Baby Makes Four!

We are expecting!

It's been a busy and exciting couple of months, and we are about to get even busier when this little one arrives!

Planning for our new addition has consisted of cleaning out the guest room/playroom and relocating all the toys and dolls. Elise seems very excited to be a big sister and has loving named the baby "Baby Beluga". I hope this is in no way an indication of the baby being the size of a whale!

I had forgotten how many doctor appointments have to be made and how much juggling there is with the good old work week. For me the balance between work and home is at times overwhelming, but I do the best I can and make sure the priority is on the most important. Also, I am brave enough to admit defeat and take time out when needed. This week for example has started with me being home sick. After battling this cold all last week, hosting Elise's 4th birthday party, and teaching Sunday school to 16 almost 4 year olds, I was down for the count and exhausted Sunday night.

We are slowing finding our way through the recent changes and the holidays are a welcome sign of relief, as vacation days are dwindling...

More to come on my ideas for the baby's nursery!

Have a great day!

Let's Dance Part Two

You may remember this post on our preparations for Elise's first dance class. Three classes later I can happliy report that it is going great! The school is fantastic and she loves every bit of ballet and tap.

One of her favorite parts is getting to have a bun in her hair.

FYI: Goody makes Blonde Bobby Pins!

All set to go with moms old dance bag. The bag is as big as she is, but she loves that it was my bag and now it's hers.

We are so proud of our little dancer! Great job sweetie!

Taste of Fall

Hubby met me for lunch today, and we made a quick trip to the local nursery/home decorating store. With temperatures in the triple digits (going on 20 days), and absolutely no rain in sight for months, we are so ready for Fall! Here is a little of what I captured on the trusty cell phone. Enjoy!

Soulful Sunday: Worship While Waiting

You know the moment in which all the focus on life being too hard is trumped by real perspective? Well, true to form, while reading Romans 8:22-25 perspective was delivered, especially verse 24-25.

"24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." 

 Click here for The Message translation.

What are we putting our hope in? Keeping up with the Joneses doesn't last, as there is always something to chase after. What will we be remember for? What will matter when all is said and done, What is eternal and everlasting?

⁴ Show me your ways, LORD,
   teach me your paths.
⁵ Guide me in your truth and teach me,
   for you are God my Savior,
   and my hope is in you all day long. 

Psalms 25:4-5

This verse is on a post-it inside my medicine cabinet door. It is a daily reminder of where my hope should be.

"I put my hope and my trust in you Jesus"

Let's Dance

Today was a milestone day, as we helped prepare our sweet girl for her very first ballet and tap class! I could hardly contain myself as we entered the dance shop, and Elise had a fabulous time. She loved trying on the shoes and leotards and is really looking forward to starting dance...Mommy is excited too!

Pinterest

So who is addicted to Pinterest? If you have not found your way over to this site, stop now and check it out! Basically Pinterest is a place to "pin" images found on the web to inspiration boards with a click of a button.

Much like a Lays potato chip, you can't pin just one!

Here is a link to my page if you want to see what all the fuss is about.

This is a little something that recently caught my eye

Source: urbanstylevibes.com via Opie on Pinterest

Happy Pinning!

Drab to Fab Spray Painted Frames

I have been hard at work on a few projects and finally had a minute to sit down long enough to save off the photos. Remember the dining room wall makeover? Well, I took down the brown mirror and replaced it with this!

The mirror was a hand-me-down piece that was just begging for a face lift!

While I was at it, another old empty frame we have had hanging above our bed, was in need of some TLC. 

  Eventually I would like to add a piece of printed burlap in the frame, but that is for another day. For now I much prefer the fresh white coat of paint on this old beauty.

Soulful Sunday: Art Appreciation

(Above image features my Grandma's quilt, which has found a home on my daughters bed) 

Lord,

Sometimes when I look

At my life

It seems like a homespun

Patch-work quilt...

Quaint, but not quite "together"!

There are bits and pieces of

Cloths and colors,

Scraps of material,

The days of my life...

When you began to put together

The days of my life

You must have know

Where each piece would go...

You've told me that I am

Fearfully and wonderfully

Made...

And I believe you, Lord,

I do!

I may not be a velvet tapestry,

But even crazy-quilts

Have purpose,

To give warmth and

Cozy comfort and

Color to a room!

Whatever I am, Lord,

You made me...

Lovingly,

Carefully,

Reverently,

And exactly right!

(Author: Joy Morgan Davis)

Psalm 139:14

"I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

Mary Poppins Remix

For about a year, our sweet girl was obsessed with the Mary Poppins movie, and would want to watch it at least once a day. I very much enjoy the movie, but after the 365th time of watching it, it starts to get old. This remix gives a new sound to an old favorite.

Mini Turkey Meatballs

These mini Turkey meatballs are a huge hit at our house, and are so easy to make.

Click here for the full recipe.

