Alicia's Homemaking

5 Keeper Recipes {Try New Adventures Thursday!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:10:00 +0000

Pinterest is my new google. In the past, I used google to search for recipes or tutorials by typing in "blog tutorial for _________." Because who doesn't want pictures and step-by-step instructions? But now I just skip that step and go straight to Pinterest.

(If you haven't gotten on the Pinterest bandwagon and need an invite, let me know! I'll send you one).

My favorite way to use Pinterest is to keep track of recipes that I want to try or already love. Here are 5 recent recipes that I've tried...5 recipes that are real keepers!

The "Best" Sugar Cookies

Source: ourbestbites.com via Alicia's on Pinterest

These sugar cookies are awesome for decorating. I tried them for the 1st time right before Christmas and then made them again on Valentine's Day. They hold their shape very well, so they are perfect for cookie cutters. Squishy loves to help me cut out shapes and put sprinkles on them. (So far, all of the recipes I've tried from OurBestBites.com have been fabulous. I just got their cookbook...it's so beautiful.)

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

Source: merrywithchildren.com via Alicia's on Pinterest

I've mentioned this recipe to you before! Chicken and Dumplings are such a comfort food, and I appreciate the fact that I can make this recipe easily in the slow cooker. I recently whipped up 3 batches for the freezer. This requires an extra step (blanching the carrots and potatoes) when you are doing the freezer prep, but the finished product was AWESOME and so easy to just plop in the crockpot.

Crusty Baguettes in 30 Minutes

Source: blogs.babble.com via Alicia's on Pinterest

Fresh bread is lovely touch to any meal, but can be time consuming. These baguettes, however, are a cinch to whip up! I up the amount of flour to about 4 1/2-5 cups of flour to keep the dough from being too sticky (1/2 a cup of that flour was wheat flour...to add some depth of flavor!).

Creamy Grilled Chicken Piccata

Source: plainchicken.com via Alicia's on Pinterest

This is one of those meals that makes people fight for the leftovers. If there are any. I made it last week for the 1st time and WOW. It did not disappoint.

Creamy Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta

Source: chaosinthekitchen.com via Alicia's on Pinterest

Apparently I'm drawn to recipes that start with the word "creamy." This one definitely fit the bill...please don't look at how much butter goes into it! It's restaurant-level fattening...but better-than-resaurant good. And very easy to put together. Just don't eat it every night. So soooooooooo good.

Next on my "to-try list?" This delicacy...

Source: bettycrocker.com via Alicia's on Pinterest

Have you tried any Pinterest projects lately?
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Ok--your turn! Link up your adventurous blog post below, link back to Alicia's Homemaking, and then click around and leave some sweet comments on other participant's posts. It's a fun time. Our twitter hashtag is #TryNewAdventures.

10 Tips for Transitioning from One to Two Children

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 03:33:00 +0000

We're almost at the two month mark. Two months of having a second sweet little boy. Two months of never sleeping more than 5 hours at a time (on a good night). Two months of "Sorry I'm crying honey. I'm not mad...just hormonal!" Two months of "Is that seriously the last diaper? We just bought diapers!"

To date, they've been the best, fastest-flying, most sleep deprived months of my life. The best.

I don't think there's any way to make a seamless adjustment from one to two children. The shift in your family dynamic + limited sleep + hormones + healing time + more little ones with needs...it all equals a stretching, challenging time. It's healthy and good and knocks the wind out of prideful perfectionism.

With that said, there are a few things that have made the transition smoother for us.

10 Tips For The One to Two Child Transition:

Pre-Birth:

1) Get organized. This is an obvious one. Put that nesting urge to use! Things get twice as messy (or is it really more exponential?) when you add another kid to the mix, so it's helpful if you know where to find stuff. For me, this included organizing my toddler's room, purging toys, washing and organizing baby clothes, organizing the bathroom cabinets, organizing the kitchen cabinets. I put a basket with wipes/diapers/burp cloths in our room (where the baby would sleep) and the living room. We live in a very small home and babies typically involve more stuff, so I made room where I could.

