Between Diapers and Miles

Brownie and Berry Dessert Pizza

2013-05-29T17:42:00.001-05:00

We went to a BBQ for Memorial Day and I wanted to bring a dessert. I found this on Betty Crocker and thought it sounded amazing! Easy, fruity, and chocolate! What can be better than that?! :)

Ingredients
1 box of Brownie mix (oil and eggs called for on brownie mix box) I used Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix.
1 package of 8oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh raspberries
1/2 cup apple jelly

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom of a 12 inch pizza pan. (I bought a cheap pizza pan from Wal-Mart)
2. Make brownie mix as directed on box.
3. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely. About 1 hour.
4. In small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla with mixer until smooth. I added some lemon juice too! Spread mixture over brownie. Arrange berries over the cream cheese mixture. Stir jelly until smooth and brush over berries. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. I cut it into little squares. It was simple and easy and super delicious! Great for a summer BBQ!

Life Lessons over Pancakes

2013-04-13T10:33:00.003-05:00

I've learned a lot about life over pancakes.

Saturday mornings might be my favorite day of the week. Especially if we have no plans early in the morning. I have gotten into the routine of making pancakes or waffles every Saturday morning. My son is too young to realize it, but give it a few months and he will expect there to pancakes. I think I do it more for me, than for him. Traditions are my favorite thing about my childhood and I want my children to have them too. Traditions help stabilize your family and your life. It might sound silly, but I want my children to grow up eating pancakes every Saturday morning.

With this fast paced life we are all living it is hard to eat around the table. Since having a child, we have been doing it a lot more. I love being in the kitchen in the morning with the sun shining through the windows. I love putting hot, little pancake circles on an Elmo plate with powdered sugar on top. I love pouring orange juice into a little cup. I love sitting down with my one year old and giggling, talking, and babbling over pancakes. Life seems so simple in this moment.

I'm not sure what makes it so simple. The fact that there's a hot breakfast on the table or the fact that it is pancakes. I mean, who doesn't love pancakes? During the week we eat a lot of granola bars, cereal, and bananas. On Saturday morning we are sitting down and eating. I think children love to eat the table. It makes them feel like a big kid. It makes them feel part of the family. They are eating with you and they know they have all of your attention. Children crave attention and it's our job as parents to give it to them. They like to feel part of something special.

Sure, it's breakfast. But it sure is special to this mom. I remember the mornings my mom would make us waffles and when my dad would make us eggs. I'm pretty sure they thought they weren't doing anything special but if I've held on to those memories 20 years later, I would say those Saturday mornings were a big deal to me. Now that I look back on it, I realize how special those mornings were. My parents took the time on their day off to make me breakfast. Sure, they could have just handed me a pop tart or poured me a bowl of cereal, but they threw some flour in a bowl instead. My mom taught me that when a pancake had lots of bubbles that it was time to be flipped. To this day, that's how I know that a pancake is ready. I learned patience over pancakes. I learned that good things come to those who wait. I learned that love is in the kitchen and that a kitchen makes a home. I learned that memories are made in the kitchen. I learned that most problems can be fixed over pancakes, especially pancakes with chocolate chips. I learned that sometimes you just need a stack of pancakes to make you realize how great life really is.

They always say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and now I'm finally realizing why.

No one said it would be easy....

2013-02-26T21:17:00.000-06:00

No one said it would be easy. They said it would be hard, really hard. I'm talking about just life in general; everything that comes along with life. Jobs, marriage, children, education, etc. I mean, I knew it wasn't all going to be on a silver platter, but I didn't know it would stress me out this much. Maybe I just let everything in life stress me out, when really, I just need to sit back and appreciate what I have.

I have my health. Health is one thing that I think we all take for granted. I've watched people I love crumble because of their health issues and I've watched people I love die because they've lost the health they once had. That is one of the hardest things to do; watch someone you love lose the life they once knew because their body won't let them live it. I take for granted the fact that I can jump, run, lift, swim, bike whenever I want. I take for granted that I can see the sun rise and set, the flowers bloom in the spring, see the leaves change in the fall, and watch the snow fall from the sky. I forget that not everyone can smell homemade cookies baking or smell a dozen roses. Even on the days that I feel horrible, I forget it could be so much worse.

I have my family. I have two amazing parents that have taught me to never, ever give up. They taught me to fight for what I love and to always be strong. I grew up with a brother unlike any other. He taught me that hard work does pay off and if you do something you love with your life, you will be happy. I have the best uncle in the world and so many childhood memories have him in them. He is one of the strongest people I know and I look up to him, admire him, and am so proud of him. I love him more than he will ever know. I don't think any of them know how much they have impacted my life. They are all some of the most beautiful people that God put on this Earth.

