Barn Star Ideas

Today on my lunch break I went over to the Goodwill that is thisclose to my work. Their Christmas items were 75% off! I purchased a gold angel candle holder (which I will be spray painting black and storing for next Christmas) and another ceramic candle holder for $.25 cents EACH. I also got a ceramic Christmas house that holds a tea light in the top and a votive in the bottom for $.75, 3 candle stick for $1.99 each, (it was a big splurge but they are SOLID and will look great painted black), a spice rack for $1.99 (I got drew spices for Christmas... i'll spray paint it black also), TWO Christmas topiaries that are from target that sell for $30 each.. I got them for $4 each!

.... And my favorite steal is a Barn Star... for $3. That's right, in fact it was only $2.99... for... a ..BARN... STAR. New, they cost anywhere from $50-$75! I'm in heaven! I plan on painting it... possibly black (do you see a theme here with my painting? BLACK everything)! Right now it's an ugly gold color... yuck. But I don't know where to put it and the thing is HUGE.

Should I hang it in my living room? Above the mantle? Save it until we move and decide then? Keep it as a Christmas decoration? I just don't know! Help me! When Is aw it I thought "ohhh... I'm going to paint this black, and hang it in my living room!" But then I second guessed myself. Grrrrr

This isn't MY star (mine is much bigger) but this is what it looks like. Any ideas on what to do with it and where to put it?!

The Crafty Mom

Oh how I long to be one of those moms who can look at an old piece of furniture, an imperfect discounted item, or a piece of fabric and just KNOW that I could turn it into something fabulous. I can't.... YET.

My favorite store over the past year has been Hobby Lobby. Haven't heard of Hobby Lobby before? Don't fret... I didn't either until I moved out here to Colorado. It's a craft store like Michael's but 100X better! They have furniture, wall decor, holiday decor, craft items, flowers... you name it, they have it. But the thing I like MOST about Hobby Lobby is their sales. Oh how I LOVE their sales! My first purchase from them was last year when they had their Household decorations on sale. I kid you not, I bought THREE heavy candle holders to go on our new table and two picture frames to go on our new dresser. The cost? Less than $10 for all 5 items. one of the picture frame's glass was cracked... but I put a black and white photo of our wedding in there and it gave it an old feel. One of the candlesticks had a chip out of the bottom, but turned just the right way, you cant even see it. And i saved 95%! The candlesticks alone were ORIGINALLY $19.99-$29.99... I got them for $1.40 each for 2 of them, and the larger one was $2.40! WHAT A STEAL!

My favorite deal from them is a wall clock i found for $5! Originally $49.99! It looks like a long rectangular picture that hangs on the wall, but its actually a functioning clock! I love it!

Right now Hobby lobby has some of their Home goods on sale again for 66% off... there are some AMAZING items there (like these purple shelves I want to get Evangeline) but they are currently $6.50... and I think if i wait just a bit longer, I can get them for cheaper... RIGHT?

OK, anyway, like I said before, I have this dream of becoming a crafty mom who can turn anything into a work of art. If you look at the blogs I am following, I have gotten great ideas from so many talented blogging moms! I cant wait until we move to our PCOS and I get to stay at home... I'll be crafting the day away!

Christmas!

I'm sure you all are stalking my blog in anticipation of countless Christmas pictures of the kids on Christmas morning. Well, you'll have to wait until January 1st. Sure, we opened a few presents on Christmas morning, but with Drew being gone until the end of the month, we decided it was best to open family gifts on Christmas morning, and then gifts from Santa on the 1st :)

My dad is out until the 31st so he got to spend Christmas morning with me and the kids. Vang opened up a bunch of clothes from her nana (my mom) and her Uncle Steve and Aunt Nicole (my brother and my sister in law), and she also gota Vtech toy from Deb at Daycare. We opened up a kid scrapbook and stickers from MomMom (Drews mom), and Tradd got a steering wheel toy from my dad and a Lion ride on toy from MomMom and PopPop. We saved the rest of the gifts for January 1st.

Stay tuned!

Christmas Pictures

Taken by me :)

UPDATES!

