Bambina Babe ♥

Week 2...

2012-01-25T14:02:00.000-06:00

Click on over here to see my second week's photo challenge, or my pinterest board.

Happy Wednesday!

Flourless Chocolate Cookies

2012-01-24T16:05:00.000-06:00

You need this recipe. Enough said.

Flourless Chocolate Cookies

1 1/2 c dark chocolate chips, divided
3 egg whites
2 c powdered sugar
1/2 c cocoa powder
1 T cornstarch
1/4 t salt

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper (or nonstick spray). Melt 1 c of the chocolate chips. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add dry ingredients, then add melted chocolate. Beat, then add remaining chocolate chips. Batter will be a little stiff. Use cookie scoop to form a ball, then roll in powdered sugar or cocoa powder. Bake about 10 minutes.

Enjoy! You can view the original recipe here.

6 Holiday Memories from 2011 | #3 An Advent Party!

2012-01-16T15:05:00.000-06:00

Wow, I made it to Holiday Memory #3! I should have learned my lesson to never put a number on any blog series I'm doing, because it's no secret that I have a hard time finishing things! I'm really trying here, so hopefully we'll make it to 6 before next Christmas! :)

This December, I knew I wanted to do something similar to our Resurrection Eggs party from last Easter. This was basically a kids and moms' craft day with a holiday theme and a purpose. This year, we made Advent Calendars to count down the days until Jesus' birth.

This craft was very Pottery Barn inspired and I found some inspiration here.

I just thought I would quickly share how to do this in case you would like to host something similar for your children. First we invited 5 families and assigned that each person bring:

1 bulletin board

25 ornaments, 5 sets of 5 identical (handmade or store bought)

I supplied the muslin, batting, staple gun, paper, and pearl-end pins. Also someone brought metallic markers.

It was pretty simple- we just wrapped each board in 1 layer of batting then muslin, and stapled around the back. Then made the paper cut-outs with numbers 1-25. The kids had fun exchanging ornaments. We snapped a pictures of all the little kiddos...

And the moms, since we never get many pictures of ourselves these days. :)

And I want to give credit where credit is due. I am so thankful for my mother-in-law because she always has the best ideas, especially when it comes to activities and lessons for children. She made this craft with Callie, which I thought was so fun!

So feel free to archive this for next year and plan an Advent party of your own! :)

6 Holiday Memories from 2011 | #2 Decorating Our Home (on a budget) + Christmas Mail

2012-01-12T13:19:00.000-06:00

This was the first Christmas (since we've been in our home) that I've really decorated for the holidays. Last Christmas I was due on December 26th, and the year before we had just moved into our house. So I decided to just have fun with it and decorate!

Every year at Thanksgiving at Kyle's parents' home, the girls do a Christmas craft. This year, we made wreaths out of greenery that we cut from some pine trees outside their home. What a revelation this was for me! I had no idea you could just cut your own greenery from pine trees outside to make wreaths like what you would buy in the store! Since we have a few coniferous trees in our own yard, I had fun putting greenery all around my house- in bowls of fruit, in mason jars in the bathrooms, and even hung a few bundles here and there. The house smelled like Christmas and it was pretty much free decorating!

Also, I found a fun wreath idea via Martha Stewart, here. The mini wreaths were only $2.50, and I hung them with 3M's removeable hooks. I think I will leave them up through January (read ribbon trick, below)

I noticed that Pottery Barn has been using quite a bit of burlap and natural materials lately in both their holiday decor (and non-holiday). Well that works well for me because that stuff is CHEAP! I used strips of it around my tree in place of ribbon (they were sold out of the burlap ribbon stuff), a bunch of it under my tree as a tree skirt, even as a table runner on our dining room table. Check out burlap if you want to decorate on a budget!

After I saw this fun picture (first one) I know I had found the perfect spot for all of our holiday cards! Clothes pins...I even had some in our storage room! I just love sending and receiving Christmas cards. It's fun to see everyone's kids and all of the beautiful families (and gorgeous family pictures). Besides, who doesn't love getting personal mail for once?

And how could this post be complete without sharing our family's cards? The photos were taken by my friend and amazing photographer Annie Torrini. It was interesting to be on the other side of the camera for a change! I seriously, seriously over-analyzed what we should wear (since I'm usually the one giving others advice about this you could say I felt a little extra pressure), and somehow ended up putting together some outfits completely with clothing we already had in our closets! In case you are wondering, I'm a big fan of various solid colors (any color family works) with lots of texture (or layers or accessories) for families. See how we coordinate, but don't match? :)

I really enjoyed doing some greeting card design this year, I guess you could say it's a new hobby of mine. I'm just starting to get into more graphic design - I'm learning as I go! I find myself dreaming of logo ideas for businesses, noticing typography just about everywhere, and collecting fun ideas for card design just about everywhere (see our card, below and the scalloped-edge card, above).

Oh, before I go I wanted to share an amazing secret that I just discovered. Have you ever noticed those perfectly-cut v-shaped ribbons, like the one below? I very well might be the last person on earth to learn this, but it's totally revolutionized my gift wrapping abilities! :)

Well, that concludes our second holiday memory #2! Stay tuned for more!

6 Holiday Memories from 2011 | #1 Clara's First Birthday Party Vintage Rainbows

2012-01-11T15:00:00.000-06:00

I know it sounds cliche, but I can't believe my baby girl is one already! On one hand, I wanted to do a simple celebration with just family, since her actual birthday is so close to Christmas - December 28th. On the other hand, I kind of went all out for Callie's first birthday with a French Bakery Theme, Petit Boulangerie, and to just do a cake for Clara simply felt wrong. :)

So I decided on a compromise. A small party with a cake and a few decorations. Since there was a page in her baby book for a birthday invitation, I felt I just had to do invitations. I found my inspiration on Hostess With The Mostess for a Rainbow Theme First Birthday Party. That party is absolutely amazing and perfect but my, I learned from Callie's first birthday party that it's more about the kids and having fun then it is about elaborate decorations and perfect pictures of every detail. In an ideal world, I would do a party exactly like that one. Seriously my heart skips a beat when I look at those beautiful pictures! But I have to admit, it's easy to cross the line from being more about the mom than about the birthday girl. Besides, I didn't even have the energy to go there just a few weeks before Christmas. :)

So I threw something together for an official invite (front and back)...

And here are some pictures. Just a few details, if you would like to throw a "vintage rainbow" theme birthday party.

I found rainbow ribbon at the fabric store and tied it on just about everything.
I also bought some colorful candy to add as party favors for the aunts, uncles, and cousin.
The labels are by Gartner Studios which I found at Michaels and stuck them on everything (designed the label/text on Photoshop).
Rainbow balloons - balloons have to be the cheaper party decoration ever and kids love them!

There you have it! Clara's First Birthday Party. Clara, we love you so much and you are such a wonderful addition to our family! I am so lucky to be your mom. :)

30 Day Photography Challenge

2012-01-10T13:45:00.000-06:00

Phew! It's a been a fun, crazy few weeks but there's definitely no place like home! I'm starting a fun little project, go here to see my first 7 days, or just follow my board on Pinterest! Make sure to catch my amazing friend Stephanie's progress too on her blog here.

Giving Thanks, Chalkboard Paint, Laundry Rooms, & Thrift Stores

2011-11-20T07:47:00.001-06:00

Hi friends!

Here we are, middle of November, can you believe it? Thanksgiving is just a few days away, we are so excited to spend time with family, eat lots of turkey, and take some naps! Things should calm down a little bit for us this winter, so I am hoping to be able to spend a little more time on the blog. I have a bunch of random things around the house I've been meaning to share, so here are some of our mini projects galore...

Kiley and I got together for a little craft day and made some "Give Thanks" bunting banners for our mantels. I was inspired by a pin I found on Pinterest. They were actually super easy - we just cut our own pattern on a piece of paper, then traced and cut some burlap.

Then we painting our letters - we both chose "Give Thanks," but also considered the words "Thankful" and "Gather." Then we just hot-glued the burplap triangles to a piece of twin. How easy was that?

Kiley sent me a pic of her mantle to share with y'all.

You may have noticed the little basket of books by our fireplace.

We only have a few Thanksgiving books, but pretty soon we will replace them with Christmas books!

Oh and one of my latest thrift store finds... I found a pair of them and couldn't wait to add them to my bare mantle. For $2.99 a piece, they are perfect.

Another thrift store find...the lamp (below). Please don't mind the dust. :)

Clara will be turning one in a month - I really can't believe it! I need to get on the ball with birthday party details. We will be dealing with a Christmas (December 28th) birthday with our little Clara Lu. That certainly doesn't make things easy.

Okay, if you're still reading, here is another little recent project I've been meaning to share for months. We chalkboard-painted our laundry room door. It was a metal door, so we also added some magnets here and there for Callie's art projects. I don't love the clutter of art projects in the kitchen, so this is the perfect spot for it all.

Does anyone else have a laundry room as messy as I do?

Maybe someday it will look like this..., kind of what I was going for with the pale green-blue cabinets...

Source: chriskauffman.blogspot.com via Nealy on Pinterest

In other recent news, we had our first (real) snow last night! And we repainted our front door. Bermudan Blue by Behr Ultra (my FAVORITE paint - often just needs one coat!). Somebody needs to tell that lady her wreath is off-center. :)

Phew! Are you still with me? If so, leave me a comment so I can feel like I didn't waste the past two hours on a blog post. :) Thanks for reading!

And have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone!

Around Here...

2011-11-07T06:20:00.000-06:00

Back to School...before and after

2011-10-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

Just like about every other kid, Callie had her first day back at school this fall! When I say "school," it's really a once-a-week Mother's Day Out program that she goes to. She is such a little extrovert that she LOVES to go and play with the "kids."

We took some pictures outside our house before she left.

I was comparing these pictures with one year ago before her first day. Wow, the difference a year makes! Callie, you are growing up so fast! You are such a beautiful little girl. We love you so much!

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

2011-10-17T10:30:00.000-05:00

Wow, I feel like it's been a really long time since I've posted a recipe on this blog. I have quite a few in my head that I want to share with you all, so today I will start with one of my new favorites. Do you ever make something and then think you want this to be one of your "classic" recipes? That was the case with these pancakes.

I'm getting ahead of myself. We recently went on a trip to Napa Valley and I noticed a theme with the breakfast menus. Ricotta Pancakes were everywhere. One little diner we visited had Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. I found a perfect recipe online (Williams-Sonoma) and made them just about as soon as we got home. Twice.

They did not disappoint (full recipe below).

I love lemon zest. I need to find more things to put it in. I've noticed the price of a whole bag of lemons (at Super Target) is about $2.50, while one lemon is $.66 I think. That's a no-brainer- buy the whole bag. they look pretty on the countertop, anyway!

Here's the ricotta, milk, eggs, and lemon zest. Egg yolks, that is-

-the egg whites go in a separate bowl so they can be frothed. I just did this with a for.

There's about a cup of ricotta in the pancakes, which makes them nice and dense...but the frothy eggs make it nice and fluffy, all at the same time.

Don't burn the pancakes. Oops.

And makes sure to have plenty of help in the kitchen! :)

Come visit our Bed and Breakfast sometime, and I will make you some Lemon Ricotta Pancakes! :)

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes (from Williams-Sonoma)

1 c ricotta (I used whole milk ricotta)
1 c milk
3 eggs, separated
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 c cake flour (I found this in a box at Super Target)
1 T baking powder
1/4 t salt

In large bowl, whisk ricotta, egg yolks, milk, and lemon juice/zest. Add remaining ingredients, minus the egg whites, and stir until just together. In another bowl, whisk egg whites until frothy. Fold into batter. Cook pancakes on medium heat and flip until done.

Enjoy!

Napa & Recipes To Come...

