Beach Life

Life doesn't get better than this. =)

Favorite Things

We just got back from our family vacation two days ago and I just can't muster up a good vacay review so it'll have to wait 'till next week.  We had such a good time and I'm really just trying to catch up on lots of sleep and lots of laundry.  In the meantime, I've found another round of my favorite summer things.  First on my list to make is that darling little headband.  It looks so easy.  And that blanket! So adorable and totally doable during nap time!

So on my list of "need to make by the end of the summer..." one of these tassel blankets.  It looks so easy and making something like this would be so much cheaper than buying something that looks this pretty.

There's a patten popping up.  These tassel tea towels are super cute too! Maybe a double project is upcoming.

I have major shoe shopping problems.  Especially lately I've ordered a couple and I've been stalking Pinterest for some new fall shoe buys.  I'm especially loving these gladiator heels, these comfy sandals and these booties which would be a great comfy/goes with everything shoe. Especially the kind that you can wear around kids.

I've been craving a healthy after work snack to last me till dinner and this Feta Cheese Avocado Hummus Dip is calling my name. This Blueberry Mint Fizz would be a great accompaniment.  Although maybe I should hold of until Noah goes to bed before I fill by head with fizzies.

Have you seen these Choco Tacos?!  I'm an original taco girl all the way but these look beyond amazing!

I have this problem where hats look pretty terrible on me and so do headbands.  But for whatever reasons I'm loving the turban headbands and I can't stop thinking I have to make a couple. I found this tutorial and it looks way too easy.  I suppose if they don't end up looking good on me I can always give then as gifts!

Enjoy the weekend and see you on Monday! and hopefully much more motivated! =)

Pinterest Recipes I've Tried and Loved Part 2

I know! Part two!  Looks like I've actually tried a lot more recipes than I thought!  But these are only the good ones so don't worry.  I won't bombard you with all the yucky ones, although maybe they should have their own post so you wont go near them. =)

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1. Home-Made Taco Seasoning - I guess this isn't much of a recipe, but I have to start with this because it's literally changed our lives.  First, we don't have to buy taco seasoning anymore, second, this is way healthier, and third, this tasted a million times better than the packages you buy at the store.  Make a whole bunch ahead of time and you'll have it ready any time you need it.

2. Baked Egg Boat -  Great for Saturday morning when you have a little extra time on your hands.  As usual, super easy.  I'm a savory bread lover and this one is a huge hit in my book.

3. Single Serve Desserts - This is a link to one specific dessert but you can find a ton of single serves.  I've tried pretty much every one and they have turned out great.  For whatever reason though I've doubled the recipes with no luck.  I've had to measure them separately to make more than one.  I promise I can do math! I don't know what the deal is!

4. English Muffin Bread - You will never need to buy English muffins ever again.  You will refuse because this is so amazing.  It makes four loaves so unless you have extra space in the freezer or a million kids I would half the recipe and call it a day.  It does take a little time and effort but it's super worth it in the end.

5. Cheddar Bacon Ranch Bread - I'm sure you've all seen this one all over Pinterest.  It was one of the first recipes I ever pinned and I can see why people love it.  It's easy to make and other than the bread loaf you should have all the ingredients in your kitchen. This is perfect as an appetizer and although not very travel friendly to bring somewhere else, if you're having people over this is sure to please everyone.

6. Pepperoni Pizza Bites - This one would be a great snack after school, or maybe for your just got home husband who can't wait for dinner.  =) The whole family can get in on this.

7. Cream Cheese Stuffed Strawberries -  Another one that's been floating around since the beginning of Pinterest.  Very tedious to make but it sure is amazing and people will love you for making this.  It's not really difficult but it does take time to assemble.

And finally I'll finish up with three of my personal recipes which I love and I know they're good because I made them! =)

8. Meatball Sandwich  9. Sunday Night Mac & Cheese  10. Wonton Chicken Burrito

Happy Cooking!

Discovering Nature as a Toddler

I miss Noah more and more as I leave for work in the morning.  I just know how much fun he is right now and I love watching him as he finds new things.  The way he figures out how cups stack or what milk feels like between his fingers.  It's the little things we don't think about that he's really starting to figure out. 

After dinner last night we headed out to the backyard to walk around and hang out.  We were pretty late to plant the garden this year so it's just really starting to take of.  The lettuce just half came up.  I think the birds night have found some of the seed.  I'm too lazy to care this year.  We also planted some broccoli for the first time this year.  I'm pretty sure the bunnies found those plants.  As usual I'm just counting on the tomatoes and arugula for Jeff.  Those are always sure wins.  Noah didn't seem to mind that our garden was lame though.  He picked at the lettuce and arugula and tried to eat it.  Can't say I blame him though; it does look pretty good.

