Amazing, and simple, Eggnog Cream Pie

Okay, seriously, this is everything Christmas in my mouth, all at once.  It's fantastic in a way I can't even tell you.  I stumbled across this blog post earlier today, courtesy of pinterest.  I pondered for about 30 seconds on whether to make it or not.  And, because I am a lover of all things eggnog, I made out the grocery list and was ready to go the minute L woke up from her nap.

Toddler Proof Christmas Tree Make Over

So it's that time of year again.  Most of us dig into our storage, pull out the totes upon totes of delicate Christmas heirlooms and treasures and proudly display them around our home for the holiday season.  We put up tinsel or sparkly garland, and string our teetering tree with lights and "shatterproof" ornaments.  Family photo's and books are traded in for a nutcracker and a Christmas village.  Except for those of us with toddlers... especially 1 year old toddlers who are still learning.

That elite group of us who still consider braving the over decorated stores with our tots in tow cringe.  Cringe at the things to break.  Look out for the tinsel, lights, and garland decorated windows and trees which attract tiny hands like a month to the flame...inevitably bringing it to its demise.  And the thought of bringing such items into our home?  Are you kidding?  I cherish the fact I can now turn my back on my child while she plays from her toy bin and I manage to unload and load the dishwasher without her "help."  If I brought a tree in and trimmed it with such bait, I'd never be able to leave my daughters side for fear she'd pull the entire thing crashing down on herself in an attempt to further explore the newness and attractiveness of it all.

Realistic toddler food

I suppose my time has come.  It seems that every mom with a blog has a "toddler approved" list of foods.  I can't really knock them, because those mom's saved my sanity when my creative spark was just lost to think outside the box for a new meal for her.  I know she can eat whatever we eat...so says the pediatrician...but have you ever tried to feed a toddler soup?  How bout something with jalapenos?  Sandwich that's not just a PB&J?  Also, have you ever tried to convince a picky eater (or a teething toddler) to eat something other than soft pasta?  And really, how many times can you feed them mac and cheese, or grilled cheese, before you start to feel a little guilty that they're not getting a variety of foods?  So, I've come up with the list of foods that have worked in our house, hopefully some of them will work for you, or at least spark some ideas to help you think of more!

Birthday Invitations!

So I'm a little behind schedule planning Lyla's 1st birthday.  I got so involved with Thanksgiving, and Christmas, my brain just skipped right over her birthday.  Parent fail?  I think so.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies!

Alright, so I just couldn't wait until after Thanksgiving to share this one with you because it's SO delicious.

I have to give credit where credit is due.  I got this recipe over at Dreamy Desserts, and let me just tell you, she hit the nail on the head with this one!  As someone who grew up in the north east, home of the whoopie pie, I was hesitant at first to derive from its initial awesomeness.  But, being a fan of all things fall, pumpkin, and cream cheese...how could I say no?

Because I can't just leave well enough alone, I was determined to make these guys in little pumpkin shapes.  At first I busted out my cookie press and the pumpkin disc.  However, it would seem that whoopie pie batter is not a friend to the cookie press.  BIG mess in the making.

Posts to come, I promise, I'm not slacking!!!

I know I'm slacking in posting, but seriously, life is busy this time of year!!!

I'm getting my butt BACK to the gym since October was scratched.  Unforeseen surgeries tend to put a damper on that momentum.  I'm finding that I actually prefer to double up my routines and get 2 done in 1 day.  It's probably not the completely right answer, but it makes my half hour drive to the gym far more worth it.  Granted a single routine takes 45 minutes to an hour, however a double only adds on an extra half hour so it just seems to make sense.  And, courtesy of my planet fitness membership, I can also get in a tanning session!  Twice a week to get all my routines in and KNOWING I can make it, and then going randomly in the week if I have time or putting in a Zumba work out is way easier with our schedule, and an almost 1 year old, than trying to get to the gym 4 times a week after 6 pm once the hubs is home.