2011-10-05T11:59:00.002-05:00

How do you even begin to describe how wonderful a kid-free trip was? It was. Wonderful, that is. I surprised my husband with a long weekend in Napa Valley. I'm not sure if he was more surprised that I planned a trip without him, or that I didn't bring along my (8-month-old) baby.

I had a blast playing around with my camera. Enjoy the pics and a peek into our trip...

Pretty much what you do in Napa is eat and drink. And relax. We visited a couple of wineries each day, and then made reservations at a restaurant each night. Life is tough, huh? :) Some wineries we visited (for the friends who told me they also are planning a trip to Napa)~

Robert Mondavi (pictured above) - a good tour
Cade - amazing views, really good, expensive wine, by appointment only - loved this one
Frog's Leap - our favorite (pictured below), by appointment only {thanks Steph!}
Beringer - not the greatest wine or experience
Domaine Chandon - a sparkling wine/champagne tour - nice views and service

I think we ended up enjoying the boutique wineries the best - more personal and better service. However, we didn't realize until we got there that many of the boutique wineries require appointments.

One thing I am so inspired by from visiting Napa is all of the beautiful gardens! Everywhere we went, it seemed, there were the most beautiful and peaceful gardens, flowers, vegetables, growing. This is one domestic aspect I haven't quite grasped, but am totally inspired by this after visiting this place. I couldn't stop commenting on (and taking pictures of) the foliage, as you can tell. :)

Oh, and the food... My new favorite thing is California cuisine. To tell you the truth, I wasn't sure exactly how to describe California cuisine, so I looked it up (thanks Wikipedia):

"California cuisine is a style of cuisine marked by an interest in fusion cuisine (integrating disparate cooking styles and ingredients) and in the use of freshly prepared local ingredients. The food is typically prepared with strong attention to presentation."

We also had the most amazing breakfasts. Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, Dungeness Crab Omelets, Mini Apple-Ring Donuts... I have some recipes for these things coming up in my next post, so stay tuned.

We stopped in San Francisco for the day too. Except the hustle and bustle made us miss Napa, so we actually headed back early and had another dinner there instead of the city (Bottega and Market were two of our favorite restaurants. And Boone Fly Cafe in Sonoma. Oh and the Fremont Diner).

(I liked the molding and photo arrangement in the pic below)

Okay, a few breakfast recipes to come! Don't miss them. :)

Staying Creative..

2011-09-29T15:36:00.000-05:00

Twenty-Nine Ways to Stay Creative. I found this on another photographer's blog. I find it quite inspiring, and thought some of you might as well. In fact, I set it as my desktop background.

I am a creative person. It took me way too many years to figure this out. In fact, now I even sort of refer to myself as an artist. Kind of cheesy, I know. But I feel that I finally can put use to the creative brain that God has given me. It's actually kind of changed my life! I never classified myself with "artsy people." I valued ambition more than creativity. Now that's changed. I not only allow myself to value creativity, but I find myself attracted to other people that are creative as well.

Did that even make sense?

A few weeks ago, I was feeling burnt out. I was working too much, too long, was way too busy, and feeling uninspired. One Sunday afternoon, I allowed myself an hour at the computer just to browse. I rarely do this anymore - most of my time at the computer is when I am working (emails/Facebook or editing).

I spent some time on Pinterest. And I found so many great, creative ideas that I just felt refreshed! {I think we should change it to 30 ideas to stay creative and add Pinterest.} ;) Sounds funny but it's true! Some great photography inspiration, crafty ideas to do with the kids, things to cook, and some cool interior design ideas. In fact, I am currently in the process of (trying to) making our guest room look like this:

Source: google.com via Nealy on Pinterest

My current project is to make these headboards. I'm almost done- just adding the nailhead trim, which is not easy with two monkeys hovering around me. :) I'll show you pictures when I'm done. I'm not too sure about the mooseheads, however. :)

What about you? What inspires you to stay creative? Do you value that in yourself?

We're Still Here!

2011-08-31T16:22:00.000-05:00

I promise you, we're still alive and well! We are having a crazy, busy, fun summer, and even have the scars to show for it. :) We went on vacation. It was fun. I spent many hours here...

And read some awesome books on parenting. One of them was this book:

It was surprisingly relevant and really refreshing. Actually, I couldn't put it down, so that must mean it was a really good book {because I usually only do that with really good fiction books!}. A couple of thoughts from the book (italics mine)...

"Children are a gift from God, and we are stewards of their welfare. Training up our daughters in this sense implies helping them to navigate the cultural minefields that lie in their paths - teaching them eternal values, talents, and perspectives. It means instilling within them an appreciation for truthfulness, trustworthiness, self-discipline, self-control, generosity, and sweetness of spirit. It means teaching them modesty, morality, and manners. It means helping them overcome the natural inclination toward selfishness, aggressiveness, violence, and slovenliness. It means teaching them to work and learn and think. That is just the beginning, which is why parenthood is such a daunting responsibility, requiring careful forethought and planning." pg 3.

"Mom, it's your job to bring out the best in your little girl's nature. She needs your affirmation and encouragement...To both mothers and fathers, let me share a suggestion that you may not want to hear: good parenting almost always requires sacrifice. Childhood lasts for only a brief moment, but it should be given priority while it is passing before your eyes. Watch your kids carefully. Think about what they are feeling, and consider the influences they are under. Then do what is best for them." pg 21.

There are quite a few more things I would like to share with you from the book, but I don't have time today. If you have girls, I would definitely recommend it. Both for moms and dads.

As I'm writing this, I'm realizing that Callie is currently napping IN OUR BED, with a PACIFIER, and a DIAPER...so feel free to judge how well we're doing on parenting. :) She's semi-potty-trained. What I mean by this is she was for about two days, and then decided she didn't like it anymore. What's a mom to do? Seriously?

Sundresses for Haiti. Do you like to sew? I wish I did. However, I have a friend who is helping out with this great cause, and I think it is so cool. You sew and donate sundresses for an orphanage in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. You can read more about it here on Beth's blog. If you don't sew like me, you can donate underwear or sunglasses. Since we're in that potty training phase, I might have to get some extra pairs at Gymboree (they have the cutest girls' underwear).

Why I Haven't Blogged...

2011-08-10T17:25:00.000-05:00

We've been enjoying summer and trying to stay off the computer when possible. :) The army of my family of 12 decided to visit the Clear Lake 4th of July Carnival. We took it by storm. ;)

Callie couldn't decide which ride she liked better - the little cars of pushing around Cici's umbrella stroller.

Yes, we're like an army when we go anywhere all together. The fun part is, we're expanding exponentially each year!

Funniest part of the night- I lost track of Callie for approximately 30 seconds, and we couldn't find her anywhere. Finally, we spotted her at the top of the stairs of the giant slide. I kid you not. She snuck past the ticket man with flying colors and was just about at the top of the steps.

We then took her down the slide, and here's the result... I think she may have missed a nap or something that day (at least I hope that's my excuse)!

Avery wasn't so sure about the giant slide either.

Aunt J~ isn't she a doll? She just got back from a mission trip to Panama. Love her.

Aunt Kiley and Uncle Matt. Love them too. :)

Here's my sweetest doll ever. Love that face!

Bath Time!

2011-07-19T14:39:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to share a cute picture of the girls taking a bath in the sink. We're having a great summer, super busy, super fun, and super hot (this week at least)!

Be back soon!

Random Links...

2011-07-06T13:11:00.000-05:00

Hope you had a nice 4th! I have so many random thoughts in my head...

Kiley just posted this interesting way to make mac and cheese. You cook the pasta in milk (no water), then add shredded cheddar cheese and stir. And that's it! Can't wait to try it.
I'm considering trying Mandy Ingber's Yogalosophy. Has anyone tried it? Thoughts?
I just finished this novel. It was good. Would recommend it.I hear a movie is coming out soon too.
I've been trying out some wonderful Wildtree products. They are natural, healthy, and taste great. You can find them here... I especially love the pesto mix (try it mixed w/ mayo)!

Love this genius idea... Would you belive this is just a few $4 spice racks from this store

My friend Beth makes these awesome dresses for her daughter. I am a horrible seamstress...but seeing these cute dresses makes me wish I could sew!
Our dear friends Ben and Erica moved to Phoenix last month.They don't know many people there so if you read this blog, live in Phoenix, and could afford to make some new friends, I'm sure they would be glad to hear from you. :)

Nealy's Noteworthy | Skinnygirl Margaritas

2011-06-21T10:41:00.000-05:00

Margaritas are probably one of my favorite drinks! Maybe it's because they remind me of vacationing in Mexico, or because they just taste so good. However, the high calories do make me think twice because in most cases I would rather eat my calories than drink them.

Introduce the Skinnygirl Margarita, by Bethenny Frankel. It's as easy to serve as a bottle of wine and tastes just like the real thing! Served over ice, it also only has 100 calories per serving. Perfect!

A bottle will set you back about $16. Oh, I hear it's also good mixed with Pomegranate Crystal Light which gives it a little more sweetness (and makes it go a little farther when serving a crowd).

And just because I have some dear followers who are underage (love you girls), I just want to mention that adult beverages are for adults...and in moderation. Do I sound like a mom? I guess I am one. :)

My Latest Pizza Dough Recipe

2011-06-13T12:46:00.001-05:00

I've been searching for awhile now for the perfect pizza dough recipe. I'm not sure if I've found it yet, but I have been happy with a recipe I found for Neopolitan Pizza Dough (recipe follows). It's great on the grill or in the oven. If you haven't grilled your pizzas yet, I definitely recommend giving it a try. Grilling pizzas is a difficult skill to master, but it's the best way to get that wood-fired pizza at home.

And if you don't have a breadmaker yet, I definitely recommend you get one. It saves so much time and really who has time for kneading dough? :) I use mine primarily for pizza dough (of course), cinnamon rolls (I will have to share w/ you my recipe sometime), and my Light Oat bread.

This pizza dough recipe makes so much that we decided to stick half of it in a plastic bag and freeze for another day.

Callie likes to eat the dough - um, yuck!

Here's the recipe if you want to give it a try:

Neapolitan Pizza Dough

2.5 t yeast

1 c lukewarm water

1 t sugar

1 T flour

4.5 c flour

1 c lukewarm water

2 T olive oil

1 t salt

Directions:

Combine first four ingredients in bowl and wisk together. Cover and let sit 15 minutes until mixture turns foamy. Add to bottom of breadmaker and add remaining ingredients. Set on "dough" setting. When done, roll out on pizza pan/pizza stone with a little flour (can add some cornmeal to the bottom of the crust for texture). Top with desired ingredients and bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until done. I recommend this easy homemade Neopolitan pizza sauce recipe. Dough makes enough for two pizzas.

And here's Clara...oh, Clara...

Isn't she sweet? She's almost six months now and I think I could eat her to pieces.

She's rolling all over the place, giggling, and loves to cuddle. Have you ever seen a sweeter baby girl? :)

This is How We Roll

2011-05-25T16:25:00.001-05:00

Today we went to the park. We took Callie's totally awesome Radio Flyer scooter. It was a Christmas gift from two of her wonderful Aunts (she has four amazing Aunts that buy her LOTS of cute stuff!).

Do you ever go thrifting? That's not even a real word apparently, but I have been the last few days and I have to admit I am pretty proud of my findings! Thrift stores don't exactly have the best shopping atmosphere (I always try to remember my hand sanitizer!), but it sure is hard to pass up things like 1) Callie's blue skirt and 2) her pink shirt, for about $3 a piece! I found about 5 super cute summer dresses for Callie for next to nothing. I'm not ashamed (obviously or I wouldn't announce it on my blog). :)

I also bought 5 new plastic bins from Target this morning and have been re-organizing all of the girls' clothes. I'm sure just about every mom does once or twice a year, and it sure does bring to surface all sorts of emotions. The seasons are changing. My kids are growing. Will I have another girl and use these all again? Or will Clara be our last girl and will we start over with blue?