I have my husband and my marriage. He lifts me up. He is my strength when I am not sure which way to go. When I first met him, I knew that somehow he would change my life forever and he has and he will continue to do that as long as I live. He forgives me, loves me, and supports me. What more could I ask for? I think the thing I admire the most is the fact that he forgives me. When I mess up or drive him nuts or say things that I probably shouldn't, he forgives me and moves on. He is one of the strongest and most dedicated people I know. He puts his whole heart into what he loves and his passion drives him every single day. I am so proud of him and what he does for our family. I do not tell him that enough. When you get married you marry someone for better AND for worse. You commit to this person and promise to stand by them on their best days AND on their worst days. Marriage is a lifetime commitment and you should do everything in your power to keep your marriage together and keep it alive. You both have to make an effort to make sure your marriage, your love (and yes, your sex life stay alive). Marriage takes work. You have to make sure that flame is still burning. The more you get to know your spouse, the better your marriage will be. There will never, EVER be a day that you stop learning things about the person you married. You will learn something new about them every day that you are together. Of course, you are going to fight. Everyone fights. That's okay. That means you believe in something. That means you believe in each other. You should be worried when you aren't fighting. That means that there is nothing left for you fight for. You should both fight for each other. That's the beauty in fighting.

I have my son. Every single time I feel lost, I look at him, and everything is as it should be. He lights up my life and makes me feel like I have purpose in this world. It's amazing how a child can make you feel. This little person relies on me to survive. He is always excited to see me and never wants me to go. I know that it will change but I'm going to take what I can get for right now. He makes me feel so complete and every single day I try harder just for him. He makes it easier to wake up in the morning. He came into my life exactly when I needed him to. He teaches me to focus on today and to hope for tomorrow.

I think that life is unpredictable. No one is ever going to know what will happen or where you will be 5 years from now. The most important thing to remember is that life goes on. No matter how hard it seems right now or how scared you are about the future, life is not going to sit back and wait for you to get it together. Life is going to just keep going and it isn't going to stop. Days will turn into months, months into years, and you will wonder how you got where you are. Take the bad days and turn them into good. You might have no idea what you are doing or where you going or what exactly your purpose is, but remember, this life is a blessing. This life was given to you. So mess up, do something you never thought you would do, love more than you could ever love, and never forget that you will never get today back. Am I perfect? Far from it. Do I hurt people I love? You better believe I do and I hate that. But you know what? I learn from my mistakes, I learn from the pain I cause others, and I learn from the love that people give me. So all I can do from this day forward is enjoy the NOW, appreciate every kiss I get from my baby, and cherish every moment I have with the people I love. Because tomorrow might never come. Tomorrow might be too late. Don't wait around for someone to save you. You just need to save yourself. Happiness comes from within. If you are happy, people in your life will be happy too. There is no better time to change than right now. Live. Laugh. Love. Your future is now.

I am thankful for all the people in my life that have stood by me, support me every single day, listen to me complain, and deal with all my fears, dreams, and failures. I am thankful for the people in my life that have given up on me, left me, and pushed me to the ground. Without those people I would not be who I am today. Without them, I would not have gotten back up and pushed ahead. Without them, I would not have realized how strong I am. Without them, I would not have realized what I deserve. I am blessed to be here and to live each beautiful day exactly how God wants me to live it. He is writing my story. I am just along for the ride. Make tomorrow better than today. Have no regrets. And love with every breath you take.

Homemade Finger Paint

2013-02-21T23:55:00.001-06:00

We have a snow day here in central Nebraska today! And tomorrow is another one too! Today we did a lot of painting! We made homemade finger paint. My one year old loved it and I think it will be a regular thing. It was kind of clumpy so maybe the next batch will turn out a little better. I'm not sure how the pictures will dry. He only painted one page and he wanted to throw it away. He just realized how neat it is to throw things in the trash, so we are just going with that right now! :)

Recipe for homemade finger paints:

3 Tbs Sugar

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 cup Corn Starch

2 cups Water

Combine ingredients in a small pan. Warm until the mixture thickens. Cool and pour into containers. Add food coloring!!

Easy, fun, and I promise it will fill your house with giggles!
recipe from theBerry!

There is no doubt about it. This little boy lights up my life. Isn't it amazing how much they can change your life? I was one lost soul before he came into my life. I am so blessed to be his mommy.

DIY Lost Socks Board

2013-02-16T23:39:00.000-06:00

I did a ridiculous amount of laundry today. That's how I always do laundry. I end up doing so many loads that usually not all the pairs of socks get washed in the same load. I didn't notice how many socks I had that didn't have a mate until after I would do another load...SOOOO....I decided it was time for a Lost Socks board. I've seen these on Pinterest and figured I'd give it a try!

I had a lot of fun with this one. My one year old son had a great time helping me out too! He loved putting his feet in paint! After I made this and hung it up, I ended up matching 3 pairs of socks. All in all, I'd say that it is already coming in handy!

