Butterfly Feet Canvas

These ended up turning out way cuter than I imagined. And honestly, they were much easier than I was expecting. 

Getting Emma's handprint is pretty close to impossible (it ended in tears when we purchased these stepping stones for people), so I set out looking/thinking of a project that could incorporate her footprint. 

I stumbled across this pin on Pinterest and knew it was the one to try!

As you can see I changed it up a little-- the one on Pinterest uses the child's thumbprint, but again, that's nearly impossible. So I just doodled on little antennae with a sharpie and I think it turned out darling. 

Of course I had to keep one for myself. :-)

This was so simple! I used these canvases (pack of 5, so I just made all 5) and Crayola washable finger paint. We don't even have paintbrushes, LOL, I just used a spoon.

:: Wash child's foot, roll up pants
:: Squirt random colors (Literally I spooned it onto a plate and mixed it just a little, I liked the look of one color on top and one on the bottom) onto the plate-- boyish or girly.
:: Do left foot on the right side, and right foot on the left side. This is important!
:: Let them dry overnight, then draw on antennae with sharpie.
:: Don't forget to write your child's name and age on the back.

Enjoy! Be sure to let me know if you give this a try. It is so easy. I am not crafty at all!

Christmas 2014 Recap

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! We are so, so blessed and had a great time. Santa was so good to Emma-- perhaps too good. :) 

Please note the blocks. Nathan & I spent so long building the perfect castle. It was so much fun. I'm sure we'll play with the blocks more than she will . . . or maybe she was slightly overwhelmed by all the toys and she'll eventually play with them. 

The aftermath of Christmas morning. Nathan's parents got her the basketball hoop and the Princess Cozy Coupe. Emma loves the car! She actually has cried every time when it's time to get out. We have to pry her out of there. She threw a fit in front of our neighbors on Christmas morning . . . Merry Christmas, folks!

Everything was such a hit! I definitely agree with all my mom friends-- the holidays are way more fun when you have a child! 

Emmie was so happy and loved showing off to my dad & stepmom. It was hilarious.

Speaking of my dad and Becky. . . I heard them whispering with Nathan yesterday. E was pretty fussy (she's working on some top molars), but she would perk up every few minutes and be happy.

Turns out that was because they were giving her M&M minis! Fa realz people? So funny. Now when she's fussy my dad just says "I'll take her!" and you know why he wants her. So much for her all organic gluten free dairy free grain free diet. :-)

And our EC planners were such a hit! Christine & I spent a good two hours in the dining room the day after Christmas. You can read my post about our planners here. 

During nap time I just had to sneak in the living room and take some pictures. I was just so happy with how beautiful our tree was, how cute her little table & chairs are, all of it! I'm so thankful for all the people in Emma's life who can spoil her. 

Today's project is getting the blocks to fit back into the bin they came in. Everyone has tried and so far, no dice. 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas with your family! xO

White Trash

I know, right, another recipe. I have been doing a lot of baking. Tomorrow I will post about life, I promise. 

White Trash is one of those things that everyone does differently. I like it because you don't need a recipe! Just wing it! That's my favorite thing to say lately-- wing it. 

I got introduced to White Trash by my Aunt Mimi who I think puts powdered sugar on it (?) when it's done. I didn't do that because I was afraid of a mess. She doesn't do M&Ms, either. Just like the holiday bark, you can literally throw anything in there and it will be delicious.

Oh funny story. When my aunts were planning our baby shower, one of them asked me if there was anything in particular I wanted to have there. Looking back I think she was referring to games, specific people, a theme, and all I said was White Trash. Ha. Such a pregnant thing to say. But Aunt Mimi had bowls at White Trash at every table! And you can bet when I went around and visited everyone that my hands were digging in those bowls.

What you need: 
:: 1 lb almond bark
:: plain cereal (I used wheat chex here but literally anything works)
:: pretzels
:: bag of M&Ms (We used peanut, for fall you could probably use candy corn)
:: Holiday sprinkles, optional but so cute
:: nuts, optional (We skipped because we had peanut M&Ms)

Melt almond bark according to package instructions.

In a (very) large bowl, pour dry ingredients (except sprinkles). Just wing it (Ha!), but I'd say 2 cups each of pretzels and cereal. Sorry, I never measure. Who has time for that anyway?

Pour melted bark in and stir well. I used a wooden spoon. If it looks too soupy, add some pretzels or cereal.

