5 minutes, then spread cream mixture over top. Add hamburger, sprinkle with cheese and any other desired toppings. Voila! Delicious, easy taco pizza!

On Nap Time

Nap time is a coveted time of day for me. Since Studley was about 4 months old, both of my kids have napped at the same time of day.

Many days I will take the liberty to nap myself, but I'd say most days I take nap time as ME time... I don't do laundry, dishes, or sweeping- although there is always some inevitable straightening up to be done- but that is the extent of my work during nap time. Usually, this is when I check my Facebook, catch up on Pinterest, and yes, BLOG. I'll read a few chapters of my current novel, eat some Oreo's, or paint my toenails. I love being able to finish a thought, listen to the quietness, and really just relax. Honestly, I think its what keeps me sane. When a mommy doesn't know the last time she was in a car, hasn't showered in a couple days, and is constantly talking so a three-year-old can understand her, its starts wearing on her! So fellow mommies, how do you find time for yourself? What do you do during nap time?