We survived Christmas! The whole weekend went by way too fast. We had good times with extended family, friends and with our own little family.
CBear and Jellybean don't care much about presents but were still spoiled by grandparents and various other family members. I really enjoyed watching CBear open the presents daddy and I picked out for her. After all the mayhem we cleaned out some old toys and are slowly phasing in the new ones. I told her I was making room for new toys and so now CBear walks around pointing out, "new twize! New twize!" Her favorite seems to be the little shopping cart we gave her; she wheels it all over the house loading it up with goodies. She's also enjoying her new Dr. Seuss books, bringing them to us and demanding, "read dis!" Jellybean doesn't have a favorite toy yet but I was excited to get her her first Bible. I've been having a lot of fun with the Mega Bloks and Aquadoodle. :)
I'm always a little sad when Christmas is over, however it is nice to take all the decorations down, do some deep cleaning and get the house back in order. We took the tree down during one of Claire's naps (we told her this would happen and she told it bye-bye). When she woke up she wanted to know, "where tree go? Snowman?" But after a few minutes she found some "new twize" and was happy again. As for me, I'm kind of glad to have life back to normal and not have to chase down Christmas ornaments all day long. Until next year!
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Christmas snack makin' time!
I loooove Christmas-y snack foods! My whole family does so we usually do the big turkey dinner on Thanksgiving and just have soup and snacks all day long on Christmas. Yum! Today I've been working on my contributions for tomorrow and thought I'd share the recipes. They're super easy and delicious, just the way I like it! Also good for New Year's Eve parties if you're looking for something to make next week.
Peanut clusters
package of vanilla candy coating
bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
can of party peanuts
Melt the vanilla coating according to package directions until smooth. Add chocolate chips and continue melting as before. Add peanuts when chocolate is smooth and remove from heat. Spoon onto wax paper and cool before eating.
Peanut butter fudge
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 cup marshmallow creme
1 cup peanut butter
Combine sugar and milk, heat in saucepan until boiling. Boil 5 minutes stirring constantly. Add marshmallow creme and peanut butter; whip and pour into buttered pan (I used an 8*8 square pan).
Cracker spread (my absolute favorite!)
2 packages cream cheese (or Neufchatel)
jar of dried beef
green onions
Worcestershire sauce
Let cream cheese sit at room temperature for a while so it's easier to stir. Finely chop dried beef and onions (to taste) and combine with cream cheese. Keep in mind that the onion flavor will get stronger after the spread sits a while. Add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce and stir. Better if made a day ahead (store in refrigerator). Serve with crackers.
Enjoy!
Peanut clusters
package of vanilla candy coating
bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
can of party peanuts
Melt the vanilla coating according to package directions until smooth. Add chocolate chips and continue melting as before. Add peanuts when chocolate is smooth and remove from heat. Spoon onto wax paper and cool before eating.
Peanut butter fudge
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 cup marshmallow creme
1 cup peanut butter
Combine sugar and milk, heat in saucepan until boiling. Boil 5 minutes stirring constantly. Add marshmallow creme and peanut butter; whip and pour into buttered pan (I used an 8*8 square pan).
Cracker spread (my absolute favorite!)
2 packages cream cheese (or Neufchatel)
jar of dried beef
green onions
Worcestershire sauce
Let cream cheese sit at room temperature for a while so it's easier to stir. Finely chop dried beef and onions (to taste) and combine with cream cheese. Keep in mind that the onion flavor will get stronger after the spread sits a while. Add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce and stir. Better if made a day ahead (store in refrigerator). Serve with crackers.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Thanks a lot, postpartum hormones!
Any mom can vouch for the fact that "they" don't tell you everything about pregnancy and birth...all sorts of strange things happen while your body works to grow this new little person. Some are amazing and well, some are kind of gross. And let me tell you, it doesn't stop once the baby is born. The weirdness continues as your hormones readjust themselves. This can take a toll on already fragile postpartum self esteem! As if the extra pounds, saggy skin, muffin top and stretch marks weren't enough. You're hoping that your makeup covers up the bags under your eyes and that nobody asks you when the baby is due because you still look pregnant even though your kid is two months old. And don't even get me started on how clothes (don't) fit now! Nope, that's not enough...allow me to present the latest postpartum joy...hair loss!