Sunny Side Up Finds

1. A 2 Z
2. found here (can't remember where I first saw this image, but it seems to be a popular one)
3. C+S
4. decor pad (love the giant photo on the back wall!)
5. Lee Kleinhelter
6. found here (how cool is this?!)

Italian Quesadillas

Keeping up with our new family menu, next on the list is this fast and easy Italian take on the quesadilla.

Simple Ingredient list (click here for the full recipe)

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 9 (8-inch-diameter) flour tortillas
• 3 cups shredded Fontina
• 3/4 cup jarred roasted red bell peppers, drained well and patted dry
• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
• 1/3 cup freshly shredded Parmesan, plus 3 tablespoons for garnish

 

Family Menu Revamp

Recently our weekly family menu has been repetitive and lacking interest, so I am on mission to create a menu plan that is fast, easy, interesting, and above all healthy. To get the ball rolling I found my way over to the food network, specifically Giada's Everyday Italian page. This lady knows how to cook fast, easy, interesting and above all healthy meals! Her videos are easy to follow and cook along with, especially if you prep your ingredients before hand.

Giada De Laurentiis needs no introduction, but just in case you are asking who is Giada, check out her Food Network page here. 

The hardest part, as you know, will be to create a family friendly menu that both toddler, mom, and dad will enjoy. With this in mind I will be posting a new menu item each week, so check back to see how the menu revamp project is going.

First on our new menu is Giada's Light and Healthy Penne Pasta dish. It's whole grain, has two types of kid friendly cheese, and spinach. Click here for the recipe, and check out the video below.

Light and Healthy Penne

Happy Mother's Day

I hope you have a happy Mother's Day!

Toddler Bag

 image found here

What to do when the changing mat and diapers have been replaced by a travel Lysol spray and potty seat covers!

We have been out of diapers for about 3 months now, and it is very freeing in many ways, but has opened up a few unforeseen obstacles.  Before, the diaper change could happen most anywhere, anytime, thanks to the trusty changing mat and/or back of the car (we’ve all been there). Now, the hunt is on for the nearest public restroom. The rush of making it in time, and then the germ phobic, gut wrenching reaction to the unkempt toilet! Out comes the trusty travel Lysol can, and potty seat cover (the Princess or Dora print somehow brightens the mood, you know?), and hold on for dear life as that tiny little hiney hovers dangerously close to falling in said toilet. ARGH!! Next is the grand exit strategy, followed by the ever popular statements, “Don’t touch that”, “don’t crawl under the stall door”, and the balancing act of helping a three foot little one wash their hands without wallering all over the cruddy sink. OH! And remember to pray (seriously) for there to be pink soap when you do make it to the sink, because if it’s not pink, we’re in trouble!

So, we’ve graduated from diapers to big kid undies, and don’t find the need to carry the old diaper bag around anymore, but still find a need for a few essentials while out-and-about.

Enter the toddler bag! Here is what I find helpful to have on hand.

• wipes
• potty seat covers
• change of clothes or two depending on where you are at with the newly discovered potty
• hand sanitizer
• plastic baggie to store wet clothes
  

Note: Keep the bag compact! Better yet, fit it in your purse, though I find it hard to do still. You will be squeezing into a one person stall most often, as someone has occupied the largest stall. A tip to getting in and out of said small stall: Pick up toddler, turn sideways and slide into the tiny crack of the stall door without running into the toilet paper dispenser, trash can, and of course the toilet, put toddler down and remember the famous statement “don’t touch anything!” close door and begin prepping the toilet, all the while reminding toddler “don’t touch anything!”.

Royal

Friday morning is the big Royal wedding! How many of you have been following the Will and Kate fairytale, and will watch/record the big event tomorrow? For unknown reasons I have become interested, and in recent days excited about the young Royals. It must be the amazingly fun hats like this one from Annalisa Maria!

Or maybe it all started with this plate from my Mema. It has found a home on our kitchen island in honor of the big event.

Here is my "look alike" Royal ring, that my dad gave me years back. It is not intended to be a look alike, it just somewhat reminded me of it (on a much smaller scale!).

Our sweet girl even got into the royal fun as we played tea party with one of her new Barbie dolls.

 And this fork set found here is a must for the cake table!

Click here for a complete Royal wedding rundown and join in the fun!

Image found here.

Mini bunny cakes

I hope you all had a blessed and happy Easter!

For our Easter celebration I wanted to bake up something sweet and of course cute, so I decided on mini bunny carrot cakes. 

Using the old whoopie pie pan, I baked a bunch of small round carrot cakes.

Each completed bunny cake used two round cakes, one of which is cut to form the ears and bow tie shown below.

Then, like a puzzle, place the cake pieces to form a bunny shape.

 Icing is next and I chose to make a cream cheese icing.

Top it all off with sweetened coconut, chocolate chips, fresh matchstick carrots, and a little strawberry cream cheese icing for the little bunny nose, and you have this.