Once mixed, dump onto wax paper and lay flat to dry. Top with sprinkles.

Let sit for an hour or so, break up and store in an airtight container.

Sugar Cookie Cut Outs

On Saturday Ems & I set out to bake Christmas cookies. I actually mean Ems stuck her hand in the flour container and I almost cried when she dropped a jar of sugar sprinkles on the floor, but hey-- we're making memories. 

Also, loving that she is wearing Halloween bows. :-) Just have to note that she has now learned to brush back her hair from her eyes and it's the cutest thing ever. She does it all the time so I constantly have to have her hair up or in multiple clips. 

My father in law was asking if we will get her hair cut and NO WE WILL NOT. Actually my cousin does hair and she said she would never "put a scissor to that hair". 

..Back to cookie baking:

Cookies never, ever keep their shape! Please share a recipe if you are convinced your cookies actually stay in Christmas tree shape. My husband ate a cookie today and said it looked like boobs! He's awful. 

I did make the cookies myself but got store brand icing. I'm all for honesty here. I'll share the cookie recipe below.

My two favorites! I decorated most of them with Emma hanging on my legs and the last ten or so (see below) I did during nap time. 

I told my husband he can eat all the ugly cookies he wants-- the pretty ones have to stay out as long as possible. :-) He then asked which ones were the pretty ones. Ayyy yi yi. 

Grandma G's Sugar Cookie Cut Outs 

What you need:

:: 1 cup butter

:: 1 1/2 cup sugar

:: 2 eggs

:: 1 tsp vanilla 

:: 4 cups flour
:: 1 tsp baking soda
:: 2 tablespoons milk

Legit, all she wrote was "Bake at 350 for 8 mins". Don't ask me what order to combine everything. :)

Cookie Press Butter Cookies

We sometimes call these BUTTer cookies. :) The recipe I've always used calls for a pound of butter. ONE. Pound. Good lord. 

What you need: 

1 pound (4 sticks) butter

1 1/4 cup sugar 

1 egg

4 cups flour

1 tsp vanilla

food coloring (if you want) 

Cream together butter, sugar, and egg. 

Add flour & vanilla. Mix well. Add food coloring if you want. 

Put into cookie press. Bake on greased cookie sheet (I used the Silpat and love it!) for 12-15 minutes at 350. 

Don't forget the egg. Ahem. I think that's why they are so flat. Oh well, they still taste fabulous. So if you're not egg people, feel free to remove it.

As if this cookie baking experience needed any more "issues", I discovered (upon putting the butter and sugar in the bowl) that our mixer stopped working! Ahhh so I whipped this baby up by hand.

And kitchenaid will be hearing from me. :-)

Felt Christmas Tree

Over Emma's birthday when my Dad & stepmom were here, I had this brilliant idea to make something felt related for her. 

We went to Michaels and got the idea of a Christmas tree! Halloween was practically over, but a big felt pumpkin would be fun too! 

It's in our living room with some of her toys and she loves it. Some days I find her cooking ornaments, or trying to stick plates on the tree. Hey, A for effort. 

There aren't really directions for this project. Honestly, we just winged it and I think it turned out adorable. It's not perfect-- I free handed everything and you can tell. 

All the ornaments, presents, and the star are able to come off. I glued (using hot glue) the "ribbon" and "bows" on the presents to avoid a giant felt mess every day. 

Michaels sells some of their fabric in sheets, so I got 2 sheets of every color. I wanted the tree to be a bit girly, so I made sure to pink out some pinks. The green came in a pack-- I believe it was a yard of felt.

There is a some fabric left over for a future project . . . possibly Valentine's Day? Easter?

My stepmom made the star. I love it! She thinks it's not perfect and was laughing at it. So funny because I think it is perfect and fits the "look" I was going for! 

We found flat silver thumb tacks at a fabric store here. We figured if the thumb tacks were shiny and colorful, Emma would obsess and try to pull them out. So we decided to hot glue little felt circles on them. Best idea even-- E doesn't even notice them!

The one lonesome light is so cute, too. Again, we totally just winged it. There are some super fancy ones on Pinterest and Etsy, but I just don't have time to trace, cut, cry about it not being perfect, etc etc. 

Winging it is how we do! 

This was several weeks ago. . I was so excited for her to see her tree all set up when she got up from her nap. Yeah. Guess I didn't let her wake up long enough. Ha. I promise, she loves her tree and will be so sad when we put it away until next year!

