Alicia's Homemaking

Not The Best Sort Of Adventure...

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:52:00 +0000

I totally forgot that today is Thursday (ooooops!). Unfortunately, I am fighting off my 1st ever case of mastitis and spent the majority of the morning at the doctor's office (hooray for antibiotics!). I'm actually typing the post from my husband's iTouch while laying in bed...next up: naptime!

TNAT will resume next week...:)

Goals for 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Shortly before Baby E.'s birth at the end of December, my husband and I had a chance to talk about some goals for the coming year. We went for a family walk, and while Squishy was quietly taking in the sites from his stroller perch, Andrew and I shared our thoughts for the year ahead.

It's going to be an action-packed 366 days!

--We'll have a new baby
--We're moving back to our hometown in March
--Andrew graduates with his master's degree in Physician Assistant studies at the end of June
--Then there's the board examination and the job hunt
--Adjustment to a new job/different schedule

As I think about the year ahead, my hope is not to set "bigger" goals or try to "accomplish" more. Andrew and I came to the conclusion that we don't necessarily need bigger or better goals. Instead, we need to continue honing in on the goals we've already had in place.

Inevitably, having two children instead of one will make my life busier. With that in mind, my desire is to focus on the eternal things in my life--namely, people. My relationships.

Before I put any revisited goals on paper, I thought about how I would list the priorities in my life. I'll admit, part of me balks at this idea because in truth, there is only one priority--following Jesus! Everything else is encompassed in that. But if I'm putting parts of my life in 1-2-3 order, it would go like this:

Relationship with God, serving Him in all things--He is the center!

Marriage: My relationship with Andrew

Motherhood: Loving, teaching, training, and caring for my children

Loving others: Serving the saints and reaching the world with the gospel

Learning, growing, and being active

Homemaking: Ordering my home to make the above things easier

So then, my goals for 2012 are as follows. Basically, these are some practical steps to help me live out what's important in my life.

Growing as a follower of Jesus--I would love to grow in prayer and Scripture memorization this year.

Time with Him 1st in my day (or as soon as possible).
More prayer walks (fit walking into our daily/every-other-day routine?).
Memorize one Bible verse/passage each week.
Record 1000 gifts this year!

Marriage

Find a particular way to bless/love my husband each week.
Arrange bi-weekly date nights.
Get away as a couple for a few days after he graduates from graduate school!

Motherhood

Spend some one-on-one time with my toddler at least bi-weekly doing an activity/learning time together.

Loving Others

Write our sponsored child monthly.
Continue to practice opening our home to others.
Find new ways to serve our community/reach the lost when we move in 2 months.

Learning, growing, being active

Read 12 books (List coming soon…hopefully tomorrow!)
Lose my baby weight (find exercise routine that works for this life stage)...I'd really love to run a 5k for the 1st time ever!
Learn more photo-editing skills
Work on a family photobook page each month

Homemaking

Tweak my cleaning schedule to fit life with 2 kids
Discover a freezer cooking routine that works for this life stage
Use my household binder more diligently
Revise budget and financial goals after hubby finishes school (in JUNE!) and gets a job (whoooo-hoooo!)

I am full of expectation for 2012. What are some of your goals for this year?

A Joy Dare {Try New Adventures Thursday!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:53:00 +0000

Take it from me--if you go into the hospital to have a baby during one year and get discharged in another, you're going to feel a bit confused. Behind. Still bewildered that it's January...halfway through January!

My goals for the year have yet to be nailed out. My reading list is still in the works. My laundry is undone. The days fly.

The one beginning-of-the-year thing that I have faithfully started is a tool to help me slow down and savor--to still my heart and contemplate the mercies of God every day. I'm continuing my gratitude journal, using Ann Voskamp's January Joy Dare as a prompt. My good friend Christina is joining me, and each day we'll text each other one or two of the gifts we documented that day. It helps me be accountable to follow through, and it's a sweet way to glimpse God's kindness in both of our lives.

A few of the gifts I've treasured...

284. Friends' sweet wishes and prayers for us through the last 2 weeks.

286. A little boy on a Chick-fil-A date with his mommy (just the two of us!)

287. The hum of a smoothly running car.

288. The rythmic rocking of the baby swing.

289. Little newborn grunts.

290. Florida dusk.

291. Staring into baby's perfectly-shaped, dark blue, alert eyes--something that made me quiet.

292. Milk and cookies and whipped cream. :)

I'll keep sharing my gifts periodically throughout 2012. Are you listing 1000 gifts this year?
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Share your Thursday adventures below! Just link up your blog post, link back to Alicia's Homemaking, and try to visit around and leave a few encouraging comments on other participant's blog posts. Our twitter hashtag is #TryNewAdventures!

Baby E's Birth Story {Try New Adventures Thursday!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:33:00 +0000

Two weeks ago today, our dear baby boy made his arrival into our lives. What a sweet, full, and incredibly fast-flying two weeks these have been!

At 40 weeks pregnant, I was antsy for baby's arrival. I had not been having the pre-labor signs that I had experienced with my firstborn, which left me feeling as if labor would never start.

40 weeks!

Andrew was on Christmas break, so daily we were going for long walks in hopes of prompting labor to start. On my due date, we walked all over campus for 50 minutes at a quick pace, and for the 1st time, I could feel it. The walk was like one long, giant Braxton Hick contraction, and I finally felt the pressure I had been missing before.

Waiting at the office...

Later that afternoon, we went as a family to my 40 week midwife appointment--I was hopeful that baby's head had finally engaged or that there would be some encouraging signs that we were getting closer to having him!

In the office, a concerned look crept up my midwife's face as she palpated my bulging abdomen. She felt the bony protrusion on the top right of my belly and said, "I think this is his head!" My husband and I exchanged questioning glances, and next thing we knew, I was sent across the hall for a last minute ultrasound to ascertain our baby's position.