A growing she is. She's getting, like, tall. I wish I had a dime for every time someone commented on her curly hair (it's finally getting long!). Or her attitude. ;)

There must be something magical about our carseat, because Clara falls asleep in it almost instantly! Love that!

I tested my craftiness again and tried sewing little cookie pockets with waxed paper (like the picture I pinned on Pinterest). They turned out okay but I realized after I made the cookies, frosted them (added lemon zest and lemon juice), cut and folded the waxed paper, got my sewing machine out, and sewed the pockets... I had spent way too much time. Worth it? Probably not, but at least I have these pictures to show! :)

Scripture for Toddlers

2011-05-19T09:46:00.002-05:00

One of the best parts of watching your children grow is also watching them learn new things. When Callie was almost two, we were so amazed that she could remember the words to songs like "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and "Jesus Loves Me." She's such a little sponge, as I'm sure all toddlers are - soaking up every single thing we expose her to (both good and bad)!

Then one day I had a realization. If she can remember the words to songs, shouldn't she be able to learn the words to Bible verses as well? I can't think of anything better for her little brain than scripture, even better than learning her ABC's. So we tried a few, you may remember her video on the Fruits of the Spirit. My husband and I both grow up attending an Awana group (different ones), and even to this day we can both appreciate all of the scripture that we memorized back when we were young.

So with Callie, we've been slowly adding more verses here and there. We made some flashcards together (more for my sake than for hers, since she can't exactly read yet. She just generally wants "the pink one."). :)

I'm nowhere near being a perfect mother and I'm sure I miss so many opportunities to share the Good News with my kids, simply because it's not always at the front of my mind. That's why it's been so great to be able to bounce ideas off of each other moms and imitate each other. So I thought I would share this with you to encourage you to try the same thing with your kids!

Here are the verses we're starting with that seem to encompass the basics we want to teach her. Feel free to use and share!

Memory Verses For Toddlers
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Galations 5:22

Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 5:6

You should love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:39

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Isaiah 43:5

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. I Corinthians 10:31

Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

**Someone asked how I teach this to her (thanks, Erica!), so I thought I would follow-up with an answer just incase anyone else was wondering the same thing. There may be a better way to do it, but what's seemed to work for us is this: I just read it to her, word by word or phrase by phrase, over and over again and have her repeat each word or phrase after me until we go through the whole verse. I'll keep doing this until eventually, she will start saying what comes next before I say it. Then, I will repeat each word/phrase after her and just give her direction if she forgets something. And then eventually, she has learned (mostly) the whole verse by herself. I try to keep it exciting and then we clap and say "yea!" when we're done each time. So far, she knows the first three verses pretty well, and we still have a lot of work to do with the other ones. It's also a great activity for road trips! Hope that helps!

Nap Time | A Reference

2011-05-09T12:39:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but there definitely are days when I can't wait until nap time! Especially days like this.

Just call me the mamarazzi. :) Why is taking pictures of my own children so difficult? Let's just say this pretty much ended in both girls screaming in their carseats the whole way home.

So back to nap time. I recently found a great article about kids and napping in Parenting Magazine. I ripped it out to keep the article as a reference, and Callie somehow managed to completely shred the front cover so I can't figure out title of the article, buy it's by Maura Rhodes in the March 2011 issue.

Here's what "they" say naps should look like for each age:

0-8 Weeks: three or four naps (or more), for a total of seven hours
2-6 Months: three naps, for a total of five hours

6-8 Months: two or three naps, for a total of three and a half hours
8-12 Months: two naps, for a total of three hours

12-18 Months: two naps, for a total of two and a quarter to two and a half hours
18 Months-3 Years: one nap in the afternoon, for at least two hours

3 Years: one afternoon nap, for about 90 minutes
4-5 Years: one optional nap (in the afternoon), or at least 45 minutes of quiet time

I thought this was helpful so maybe you will too. Now, we all know there are always exceptions to every rule, but I am curious. Do your kids' naps line up with these suggestions? My two-year-old's is right on. My 4-month-old (who is crying in her crib because she just woke up from her nap and I need to make this short so I can go get her) probably takes about 3-4 short naps a day. She's a super short napper, and I am needing to get on a more consistent schedule with her. But I am honestly just enjoying her portability at this age- she sleeps pretty much the whole time we go anywhere in her carseat.

Hope this reference is helpful for someone!

Does anyone else have this difficult a time w/ taking pictures of your kids? :)

Bonjour

2011-05-05T12:41:00.001-05:00

I saw this peanut butter with strawberries in a magazine somewhere and thought it looked so cute! So we made them today and they were a hit! We tried those bagel thins for the first time this week, and I have to admit they're not bad!

Is anyone else so ready for summer? This spring has been pretty brutal...especially considering the fact that as I was loading the girls up to head to the gym on May 1st, it was snowing. Seriously snowing! Thankfully it didn't stick, and thankfully there's a little sunshine today. What is it about sunshine that puts you in such a good mood?

My "babies" are doing good. Clara is 4 months now and loves sitting in the high chair to watch us eat (we tilt the seat back a little). She just loves to be right in the action and see what's going on. A lady commented the other day that she looks like she will be a "true blonde." Well, at least there will be one of those in this family! ;)

We were out with some friends at a French-American restaurant a few weeks ago and I just loved their huge salt shakers on the tables. So I asked the waiter where I could get one that was similar (the back says Product of France") and he told me to just put it in my purse. What??? He said they had a ton of them in the back and that I could have it. Really? So I stuck it in my purse and made a run for it. ;)

Well, now I've gotta run...it's nap time {finally} and I've got a house to clean. :) Au revoir!

Nealy's Noteworth | Pinterest

2011-04-27T11:48:00.000-05:00

You didn't think I would be back so soon! Welcome to Nealy's Noteworthy's first post! I want to share with you Pinterest. Are you familiar with this? It's a virtual pinboard where you can create collections of things you love and follow others who do the same. It's also a great way to "store" al of the great ideas and images that you find online. Here are some pins (so far).

I love, love this master bathroom and have been looking for a chandelier to go above our bath.

Source: houseofturquoise.com via Nealy on Pinterest

What a great idea...want to do this to our garage/laundry room door!

Source: housetweaking.com via Nealy on Pinterest

How cute!

Source: tumblr.com via Nealy on Pinterest

Valentines...maybe next year we will make these.

Source: maryruffle.tumblr.com via Nealy on Pinterest

Love this color scheme.

Source: betsywhite.com via Nealy on Pinterest

I think you get the idea. It's lots of fun. Click here to find me!

Nealy's Noteworthy | A New Series!

2011-04-27T08:39:00.000-05:00

Alrighty, I've been thinking about doing this for months! So I finally sat down this morning and got to work. As the title says, I'm starting a new series! This series will highlight my favorite things, or things that I find that are worth noting! Because who doesn't like learning about new ideas, products, etc?

I'm working on a post today that will feature my first noteworthy find. I think you'll like it. Stay tuned!

Shiny Glaze & Old Pictures

2011-04-26T14:38:00.000-05:00

He is risen, indeed! Happy Easter, a day late. We had a great time visiting family. It was my baby girl's first time visiting our in-laws at their home. We did lots of cooking, eating, shopping, and relaxing...just the way a holiday should be!

One thing we are so thankful for is having not just one, but two sets of wonderful grandparents. We've got some lucky girls, who get so much attention, teaching, gifts, and great examples in their Grandma + Grandpa and Cici + Papa.

Now on to the food. We made these fun egg-shaped sugar cookies. Leave it to my MIL for another great recipe idea. Shiny glaze sugar cookies. Haven't you always wondered how they get that shiny glaze? There are two secrets...

The first secret is a secret ingredient. Corn syrup. Here's our recipe (can you even read that?).

And the other secret? Dipping the cookies in the frosting. We literally flipped them upside down in a dish of frosting. I wish I would have taken a picture of this, because it really was quite amazing. Maybe I'm the last person to find out about this method, but I will be doing all of our holiday cookies this way now. Much faster, and prettier, than frosting the cookies the traditional way. :)

Do you give your kids an Easter basket? Callie got a few DVDS (Passion and Veggie Tales Easter Carol), some Elmo stamps (her favorite character...don't get me started), some Color Wonder coloring book (my couch's lifesaver) and of course a chocolate bunny! I had all the best intentions of snagging some of PBK's monogrammed easter baskets at their after-Easter sale, because lately I have a thing for monogramming and matching. But I guess I'm a day too late because they are sold out. Maybe next year, I'll have to time it out. :)

We also made a stop at my grandma's house. She hadn't met Clara yet, so it was fun to introduce her and take a few pictures of the girls with their great grandma Mary Lou.

I made myself at home by snooping around my grandma's bedroom a little and found this picture. It's my dad and all of his five siblings (with my grandma- you can probably recognize her). Don't you just love old photographs?

And I'll end with a new photograph. My girls...matching in their Easter dresses. I'll spare you the details of the chaos we experienced to get this picture.

Happy Easter 2011!

The Places You'll Go...

2011-04-20T21:27:00.000-05:00

My beautiful niece, Avery, had a first birthday party last weekend! Here are some pictures that summarize her special day. Happy birthday, Avery! We love you so much and can't wait for many more birthday parties.

Don't you just love Kiley's Dr. Seuss theme? She even made food from all the places Avery has been!

A house full of family, food, and fun...

Callie got a little confused and thought the presents were for her. Where did she get that idea? ;)

Now we see why so many people say Callie looks like her dad...

The whole gang. I don' tknow if all...13...of us have ever been in a picture together yet. Ever actually.

Resurrection Eggs | How To Host An Easter Party!

2011-04-12T19:53:00.000-05:00

This year Callie is throwing a little Easter celebration with a few of her friends from church. We will be making Resurrection Egg kits, and I thought I would share with you how we will do this in case you want to do the same {before Easter}!

Resurrection Eggs, which I first learned about from my mother-in-law quite a few years ago, are basically a kit of one dozen plastic Easter eggs, and each egg contains a small prop which tells the story of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. It's a great way to teach kids about the real story of Easter, and not just about chocolate bunnies that lay eggs and give baskets of toys. :)

So here are my directions on how to throw a Resurrection Egg Easter Party! It's easy, educational, and fun!

1.) Send invitations a few weeks ahead of time. I used Evite and found some cute Easter-themed invitations. Also assign each guest a few props to bring {make sure they bring enough of each prop for each person attending}. Also have each guest bring an empty egg carton (1 dozen size).

2.) Buy enough plastic easter eggs so that each person can have twelve eggs, each a different color. I bought a few big boxes of plastic eggs last year at Target at the after-Easter sale {one box of pastels and one box of brilliant colors, and silver was even in the box!}. If you want to do this party next year, buy a few boxes this year and save them!

3.) Print off enough copies of the directions for one for each person to go with their kits (I simplified this and made up my own, there are many versions you can find online). CLICK HERE to download/print my PDF with directions and Bible verses for the Resurrection Eggs.

4.) At the party, have each child make their Resurrection Egg kits by filling the coordinating egg with the prop. Hand out a copy of the directions to each mom. :)

5.) Give the kids an Easter cookie and go through the Easter story with them, letting them open their eggs as you go and reading the coordinating Bible verse!

Below is another copy of my resurrection eggs story {similar to PDF}. Have fun! If you do this, I would love to hear about it or see your pictures! :) Be blessed~ nealy.

R E S U R R E C T I O N E G G S

LIGHT PINK- palm branches John 12:12-13 {piece of palm leaf}

The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!”