It wasn't long until Noah moved on from the garden so I made him head towards the back of the yard.  It looks so much fuller than in previous years.  Much better I will say.  Noah loved the little daisies and even picked one for me.  Then he picked most of the others ones and stomped on them so who knows...  maybe he doesn't like flowers. =)

Once Noah heard Daddy on the deck it was all over for me.  The kid is obsessed with Jeff.  What can I say.  He is a pretty good dad. 

Over the Fourth, Noah discovered the steps and he's been trying to master them ever since.  He's got the going up pretty well but I think his legs are a little too short for going down.  That doesn't stop him though.  He steps right of one step to the next like it's no big deal and he just hopes someone is there to catch him.

It was soon time for bath and a cute little nakey baby running around.  You'd think he would have been warn out by all the fun but I'm pretty sure he had another two good hours if we would have let him. Crazy kid.

13 Months

It's so exciting to know I no longer have a baby but a little toddler who can walk and play and eat by himself. We're already a month closer to his second birthday and I'm going to try to savor this year a little better than the last.  I'm excited to see all the things Noah will be learning.  Especially the talking which I'm sure I'll regret saying later.

• Stats: Size 3 Diapers | 12mo or 18mo clothing
• Size: 28 lbs (gained a couple over the fourth, must be all grandmas cooking was so good), 12 mo at 32.1in 
• New Abilities: Staking Cups/Rings, pushing anything across rooms like chairs or his play table. Follows short commands, "come here" "Sit" " Put that back" "Give it to mommy" Follows for the most part when we say "no".
• Sleep: Sleeping consistently from 7:30pm to 7:30am. Naps twice during the day. A morning, an afternoon for about 1.5 hrs.
• Food: We're all solids now and he will eat most anything that we will.  Milk in a sippy during meals and water in between.
• Mom Check-In: Feeling good and happy to be back to work this first week after a lot of time off. I know summer is almost over for us but I finally feel like we're getting into some kind of routine.  It's not my favorite since Jeff doesn't get home 'till about six but it is nice to get to see him at night, and anything beats our school year schedule of opposites.

The cuddles have been great this month.  He's sitting still with us for longer periods of time.  When I come home he runs to the door to see me and once in a while he comes for a hug if I ask.  We've been able to lounge around and cuddle on our weekend mornings.  Jeff even gets him to play the wii with him once in a while!

With only about five weeks before Jeff and I start our busy time at work I'd like to enjoy the rest of our summer as much as possible.  I thought I would make a list of things yet left to do.

-Make and let Noah have popsicles
-Go to the zoo
-Make Noahs one year photo book (In progress as of today!)
-Start using the spoon to eat
-Start shopping for Noah's fall clothes
-Go to the GR Downtown Market
-Have a family lunch date outside downtown with Noah
-Buy a potty

If I get most of these done I'll be happy. One kind of down; seven more to go!

Summer Mom Style

Before having children, I loved to get dressed up to leave the house.  Really, other than my work uniform and my comfy clothes at night, I jumped at any moment to wear nice clothes and to look somewhat fashionable. Now though, I really struggle finding a balance with looking good and wearing clothes that can get messy and dirty; and now in the summer, don't make me a huge sweat ball.

So I've rounded up the cutest, mom friendly clothes I could find that fit the bill.  Keep in mind we don't have California weather.  Also, chances are that I have to sit crossed legged, run or bend over... Who knew dressing as a mom could be so tough. 

Baseball Hat | Sunnies | Pinaple Tee | Plain Tee

Mint Bermudas | Hot Pink Shorties | Pretty Sandals | Cute Sneakers

Ok, so my mom uniform tends to be shorts and tees, but really, is there anything easier than that?  I like to be comfortable, cute, but most importantly I need to be able to play with Noah.  

The Target tees I've lived in since way before I was pregnant or even thought about children.  You can dress them up or down and are so versatile.  I also like to throw in a couple of cute tanks here and there.  Like this banana tank.  I just recently discovered the Old Navy shorts.  They have a pretty good amount of stretch too so I would size down but that's what makes them sooo comfy.  

