Taking A Step Back

Well over the summer I wrote three posts and all disappeared before I had a chance to save them. Sadly I didn't feel inspired to re-write them again. I also decided maybe it isn't a bad thing to take a small step back from my phone. I've started leaving it charging over night in the loving room and trying to leave it inside more when we play outside. We had a good summer, very busy. And now we are enjoying the beginning of fall! I'll post more updates soon:)

Birthday Week

A few shots from our birthday week!! I'll post more photos when I can get onto the computer.

Craziness

Well I've missed writing but I just haven't had the time! Seems like I would have all the time since I'm a stay-at-home-mama but I am not just sitting around eating bon-bons and watching soaps. With the nice weather we have been outside a lot!


We have even been inconsistent with naps and bed times which doesn't leave a lot of "me" time. I've been trying to snooze with the kids at nap time to try and keep up. Because this little miss is breaking teeth and not sleeping so well.


I've also been helping with several caterings. I love doing this because it isn't full time but I still get a chance to be in the kitchen. I was able to leave Ben with both kids for a good six hours one day. Ben gets the leftovers. A picture from the most recent wedding.



So that's a little peek into our lives recently.

Giveaway alert!!

Well I'm not able to do a giveaway right now BUT here is an awesome giveaway opportunity!! Brunch with Munch is giving away a Petunia Picklebottom Boxy Backpack compliments of Spoiled Rotten
I would love to win one of these and I bet you would too! So go and enter and let me know in the comments you entered! Thanks!!

::Flying::

She giggles every time!

Please Pray

We don't personally know the Hurst family but we are touched by their story and they are our part of our church. I want to pass it on so you can also join us in praying for them! Team Hurst

Picky Eater

I never thought I would have a picky eater. Jackson is so limited in what he will eat. When I first introduced solids he wouldn't eat my homemade baby food only store bought. He did eat beets and sweet potato for awhile but never anything green. I substitute as best I can with vitamins and those squeeze food bags. Those bags are a lifesaver. I know it's not the same but it's something. I've tried smoothies but he wont always go for them. I hid avocado in banana muffins a few weeks ago and he didn't notice. He loves him some ketchup though! Sheesh. I buy the no sugar added organic with low salt because he goes through so much of it. Interestingly he will sometimes eat healthy stuff from others. My dad will offer vegetables and Jackson will take a few bites. My friend makes almost everything extremely healthy and he will eat her snacks. His pickyness is not only vegetables it extends to fruit as well. Yes only to apples, pears and bananas on occasion. All else he might stick it in his mouth but it comes right back out. Grapes are actually teeny balls that don't really bounce according to him! I always offer him whatever fruit or vegetables I have on hand in hopes that he will go for them. He is eating (however limited his pallet is right now) and growing so I'm not too worried (as long as we have food bags!). I have a cookbook that talks about hiding vegetables in family staples I probably should pull out. Maybe I didn't change up my diet enough during pregnancy and while I was breast feeding. It will be interesting to see what Charlotte is like. Do you have a picky eater? Another weird thing about Jackson is he will half chew food and than spit it out either because he is done or because he wants a different bite. It is so weird. We can't get him to understand he should just swallow it. I guess it is a boy thing because two other friends with boys have the same issue. Oh Jackson I love you!

Cake and Tape and other Things

Today did start off on a better note. We had sunshine right away which makes my day start off on the right foot with motivation. We played outside with the hose. It has a crack in the handle and sprays all over so I told Jackson I would get some "tape" and he immediately says "CAKE?". It was so sweet so we had to get some leftover cupcakes. I love interacting with Jackson more as he is able to make himself understood. We napped and I pulled out my trusty Joy of Cooking banana bread recipe to use up my very ripe bananas. If you have not made this specific recipe you should! It turns out every time I make it. I've even made it gluten free. I like to make them in muffin form a lot because it doesn't take as long to bake. Jackson will almost always eat them also. We decided to meet Ben downtown and ride the South Lake Union Trolly to the park where they have you can walk through. Jackson calls the trolly a train and was in heaven watching all the buses and police cars/ambulances. We stopped and had dinner at Whole Foods, we love their fresh pizza and make our own salad. It was a busy fun day!
Joy of Cooking
Banana Bread Cockaigne (pg 628 in my edition).
I find it best to have all my ingredients at room temperature.
Turn your oven to 350
I mix together:
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup (6 TBS) butter
Mix them a little together than add:
1 to 1 1/4 ripe bananas
1-2 large eggs (I always add 2)
Mix a little and add:
1 1/2 cups AP flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp salt
You can choose to add:
3/4 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/4 chopped dried apricots
My own personal addition is
1/2 tsp vanilla
This is not in the original but I like it. Be sure to scrape the bottom of your bowl a couple of times. Spray your pans well I don't use muffin liners most of the time. Time to put the batter in your muffin tin or loaf pan. The muffins bake about 18-20 mins in my oven the loaf about 1 hour.
Let me know what you think of it OR if you have a better recipe I should try.

Some Days

Some days are rough and the best laid plans don't always go smoothly. The kids roll with the punches better than I do. People have bigger problems than I do, i know! Thankful we have a loving heavenly father who sent his son to cover my sins. Here is hoping Wednesday is off to a good start and I feel motivated to get caught up on all our laundry ( my plan worked until we got behind over a weekend).











Being told not to drink it anymore he put his foot up.

Let's Play!

Jackson is needing more interaction from me with things he can sensory play with. We've branched out into dry erase markers and books/boards. I have finger paints. I've talked about the shaving cream and we do a lot of water play. So this morning I pulled out a little thing of play dough I had and he had a blast. I decided I needed to make him some. Here are the recipes I found along with a few cute blogs!

• Tot Treasures she features several play dough recipes blackberry chocolate and a fun SLIME! 


• The Imagination Tree several doughs through this link


• Musings of a stay at home mom colored dough


• Hello Bee Play Dough

Several of the recipes are the same or very similar but the blogs are very cute and worth checking out everyones different styles. The last one Hello Bee About the Bees is a group of bloggers. So many blogs out there right now it can be a bit overwhelming to weed through all of them. Hopefully these will be ones you find inspiration from. Have any blogs you want to share? Have any ideas you want to share for sensory play?