2) Make a hospital packing list. People always ask, "Is your bag packed?" The question strikes me as funny, since half the stuff you need to pack in your hospital bag can't be packed until the last minute (camera, toiletries, etc). This time around I made 4 packing lists for my hospital birth. One for:
     - Labor
     - Post-Labor
     - My husband
     - Our toddler, for when he would be with a babysitter/grandparent

The hospital packing lists ended up being invaluable when I had to have an unexpected C-section! We had a very short time to go home, pack our bags, drop Squishy off with friends, and get back to the hospital so that they could try to turn our baby. We were rushed and in a very new-to-us situation (i.e. I couldn't think straight) and the packing list was so helpful.

3) Stock the freezer with meals. It's hard to do a ton of cooking when you're 8-9 months pregnant, but WOW, it pays off. Between meals brought to us from church family and the meals I had prepped in the freezer, we were able to go three weeks without having to cook. It was awesome.

4) Prepare some fun activities/toys to have on hand for your older child. Pinterest is a wealth of ideas for busy bags. Some parents will buy a special toy or two for their toddler/older child to play with after the baby was born. For us, this was super easy since Baby E.'s birth fell right after Squishy's birthday and Christmas.

After the baby's birth:

5) Sleep. Sleep when both kids are sleeping. If someone offers to watch your toddler so you can sleep, take them up on it. Sleeping when you can (especially in those first 6 weeks) is so important! I always get these bursts of adrenaline in the first couple weeks after I have a baby and I am so tempted to "get stuff done" when the baby is asleep. But I have found that life is saner for everyone if I get as much rest as possible.

6) Think about a schedule that will work for you. With a newborn, no schedule is set in stone. But so far I've found that my babies fall pretty easily into a routine, and that routine can be tweaked to work around the rest of the family. I set the baby's morning wake-up time based on what will work best with the family's schedule. This is what our routine roughly looks like now.

7) Be intentional about spending 1:1 time with your firstborn.

8) Memorize Scripture. This has been so wonderful to me! I've been trying to memorize one verse/passage per week. When I've missed having set-aside time with God, I can roll these verses around in my head as I was dishes or change diapers or play outside with Squishy. It's been refreshing and grounding when I've been tired, hurting, or hormonal (or all three).

9) Invest in a few convenience items. We bought paper plates for the 1st couple of weeks!

10) Adjust expectations and accept help. You can prepare for everything thoroughly and do all the "right" things, but if you're banking on your own know-how then your heart's in the wrong place. Have an attitude of dependence on God. Live that out practically by accepting help from other people.

And remember to adjust your expectations. There's a new "normal" now! It doesn't mean your house has to be a permanent pig-sty. It does mean that there will be more work and less unoccupied moments.

(but don't worry...there will also be more FUN!)

At 2 months in, these are a few actions that have helped us along the way. I'm still brand new to mothering two little ones! Tell me, mamas, what has helped your family when adjusting to a new baby?

P.S. Tip #11: Have your mother quit her job and come live next door. (Haha, just kidding. But it would be nice.)

Linked to Top Ten Tuesday and Works For Me Wednesday.

Dear Monday: Weekend Recap, Menu, and Goals

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 13:35:00 +0000

We've decided that kite-flying is the perfect weekend activity. After so much busyness filling our recent weekends, this past Sunday afternoon we cancelled some plans and headed to the park. Just the four of us and the kite (and a picnic dinner).

Having a newborn has kept me indoors more than usual, and it was glorious to get outside and enjoy the cool, the wind, my boys. This week we're going to try to get outside more!

