One of Those Days

It's been one of "those" days. I bet it's a full moon tonight. The girls and I went grocery shopping, I've been putting it off and needed to get some stuff for the holiday weekend. After A woke up from nap number 1 we took off. Well, a grocery shop the Friday of a holiday weekend is insane! People we running into our cart and bumping me the whole time. I have to admit we did meet some wonderful people who were in love with A and her wonderful smile. But those people were overshadowed but the ones running around, cutting us off, and running into us. Stuff like that makes me sad, that some people have become so disconnected to others that they just look thru you....but that's a whole other story.

We returned home just in time for lunch, diaper changes, and naps. I was able to clean the house while the girls napped. The floors needed a good scrubbing and all the rugs and toys were cleaned as well (remember that E is potty training). I felt great, I finished and the floors were dry when E woke up. But about 5 minutes later the girls decided that the place was too clean and quickly went to work!

E was just in one of her "let's tear this place up" moods. I just don't know what we will do when they are both upright doing this! Yikes!!!

After this the girls and I ran to the Dollar General store...I had huge coupons to take advantage of. Then I got there, in the store, and realized that the coupons were still on the counter at home. So I left and took the girls back home. A was ready for her final nap of the day. She went right out and Hubs was home so I decided to run back out with just E and bring those coupons. It was nice to have some 1:1 time with E...and she just loved all the extra attention.

I hate running around, but today it was just required (granted it could have been easier if I had remembered those coupons the first time). the good news is that I won't have to do much running around the rest of the weekend. Which is great, I plan to take full advantage of my time with the family!!

-A

My Name is "E" and...

...I L-O-V-E my binkies (aka pacifiers). This girl is just nutty about them and her little sister is starting to follow in her footsteps.

It's kind of funny when I'm out with the girls and E takes out a binky. I see others stare and sometimes give me "that look"...you know the one..."why is she still using a binky-look". But bottom line is she likes them, they comfort her and both her Pediatrician and Dentist are okay with it. I think most of the looks come from Emily looking much older than she is. It's funny how strangers like to pass judgement.

That's okay, I'm doing what's right for my family and I am confident with that. And besides how else would I get funny pictures like this?! Yes, that's E with 2 binkies at once.

This was from Jazz night, those people in the back are strangers 

(not the ones that pass judgement...these 2 thought E was a hoot!)

I thought we were going to have A binky-free but she just can't help doing what her big sister does so within the last month or so she is a binky baby. She only requires them when she is sleepy but that's how it all began with E so I'm prepared to one day have to wean both of them off of this habit. Oh well, it's all worth it!

-A

Custom

I can't stop smiling...my Etsy shop is up and running. And thanks to Kristin (old nanny and dear friend) who gave me invaluable help, suggestions, photos and support I have a few sales under my belt. But this latest is really making me smile. I have a custom order. I can't really pin point why this is so exciting for me, perhaps its that she found my shop and liked my dresses so much that she wanted a special one made for her little one. Plus she is going to have her daughter wearing it for their family photos in October! This is just so exciting for me.

Here are the fabrics I will be working with:

I am in love with the colors and patterns. I can't wait to post pictures of the finished product. I'm so excited to get my hands on these fabrics and begin!

The next step? I am working with a graphic designer to have my business's items created (cards, site, etc). I could do this myself but I am learning that I HAVE to keep my focus and it would take me to long to create what I'm looking for. I'm really excited to see what she comes up with. It's a great opportunity to have someone look at my items, my blog, and interview and she what she comes up with. Once the business items are complete she will also help me with updating the look/design of this blog.

This is a really exciting time for me and my family. I'm not getting my hopes up to high...just enjoying the ride!

-A

It's My Party...

Well, not my party...but today is my birthday. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. I enjoyed a nice breakfast compliments of Hubs and then the girls, Hubs and I went for an errand, a trip to the garden and then sushi for lunch! After the girls enjoyed their lunch and a very needed nap we walked to the park and then had ice cream. Talk about the perfect day! I also received calls, emails and texts from my family and friends wishing me a joyous day.