A Peek Into Our Week

We've had such a fun week! Lots going on and lots of getting ready for Christmas and company next week. All good stuff. :-)

My grandparents were here from FL and they came and went. We took them to our mall, walked, had a bonfire, make chocolate covered pretzels, and did some shopping.

It was randomly super warm on Monday so we hung out outside for a bit. E threw tennis balls off the balcony and I ran down and got them 637 times. 

My grandma found those jammies for her for $4! They are so cute in person. 

"Emma! Let's send Mommie's friend a selfie!". She loves selfies. 

My hair! It is still not grown back. I told Nathan by the time it does grow back and I look like a normal human, I could be knocked up again and it will start over. 

Found this coat at Macy's on major sale . . I think $40. My grandmother was with me and I couldn't make up my mind if I should get it or not. Needless to say I took the plunge and love it! 

We had a fire and that was super fun. Except we still don't have skewers for marshmallows so we have to use actual sticks. Or the microwave. :-)

Between my MIL and my grandparents, the boxes are getting out. of. control. Emma is one spoiled and well loved little girl. My grandparents found a mini table and 4 chairs for her-- she is going to love it! 

Today I actually wrapped most of those items so it looks more like Christmas and less like we're moving (again). 

Oh and the shirt . . . where do I begin? My SIL (bless her) got a job and was so excited because she picked out Christmas gifts for us. She's so sweet I tell you. She had texted saying where the boxes were coming from and when to expect them. 

When my grandparents left we decided we'd open ONE present early (just for fun). We picked one of Caralyn's boxes..and that shirt was inside it. 

I should have prefaced this with my SIL has fun and crazy taste, and at first I honestly thought she picked this out for me? Nathan? I don't know. It's my size so I thought she picked it out for me. 

Then it got awkward because I didn't know if we should fess up that we opened a box early or just let it go? So we told. So funny. 

Long story short I am keeping this shirt forever. And Emma is getting a lot of education on Biggie vs Tupac. 

Today's fun! I just ordered new cookie sheets and these fancy Silpat baking mats (so you don't have to use Pam) and I love them. They were worth every penny. You can see them here. 

My friend Stefanie is fundraising for the Disney Marathon weekend (she's doing Dopey-- a 5k, 10k, half, and full in one weekend). Yeah, she's crazy. Anyway, we bought a tree skirt and she sent the doggies some dog treats too! So very thoughtful. You can read more about her story here.

Ahhh I think that is all that we did this week. Besides me finding two pairs of pajamas at Target, bringing them home, putting them on, and looking like an absolute fool. I got these leggings which made my legs look like sausages. So freaking funny. 

Random Tuesday Photos

When I first had Emma, one of my friends said to take photos of the regular old day to day stuff. She was so right! I'll always remember the fancy stuff-- Thanksgivings, family vacations, but the day to day boring laundry stuff? Maybe in 10 years I'll miss it. :-)

Like I never want to forget that the doggies sit around E's high chair during breakfast, second breakfast, snack, first lunch . . . you get the idea.

She is constantly sharing her food with them and they eat it up! Literally.

And someone (I think my SIL Caralyn) taught Emmie how to squint when she smiles . . . thanks for that. 

And I wanted to have a little "Christmas photo shoot" but she was not. having. it. 

OMG that ornament she has! She is obsessed with it. It's some Hallmark kitchen one and it has little danglies on it that she loves. Anytime we are by the tree she heads straight for it. She's crazy I tell you. 

And is there anything cuter than baby feet? 

The jingle bells we had to buy at Pier 1 because she grabbed them and I was too afraid to put them back. Best $3.99 purchase ever?

Okay she's ironically heading for the tree gotta run! xO

Erin Condren Planner Love!

When I was pregnant, I randomly started following Erin Condren on Instagram (I think for a giveaway) and I immediately fell in love with her planners. 

I'm one of those freaks who cannot get my act together with online calendars-- I have to use a paper planner with a pen/pencil/highlighter! 

                               

Anyway, I was totally nervous about dropping $50 for a planner in March. . . but I did and I'm so glad! 

It came adorably packaged with cute purple tissue paper and lots of fun little extras-- stickers, signs, personalized goodies. Love it!

                                                

You get to customize the cover-- with your name, family name, or even pictures. Last year I had "The Boese Family" written on mine, but this year I just did my name. 

Before I buy a planner I always want to know what the inside looks like, so here you go. :-) Obviously, Emma loves that Mommie is organized with her EC planner!