PINK-coins Matthew 26:14-16 {2 dimes}

Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

ORANGE-bread Mark 14:32-35 {crouton-size piece of bread}

They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them.“Stay here and keep watch.” Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

LIGHT YELLOW-thorns Matthew 27:27-29 {1-inch piece of thorn branch}

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into thegovernor’s headquarters, and they gathered the wholebattalion before him. And they stripped him and puta scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"

YELLOW-whip Matthew 27:30-31 {1-inch piece of leather cord}

And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and^(I) led him away to crucify him.

LIGHT GREEN-nails John 19:16-18 {nail}

So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

GREEN- sponge Matthew 27:48 {crouton-size piece of sponge}

Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink.

LIGHT BLUE-dice John 19:23-24 {dice}

When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.” This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said, “They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.” So this is what the soldiers did.

BLUE- spear John 19:31-37 {tooth painted silver}

Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,”and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”

LIGHT PURPLE- linen Matthew 27:59-60 {1-inch square of linen cloth}

And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

PURPLE-stone Matthew 28:2 {small stone}

And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

SILVER-empty Matthew 28:5-8 {nothing!}

But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you." So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.

Follow-Up Stroller Review {Baby Jogger City Select}

2011-04-09T06:30:00.037-05:00

Last I posted about getting a double stroller, I had just made the decision on the City Select by Baby Jogger. We did end up getting this stroller, thanks so much to our super generous in-laws! And I have to say, we love it. It really has been a perfect double stroller for our situation.

We didn't get the bassinet (just isn't necessary), but we did buy the carseat adaptor (to go with our Maxi Cosi- same carseat as pictured below), which has been super convenient - especially in the Minnesota winters. It is a little heavy/large, and I would not recommend taking it to Europe or anything, but what double-stroller isn't big and bulky? I do get lots of compliments on and questions about it wherever I go.

So is it worth the price? Absolutely if it's a gift. ;) And definitely if you will be using it for multiple kids (that's what I figure- chances are we'll be using this for the next 6+ years). Would I get this stroller for one child to use as a single stroller? Probably not because of the unnecessary size, unless of course you were planning to have more children very soon.

There you go! My stroller review. Are you a "stroller person?" What's your favorite single or double stroller?

What's For Dinner?

2011-04-08T13:17:00.001-05:00

One major advantage of having family live nearby is that we can get together for dinner parties! We're hosting dinner tonight with Kiley & Matt and Brady & Lena (Wes and Jasey, we'll miss you guys). This afternoon I've been scouring the internet for some fresh, relatively healthy menu ideas. And I think we're gonna dust off the grill for the first time this spring! Here's what's on the menu so far:

Rosemary Shrimp Skewers with Arugula-White Bean Salad. I found this recipe in a fitness magazine of all places, and lately I've been craving seafood (must be the warmer weather?). I'll probably serve it w/ grilled broccoli and "good" bread (my husband's favorite food...bread). If you click on the link, you can see some other yummy/healthy grilling ideas - I love the grilled peaches w/ ice cream and the grilled banana and dark chocolate s'mores.

And for dessert, Profiteroles with Hot Chocolate Sauce. I love profiteroles, which are pretty much a fancy name for cream puffs or popovers. I think Kyle and I first had profiteroles while visiting San Sebastian, Spain (a loooong time ago), and we have loved them ever since. Maybe I'll fill them with vanilla bean gelato and top with chocolate sauce. Yum.

What are you doing tonight for dinner? Anything fun? Happy Friday!

Homemade Neapolitan Pizza Sauce

2011-03-30T06:00:00.042-05:00

Ever since my friend Beth posted about her pizza sauce recipe, I've been dying to try it myself. We are huge fans of Punch and the thought of recreating that wood-fired pizza at home got me so excited! We added a little fresh garlic to ours.

And started with a can of whole tomatoes. I used Market Pantry, but I'm sure the San Marzano ones would be better.

After draining and chopping the tomatoes, mush them up with a fork.

Add a clove of pressed garlic, along with a pinch of salt, a few pinches of sugar, and a little dried oregano.

And you've got homemade pizza sauce! WAY better than the jarred stuff {we also use Preggo spaghetti sauce instead of pizza sauce}.

Top on your favorite pizza dough and you've got yourself a good pizza! Maybe next time we'll throw the pizza dough directly on our grill for a real wood-fired pizza.

Lose That Baby Weight

2011-03-29T15:02:00.000-05:00

Ughhhh. Losing the baby weight is no. fun. at. all. Rarely will a movie star gain 30-50 pounds for a movie role, even if they are getting paid millions of dollars (and if they do, they likely win an Oscar for it!). Moms, on the other hand, have to do it every few years! I'm starting to feel like a yo-yo.

Of course our payment is in babies and not money, which is priceless. :)

My story is similar to many other moms: initially, the weight drops pretty quickly and easily. And then, the last 10 pounds. They're like, stuck. I've pretty much been gaining and losing the same 2 pounds for the last, um, two months? Lack of sleep and little time to myself have probably not helped much either.

So now I'm starting to buckle down and get serious. Clara just turned 3 months TODAY and I don't want to be carrying around baby weight for longer than I have to. Here are two things that have really been helping me to stay motivated.

#1
First, I downloaded a free app on my smartphone that I am in love with. It's called Calorie Counter by FatSecret. It's a very simple and easy way to keep track of calories. It even has - get this - a barcode scanner so you can just scan the barcode of the last granola bar (or two) that you ate. :) This has helped me tremendously to keep a food log, and I have become more aware of everything I put in my mouth. It's even kind of fun! The app has a weight tracker and an exercise diary which I have been using as well.

#2
Second, my new favorite thing is Zella workout clothing (found at Nordstroms). I love their Live In Legging and bunched v-neck t-shirts (I'm not seeing these online), and really want this in white. Everything I've tried on by Zella is flattering, the shirts are longer, and super comfortable. Perfect to wear to the gym (or all day?). It was a little splurge for me, but definitely worth it if it keeps me motivated, right?

What about the other moms out there? How did you lose your baby weight and what was your motivated?

We're Ready...

2011-03-24T20:05:00.000-05:00

I must have the best followers in the world...after three weeks with no posts, you haven't given up on me, have you? I truly thank you for being patient with me. I got an email from my mom yesterday letting me know that I need to update my family picture on my blog from a family of three to a family of four. Oh, and the "about me" still says I'm expecting (thankfully, that no longer is true). So I apologize for the lack of posts these past few weeks.

I plan to be back soon with some fun ideas of things to do with toddlers around the house. And homemade pizza sauce. So I'll leave you with a picture of "Callie C" and "Clara Lu," and if there was a caption it would say, "we're ready for spring!"

Good Morning, Great Gifts, & More

2011-02-28T05:00:00.004-06:00

Good morning! Today is a typical morning at our house: Callie wakes up, oh...around 6:30am, and then immediately wants breakfast. Usually her choice is "mo-meal" {translation: oatmeal, which we make our own}. I found a bag of orange-essence dried fruit at Costco last week, so we are now enjoying orange-essence mo-meal! :)

Since Callie woke-up with a little cold this morning, we decided to give her a little hot herbal tea with honey and have a tea party (coffee for me). She loves feeling like a big girl, of course, so she loves it {today she had herbal mint...would't that sound great if you had a cold?}.

When we're not having oatmeal for breakfast, we're drinking "shoe-eez," aka smoothies. This is why I just love Real Simple magazine...

Ten smoothie recipes {you can also find them here}! I've been curious about green smoothies for awhile, so I am wanting to try some of these green smoothies. And you see I got a HUGE bag of Spinach from Costco. Yes we love Costco, and we must also love spinach because believe it or not, this bag is over half gone already!

So while we have oatmeal or smoothies, Clara {"baby teryn" is how Callie says it...which evidently is sticking} watches from the living room. She's getting HUGE...her 2-month appointment is next week, and I am anxious to hear her percentiles. She seems to be growing FAST.

She LOVES sleeping in her swaddle (as Callie did as well)...and is quickly outgrowing her newborn size! Don't you just love that newborn stretch?

We are so thankful for all of the generous gifts we have gotten since Clara was born. One I want to share with you, just because it is so. darn. cute. Like, I can't even believe it.

Have you ever seen cuter matching dresses? Seriously, I now CANNOT wait for warmer weather so we can break these out! Some friends got them for us, and they said there were from Etsy. I'm not sure which seller they bought them from, but it seems like they might be called pillowcase dresses?

One more adorable gift we received for Callie's birthday is...a customized book! Not just any book, but a book all about CALLIE!

If you read her blog or know her, you can probably guess who it's from {since she is amazing at all things creative, and gives the best gifts too}. I just have a feeling she might mention these books on her blog, so I will let her tell you more about it when she's ready. :)

Happy Monday!

Meet Sleep Sheep

2011-02-23T16:38:00.000-06:00

I would like to introduce you to my #1 absolute favorite baby item. Meet....

the Cloud B Sleep Sheep On The Go.

If I run into you at the grocery store and you think you hear a faint gurgling noise, or ocean waves, or rain, or a whale (yes, a whale) in the background, it is not your imagination. It is, in fact, my Sleep Sheet On The Go.

It's a little white noise machine (battery-operated) that attaches to the carseat, crib, anywhere really. It produces a soothing noise that's supposed to keep a baby sleeping. Does it work? As far as I can tell, yes. We turn it on, give her a pacifier, and rock her carseat a little bit and she is out!

At under $25, this would be a great baby shower gift for a new mom! :) It's a total life saver. Thank you, Cloud B. :) Oh, I bought mine on Amazon. I also found them at Babies R Us (and free shipping).

When Clara's not sleeping in her carseat, she loves her baby swing. Seriously, what would a mom do without these modern inventions? {and no, my kids don't always wear tutus, I promise!}

How would we have time to clean our sinks??? {Did you like that tie-in? Pretty slick. So I've had a few people ask me what we clean our sink with. My favorite so far has been Bar Keeper's Friend. Similar to Comet but not as harsh, it does the job. I buy it at Target.}

And how would we moms have time to cook? {Another stretch to tie it all together...but I wanted to share our family's new favorite panini...Brie-Apple-Turkey. It's good. And easy. I make mine in what I call my Poor Man's Panini Press- my George Foreman! Just those three ingredients on some italian-style crusty bread, and you've got a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich.}

That's all for now! We'll be back soon...

10 Ikea Favorite Finds

2011-02-17T19:20:00.000-06:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I totally have a love-hate relationship with Ikea. Most of the store really is not my style, and many of the products are cheap or cheap-looking. However, I realized there are about 10 things from Ikea that I really like. And most of the items are great deals; you've gotta love a great bargain from this giant Swedish home store!

1. Stool. At around six dollars, you can't beat the price for this plastic stool. I keep one in my kitchen for Callie- she loves to push it around so she can conveniently reach things off the counter. It definitely beats her pushing our chairs around the kitchen (and scratching our wood floors in the process)!

2. Farm Sink. I've blogged about how much I like this sink before...and since then I think I know 2-3 people who have added this stylish sink to their kitchen as well. Love it!

3. Play Kitchen We have a similar-looking play kitchen from Target, but I love this modern, gender-neutral one too.

4. Laptop support. Probably the best three dollars I've spent. We keep our laptop on this plastic stand and it keeps it upright (and my leg from getting burned). ;)

6. Ektorp sofa. Okay so we have this white couch (the sleeper sofa version). It's the perfect affordable, transitional-style couch for just about any room in the house.

7. Artificial plants Maybe I shouldn't broadcast the fact that I have artificial plants around our house, but after I killed about

8. Mixing bowls I love these bowls so much I bought two sets. They're inexpensive, lightweight, and white (can you tell I like white?).

9. Napkins How can you leave Ikea without throwing in a few packs of napkins?

10. Expedit bookshelf with baskets. I just saw this at my friend Amanda's house, and I like them so much that I plan to get two of these in our den.

There you go! My favorite Ikea finds. What are your favorites? Did I miss anything?