 Enjoying lunch, sushi for Mom and Dad and Chicken for the girls.

Dad trying all day long to get a picture of the 3 ladies...no luck!

Enjoying the afternoon at the park. A was all over the place!

Then tonight we enjoyed Jazz in the Park with Ma-Ma (aka, Grandma). It was just the girls and it was the perfect evening to be enjoyed outside. We had a great night together, so much so that the girls were alseep withing 10 minutes of arriving home. 

To end the night I am going to pour myself a huge glass of milk and enjoy a piece of red velvet cake (compliment of Ma-Ma). Here's to hoping the girls sleep thru the night!!

-A

Movin' and a Shakin'

I have to start off by saying that E is around...I'm not leaving her out. But she's potty training, which means she is spending more time running back and forth to the potty than anything else. Which doesn't make for the best of pictures, and in the event that she finds this blog one day I don't want to embarrass her too much.

In the meantime A is just a ball of adventure. She is getting everywhere and anywhere her little heart desires. It's so fun, I feel like she is always playing hide and seek with me. And every time I find her she greets me with that adorable smile of hers.

A is also doing awesome with her cloth diapers, I'm so glad I went back to them. The first time I used them I think she was just too little and the diapers seemed to overwhelm her. Now it's no difference than the disposable.

Today was a busy day... A took a 2 hour morning nap, which has never happened. Then the girls and I ran a couple of errands (went to the farm to tend the garden) and then back home for lunch and naps. They both took great mid-day naps as well so I made homemade raviolis. I had stopped by the farmers market during the week (much cheaper than the weekend one!) and picked up a pumpkin squash. Talk about a score...$2.00 and I made baby food for A (enough for many meals), raviolis for Hubs, E and I and I baked up the seeds for yummy on-the-go snacks for me! Talk about stretching that money.

The recipe I used was kind of made up, but I'm in the process of jotting it down since it was so yummy. I will be sure to share it with y'all soon.

Have a great day!
-A

Growing Up Before My Eyes

It seems like the majority of my posts in the past week or so have been focused on A. But a lot has been going on with this little girl. I've been mentioning how she is changing more and more every day. Well today is just one more example! A learned to pull herself up and stand!!!

She has a thing about shoes...she loves to chew on them (gross, I know). So I keep everyone's shoes in a container in our room. Well that plan is shot and I have to come up with something else because A can stand and grab all the shoes she wants!

I can't get over how much she has changed in the last few weeks. It's like everything has 'clicked' with her and she is just sailing away with it all.

 

But today wasn't all about just A. E had her last gymnastic class of the session, and she was the only one that came to class! Talk about on happy girl. She had the run of the place and took FULL advantage. It was all about her and she jumped, climbed, crawled, hung, swung and everything else she could come up with. The teacher, A and I had so much fun watching E. 

Our girls are such an incredible blessing! Days like today just prove it more and more.

-A

Trying it Tuesday

Here is A's version of Trying it Tuesday. She went in the baby swing at the park for the very first time. And since she is such a small peanut I had to pack her in it with a blanket...man is she tiny! But it was so worth it, she loved it so much. Her highlight was seeing her big sister in the swing next to her, if she could have gotten a hold of E she would have loved it even more!

She is such a happy girl, all of a sudden she is growing up so fast. Each day she holds herself up next to things for longer and longer!

On a separate note, things are about to get a little crazy for me and I may not be updating as frequently (no, I'm not pregnant, just have a lot going on). But rest assured I am keeping this blog and will do my best to keep things posting!

Hope you have a great day!

-A

Make it Monday

I love my Crockpot! I mean, really love it! To me it's the best kitchen appliance, I can put everything together in the morning or the night before...turn it on and by the evening dinner is done (all in one pot mind you) the house smells awesome and I wasn't trying to entertain the girls and make dinner. To me it's a perfect evening.

