Picture Frame Gift Idea

Once Christmas is over, my FIL's birthday rolls around super fast. We are always stumped at what to get him! He and my dad have everything. And honestly? Whatever they do want, they would buy themselves. 

After scouring Pinterest for a while, I found something along the lines of this: 

                 

We loved it! Here is the original pin. I knew he would like it because it was personalized just for him (Emma calls my dad Papi and my FIL Grandpa). We also have a running joke about hanging pictures.

I think I have mentioned here before that we have no craft stuff. It totally bums me out. It made me super happy that this would require me to get some craft supplies! This is an inexpensive gift-- especially if you have some of the stuff on hand. 

Michaels had a 10-pack of canvases on sale for 50% off. I think they ended up being $10. Ugh, I don't remember the size but they are a bit bigger than 5x7. 

I had paint, but no paint brushes (I know, how does that happen). 

I randomly scribbled it on the canvases. At this point my husband was really doubting that this would turn out. Honestly I was too. 

Hate to say it but I just winged it! I thought they looked so ghetto! I texted two friends and asked if we should just bag the idea, but they suggested I finish. 

The best part was dragging Emma outside and taking 6,093 pictures of her. Our neighbors definitely think we are crazy. Nathan was so annoyed because one time she was acting super cute and the camera card was still in my computer. God bless America. 

Day By The Hour

This was not easy! I tried my best to get the photos exactly every hour on the hour..here goes! 

7AM: Awake & downstairs while mama makes breakfast! 

8AM: Breakfast clean up. Wake up Nathan a little after 8. 

9AM: Hitting the pavement! It was so dreary yesterday when I ran. I was listening to Serial on my phone and I was actually scared! 

10AM: Just walked in the door. Emmie is still in her pajamas and Nathan tells me she is eating whole pretzels. What?? Aren't those a choking hazard? I don't know, but she loves them. I don't breathe for a whole three minutes while he shows me she can eat one. 

11AM: Showered. My life is looking pretty glamorous, haha. 

12PM: Nathan goes to shower and I start lunch. Crap. We have no food. 

1PM: Nathan is about to leave-- getting his stuff together. This is about the time E gets super clingy to him and we have to pry her off of him. 

2PM: Daddy went off to work! We stack blocks, take care of Emma's baby, and figure out if we are going to go somewhere. Verdict: The mall it is. 

3PM: Getting ready to go anywhere takes a hundred years. We let the dogs out and wonder how all the chairs ended up like that? Emma throws her snacks off the balcony. For a whole 30 seconds, I think she threw my phone. 

4PM: Getting my purse together and I find her coloring on our kitchen table. OMG. 

5PM: Walking through the mall and stop in Sears to take a selfie. 

6PM: I unhook E and let her get her wiggles out before the "long" drive home. 

7PM: Bedtime! 

Chicken Parm Baked Ziti

We are big pasta eaters here! Emma will eat anything if it's covered in sauce and cheese. So will Nathan, LOL. 

We only had the veggie pasta (tomato) on hand. You could definitely taste it but it was still delicious! Will definitely make this again. 

Chicken Parm Baked Ziti (adapted from this recipe)

What you need
:: 1lb/ pasta
:: 2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped/shredded
:: Parm and mozz (2 cups total, however you prefer)
:: Sauce (1 jar or make your own)

Preheat oven to 375.

Cook pasta until al dente, or however you prefer. Drain. Add sauce and chicken. Mix well.

Pour half into greased "brownie pan" (9x13 casserole dish). Cover with half your cheese. Pour rest in and cover with the rest of the cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes until everything is melty and ooey gooey. Yum!

Valentine Tree

After making Emma's felt Christmas tree, I kind of got the "felt bug". Actually that's a lie. I just have a ton of felt leftover, so I decided to play around with it. 

I'm not crafty at all. At. All. But I love it! I think it's so cute and Emma loves to throw the hearts everywhere. She was even sticking them on her shirt and the dogs. 

I went the lazy way and didn't hot glue felt on the push pins like last time. I just cover them up with the hearts. E doesn't try to pull them out. 

I'm so happy with how this turned out. Just like before, I had a yard of the white felt. I just used a sharpie and drew the "winter" tree and just went with it.

When it was time to tack it to the wall, I started at the bottom and worked my way out. I saved this for nap time because tacks were everywhere!

The hearts were easy, obviously. Just drew them and used regular scissors to cut them out.

I really love crafting with my girl! I'd like to get some more craft supplies as the year goes on-- maybe some pipe cleaners, poms?? Suggest anything else?

A Peek Into Our Week

Not as many pictures this week but still a great week! We are so thankful Nathan has weekends off now. It felt strange going to the mall and I said "Why is it so crowded on a Wednesday??" LOL. 

Okay let's see. . . Nathan did lots of overtime this week! Another praise. The State of the Union was on Monday so he had a long day! 