Cici's {no white} Dark Chocolate Garbage Cookies

2011-02-13T15:22:00.000-06:00

If you like dark chocolate, you will love these cookies! They are another one of my mom's recipes, and I told her they are so good she could sell them. :) The best part is? There's no white anything- no white flour, no white sugar, so you don't have to feel guilty if you eat them for breakfast. :)

Cici's Dark Chocolate Garbage Cookies

½ c. butter, melted

¾ c. brown sugar, packed

½ c. honey

¼ c. almond butter or peanut butter

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

1 ½ c. whole wheat pastry flour

1 ½ c. rolled oats

1 t. baking soda

½ t. salt

1 c. large flake unsweetened coconut*, loosely packed

1 c. dark chocolate chips or chunks, 60% cacao or more

1 c. pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped

½ c. raisins

½ c. dried cranberries

¼ c. finely ground flax seeds

¼ c. raw sunflower seeds

2 T. sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 375. Stir together first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine next 4 dry ingredients and stir into wet mixture. Stir in remaining ingredients and mix well. Drop by rounded tablespoons 2” apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 10-11 minutes or so. Cool on pan several minutes then remove to cooling rack. Makes about 3-dozen large cookies.

*or ½ cup finely shredded coconut

Note: Whole wheat pastry flour is a lighter flour than regular whole wheat flour. Use half white and half regular whole wheat flour in place of the pastry flour to substitute. It’s really worth having on hand to bake with though!

Tips for the Terrible Twos

2011-02-10T14:35:00.001-06:00

Callie entered her "terrible twos" at about the exact same week that we took Clara home from the hospital. This could just be a coincidence, or just bad timing on our part (having two kids just under two), but I seriously thought we were in for it. Could this tantrum-throwing, suddenly disobedient toddler be the new Callie?

Honestly, the first few weeks when Clara was born were pretty rough. We had just celebrated Christmas (to a toddler this equates later bedtimes, lots of sugar, extra attention, and an overwhelming amount of new toys). She was turning two the next month. Grandparents were staying at our house (and were a huge help, by the way). And to top it all off, she had a new sister that she didn't quite know what to think of.

My mom had some great advice for me on parenting a "terrible two"-year-old. I guess she raised five "terrible two-year-olds" who are now adults, so she probably knows a thing or two about the subject. :) Hopefully these tips will help other new moms as well, who if they are anything like me don't have a clue as to how to deal with a tantrum-throwing toddler.

Let her feel independent. I try to let her "help" me as often as I can. She loves it, and loves to feel like a big girl that can do grown-up things. She helps with Clara, helps me cook, even helps me clean the house.
Give choices. Giving two choices lets her "decide." For instance, "Do you want to give mommy one kiss or two?" She doesn't really have a choice, but feels like she does. :)
Choose your battles. Sometimes you have to let little things slide (but not the important things). For instance, Callie loves to walk instead of being put in the shopping cart. Sometimes I will let her do what she wants, even though it's not my first choice, to avoid a battle of wills between us.
Give warnings. If I suddenly say, "Callie, we're going to take a nap now," she most likely will throw a fit because she doesn't want to. But, if I tell her "Callie, we're going to take a nap in five minutes," she will know that the time is coming. This also works when she wants, let's say, a bite of my food. I will tell her before it's her last bite so she doesn't freak out when it's "all gone."
Praise. We make sure to praise her when she does something good and try to really focus on the positive things she does. I try to encourage her to make good decisions by giving her a lot of attention when she does do something right or when she obeys. I'm sure this works with children of all ages.
Be consistent. Another piece of advice that is good to keep in mind when parenting kids of all ages. I am finding this is much easier to say than it is to actually do it!
Don't give her too much attention when she gets in trouble. This may encourage negative attention-seeking behavior.
Listen. Make sure to listen to what she wants. She's still learning how to communicate without whining, so sometimes when she starts to whine I'll tell her, "Callie let's just talk. Tell me what you want to do" and I will learn something that I would usually just ignore or scold.

Thanks mom for the great advice! I hope I can be as good of a mom as you were to us! Callie definitely still has her moments and her days, but these tips have really helped us know how to deal with her.

She's really becoming a great big sister and a not-so-terrible two-year-old. :)

Zuppa Toscana

2011-02-10T07:00:00.001-06:00

If you're looking for a different and yummy soup recipe, look no more! Beth made this soup for me sometime last year and we loved it (and have made it multiple times since then). It's very similar to the Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana. Sausage, potatoes, and kale are the main ingredients. It's a perfect combination of a creamy and broth-y soup.

If you're like me and like Olive Garden soup, you may want to try the copycat Chicken and Gnocchi soup as well.

1 T olive oil

1 lb italian sausage

1 onlin, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 t crushed red pepper

1 1/2 c water

2 cans chicken broth

3 large russet potatoes, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced 1/4" thick

1 t salt

1/2 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped

1 c whipping cream

Put oil and sausage in saucepan over medium heat. Cook sausage and remove from pot. Add onion and cook until transparent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper, cook 1 minute.

Add water and broth, stir to dissolve bits on bottom of pan. Add potatoes, salt and pepper. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat, simmer 10 minutes. Add kale and sausage, simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in cream.

February

2011-02-09T14:33:00.002-06:00

February is here! Winter is almost over and spring is just around the corner... at least that's what I'm telling myself. Hurray! This winter has been pretty brutal...so much snow, so much cold. I'm looking forward to some warm and sunny days ahead.

So we're celebrating February, the love month, with tutus. Matching tutus (thanks Lena!). I'm not exactly sure how we went from this...

and this...

to this...

then this...

Your guess is as good as mine.

Happy February! ♥

"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."
I John 3:18

J'adore Paris

2011-02-08T14:51:00.002-06:00

About a week or two before Clara was born, Kyle and I went out to dinner and he asked me what my "ultimate day" would be like (we ask each other silly questions like this when we're out on dates). My answer? A day just the two of us in Paris, walking around, seeing the sites, eating the food, watching the people, just being there together. It's probably my favorite city in the world to visit, and no matter how many times I go, it just leaves me wanting to go back. Coincidentally, about a week after our conversation, Kyle found out he would be going on a business trip to Europe. And, it just happened to work out that I could come along for part of it. What funny timing!

Now, bringing a newborn with me to Paris wasn't exactly part of my original idea, but it actually worked out quite well. She spent almost all day strapped to her daddy's chest {in the Baby Bjorn} and as you could imagine got lots of attention from everyone we saw! She's a lucky little girl getting to go to Paris one her one-month birthday, too bad she slept through most of it. :) The direct flight was a huge blessing, and she did spectacular on the plane ride.

We also celebrated our seven year anniversary as part of the trip. La Tour Eiffel has some significance to us because it's where we got engaged, so we took lots of pictures of it. And we just happened to have a view of it from our hotel room, which was perfect {and unplanned}. My favorite part was when it lights up and sparkles at night - so romantic! We definitely had some chilly days, but we were bundled up at spent lots of time in little cafes, drinking coffee and eating chocolate croissants (I just can't get enough of those). And I think I had enough bread, cheese, and chocolate to last me a lifetime (or not).

Here's a little peak into our time in Paris. I had a tough decision of whether or not to bring my "fancy" camera, and in the end decided to leave it at home, since we had enough on our hands with the baby. Oh, and a little tip to other world travelers out there that have kids...don't bring a stroller to Europe. We brought ours, thinking we would just push her around all day, and to our dismay found that the wheels of our stroller were too wide for the metro entrances, and the city is also not very handicap-friendly (think LOTS of steep stairs and escalators going in and out of the metro stations). Thankfully, I brought a baby snowsuit and baby carrier, which were total life savers.

I guess this means we will have to do Kyle's "ultimate day" since we got to do mine. I guess we will be planning a ski trip somewhere in the near future! :)

Take One & Take Two

2011-01-30T07:00:00.001-06:00

First video: cutest thing you've ever seen.

Second video: funniest thing you've ever seen.

Passports

2011-01-29T07:00:00.034-06:00

We might be crazy.

We took Clara to get her passport when she was 6 days old.

Yes, many of you may think we are crazy for traveling with a newborn. In fact, we took Callie to get her passport when she was even younger- 3 days old!

A couple of months (ie, 7 weeks) after Callie was born, we went on a family trip to Cabo. My family was going and we didn't want to miss out. It actually went quite smoothly, traveling with an infant. She slept almost the whole plane ride, there and back (we were sure to get a direct flight). And it was fun to take her in the warm outside air for the first time in her life.

And so we're doing it again. We have a little trip coming up to my favoritest city ever. We are bringing Clara, just the three of us.

Are these not the cutest (and funniest) passport pictures you've ever seen?

Motherhood...

2011-01-28T08:50:00.001-06:00

...the days are long but the years are short.

I remind myself of this quote quite often. Is that not the truth? I don't want to wish away these years. Because I know they're short. I'm sure they'll be over before I know it.

I definitely have long days. We stay home now, a lot. It's winter and freezing out, that's probably part of it. And it's a lot more work to pack-up the girls (and our trips often end in disaster - either one or the other). There are many days now I'm not sure if it's even worth getting ready in the morning, because the only person that will see me is the lady at the check-out counter at Target. =)

The years are short. Clara is one month today. And Callie just turned two. Can you believe it? Two already! Although she's been saying she's been "two" for months. :) Here's what's left from her party (It was fun! I'll share the details with you soon).

One of the nights before I got married, my grandma Mary Lou stayed the night and slept in my bedroom with me. We got to talking as we were falling asleep, and she told me something that will probably stick with me for the rest of my life. She said the best years of her life were when her kids were at home.

That had a lot of impact coming from a 80-year-old grandmother, who has lived most of her life. So why would I want to wish away the best years?

Yes, I'm looking forward to the day when I will get more sleep. To tell you the truth, this last week has left me exhausted! Clara and I both have a cold, and she's been waking up every 2 hours at night, at least. But for now, I know that sleepless nights is part of territory. So for now, I'll take it and just enjoy having babies around. Because they are growing up, fast!

I'm about halfway through the book Shepherding a Children's Heart. Here's one page of the book that has really stuck with me so far (pg 97). I know it's long, but please take the time to read it...you'll be encouraged, I promise!

You must regard parenting as one of your most important tasks while you have children at home. This is your calling. you must raise your children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. You cannot do so without investing yourself in a life of sensitive communication in which you help them understand life and God's world. There is nothing more important. You have only a brief season of life to invest yourself in this task. You have only one opportunity to do it. You cannot go back and do it over.

You live in a culture in which there are opportunities for you to do things unheard of in history. You are presented daily with scores of options for investing your life's energies and creativity. There is more than yo could ever do. You must, therefore, prioritize.

Parenting is your primary calling. Parenting will mean that you can't do all the things that you could otherwise do. It will affect your golf handicap. It may mean your home does not look like a picture from Better Homes and Gardens. It will impact your career and ascent on the corporate ladder. It will alter the kind of friendships you will be available to pursue. It will influence the kind of ministry you are able to pursue. It will modify the amount of time you have for bowling, hunting, television, or how many hooks you read. It will mean that you can't develop every interest that comes along. The costs are high.

A good reminder about what one of our biggest priorities is. Encouraging and convicting at the same time, isn't it?

Bath Day

2011-01-26T09:52:00.002-06:00

Good morning! We tried to spell "Hi" with the letters in the tub, but the "i" was no where to be found! So "hey" will have to do. :) We have bath day every other day around here, and boy is it a lot of work with two girls!

It sure is fun though. There's nothing better than a warm bath in the dead of winter! We get out the foam letters, Crayola bath tub markers (thanks Ki), and sometimes even the Crayola Bath Dropz (thanks Erica!) that make the water fun colors.

How funny that I have a picture of Callie here that's just like this picture of Clara. Same towel and everything!

And then some days Callie gets to watch a little show in mommy's bed while I get Clara ready and get ready myself.