This week I used the crockpot twice and both recipes were amazing and I will be sure to share the 2nd one soon. I'm always willing to try a new recipe in the crockpot and I haven't had a single bad one yet (knock on wood).

This is the crockpot I have, it's great. (Thank you Mom & Dad for this great gift). I highly recommend it, it has a timer and temp gauge so it will automatically go to warming mode once your food is cooked. This was huge when I was working because I left so early and got home so late that if I had one without these features my food would be over cooked.

Beef Burgandy
Special Notes: I used  low-sodium beef broth everytime it was an option.

2 Lbs Boneless Beef Chuck Pot Roast cut into 1 inch pieces
2 t Oilve Oil
3 Medium Onions chopped
4 Medium carrots cut into 3/4 inch pieces
2 Cups frozen Small Whole Onions (or just use more fresh onions)
2 Cloves Garlic (I used about 5...we love garlic)
2 T Quick-Cooking Tapioca
1 C Burgandy wine or low-sodium beef broth
1/2 C low-sodium beef broth
1/4 C brandy or low-sodium beef broth
1 T tomato paste
1 t Dried Thyme
1/2 t Dried Rosemary
1/2 t black pepper
2 Bay Leaves

1. In a large nonstick skillet brown half of the beef in 1 teaspoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Remove and do this with the 2nd half.
2. In the crockpot add onions, carrots, whole onions and garlic. Sprinkle with tapioca. Place beef on top. 
3. In a medium bowl whisk together wine, broth, brandy, tomato paste, thyme, rosemary and pepper. Pour into crockpot. Add bay leaves.
4. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 to 10 hours or high heat for 4 to 5 hours. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
5. Serve this over your favorite mashed potato recipe. We use red potatoes with skins left on and add garlic and sour cream. This is so YUMMY!!!

Update on A

A is doing better. Last night she was up and down...nursing, taking meds, laying with a cold rag. Her fever reached 102 during the night but almost immediately came back down once I gave her some meds. She cuddled and let the rag stay on her forehead until her fever came down...then she wanted to be back in her own bed. All-in-all it wasn't bad at all.

During the day she did great. I was able to keep her fever away with medicine, and it didn't creep up to high when the medicine wore off. To keep her mind off of things I took the girls to visit Ma-Ma at work...which was a beautiful walk for us on this Fall-like day. On our way back home A feel asleep in the stroller so I decided to walk to a nearby park and E played. We then had to run an errand (ugh...a 2 hour drive for a 2 minute pick-up...buts thats a whole other story).

Tonight proves to be a little more difficult. It's almost 9 and she still won't fall asleep, she typically won't stay up past 6:30. She has her meds, ora-gel and she's been sleeping and waking for the past few hours. She didn't nap very well today so part of it is her being over tired. I also broke down and shut our windows and turned the A/C back on. Hopefully she will be finally down in a few minutes.

I really think she is just overly tired, since the moment she sees me or I pick her up she is laughing/giggling/smiling/cooing. Oohh....cross your fingers I think she just feel asleep (literally within a minute of the A/C kinking it).

We had a handful of ideas of things to do this weekend...a local Jazz-Fest, a Elvis & Frank Sinatra tribute, or a date night. Hubs was on me (and the family) to do one of these things (well not date night...that was just for Hubs and I) but I didn't really follow-up or line up a babysitter. I just wasn't feeling like it. Now I think it was more of my "Mom" instinct telling me that the girls would need me at home.

I'm so grateful that I'm home with the girls. That I'm not stressing about work and balancing the girls. My biggest concern was keeping the house somewhat clean and getting the floor scrubbed today (which I've done both). I give working Mom's so much credit, I did it for a while and it was so hard.

Wow...this was a huge rambling session! I guess my sleep last night, or lack thereof is showing.

I hope you guys have a great weekend!

