Hodgepodge

This is going to be a hodgepodge of a post about different events that have been going on in my little part of the world. I want to start by saying I had a wonderful first Mother's Day with my family. My fantastic hubby started the day off by bringing me breakfast in bed. He woke me up (after letting me sleep until 10:00, amazing might I tell you!!) and handed me our little guy already fed and changed. While we cuddled he made cinnamon rolls and coffee and joined me in bed for a wonderful and cozy family breakfast. Wouldn't it be nice to do that every morning? After a relaxing breakfast, my parents and in-laws came over for dinner and to celebrate their day as well. We gave each of them a mom charm for their Pandora bracelets. I was then surprised by a bracelet for myself from my parents, the in-laws, my husband's aunt, and my son. I love the bracelet and have three fabulous charms on it. I can't wait to get more! My husband also got me a mini Keurig coffee machine. Can I just say I was spoiled rotten. It felt like Christmas. The day couldn't of been any better and I am so blessed with a wonderful family and thoroughly enjoyed the day. I am so happy to be a mommy now and love my little monkey to pieces!!
Besides Mother's Day I've been super busy wrapping up the school year. We have two weeks left and my kindergartners are fluttering with excitement and energy. We are preparing for kindergarten graduation and two field trips, all of which will take place in the last two weeks of school. My class has been a joy this year and I can honestly say I have laughed with them every day. They are a group of goofy characters and I am amazed as well as amused of the things they say and think of. It is never a dull day in my kindergarten class! The craziness of the end of the year will be awarded with a wonderful summer ahead. I am looking forward to spending my summer with my little guy and watching him develop and continue to experience new and exciting things. We will be starting food soon, which I will be making, and taking him to our neighborhood pool. I will also be celebrating my five year wedding anniversary in July and preparing for the upcoming school year. It's going to be busy and I'm hoping to get a lot of crafting, blogging, and trying out new recipes in the months to come. All of which I will make sure to post. Have a fantastic rest of May and bring on summer!

Easter

I know Easter was a week ago but time flies when you're a busy mom! I want to share a few pictures of our little guys first Easter. He was so adorable in his chick hat and I know he is going to get me later in life because of this but I had to get it for him. It was just to stinking cute! We enjoyed a fun filled weekend with family and Logan got spoiled rotten by the Easter Bunny, Nana and Papa, and Grandma and Grandpa. I will always remember this special first Easter with Logan.

Sour Cream Container Tutorial

Hoppy Easter! I have a fun and cheap way to make cute containers to hold candy in for your Easter basket. These containers can be used for any holiday or occasion. Just change out the paper. 

Sour Cream Containers

*Paper of your choice cut 4 1/4 by 5 1/2 in.

*Sticky Strip 

*Crimper 

*Ribbon of Choice

*Embellishments of Choice

1. Apply Sticky Strip like shown on the reverse side of your patterned paper. 

2. Remove the back of the sticky strip on the two long ends and roll the paper into a tube. 

3. Close the end of the tube with the exposed Sticky Strip and fill with candy or goodie of choice.

4. Peel off the back of the remaining Sticky Strip and press together. Then run the end through a crimper slowly until two or three lines form and decorate to your liking. 

That's it! 

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial and would love to see what you created! 

(The Easter basket was created using my Cricut Machine)

Chicken Spaghetti

This picture doesn't do it justice, but I wanted you to have a visual of what it looked like. I promise next time to take a better pic with my new camera. This is a fast and yummy dish that will surely be a hit for dinner among all family members. I hope you enjoy!!

Chicken Spaghetti



* 2 boneless chicken breasts cubed

* 1 box of spaghetti

* 1 can chicken broth

* 1 bunch of green onions diced

* 1/2 jar of cheese whiz

* 1/2 of  caesoe cheese whiz

* about 2 cups of plain potato chips crushed.

Directions

1. Place the spaghetti and green onions together in a pot and boil.

2. While the spaghetti is boiling cook your cubed chicken.

3. After spaghetti/ green onion is cooked, drain and add the cooked chicken, half the jar of both cheese whiz, and the can of chicken broth. Mix all together and pour into 9x13 pan.

4. Top with crushed potato chips and cook in the oven at 350 for 15 minutes.

5. Enjoy!!

Let me know if you try this and what you think! It has always been a favorite in my family :)

Mommies Favorite Tools

My little guy is 14 weeks old now and I can't believe how quickly time has gone so far. He is full of smiles, giggles, and his fists are his favorite things to put in his mouth. Over these past 14 weeks I've come to love several items that have helped me with taking care of my little guy a little easier and smoother.

Vaseline Petroleum Jelly in Baby Scent

This stuff is amazing. It keeps your little ones behind safe from diaper rash and creates a barrier between their cute little bottom and whatever they leave in the diaper. He has not had a diaper rash or any signs ever. I've used this since day one and will continue to use it as long as he is in a diaper. This is the only thing I use. No powder or anything else and I make sure to put it on him every diaper change.  