Cheese!

Once I had my first baby, I realized I just didn't have time to practice my normal "morning routine" every day. So, I started to wash my hair every other day. Does anyone else do this? I would like to say it changed my life...I'm saving so much time by not having to wash, dry, and style my hair every day.

And I discovered this amazing product. Have you ever tried dry shampoo? I had been curious about it for awhile, but it seemed too expensive, and then I found Tresemme's Dry Shampoo at Target (only a couple of dollars I think). You just spray it in your hair and it absorbs the oil. It also has a white-ish color when it goes on, so it can help camouflage dark roots...yea.

I found Callie some cute shoes on clearance at Old Navy this week. I think I paid about $2.50 for them. I just love girly stuff. Good thing I have two girls I can play dress-up with!

White Chicken Chili

2011-01-25T13:28:00.000-06:00

Here's my sister's recipe for White Chicken Chili. A few people have asked for the recipe, so I thought I would just post it on the ol' blog! Enjoy!

White Chicken Chile
2 onions, chopped
2 T olive oil
5 chicken breasts (no skin), cubed
5 cloves garlic, minced
5 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground or dried oregano
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
2 small cans or 1 large can diced green chiles
1 large jar cooked Great Northern Beans (drained/rinsed)
1-2 cans navy beans (drained/rinsed)
2 cups frozen corn
1 can creamed corn
8 cups chicken broth
20 oz Monterey Jack Cheese (cut into small cubes)

Saute onions in oil until clear. Stir in chicken and garlic and cook until done (about10-15 minutes). Add spices, chiles, beans, corn, and broth and cook 10-15 minutes or until hot and gently bubbling. Add cheese and melt. DO NOT BOIL. Soup should be thick. Serve with chopped cilantro, sour cream, and cornbread or tortilla chips.

Clara's Birth Announcement

2011-01-24T08:03:00.000-06:00

Just in case you haven't seen it yet, here's our little Clara's birth announcement {front and back}. It's pretty cute, if I do say so myself. :)

Design by Steph, family picture by Annie, and Clara's picture by moi. Thanks so much, ladies! You're the best! :)

Clara's Birth Story {all two hours of it}

2011-01-20T16:17:00.000-06:00

Don't women just love telling their birth stories? Get a group of moms together and have the topic of birth come up, and I'll guarantee almost everyone will have told their story by the end of the night. :) Well, at least that's how it seems to go in my circles. It's the equivalent of men showing their scars I think for women...listen to what I went through, I survived, and now I have this amazing child because of it. So you can ask me and I won't hesitate to tell you the story in as much or little detail as you like. :) But here it is, and here is Callie's birth story too.

So my due date came and went, and I started to get a little nervous- what if I am one of those people who go two weeks past my due date? I can't handle being pregnant for one more day. So I started looking up how to "naturally" induce labor- and let's just say I took just about every piece of advice I could find. :)

December 28th, 2010...

5:00pm. Did I just feel a contraction? It felt like a stronger Braxton-Hicks type. Wait a sec, they're about every 5-6 minutes. Could I be in labor? I'm not sure.

5:10pm Called Pizza Hut to order pizza (Kiley and Matt and my mom were coming over for a pizza party). Still wasn't sure if I was in labor, but then I had a contraction while talking to the pizza guy and though it might be the real thing.

Called the midwife. She said to take a bath. If they stop, it's not labor obviously. If they continue, come to the hospital right away (my history of labor was pretty fast- we just made it to the hospital in time for Callie's birth).

5:30pm Took a bath to see if the contractions would go away. Had Kyle sit near me to "time" the contractions. They were still getting stronger (not too painful yet, but definitely made me stop what I was doing) and were getting closer together. Nope, they were not going away. Got out of the tub to get ready to go to the hospital.

As soon as I did, my water broke (TMI, I was conveniently standing over the toilet).

6:00pm Left for the hospital. Took this picture on the way out the door (in between contractions- if you're wondering how I could manage a half-smile).

On the way to the hospital, took a little "self-portrait" with my phone. For memory's sake. :) Still doing okay at this point but contractions are starting to get pretty painful. Updated my facebook status (is that crazy?). Tried to do the little breathing things they taught us at birthing class. I think I told Kyle to shut up or something like that when he started counting for me to breath (sorry honey!). :)

6:30pm Arrived at the hospital.

6:35pm Made it to the hospital room - I didn't need a wheelchair this time! Dark, quiet, not many people around. Where is everyone? I went into the bathroom in our room. Kyle was sitting outside the door. I finally sent him to find a nurse and told him to say that our first labor we were 8cm when we got to the hospital. And my water broke already at home.

Ouch!!!

6:40pm The midwife finally got to the room (okay, it had only been about 10 minutes or less but it felt like an eternity).

6:50pm Midwife checked me. She told me I was 5cm dilated. I freaked out and felt very discouraged (was hoping I was much farther along).

Can I get some pain medication please? I can't do this. I can't do this. This sucks!!!! {what was going through my head I think}. I really didn't think I could do it.

6:53pm I started pushing?!?!?!?!?!?!??!

Is it possible to go from 5cm to pushing in like a minute or two????

7:03pm Enter the world, Clara Lucille.

Beautiful.

Perfect.

Not responding right away (took a minute or two to cry).

She's so pretty!

Kyle cried.

Tears of joy.

I cried.

We're in love all over again!

Thank you Jesus for a healthy baby girl!

9:30-ish-pm, Clara meets the big sister! Callie climbed up, gave her a kiss on the head, and then wanted my apple juice (it was way past bedtime). That will go down in history!

And there you have it! Clara's birth story. Short and sweet, just the way we like it! :)

The Tie Bar

2011-01-19T08:09:00.000-06:00

I have to share with you a website that the men in my family are slightly obsessed with.

The Tie Bar is a website that sells men's ties, all at $15 each, and they are really nice ties! There are tons to choose from, and you can view them all with your choice of suit and shirt color.

The men in my family loves this website, and keep sending each other "e-gift certificates" via email to each other. We actually just got Kyle's tie in the mail yesterday which was from my dad (thank you!), and we love it (we chose this one). He wears a suite and tie to work most days so he can never have enough cool ties (I have deemed myself the cool-tie-picker-outer). :)

Just an idea if you need a gift for Valentine's Day, Father's Day, or a birthday even.

Another Birthday is Coming...

2011-01-13T17:00:00.025-06:00

Someone will be two! Of course we have to have a little party (just family this year). Now I don't think I will be able to compete with last year's Petit Boulangerie, but I do want to do something special that she will enjoy and remember (from the pictures I guess).

I'm thinking about making Bakerella's cakepops...

Has anyone made these before? How did they turn out? Any suggestions?

Nursery Diaries, Part 2

2011-01-12T16:35:00.001-06:00

Finally, the nursery is {for the most part} put together! {To see Part 1, and my inspiration photos, click here}. And just to see what we had to work with, here's the gorgeous before picture (catch my sarcasm?):

And after:

Where to begin? We painted every surface possible (walls- Benjamin Moore Beacon Gray, trim and doors-Benjamin Moore Swan Wing). And then...I attempted a sewing project that was a little too big for my lousy sewing skills, but somehow it ended up turning out somewhat decent {fabric from here}. At least so far...just don't tell anyone it's a faux roman shade!). ;)

You'll see it's really just a compilation of junk and spray paint, like this mirror {before picture of the thriftstore-find mirror here}. I found some hot pink spray paint at the fabric store and went to town. :)

And, the best part...my mother-in-law's craftsmanship {I am so lucky to have her help me}! She sewed the crib bedding with a hodge podge of mostly Amy Butler fabric -great deals on fabric.com (oops don't look at the imperfections in the crib rail - it's our second crib that I found on craigslist!).

And two more gorgeous things sewn by my MIL...She (so far at least) sews these beautiful quilts for her grandkids. She also sewed the pillow made from leftover crib bedding fabric.

I'm not sure what this pink trim is called, but I hot-glued it onto the lamp shade.

Little lampstand is another spray-painted-thrift-store find. It was black, now it's pink!

Of course, Clara's wall letters. I haven't put them up yet (or figured out how to make them stay on the wall). Cute story- the week or two before Clara was born, I got them out of their "hiding place" in her closet (since we hadn't yet announced the name) and when I picked them up, Callie said, "C!" We had tried to teach her some letters (particularly C for Callie), and I was shocked she recognized the letter totally in a different context! Oh, letters are plain white and modge-podged with paper also from the fabric store.

Another spray-painted item from our original dining room (with some fun crystals from my mom)...

And of course we're stocked up with lots and lots of newborn diapers, and are going through them quickly!

All right, time to go feed the baby...hope you enjoyed the tour!

My Camera Bag

2011-01-09T15:32:00.000-06:00

So I've been lugging around a pretty penny's worth of camera equipment for awhile now without a decent camera bag. I'm sure I've been pressing my luck, carrying a big camera around without a decent bag to put it in while I've been searching for the right bag (however I've been very careful). And now I'm happy to say I've finally found the "perfect" bag. It's a Jo Tote. I chose this one because it looks like a cute purse but is really a padded camera bag.

The one I got is called Rose and is in this teal color. I love the padded dividers, and the cross-body strap was a must for me. If you're looking for a similar bag, I would definitely recommend this one, and they come in some great colors.

Also, something I've been working on for awhile now has been some website redesign and new logo design for my photography site. Since my photo shoots have slowed down this winter, I've finally had the time to work on putting together a new blogsite. I still have a few tweaks and changes I need to make, but you can see the almost-finished product here. I hope you like my new logo too (thank you!)...I'm really happy with it!

Be back soon!

Good Morning + PW's Good Morning Muffins

2011-01-07T10:51:00.001-06:00

Good morning! Today is my first full day alone with the two girls.

I had plans to go to MOPS this morning {I was so excited to show-off my new little pink bundle}, but unfortunately Callie woke up with a fever of 101.5 so we have to stay home. So far, things are going better than expected - Callie's not acting too sick, so maybe she will get better soon. She's eating fine but is just a little tired. Somehow I managed to get both girls down for a nap at the same time (hence my time to blog)!

Oh, if you want to see some pics of our Christmas, including a few of us in the hospital on the night Clara was born, click here to see my sister's blog. Thanks Ki!

And a friend came over and took some family pictures for us last week. Here's a little peak of mommy and baby (so nice to have since I can't take pictures very easily of myself)! Thanks, Annie! Oh and another friend is making me some awesome birth announcements {see her website here}...I can't wait to see what she comes up with, and I will make sure to share them with y'all. Thanks so much, Steph.

I have such awesome friends!

And my sweet sister-in-law Elyse {an awesome cook} brought us some muffins for the first morning we were home from the hospital. They were sooo good, I just have to share the recipe. They are Pioneer Woman's, and almost tasted like donuts with a subtle orange flavor. I'm definitely making these soon, and you should too!

Picture and recipe from PW's blog.

Good Morning Muffins

Muffin Batter
4 cups Flour
½ cups Sugar
2 Tablespoons Baking Powder
½ cups Shortening (can Use 1/4 Cup Shortening With 1/4 Cup Butter)
2 cups Orange Marmalade
1 cup Orange Juice
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 whole Eggs Beaten
_____
Topping Ingredients
¾ cups Sugar
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Nutmeg
1 Tablespoon (plus 1 Teaspoon) Melted Butter
¼ teaspoons Salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Sift together flour, sugar, and baking powder. Place in a mixing bowl. Use a pastry cutter to mix in shortening (or butter/shortening if desired). Mix marmalade, orange juice, and vanilla in a small bowl. Pour into dry ingredients. Beat eggs and pour into the bowl. Mix all ingredients together gently, using fewer than 10 large strokes.

In a small bowl, mix topping ingredients.

Fill muffin pans with batter. Sprinkle 1 heaping teaspoon of topping ingredients over each muffin.