-A

When Nothing Else Matters

Poor A...she woke up from her mid-day nap with a fever. 104 to be exact....that was the side she was laying on, on the other side she was 101.9. Right then nothing else mattered...not the lunch I was packing for Hubs, not the fruit I was in the middle of cutting up and the mess on the counter. Right then my whole to-do list was  cast aside and she was my priority.

I quickly gave her Tylenol (the generic type since they are still off the shelf), a cold wash rag and settled in with her on the rocking chair. She cuddled, nursed and allowed me to keep the rag on her head with no issue. Within 30 minutes her fever was 101 on both sides...then 15 minutes later it was 100 and bobbled between 100 and 99 for the next two hours. I followed up with a dose of Advil (we've been thru this with E and I just followed the same procedure). A took her next nap and was asleep for 45 minutes which is about average. The rest of the night we continued the 'routine' and she went to sleep. About an hour into it she was up...but it was to early for anymore meds so I went to the Ora-gel...and minutes later she was alseep.

So it seems pretty clear that A is in the middle of teething...which this will be her first tooth (or teeth). I would love to never give the girls meds...even Tylenol or Advil...that darn reading habit of mine has tainted even these! But when my baby is hurting, crying for relief, I instantly cave and will do anything to help her out.

Big sister, E stepped in and after A's fever broke they played. E brought toys to her and involved her in her make-believe games. What amazed me was that E knew that her baby sister needed me and gave us the space we needed. She came up and cuddled with us but did it in a sweet, "I'm here for you" sort of way.

Tonight may be interesting...I wonder if I will be up all night with A. But I know I can give her relief just by holding her. It's such a great feeling. So who cares if I didn't get thru my to-do list today?! Yes, It's late and I will be up for a while doing laundry, cleaning up the toys and dishes from dinner. But what really matters is that I was here today for my baby girl when she needed me most. I was able to comfort and provide relief. She is getting some much needed rest and will hopefully rest pain-free for the rest of the night.

Sweet dreams baby girl!!

Love Mom

8 Months Old

Dear Baby Girl,

A, you have turned 8 months old and overnight you have decided to forgo some of your your baby ways. You are sitting on your own and beginning to hold yourself up on your toys. Your personality is shinning thru more and more everyday. You remain our little peanut, still wearing size 3-6 month clothing for mostly everything...I love that you are not in any rush to grow up big. I cherish every minute that I get to snuggle up with you.

I spent the majority of a weekend away from you (and your sister and Dad). I ended up in the hospital with gallbladder attacks. I missed you guys terribly and worried so much. You refused to take a bottle from Ma-Ma or Dad. You are a true Mommy's girl. You still nurse and after this time away I'm confident that you will remain nursing for a while.

You light up the moment that someone makes eye contact with you. Your smiles are amazing and melt my heart every time. I have so much fun with you and your sister.

Milestones:

• Sitting on your own! You did this for the first time the day you turned 8 months old.
• You continue to 'army' crawl and get faster at it everyday.
• Stood at your play table on your own for a few seconds.
• You just began to eats meats.

Favorite Things:

• You gnawed on Daddy's BBQ Ribs this past weekend and loved it. I'm now chopping up meats for you and you enjoy it big time!
• Smiling and cooing at everyone.
• Mom! You love to be held by me and cry the second I leave the room.

Each day with you is full of laughs, giggles and special moments. I hope that I remember all of them. You and your sister are adorable and you love each other so much. Every time you get up from a nap E is screaming with excitement and you are full of smiles.

Life is so amazing little girl!


-A

Looking Good

One of my first posts was about E's struggles with her gymnastics class. I was torn...not sure if I should continue on with the class or to stop. Well we continued on and things began to improve. I stopped rushing out the door, in a hurry to get there with time to spare. Instead I leave the house when we are ready and we are typically there on time or a few minutes late. I also changed MY attitude. E is going to be herself and I'm decided to smile and just enjoy it, basically I stopped caring what the other Mom's thought of me or their stares.

It's WORKING! Since these small changes E has been a joy to take to class. For the most part she follows direction, the class, and our activities. It's been a real eye opener for me, to see how my attitude impacts her. All that rushing around and nervousness on my part directly impacts her and her actions and behavior.