Sure enough, the ultrasound confirmed my midwife's fears. Baby boy was head up!

The midwife spelled out the practical meaning of this sudden finding. She explained that since I was already starting to dilate (3 cm at the time), if my water were to break, there would be a risk of the cord prolapsing (falling through the opening in my cervix). This could cut off oxygen supply to the baby in a matter of minutes.

"We need to do a c-section."

In a last minute effort to get baby to turn, the OB on call agreed to attempt a manual version of the baby (where they attempt to turn the baby from the outside). If the version was successful, we could go home and wait for natural labor to start. If not, they wanted to take me for a c-section as soon as I was past the "I-haven't-eaten-for-6-hours" mark. In other words, that very night! Our instructions were to go home, quickly gather our bags, drop Squishy off with his sitters, and check back into labor and delivery for the manual version/potential c-section.

When the midwife left the room, I shed a few tears at such an unexpected turn of events, but I felt God's sure peace in my heart. Andrew and I prayed together and sent a host of text messages asking dear friends and family to pray for a successful version!

Waiting for the version

An hour and a half later found us checked into the hospital. Two and a half hours after that (our doctor was busy delivering babies), and the doctor, midwife, and nurse were at my bedside to perform the version. I was given a medication to relax my uterus, they did a bedside ultrasound to determine baby's exact position, and then the doctor used her hands to firmly coax baby boy to move head down. He pushed right back and didn't budge. The experience was uncomfortable but not terribly painful--I breathed through it as I would for contractions.

After several attempts, it was apparent that our little one wasn't moving anywhere.

Time to prep for the C-section. There was excitement at the realization that we were going to meet our second child that very night and apprehension about undergoing major abdominal surgery. A cesarean was certainly not in my book of plans. But underneath it all was reassurance that we were in God's hands.

Waiting to go back to the OR

The c-section experience itself was surreal. A night and day difference from laboring naturally. In the OR, it was business as usual...the anesthesiologist prepping meds while the nurse helped position me for the spinal block which would numb me for the surgery. There was casual conversation. I was strapped down to the table, arms out, with my head slightly elevated. All the while, I could not stop thinking about how this was such a strange way to have a baby and please, when can my husband come to my side (no family was allowed in the OR until the spinal block was completed)?

Numbness was creeping up my body, and I began to feel as if I couldn't breath, piggybacked by nausea. I had to focus my full attention on trying to breath and not panic. I couldn't move, but everything in me wanted to come off the table. The OR team assured me that I would feel better momentarily, and within a few minutes I felt the panic subsiding and my ease of breathing return. They told me that the spinal block had caused a sudden drop in my blood pressure, which was what had made me feel so ill. A few seconds later and Andrew was next to me, wiping my hair from my forehead, the tears from my eyes, and holding my hand.

Next thing we knew, they were holding our son up for us to see, and the sound of his glorious crying filled the room. They brought him to me wrapped up...how happy I was to kiss that warm, soft face over and over!

First cries

First kisses

There is nothing like that moment.

After some precious minutes together, Andrew left with our fresh new one for the nursery (I urged him to go with baby instead of stay with me...on the condition that he take lots of photos and videos! Hehe). I stayed in the operating room for the next 40 minutes, being sewn back together. It was bizarre to be there without my baby, as the OR staff discussed New Year's Eve plans. I fell into conversation with them, but in the back of my mind I could not get over how strange it is to have your baby cut out of you. I couldn't believe our son had already been born! Compared to the 20 hours of labor I experienced with my firstborn, it all felt very sudden.

Back in my room, I had to wait an hour before our little boy was finally in my arms again ("recovery" time for me). It was no fun to wait, but that was all forgotten when we were reunited. Baby E. took to breastfeeding like a pro, and Andrew and I took joy in examining his every little feature.

6 days old

Now I'm two weeks into my c-section recovery, and it's going well so far. I'm able to start driving again, and I just have to watch myself closely to make sure I don't lift heavy things. My doctor and midwife assurred me that I should be able to delivery naturally in the future, as long as I choose a practice that does VBACs.

As a family, we are adjusting well after Baby E.'s birth. A routine has come pretty easily. The days are chock-full, but pleasant. He is a really easy baby so far! Honestly, I forgot just how much fun it is to have a newborn in the house!
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So, it's ironic that I had my unexpected delivery on a Thursday, right (as one of my readers pointed out!)? Link up your new adventures below--I look forward to reading them! Don't forget to link back to Alicia's Homemaking and leave a few cheerful comments on the other participant's posts. :) Happy adventuring...

Thoughts From The First 6 Days...{Try New Adventures Thursday!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

I was hoping to post the birth story today, but wow! It's hard to get 2 seconds together where I'm not taking care of some basic need. I'll post it soon! In the meantime, these are some of my initial thoughts since being home with both kids...

Having the four of us home feels so cozy and right. There's more of a family feeling, more teamwork, more hugs and kisses. Less sleep, but more heart-bursting moments. It only takes a matter of seconds for the house to look like something exploded, but the busy-ness is pleasant.

My mom is an amazing, mind-reading post-baby helper. When she's at my house, it's like having an extension of myself around. She does all the things that I would do if I could do them. And now my sister is here, and she's been an angel auntie...playing with Squish while I feed the snuggle-y ball of a baby. And washing the dishes. And doing the laundry. Our family is wonderful. And my husband? He's off-the-charts incredible.

Smothered with love...

There's a lot to coordinate! This is one of the 1st things that struck me upon arriving at home. Naptimes, meal times, bedtimes, grocery store and doctor's office trips (especially since I can't currently drive), and my husband's bizarre ER rotation schedule (which changes almost daily). And laundry, because...

The laundry is taking over! The amount of body fluids in this house has dramatically increased in the last week. Just sayin'.