Bake for 20 to 22 minutes until done. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Eat warm or at room temperature.

Random Thoughts

2011-01-05T16:07:00.001-06:00

I am having so much fun taking pictures of Clara. Newborn pictures are some of my favorites, so you can find me about once a day stripping her clothes and diaper and taking lots of pictures. The best time for newborn pics is the first ten days, so I've been trying to make the most of it!
Thanks to my mother-in-law, who's been helping out this week, the adjustment from one to two has gone much better than I anticipated! Callie's been having lots of fun with grandma, and I haven't lifted a finger around the house!
SO FAR Clara has been an easy baby. She sleeps all the time are rarely cries. At night when she wants to eat, she makes little grunts and sounds instead of crying. Maybe we got lucky? I guess we'll see! I guess I shouldn't speak too soon! :)
SO FAR, Callie has not been so easy. I guess the combination of just having Christmas, grandparents have been in town, just started her "terrible twos," and throw a new sister in there, and she's a little out of sorts {aka, attitude}. I keep reminding myself that this is probably a bigger adjustment for HER than it is for US.
Kyle went back to work on Monday. He has a busy month at work with a lot going on. I'm a little sad our "first week at home" is over.
When I was pregnant with Clara, part of me was a little afraid I wouldn't love the next child as much as I love Callie. I just couldn't imagine another baby being the center of my universe and loving her the same. Boy, was I wrong... She's just perfect and we love her SO much!
Callie has somehow turned into miss vocabulary. She's talking in full-out sentences. Oh, and she is starting to recognize letters {like the letter C for Callie and for Clara...I was putting up Clara's "wall letters" a few weeks ago and Callie said "C!" when she saw me holding it. I was pretty impressed!
Clara loves to cuddle. We got her this blanket and oh my goodness, she just loves being wrapped up in it and she LOVES to sleep right next to or on top of one of us.
My sweet baby stinks! She's clean, but her umbilical cord is still attached and is starting to smell...yuck! Anyone know how to fix this?

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T19:30:00.000-06:00

We hope you have a fabulous 2011! We've been having a blast getting to know little Clara. Here are a few pictures of what we've been up to this year so far. Happy New Year!

Introducing...

2010-12-30T17:21:00.000-06:00

Update!

2010-12-29T19:27:00.000-06:00

In case you haven't heard...

Clara Lucille came into the world last night at 7:03pm! We are doing great and are enjoying getting to know our baby girl. She's absolutely beautiful and we are just amazed at the miracle of life. As I write this post (7:01pm), I realize she was born just about exactly 24 hours ago!

And an update for our friends...if you are interested in visiting us, please text or email me to plan a time (we would love to see you)! We plan to be in the hospital until tomorrow around lunchtime and then will be home tomorrow evening. So the best times to visit would be tomorrow morning or tomorrow evening (or most days/evenings within the next week).

Plenty of pictures of our little doll and more details coming soon!

Still Waiting...

2010-12-28T09:34:00.000-06:00

I've been trying to keep friends and family updated on Facebook about our "baby status," but I just realized if you aren't on Facebook, you might be wondering if our baby is here yet! And as you can probably tell by the title of this post, we're still waiting!

I would consider that I technically have three different "due dates." The original date was December 25th, according to the standard calculators. However, the midwives that I go to for my prenatal care add a few extra days, so according to them, my "due date" is was December 27th. And the most recent ultrasound we had in November predicted December 26th. So that's the date I've been going with. And today is December 28th so she's missed all three of those dates.

Here are a few of those ultrasound pictures of the little munchkin...see any resemblance? ;)

The third picture here and what is circled is our re-confirmed proof that we're indeed having a girl. For much of this pregnancy I just felt "boy" for some reason. Obviously my intuition was wrong! We're happy to have two girls in a row and think Callie will just love having a sister so close in age. But I needed a little second confirmation just to shake the "boy" feeling. :)

In a few ways this pregnancy has been easier, but it's also been much more difficult than my first. It's been easier in the sense that I haven't had much of the annoying symptoms that I did with Callie such as heartburn, leg cramping, rib/sternum pain, low back pain, and all of those strange symptoms (which is nice to not have to deal with so much). However, it's been more difficult than my first pregnancy overall because I have been so. darn. tired. In fact, I don't think I've ever been this consistently tired for this amount of time ever in my life! Although she's a great sleeper, Callie went through so many periods of waking up in the wee early hours of the morning (5-6am) for much of this pregnancy, or I went through periods of insomnia, and of course I haven't taken quite as many naps as I did when I was pregnant with Callie. I've also been busier with other things I've enjoyed doing like house projects, this, and taking care of a toddler all day of course.

I did have a funny craving this pregnancy however. For this.

Seriously, a glass of ice cubes have never been so appetizing in my life! At Thanksgiving I mentioned this to my mom and she said she had the exact same craving when she was pregnant! So I Googled it to see if others have had that craving as well, and found out that craving ice during pregnancy is actually a symptom of pica, which is caused from anemia or low iron levels (but don't worry, I didn't crave anything super weird like laundry detergent, coffee grounds, or dirt!). My hemoglobin levels were checked at my next prenatal appointment and Google was right, I had low iron levels which cause my craving for chewing ice {and I realized that my yummy gummy prenatal vitamins don't have iron at all which is a bummer but also is what explains it}.

Oh, and side effects of low iron are feeling tired, shortness of breath, and unusual food cravings and I had all three of those. So that might explain part of my tiredness this pregnancy (I did start to feel better once I started taking iron supplements too).

Well, that may be a little more information than you may have wanted if you were just wondering whether or not the baby has been born yet. :) I'll try my best to update the blog/facebook if there are any signs of anything exciting! Hopefully soon...thanks again for your thoughts and prayers!

xox
Nealy

A Child is Born {not ours but a much more important one...}!

2010-12-25T07:18:00.003-06:00

"For to us a child is born,
   to us a son is given,
   and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
   Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
   Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
   there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
   and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
   with justice and righteousness
   from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
   will accomplish this."

Isaiah 9:6-7
Written way before Jesus' birth :)

Christmas

2010-12-24T07:08:00.000-06:00

We hope you have a wonderful Christmas...

...celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, who came into the world to save us all.

Merry Christmas!

39 Weeks...

2010-12-20T17:10:00.002-06:00

Yes, here I am...

...39 weeks...

...and counting...

...and waiting...

...and I don't think this picture does the size of my belly justice (I was in a hurry before I had to leave for MOPS of Friday, figuring out the self-timer mode on our point-and-shoot and I don't think I really look quite that happy to be pregnant either). :) Most of the time, that is.

Yes the bags are packed, all ~~three~~ four of ours. Kiley has been on alert-mode and is sleeping with her cell phone (thanks sis!) so she can help-out with Callie. And I found a home from the hospital outfit just for her, complete with a little knit hat from here. We'll be celebrating Christmas this year one of two places...at home or the hospital.

Was I this uncomfortable when I was at this point with Callie?

We finally decided on a name last week if you can believe it! I don't know why we had such a hard time with the decision, but we wanted to find something that we both agreed on and that just felt "right." I went out and bought wall letters of her name last week too so I guess that means it's official. :) Our choice will be announced soon (hopefully soon, that is)!

We would really appreciate your prayers at this point too. For the delivery, the timing, health of the baby. And for the big sister (aka our goofy girl)!

Christmas Shopping...

2010-12-15T13:03:00.001-06:00

I decided this year I would not be ~~running~~ waddling around the mall a few days before Christmas for last-minute Christmas shopping.

Of course, we have a baby due December 26th so if I did wait until the last minute, it might not have gotten done.

So I've been getting gifts here and there for the last few months, and it feels great to have everything ready and wrapped. I don't think I've ever been done shopping this early before...but it sure is nice to be ready!

Here a few random gift ideas if you're scrambling at the last minute, like I usually am...

Must Have Moxie's Bling Earrings (by Silverado)...I actually have these earrings and love them. They're great because they go with anything, are small enough to wear with other jewelry, and are sterling silver/great quality. They're more interesting than diamond studs and look great on just about anyone. I love, love, these earrings! If you want a pair for a Christmas gift, or just a pair for yourself, click here and you can get 20% off! And while you're visiting, check out the beautiful beads and bracelets...

Restoration Hardware's Luxury Plush Throw...I was telling me sister in law a few weeks ago how much I love these blankets... they are the softest and warmest blankets you will ever use, ever. And what do you know? Out of nowhere she bought me one! And I love it...I use it every single day at sometime or another. They would make an awesome Christmas gift too...you really can't go wrong.

Norwex's Antibac Cloth...aka, the miracle rag. Have you heard of Norwex? If you haven't, you're missing out! Norwex is a company that makes "green and chemical-free" cleaning products, and they sell these naturally anti-microbial clothes (think no cleaner, no bleach, no chemicals, no soap!). I started using these clothes to wash my face at night, and they are amazing! Just the rag itself cleans and takes off all of my make-up, naturally! They are super soft and super absorbant, and I would definitely recommend them as a gift to someone who 1. likes to clean or 2. likes facial products. You can buy these products from two friends of mine here or here... you won't be disappointed (and check out the mops while you're at it)!

If you have a munchkin on your list and want to get something super cute, check out these handmade yarn Blabla dolls. Funny story...Kyle and I were browsing at a baby boutique in Minneapolis a few months ago and I was telling him that Target should do a version of a Blabla doll (he has recently become a buyer in the toy department). Well, the sales associate overheard me and wasn't too fond of that idea (since Target has lately started selling many boutique items, which I think is awesome, but he evidently does not). Callie does not have a Blabla doll, but I'm sure she would sure love one. ;)

Okay, there are a few random gift ideas for you. Now get shopping! ;)

The Sink

2010-12-09T19:10:00.000-06:00

Snow Bunny

2010-12-08T14:10:00.000-06:00

Here's our little snow bunny, all ready to go on her first sledding adventure! Daddy really can't wait to take her skiing, but we thought we would start with a little sledding first. :)

We got her all bundled up!

Our back yard just happens to have a perfect hill for sledding (but now so perfect for mowing). It's a little steep, but because the snow was so deep the sled didn't go too fast. Here's her first reaction to the snow...she wanted mom to pick her up.

But then she learned fast to block her face from getting snow in it.

We're considering her little snow outfit as an early Christmas present {coat, snowpants, hat-of all places, boots-but found at a thrift store for $23 less!}.

It was a gorgeous day, a little cold, but perfect for sledding!

And here's one last picture before she went down all by herself (I had already brought the camera inside)!

And then of course we went inside for some hot chocolate. It was a successful day!

A New Look...

2010-12-08T12:25:00.000-06:00

If you're looking for consistency, you've come to the wrong place. :)

Yes, I'm the girl that rearranged her room when about once a month when I was little. I love change... and I've finally gotten around to doing a little blog redesign {I'm sure it won't be the same for long}. Here's what it looks like for those of you on Google Reader...

Be back soon with Callie's first sledding pictures!

Six Websites...

2010-12-06T08:48:00.000-06:00

There are a few websites that I frequently use that have made my life much easier. I thought I would share them with you!

1. Google Reader. Do you spend too much time reading and checking blogs? Then this site is for you. If you aren't familiar with Google Reader, you just add subscriptions of blogs that you would like to read, and then you check it like you would check your email, all on one page. Of course, you don't always get to see everyone's beautiful blog designs because you don't go to their blog to read the latest post, but it does cut down on time.

2. Retail Me Not. I love this website! When shopping online {which I've been doing more of recently}, make sure to check this site for coupon codes that may give you a discount off your purchase or free shipping. Unfortunately, many stores are now not allowing people to share their coupon codes, but for the ones that do, this is fabulous!

3. Mint. This is the easiest way we have found to help keep track of a budget {or as my husband says in my terms, "spending plan"}. ;) It automatically categorizes everything, which saves tons of time. I love this site and would definitely recommend it if you're looking for an easy way to keep track and set a budget.