Obviously my plan isn't to teach her to be late to all her activities or not to care. But I think we have a happy medium and we can all enjoy our day!

On top of this we are doing really good with potty training. E is for the most part making it all day long to the potty. Today she had one miss but that was the first in a few days. She is just amazing me with how smart she is and how quickly she is catching on!

Today was a very fun day. Gymnastics was fun and then we came home for naps and lunch. After that we had fun with books, flash cards and cutting/gluing paper. The girls had so much fun and so did I!

-A

Trying it Tuesday

I'm in the swing of things...I'm getting a jump start on the holidays and upcoming birthdays. I have to admit the idea of not freaking out, rushing around, driving myself and those around me nuts is super appealing!

My lists are pretty set and I spent the portion of my weekend getting 2 major projects under way. My Mom came with the girls and I to the fabric stores to help me out. Thank God for her! I would have never been able to concentrate enough to get the items I needed with the girls on my own!

So my "Trying it Tuesday" is really just an update on my planning ahead. I'm hoping that by doing this I will be able to focus some on my Children's Clothing line and have some increase in views and sales. Let's face it if I was to wait on our personal holiday items I won't have the time for the orders and such that I hope to receive.

And on another note...it's been a few days since I included any fun pictures of the girls. So here are a few. Also I will be posting A's 8 month photos and stats later on this week!

Make it Monday

Man...Monday's just seem to fly by and it's the evening before I get my posts up. Today was a bit odder than normal. E took a super early nap and A was up and down (again). My typical day normal includes the girls taking an afternoon nap at the same time. This gives me time for all my 'pet' projects, including this site. But that wasn't in the stars for today.

But here I am! And I'm sharing a new favorite recipe I came across. Summer is the season for berries and this recipe is great with those berries that are almost over ripened. You know me, no reason to waste anything.

You can substitute any berry or other fruit in this recipe. I've done mixtures of strawberries and blueberries but I see no end to what you could use.

Summer's Berry (Fruit) Bars

1 C quick-cooking oats
1 C flour
2/3 C Brown Sugar (I like dark but either will work)
1/4 t cinnamon
1/8 t baking soda
1/2C butter (melted)

Stir together oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and baking soda. Then add in butter until well blended. reserve one cup of mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture into ungreased 9*9 baking pan (preferably glass). Bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes. Remove from oven and spread fruit mixture (recipe below), sprinkle with reserved mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for another 20-25 minutes until topping sets. Cool, cut, serve, enjoy!!


Fruit Filling

2 C Fruit (berries, peaches, apples, etc)
2T Sugar
2T Water
1 T Lemon Juice
1/2t Cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 8 minutes (or until slightly thickened)

Hope you enjoy!

When Things Fall Into Place

I'm a huge believer that things happen for a reason, I believe in God, and that he has a plan for us...I also believe that sometimes we are the worse distraction of us reaching our own passions and success.

This last week these believes have hit me smack in my face. It all began while I was in the hospital. It was Sunday morning and I had been there since the day prior...I was tired, bored, hungry (they wouldn't let me eat). Hubs and the girls wouldn't be arriving for a while and I had watched enough of the Olympics coverage during my sleepless night.

I flipped thru the few TV stations that are available and stopped on a church service. It was Joel Osteen, I barely know who he is. I think I've seen a book or two of his but never listened to him or watched his TV show. But I thought what the heck, why not. I had intentions of going to church on Sunday but instead I was in the hospital. So I watched and listened...and something he said stuck with me. He talked about God equipping all of us to be a success, providing us with all the tools we need to realize our own dreams...but most times we fall sort. Why do we fall short? We put ourselves down..."not pretty enough", "not smart enough", "it will never work", "I didn't go to college"....pretty much everything we tell ourselves or others tell us. I can't tell you how many times I have done this to myself...or at work being denied promotions and raises because of one of these things. Why did I do it or let it happen? Well...it's not an easy thing to overcome.