I bought the board at Hobby Lobby. I painted it white. I then put the footprints on. Next, I traced the letters and painted them with a paint marker. I put scrapbook paper on the paperclips with Mod Podge and glued those on. Then, I decided to put some ribbon on the back to hang it up. This was super easy and I did it in one evening. I didn't measure anything so not everything is even, but that isn't a big deal to me! I'm not too picky when it is only going to be in my laundry room. I think the cute little footprints catch most of the attention anyway! :)

Baked Southwestern Chicken Mini Egg Rolls with Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce

2013-02-04T21:19:00.003-06:00

I bought some frozen Southwestern Egg Rolls a few months ago and loved them. I thought to myself, "Hey, I could probably make these." Well, that thought ended there. Then, the other day my husband told me we would be going to a friend's house for a Super Bowl party and of course I knew I needed to bring something. These egg rolls popped back into my head and I searched for a recipe that I liked! I found this from This Mommy Cooks! Check out her blog! I love love love it!

Ingredients:
For the egg rolls
3 chicken breasts (I shredded these in my food processor!)
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 15oz can of black beans (rinse and drain)
1 9oz package frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained)
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese (I used Mexican)
1 7oz can of diced green chiles (drained)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 package of wonton wrappers

For avocado ranch
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons buttermilk
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 avocado, peeled and pitted

Directions
For egg rolls:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare baking sheets with cooking spray.
2. Mix together chicken, corn, beans, spinach, cheese, chiles, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper.
3. Scoop a small amount of the filling onto a wrapper.
4. Start at the corner and roll up the wrapper.
5. Once it's almost rolled, fold in both sides and finish rolling.
6. Wet your finger and dab a bit on the corner to seal it shut.
7. Bake for 7 minutes. Turn egg rolls over and bake an additional 7 minutes.

For avocado ranch:
Place all the ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth. Eat immediately!

***I also added some olives to the mixture! Not sure how many. I just kind of added some until I thought it looked good! :)
***Also, I only used one package of wonton wrappers, but I had SOOOO much mixture leftover that I probably could have filled two more packages of wrappers. We are using the extra in tortillas though, and it's great!

Chicken topped with Tomatoes, Spinach, Mushrooms, & Feta Cheese

2013-01-01T13:22:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year!! This year in our house we are going to start CLEAN eating! We are cutting out processed foods. I am excited about this and the healthy change we are making for our family! Fresh fruits, veggies, chicken, fish, and deer burger will fill out kitchen. My 18 month old loves loves loves hotdogs so the other day when I was at Target I picked up some turkey dogs and he loves them just the same! I have to admit they are pretty good! I've noticed in the few CLEAN meals that I've made the past couple days is that I make up recipes as I go. For supper the other night I made chicken breasts and then I sauteed mushrooms, tomatoes, and spinach in a skillet with some red wine vinegar and a tiny bit of butter. I put the mushroom mixture on top and sprinkled some feta cheese on top of everything and it was amazing! I paired this with a little salad. My husband was very satisfied and the baby enjoy it too so it was a win win! This recipe will definitely be in our meal plan rotation!

Sauteed mushrooms, tomatoes, and spinach in a red wine vinegar and a little butter.

Cooked the chicken breasts on my George Foreman. I put lemon pepper on both sides of the chicken.

Topped the chicken with the mushrooms, tomatoes, and spinach. Added some feta cheese on top!

Ingredients:

Chicken Breasts

Tomatoes (diced)

Mushrooms

Spinach (I tore my spinach up so it would be easier to eat)

Feta Cheese

Seasoning for the chicken breasts

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Ritz Bits

2012-12-19T16:41:00.001-06:00

Okay, everyone loves chocolate. Everyone loves peanut butter. Put those two together and you are going to make a lot of people happy. One of my friend's introduced me to these. She actually used the regular sized Ritz Bits crackers. She made a peanut butter sandwich, then dipped. I, on the other hand, am pretty lazy. So, I just bought the mini peanut butter sandwiches, melted some chocolate, and did a whole lot of dipping! After I got them all covered I put them in the fridge for about 30 minutes. You can leave them at room temperature if you are going to eat them soon, but I think they are great cold! If you need one last Christmas treat or just something sweet and salty around the house, make these! Super easy, quick, and everyone will love them! :)

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

2012-09-14T18:17:00.000-05:00

This is genious! And soooo delicious! I cannot wait to make this again...like probably next week. Super easy and the flavors are amazing! I know you will love this as much as I do!!!

INGREDIENTS

8oz Thinkly Sliced Roast Beef

8 Slices Provolone Cheese

2 Large Green Bell Peppers

1 Medium Sweet Onion

6 oz Baby Bella Mushrooms

2 Tbs. of Butter

2 Tbs. of Olive Oil

1 Tbs. of Minced Garlic

DIRECTIONS
1. Slice the peppers in half lengthwise, remove ribs and seeds.