And now, a little groundwork for the coming week, starting with our menu plan:

Dinners for This Week:

Monday--Taco Night.
Tuesday--Creamy Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta (my weekly recipe-from-Pinterest-experiment) with Broccoli

Wednesday--Quick Crustless Quiche
Thursday--Spaghetti with Salad and Olive Cheese Bread

Friday--Cheddar Cheese Soup with Broccoli, Zucchini, and Carrots and Biscuits

Saturday--Pizza Night with salad
Sunday--Leftovers.

How I did with last week's goals:

~~Memorize Mark 2:17~~.
Finish Surrender: Your Key to Spiritual Success. I have two more pages left, I think. Almost there!
~~Double the Quick Crustless Quiche so I have one for the freezer~~.
~~Wash our sheets and bathroom rugs.~~
Exercise x 3. Nope! I started to feel a scratchy throat coming on, and so I headed Amelie's pleas of "please take care of yourself" and opted for naps instead of exercise. Sore throat successfully avoided!
Walk with the boys x 1. Like I said, I've had a hard time getting outside lately. It's all the breastfeeding sessions, I think! We're going to try again this week.
~~Update my recipe binder~~.
Get up to date on editing February's photos. Again, made some progress, but still not completed.
Have 2 learning/activity times with Squishy. Only did this once.
~~Think of something special to do for Andrew~~.

Goals for this week are:

Memorize Deut. 8:11-13.
Finish Surrender and read 3 chapters from The Great Omission by Steve Saint.
Do something special for Andrew (need to brainstorm this).
Have 2 learning/activity times with Squishy.
Exercise x 3.
Walk with the boys x 1.
Edit 20 photos from February.
Make a triple batch of Taco Meat.

Our morning is in full gear over here, so I'm signing off.

What's your favorite outdoor activity to do when you get inside-itis?

Linked to Money Saving Mom and Menu Plan Monday.

Daily Life With a Toddler and A Newborn {Try New Adventures Thursday!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:19:00 +0000

"No, you can't put Kix in the baby's mouth, buddy." {Me to Squishy}

"What's dat cawd, mommy? What's dat cawd?" {Squishy to me 20x/day. He wants to know what EVERYTHING is called.}

"Ac-toolly..." {Squishy's new favorite word. I guess I say "actually" quite a bit}
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Always on a mission, this boy

My best adventure these days is adjusting to life with my two boys. I'm yearning to savor this time...which is sometimes challenging since each day goes by at warp speed in a blur of changing diapers and filling tummies.

The general flow of our weekday goes something like this....

General Weekday Schedule

7 or 7:30 am: Wake up, feed baby, quiet time.

7:30-8:30: Toddler wakes, toddler and Alicia’s breakfast. Both boys dressed.

8:30ish: Baby’s early morning nap. Try to clean the kitchen. End up reading to Squishy.

9: Alicia’s shower, toddler’s room-time (during "room time" I put the gate up in Squishy's open doorway and he plays in his room with his toys and books. His room is kid-proof and I can hear him from the bathroom. This is a really nice break for both of us!)

9:30-10:15: Minimum maintenance, fix hair/make-up.

10:15 or 10:30: Feed baby, Sesame Street for toddler.

11 ish: Prepare and eat lunch

11:30: Baby’s late morning nap. Clean kitchen. Mommy time with toddler.

12:30 pm: Clean up toddler’s room, put him down to nap.

1 or 1:30: Feed baby. Daily chores.

2 or 2:30: Baby’s early afternoon nap, Alicia’s personal time/dinner prep/nap or exercise.

Between 3:30 and 4:30: Everyone up from naps, snack time, feed baby, keep working on dinner.

5 or 5:30: Baby’s evening nap.

5:30-6: Dinnertime.

7-7:30: Baby’s pre-bedtime feeding, afterwards get toddler ready for bed.

8: Toddler’s bedtime.

8-8:30: Baby’s bedtime. Alicia gets ready for bed (ideally, haha)

9:30-10: Baby’s dreamfeed.

10:30: Alicia’s Bedtime. (it's been more like 11 pm lately)

1 am ish: Feed baby.