After the show my day continued on...the Hubs and girls arrived. I nursed A and about 20 minutes later E wanted to go back home and nap. They left (I cried...yes, I HATE leaving my girls and I wanted to take them home), then I showered and my Mom came...she brought some more magazines and a much needed hairdryer. We talked and after a while the Dr came in to say I could continue to heal at home )Thank GOD!!

E and her BFF Brea at Bible School Camp.
E was so happy that she tackled Brea with a hug!

A couple of days passed and our dear friend Kristin invited the girls and I to her church's bible camp. Her daughter and E are best friends! So we went on Wednesday and back again Friday. Friday's camp had more kids so Kristin, another Mom, and I took our rambunctious toddlers and went outside to chat and play. Well the 'other mom' is Emily (her blog: www.ellaryeboutique.blogspot.com ) ...a self made business owner who sells on Etsy (her shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ellaryeboutique) . Her customers includes celebrities, and her business is booming like she never thought it could. As it would turn out, I dressed E in one of my creations and Emily loved it and we began to talk all about Etsy and the opportunity out there for me.

I've already read her entire blog, have a list of things I need to read up on and a to-do list to improve my own Etsy shop. To say I'm excited is an understatement. Emily has graciously offered to meet with me and help me out, any advice from her would be fantastic. But I'm also re-energized. I feel like God is giving me these little nudges, saying "here it is....go for it"...and Hubs is giving me some bigger nudges to follow my dream.

So my point today is rather simple. Sometimes you have to just sit back and watch/listen/take it all in and you can find those 'signs' you were/are looking for. I'm not saying that I'm going to for sure have a success on my hands, but I'm going to move forward...try my best and I may succeed or I may fail. Either way I will try.

Follow your dreams, who knows what you may end up with!

Football Season

How is it time for football already? I swear that summer just began...what feels like a week ago...and now I'm watching NFL football on tv.

I love summer....but I love the Fall even more. I love the colors, the cool/crisp air, the smells, trips to the pumpkin farm and hayrides. I love dressing up the girls for the football season too (even if it's in the dreaded Blue and Orange to support Hub's Bears...it was part of our 'deal' when we had kids).

Here are somethings I've found that I will have to add to my 'to make' list!! I will of course be making them to match Hub's favorite team. (these images are from Etsy)

And I think the girls would look adorable in this hat!!!

I love getting inspired by "window shopping" online.

-A

Christmas in August

Just a little followup first...my Ammonia cleaning worked A-M-A-Z-I-N-G-L-Y!!!  Honestly...how I never knew about this I can't tell you; but it's amazing. My stove top is almost brand new looking. I think I'm going to do it once more next week to finish it up and make it perfect. Considering this is the first time we did this cleaning in 8 years I can't complain about the little bit that was left over. And honestly it's so minor, but now I'm on a mission. The only downfall? The smell...reminds me of my 80's spiral perms.

Now back on topic....

I'm a planner. I love to plan and I spent the last month or so planning out our Holidays; mostly Christmas. Why? Well, let's face the facts that this holiday season is going to be busy especially since A will be celebrating her 1st birthday in the middle of it all.  So I've made my lists and will begin (hopefully soon) to cross items off. I love Pinterest....it makes planning a lot more simple.

What's on my list? I've made a couple. The first is things I want to do with the girls, as a family...traditions and activities. Here is my list:

 1. Make an Advent Calendar like this for the 25 Days of Christmas. Each card will be something to do.

Some ideas of what we will do: make cookies, make/mail cards, visit santa, read about the birth of Jesus

2. Random Act of Christmas Kindness (RACK)

I want to do something with this idea every year with the girls...its important for them to learn about the true spirit of the Holiday and how simple acts of kindness can help out others! I love this idea and you can read more about it on this great blog: tsjphotography

3. Make Christmas Eve and Day outfits for the girls and PJ's for Christmas Eve/Morning. Of course they will have to match!