2. Slice onion and mushrooms. Saute them over medium heat with butter, olive oil, minced garlic, and a little salt and pepper. Saute until caramelized - about 25 minutes.

3. Slice roast beef into thin strips and add to the onion/mushroom mixture. Allow to cook for 5-10 minutes.

4. Line the inside of the peppers with a slice of provolone cheese.

5. Fill each pepper with meat mixture.

6. Top each pepper with a slice of provolone cheese.

7. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees.

I tore the cheese up before I put it on the bottom of the pepper. I couldn't find very large peppers. I think next time I'll put two slices of cheese on the bottom. I didn't bake my peppers for 15 minutes. I think I baked them for about 10. I like my peppers a little crunchy. I LOVED these!!!

I got these recipe from a GREAT blog called Peace, Love, and Low Carb!!! Check it out!

45 years is a beautiful thing...

2012-09-06T15:21:00.002-05:00

On August 12th my parents were married 45 years. Holy cow. As a newlywed who is close to being married 1, yes ONE year, 45 years is completely amazing. I look back over the past year that I have been married and realize how much my husband and I have been through and its mind blowing to think of everything my parents have been through in the 45 years they have been together. Laughter, tears, sadness, happiness, love, death, trials, joy, trust, rising above, failing...and they did it all together. That is what marriage is all about.

I planned a surprise party for their big day. Let's just say, I will probably never do this again! Trying to figure out who to invite was stressful to say the least! I didn't want to forget anyone! Luckily since I recently got married I had most of my parent's friend's addresses so it was easier than it would've been! Anyway, I think I'll let the pictures speak for themselves because there really are no words to describe the evening that we had. It was a beautiful, beautiful thing...I will remember the look on their faces for the rest of my life. Definitely a moment I will never forget.

How does this not make your heart melt??? Completely surprised. I think every child should experience this look from their parent's.

Gosh, what a beautiful love they have.

Me, my son, father, husband, brother, and mother.

Everyone waiting for my parents arrival!

Pictures of my parents together over the years. People even brought gifts! :)

Looking at the pictures from this day brings tears to my eyes. Watching them walk into the room and see all their close friends and family sitting there waiting for THEM gave me butterflies! That was the most rewarding feeling I could have and made all the preparations completely worth it. I would probably do it all over again just to see the joy on their faces. AHHHH....LOVE!

My advice to a first time mom...

2012-07-24T23:00:00.001-05:00

Lately, all this natural parenting advice has been all over the place. I love all this new information but honestly, it scares the crap out of me! One of my friends posted a Facebook status about how worried she was to get her daughter's 2 month shots. I guess people have the choice to not get all the shots that are suggested at a certain age all at the same time? I probably sound super naive, but I'm a first time mom and I am just going with the flow. Anyway, some children have horrible reactions when they have to get 3 or 4 shots at a time so parents are choosing to spread the shots out. I had no idea you could do this?! I was blown out of the water! Granted, I'm not sure what the "rules" are when it comes to putting your child in daycare because I think certain shots are required since the child is going to be around other children, but regardless, I think it's pretty cool that you can do that. My son has never had a bad reaction to the shots so I don't know if I would do it differently the next time.

I guess I just get really flustered when I hear all this natural parenting stuff. I love the idea of cloth diapers and really want to use them when we have another baby. There is just SO much information and SO many opinions that it's hard to figure out what is best for you and your baby. One HUGE topic these days is breastfeeding. I breastfed for about 2 months or so. After I had my son I had about 3 months until my wedding. And I started my last semester of classes. Some would say this is an excuse, but I was a little overwhelmed. I had tons of appointments to go to where I just didn't have the time to nurse so formula just ended up being a better fit. I had NO education on nursing and ZERO support so I struggled a lot. I would say 95% of the information I got was off the Internet. I pumped for a couple weeks before I stopped completely. I had such a hard time quitting. I would cry and cry about the thought of stopping. It was miserable. It would take me an entire day of pumping to get enough for one feeding, but yet, I still couldn't bring myself to quit. Now, when I look back on how much I struggled, I realize I wasted so much energy on it. When the next baby comes around I cannot wait to tackle the whole nursing thing head on. From what I've learned from friends is that breastfeeding is a lot easier when you have a support system. I plan on joining a group either at the hospital or online, or both.

The hardest thing for me to accept as a first time mom, a working mom, and a (somewhat) young mom, is that you cannot listen to EVERYTHING someone says. Yes, take in what they say, but know in the back of your mind that it might not work for you and your baby, but then again it might. That is the hardest thing to remember. You will find what works for you and your child. Some people have extremely long nights where their baby never sleeps, and then some people, like me, have a baby who sleeps through the night at 6 weeks. You will hear tons of people that say to never give your baby a pacifier or to let your baby cry it out or to not let your baby cry it out. You might hear from someone that you shouldn't introduce solids until 6 months instead of 4 or wait until 9 months. There are so many opinions and everyone has a different idea. People might say that when your baby becomes a year old they can face forward in their car seat, even though it's recommended that they rear-face longer than a year. If it worked for their child, it might not work for yours. Just remember to not get all caught up in what everyone is doing. Try it out and if it doesn't work, don't put yourself down. You and your baby will be fine.