You know how one of the perks of pregnancy is that thick, shiny hair? Well, all those locks you were hanging on to while pregnant start shedding with a vengeance a couple of months after the baby is born. I had forgotten all about this until brushing my hair a few nights ago after a shower. Ew. I feel like a bird that's molting. This also happened after my oldest was born. I hadn't really noticed at that point until I put my hair in a ponytail and saw some very thin patches on each side of my temple. My husband in his ever loving manner suggested, "maybe you should wear your hair down for a while." Thanks, hon! So, for the next few months I will probably be sporting the same 'do of hair down to hide the bald temples!
This post is all in good fun, of course. If I had to lose all my hair and look like a cue ball in order to have my kids, I would happily do it. They're worth all that and more!
You know how one of the perks of pregnancy is that thick, shiny hair? Well, all those locks you were hanging on to while pregnant start shedding with a vengeance a couple of months after the baby is born. I had forgotten all about this until brushing my hair a few nights ago after a shower. Ew. I feel like a bird that's molting. This also happened after my oldest was born. I hadn't really noticed at that point until I put my hair in a ponytail and saw some very thin patches on each side of my temple. My husband in his ever loving manner suggested, "maybe you should wear your hair down for a while." Thanks, hon! So, for the next few months I will probably be sporting the same 'do of hair down to hide the bald temples!
This post is all in good fun, of course. If I had to lose all my hair and look like a cue ball in order to have my kids, I would happily do it. They're worth all that and more!
Babywearing: the public edition
This morning I needed to make a quick run to the mall...which means desperately trying to coordinate two very different eat/sleep/poop routines and get myself ready to get out the door before anyone has a meltdown. I feed both of them and get prepared to go, but then CBear and Jellybean need dry diapers and dressed. Oh, Jellybean's hungry again. Then she refuses to eat once I sit down with her. Time for another diaper change. Put her in the carseat and then I have to pee one more time because we all know going to a mall bathroom with two kids would be soooo much fun! Oh wait, I forgot to brush CBear's teeth so I do that while Jellybean screams at us from the kitchen, where I so rudely left her strapped in her carseat. CBear "helpfully" shoves a pacifier in her mouth. I quickly throw some diapers in my bag, finally get them both in the car and pull out of the driveway. We leave just before noon. :/
Anyway, I did some deep breathing on the way and was ready to do a little Christmas shopping. This, of course, is not simple either. There are two kids and only one me. I am outnumbered. I do not have a double stroller. Solution: wear the baby! My homemade (I'm cheap) Moby-style wrap has saved me on more than one occasion when I need my hands but Jellybean wants to be held. And it's miraculous...she falls asleep in it every time!
Babywearing in public is hilarious. Seriously, I wish I could capture the looks people give me on camera. They're not bad, mostly they just look confused until they realize it's a baby in there. Sometimes they don't figure it out and they look at me like I'm a crazy person. Old people are the best because they think they're whispering when the whole store can hear. "What...oh, look at that, it's a baby! What will they think of next?" It was especially funny when Jellybean was a newborn and her whole body was tucked in there (now her legs dangle out the sides). One person told me they just thought I was pregnant (um...what kind of lumpy baby did you think I was carrying?). And the best one- I was chased down at Target where a woman demanded, "where did you get your papoose thing?".
Okay, so it's getting late and I'm kind of forgetting where I was going with this post. I guess the point was that I was able to wrap Jellybean up, buckle CBear in the stroller and away we went. I was able to get out among people for a little bit without catastrophe! Got a little shopping done and chuckled to myself at the confused and curious looks on people's faces as they saw us. One woman felt the need to point out I had my hands full (no, didn't you see? My hands are free!). Oh, and I learned some Native American history in line at Sears when a lady started talking about how my wrap was like what Indian women used to wear. She was adamant that people thought the women wore the babies on their back but no! They wore them in front. I have no idea, I just smiled and nodded. The best part was hearing several people whisper about how sweet my sleeping baby was...and there was very little whining from my toddler during all this. Miracle! Made it home before anyone lost it and we started the eat/sleep/poop cycle again.