Summer Infant Cotton SwaddleMe 

My little guy loves to be wrapped up tight at night and this blanket has put me at ease. Before, I would wrap him in a blanket but would find myself getting up to check on him to make sure the blanket hadn't come undone or over his face. The SwaddleMe wraps him tight and is secured by velcro so it won't come undone when your little one moves. I of course got it in the monkey pattern because we have everything monkey for him and his nursery is monkey themed as well. The blanket is light weight and breathable so if your baby gets hot easily or when the weather starts to get warmer, you can still use it without overheating your baby. 

Sassy MOD Pop Bouncer

I love this bouncer and so does my little guy. It has a mild vibration that you can  adjust the intensity of and several songs to choose from. The monkey mobile pops off easily so you can place your baby in the seat without knocking their head. He loves to kick at the monkeys and this has come in handy when the hubby has been away and I've had to use the bathroom or want to take a shower! 

Philips AVENT BPA Free Microwave Steam Sterilizer

This handy tool has made sterilizing the bottles a snap. All it takes is two minutes, a microwave, some water, and you are done. You place your cleaned bottles in the container, add the designated amount of water, click the lid, and place in the microwave for  2 minutes. Your bottles come out sterilized and ready to go for the next feeding. I use this daily and I don't know what I'd do without it for sterilizing. 

These are just a few tidbits of the many tools and items that I love using as a mommy. What have you found that works best for you? 

Little Crazy

Life has been a little crazy lately. I'm still trying to get adjusted to the new schedule of getting little guy to the sitter and to work on time as well as figuring out our routine at home. It's been crazy getting everything organized but I'm loving every minute I get to have with my family and my growing little guy. He hasn't been feeling good lately and he is fighting a cold which is making him fussy but also very cuddly. I'm going to be having some time soon to craft and post some recipes as well as other events that have been going on. Please bear with me as I work on getting things a little less crazy around here :)

Back to Work

It's been an adjustment around here this week because I've had to go back to work. I think I can honestly say that going back to work has been one of the hardest things I've had to do. I've been so use to being home with my little guy the past 8 weeks and taking care of him. Having to be away from him for the day has been hard to get use to. I've shed my fair share of tears, but I know he is in good hands at his sitters. She is a family friend and has been watching children in her house for 20 plus years. She is very motherly and takes wonderful care of the children. I've had no worries about sending him to her, it's just been hard being away from him. Luckily I get a daily picture texted to me and it helps me get through the day. I am thankful that we found a wonderful sitter and that being a teacher I get to see him sooner at the end of the day and I know I have holidays, spring break, and summers off. I am also thankful that little guy has started sleeping through the night this week. I am so excited knowing I will at least get 6 hours of sleep a night! A fantastic way to get back into the swing of things. I do love my job and teaching my little kinders, but I would give anything to be a stay at home mom with my little guy. At least my days are very busy, go super fast, and my class always keeps me laughing and smiling.
Getting ready for this week and use to the new routine of back to work has been the reason as to why it's been longer between posts. Bear with me as I get adjusted and new posts should be happening more frequently now. As a side note I had a wonderful Valentine's Day and got a beautiful bouquet of a dozen pink roses from my boys. What a wonderful thing to come home to on my first day back to work on Valentine's Day.

Bumbo Chair

Can I just say I love the Bumbo Chair for my little guy. Tonight was the first night we put him in it and he loved the little seat. It supports the back of his neck perfectly and he is all snugly in the chair. It really helps him to work his neck muscles to support his head and to help him sit up. He is only 7 weeks and really enjoys his new seat.

Tater Tot Casserole

Growing up my mom would always make this for my brother and I and it has now become a favorite with my family. I thought I'd share this easy and yummy recipe with you.

{Tator Tot Casserole}

* 1 lb hamburger

* 1/2 c. onion

* 1 can cream of mushroom soup

* 2 cup cheddar cheese

* 4 oz sour cream 

* Tator Tots 

{Directions}

1. Cook hamburger and onion in a pan together.

2. Mix together cream of mushroom soup, cheddar cheese, and sour cream in a bowl. 

3. After the meat and onions are cooked drain and add to soup/ cheese mixture. 

4. After everything is mixed well, place in a greased 9x13 pan and top with tator tots. 

5. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. 

6. Enjoy! 

Logan's Nursery

I've been meaning to post pics of our little mans nursery and finally got around to it today. We decided to go with a monkey theme because it isn't to "baby" and it still works as he gets older. Plus there are so many cute monkey things out there right now and monkeys seem to be what's popular at the moment.

Our little monkeys nursery :) 

This sign was custom made for the little man by an awesome girl :)

It's a little hard to see but the wall decals say " No more monkeys jumping on the bed" 

Valentine's Onesie

I've been having fun with my new toy, a lovely sewing machine that I got for Christmas. I've never used one before nor did I know how to sew, but with the help of some lessons from my mom, I think I've got the hang of it.