Im horrible at updating recently. My excuse is that Drew is gone for the month to do his ADT (Active Duty Training) in Georgia, so I am at home with the kids by myself. My day is like this: wake up, get both kids ready for school, out the door by 7:25, at daycare by 7:30, have to be 20 miles away by 8am for work, work until 4:40, leave to pick the kids up by 5, baths, dinner, bottles, clean, and by that time its 9:00 and I havent had a second to breathe. I guess thats why Im only TEN pounds away from my pre-preg weight, because im ALWAYS on the run.

Here's a rundown of what has happened this month:

Purchased our 1st NEW CAR (Volvo XC90) on December 5th.
Drew took his national boards on December 8th
Drew left December 9th for Savanna GA until the 30th of this month.
Our 4 year wedding anniversary was on December 17th
December 18th we got an email from the Army saying we had to REDO our station list
December 24th my dad comes out until the 31st
December 24th Tradd is SIX months old
Drew comes home on the 30th
Celebrating "Christmas" as a family on january 1st.

Tradd is now: sleeping 10 hours a night
ZOEY is sleeping in Evangelines room
Tradd is on his hands and knees rocking back and forth, crawling soon?
Tradd can now sit unassisted for a short period of time.

I have SO many pictures I need to add here. I will do that, TONIGHT. I mean, TONS.

Also, I have been thinking of ideas of what to do when i become a SAHM mom and I have millions and millions of great ideas, and thanks to the NEW SEWING machine drew grandparents got me (YAY! THANKS!) I can finally start my crafts!

Ok, thats all for now! WHEW!

Peas Please!

This past weekend we tried to give Tradd avacados... he was not a fan. So, it was to my surprise, that he absolutely LOVED peas! He ate the whole thing PLUS 2 cubes of peaches PLUS cereal!

Millions of peaches... peaches for me!

Tonight I was giving Tradd his regular rice cereal before bed and he did NOT want to have anything to do with it. The other day I made TONS of baby food (peaches, pears, avocados, and sweet potatoes to start) so I decided to grab a cube out, nuke it, and mix it in with his cereal to see if he liked it. The second that sweet peach touched his mouth he was HOOKED. I couldn't get the spoon in his mouth fast enough. We finished off 1 peach cube with some cereal which was about 2 oz of food, and the little man wanted more! So I ran to the freezer, popped another cube in the microwave for 15 seconds, mixed in some cereal, and started feeding him again. He devoured it! This whole time the poor little guy just wanted some REAL food with some FLAVOR! I am so excited to be officially started on...... SOLIDS!

YAY!!!!

Not so "healthy" HealtheTrim

NOT a fan.

I started taking these again on Monday. Everyone I know that has taken these said they have had good results with no side effects. I am the opposite. 3 days and im UP 1/2 a pound and have KILLER headaches right after I take them. Needless to say Im going to return them for a full refund (minus the shipping and handling). I guess I have to lose the rest of the weight the old fashioned way... DIET and EXERCISE.

!!!!COMMENTS!!!!

I dont know if anyone has been TRYING to leave comments, but I just realized my comment page wasnt working! Errrr how irritating! ANYWAY, I changed the format so now you should be able to leave comments... and PLEASE DO!

Swing Video 2

Swing Video 1

Cereal and Big Helper

Vang helped take these pictures of me feeding Tradd, and the she wanted me to take pictures of her feeding Tradd. ((((((((SIGH)))))))) shes such a good daughter, and a great big sister!

Healthe Trim Update

I started HealtheTrim on Sunday, November 1st and really only used it for 3 days. I got really sick this past week so I figured it wouldn't be best to start a new diet trend when I felt like a Mac Truck was running me over. SO, now that I'm all better, rested up and feeling great, tomorrow is a new day. I plan on eating healthier, working out at least 3 days a week, and taking my Healthe Trim everyday. Wish me luck!

OH, Ps, in those 3 days I dropped 2 pounds.... hmm, hopefully that's a sign that I'm on my way to a skinner me!

Cereal!

We're starting solids!

BathTime!

Giving Tradd a bath and of course Evangeline wants to help. Its a daily fight with her. But I love it

Complete overhaul

Drew and I decided that for the next 6 months we were going to have Tradd sleep in our bedroom instead of trying to get both of the kids to sleep in the same room. This is a good idea for two reasons...
#1- Vang wont wake Tradd up when she has her night terrors/nightmares/sleepwalking/sleep talking episodes.
#2- Tradd wont wake Vangie up when he gets up at 5am to eat.