That was in my devotional after a particularly trying day. Little things that, in the grand scheme of things, are very minor. 

Tuesday it warmed up a bit so we snuck out for some fresh air! Emma spent the entire time running away from me. The hawks started circling us so I grabbed her and we ran inside. Fun. Over. 

Wednesday Nathan worked more overtime for the March for Life. The Duggars were there so I texted him at least 23 times asking if he saw them. He didn't. Another disappointment. :)

I saw this (above) last night and it made me laugh so hard. My SIL & I watch the Kardashians-- it is something we can talk about and laugh about. Don't judge us.

Nathan says you lose brain cells every time you walk by the TV when it's on.

This morning Emma & I snuck out to pick up part of my FIL's birthday present! I can't wait to post about it but I'll wait until after his birthday.

We decided to stay out and go to the Baby Wearing meeting. And by "go to the Baby Wearing meeting", I mean chase Emma around for an hour and then take my coat off for 2 seconds and discover her digging through someone's purse.

It was totally worth the madness that is toddler wrangling because we perfected our ring sling wearing! Homegirl even fell asleep in the carrier while we were at the mall tonight. She is precious.

Oh and in other news..we had an energy audit and it looks like we need a new A/C unit. Happy Saturday, folks! xO

Emma 15 Month Update

How is it that my little girl is 15 months old? How did we go from this:

To this?

I have no idea how it happened. 

E had her 15 month check up (read about that here)-- she was 29 inches and 23 pounds. Peanut. :-)

Food

Emmie loves food! She is much more of a snacker (she gets that from mama), but some of her favorites include black beans, roasted sweet potatoes, broccoli with rice, any kind of pasta, and apples. She eats whatever we eat. 

She started screaming in her high chair about a month ago, so now she sits at her table like a big girl. It was a brilliant idea and I'm so glad we decided to do this! She feeds the dogs 10x more food, so I'm sure their vet will be super happy with me. 

And the constant getting up/acrobatics has got. to. stop. She thinks she's so funny that she can climb up on her table! (Don't worry I was right there for this pic!)

Sleep

Good thing this girl is cute! Kidding, a little. Homie is waking up a lot at night and nursing. I really wanted her to self wean, so I'm kind of waiting her out. Up until about a week ago, she was sleeping 7-7 with no problems. 

Naps are touch and go. Up until our visitors a few weeks ago she was doing one nap a day for 2 hours. That's also toast. Bring me caffeine. 

Play

Every day is so much fun! She is my little partner in crime. Her favorite toys right now are her kitchen, any balls, containers/lids, and teethers. She is dying to go outside so we have snuck out a few times this week. 

Emma started showing interest in coloring/drawing a week or so ago, so I've been letting her play with crayons and highlighters. She loves this! 

Teeth

Emmie has 7 teeth completely erupted and her top 2 molars are almost all the way through. She loves brushing her teeth while I brush mine! We just got her this teether and it's been a lifesaver. 

15 months and my hair is still not normal. Ahem.

Development

She is like a little sponge! She is walking/running (usually away from me at all times) and can stand from a seated position without assistance. 

Emma can point out her ears, head, feet, and belly button when we ask. She can point out our noses and eyes but not hers as quickly. So funny. She gives hugs like nobody's business and the best kisses when asked.

She doesn't have many words-- mostly mama, dada, doggie, and hi. She babbles all throughout the day so I'm not so concerned. She literally babbles as she is waking up and she babbles herself to sleep. 

She's taken on a new obsession with the dogs! She chases them around and leans in for kisses if I ask her to kiss them. Probably the most adorable thing in the world. She just wants to grab them and pick them up if she could. 

Mom's proudest moment

Teaching homegirl how to get off the couch and bed. 

Dad's proudest moment

Feeding her chocolate ice cream and not telling me until now. Awesome.  

Funniest moment

This may not be funny to anyone else, but Nathan & I were cracking up the other day. She was in her chair she got for Christmas and just staring at the TV. She had to have been tired, because she never sits still unless she's tired or sick. Nathan had put a blanket over here and we were in the kitchen making bets on how long it would be until she moved. 

We see her get up and start walking. She grabbed her water from across the living room and went and sat back down! It was hilarious. She even covered herself back up. 

2015 Books

I love reading! I didn't really appreciate reading until my parents stopped forcing me to read. Combine that with everything having an eBook version, and there is simply no excuse not to read! (In my book. No pun intended).

Anyway, I usually try to read one book a year. I realize this is not a high number but I like to set myself up for success. :)

Nathan's dad introduced me to Jim Gaffigan and recommended his book, Dad is Fat. I was not disappointed. It was a super fast read and very funny. I already finished that one so I'm technically ahead of the game, right?

Wishful thinking. :)

Now I'm reading Gone Girl and I like it! I've already seen the movie so I figured what the heck. So far, so good.