White Hot Chocolate

Alright, so I foolishly bought one of those pre packaged white hot chocolate mixes. The other day when we finally had some crisp enough fall whether I had my heart set on a nice big mug. And you know what, it tasted like CRAP. It tasted like regular hot chocolate, just white in color. For someone who LOVES white chocolate, it made for a huge disappointment. So, I thought perhaps I could make some myself with the white chocolate chips I already had. We don't, however, usually carry regular milk in the house unless it's for the little one. I did, however, have a nice big carton of vanilla almond milk. Let me just tell you, the MOST AMAZING HOT CHOCOLATE EVER... well, white hot chocolate.

Holding On

I've had some time to reflect over the past few days, on a lot.  What it mostly comes down to is holding on.

Everyone in life grasps on to something.  Some people hold on to love, to goals, to certain periods in life, to hope.  It doesn't really matter what it is, the point is that we all do it.  And isn't it funny the things we choose to hold on to?

It's Time!!!

So this coming Saturday my husband has a huge race he's been training for, for about the past year.  Needless to say, it's made getting rid of the baby weight a little less than easy given the lack of time or consistency in our household.

However, the time has finally come...or will be coming... to get my butt in gear!!!

Hello Autumn, Hello Blank Canvas!

I made the first batch of apple crisp today, my house smells amazing and it's made me crave autumn to arrive in full force more than ever!

Something about this time of year excites me to no extreme.  Perhaps it's the cooler weather offering a reprieve from August's heat.  Perhaps it's the changing of the leaves, or just the fact that every change of season seems to present itself like a blank canvas.

Before and After

I was posed with an interesting topic to think on the other day.  It was asked "What do you miss most from before becoming a mother, and what do you appreciate most after becoming one?"

I've been struggling with this a lot lately.  Some days it just feels that I'm either a mom or a wife, but have a hard time juggling both in any given day.

What I mean by that is that my husband can come home after working a 12 hour shift to a house that's clean, I've managed a shower and to do my hair and make up and be dressed in something other than comfy pants and a tank top.  I might have made a dessert that day or cooked something special, and I've taken some time for me throughout the day so that I'm relaxed and happy.  However, because I have taken time away from spending with my daughter, she is in a less than desirable mood.

So Much Love

I once dated a guy who told me "I feel on top of the world when you fall asleep in my arms."  This was, of course, in fact to my falling asleep while we were watching something incredibly boring on TV.  I remember reading that line in a note and thinking "You feel special that I found your interest so dull that I fell asleep?  Creep."

YEARS later, I have a much different outlook on those words.

Tonight was one of those exhausting nights.  The ones where NOTHING at bed time goes right, no matter how much you planned for it.

What a PERFECT alternative to a cosleeper!

So when we brought little miss home we first put her in a cosleeper.  Which was great, until she grew like a weed and became a sprawler really early on.  So, needless to say she outgrew her co sleeper pretty darn quick.

Then we moved her into bed with us.  I actually quite liked the bed sharing, it was super convenient for those night time feedings and I hardly missed a wink of sleep.  Of course we made sure it was done safely, had body pillows on either side of her between us and her just in case one of us slept more soundly than we anticipated.

And then she became a tosser and a turner, and started learning to roll over and crawl.  And then bed sharing, even in our king size bed, because a pain.  So, we moved her crib into our room and started trying to move her after she fell asleep.  If someone has a great way to move a 20 lb 27 inch long child without waking them, I'd LOVE to hear it.

Solutions, how I love them

I'm back!!!  It only took close to 9 months.  The saving grace?  I now have a blogger app on my ipod touch.  That means when Lyla goes down for a nap and I'm stuck next to her because she's been sleeping terribly and needs as long of a nap as possible, I can still be sort of productive!  Thank goodness!!!  Anyway, here we go.  I have recipes, organization tricks, and some pretty neat craft ideas WAY backed up to talk about.  And with fall around the corner and an itch to cook everything pumpkin and apple all over again...we should be set with some materials for quite a while.  Sorry about dropping off the face of the earth, turns out having a kid is a bit time consuming!