I'd rather have him wake ME up than his sister. Plus, we are going to be moving in May, so really its not too much further away, and I like having him in our room... he's a good sleeper!

Anyway, today was the overhaul day. We moved Tradds crib into our room, took out the dog crate and bassinet to make room. Dog crate is now in the basement. Bassinet is in the box. Tradds crib is by the window and the changing table... he has his own little area. Evangeline's room is now her OWN room. I moved around the furniture and she has so much more room. She hasn't come out of her room since she realized its ALL hers. I kind of like this idea. Kitchen is spotless. No clutter. The basement is now organized and clean. Whew. And its only 11:30 :)

Pics to come!

THANK YOU DREW!

I just want to thank my amazing husband for really stepping up the past few days and helping take care of the kids. If you read my previous post you would know that Ive been a little under the weather recently, and even though I'm sick, I still have to do my motherly duties. The kids wait for NOONE :). Drew's been on vacation this week and he has gotten up EVERY morning with Tradd... he has done all of the morning feedings, and 1/2 of the time Tradd will go back down and sleep a few more hours, but then there are mornings like today where he's up and happy at 5am. So, Thank You Drew for letting me sleep in and get my rest so I can go back to being super mom and super amazing wife (haha.. ok just super mom I guess).

For his efforts, I promised Drew that I would get up both Saturday and Sunday morning. Better go to bed early I guess!

New Blog Layout

I'm sick of my blog. The owls were cute for a whole 2 min. and now Im done with them. Does anyone have any good sites for blogger templates? Let me know! I NEED a change!

Sick

I started feeling yucky this past Saturday which of course was the night I decided to go to bed early (Tylenol Warming made me sleeeeeeeeeepy) and of course that was the night Drew got called in for work. Anyway, Ive had a nagging cough, which turns into a headache because I cough so much, which in turn makes me lose my voice. Right now its Thursday morning at 4:14 am and I am awake because #1, I am nauseous and have the chills, and #2, I have a baby who refuses to sleep well recently. My boss will be getting a call this morning letting him know the only place I'm going today is back to sleep.

Quotes on Parenthood

I never thought that I could love another human being as much as I love my children. Being a parent changes your perspective on absolutely everything. From the way you watch TV (yes, it IS OK to cry for you to cry at those commercials!), to the news you read daily (she did WHAT to her child?), to the "10 min you wish you had to yourself" and when you finally get it all you do is think about your kids... absolutely everything changes. Being a mom is the most rewarding AND the most frustrating thing I have ever done.

I know one day I'll look back and think:



"If I had my child to raise over again, I'd build self-esteem first and the house later.

I'd finger paint more and point the finger less.

I would do less correcting and more connecting.

I'd take my eyes off my watch and watch with my eyes.

I would care to know less and know to care more.

I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.

I'd stop playing serious and seriously play.

I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.

I'd do more hugging and less tugging.

I'd see the oak tree in the acorn more often.

I would be firm less often and affirm much more.

I'd model less about the love of power And more about the power of love.

--Diane Loomans

I want to enjoy the little moments now, while my kids still want to me around me!

Tradd's first injury

November 2, 2009 marked the day of Tradd's first injury. It's inevitable that something will happen along the way... bumps, bruises, skinned knees... they are all a part of childhood. With Vang, her first real accident was rolling off the bed. It scared the living daylights out of me and still to this day I get the chills thinking about it. You learn from your past mistakes though. Tradd is never left alone on furniture, especially now that he's rolling all over the place. His first accident was different.

Drew is on vacation this week so he was nice enough to get up with Tradd at 6am while I got to sleep in a bit longer. I took my time taking a shower, and dilly-dallyed around on the computer while Drew took on daddy duty. I went upstairs to get dressed for work and noticed that the trash hadn't been taken out, and remembered immediately that it was trash day! So I yell down to Drew and we both gather up the trash and he goes to take it outside. Tradd was laying on his blanket on the floor doing tummy time/back time/rolling around... exercising all of those tiny muscles! Well, the dogs saw Drew go outside and they got frenzied and ran into the living room to see what was going on. Well, I guess they didn't notice the little happy bundle of joy on the ground because ONE of the dogs stepped on my little man! And to make matters worse... it was in the face, in the eye. A 60+ lb dog! my little man Screamed bloody murder as I ran downstairs and scooped him up and that's when I noticed the blood tricking from under his eye! It was already puffy and turning black and blue. "I'm the worst mom on earth" I thought and went straight into panic mode. I grabbed my phone, called the pediatricians, only to get the "on call nurse"... and she says to ME in a condescending voice "You'll have to call back at 8:30 to schedule an appointment"... Didn't she know who I was! My baby was hurt and I needed to help him! So I said a few choice words to her and hung up.

