Miracle

I am an all things natural kind of girl. 

So when my little girl had one heck of a diaper rash recently,

I scoured the Internet looking for natural remedies.

I tried it ALL and I was becoming very discouraged. 

That was until I came across a CVS miracle.

 It wasn't exactly the natural cure I had been hoping for,

but to be honest, I was relieved.

I was starting to feel like a real witch doctor brewing up all my special potions.

It is thick and oily but it works WONDERS. 

I would go as far as saying MIRACLES.

It's not just for babies either.

Try it out friends! I think you will be pleasantly surprised. 

I know I was.

Steps

Paula Abdul's song two steps forward, two steps back keeps playing in my head.

Just when I think I have made a giant parenting step forward,

I revert "backwards". 

For instance...our babe went from sleeping in a bassinet in our room,

to sleeping in her crib (OK, I admit it was only a few times),

to now sleeping IN our bed.

I was only bringing her in bed in the mornings,

but now I love the all night snuggles.

Is it wrong...I don't know,

but if it is, wrong never felt so right.

And when my mom tells me I'm creating a bad habit...

well, I just remind her that I slept with her just shy of high school.

Sweet Dreams sweet friends.

An Adult Play Date

Last night the hubs and I had an adult kind of play date. 

We strolled downtown, admiring how alive it was,

and how alive it made us feel.

We shared the most delicious adult food,

and enjoyed talking about real adult things.

It was hard, no...it was really hard not to talk all about our tiny creation.

And I must admit she was in the back front of my mind for much of the night.

Watching all the people, dressed up, just starting their night as ours was just ending.

I remember when I was one of them.

And after two drinks, I'm paying for it today.

Oh how things have changed.

But I wouldn't change this new kind of reality for the world.

Friday Funny

This was hilarious even before I had my own little tiny,

but now it seems extra funny to me...and I hope to you as well.

Happy Friday everyone!

A Growing Garden

 I recently won a gift basket from my very favorite local gift shop Thank You Mama,

and these little veggies inside got me to thinking...

Watching my daughter change and grow has been,

well, harder than I thought it would be. 

It's not that I don't want her to grow,

it's just that I am saddened to know that once she passes a stage,

it's long gone, never to be seen again,

and quickly replaced by something new.

But somehow the little smiley face on the plush organic cotton grown carrot,

made me feel a little better. 

I know I can't stop time,

 and I love day dreaming about how my own little carrot will grow.

I pray that she grows strong in both mind and spirit.

I pray that she grows a giant heart full of love just like her papa's,

and most of all I pray that she grows into her own person,

that she doesn't let any "weeds" get in her way.

 May you continue to grow,

 and your garden always be full of love Lucia.

And Then There Were 3

 Most decorators will tell you to arrange items by odd numbers.

My new favorite accessory around our house are these little chubby toes,

and lately my favorite odd number is 3.

We spent our first evening at the beach as a family,

 watched the sunset, 

and tickled our toes in the sand.

It was a beautiful end to the weekend,

and an even more beautiful start to our little life,

as a family of three.

I hope your weekend was just as beautiful.

Friday Funny

 

If this doesn't make you laugh, I don't know what will.

Happy Friday to all.

 

lean, mean, spinach machine

As a new mom, it hasn't taken me very long to figure out that the trick to getting anything done is to be prepared and well armed BEFORE, possibly days before you actually go anywhere.

I have learned to clean quick, cook quick, and eat quick. 

Sometimes feeling like the road runner, dashing from task to task before our little lady wakes up.

So when I recently had the opportunity to review an on-the-go floss I jumped on it. 

I will openly admit it, I HATE flossing and I very rarely attempt it,

but I was determined to give this high tech flossing system a fair chance.

I ate some spinach, and raspberries (because those little seeds ALWAYS find a home in my teeth),

picked up my new BrytonPick and gave it a "you better watch out" glance.

I began inserting the bendable stainless steel piece in between each tooth. 

It took a few tries to get used to the feeling of something other than your typical string,

but after some time I got the hang of it. 

I was pleasantly surprised at how smoothly it glided between each tooth...

once I figured out what I was doing.

The best part is that it is reusable, supposedly germ resistant and fits perfectly in my diaper bag.

I can't say that it does a better job than "real" floss, but for on-the-go it is spinach's worst nightmare.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

A Morning Must Have

OK, OK I swear I don't eat pancakes every day,

and I know I have already posted about how wonderful I think they are 

BUT...I couldn't help but share this amazing pancake accessory.

As if a delicious chocolate chip and blueberry pancake wasn't enough, 

I stumbled upon these pancake plates on Uncommon Goods,

 and thought they would be the perfect gift for my valentine.

The concept is so simple, yet so genius.

 It's one of those clever goodies that has you thinking "why didn't I think of that".