My other list is my shopping list. I want to find/make/give meaningful gifts to those close to me. Living off 1 income I figure I should start now and make things easier on all of us. Plus the idea of shopping with the girls during the holidays doesn't really put me in the holiday spirit!

I'm not 100% done with the first list, I know I will continue to add to it as I come up or find things. I think by having this going I will be more likely to do these great things with the family. I'll be sure to share pictures and  updates as I begin to tackle my lists. I need to start now...because before you know it the holidays will be here!

-A

Favorite Things

Look at this a timely post for the week...whoo hoo!!

I really need to jot things down during the week, I swear I have about a million fun things to share but always forget when I sit down to type. But hey...I'm 1 month into "blogging" so I'm sure I'll find out some tricks of the trade as I progress along.

As a family we love our canteens. No...not the old, ugly ones that hikers use to carry around. (see below).

My dear Father-In-Law read an article a year or two ago. I don't have the articles's title or a copy of it, but from his recap the article talked about the link of people who drink from plastic water bottles and increases in cancer. It was mostly due to the bottles being left in hot cars/outside/etc and then used. The chemicals in the plastic leaked into the drinking water and then was consumed. Yuck! So my father-in-law called the family to tell us about the findings. He made it a point to call both Hubs and I since we always are carrying around water bottles.

So I thought why not listen and make a small investment for our health? And safe the planet from a number of wasted bottles. So EVERYONE in the family has their own Canteens...well Kanteens.

A's:

Kid Kanteen® Baby Bottles (9oz)

Advantages:

• Constructed out of 100 percent 18/8 food grade stainless steel, without any plastic liners or even closure threads. 
• The practically indestructible bottle is dishwasher safe and easy to sterilize--with a rounded, baby-friendly design that won't trap germs or bacteria. 
• The bottle comes with a medical-grade silicone nipple appropriate for babies aged six months old and up. The nipple can be interchanged with any nipple from newborn slow-flow to fast flow for older babies. 
• When your baby has outgrown bottle feeding, the lid can be interchanged with a variety of other Klean Kanteen lids and used as a cup or for food storage. 
• Easy to heat up milk...just run under hot water and milk heats up quickly
• Mark bottle with date of milk pumped...markers wash off!

E's:

Klean Kanteen 12 oz Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Sport Cap

Advantages:

• Pretty much everything I mentioned above, plus it comes apart on every spot to put in dishwasher to keep super clean (this sounds like a no-brainer but you'd be surprised with some sippy cups!!)

Hubs & Mine:

Klean Kanteen Coffee Set Wide Mouth Insulated Bottle w/ 2 Caps (Stainless Loop Cap and Cafe Cap)

AND

Klean Kanteen 40 Oz with Sport Cap

Advantages:

• These (well any of this brand's) can be used for hot or cold items! They do awesome keeping items both hot or cold.

I love these and we all use ours everyday...all day long! A few dollars upfront but it's saved us from buying bottles of water or juices from the gas stations!

Have a great day!

-A

Trying it Tuesday

I know, it's another late-in-the-day post. But I'm still getting back into my routine from my weekend away. I'm feeling better and trying to get my thoughts back together. The girls are happy to have me back home...and so it Hubs! He really stepped up to the plate while I was away...and so did Ma-Ma (Grandma) both took the girls and cared for them. It wasn't an easy task considering that A breastfeeds and luckily I had a freezer filled with milk....but A HATES the bottle. The 36 hours I was away she refused the bottle. Ma-Ma had the brilliant idea of going back to putting the milk into her food. She took the milk that way...thankfully! Then they all took turns visiting me as well, and bringing me items to fill my time up. I'm one super lucky lady!!

Back to Trying it Tuesday....

For the Home:
Now that I'm home I'm in a cleaning mode....maybe it's super late Spring cleaning? Or I think it may be more the fact that I have a 2 year old that's potty training and a 8 month old that is crawling and putting everything in her mouth. Luckily the girls are taking pretty good naps and giving me some time to clean things up.