By this point Tradd was settling down but his eye was still bleeding... a million things went through my head... "did the dogs scratch his eye? Is his cheekbone broken? Does he have a concussion?" I made Drew get a flashlight and check his pupils to make sure he was dilating... he was. No concussion. Whew.

8:30 seemed to take FOREVER. I had to go to work so I sat by the phone until it was time to call... the pedi had an open appointment at 9:20 so I booked it. Only 50 min until I know my little guy is OK.

So Drew takes Tradd to his appointment, and to my delight, he came out with a clean bill of health. Well, almost. He still had the bloody cut, and was bruising up and alitle puffy, but there were no broken bones, his eye was fine, and mom can finally relax :)

And look, its even less puffy 12 hours later, which means its ALREADY healing!

4 month check-up

Friday marked Tradds 4 month check up (almost a week late, too)! His stats are below:

Weight: 15pounds 5ounces (60%)

Height: 25 inches already (55%)

Head: 16 3/4 inches (55%)

We also talked to the doctor more about Tradd's problem with spitting up. The past month or so, his spitting up has gotten a little out of control. It seems he spits up almost an oz to 2oz out of each bottle, and unlike before, he is not a "happy spitter" any longer. He has been clicking his tongue inside his mouth and when I mentioned it to his pediatrician, he said some babies will do that because the reflux is bothering them, so they are constantly trying to swallow... hence the "clicking" of the tongue. The Dr. prescribed Prevacid which is an acid reducer. We are still waiting for the insurance company to decide whether they would like to pay for it or not. If they don't pay for it, its $92.... BS! However, November 15th prevacid is going over the counter for $8, so we might just have to wait a few weeks if the insurance company denies it. Its always something or another!

Halloweenies!

Jen, myself, Danny, Nate, and Principal Glen!

12Fm gals!

Crazy shot

Vote for Prom king and Queen!

We had an 80's Halloween party at work on Friday also... I couldnt find a thing to wear so I improvised! I cut an old pair of pantyhose that I NEVER wore before, and used them to make my "gloves" and "leg warmers" and then I just used an off the shouldr shirt, some spandex pants, and some bright pink pumps... accesorized with goddy jewelry and there ya go! 80's prom! It was a blast!

Tradd wore a pumpkin outfit that Drew wore when HE was a baby (he wasnt very happy about wearing it)! And Evangeline was of course, a Princess! It was very cold out, so we had to bundle up the kids... you still get the idea though! Drew even took Evangeline grocery shopping in her costume... how sweet!

My beauty Queen!

We're in trouble with those eye lashes!

Not so happy pumpkin lol

All bundled up in his stroller!

Exersaucer and some cupcakes!

Tradd in his exersaucer and my "dirt and worm cupcakes" I made for the kid's daycare!

Healthe Trim

I know... diet pills are bad for you. I get it. I'm desperate though. After this weekend of nonstop eating thanks to my best friend getting married (love you... and love you family's AMAZING food), I packed on 4 pounds. That puts me at 154lbs. WHAT??? At one point I was down to 147... Ive almost gained 10 pounds back. Thats 21 pounds heavier than my pre-pregnancy weight. If you read my post before about my daily routine after I get home from work, you'd realize I dont have much time to exercise, let alone really even have a second of down time to myself! So, I'm frustrated. My babyfit.com friend turned me onto these pills. She lost 14 pounds in one month and she had a friend who lost 22 pounds in one month. The rules are prtty simple. Take 1-2 pills each morning with a full glass or water. Wait 3 hours before you eat. Then eat normally (and by NORMAL, it means a well balanced diet). You do have to limit your caffeine intake since these pills do contain some caffeine, so that shouldnt be too hard for me since the only caffeine I really drink is my morning cup of tea. I havent received my pills yet, but Im assuming they will come this weekend. Monday will be my 1st day! I will let you know how it goes!



So, along with the pills, I will also be doing Weight Watchers again. Monday is the day! And this is probably the WORST time to be dieting... going into the Holiday Season. I can do it though!



