I have been on a baking kick! And I'm loving it. I'm soaking in all the season has to offer. While I don't have pictures to intrigue you, I do have a delicious list of this week's treats. :)
*Apple, Cinnamon Cupcakes with a Caramel Glaze
*Pumpkin Muffins
*Chocolate Chip Cookies
*Taco Pizza
(as I type this...I'm realizing these aren't all seasonal) :)
*Eric's Recipe for Homemade Rolls (taking them to Book Club today)
*Cinnamon Rolls for this morning!! (and completely homemade up to the frosting)
And this upcoming week brings the joy of making baby food with my sister-in-law! Super excited!
So much to be thankful for! And so many blessings!
(Can you feel my excitement?!)
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Great Reminder
Just read a blog that I thought was particularly apropo to my daily life as a stay-at-home mom. Hope you enjoy this:
http://ashleyannphotography.com/blog/2010/10/07/10-in-10-guest-post-needing-a-little-help-by-jess-m/
And here's a quick link to her personal blog:
http://themcclenahans.blogspot.com/
I'm blessed, and it's still early in the day. :)
http://ashleyannphotography.com/blog/2010/10/07/10-in-10-guest-post-needing-a-little-help-by-jess-m/
And here's a quick link to her personal blog:
http://themcclenahans.blogspot.com/
I'm blessed, and it's still early in the day. :)
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Fall
My favorite season of the year. Sure, each season has joys of its own; however, the onset of fall is magical to me. It's almost as if the change in weather brings a new smell life. Fall smells like campfires and spice. People begin to bundle up in their "fashionable" sweaters. I don't mind the falling of the leaves as the 'crunch' sound turns me into the little kid who runs through all the leaves and jumps into heaping piles. Pumpkins show up at the grocery store (if you live in the city) and pumpkin patches beckon me. Kitchens delight the taste buds with apple and pecan and pumpkin pies. Halloween and Thanksgiving are on the horizon, which means our 4th annual fall party is just around the corner! And speaking of traditions, looks like we'll have to forgo our yearly camping trip, since I'm not sure our little one could withstand the coolness that Fall brings. I'm a sucker for Cinnamon Dulce Lattes and Pumpkin Spice Lattes, and there's even a new Toffee one that's calling my name. (Thanks CorCor for the gift card! I'm trying to pace myself.) I love Grandma B's wassail that only comes this time of year! And who can forget FOOTBALL! I was missing Sunday football with my Dad today. There's nothing like watching a game with him. (The Titans were rockin' it out!)
New fall adventures: Mr. T and I are soaking up (doesn't it seem like I should break into Sheryl Crows, 'Soak Up the Sun') the crisp air while learning how to stay warm. Hopefully we'll get to join our sweet friends and neighbors to their yearly apple orchard extravaganzas. There might even be a visit from CorCor and a trip up to Nana's.
I've got so much to be thankful for!
New fall adventures: Mr. T and I are soaking up (doesn't it seem like I should break into Sheryl Crows, 'Soak Up the Sun') the crisp air while learning how to stay warm. Hopefully we'll get to join our sweet friends and neighbors to their yearly apple orchard extravaganzas. There might even be a visit from CorCor and a trip up to Nana's.
I've got so much to be thankful for!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
What a surprise!
Needless to say, I had quite a 25th birthday! For now, here's a peak at a beautiful, perfect surprise from Tal!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
take a moment to decompress...or multitask
i've just grabbed a cup of decaf and have allotted myself 20 minutes to write. :) no grammar today! and i'm in need of a shower (don't judge me). laundry is running, and pictures are downloading.
start time: 4:07p. -> Go!
...while at the mall today (i had a old navy gift card! thanks grandparents!), i thought i would opt out of getting a milkshake (it was tempting me) and just use the quarter i discovered in my bag for some m&ms from the quarter machine. well, i guess it's been a while since i've done this, cause the quarter machine was no a TWO quarter machine. sadness. however, i spotted another candy center just down the way with a ONE quarter machine. :) i joyfully put in my quarter, turned the knob, and received...5 m&ms. 5. sigh...at least i had a quarter, right?
...i must confess that i am struggling. struggling with the comparisons of baby to baby. i remind myself that mr. T is going to be who he's going to be, and i love him for who God has made him to be. i'm blessed to experience so much of his life. struggle with saying no because i don't want to, or can't, spend extra money. i don't mind living a simpler life, but i know there are times when the only way it seems possible to hang out with friends is by spending money. can we just hang out at each other's houses? struggling to feel like i can do it all. and i don't even work out of the home.
...i'm finding much joy from being mr. T's mother. the littlest things make him laugh. (although, the same things don't always work a second time.) :) this week he's like a popping sound i make with my mouth and stacking toys that fall and hit the floor. and oh yes, when daddy scares him.
...from my "finding joy" jar: when my husband plays guitar for our baby while i hang the clothes. :)
...and yes, i still need to update about my trip to st. louis with my family, but for now, here are some pictures:
end time: 4:29p (okay, i had to upload pictures and a friend texted me!)
start time: 4:07p. -> Go!
...while at the mall today (i had a old navy gift card! thanks grandparents!), i thought i would opt out of getting a milkshake (it was tempting me) and just use the quarter i discovered in my bag for some m&ms from the quarter machine. well, i guess it's been a while since i've done this, cause the quarter machine was no a TWO quarter machine. sadness. however, i spotted another candy center just down the way with a ONE quarter machine. :) i joyfully put in my quarter, turned the knob, and received...5 m&ms. 5. sigh...at least i had a quarter, right?