4 am ish: Feed baby. {sometimes he drops one feeding and only wakes up around 3 am!}

7 am: Start over.

Of course, this is just the basic idea. If the baby is having a growth spurt, there are more frequent feedings (mind boggling, I know). Sometimes we'll go for a walk and the baby will just cat nap. Then there are days when we have to run errands or we get out of the house to visit friends...on those days precious little housework gets accomplished. But that's just how it is right now.

Honestly, getting a quiet time has been rare because I fall asleep so easily during the baby's 1st morning feeding. And minimum maintenance has even been a stretch. I mostly go from the most urgent cleaning task to the next...and many times that does not include a 5 minute pick-up of the bathroom!

With that said, our days really are pleasant. I've been turning music on in the morning and singing with Squishy. We read books. Kiss the baby. I don't really mind it when a cute little outfit gets baby fluids on it, because then we can admire his cuddly-ness in the next soft number.

Each day is a reminder of my dependence on God...and a tangible lesson in putting others before myself (and having a good attitude about it!).

What's your latest everyday sort of adventure?

(Link up any kind of adventure below! The idea is simple: Link up your blog post, link back to Alicia's Homemaking, and then leave a couple of fun comments on the other participant's posts! Our twitter hashtag {'cause we're cool like that...} is #TryNewAdventures.)

Goodbye Monday: Thoughts, Menu Plan, Goals

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:44:00 +0000

The weekend just zoomed past me and took Monday with it. And it's 4 minutes until my bedtime already. Good grief! My feet hit the ground running these days (into walls, if it's pre-coffee), and blog posts remain mostly in my head. There's a really great blog stowed away in my brain, y'all. Meanwhile, everyone over here is fed (check!) clothed (most of the time), and kissed....so I'm doing my job.

Last week was somewhat of a bumpy ride for me. I had a couple of days where I struggled with strong feelings of anxiety/fear. It sent me to my knees and reminded me deep down that my very ability to think sanely comes from the Lord. I can't lift my pinky finger without Him.

I was very thankful for dear friends who prayed with me on the phone and for my husband, whose words of encouragement are often like a wave of relief washing over me. Fear, of any sort (unless it's fear of the Lord), is irrational in the light of God's truth. He keeps bringing me back to what He says...the only thing that's real.

We are enjoying this month where Andrew has weekends off (his schedule changes month by month). Between the studying, interview prep, and licensure application stuff my hubby has to do and family things like laundry, grocery shopping, errands, and church, weekend days are much busier than we would like them to be. But we're together, and that's sweet.

And now for another week! Here's a bit on the planning side, starting with our menu.

Our Dinners for This Week:

Monday--Salad with Olive Cheese Bread (Monday seems to be Pioneer Woman night! Last week it was Penne a la Betsy, which we LOVE).

Tuesday--Valentine's Day Date with my hubby. Some sweet friends called and offered to babysit! Score.
Wednesday--Creamy Grilled Chicken Piccata with veggies
Thursday--Home Group Potluck--we are bringing Quick Crustless Quiche

Friday--Pizza Night with salad
Saturday--Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
Sunday--Leftovers.

Curious how I did with last week's goals? Here's the list:

Read 2 chapters of Surrender: Your Key To Spiritual Success.
Memorize Mark 2:17. Nope. I forgot to write the verse down in a prominent place, and so it didn't happen.
~~Write Andrew a letter~~.
Have 2 learning/activity times with Squishy. I think I did this once?
~~Work out one time (after my 6 week post-pardum appointment!) and also go for a walk with the kids~~.
~~Make a double batch of lasagna~~.
~~Grate mozzarella cheese for freezer pizza kits~~.
~~Make snack for playgroup~~.
Get up to date on editing February's photos. I got very close to completing this. Then I took tons more photos. Ha!
~~CLEAN THE BATHROOM. Honestly, this is a weekly goal of mine, but it's been a couple of weeks since it's been really cleaned, and it's reaching bachelor-pad proportions.~~ ~~Scary~~.