Taking it easy is not my forte. This is no shocker. I keep having to remind myself to lessen my pace, to reserve energy, to take naps. Mostly because I'm so ready to dive in and be engaged with everything (I'm excited about this adventure!). But this is a season to slow down and let go of the unnecessary.

I am so happy to not be pregnant. It's so wonderful to be on the other side! My bed is 10 times more comfy, I can set the baby down when needed, I can see the bones in my feet again. I can eat sushi! And surprisingly, I feel like I have more energy. Bizarre, but wonderful.

My cup is overflowing. What a glorious way to start a new year...
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Link your Thursday adventures up below. :)

Happy New Year (and New Baby!)

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 14:38:00 +0000

I'm excited to welcome a new year, but even more thrilled to welcome our newest addition home....our sweet baby boy who was born late on December 29th!

Baby E., 8 lbs 12 oz, 20.5 inches long.

We are happy and recovering well...and going home from the hospital today.

Birth story coming soon...it was not what I expected!

Beginners Crocheted Baby Hat {Try New Adventures Thursday!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:11:00 +0000

The I'm-40-weeks-pregnant-and-can-someone-please-get-this-baby-out-of-me restlessness has hit. It started after Christmas when I no longer had a holiday to plan for. Since then, we've been going for a family walk every morning, I'm bouncing on the labor ball frequently, and periodically I'll look up articles on ways to naturally induce labor (even though I know baby will come when baby will come). The day after Christmas, I decided that I needed a project.

You know all of those adorable crocheted hats that you see in a lot of newborn photography? Like this...

Source: ontobaby.com via Rachel on Pinterest

(Haha, the "You Need This" caption cracks me up! Way to work on a pregnant mama's hormones!)

I've been wanting (not needing) to get a similar hat for baby boy for all the times I subject him to mini newborn photography sessions. So I found this tutorial from Hooked On Needles and decided to give it a shot.

For my 1st hat, I used some basic, soft, medium gray yarn and a size I crochet hook. I had to redo my first few rows because I followed the instructions incorrectly, but after that, the project flowed smoothly.

I finished in one day! Which, when it comes to crochet projects, is probably a record for me.

Ta-Da!!!

I must say, crocheting a hat is incredible medicine for I'm-ready-to-pop restlessness. We're taking this little hat along with us to the hospital, and I can't wait to see it on our sweet baby's head. :)
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Link up your adventures below for Try New Adventures Thursday! Meanwhile, I'll be bouncing on my labor ball and looking forward to what you have to share. Just link up your blog post below, link back to Alicia's Homemaking, and leave a few sweet comments on other participant's posts.

Merry Christmas 2011!

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0000

I hope your holiday is sweet, refreshing, and full of the makings of wonderful memories. Our arms and hearts are full, and I am grateful.

Salt Dough Ornaments {Try New Adventures Thursday!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:04:00 +0000

Remember the fun little handprint snowmen ornaments we made last year? Well, this year I decided to continue our ornament-making tradition, but this time with salt dough ornaments.

Salt dough ornaments, pre-oven.

Salt dough ornament dough is incredibly easy to make. However, there are several steps involved to making the ornaments and quite a bit of time involved (mostly baking time, but also the time it takes to decorate). The decorating time, however, is the most fun...and I've decided that I really don't break out the acrylic paints enough!

Squish and I got together with a two other mom friends of mine and their kids and we whipped up the dough together, punched out our ornaments, and started the baking process. Here's Andrea, focused on making imprints on a few of the ornaments prior to baking.

Here's the recipe/method that we used:

Salt Dough

2 cups flour
1/2 cup salt
3/4 cup warm water

Mix ingredients together into a dough. Knead on a floured surface until you have a smooth dough. Then roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut your ornaments out. We used a straw to make holes for hanging. You can also get crazy and shape some of your ornaments by hand (see my wreaths and snowman!).

Bake the ornaments in a 200 degree oven for 4-6 hours. Once the ornaments have cooled completely, decorate as you please with permanent markers, pens, glitter glue, or acrylic paint. I used all 4!

My ornaments, post oven.

Andrew and I like to make an ornament for "us" each year.

Squishy's 2011 ornament

These were a blast to create and so easy to personalize. Have you ever tried them?

Only 3 days until Christmas! Despite my well-laid plans, the Christmas meal is not quite finished and in the freezer, my handmade gifts are not completed, and there is still wrapping to do! Being 9 months pregnant in December has been more tiring than I anticipated. However!! I refused to be stressed about any of it. Time to enjoy the season and our last few days of being a family of 3.

Me, laying on the couch, NOT wrapping presents

I'm 39 weeks pregnant today...who-hoo! Any guesses on when the baby will come or what his birth weight will be? For reference, Squishy was 3 days early and weighed 8 lbs 9 oz.
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Ok...link up your own adventures below for Try New Adventures Thursday!

P.S. I will probably be tweeting/updating facebook when I actually go into labor (as long as I'm up for that). I'm contemplating my own hashtag...#AliciasLabor, perhaps? Hehehe....

P.S.S. After the baby's arrival, much of my blogging will be focused on documenting our 1st days with our sweet new one...less recipes/tutorials. However, if you're interested in doing a guest post for Alicia's Homemaking during that time--let me know! :D (aliciashomemaking at gmail dot com)

Sweet Potato Casserole (With a Holiday Topping)

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:19:00 +0000

(I'm bringing this recipe back up from the archives, but with the addition of my favorite way to top it for the holidays!)

If you were to ask my mother what my most-loved dish was growing up, she would tell you Sweet Potato Casserole. Hands down, it is my favorite way to eat a sweet potato (or two, or three). Traditionally, we always have this dish at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but it also makes a nice side dish for a weeknight meal (especially if you have tons of sweet potatoes to use up).