Anyway, I did some deep breathing on the way and was ready to do a little Christmas shopping. This, of course, is not simple either. There are two kids and only one me. I am outnumbered. I do not have a double stroller. Solution: wear the baby! My homemade (I'm cheap) Moby-style wrap has saved me on more than one occasion when I need my hands but Jellybean wants to be held. And it's miraculous...she falls asleep in it every time!
Babywearing in public is hilarious. Seriously, I wish I could capture the looks people give me on camera. They're not bad, mostly they just look confused until they realize it's a baby in there. Sometimes they don't figure it out and they look at me like I'm a crazy person. Old people are the best because they think they're whispering when the whole store can hear. "What...oh, look at that, it's a baby! What will they think of next?" It was especially funny when Jellybean was a newborn and her whole body was tucked in there (now her legs dangle out the sides). One person told me they just thought I was pregnant (um...what kind of lumpy baby did you think I was carrying?). And the best one- I was chased down at Target where a woman demanded, "where did you get your papoose thing?".
Okay, so it's getting late and I'm kind of forgetting where I was going with this post. I guess the point was that I was able to wrap Jellybean up, buckle CBear in the stroller and away we went. I was able to get out among people for a little bit without catastrophe! Got a little shopping done and chuckled to myself at the confused and curious looks on people's faces as they saw us. One woman felt the need to point out I had my hands full (no, didn't you see? My hands are free!). Oh, and I learned some Native American history in line at Sears when a lady started talking about how my wrap was like what Indian women used to wear. She was adamant that people thought the women wore the babies on their back but no! They wore them in front. I have no idea, I just smiled and nodded. The best part was hearing several people whisper about how sweet my sleeping baby was...and there was very little whining from my toddler during all this. Miracle! Made it home before anyone lost it and we started the eat/sleep/poop cycle again.
Thrifty tip: Vinegar
If anyone out there is reading this, did you know vinegar has multiple household uses? Apparently you can pretty much do all your cleaning with vinegar and baking soda (I haven't, but should try it...no chemicals!). Recently I've been using vinegar as fabric softener. It started when I was pregnant and couldn't stand the smell of my Gain dryer sheets and ran out of liquid softener (and at that point I was totally unmotivated to go to the store). Now, I really really hate the smell of vinegar too and I was worried that my clothes would stink but they don't at all. They're super soft! I put in about 1/4 cup per load. Cheap and easy! And great for people with sensitive skin or for baby clothes.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Almost Christmas
My favorite time of year is here! I'm kind of a kid about it...I love the music, lights, decorations, food, time spent with family and reflecting on how God came to earth as a little baby.
This year I have the privilege of watching CBear experience Christmas for the first time (well, she experienced it last year but didn't care much). I love reading the Christmas story to her and hearing her point to the picture excitedly, "Baby Jesus!" which comes out more like, "B.B. Deezus!" It makes me laugh how she has become obsessed with snowmen and literally has to go see our neighbor's...ahem...festive Christmas display of lights and blow-up snowmen and Santa EVERY night. She likes when I sing Christmas carols (and not too well, I might add, but she still says, "More songs!"). And I'm *trying* to be patient when she can't leave our tree the heck alone. She thinks it's hilarious to take decorations off and then run through the house when I tell her to put them back.
I can't wait until Jellybean is old enough to join in the fun. For now, she just gives CBear, daddy and me gummy smiles while we enjoy this special time of year together. Amid all the busyness of the holiday season, may we all slow down and see Christmas through the eyes of a child!
This year I have the privilege of watching CBear experience Christmas for the first time (well, she experienced it last year but didn't care much). I love reading the Christmas story to her and hearing her point to the picture excitedly, "Baby Jesus!" which comes out more like, "B.B. Deezus!" It makes me laugh how she has become obsessed with snowmen and literally has to go see our neighbor's...ahem...festive Christmas display of lights and blow-up snowmen and Santa EVERY night. She likes when I sing Christmas carols (and not too well, I might add, but she still says, "More songs!"). And I'm *trying* to be patient when she can't leave our tree the heck alone. She thinks it's hilarious to take decorations off and then run through the house when I tell her to put them back.
I can't wait until Jellybean is old enough to join in the fun. For now, she just gives CBear, daddy and me gummy smiles while we enjoy this special time of year together. Amid all the busyness of the holiday season, may we all slow down and see Christmas through the eyes of a child!
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