Tonight I'm "deep cleaning" the stove top. We have a gas range and the burners are disgusting...so I went to Pinterest and read up about the Ammonia/Bag trick. It says to put the burners into a bag (ziplock or garbage depending on the sizes) and add some ammonia...seal up and let soak over night. So I did it all and have it sitting out on our deck. I'm hoping that tomorrow I will wake up and have a super clean set of burners. I will let you all know tomorrow if it worked (or if it didn't).


For the Family:
I'm pretty excited...the girls and I were invitees to a kids/Mom mini-vacation bible school. It's only 1.5 hours long each day for a week long. We will make our first appearance tomorrow (assuming I'm still feeling good). Our dear friend invited us, her in-laws are the pastor and pastor's wife of the church hosting the camp. I'm excited to see E's response to the experience.

I hope everyone has a good night!
-A

Make it Monday

Sorry that it's late...but better late than never right?!

I feel a little ill this week and ended up in the hospital for the better part of the weekend but that won't stop me!!

This pizza recipe is amazing. I make the dough up ahead of time and then freeze them. They take about 1 -2 hours to defrost a single pies worth.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
1 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 1/4 to 1 3/4 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 Package Active Dry Yeast
1 Cup Warm Water
2 T Oil Oil
1/2 t Salt

Makes 4 crusts (for small pizzas...or use for a larger pizza)

1. In a large mixing bowl combine 1 1/4 Cup all purpose flour, yeast, and salt. Then add the warm water and oil. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scrapping bowl as needed. Then increase speed to high for 3 more minutes.
2. Add in whole wheat flour and stir with a wooden spoon (use as much flour as you can mix in.with spoon)
3. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead in remaining flour to create a moderately stiff dough.
4. Divide dough into 4 sections and cover for 10 minutes.
5. Now its ready to use or freeze!

Roma Tomato, Basil & Mozzarella Mini Pizza
2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 ball of pizza dough (recipe above)
1 Pound fresh mozzarella cheese sliced
3 Cups sliced Roma Tomatoes
4 Cloves Garlic
1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Basil

1. Preheat oven to 400. Brush baking sheet with 2T Olive Oil and set aside. On a lightly floured surface roll dough into 9*6 inch rectangle transfer to baking sheet and fold edges up slightly. Brush dough with any remaining olive oil. Prick bottom of dough with fork in multiple areas. Bake dough for 20 minutes.
2. Remove dough from oven. Top with cheese, tomatoes and garlic. Bake 5 to 7 minutes until the cheese melts. Remove from oven and top with basil and pepper if desired.
3. ENJOY!!

It's Love

Hubs and I try to keep our relationship simple. The less drama the better in our eyes. This doesn't mean that we don't try to show each other that we care or that we are thinking of them. When we first began to date it was done a lot with flowers from Hubs and Hallmark cards from me... as much as I love the occasional bouquet of daises or lilies (or a combo of the two) it's not always needed. And my allergies tend to kick up when they are in the house.

Well last night Hubs came home from work and he had picked up a few things we needed for dinner. He also bought me a small container of ground coffee. It made me smile beyond relief! Dumb...right?!! Well....no in fact.

I love my coffee but all of a sudden our favorite, Dunkin Doughnuts began to give me severe stomach pains when I drank it. So I just cut it out...relying instead on soda, tea and other caffeinated beverages to perk me up. I've also been fine drinking coffee from my parent's house and local restaurants. But it wasn't that big of a deal to me to even bring it up over the past couple of weeks.

So after a long day, Hubs was sweet enough to think of me and bring me some different coffee to drink. Of course I could have bought some on my own, but it just kept slipping my mind when I was at the grocery store.

I'm so happy that a container of coffee can bring a huge smile on my face, and those little and simple things still mean the world to me! And the coffee was loved by me this morning, especially since both girls were up multiple times last night!

Enjoy your weekend!
-A