The best advice I have: Do what you want to do, relax, and ENJOY every single second, because each day your baby will be different than he was the day before. Cherish every breath, every tear, every smile, every giggle. Just LIVE.

**note** I am still pretty clueless about a lot of all these natural parenting ideas so I am open to hear any tips, advice, information that is out there! Feel free to share your experiences please! I would love love love to hear them! :)

Hunter's 1st Birthday Farm Party

2012-07-02T12:49:00.000-05:00

The time has finally come! My baby boy is finally ONE! Oh my gosh. I have no idea where the last year has went. It was by far the best and hardest year of my life. SO many obstacles and adventures. I have learned so much about being a mom and a wife. I feel so "experienced!" Ha! The day he was born is still so vivid in my memory. I wish I could go back and relive it all over again, minus the labor part. :)

We had a Farm Birthday party for the little guy! I made a cow cake, which I am pretty proud of! It turned out exactly how I wanted it!!! Everything worked out great and we had so much fun with friends and family. It's safe to say Hunter had a great time and has waaay too many toys! Here's some pictures of his special day!

Pictures of Hunter month 1 -12!

LOVED the bandana paper I found!

Gotta love clothespins! :)

Pictures and his baby book that I have kept updated!
The outfit is the outfit he wore home from the hospital! :)

Smash cake, cow cake, cow plates, bandana napkins,
mints, and cupcakes!:)

My masterpiece!!!

Pretty proud of this!

I bought the bandana flags, napkins, and cow plates from Birthday Express. I bought the bandana paper and bandana wrapped mints from Hobby Lobby.

I wonder who I would be....

2012-05-31T15:24:00.000-05:00

I wonder who I would be if I had never became a mom. I'm sure I wouldn't be so pale as I am now. I would probably have more time to stop by the tanning salon. My hair probably wouldn't have as many split ends. I tend to lose track of the last time I got my haircut these days. My eyebrows probably wouldn't look like caterpillars because I would probably remember to get them waxed on a regular basis. So basically I would probably look more put together than I do now. I would probably be that girl that wears all name brand clothes because I would have money to spend on them. Instead now, I use all that money to buy diapers and wipes and baby food. I would probably be the girl that could meet her friends out for a drink after work, but instead I'm giving my baby a bath and reading bed time stories and singing my baby to sleep. I would probably be more rested and not have dark circles under my eyes from waking up at 3am to play with a baby that did not want to go back to bed. My house would definitely be more put together. The clothes would be folded and put away, instead of sitting in the laundry basket, there wouldn't be dishes in the sink, dinner would always be ready at the same time every night. Instead I'm having to make sure my baby isn't playing in the toilet water or pulling forks and spoons out of the dishwasher or dragging pots and pans out of the cabinets. If I had never became a mom I would probably be a little bit skinner and would have more time to workout and run instead of catching up on sleep. If I had never became a mom I would never fully understand how precious life is. I would never know how fast time flies. I would never learn that being a mom is the hardest, yet most rewarding job a person can ever have. If I had never became a mom I would have never found out who I really am or who my husband really is. If I had never became a mom I would have never learned who my true friends are or how much family really means to me. If I had never became a mom I would never fully comprehend how much it can actually hurt YOU to see someone you love, especially your own child, cry and be in pain, and that you would do anything in the entire world to take that pain away. I would have never learned that when he is hurt, it probably hurts me more than him. If I had never became a mom I would never understand the true meaning of a mother's love. I would have never learned how hard it actually was for my mother to do what she did. If I had never became a mom I would not be as happy as I am today. I would be a woman who had no purpose, no direction. I would be lonely and I would be missing out on something way better than working hard, working out, being tan, and being successful. Sure, it's great to be those things, and you can do all those things while being a mom, but the women that choose not to be a mom or think that they won't accomplish their bucket list if they become a mom, have no idea what they are missing out on. They would probably say I don't know what I am missing out on because I am a mom and all the sacrifices I have to make. The thing is however, is that I have the best of both worlds. I can do all the things that they are doing AND be a mom. I can have dreams and goals and a huge bucket list. I don't need to complete a bucket list before I can be a mom. People that believe that think their life is "over" when they have a child. To me...my life has just begun.