I decided to make a Valentine's onesie for my little guy. There isn't much selection for baby boys when it comes to Valentine's attire so I thought I would make one myself.  It's a little rough around the edges, but for my first official project using my sewing machine I thought it turned out pretty good. 

{Valentine's Onesie}

* baby onesie

* fabric of choice

* heat bond

* iron

* sewing machine

{Directions}

1. Follow the directions on the heat bond package and apply to the back of the fabric using the iron.

2. Draw desired shape on the heat bond paper side and cut out. 

3. Apply to the onesie using the iron. Then sew around the edges using the sewing machine. 

I thought the look of a tie would be cute on the little guy and I couldn't resist the "I woof you" saying on the fabric. I added a little paw print to top it off. I can't wait to put my sweetie in it and celebrate Valentine's day with him and my husband. 

Have fun making a onesie of your own for your little bundle of joy! 

Chocolate Mint Snow Balls

With winter hitting hard here in Ohio, I thought it would be a great opportunity to post a yummy  desert to fit the season. An easy, no-bake cookie that resembles a snowball. 

{Chocolate Mint Snow Balls}

Ingredients 

2 c. graham cracker crumbs

2 c. chopped walnuts

1 tsp. peppermint extract

1 can ready to spread chocolate fudge frosting

1 c. powder sugar

Directions

Mix the graham cracker crumbs, chopped walnuts, peppermint extract, and frosting in a large bowl. Use your hands if needed to get a better mixture. 

Form mixture into balls and roll in powder sugar. Place in the refrigerator to harder a bit and then enjoy. 

Easy Chocolate Mint Snow Balls. I hope you have a warm and cozy winter and enjoy these easy treats! 

Our Perfect Gift

It has been a long time since my last post and I have a good reason! I am excited to say our precious son was born on December 17, 2010. He is our perfect gift and arrived in time for Christmas. I had to be put on bed rest for a couple of days due to high blood pressure and because my blood pressure did not go down our doctor decided to induce me on December 16. After almost 30 hours of labor and a c-section, Logan was born at 3:21 pm. He weighed 6 pounds 8 ounces and is 20 inches long. I was extremely nervous at first for the prospect of a c-section after such a long labor, but when his heart rate dropped and I had been laboring for so long, I willingly accepted having the c-section. I was not nervous going in and surprisingly was relaxed and ready to meet our little guy. They even had Frosty the Snowman playing in the operating room because I had been listening to Christmas music the whole time I was in labor. The staff at the hospital was amazing and I have quickly recovered from the c-section. The past 3 and half weeks have been a whirlwind of amazingness as well as sleeplessness. I am loving every minute of being a mommy and am excited for all the amazing milestones and characteristics Logan will be meeting in the days to come.

Logan's First Week Photo Book

Go Bananas Shower

My mother-in-law and my husbands aunt threw an adorable baby shower for me. The theme of the nursery is monkeys and they incorporated monkeys into the shower. It was adorable! One of the ladies created a slide show from the shower and graciously shared the link.  Enjoy :)

Go Banana's Shower 

Guest Post

I'm excited to have my first guest post today. I'm taking part in a Homemade Christmas at The Scrapp Shoppe. Stop by and see my tutorial and check out this fabulous blog!

Christmas Card Holder

I have an easy squeezey tutorial on making a Christmas card holder to display all the holiday cheer you receive in the mail. The best thing is you can use it year after year.

{Here's What You Need}

Two Command Hooks

Decorative Wire Ribbon

Mini Clothes Pins

Spray Paint

Glitter

Embellishments of Choice

{Directions}

!. Take the clothes pins and clip around a piece of cardboard.

2. Spray the pins and add glitter while the paint is still wet. 

3. Take one command hook and attach to the wall. I did mine up and down but you could do yours across to make it look more like a banner if you'd like.

4. Tie the ribbon to the command hook and then attach the other hook at the other end of the ribbon and stick to the wall. 

5. Take your embellishment and attach to the ends of the ribbon to cover up the knots around the Command Hook. I used my Cricut to cut out holly from card stock and attached with glue dots. You could use whatever you like. 

6. Lastly take the painted clothes pins and clip your cards onto the ribbon. A festive and easy way to display all your holiday greetings and is easy to take down and put back up year after year. 

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial and I would love to see what you make!

Have a Merry Christmas! 

Christmas At Our House

My favorite time of year has finally arrived and today we finished decorating the inside and outside of the house. If the sky got a little brighter tonight it's because our house has been lit for the season. I think we give the Griswald's a little run for their money. I took a few pictures and our camera doesn't do the best when it comes to night time pictures. I'm sorry if they are a little blurry. I hope you enjoy our Christmas decorations!

Santa even stopped by this year! 

NOEL... The back of our house. 

Can't forget about the pine tree! 

We decided not to cut down a tree this year because of our little guy coming. So we put up two artificial ones instead! 

Our fireplace lined with stockings and topped with a Manger. 

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!