For shoes, I'm a sandals gal all the way.  I could buy them in every shape - design out there.  As long as they have a strap behind the foot so they stay nice and put.  I'm really loving these Kellie and Katie sandals.  You could really dress them up for date night and they come in so many colors.  And lastly, when you do finally have a second set of eyes watching your child and you don't have to do all the running, I would go for this cute maxi and girly it up a little.  Don't worry though, it's still a nice dark color so you wont see all the sticky fingers all over.

Ice Cream Fun, Walks on the Pier & The Parade

Fourth of July has come and gone so fast.  We had a great time up north but nothing beats a night in your own bed as far away as possible from a sleeping baby who makes way too much noise.  First thing we did when we came home was pop some laundry in and grocery shop. Man, our fridge was empty. 

We did have a great time this weekend.  What a difference a year makes and I must say how much more enjoyable it was having Noah be able to participate in our activities instead of constantly sleeping and nursing.  We started this long weekend with our Fourth of July parade.  We thought maybe Noah would be scared of all the loud noises but he loved every minute of it and I think because there was so much going on he stood or sat pretty still taking it all in.

They threw out some freeze pops and of course we had Noah take a nice big bite out of it.  It was so hot we gave him a couple of tastes but it must have been a little too cold for him.  It did make for some pretty funny pictures.

Of course it's never a complete trip to Tawas without some Marions Ice Cream, so we walked on by and grabbed some yummy cones

We let Noah try some, again, not a huge fan of the cold.



We finished our ice cream cones and headed towards the pier for a nice family walk.  This weekend had such mild weather.  It was perfect for being out and about.  It was even a little chilly out on the dock with all the wind.  I can't believe the amount of people actually swimming in the water.  Noah enjoyed the weekend though.  Happy baby, happy mom. Happy mom, happy husband.

Happy Fourth & Favorite Things

Happy Fourth everyone and I hope you're enjoying some warm weather and sandy beaches.  We're headed of to my in-laws for some fun in the sun (although the radar is a little crummy. "sun, come out and play!"), and Noah's first time on Lake Huron. (By the way, check out this throw back to last year... what a chubby limp baby. Haha.) Hopefully some relaxing and lounging and lots of food eating.

On that note, lets get to some of my favorite things fourth related.  I mean, it is my second most favorite holiday after Valentines Day!

Lately I'm all about low key clothing that although festive, I can reuse the rest of the year.  This little girls romper is so adorable and you can even match in this chambray button up.

For some yummies, how about these chocolate covered bananas. Or how about these cheesecake popsicles.  Oh my.  They look so amazing. For a more savory route, which is usually my choice, I'll go for this cheese dip.  Not included the cute little star crackers... bummer.

If you need some ideas to bookmark for next year, lets look at some crafty projects.  These flag mason jars would look so great lined up on the porch. You could also try these cute drink sticks for your bar cart.  They look really easy and quick to make and would bring a nice punch to those plain boring glasses.

As for me, I'll be rocking my flag scarf and my Mexico hat this morning while we watch the parade downtown... or chase Noah while he tries to run into the street.  I'll let you know.

One Year Birthday Announcements

As you guys know, our little baby Noah is no longer little, or a baby, as he finally turned one.  We had such a great time celebrating his birthday with a lot of friends and family who were able to come.  We felt bad though that not everyone could make it and we wanted them to still get to see our grown up little boy.

It's seems now that with the internet, social media like facebook, and even here on blogger, even people who are far away can still mildly keep in touch.  But that's just not the same thing as something you can hold and touch.  Something you can see on your fridge in the morning when you're making breakfast and drinking your coffee.  Plus, as my grandma always tells me, "Grandpa talks to Noah every morning on the fridge and gives him kisses"  I always laugh picturing this... but really, that's what family really wants.

Tiny Prints was so kind to offer us the perfect solution to our problem.  A one year birthday announcement similar to those you send out at birth.  Tiny Prints had so many options, that we were able to change much of the wording for a birth announcement to something that worked for a one year announcement.  The Precious Hello announcement was perfect for us.

I've been ordering from Tiny Prints, as well as Shutterfly since Jeff and I got married.  We've made invitations, birth announcements, thank you cards and photo-books since the very beginning.  They always do such a good job and their quality is beyond.

And as usual, the announcements turned out amazing.  We we're so excited to send them out to our most loved friends and family that live waaaay too far away to enjoy our tiny human.  I'm sure they will love them as well. And I'm also sure my grandpa will just have one more picture on the fridge to kiss and talk to every morning. 

Tiny Prints was kind enough to supply us with these wonderful announcements but all opinions are my own.