Here's how to make this easy-peasy dish.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients:
6 medium to large sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled, and mashed
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 TBSP butter
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

Topping Ingredients:

1 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
1/3 cup flour
4 TBSP butter, melted

Directions:
Beat cooked potatoes with a mixer to remove some of the sweet potato strings (they will accumulate on your beaters). Add the rest of the ingredients and mix together. Place in a 2 quart dish. To make topping, combine topping ingredients. Crumble on top of sweet potatoes.

Bake dish at 350 degrees for approximately 35 minutes.

To cook my potatoes, I normally boil them for approximately 20 minutes, or until fork tender, and then I remove the skins after they've cooled down a bit. If you use smallish-sized sweet potatoes you may want to reduce the amount of sugar called for. :)

Here is the printable version, just for you.

Gingerbread Houses From Scratch {Try New Adventures Thursday!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:05:00 +0000

Last weekend, my sister-in-law and I decided to get crazy and make gingerbread houses from scratch....something that was on my list of 27 things to do this year!

Katie, looking lovely as she mixes up gingerbread batter.

We followed the gingerbread recipe (and helpful, detailed instructions for assembling your house) from Simply Recipes. We couldn't get our template pieces to print to scale, so we just decided to make smaller gingerbread houses, which worked out fine. We had some extra dough left over for making gingerbread men. (What a trial...)

Cutting out the pieces for our houses

The house pieces cooling after they emerged from the oven

The assembly was at least a two-person job. First, we put together the sides of the house with icing and let it set.

Our handsome hubbies even got in on the action (they're cool like that). Here they are putting on the roof of one of the houses.

After letting the houses sit overnight, we were ready to eat candy....er....decorate the next day.

Serious business, y'all.

Are you ready for the finished product? Drumroll please....

Ta-Da!!!!!!!!!!

We're very proud home-owners.

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Alright, time for your Thursday adventures! Link them up below. I'm excited to see what you have to share...any Christmas adventures?

The Final Stretch...

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 20:59:00 +0000

I've been quite on the blog lately for numerous reasons. There are approximately 36 blog posts in my head, but:

1. I'm 38 weeks pregnant and tired. By 8 pm (or 1 pm some days) I'm totally devoid of creative energy. Or any energy whatsoever.

2. My husband has been doing an out-of-town rotation for the last 4 weeks, coming home on the weekends and sometimes during the week for one night. And WOW, have we missed him! Life is definitely not "normal" without his presence. Not to mention that while I may be 38 weeks pregnant and tired, my 2 year old is not. He's busting at the seams with energy for playing outside, making messes, and doing things together. Parenting solo is not for the faint at heart and I will be glad when my teammate is back for good (tomorrow!!!).

Playin' with legos...

3. When I do have energy, I get these crazy urges to make sugar cookies. Or gingerbread houses. Or salt dough ornaments. Afterwards, when my feet swell up and my back protests, I wonder what possessed me. But by golly, we're having fun and enjoying the Christmas spirit!

It has been an interesting combination this December of preparing for Christmas and a new baby. Vague "to-do" lists are swimming around in my head (...type out 2 year old's schedule for the pre and post-labor babysitters, wrap Christmas presents, make Christmas presents, make hospital packing list, get a haircut...), but most of them have not managed to make it onto paper, much less into reality. At the same time, I'm not stressed or rushed. Just enjoying this season of anticipation with each Christmas light strung, cookie consumed, and baby kick felt.

When I'm not trying to sleep, that is...:)

Making New Christmas Traditions {Try New Adventures Thursday!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:23:00 +0000

As a young family, this time of year is always a blast for us. We are creating and experimenting with our own family holiday traditions.

1st things 1st: The weekend after Thanksgiving we set up our tree and decorate the house for the season. This involves eggnog, Christmas music, and the yearly question of "does-this-string-of-lights-still-work." Our apartment is tiny, so our decorating space is limited. But that's ok...it helps keep things simple.

That Yankee Candle is the best smelling thing ever...

This year, instead hanging all of our "special" ornaments (still a small collection) on our tiny 1 1/2 foot tree, we hung Christmas garland and lights and added our ornaments to that. We were pleased with the result. :)

The ornament we made for Squishy last year, hung on our garland. :)

Which brings me to our next tradition: Making ornaments together as a family! We make them to give as gifts and we also make one for us as a family and one for Squish. This year we're going to give salt dough ornaments a whirl.

Our toddler is old enough to start being involved...and so this year we started a sugar-cookie-making tradition. He was fascinated. I love the joy little ones have at being involved in something with you.

P.S. I just bought parchment paper for maybe the 1st time, and it makes me feel like a real baker for some reason. Not sure how I get these things in my head...

Chubby hands are one of life's delights. :)

Our finished product. I used Our Best Bites' sugar cookie recipe, and it is the bomb!

A few other traditions we enjoy:

Baking Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Coffee Cake for the neighbors (we started this last year!)
Putting together a box for Operation Christmas Child. I look forward to when our kids are old enough to be a part of the shopping process for this!
New tradition this year: Making a gingerbread house. If, that is, we can pull it off without structural issues. :)

It is so sweet to make family memories together. What are some of your favorite holiday traditions?

P.S. Perhaps the pictures look idyllic, but let me just tell you, my kitchen was probably overflowing with dishes when half of these were taken. No, when 90% of these shots were taken! Just so you know. Can't have fun without mess...:D
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Link up your recent adventures below! Just link up your specific blog post (no links to homepages, please!) link back to Alicia's Homemaking, and visit and comment on a few other participant's posts. :)

A Birthday and An Elmo Cupcake {Try New Adventures Thursday!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:14:00 +0000

Note: This is NOT a tutorial. He he he... (but there are pictures!)

Did you think I forgot about Try New Adventures Thursday? Well, I did...kinda. Actually, I forgot about an appointment with my midwife and was scrambling around this morning to try to find a sitter and make it out of the house...all to realize that I wrote down the wrong date and my appointment wasn't today--it's TOMORROW. Did I mention that I wrote down the wrong date on both my calendar and my planner? Yeah, definitely claiming baby brain on that one.