And I truly wish I had.

The plate is slightly tilted so that when the syrup is poured...

You get just the perfect amount on top of your fluffy pancakes,

and the rest slides down to make a sweet, sticky, syrup lake.

This way you always have the perfect amount of syrup and sweetness in each bite.

Here's to always having just the right amount of sweetness in each day.

Slow Cooker Sunday

Sunday has always been one of my favorite days.

The slow pace of of the day is something that I have always cherished,

especially now that I get to share it with the little one.

Before she chose us as parents, the hubs and I would enjoy dinners on the town,

or just enjoy each others company over a home cooked meal.

I haven't given up on home cooked meals,

but I have embraced a new tradition, slow cooker Sunday.

Not only do we get to relish and savor each precious moment,

 but so does our food.

Check out this Taco Soup recipe. 

It will have you singing "La Bamba" all night long.

Slow-Cooker Taco Soup
(Serves about 8)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1 pound ground meat (beef, turkey, chicken)

1 (16 ounce) can black beans, with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, with liquid
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies, drained
3 cups low-sodium beef broth
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix

Begin by sauteing your onion and garlic until soft.

Next brown your meat of choice.

Once the meat is done, add it to your slow cooker

and top with the remaining ingredients.

Mix all the ingredients together and set on low for 8 hours.

Dinner is served and Sunday just got a little bit better.

A Magical Tradition

A trip to our local bookstore was always a weekend treat.

As a young girl I eagerly looked forward to being transported to what seemed like a magical world.

So it only seemed appropriate to carry on the tradition.

The "Over 300,000 books in stock" is no exaggeration. 

You could get lost in the magical world of books for hours here at Haslam's.

And the amazement I felt all those years ago came rushing back.

 Only this time, instead of my mom reading to her "little bunny",

I was reading to my very own...and she was so intrigued she fell asleep.

 And this book bone is perfect for hands free reading.

Now I can nurse and read a book. 

Talk about multitasking.

Friday Funny

Friday is always a day that has people smiling.
Here is one more reason to smile.

Can you see the resemblance?

We can and we get some good belly laughs out of it all the time. 

Happy Friday.

Weekday getaway

Lately I have been craving a change of scenery.

I miss that "lost in a new city" feeling.

Wandering the streets stopping wherever your heart pleases.

Today our little family of three got lost in our own city,

And I was pleasantly surprised.

 We strolled the streets.

Stopped to admire the wildlife.

And sunk our teeth into some amazing french macaroons.

The macaroons however weren't nearly as delicious as these chubby cheeks.

It was a lovely day getting lost in the city and lost in each other.

Pantry love

Lately, Nesting in my third trimester had me enamored with all things organized.

I would stay up at night thinking of things I could label and put in bins. I would whine to my hubs about why we didn't have a Container Store within a 100 mile radius (because I was willing to drive that far).  So when I came across these chalkboard labels my heart skipped a beat.

 I ordered them immediately and my heart was content knowing I was one step closer to my organized madness.

Instantly my pantry was transformed into food art. Isn't she a beauty? 

Check out Braden's Grace on Etsy to begin your labeling mania.

Your pantry will thank you!

Blueberry Monday

Dinner has always been a meal that I love preparing.  I delight in the hunt for a delicious recipe, but now that we have added a third family member, I haven't quite figured out how to master both a hungry husband and baby. As I was scouring through my pantry last night, I came across our favorite weekend pancake mix and thought...hmm, we both love pancakes, they are easy, and I don't even have to go to the grocery store. 

JACKPOT.

The hubby and I L-O-V-E to make pancakes on the weekends but there was no reason I couldn't surprise him with a favorite weekend tradition during the week, right?

I started with our favorite pancake mix. Our family prefers these buckwheat beauties.

Of course no pancake is complete without a dash handful of chocolate chips and blueberries.

I added the goods and mixed it all together.

Placed them on the piping hot griddle. 

At this point we were dancing around in delight as the kitchen was filled with the sweetest aroma.

And Voila...delicious blueberry, chocolate chip pancakes for dinner.

Dinner in 10 minutes. Beat that Rachael Ray.

The Little Manatee

 This weekend we anxiously set out on our first family vacation to Homosassa Springs, FL. 

It's a tradition that was started when I was 2 and it seems unreal that we have added one more member to this annual weekend getaway.

There was lots of dancing

 A manatee boat ride

and even some front porch rocking. 

We can't wait to do it again next year with our little manatee

Cheers from Homosassa. Can you find the newest member to the group?

The Little Big Things

Recently I have realized that the little things in life can take up the biggest space in your heart

 Ten little toes

 

And the cutest little eyes and nose

 

 And although not so little, the most precious chubby rolls

"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things"-

Robert Brault