If you want more info on these pills, go to:



http://www.healthylifesciences.com/healthe-trim-home3.asp

Juice Plus+

Andrew's Grandparents started a vitamin Program called Juice Plus+. Juice Plus+ is basically a healthy vitamin made strictly from the dehydrated powder that comes from fruit and vegetables once they are dried. Many people don't get their full serving of fruits and veggies each day, and this is a good way to ensure you get those needed servings.

Here's a little snippet about the pills:

Juice Plus+® is whole food based nutrition, including juice powder concentrates from 17 different fruits, vegetables and grains. Each ingredient is specially selected to provide a broad range of nutritional benefits.
Juice Plus+ is a complement to a healthy diet. Juice Plus+ is the simple, convenient, and inexpensive way to add more nutrition from fruits and vegetables to your diet, every day. Juice Plus+ is supported by clinical research conducted by researchers at leading hospitals and universities around the world and published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Juice Plus+ is recommended by thousands of doctors and health professionals around the world.

Sounds good, huh? After reading the literature and watching the movies, Drew's grandparents decided to start the program, and boy are we happy they did! Included in THEIR program, is another program or kids that they get for free for 2 years. You get a shipment every 4 months of the Juice Plus+ gummies for children. Evangeline LOVES these. We give her 4 a day (2 in the morning-- 1 veggie 1 fruit, and 2 in the evening). We make sure that she eats fairly healthy as it is, but this just ensures that she gets enough servings of her fruits and veggies. Can't hurt, right?? And we also got a few of the pills ourselves, so I'm going to test out the program on my own! I strive to live a healthier lifestyle... one day at a time!

Thanks Don and Joanne (or GPA and GG!!!) for showing us this AMAZING product! Can't wait to see the results!

Where did my good sleeper go?

I know babies' sleep patterns normally change around 4 months old. Its during this time that babies take longer to finally reach REM sleep, with their longest period of sleep being in the early stages of the night (bedtime-6 or 7 hours later) and then the lightest sleep is around 5-6am sleep.A t the same time, their bodies are telling them "hm..... milk just ain't cutting it anymore! Lets get some real food in this tummy"! I know with the combination of both of those things, it was inevitable that Tradd wasn't going to be THE BEST sleeper forever... but oh, how I wished! A "normal" night, he would go down between 8 and 9 and wake up between 5:30 and 6... sleeping completely through the night. The past 5 days, he has been getting up once or twice and eating like a horse! He is taking in probably 36-40 oz a day now. He's just so hungry! So, he has a pediatricians appointment today so we will see what the Doc says. I'm also going to bring up the fact that I KNOW my little guy has reflux... and its getting worse. So I'm going to see if we can get him on something to clear up his reflux... the poor thing spits up 2oz out of every bottle! No wonder he's hungry all the time!

Where the hell have we been?!?! :)

I know I haven't posted in SUCH a long time... work is hectic and the time spent at home is even more hectic. I am now working full time, so by the time I pick up the kids and get home its already 5:15. Then my evening FLIES... I have to cook, clean (which I don't do much of... ask my house... its BEGGING for a little scrub-a-dub-dub!), baths for both kids, lotion, jammies, movie and quiet time for E.Grace and tummy time for my little man. By this time, its 7:30 8:00 and then I have me time for a fraction of a second. Then its pee pee time, brush teeth, and story in bed before lights out around 9pm. Tradd needs a bottle and a little mommy loving and he's in bed around 9. Ive been showering at night recently so I normally do that around 9:30 and I try to be in bed (at least LAYING in bed) by 10ish. That's how every night goes. So I apologize if you've been checking for blogs and I haven't written any in a while... I'm just pooped!

Heres what Ive been up to, so look for these posts:

Evangeline is now taking these vitamins called Juice+. Her GG and Gpa started a new program and she gets to try these out for 2 years!

Drew will be doing his ADT (Active Duty Training) from Dec. 9-30th... so we are spending Christmas without him. Duty Station is still to be decided.

Drew bought me a new wedding ring for Christmas... cant wait to share pics!

Drew also got me Omaha Steaks gift set for Christmas... since he will be gone, we get it today! I love meat!