After all the confusion, since we were all geared up to leave the house, we went and hung out with friends at a park in the glorious weather.

And then I came home and made sugar cookies, because I'm in the Christmas spirit, and I want to make things with powdered sugar and red food dye.

Speaking of red food dye, for Squishy's second birthday I wanted to be one of those cool moms that makes their kid a fun, themed cake. But I decided to keep it manageable and I just did cupcakes. And I only decorated one of them! {Being 9 months pregnant really helps you conquer the whole over-achieving thing}

Can you tell who it is? He's a little deformed-looking, but it's Elmo. Squishy is really into Elmo. I think he recognized him when I handed him the cupcake...

He was a little intimidated by everyone singing to him all at once, thus the concerned face...

But the concerned face vanished pretty fast. He especially had fun eating Elmo's eyes. Boys...

Work well done.

For his birthday, Andrew and I got Squishy his very own guitar. Because he basically pretends like everything is a guitar, from sticks and rulers to balloons and tape measures. And now he has a real one. He couldn't be happier!

What's the most fun/interesting birthday treat you've ever made for your kids/hubby/family?

Link up your adventures below! Ya'll know the rules. :)

36 Weeks Down, 4 To Go

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:33:00 +0000

Precisely 4 weeks and 1 day from now, I'm due to have our second little boy! Surreal and exciting.

In the typical fashion of a second pregnancy, I have not been as diligent to take those pregnancy profile pictures. But I've included a few in this post to satisfy the masses. :)

This pregnancy has definitely been more challenging for me than pregnancy #1. In general, I'm not one of those women who goes around gushing about how they love being pregnant and miss the pregnancy "glow." I love the end product, and am therefore extremely grateful to be pregnant. But within a few hours of Squishy's birth, I was ecstatic over the fact that I was no longer pregnant and no longer in labor! What a glorious combination!

Here are a few of the characteristics that have stood out during this pregnancy:

Ten Weeks of Morning Sickness. Starting at week 6 of pregnancy until week 16, I was tired, sick to my stomach, and would toss my cookies periodically. Not my favorite time. I'm cumbersome and tired these days, but would never trade it for the 1st trimester!!

Very Early Fetal Movement. I was shocked when I started feeling baby boy kick around 13-14 weeks. Very different from the 1st time around, where I didn't feel anything substantial until around week 20.

2nd Trimester Back Pain. What, what!? This took me by surprise. My back started hurting like crazy shortly into the second trimester...to the point that by lunchtime I'd be pretty much out of commission. The solution? The chiropractor! So many have sung their praises before, and I'm happy to join the list.

A Better Diet. Since I'm at home now and most of our meals are cooked from scratch, our diet is automatically more healthy than when I was working full time. Back in those days, I got off at 7 pm--starving. It was hard to make the 30 minutes home without getting take-out, especially if I knew nothing was prepped for dinner at home.

Exercise. I've actually exercised with a bit of consistency! As long as you ignore the 1st trimester...and the last two weeks. *ahem* Time to break out the weekly goals, right?

Less Weight Gain. So, the above two factors have had the marvelous result of normal weight gain during this pregnancy!!! The 1st time around, I think I was deceived by the whole "eat for two" philosophy. Now I know exactly how hard it is to lose all that weight post-pregnancy. A good motivator to act right in the eating and exercise department at the present moment.

Funny 3rd Trimester Baby Positions. This baby can't decide where he's the most comfortable. At my last midwife appointment, he was transverse (sideways!). Not so good for labor. I started doing some exercises to get him to move--hilarious sight, by the way--and I think he actually has. We'll find out on Friday.

Varicose Veins. I feel old just typing that. Thankfully, I've avoided them in prominent places...but now I have to wear these fabulous maternity support hose. It's like a circus trying to get them on! But hopefully they'll do their job. :) Did I mention that I'm grateful it's winter? Because in maternity hose I feel like I'm BAKING. Plus, winter means I'm wearing jeans, which cover up my old-lady glory.

Anemia. I've been anemic for the past two months, in spite of taking a hefty iron supplement. Today I'm going to a hematologist to see if we can kick this problem! Some extra energy would be splendid at this point. I wasn't anemic during my 1st pregnancy. Maybe on our frugal budget I'm not eating enough steak? I'm all about reversing that trend, because this pregnant lady can down some steak!

So that's the skinny (...except that I'm anything but skinny at the moment). Baby boy, we can't wait to meet you in one short month!

For the mammas...were your subsequent pregnancies similar to your 1st? Easier? Harder?

Holiday Freezer Cooking (With Christmas Menu!)

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:54:00 +0000

I hope your Thanksgiving holiday was as lovely as mine (with the exception of the 5 lbs I'm fearful I gained...)! We made a short trip to visit family and took full advantage of the time to relax and eat good food.

Part of the Thanksgiving spread

We celebrated Squishy's 2nd birthday and ate pie, pie, pie (and cupcakes!)...

The apple pie was pretty fabulous...and so was my sister's blackberry pie!

And we took the obligatory family photo (always a comical affair). This year, we were missing the presence of my sister and her hubby who live abroad. It's fun, though, to see how each year there seems to be either a spouse or a child added to the picture. These are growing years!

For Thanksgiving, my only food responsibility was rolls and a pie...but at Christmas? I'm cooking the whole meal!! For the 1st time ever.

Since I'll be...er...about 4 days away from my due date then, I'm aiming to do the majority of my cooking ahead of time. A dish or two a week until Christmas. For help, I'm using the Once A Month Mom's Holiday ecookbook.