...i must confess that i am struggling. struggling with the comparisons of baby to baby. i remind myself that mr. T is going to be who he's going to be, and i love him for who God has made him to be. i'm blessed to experience so much of his life. struggle with saying no because i don't want to, or can't, spend extra money. i don't mind living a simpler life, but i know there are times when the only way it seems possible to hang out with friends is by spending money. can we just hang out at each other's houses? struggling to feel like i can do it all. and i don't even work out of the home.
...i'm finding much joy from being mr. T's mother. the littlest things make him laugh. (although, the same things don't always work a second time.) :) this week he's like a popping sound i make with my mouth and stacking toys that fall and hit the floor. and oh yes, when daddy scares him.
...from my "finding joy" jar: when my husband plays guitar for our baby while i hang the clothes. :)
...and yes, i still need to update about my trip to st. louis with my family, but for now, here are some pictures:
end time: 4:29p (okay, i had to upload pictures and a friend texted me!)
Thursday, September 2, 2010
A sweet success and an utter failure...
Making baby food. :)
Staying at home has allowed me the extra time to "invest" into cloth diapering and making homemade baby food. Not everyone can or want to do it, and that's okay with me. I'm willing to try it, and if it doesn't work, do something else. :)
*A plug here: You can check out http://peasandthanku.blogspot.com/ if you want homemade baby food but don't have time to make it yourself. These two moms make it and send it to you.
With that being said, I ventured out to make sweet potatoes and carrots (two foods Mr. T had already tried from jars). I thought, "Since I'm baking the SP, I might as well bake the carrots." The sweet potato turned out beautifully. The carrots...what was I thinking?
Here's my experience through pictures:
And so it begins...and the waiting while it bakes.
Stupid carrots! They never became soft but just shriveled up.
Cooked SP! Yum! I almost just wanted to eat it myself. :)
Thanks to our neighbor, we had this handy hand-held grinder.
Not as much as I would expect from one sweet potato, but it will bring many meals for Mr. T.
What a struggle to get them out of the ice cube trays!
Labeled and Ready to be Eaten!
Looking forward to trying more!
Staying at home has allowed me the extra time to "invest" into cloth diapering and making homemade baby food. Not everyone can or want to do it, and that's okay with me. I'm willing to try it, and if it doesn't work, do something else. :)
*A plug here: You can check out http://peasandthanku.blogspot.com/ if you want homemade baby food but don't have time to make it yourself. These two moms make it and send it to you.
With that being said, I ventured out to make sweet potatoes and carrots (two foods Mr. T had already tried from jars). I thought, "Since I'm baking the SP, I might as well bake the carrots." The sweet potato turned out beautifully. The carrots...what was I thinking?
Here's my experience through pictures:
And so it begins...and the waiting while it bakes.
Stupid carrots! They never became soft but just shriveled up.
Cooked SP! Yum! I almost just wanted to eat it myself. :)
Thanks to our neighbor, we had this handy hand-held grinder.
Not as much as I would expect from one sweet potato, but it will bring many meals for Mr. T.
What a struggle to get them out of the ice cube trays!
Labeled and Ready to be Eaten!
Looking forward to trying more!
Monday, August 30, 2010
...and such
Some beach, somewhere...
Yes. That would be nice. Any time I hear that song (sorry if you don't like country music; it's grown on my since leaving the south), I think of my mother. And today I have been thinking and talking about her a lot today. While being one of my very best friends, she is a hero of mine. She took unfavorable circumstances of a teen pregnancy and rose above all expectations for her. She didn't sacrifice my well-being for her selfish gain; yet, in turn, she gave so much of her time, energy, money, youth...so that I could be offered a remarkable life. If she can be a mother when the world is against her, I can surely be a mother today! (And I have her to walk this road with me - what a treasure!) And our distance won't be so far when we gather our family together this weekend. I didn't realize how much I've been looking forward to this time with my family until I said, "Wow, only five days till I get to see them again!" I am blessed.
~
Mr. T is now eating carrots and peas! He does like to bang on the highchair table. I'm unsure of whether it's frustration because he can't hold the spoon or if it's pure excitement or if he'd rather be playing. But I've been introducing baby signing to him (like 'more,' 'please,' and 'all done'), and he seems to calm as I gently say, "No. Would you like more, please?" As I model for him and help him with the signs, he tends to calm down and open his mouth for more food. What a sweet moment that is.
*Bananas to be added this week! And then, we get to show Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt H all our new tricks.
Yes. That would be nice. Any time I hear that song (sorry if you don't like country music; it's grown on my since leaving the south), I think of my mother. And today I have been thinking and talking about her a lot today. While being one of my very best friends, she is a hero of mine. She took unfavorable circumstances of a teen pregnancy and rose above all expectations for her. She didn't sacrifice my well-being for her selfish gain; yet, in turn, she gave so much of her time, energy, money, youth...so that I could be offered a remarkable life. If she can be a mother when the world is against her, I can surely be a mother today! (And I have her to walk this road with me - what a treasure!) And our distance won't be so far when we gather our family together this weekend. I didn't realize how much I've been looking forward to this time with my family until I said, "Wow, only five days till I get to see them again!" I am blessed.
~
Mr. T is now eating carrots and peas! He does like to bang on the highchair table. I'm unsure of whether it's frustration because he can't hold the spoon or if it's pure excitement or if he'd rather be playing. But I've been introducing baby signing to him (like 'more,' 'please,' and 'all done'), and he seems to calm as I gently say, "No. Would you like more, please?" As I model for him and help him with the signs, he tends to calm down and open his mouth for more food. What a sweet moment that is.
*Bananas to be added this week! And then, we get to show Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt H all our new tricks.
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