4. Food Tidings. A friend told me about this website, and it is such a great invention! Our small groups and friends have often brought meals to each other after someone has a baby or goes through a major life event, and this makes coordinating so much easier! Once you use it, you'll never go back to emailing everyone, replying to all, and getting confused. It's super simple.

5. Tastespotting. This is no secret, but I love finding recipes on this website because you can see what the final product will look like before choosing a recipe. And an added bonus, most {if not all} of the recipes are from blogs, which have always turned out fabulous for me {I figure people wouldn't put recipes on their blogs if they don't really like them}.

6. Google Docs. I've used this site a lot for the times when I've needed to make online forms or coordinate group responses. Super easy, great for business, and a simple way to collect information!

Now it's your turn...what websites do you love that make your life easier? Please share! I would love to hear!

Family

2010-12-02T08:56:00.000-06:00

Now that it's "Christmas season," it feels like Thanksgiving was ages ago! It's great to have a holiday where you can just relax, hang out with family, eat lots of good food, and reflect on what you're thankful for. :) We did lots of the first three and a little of the last.

One thing we realized we are both very thankful for is that we have not just one, but two great families. We don't dread going to see our family around the holidays, but we really look forward to it.

We're also thankful that Callie has two sets of wonderful grandparents. She just loves her grandmas (and grandpas). It was great for her to be able to spend some time with them (and for me to be able to get a little extra sleep...thank you grandmas for getting up so early!). We're thankful that we have such great influences for our kids in all of the grandparents, aunts, and uncles involved. And we know that Callie is truly loved by so many people. We are very thankful for that.

My mother-in-law is so great at putting together beautiful tablescapes for classic family dinners (pictured above). And I love how she plans mini history lessons so we can learn more about what we're celebrating. It's such a great family for our children to be a part of; we can sit around the table and talk for hours.

And I love their tradition of fondue! Usually this is a Christmas Eve tradition, but this year we did some chocolate fondue for our turkey-day dessert...so fun!

We had a great time with my side of the family too after Thanksgiving. It's always a crowd, which is crazy and fun at the same time. This year we decided to do a big Czech dinner (our heritage), so we made some crazy dishes like stuffed cabbage rolls, meat and dumplings, sour kraut, and kolache for dessert.

And we played a great game of family bingo...complete with prizes. I realized there is absolutely no strategy involved in the game of bingo. :) But it is a great game for a big group!

So yes, this Thanksgiving had lots of food and family, just as we hope the next ones will be too. :)

Northwoods Chicken Salad

2010-11-29T13:37:00.000-06:00

I thought I would share one of my all-time favorite recipes! It's a chicken salad that has wild rice, Craisins, avocado, and lots of other good things. It's my good friend Ranya's recipe, who's a seriously fabulous cook, and this salad is always a hit. In fact, I made it for my MOPS group a few weeks ago and it won the "best dish" award for the week (thanks, Ranya!). :)

Salad:

1 c wild rice, cooked according to package directions (makes about 4 cups cooked rice)

3 chicken breasts, season, grilled and chopped

1 large avocado, diced

1/2 c Craisins

1/2 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

2 c peapods (sugar snap or snowpeas), cut into thirds

1/3 c slivered almonds, optional

Dressing:
3/4 c oil

1/4 c vinegar

2 T dijon mustard

3 cloves garlic

salt and pepper

Directions:

Cook wild rice according to package directions (I use a rice cooker w/ 1 part rice, 3 parts water plus a little oil). Combine salad ingredients. Blend all dressing ingredients in food processor until completely smooth (mixture will be white as oil emulsifies). Pour over salad. Can be made a day in advance - just add avocado right before serving. I like to make a double recipe and keep it in the fridge. :)

Enjoy and hope you love this recipe as much as I do!

Just in case...

2010-11-21T21:40:00.000-06:00

Just in case you are wondering what we did this weekend, you may want to check my sister's blog! Her post includes, but is not limited to...

A shopping trip- trying out our new double stroller with the cousins...{thank you Grandma and Grandpa L!!!!!!!}...

A surprise baby shower {finally a belly shot!}...

and lots of this {needs an explanation???}...

jeans, jeans...

2010-11-20T07:00:00.050-06:00

If you like designer jeans but don't necessarily like the price, you might be interested to hear that William Rast is going to be Target's next designer. They will have a line of men's and woman's jeans {and clothing} at Target, starting December 19th. Designed by Justin Timberlake and probably made famous by stars like Jessica Simpson, they originally cost around $155-$185 per pair, and I'm guessing Target's version will be under $50-60?

I haven't seen the Rast-for-Target jeans yet, but I used to own a pair of the originals and I have to say they have an amazing fit. Make sure to get a pair for your man for Christmas too, because "inside sources" tell me that the men's jeans especially will be just like the original. :)

I must warn you though...once you try a pair of designer jeans, you will never go back. :)

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup (think Olive Garden)

2010-11-19T08:00:00.021-06:00

Who doesn't love the Olive Garden? I love their Chicken and Gnocchi soup, and happened to find a recipe that's very similar! You have to try this...with rotisserie chicken, it actually wasn't very difficult at all!

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup with Spinach
1 cup chicken breasts, cooked and diced (or half of a rotisserie chicken)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 qt half and half (or whole milk)
1 14-oz can chicken broth
1 cup carrots, finely shredded
1 cup onion, finely diced
1 cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin oil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon parsley
Freshly grated parmesan cheese – optional
1 pound potato gnocchi – can buy this in the gourmet section of many supermarkets

Sauté the onion, celery, and garlic in the butter and olive oil, over medium heat when the onion becomes translucent, add the flour, and make a roux, let the butter and flour mixture cook for about a minute before adding half and half.

Cook gnocchi according to package directions.

Into the roux add in the carrots and chicken. Once the mixture becomes thick add the chicken broth. Once the mixture thickens again, add the cooked gnocchi, spinach, and seasonings, simmer until soup is heated through.

Enjoy!

Kitchen People

2010-11-18T13:12:00.004-06:00

{To see Part I of this post, click here}

The last few weeks have been good, busy, and a little crazy. I apologize for my lack of posting (again).

Last week, I woke up at 2:30am and realized I only have 6 weeks left to go. Most people at this stage would think this is a good thing, but I kind of started to panic. Then, I realized that if this baby was born at the same time I was born (3 1/2 weeks early), then I would only have 2 1/2 weeks left!

I tossed and turned and couldn't shut off my brain (or get comfortable regardless of the fact that I sleep with a million pillows surrounding me), so I went downstairs and went on a little list-making and online-shopping spree, trying to check things checked off the "to-do before baby comes" list.

One thing I purchased (that just arrived today!) was eeBoo's Counting Animals wall art. They are a set of 8x10 wall art cards, which I think are one of the cutest things I think I've ever seen. :) The company also makes tons of other cool stuff, so if you are in the market for baby or kids stuff, check out their website. I also love the alphabet cards, growth charts, tot towers, and pretty much everything.

I've also been spending lots of time on this website. I think a lot of the panic feeling I'm having probably has much to do with the fact that we're still having a hard time deciding on a name. Although we have a list of about 5 names that we both agree on (just not in the same order), there are strikes against each one, like...

it's too common
it's too uncommon
too old?
too new?
we know a few kids/babies with the name already
someone told us they want to use the same name
it sounds too much like "Callie"
and other reasons

But hopefully, hopefully, we'll figure this out soon and our talking in circles and not getting anywhere will stop. If only we were having a boy because we have a whole list ready and waiting of boy names! :)

On to the title of this post.

When we were looking at houses last year with our realtor, he said he thought we were "kitchen people." At first I wasn't sure what he meant exactly, but then I realized that with each house we visited, we (I?) would dream up ways to update and customize the kitchen. I guess they say it's the heart of the home, which very well may be true, right?

The house we ended up choosing had great backbones for the kitchen (an island, kitchen desk, and open floorplan), but it just didn't have the style or "custom-ness" that I was wanting. So we went to work, and many of you have probably seen our "phase I" before-and-after here where we painted pretty much every surface imaginable (even countertops and light fixtures). You can also see some of our favorite inspiration pictures here.

Now, after much saving, planning, dreaming, and hard work (and begging my husband...just kidding?), I'm excited to share that we're done with Phase II!

Just for the full effect, I have to repost our before picture (hubby on the right):

And the after, Phase II (I apologize these pictures are a little grainier than I wanted them to be, but I had to take these pictures one morning before Callie could mess up my clean kitchen and it was a little dark). :)

Probably the most drastic (and expensive) change was the Italian Carrara marble countertops. I went back and forth between the decision of doing these or black granite. Marble is known for being soft, scratching and staining easily, and just not as durable as granite (not to mention expensive). I did tons of research on Carrara marble, and all those things are true, but when it came down to it, we decided that although not the most practical choice, it's probably best to get what we really want since we're only planning to redo our kitchen once (thanks to the encouragement of my hubby).

I surprisingly have not had any remorse with our decision (although, if you're ever at our house, DO NOT use vinegar, lemon juice, or ANY household cleaners/acidic liquids on our counters...and DO NOT drop anything hard onto the countertops because they make chip or leave a mark...trust me, I know). :) Yes, they are not the most practical choice. But I guess I figured it's better to have an imperfect first love than a perfect second choice. :) And I do love them. Plus, we were a little afraid that the extreme popularity of granite would end soon, since we are on the late end of the trend.

A few other things we did...we replaced the kitchen sink. I absolutely love farm sinks (also called apron sinks), and we found this one at Ikea of all places! It's huge, it's a great price, and it's built to fit most standard kitchens. We had to cut out the faux drawers that we in front of our old sink. This sink as reduced the amount of square footage of marble that we used, which was a nice bonus that saved a little more money. I was originally wanted an old-fashioned-looking bridge faucet, but most of those require 3-4 faucet holes in the sink, and this sink only has one. Plus, I realized that although my countertops were the impractical choice, I probably should get a hot/cold faucet with one lever (the practical choice) instead of two for hot/cold, especially with kids we plan to have and all. :)

The other drastic change was the white subway tile we put up as the backsplash. White subway tile is such a classic choice, and the best part is it's actually really cheap (especially when you put it up yourself and get it on sale)! Thanks to Cici and Papa for taking Callie for a weekend, we got this done within two days, aching backs and dry hands and all. :) And I think we only spent around $50-60 for the tile.

We bought our pot rack here, which in my opinion adds lots of dimension and coziness to the kitchen (there are a lot of cool ones at other places too).

Here's one of my favorite views of the kitchen seen from when I first walk downstairs in the mornings (well, only a favorite view if the kitchen is clean like this, which it usually isn't). The other main things we did is put in recessed lighting to replace the old fixtures (which ended up being a pain because we had a pipe issue). And we put in a butcher block island, which I love (and have a surface I can beat up on). :) I just noticed the other day that Katie Lee has some similar choices in her kitchen.

And there it is. Our kitchen "remodel."

So to recap, here's what we did with Phase II:

Italian Carrara marble countertops
Butcher block island countertops
Subway tile
Farm sink and new faucet
Pot rack and recessed lighting

Our plans for Phase III (the final stage) are to put in stainless steel appliances and some crown molding around the cabinets. But for now, we're enjoying (and working on being content with) what we have.

And yes, our kitchen is never this clean. :)

Really?

2010-11-03T10:54:00.000-05:00

Would you ever guess that these kitchen pictures came from Ikea of all places?

I have a love-hate relationship with Ikea...they have some cool stuff (and great prices), but most of it is a little too contemporary for my tastes. However, this kitchen is just perfect! Very cool; I love the dimension, interest, and layers of the room...something I am trying to get the look of in my own house but have a very long way to go (there is a fine line between this look and, well, clutter). :)

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