Being a Mom

2012-05-20T08:51:00.000-05:00

Every mom knows that being a mother is one of the hardest and rewarding jobs in the world. Every day is a blessing and it's hard to believe how much work goes into each day. I feel like I have a different choice to make regarding my son on a daily basis and as a first time mom it is very hard to know if you are making the right one. At the end of the day if my son is happy and content then I think I've done my job as a mother. A mother can never love too much. Some days seem longer than others and it seems as though the hours just drag and drag, but the weeks go fast and I think the years will even go faster. I think back to when Hunter was a newborn and I honestly do not know how I did it. I felt clueless on what to do and I'm not sure I even knew the right thing to do, but it's so true that your motherly instinct just kicks in. You just KNOW what to do and what is best for your child. Sure, there are times you have no idea what to do if you can't get rid of his diaper rash after slathering on Desitin or why he's crying at 2 in the morning and won't go back to sleep, but eventually, everything falls into place. Every day is a new lesson for me. I learn new strategies daily on what works best for my son. I've learned that he rubs his eyes when he gets tired and wants to go to sleep, or he'll cry if he's hungry, or he'll lift up his arms to you if he wants you to pick him up. When I smile, he smiles and when I laugh, he wants to laugh with me. The thing about motherhood is there is always someone out there that thinks they know what's best for YOUR child. There are lots of tips and advice that I have used and I found it comforting to hear what other mom's did and have gone through. It's hard to know what's right or wrong, but at the end of the day if your baby is happy, loved, and has a full tummy, I think you're doing your job. I've learned that while I'm taking care of him, he's taking care of me too, and he doesn't even know it.

Chicken Gyros

2012-04-23T20:57:00.001-05:00

Okay so I am a HUGE fan of pita bread. If I have an excuse to eat it, I'm all for it! Throw some chicken in there and I'm in pita heaven! This chicken gyro recipe is amazzzzzzing and you will love it! It's definitely the perfect time of year for it. I can't wait until my own cucumbers and tomatoes are ready.

Adapted from: The Girl Who Ate Everything (Check her out!!!)

Ingredients:

Tzatziki sauce:
1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil (YES YES YES!!!)

For the chicken:
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping Tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Pita bread
Fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced

Directions:
1. Shred the cucumber or chop in food processor. Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove water.

2.Mix together the yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.

3. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (This really lets the flavors mix together!!!)

4. To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk together until mixed well.

5. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. I cut the chicken into strips before I added the chicken into the bowl.

6. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

7. Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or with the broiler. Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes.

8. Heat pitas.

9. Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes. Eat ASAP! I like to throw some spinach leaves on there too...but I'm a crazy person when it comes to spinach! :)

Where has it all gone?

2012-04-12T20:56:00.000-05:00

Well, it has been quite some time since I've let you all in on what's going on in my life. I just really got caught up in LIFE! I started a new job so now I'm working during the day, which has become amazing for myself, my family, and my relationship with my husband. I'm not sure how much longer we could have handled me working at night. When I was working at night that didn't leave us much time for the bedroom and as most of you know, when you have a new baby in the house, most of the time you spend in your bedroom you are not awake for. We got married in October and we definitely skipped the honeymoon stage and never really got to be newlyweds. I wouldn't change it for the world though. Our little guy is worth it! Anyway, back to life! Little man is walking with his little walker and stands up next to the couch and walks all along it. He's going to be walking before we know it. I'm not real sure how I feel about that. I feel like he needs me less and less each day and at times I miss when he completely needed me to do everything for him. But, I love love love love watching him grow and learn. He goes to daycare now and it has been so fun to watch him interact with other babies. It's so exciting to watch him become a little boy! At times I miss being home with him all day everyday, but I like working and I like that he's getting time with other children and teachers.

I recently started buying diapers and wipes off of Diapers.Com and let's just say, I like it! I love that it arrives to house super fast and I don't have to pay shipping! Gosh, babies are expensive. How do people do it when they have twins? If I could spend every cent on little man, I totally would. But I guess I need to put gas in my car, pay the utilities, pay the house payment, and put food on the table for the hubby and I...I'm sure some of you can relate, if I won the lottery, I would definitely be spending/saving most of it on little guy. I guess that's what happens when you become a mom. Everything changes, priorities change, views adapt. That's what makes life so eventful and so fun. You can't predict anything and you just take it all as it comes. I've definitely changed as a person. Thanks to my son, he's made me see what life is all about, what it has to offer. I can't wait to see what else he is going to teach me.

We had a great Easter!!! I think he had fun on his first Easter egg hunt!! :) AHHH! Pure happiness!!!

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken

2012-02-29T08:54:00.003-06:00

So, I am definitely into easy and yummy crock pot meals and this one meets those qualifications! I like this meal because there are a lot of sides that go along with this.

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken Pin It

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs of chicken breast
14.4 oz can of Rotel
15 oz can black beans
8 oz frozen corn
14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth (next time I make this I don't think I am going to add as much broth)
1 tsp garlic powder
1tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper

I added a little more the 1 tsp of all the spices. There really wasn't much flavor as I thought there would be.