October 22-25: I was in JTown for my very bestests wedding! CONGRATS Linds and Andy! It was a fun filled weekend of reunions, GOOD food, and of course a beautiful wedding! I was also childless for 4 days :)

October 30: Daycare Halloween Party...Evangeline was a PRINCESS, Tradd was a pumpkin!
--Work Halloween Party... we did an 80's Prom Theme (Prom Night of 1986!)... it was fun and I got to dress up with big hair and blue eyeshadow!

I also ordered these new pills called Healthe Trim... my friend lost 14 pounds in one month and HER friends lost 22... If that's the case for me, I will be in pre-preg weight in no time!

Pool Time in Vegas!

He's talking more!

Zoey's Baby

We've been busy!

So for the past 2 weeks we have been SO busy! We went to Vegas for Drew's brother's TWENTY-FIRST Birthday!!! WHen we got home, Drews grandparents (and the kids GREAT Grandparents) were in to visit! We had a hectic but fun two weeks!

Sewing, Tutus, and more, OH MY!

Thanks to my babyfit friend, Dani, I am hooked on making tutus! I made Evangeline one today and I think it turned out pretty well! I was bummed to find out that the BLACK tulle I thought I had bought was really BROWN tulle, and that I made the tutu a bit big in the waist... but for my 1st try I think it turned out pretty good! And it was VERY easy to make! It took me 45 min from 1st cute to Evangeline wearing it, so Im sure I can make these quicker next time. I'm going to start making more and more and give them out as gifts for photo shoots or pretend play... and I will even do custom colors if anyone wants! Im also going to try to make shorter, fuller ones, and also a tutu dress!

Im also going to try to dip my hands into sewing (if I can get a machine at a reasonable cost). I found these prince/princess crowns that I HAVE to make for Evangelines birthday, so I better start looking now!

He laughs!

I just want to kiss him he is so adorable! Listen to his little giggle!

10 Ways on how to stay young

I have this list hanging in my cubicle at work... it can't be more true.


An Inspirational Thought How To Stay Young
By: George Carlin

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. - This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctor worry about them. That is why you pay him/her.

2. Keep only cheerful friends. - The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening whatever. - "Never let the brain idle." "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. - The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. - Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: - If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. - Take a trip to the mall, to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Finding His Voice!

Tradd is starting to "find his voice"!

New Layout

So what do you think about the new layout?!?!

"My Husband Rocks" Friday! (2 days late)

OK, so I may be a few days late... so shoot me. Ive been getting my days mixed up and before I knew it, BAM, it's Sunday. This stinks. I go back to work on Tuesday and my heart is aching with every second that passes. How did I let these past 3 months fly by me? Why didn't I do more this summer? I had so many plans, but it just went too quickly.

My husband rocks this week because he's one week closer to being done with school. He rocks because he found out that the Army stations should be posted in the next week, which means we get to choose our top three sooooo soon! My husband rocks because he takes his Boards in just a few months, and has been studying very hard for them. My husband Rocks because he yelled at a driver to SLOW DOWN that was speeding down our road.. even though I got mad at him because he practically ran in front of the car and almost got himself killed... he was still looking out for the neighborhood.

Under Construction

If you're looking at my blog and are noticing that something is different.. its because it is! I have been playing around with new backgrounds and fonts and ended up getting myself lost and don't know how to get back! So, my page is currently "under construction" while I try to find some time to edit it and make it more Armstrong like :) Every time I try to change the background color or fonts, a baby cries or a toddler needs me, and I come back and don't remember what I did! So check back soon and hopefully there will be an update!

One Week Left...

I have one week left until I have to go back to work. The past 3 months have been AMAZING. I really feel that I can be a stay t home mom and be a great one at that. I have already started printing out preschool lessons so that when I do get to stay at home, I can do a lesson a day for both kids. On top of that I have been following my cleaning schedule and the house looks great! My sink is never full of dirty dishes, the floors seem to have less hair, the beds are always made... it just looks nicer!

In honor of my last week on maternity leave, Ive decided to try baking. This morning Evangeline and I baked chocolate chip banana muffins... they were SO yummy! The recipe and pictures are below :) I'm also going to make weight watchers bread and homemade soft pretzels!

INGREDIENTS :

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used 1/2+1tbs of milk)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (i used 2 whole bananas- i think 2 1/2 would have been better)

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the egg, oil, yogurt (or milk)and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in bananas and chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Evangelines breakfast, strawberry yogurt, grapes, and a muffin (she ended up eating THREE!)