Goals for this week are:

Memorize Mark 2:17.
Finish Surrender: Your Key to Spiritual Success.
Double the Quick Crustless Quiche so I have one for the freezer.
Wash our sheets and bathroom rugs.
Exercise x 3
Walk with the boys x 1.
Update my recipe binder.
Get up to date on editing February's photos.
Have 2 learning/activity times with Squishy.
Think of something special to do for Andrew.

And with that, I'm off to bed (40 minutes late!). Notice I have not put "go to bed on time" on the goals list yet. Hmmmm.

For fun: What's a cheerful thing you did over the weekend, and what's one goal you have for this week?

Roasted Tomato Salsa {Try New Adventures Thursday!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:16:00 +0000

I've found a new favorite fresh salsa recipe. It's very simple, but prepare yourself for greatness.

My local grocery store periodically sells marked down tomatoes (I found some for 59 cents/pound this week!), and on Super Bowl Sunday I experimented with the following salsa recipe from One Particular Kitchen.

When I've made fresh tomato salsa in the past, it's turned out tasty, but the texture has been a bit watery. For this salsa, however, you roast the tomatoes, onions, peppers, and garlic. It gives the finished product a thicker texture and UHmazing flavor!

To make the salsa you simply use:
8 ripe tomatoes
1-2 yellow onions
2 largish Serrano peppers
5 cloves of garlic
1 TBSP salt
1 large bunch of cilantro
Lime juice to taste

(This is half of the original recipe, which makes a TON of salsa! I also drastically decreased the amount of Serrano peppers. 2 peppers gave the salsa a nice kick without overtaking us with spicy-ness. You can adjust the amount of peppers to your taste!)

The tomatoes, onions, and peppers (caps removed) go in a 375 degree oven for approx 30-45 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Allow them to cool a little after you remove them from the oven, and then toss them in a food processor along with the remaining ingredients.

The result is fabulous. It's even better after it's sat in the fridge overnight! My next thought is to experiment with canning this recipe.

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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!

The Good Ol' Days {A Guest Post!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I'm pleased to have my childhood friend and fellow blogger Jodi guest posting today! Here's a little glimpse into her life and heart...

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I'm really excited to be guest posting here for Alicia and so honored that she would even ask. Alicia, congratulations to you and your adorable family! You're such a superwoman and if I could rally a parade and bestow a crown and cape upon you, I would. So consider yourself virtually crowned and caped. :)

I'm Jodi and I blog over at Life and Oh-La-Dee-Dah. Like Alicia, I'm a mother of two boys. Judah is four and Jacob just turned three. Three years old, already! It's cliche to say, but wow! Time really does fly. In order to keep time from passing too quickly and leaving me with unopened moments, I remind myself periodically that these are the good ol' days. You know, the days that in a year from now, I'll look back and think "Remember when..." and my husband and I will get all misty-eyed sentimental and let our hearts yearn for one more moment with the boys when they were oh-so-tiny. If you think about it, each moment will one day become part of the good ol' days, right? So, I'm determined to keep that in mind, especially when these two little guys of mine are creating messes and running dizzy circles around me. :) It's not easy, but with enough coffee...

Our family dynamic is slightly different than the average family because Judah has special needs, but there are three things, give or take, that I think are universal to raising boys, special needs or typically developing. Feed them well, give them dirt to play in and always have a cabinet stocked with disinfectant. I'm smirking just a little, but there's some truth in that, right?

Whether we're raising sons or daughters, I think one of the biggest challenges of parenthood lies in the balancing act of being organized, but also being willing to let unplanned and imperfect moments join us on the journey. Almost every seasoned mother I've talked with has told me that they never regretted leaving the laundry undone, but they do regret the moments they missed with their kids because of a to-do list. I am still learning that and still sometimes the to-do list takes priority when finger painting or bubble blowing should be the priority.