Tricia's holiday freezer ecookbook is put together so well! The recipes all including mouth-watering pictures, and the ebook is complete with a grocery list and instructions for making a holiday meal that serves either 8 or 16 people. The recipes are as follows:

Appetizers:

Veggie Pizza
Pumpkin Cheeseball

Side Dishes:

Scalloped Corn
Freezer Mashed Potatoes
Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
Slow Cooker Stuffing
Make Ahead Butterhorn Rolls

Main Dishes:

Turkey Baste
Cranberry Mustard Ham Glaze

Desserts:

Pumpkin Pie
Caramel Apple Pie Trifle

A jaw-dropping spread! I'm taking the tips, methods, and recipes from Tricia's menu and making it my own for Christmas. Here's my personal Christmas menu:

Turkey (I will make the Turkey Baste from the holiday ecookbook)

Sweet Potato Casserole

Spinach Souffle

Freezer Mashed Potatoes (from the ecookbook)

Stuffing (I might do the ecookbook recipe...or I might do Stovetop! I'm a sucker for Stovetop Stuffing....)

Make Ahead Butterhorn Rolls (from the ecookbook--made them for Thanksgiving--a HIT!)

Pumpkin or Fruit Pie

Gravy

Cranberry Sauce

Think I can pull it off? I'm excited to try! This week I'm going to attempt to tuck away some rolls and sweet potato casserole in the freezer.

If you'd like to purchase the Once A Month Mom's Holiday Ecookbook, she's offering a 50% discount to my blog readers (making the ebook only $2.50). Use the discount code ALICIA50 at checkout. There are only 20 codes available, so be sure to snatch this up if you're interested.

I'd love to hear how your Thanksgiving went and/or what's on your Christmas menu...

Linked to Menu Plan Monday.

Disclosure: I was provided with a copy of the OAMM Holiday Ecookbook to review, and all ecookbook links are my affiliate links. All opinions are 100% my own.

Two Years {Happy Thanksgiving!!!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 13:59:00 +0000

My sweet firstborn is 2 years old today. It's Thanksgiving and a birthday all wrapped in one! Obviously, our cup is overflowing.

The year in retrospect:

December 2010

Just learned to walk the month before. Baby jeans are the cutest thing ever.

January 2011

Playing outside in the cold air.

February 2011

Cheesin' it up for mom.

March 2011

The kid has always loved to brush his teeth. Electric toothbrushes are SO COOL!

April 2011

Goofiness in the bathroom. At this age he loooooved to play with running water in the sink. It was a daily ritual.

May 2011

Reading books (a favorite) with Memaw (another favorite).

June 2011

Just hanging around the house with Mommy.

July 2011

Felt Rose Tutorial {Try New Adventures Thursday!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:17:00 +0000

I did it. I bought a glue gun.

Since Pinterest has opened up a new world of do-it-yourself projects to me, I have read tutorial after tutorial that sounds easy and doable, until I got to the part that said I needed a glue gun. Sounded like a high tech, expensive tool to me. But I trecked to Michael's, and lo and behold! They cost a mere three dollars. I was pleasantly shocked, and am now the official owner of a glue gun.

With a few burns to prove it.

Ready to see something fun you can make with a simple glue gun, felt, scissors, and (if desired) a bar pin?

Sweet felt roses! Like the two in the middle of this fabric flower arrangement on my newly made wreath...

Like I said, this is all you need. Felt in your desired colors, scissors, a low temp glue gun, and a bar pin.

First, cut a largish wavy circle out of your felt.

Then start to go around your felt circle with your scissors, cutting the circle into a long strip (about 1/2 in. thick). The bigger your circle the bigger your final flower will be (sounds logical, right? hehe).

When you get to the end of your piece of felt, leave a little bit of the circle at the end. This will be the back of your flower.

To start making the flower, go back to the beginning of your strip of felt (the end without the circle) and begin to wrap the strip around itself. I found it helpful to use a dab of glue from the glue gun periodically to hold the strip in place as I wrapped it around. This is what you'll have (approximately) when you're done:

Yay!

The last bit of the strip gets placed at the back of the flower, where you can glue it securely in place.

Next, I glued on a bar pin, so that I can wear this nifty rose!

I made a bigger flower in purple and added leaves to the back.

I also made some felt roses for this fun wreath that I put together yesterday. It's a burlap-wrapped wreath with fabric/burlap/felt flowers...and I'm quite proud of myself!! In this case, I just hot-glued the flowers directly onto the wreath.

Is there anything else I can hot-glue around here? It's kind of addicting to have so much adhesive power...
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I'm sure that while I've been gluing my fingers together, you've been having equally blog-worthy adventures...so link them up here! As always, don't forget to link back to Alicia's Homemaking. And it's always nice to leave a few comments on other people's links! Ready, set....go!

Odds and Ends

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:13:00 +0000

I've been a little MIA this week.

We spent a glorious, packed weekend at our church's annual retreat, and then came home to some topsy-turvy circumstances that are still getting worked out. My goals for this week? Keep everyone fed and clothed.

In the meantime, I have some fun odds and ends to share with you:

Today I'm guest posting over at Loved Like The Church about raising little boys. I would love your feedback there!

Last shoutout--my blogiversary giveaway ends tonight!! If you haven't already entered to win some Starbucks or the cute necklace charm, what are you waiting for?! P.S. If you have any trouble commenting, please let me know (aliciashomemaking@gmail.com) and I'll leave a comment for you.

It's collection week for Operation Christmas Child! Seriously, if you haven't packed a box, there is still time. All it requires is a trip to the dollar store/Wal-Mart or Target to fill your shoebox and a $7 donation. At our house, we've made it a fun yearly tradition.

In other news, I'm 34 weeks pregnant! Can you believe that my friend in the picture (who was 37 weeks pregnant) had her baby 2 days later?

See you back here tomorrow for Try New Adventures Thursday...

10 on 10 {Try New Adventures Thursday!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:12:00 +0000

Here's what a Saturday in our lives sometimes looks like...

7:36 am: My morning cinnamon latte and a pregnant belly.

9:30-ish am: It was a pancake breakfast Saturday! Or, in this case, a waffle breakfast, thanks to my sweet friend Andrea.