Shredded cheese

1. Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper in the crock pot.

2. Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top.

3. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours.

4. Before serving, shred the chicken, and let cook on high for half an hour before serving.

I served this over rice and put some shredded cheese on top. My husband also added some salsa. I think next time I will add two cans of Rotel instead of just one. It needed a little more spice and tomatoes for me!

I got this recipe here!

For dessert my little Hunter and I made peanut butter cookies and put peanut butter m&m's on top. YUM! :)

I got my new cooling racks for Christmas and I am ridiculously excited about them! :)

Beef Enchilada Bake

2012-02-26T09:15:00.002-06:00

I love cheese dip. I especially love Velveeta and Rotel and hamburger. Now, I love velveeta, rotel, and hamburger in an amazing meal. This recipe rocks and you will LOVE it!!!

Beef Enchilada Bake

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/4 cups cubed Velveeta (cubed), divided (I probably used a little more than this, but that's because I love cheesy meals!)
6 tortillas (I used the soft taco size) that are torn in half.
1 can (10 oz.) Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies, undrained

1. Brown beef in skillet, drain.

2. Stir in cream of chicken soup and 1 cup of Velveeta.

3. Spoon 1/3 of the meat mixture into 8-inch baking dish.

4. Cover with tortilla halves.

5. Put 1/4 Rotel on the tortillas.

6. Repeat layers.

7. Top with remaining meat mixture, Rotel, and Velveeta. I added more cheese on top than a 1/4 cup.

8. Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees until heated through.

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Easy. Yummy. That's all you need for a weeknight meal!!!

I adapted this recipe from Weeknight WOW!

10 Chicken Recipes

2012-02-25T13:04:00.002-06:00

Okay, so I'm obsessed with recipes that include chicken. I love finding new recipes and I've doing a lot of searching lately, so for my benefit and hopefully yours, here is a list of 10 chicken recipes that are amazing! Thank you Betty Crocker! ENJOY!!!

10 Yummy Chicken Recipes

Southwest Chicken Taco Salad

Garlic Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

Cheesy Broccoli-Potato Soup

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Cheesy Chicken Casserole

Grilled Chile-Lime Chicken

Chicken Kabob

Chicken Salad with Grapes, Cashews, Apples, and Fresh Dill

Baked Chicken Wings

Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich

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DIY Yarn Wreath

2012-02-17T20:39:00.001-06:00

Okay, I really didn't think this would be as hard as it was...but boy, did it take some time!!! I spent the entire afternoon making this wreath (between diaper changes, feedings, and a nap time for the little guy of course). It actually is really EASY, but very time consuming. Don't expect this to be a fast craft...block out some time! The end result however, is well, awesome!

I bought a styrofoam wreath from Hobby Lobby, a wooden letter 'F', 3 different colors of felt, green paint, and white yarn! I first covered the wreath with white yarn. This was the time consuming part. I went around it twice to cover up the green. The first layer was pretty perfect if I do say so myself, but by the second layer I was getting tired so I didn't try very hard to keep them all lined up. I think this looks a lot better then keeping each row lined up.

To make the flowers I cut a circle of felt and made the edges in a wave. Then, you cut the circle in a spiral. Take the end of the spiral where you first cut to roll up. It starts to look like a flower! Then, I used a hot glue gun to glue all the flowers and my letter that I painted to the yarn covered wreath! It was actually very easy, but as I mentioned, time consuming!

I got the idea and great tips from a wonderful blog Take Heart. Check it out!!!

The Life of a Stay At Home Mom - the beginning

2012-02-15T10:32:00.000-06:00

I never actually thought I would ever be a stay at home mom. It just wasn't something I wanted to do. When I was in college I was excited to get a job and have a career. I moved four different times after I graduated high school and transferred to four different schools. I got bored really quick and craved change. I liked moving to a new town, meeting new people, doing new things. It was exciting for me. I liked to be busy and go go go.

When my little Hunter got here though, my life completely changed. Life seemed to slow down. I remember the first few weeks he was here I would find myself staring at him. I was captivated by his tiny little fingers and toes, long, dark eyelashes, fresh little lips, his cute little nose. I couldn't help but just watch him. And boy, did I watch him! Those first few weeks I learned newborns sleep a lot, but not usually when you want them too. We definitely had our fair share of 3am snuggle sessions, and now that I look back, they were some of the best times I have spent so far with my little guy.

I figured if I was going to be home all day I would get so much done! I would always be caught up on the laundry, the dishes would be clean, I would cook great meals, and the house would spick and span.

That was hardly the case.

I found out that I was never caught up on laundry. If it was clean, it wasn't put away. There were always dishes to be washed or the dishwasher always needed to be emptied. I actually was really good at cooking meals. That was an escape for me. It was a time for me to escape the diaper changes and feedings and be an "adult." It was my alone time. The house, however, was never spick and span. There were always toys, mail, blankets everywhere. My husband never said anything, but I'm sure he was thinking to himself, "How does the house look like this when she's home all day?" It probably helped that he always had a nice warm meal to come home too, but we'll keep that between you and me.

