p365 - weeks 47 & 48.

p365 - weeks 47 & 48.

December 5, 2011

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I've only got 4 weeks left of this year's P365 project. I'm still undecided if i'll do it again next year. I LOVE having all these pictures and memories but I have to admit, I hated getting so behind in posting that it felt more like a chore than fun memories.

I want to do it, but I think maybe i'll do it differently. Still thinking of ways!

For now, here's the past 2 weeks chock full of family, L-bug and Thanksgiving.

Week 47

323. Finally got our Fall leaves photo!
324. We brought Christmas to the bathtub.
325. She was trying to be a big girl and not sit in her booster seat. That ended with milk & cereal everywhere.
326. Sick day. Cough drop motivation?
327. Prepping for Thanksgiving.
328. Turkey. Yum! Happy Thanksgiving!
329. A little magazine browsing while waiting in line on Black Friday.

330. Another epic Santa picture fail.

331. The best onion rings. And I'm not even a fan of onion rings.

332. My L-bug.

333. Mason jars, epsom salt, tealights. The perfect DIY christmas decorations.

334. Toddler tantrums.

335. My new fake scentsy warmer. Smells SO good.

336. Me & my girl at our town's christmas tree lighting.

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crockpot bbq chicken : a recipe.

crockpot bbq chicken : a recipe.

December 2, 2011

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This recipe has found it's way to our dinner table a huge handful of times and I've only had it for about a month. It's so good. In fact, I make it about once a week. It's incredibly easy and the perfect weeknight recipe.

I pinned it, so I'm sure tons of you have come across it. But we all know that pinterest, as lovely and amazing as it is, can become a black hole of sorts full of amazing ideas and some very funny tidbits.

I typically serve it with yellow rice but potatoes would be great too!

I'll write the recipe as is, but I halve everything because we really only need to use 2 chicken breasts.

And what I love most about this recipe - toss your chicken in frozen! I am a perpetual forgetter when it comes to taking meals out of the freezer. And I really hate defrosting them in the microwave.

 

You'll need:
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 bottle BBQ sauce (my fave is Famous Dave's, but its hard to find here so I sub in Sweet Baby Rays)
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp garlic powder

Mix up the sauce with all the ingredients below it. Place the chicken in your crockpot and cover with the sauce. Cook on low for for 6 hours or high for 4. The chicken is so tender and moist and the sauce sticks to the skin and tastes amazing.

This will make many more appearances in our house!

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BEING A MAMA

BEING A MAMA

December 1, 2011

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                                                                             Source: etsy.com via kristy on Pinterest

Being a mama is SO many things, all wrapped together.

Most days I curse the toys I trip over 45 billion times. Most days I'd like to pull my hair out and throw massive tantrums like my toddler. Most days I wonder how to get through to the next day. We have some great days, don't get me wrong. But these days, I'm a mama to a toddler. And it's my first time. And I'm still learning.

The ornery ones are turning into the terrible twos and the tantrums and attitudes are coming at me left and right. But that's normal. She's just a kid.

But yes, I do feel like I'm going crazy most days. Including parts of today.

Tonight was different though. As I was trudging through the chore of cleaning up after dinner and doing a quick pick up, my eyes landed on L's teeny tiny crocks laying hazhadarly under the table. She must have kicked them off during dinner. Without really thinking, I grabbed them and layed them on top of her toddler-sized ladybug bookbag and stacked them both in the chair.

Then it hit me. How lucky am I to be able to have these teeny tiny crocs and bookbag to stack? How lucky am I to have blocks and toys and crayons strewn about the house? How lucky am I to find my new scented wax blocks in Lia's play kitchen. Very lucky. Maybe even the luckiest person in the world.

I was handpicked for this job. The job of being Lia's mommy. The job of handling every thing the world has to throw at us. Me. How amazing is that?

Even though some days I really just want to be lazy and not have a toddler screaming at me every 5 minutes. And maybe some days I have a really strong urge to throw away every last.single.toy in this house, I never will. Because I am lucky to be here. To have her.

To hear the pitter-patter of her footsteps across the hall. To be on the recieving end of her kisses. To see her smile. To be the one she calls mama. To spend every second of every day with her.

Being a mama is such an amazing blessing. Nothing worth having is easy, right?

So tonight, I breath deep and try to stay calm. Tonight, I lather my kid in kisses and tell her I love her over and over before I tuck her in. Tonight, I appreciate every last thing about being a mom. Because I am not promised every night with her. I will relish in every night I do have.

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HELLO, DECEMBER

HELLO, DECEMBER

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                                                                        Source: meggielynne.tumblr.com via Teresa on Pinterest

December 1st is here. Already. This is the month where I may very well go crazy every year. Let's just lump three big holidays together within the span of a few days. No biggie, right? Meh...

There's Christmas, then L's birthday, then New Years. The past 2 years L's party has fallen on New Years Eve. So I host two parties?

It's madness, I tell you. Madness.

And, I like to tackle homemade gifts for our huge families. I'm crazy, I tell you. Crazy.

But that's okay. Because I'm waving my holiday freak flag around. I'm actually very excited for this year. Lia gets excited about things, like she knows whats going on. And, it looks like we could have both of our families around for her birthday which is a big deal. And, its the first year Aunt Shell can be around for L's birthday. Last year, Germany and a snowstorm held her back. Barely. So, it'll be nice.

So, I've got a lot of planning + prepping, baking, organizing and crafting to do. Tons. But that's why we love the holidays so much, yes?

Between my new Lady Antebellum Christmas CD, Pandora playlists, yummy smelling candles, Shrek the Halls and the Rockefeller Tree lighting, I am pumped! I think we'll be picking out our own tree tonight. Then we'll decorate it this weekend after seeing our own town's tree lighting + Christmas parade.

Like I said earlier...Bring it, Holidays.

P.S.
Check out last year's hello, december post.

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LETTERS TO LIA | 23 MONTHS

LETTERS TO LIA | 23 MONTHS

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Took these snapshots tonight when I noticed you picked up the Journey catalog and found the Yo Gabba Gabba merchandise. You just sat on your stool, like you were reading the magazine, being all grownup! 

23 months. Twenty-three months. 2-3. One month shy of being TWO.

Time seems to fly by without giving a second glance back. It feels like I'm supposed to have a baby yet I am chasing a toddler around day after day.

Little girl, you are spunky and spirited and crazy and funny and loving and sweet and sassy and stubborn. You are amazing and beautiful and smart and creative. You are my world. You are your daddy's world. You wrap everyone you know around your little finger.

These days, you love to play and run around and make messes. You love to dance & twirl around. You love to help with the laundry and dishes. You love to copy whatever we do.

This month, you've learned your body parts. You can point to your eyes, nose, mouth, teeth, hair, elbows, hands, fingers, feet and belly. We are SO close to nailing ears too :)

You say more, need, no, Ashley, bobo (your paci), uh-oh and uh-uh.

You've learned to do the robot. It is sooo cute!

You are quite demanding and you know what you want. In fact, you expect to be given whatever you want. You're pretty spoiled but that's just because you are so loved.

We have our good days and we have our not so good days. But, I love spending every day with you. I so excited to see what the next month brings!

XOXO,
Mommy

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