10-ish am: Caught my friend kissing on her handsome little boy over breakfast. Love this.

10:30-ish am: Something cheery on the breakfast/brunch table.

11:30 am: Squishy's new love = SAND.

1:27 pm: Evidence of a happy life.

2:48 pm: Afternoon repose...sitting next to my hubby reading.

3:06 pm: Fall in our backyard.

4:43 pm: A little boy + "helping" daddy grill + charcoal = THIS. :)

5:17 pm: Editing photos.

What would a day in your life look like? I'm linking up to the 10 on 10 challenge, where once a month (on the 10th) you take a photo every hour for 10 consecutive hours...capturing the beauty of the every day. :) I had fun with it!

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It's Thursday, so you can link up your adventures below! Just link back to Alicia's Homemaking in your blog post and try to visit a few other participants and leave them some encouraging comments. Have fun!

A Muffin Tin Meal

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:49:00 +0000

We've been dealing with a bit of toddler pickyness lately. The current rules at our house are 1) you can't throw a fit in the highchair because you don't like how a certain food looks, and 2) you have to take the bites that mommy and daddy give you (no spitting the food out).

Oh yeah...and I'm not up for making a separate meal for a toddler who has opinions!

With that said, I decided to shake dinnertime up a little a tad the other night. Squish still ate what we were eating (it was an all-vegetable night + eggs for us), but I served it to him in a muffin tin. Just for fun! Here's how it went:

Reaction: Can I please have that fun container?

Inside the muffin pan: 1 slice whole wheat bread with butter (fit into two compartments), cooked carrots, steamed zucchini, mozzarella cheese, and raisins.

Cheese!!!

At the end of the meal: Everything eaten except half of the piece of bread and three pieces of zucchini. Oh yeah, and Squishy wanted a piece of daddy's hard boiled egg to top everything off.

I'd say it went pretty well! I might break out the muffin pan periodically to change things up at dinner. Squishy just saw one of these pictures and started talking excitedly about muffins (his name for the pan)...

How do you address pickyness at your house?

By the way, there is a lady with a whole blog all about muffin tin meals! That might be a bit overboard, but it's kind of fun, too...

Ah, Monday.

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:03:00 +0000

I'm putting my game face on today. The weekend has left me with 1) piles of dirty dishes, 2) loads of laundry, 3) filthy floors, 4) little in the way of groceries, and 5) and toddler who now wakes up an hour earlier. Thankfully, they're all signs of an enjoyable weekend that included parades, hosting pancake breakfast, going to girl's night, and "sleeping in" for an extra hour on Sunday (I got 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep...9 hours of sleep total...and it was wonderful).

Fun times with friends at the parade

Squishy was enamored with the parade--so many motorcycles and firetrucks and horses! He had this very intent look on his face most of the time...

I'm not a Monday-hater...today I'll enjoy time with my son and putting things back into relative order.

One of my meal experiments last week: Egg, Avocado, and Cheddar melt sandwich! We approved...

Our menu plan for this week is short, because we're going to a retreat this coming weekend (no cooking!!):

Monday--Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings (missed this last week)
Tuesday--Julia Child's Cream of Mushroom Soup (oh la la) with Homemade Baguettes
Wednesday--Tacos
Thursday--Dinner out as we leave town
Friday--At retreat
Saturday--At retreat
Sunday--Back home for dinner...we'll do pizza!

I did come down with a nasty cough last week, so I was glad that I had kept my list of goals pretty short. Here's how I did:

Edit 4 photos/day (28 photos total). I edited 24 pictures...so I was really close!
~~Complete Operation Christmas Child shoebox~~. Yes! We filled our box yesterday. :)
Exercise x 3 (can I pull this off 3 weeks in a row?!?). I went for two very vigorous walks last week, but rested on the other days because I wasn't feeling too hot.
~~Order more Christmas cards~~. Done. :)
~~Make Christmas card list w/addresses~~.
Bake bread. Decided to skip this one, because we received 3 loaves of free bread at the beginning of the week. Who-hoo!

This will be another simple week goal-wise, since we're out of town this coming weekend. I'm hoping to:

Edit 16 pictures (all from my last photoshoot).
Exercise x 3.
Plan holiday meals.
Request addresses for Christmas cards.
Make a packing list for our trip.
Make plans/purchase materials for another busy bag.
Tell my husband every day how much I love him, appreciate him, and couldn't imagine life without him. Every day is so precious...I don't want to miss the opportunity. :)

I hope your Monday is off to a sweet start...don't forget to enter to win a Starbucks gift card or bird's nest jewelry charm here!

Linked to Menu Plan Monday and Money Saving Mom.

My 1st Engagement Shoot {Try New Adventures Thursday!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:27:00 +0000

Two sweet friends of ours, recently engaged, asked me to take some engagement photos for them.

Exciting!

Scary.

I took the plunge. After putting photography on the shelf during the beginning of my pregnancy, I'm ready to brush off my beginner skills and work on improving behind the camera.

I think we all felt a little awkward at the beginning of the photoshoot, but by the end everyone had relaxed...and I actually took one of my favorite pictures after we had decided to call it quits. Here are a few of the already-edited shots:

I'm looking forward to editing the rest!

A few things I learned for next time:

Tell the clients not to wear white. Sometimes it can create a bad glare!
Remember to take time to let the clients change clothes, brush hair, and re-apply lipstick around mid-shoot, if desired.

All of the pictures were taken with my Canon Rebel XS, using the 18-55 mm kit lens. Over the next week, I'll be watching the mail like a hawk, because I just ordered my next lens!! The 50 mm f/1.8. I can't wait to try it out. :)
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Ok, now for your adventures! Link up your post below, link back to Alicia's Homemaking, and then leave some fun comments on other people's posts.