I've made a loose cluster of New Year's resolutions and the one I really want to grasp tightly to this year is exactly that. Doing better at balancing priorities, making sure I remember that these are the good ol' days. If that means a bed or two goes unmade or the dishes pile up for a bit, well I'm ok with that.

Alicia you truly are an amazing woman. I love getting to read your blog and peek into your life as a wife and mother. You have a sweet heart for your family and it shows.

Kicking Off The Week: Menu Plan and Goals

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:29:00 +0000

I think we've hit a milestone. Last week actually felt (mostly) "normal." I cooked. Went to playgroup. Andrew even gave me a night off, and I went to Starbucks by myself. And my post-pardum tendency to cry at the drop of a hat seems to be subsiding.

Hurrah!

The first 6 weeks of a baby's life are so full of warm cuddles, tiny outfits, the constant clicking of the shutter, and those sweet I-can't-believe-how-small-this-diaper-is moments. But it's encouraging to start emerging from the fog of sleep deprivation, hormone fluctuations, and the crazy schedule that Andrew had last month.

Last week's burritos. Fabulous. :)

Let's see how this week goes!

Our Dinners for This Week:

Monday--Penne a la Betsy with broccoli
Tuesday--Lasagna (will double for the freezer) with corn, carrots, and asparagus
Wednesday--Beans and Rice
Thursday--Spicy Thai Chicken with Peppers (we love this Betty Crocker recipe!)
Friday--Pizza Night with salad
Saturday--Leftovers.
Sunday--Potential date night.

Curious how I did with last week's goals? Here's the list:

~~Finish reading The Hidden Art of Homemaking.~~
~~Finish memorizing James 4:6-10~~
~~Have two learning/activity times with Squishy.~~
~~Make quadruple batch of Cheddar/Veggie soup.~~
~~Make quadruple batch of Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings~~
~~Make large batch of taco meat~~
Grate mozzarella cheese for freezer pizza kits.
~~Make chocolate granola bars.~~ These were a huge hit in our house!
~~Write our sponsored child and another friend~~.

I crossed off all but one task!!! I couldn't believe it! I wrote out my weekly goals on a list and posted it next to the daily sheet I use, and each day I focused on one or two things....and whaa-laa. Progress.

Here are my goals for this week:

Read 2 chapters of Surrender: Your Key To Spiritual Success.
Memorize Mark 2:17.
Write Andrew a letter.
Have 2 learning/activity times with Squishy.
Work out one time (after my 6 week post-pardum appointment!) and also go for a walk with the kids.
Make a double batch of lasagna.
Grate mozzarella cheese for freezer pizza kits.
Make snack for playgroup.
Get up to date on editing February's photos.
CLEAN THE BATHROOM. Honestly, this is a weekly goal of mine, but it's been a couple of weeks since it's been really cleaned, and it's reaching bachelor-pad proportions. Scary.

Is your week off to a good start? Here's to Monday!

Linked to Menu Plan Monday and Money Saving Mom.

January Via Instagram

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:47:00 +0000

Remember how I attempted to do a 365 project last year?

Well, it royally flopped. I got so behind on picture editing last year (especially after I started shooting in RAW format), and I eventually gave up.

This year I'm trying a simpler route by doing the #photoaday challenge on Instagram. Fat Mum Slim has been creating a photo challenge each month with daily prompts, and I decided to get in on the fun.

The challenge is perfect for me because: 1) I don't have to spend a lot of time editing, 2) I can automatically send my pictures to Flickr via Instagram, and 3) there are others doing it along with me!

I did miss some days in January, primarily because my husband takes his iTouch to work and then I'm Instagram-less (tragic, I know). But here are some of the snippets of life I captured last month:

The February challenge is pictured below. Want to join in?

Linked to Nest of Posies, InstaFriday, and The House of Smiths.