Some others on my list for the year:

:: I didn't plan to be a witch 
:: The Happiness Project
:: My Story (Elizabeth Smart)
:: An Invisible Thread

Recommend any others? I need some suggestions! xO

Tub Time

We love bath time in this house. There was a time when E hated baths, and it was very stressful. She would scream getting into the tub, the duration of the bath, and scream getting out of the tub until I held her again. Now she screams when it's time to get out. ;) Baby steps. . . 

I have heard (or seen on Pinterest, maybe?) of people taking black and whites of their kids in the tub and hanging them over the tub. I immediately fell in love with this idea! 

I've also heard of doing photos of you & your spouse in the tub over your tub, but I'm not sure about that?

So while my in laws were here, my pictures arrived! I ran to Target and grabbed some cheap frames from Target. I believe they were $12.99 a piece.

Originally my FIL put two on one side of the window and the last one on the other side, but I like it better like this now. I'm sure it will change 600 times. 

A Peek Into Our Week

It has been such a fun and productive week! My in-laws got here on Tuesday and we have been going nonstop since they landed. It's been such a wonderful visit! 

For the past week or so, Emma has hated her high chair. :( I don't know what prompted it, but I thought we should bring her table and chairs down. Success! She'll now sit like a big girl at her table and eat. It's like we've got a big kid or something! 

...Waiting for Grandma & Grandpa. Their flight was 3 hours late!

We are still getting used to Nathan's new schedule, and we thought we would color one afternoon. So fun. Don't worry I didn't let her use that giant sharpie. :) Also, she doesn't own any pants. 

While we were perfectly content playing, the kitchen cabinet just fell right off! Crazy and scared the crap out of us. Luckily our handyman Grandpa was on his way. I sent him a picture and he practically fixed it when they arrived at 10PM. He's so good! We are so blessed. 

We went and visited Daddy at work one night! It was super cold and Emma cried for most of the way home, but worth it to see Daddy in action. ;) 

Getting pictures with a toddler is about as easy as baptizing a cat. . .

Luckily we got a cute one of Nathan and his sister:

We were able to sneak out and have an afternoon of kid-free time. So needed. :) Grandma said Emma was good and we had Chipotle. I'd say a win in my book! 

                 

Can't think of anything else and E is standing on her table soooo peace! xO

Chili Recipe

We love beans! Fa realz. Emma will eat any bean you put in front of her. Except baked beans. Hot, cold, spicy, straight out of the can, she'll eat them. That's my girl. 

I have been wanting chili for a long time and I figured what better day than today? I got in from my jog where I checked my phone-- 10 degrees. Yup, perfect day for chili. :) 

This should be called "kitchen sink chili" because I use any bean known to man. Besides black beans. (Emma had the rest of the can for her 2nd lunch, so . . .) 

What you need

:: Beans! Drained and rinsed. We used pinto, garbanza, dark red kidney, white kidney/cannellini, great northern. . . I forget the rest. Go to the store. Go to the bean isle. Buy all of them. 

:: 1 or 2 cans/corn, drained and rinsed

:: 1 lb meat (we used half turkey, half beef)

:: 1/2 onion

:: sauce 

:: Chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes

:: cheddar cheese

:: sour cream/greek yogurt 

That's it! 

Brown your meat. Throw the onion in at the last minute and cook until it is soft and smells good. 

Put into crockpot with all your beans and corn. Add sauce. Check consistency. Depending upon how you like your chili, add water. I only added a little bit because I like it super chunky. 

Add your spices. I would take it one tsp at a time. It's a personal decision. I just kept shaking the container and shaking it, LOL.

Cook on high for an hour, then set to low for up to 8 hours. 

Serve in bowls and garnish with cheddar cheese and a dollop of greek yogurt! Yum. 

2015 Word

Nathan & I are always on different wave lengths. He's getting ready for work (mentally looking for lost pieces of his uniform) and I'm going over my to do list while we have dinner. He is reading about some sports story and I don't think I have sat on our couch longer than 20 minutes since we moved here. 

So in 2015, we hope to be present. 

If I'm being completely honest, I don't think I sat and really "played" with Emma for longer than 30 minutes this week! Most of my sitting there was just putting her toys away. I totally suck and I know it. 

We are constantly looking at to do lists, cleaning, or writing to do lists and planning the cleaning, ha. 

Part of it is because we have a toddler, I get it. Part of it is because there's always something going on, and we don't have family nearby. I get it. But, we can't keep making excuses. We have one kid! Just be present gosh darn it!

We are also using that word and turning it into presents, like gifts. Nathan and I never get each other gifts. Well, we rarely do. This year we want to do that more often. Nothing crazy, even a simple candy bar "just thinking of you" present. Sometimes it feels good to give stuff and get stuff, am I right?

So now I'll be scribbling present on all my notebooks and papers around the house as I strive to be present today and always!