P.S. Don't forget to help me celebrate the 2-year anniversary of my blog by entering to win a bird's nest jewelry charm or $20 worth of Starbucks!

2nd Blogiversary {+ Giveaway!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:57:00 +0000

2 years ago I hit "publish" on my 1st little post on this blog. Now, I'm so thankful that I did! If I hadn't started blogging, I may have never:

1) Applied myself at developing photography skills. My interest in photography really started when I was trying to take pictures of food with my 4-year-old 5 megapixel point-and-shoot!

2) Finished the 30 Day Shred after having my 1st baby. You guys helped keep me accountable!

3) Met Sarah, Christine, Amanda, Mandy, Kathy, Robin, and so many other lovely ladies.

4) Documented half of the sweet moments from our life over the last two years that are recorded on this blog.

5) Purposefully tried to have some sort of adventure or tackle something new each week. Like mulberry picking, canning jam, cooking Thai food, or container gardening.

6) Reconnected with childhood friends like Jodi.

7) Started a twitter account. I thought twitter was ridiculous/confusing. Like any social media, it can be a time waster if you don't watch out, but used wisely, it's a fun tool for connecting. And it's definitely useful for connecting with other bloggers.

8) Learned the basics of freezer cooking from bloggers like Once A Month Mom, Money Saving Mom, and Life As Mom.

9) Forced myself to write. My posts are not poetic or perfectly formed. I aim to simply say what I'm thinking. But, of course, attempting to do that has pushed me to work on communicating more clearly. And to try not to say the word "amazing" or "really" 20 times in one post.

10) Formed relationships with you, my readers. Thanks for your comments, new ideas, encouragement, advice, recipes, and sweet emails.

After attending Blissdom early this year, my blogging goals changed. I'm not stressed by trying to monetize my blog or meet a lot of the "blogging standards" that float around out there. My blog works around our life, and it's a comfortable fit. I typically have at least 5 posts in my head that I'd like to write when I have the chance...but all in good time. Meanwhile, the truly important parts of my life are not neglected.

So! In celebration of two years here at Alicia's Homemaking, I'm having a giveaway! There are two different prizes up for grabs, the 1st being this fun bird's nest charm that I made myself (get out!).

Bird's nest charm, approx 3/4 inch in diameter.

The second item is a $20 giftcard to Starbucks...one of my favorite places to get away and have some time alone.

There will be two winners (one person will win the charm and one will win the giftcard). To enter, simply comment on this post and make sure to include your email address.

For additional entries (leave a comment for each):

Subscribe to Alicia's Homemaking via email or RSS.

Follow Alicia's Homemaking on twitter and tweet about this giveaway.

Follow Alicia's Homemaking on facebook.

I'm looking forward to the next year!

Linked to Top Ten Tuesday.

P.S. Honestly, my nose is not as big as it looks in that picture! Haha...
P.S.S. This giveaway will run through November 16, 2011!

Goodbye October, Hello Week

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:32:00 +0000

It's a chilly, drizzly Monday here, and we're dragging a bit. I have a sore throat knocking at the door, so my husband put me on water-drinking duty. :)

Our weekend, however, was jam-packed. We had a date night (thanks to some awesome friends who babysat for us!), went to a birthday party, I did a photoshoot, and we finished off with a baby shower, church, and a very dirty, messy house.

Pregnant friends at a baby shower. I think we were 17, 31, 37, 38, and 41 weeks respectively. :)

Menu-wise, so far I am loving my Betty Crocker cookbook! Both the Hungarian Goulash and the Spicy Peanut Chicken recipes that I made from it were a hit. I'll post the peanut chicken recipe soon!

Here's this week's menu. I'm feeling uninspired concerning Saturday's meal...any suggestions?

This week's dinner menu:

Monday--Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
Tuesday--Mediterranean Tuna Casserole with Olives and Capers (from my Not Your Mother's Casseroles Cookbook)
Wednesday--Chicken, Avocado, and Cheddar Melt Sandwiches (from The New Basics Cookbook)
Thursday--Pizza Night with salad
Friday--Steak on the grill with veggies
Saturday--Help me out here, will ya? Need something simple and budget-friendly. This cold is making my brain blank out.
Sunday--Leftovers.

As far as weekly goals, I was surprised at how many I was able to cross off the list this past week. Who-hoo for exercise success! I hope it makes labor easier this time around...

~~Exercise x 3~~. Success two weeks in a row! Hurrah!
Write outline for blog post reviewing The Mission of Motherhood. Yes! Did this. Need to contact the publishing company for permission to quote her book in a blog post...
~~Finish Around The World in 80 Years.~~
~~Schedule a hair cut for Squishy (he is looking pretty..um...shaggy these days)~~. I cut his hair myself, with Andrew's help. We were proud of ourselves.
~~Schedule a doctor's appointment for Squishy. I have a very hard time remembering to make appointments.~~ Yay! Finally done.
~~Work for one hour on a photo project~~. This was mainly spent editing photos.
Order Christmas cards. This was partially completed. I'm ordering from different companies in order to save the most money. One batch arrived yesterday!
Arrange for a friend and I to take our kiddos to storytime at the library. Still lagging on this.
Oh yes, and I haven't ditched the bedtime/waketime goal. Bedtime goal=10 pm. Waketime goal=6 am. Oh my. Pregnancy is making this near impossible it feels like! I have been in bed by 10 most nights, but sometimes don't fall asleep until 2 hours later. Which makes waking up quite painful. I'd say I woke up between 6-6:30 about 4 days this week.

I'm making a fairly short list of goals for this week, mainly because I know I might be feeling under the weather. They are:

Edit 4 photos/day (28 photos total).
Complete Operation Christmas Child shoebox.
Exercise x 3 (can I pull this off 3 weeks in a row?!?).
Order more Christmas cards.
Make Christmas card list w/addresses.
Bake bread.

Is your week off to a good start?

Linked to Money Saving Mom and Menu Plan Monday.