Babies stay in one place for quite a while. You can leave them sitting or laying somewhere and go do something and come back and they will still be there. Most of the time if Hunter was sleeping, so was I. We spent a lot of time snuggling, reading, giggling. Some mom's might say that I should clean the house or do a load of laundry while he's asleep, but some days I needed (maybe not needed, but definitely wanted!) sleep or I just wanted to watch him sleep.

I give props to working mom's. You women are my heros. I'm sure someday I will join you and I will figure it out, but if you have any tips, please, send them my way!

The house will always be there for me to clean. The laundry will always be there for me to fold and put away. The dishes will always need to be rinsed and dried, but my little guy is only little once. He is going to be different tomorrow. He won't be the same that he was today. I want to enjoy it. Remember it. I am blessed to have experienced this opportunity and am so thankful to have spent this much time with him. I think he's taught me more about myself and one thing is for sure, he has taught me how to love.

photo from Entrepreneurial Stay At Home Moms

Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel Bites

2012-02-13T11:23:00.002-06:00

YUM YUM YUM. EASY EASY EASY.

It's as simple as that.

Seriously.

Ingredients:

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tablespoons of butter, softened
pretzels
chocolate chips, melted

1. Melt the butter in a bowl. I always melt the butter in the bowl first so the peanut butter doesn't stick to the sides.

2. Add the peanut butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla.

3. Stir together until the mixture is combined. You might need to add a little more powdered sugar for the mixture to form into balls. The more powdered sugar you add, the easier it will be to form into a ball.

4. Roll the mixture into small balls and put between two pretzels.

5. Put the pretzels in the freezer for an hour to firm up.

6. Melt chocolate chips. I estimate how much chocolate I'll need. Sometimes I dip the entire pretzel/peanut butter bite in the chocolate! :)

7. Dip the pretzels and peanut butter into the chocolate.

8. Place back in freezer to firm.

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So easy! It is such a great little yummy snack. Keep them in the fridge. I like them frozen. It's a great salty/sugary treat!!!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

2012-02-12T13:20:00.001-06:00

Ever since I became a mom I have become even more addicted to snacks. I love the little 100 calorie snack packs (My favorite are the Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs). I love chips and dip, yogurt with fruit, carrot sticks and ranch, a candy bar, you name it, I will probably eat it! One of my favorite dips is Spinach and Artichoke. I love the flavor. I love using bread or crackers or chips to dip in it. I found this great recipe from Annie's Eats and it turned out great! Here it is!

Ingredients:

8oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise
10oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup coarsley chopped canned artichoke hearts (I used a can)
Minced garlic (I just added some until I thought it was enough! Ha!)
1/4 tsp. salt
I also used some garlic salt too.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine cream cheese, Parmesan, sour cream, mayonnaise, spinach, artichokes, garlic, and salt.

3. Mix well until blended.

4. Spread into a baking dish.

5. Sprinkle Parmesan over the top if you want.

6. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is slightly browed.

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I made this for the Super Bowl and I used chips and crackers to dip in it. I served it warm and it was amazing. The leftovers were great too! It actually made a lot more than I thought it would! Definitely a great snack or would be great to take to a party or get together.

Coupons, coupons, coupons.

2012-02-07T11:31:00.000-06:00

I am extremely jealous of all those extreme couponers out there. I do not know how they do it! Ever since I found out I was pregnant I have been clipping coupons. I finally found a grocery store where I live that doubles coupons so that makes it fun! I get really excited when I use them! Lately, I've been printing off coupons online and that's really nice because I can pick which ones to print off. I'm just going to share a couple of my favorite coupon sites that I have found some great coupons on!

Good luck couponing! Let me know if you have any tips! Happy Tuesday!

It's snowing here again. 9 inches fell here over the weekend. It's a great day to print and cut coupons! :)

Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole

2012-02-05T11:28:00.002-06:00

Yum. Easy. Quick. What else do you need to know?!

Ingredients:

1 pkg (26 ounces) frozen shredded hash browns
1pkg sausage crumbles (I used Jimmy Dean)
1pkg of diced ham
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
12 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 ground black pepper

1. Spray a 6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Layer 1/2 of the hash browns on the bottom of the slow cooker.

2. Top with half of the sausage, ham, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese. Repeat Layering.

3. Beat eggs, milk, and pepper in large bowl until well blended.

4. Pour evenly in slow cooker.

5. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours or until eggs are set.

I have a feeling this might become a Sunday morning tradition in our house! Next time I'm going to add some green pepper and mushrooms. YUM!!!
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I got the idea for this recipe from Jimmy Dean!