12 Books For The New Year {Try New Adventures Thursday!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:13:00 +0000

Last year I set a goal of reading 12 books--one per month. I fell a bit short of my goal (mainly due to pregnancy exhaustion), but I did read the following nine books...

Books I read in 2011:

Shepherding a Child's Heart
One Thousand Gifts (The best book I read. This is in my "read and reread" category.)
The Digital Photography Book
The Fortune of War
The Surgeon's Mate
The Help
Loving The Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches
The Mission of Motherhood
Kisses for Katie

I'd say it was a good year, especially since I enjoyed each of the books I read. This year, however, I really would like to hit the 12 book mark (or beyond!). I'm excited to be well on my way, since breastfeeding forces me to sit down for long periods of time during the day. When I'm not reading to my toddler, I'll pick up my own book (when I'm not drawn into Instagram, that is. *sheepish*).

Here are the volumes I hope to read this year (a few are carried over from last year's list):

2012

The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer (just finished this one!)
Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenreider (I've started this one...)
Surrender: The Key to Spiritual Success by Arthur Burt (started this one as well)
The Great Omission by Steve Saint
The Ionian Mission by Patrick O'Brian
The Heavenly Man by Brother Yun and Paul Hattaway
Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day
Grace For The Good Girl by Emily Freeman
Secrets of the Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg
Peace Child by Don Richardson
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
Imprisoned in Iran by Dan Baumann

I'm excited that I'm already on track with my book reading for this year. The Hidden Art of Homemaking was a pleasure to read, once I acclimated to the author's style. The book is not a homemaking how-to, but focuses instead on giving you ideas for expressing creativity in your everyday activities. It encouraged me to be purposefully creative in my role as a wife, mom, and homemaker. It particularly made me want to keep fresh flowers in the house at all times. :)

Do you have any good reads planned for the coming year? I'd love to hear!
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Link up your Thursday adventures below!

What? A Menu Plan?!

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:50:00 +0000

Last week was a doozy. I was just beginning to return to a somewhat "normal" state/routine after my c-section when it hit. My husband had to work mostly night shifts for a week, the baby got circumcised on Monday (read loss-of-routine and temporarily-fussy-baby), and I came down with a yucky case of mastitis. On top of it all, Andrew had his monthly end of rotation exam on Friday. The poor guy was trying to study, take care of me (incapacitated on the couch with fevers and extremely achy joints), and take care of the boys.

So the weekend was regrouping time for us. Time to pick up the strewn house and dirty laundry and get our game face on for the coming week. For me, that included putting together the 1st menu plan since baby arrived.

The fridge, a little extra full with freezer cooking supplies

We exhausted our stock of freezer meals after Baby E. arrived, so it's time to start squeezing some freezer cooking into my routine, if possible. This week's menu plan is mainly comprised of meals that can be doubled (or quadrupled) and frozen.

Dinners for the Week:

Monday--Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
Tuesday--Veggie Cheddar Soup and biscuits
Wednesday--Bourbon Chicken with veggies
Thursday--Burritos with lettuce, tomatoes, guac...the works!
Friday--Date Night.
Saturday--Pizza Night with salad
Sunday--Leftovers.

And now.....drumroll..................it's time to start posting my goals for the week again! I'm excited to get back on the bandwagon.

Here are my goals for this week:

Finish reading The Hidden Art of Homemaking.
Finish memorizing James 4:6-10
Have two learning/activity times with Squishy.
Make quadruple batch of Cheddar/Veggie soup.
Make quadruple batch of Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
Make large batch of taco meat
Grate mozzarella cheese for freezer pizza kits.
Make chocolate granola bars.
Write our sponsored child and another friend.

Having just had a baby 4 weeks ago, my list of goals looks kind of daunting to me. Especially all the cooking. But hey, we gotta eat. I'm going to give it a shot! I'll let you know how it goes...

Linked to Money Saving Mom and Menu Plan Monday.

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. :)