I wanted to write up this post because I just ordered 2 planners this week! One for a secret santa and one for my sister. We've decided we will be gifting these to each other every year-- she loves hers after I got her addicted last year.

EC offers lots of little extras, too! She has a whole array of stuff. I've used her pens, stickers, and a few other things. Click here to see all the goodies they offer.

Be sure to check out her site and LMK what you think! If you end up getting a planner be sure to send me a picture of your customized cover. :-)

Chicken Spinach Tomato Pasta Bake

This was so yummy! Once again I have no pictures (sorry), but take my word for it-- delish!

I started following this recipe, but I changed up the sauce because I wanted to make it a bit healthier. Click here to see the recipe and the beautiful photos.

Emma & Nathan gobbled this stuff right up. Not to mention I had my fair share of it.

What you need:
1 box of your favorite pasta (I always use the whole box, I'm not leaving 2 oz of pasta in a box), we use farfalle
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
bag/spinach
garlic
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup greek yogurt
1 cup milk
2 cups mozz, shredded
salt & pepper, to taste
2 chicken breasts, cooked & chopped (I sautéed them in a pan with some olive oil and garlic until they were fully cooked)


:: Cook pasta. Drain & set aside.
:: Saute onion & garlic in a pan with some olive oil until softened and you can smell it.
:: Add in greek yogurt and mix well. Reduce heat to low.
:: Stir in milk and half of the mozz. Stir well! Add in spices-- salt, pepper, red pepper flakes if you want.
:: In a HUGE bowl (seriously), add sauce mixture to spinach, tomatoes, and chicken. Mix. You may have to use tongs, I did. :-)
:: Pour into a greased 8x10 baking dish. Top with remaining mozz and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Yum! So good, I promise! xO

All About Ebates

A while back I mentioned about Ebates. In short, it is a cash back site and you shop through their website.

After becoming a member (click here to join), I would suggest adding Ebates to your favorites on your browser.

Let's say you are about to make a purchase at Gap.

Go to Gap's website and add your items to your cart. Exit out of Gap's website and open up Ebates.com.

Search for "Gap" in the search bar, and select the correct one.

This one is a little tricky because there is Gap Kids, Baby Gap, Gap Body, etc but they are technically all the same.

Anyway, you get 7% back! When you click Gap, it will open their website and your items will be in your cart.

Head to checkout, and purchase how you normally will. 

In 24-48 hours, you will get an email from Ebates telling you how much you got! 

My favorite part of Ebates is when you click "Gap", for example, they will show you all the available coupons Gap has going on right now. It is awesome! 

Ebates also has excellent customer service. One time I didn't notice cash back for Amazon purchase, so I emailed them. Within a day the amount was in my account and they apologized! 

You get paid through Paypal every quarter, I believe. It is just some extra fun money that requires no extra time or thought-- which is why I love it! 

Okay, I think that's all. If you have any questions you can comment or email me! xO

Toddler Wish List

Good morning! I thought it would be fun to highlight some toddler items that Emma loves (or is wishing for this year) in case you have a toddler on your Christmas list.

:: Step2 LifeStyle Custom Kitchen

Emma loves her kitchen! It's one of those toys that will grow with her and will (unfortunately for me) be in our living room for many years, I'm sure. This particular kitchen was super easy to set up. I know some of them take hours. This took my SIL about 20 minutes.

It comes with some plates, cups, and silverware, but you may want to get some fun plastic food.

:: Laugh & Learn Learning Table

Another toy we have that Emma adores! We got this when she was about 5 months old and she's used it almost every day since then. No lie.

:: Re-Play Recycled Tableware

At 13 months, E is loving using silverware. I ordered some of their divided plates and plan to order some silverware.

:: Stickers

Ems loves stickers! I haven't found any for her but she is hoping Santa will bring her some.

:: Melissa & Doug Puzzles

Puzzles are wonderful for hand-eye coordination as well as cognitive learning. I ordered this 3 pack for her on Cyber Monday. We also have this one that makes noise and she loves it. My husband doesn't like it because he swears the sound goes off late at night. Whatever.

You cannot go wrong with Melissa & Doug! I got my cousin's daughter their slice & bake cookie set-- it looks like so much fun! I think we may get Emma their blocks as well.

:: PBK Anywhere Chair

Ever since I found out I was pregnant I wanted my child to have one of these, ha ha. They just look so cozy and would be perfect for reading, TV, or lounging!