Guest Posting

Hello Readers - I know posting has been pretty slim - still no mojo around these parts, hopefully soon!  Anyways, I'm guest posting today on Ashley of The Domestic Wannabe's blog - A Day in the Life of Me being a mommy.  Enjoy and hope everyone's week is going well!

CrockPot Corn Chowder

So - I do not have any pictures of this - because it's all gone and I didn't think about it (I've been so bad with picture taking, I've barely picked up my camera for 2 weeks).  Anyways - this is definitely one of family favorite's and it's simple and something I can throw in and forget about.

Ingredients:

• 6-8 potatoes, peel and cube them - prefer red potatoes
• 2 cups of ham cubed, I usually just buy the hatfield ham slices
• a dollop of butter
• chicken broth - I buy the small boxed sizes
• salt & pepper
• veggies are optional: onion, carrots - my family is picky so we just use onion powder, no idea when using fresh veggies how much to use etc.
• 1 can of evap milk
• 1 can of undrained kernel corn
• 1 can of cream style corn
• couple tbsp of flour *optional*

Directions:  Throw everything in the crockpot except for the evap milk and flour.  Fill with chicken broth until just everything is covered.  Cook on slow all day long.  30 mins before ready to serve pour in evap milk we prefer the a little bit of a thicker texture to it, so we add in some flour and keep mixing until all of the clumps are gone.  Serve and enjoy!  

Pintastic Swaptastic!!!

Mamarazzi decided to host one of your fantabulous swaps again - everything had to be pink.  Who doesn't love receiving some pink-y goodness?!  I know I do!  I was paired up with Noelle from Lil Bits and Pieces of Me.  We actually emailed a few times - which was nice, that's never happened with any other swap partner I've had. 

Now for what was in my package - which arrived crazy fast on Monday.  When I took everything out this is what I go to unwrap. 

And in case you can't see what everything is here's the breakdown: 

• Silicone Heart Shaped Pan
• Vday cake mix and icing
• A travel cupcake container - seriously, this is one of my favorite things! 
• Cute small napkins & a tea towel
• Pretty glass votive holder with candle
• Pair of socks
• Bodywash
• Lotion
• Vday Dots, Bubblegum (which the Hubs promptly confiscated for work) and some pink hot chocolate mix, holding out on doing this until Vday with my girls, they are going to love it! 
• Some sparkly glittery scrapbook paper, scrapbook hearts, and a cute wipe off board. 

Noelle thank you for the super sweet package filled with awesome goodies!  I enjoyed being your partner and thought it humorous how we both sent each other a lot of the same things!  And thank you again Mamarazzi for hosting another fantastic swap! 

What I Learned This Weekend

What a week last week was - so glad we are starting a new one!!!  Sorry for the cricket's chirping around the blog lately - I've sat down to write a couple times and nothing seems to ever come to mind - feeling a little lost on the blog writing mojo.

Back to our weekend

1. This was our first weekend with nothing planned, it's completely ok to say no to our normal weekly family dinners with my parents and the in-laws.
2. Avalynn woke up way too early Saturday morning but after having a bottle she slept in until 9:30.  Thank you baby girl - we all needed the sleep!
3.  Emma and I had a fun Saturday morning running errands in the rain.   She got a watermelon slushie and bought herself a new Tangled book.
4.  Every since Emma started talking she's always been a talker, but this past weekend it was brought to a new level.
5.  Because of this I seriously am worried about my sanity over the next few years, especially when Avalynn starts in too.
6.  Case in point even when she was watching her movie it was a constant dialogue with lots of Moms thrown in there!
7.  After errands while everyone else napped I lost myself in a new book I treated myself too.
8.  Thank you the Hubs sister for the gift card for Chili's as I didn't have to cook dinner that night.
9.  Since we got hit with a yucky virus and crud last week I got thrown off my normal cleaning schedule.
10.  Because I have the best Hubs around he helped me knock out the house cleaning in no time.
11.  I might have also let the laundry pile up too?
12.  He switched loads for me and brought them up so I could fold them.
13.  I don't know why, but I'd much rather fold then switch?
14.  Decided to make my yummy crockpot corn chowder and Avalynn devoured it!  This makes me happy - another meal she loves!
15.  I did what I said I'd never do - it's been a struggle getting her to drink milk from a sippy.  Since she's still on 3 bottles of formula, per her Ped, I tried putting the milk in a bottle and she was happy as a clam.
16.  I really hope we can be done with bottles soon and done completely transitioning her from formula to milk.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!!!

1st Birthday Party

*Warning - post is picture heavy*  I've been wanting to post for days, but the weekend was spent recouping from the party and then this week a yucky flu bug hit the family - so glad to see we're all feeling better! 

Click here to look at my previous post of some of the items we got that were Monkey to go with her party.  We held A's party in the church fellowship hall.  Decorations were some paper chains, tissue paper flowers, and balloons all in pinks and green. 

Here's the cupcake toppers that the Hubs & I made one evening.   SO pleased with how they turned out. Those pink monkey's on the table are flash lights for each of the kids to go along with their goody bag they filled during their candy scramble. 

Close up of the beautiful 1 year old!  You can't tell but her barrette is a monkey too - needless to say she didn't leave it alone for long before it was yanked free. 

Hat made by the Hubs which again didn't stay on for more than 30 seconds.  And can you see your cute onsie that I used that iron on transfer on?  She had a blast with the cake and towards the end she'd just dive her head in and wouldn't even use her hands.  

To help entertain the kiddos we had this blow-up jumpy thing that was the oldests' when she was little.  It was a BIG hit with all of the kids.

We also had pieces of paper sitting at ever spot and asked our guests to write something to Avalynn, whether advice, a memory, why we love her.  Here's a few of our favorites: 

- Avalynn, If you can read this, you win.  If you can't read this, just grin.  If you can't grin, just smile.  For when you smile, we all smile, and you win!!  Happy 1st Birthday From Pappy Bill

- Avalynn - You inspire so much joy in your family.  Your smiles makes a bad day good and your laugh makes everyone laugh along with you.  You are beautiful and special and so very, very loved.  Keep your chin up and keep smiling and you can conquer the world!  Love Sherri

- Happy 1st Birthday!  Hope you and Emma become the best of friends.  Sisters are able to get through anything when they have each other.  From Jamie

Overall the party was a great success, so many of our friends and family were able to share in the day as we celebrated our little blessing from above turning 1.  I hope she looks back fondly at the pictures knowing how loved she is!

*I plan to link to a couple of these fabulous parties!*