Some Easter Fun

Even though Stella has been battling a cold- which she is finally on the mend- we have still been enjoying some Easter fun; especially with our food :) We made some festive chocolate cupcakes with Minnie cupcake papers of course and had some bunny pancakes for breakfast. Clearly they were low effort bunny shapes. But we enjoyed them anyways.

I have said this over and over but I am so excited for Easter this year. The closer it gets, the more excited I am. I can't wait to dye eggs, leave the bunny a treat the night before, hide the eggs, watch her find the eggs Easter morning, to see her in her Easter dress, and of course make her basket and watch her rummage through it. I have no doubt she is going to love the tutu, Minnie shirt, chapsticks, headbands, and all the other goodness that the Easter bunny is going to leave her.





And last but not least, this little man is going to be enjoying his fair share of Easter candy for sure... bring on the reeses peanut butter eggs! ;)

18 Months aka 1 and a half?!

Stella babe, you are 1 and a half! How did this happen? You have transformed into this smart, funny, loving, beautiful, little girl. But, just so you know- no matter how old you really are you will always be my baby. I love you something fierce. You have shown me who I am meant to be, who I am today, a Momma, to you. You have taught me that this is what I am suppose to do in my life. Motherhood is by far the best thing in this entire world. You are my sunshine, and I am more than thankful for each day that we spend together. You are the sweetest and perfect thing. 

Daddy and I have already told you but we are not sure if you completely understand just yet. But you my little girl are going to have a little brother. You are going to teach him so many things and be the best big sister one could be to him. He is going to look up to you, he is going to admire you and he is going to love you. He already is the luckiest little man because he is going to have you to grow up with. I couldn't be more proud to have you by my side to help me take care of him when he arrives. I love you Stella. Happy 1 and half years old sweet girl. 

First Cold of 2015 and Our Weekend

This weekend was great, besides the fact that Stella was a little bit under the weather. She woke up on Friday with the beginnings of a cold, and the cold symptoms only seemed to progress through the weekend. Unfortunately for toddlers her age no cold meds do the trick; those nasty germs just have to run their course. So, the humidifier is running, warm baths are being taken, a pot of Momma's chicken soup was made, herbal tea with honey is brewing and a fro yo trip for some sherbert was in order! Even though she wasn't fully herself we still managed to get her out and get some fresh air this weekend.

As a Mom, when your baby is sick you feel so helpless... I just wanted to make her as comfy as possible...and take the germies away.

I love love love weekend breakfasts with both Rick and Stella. We kicked off our morning with these yummy homemade strawberry poptarts. They were way better than the store bought ones especially warm out of the oven and were so easy! totally cheated and used store bought pie crust though ;)

Later that day we took her out for some Clinton fresh air and some fro yo :) Even though it is officially Spring, it definitely does not feel like it! It was rather a quick trip as she wasn't herself. When we got back home Stella helped Rick feed the deer. She lives for things outdoors....maybe it feels like we have been in the house for ages.

I heart these two...

ahh...the Easter bunny. I thought for sure it was going to be a repeat meltdown from Santa. Boy, was I wrong. She couldn't get out of my arms fast enough to go up to him. She even sat on his lap and gave the photographer one of her cheesy grins! She was infatuated with the bunny, so much that she actually cried when we had to take her off of his lap. I was so proud of her. We then spent some of the day strolling around the mall with Nana, Pop, and your Uncles. i just wish you felt better sweet girl. 

and that was our weekend in a nutshell. i decided to leave out the rough nights we had getting Stella down for bed,i can't sleep either when I am stuffed up and coughing, all the boogies I got to suck, and we are still using the wood stove as the temps are cold as shit...but we are about to run out of wood...Spring where the hell art tho?...we ain't got no more wood!!

4 Dozen Cookies Later...

While Stella was napping yesterday, I whipped up a batch of cut out sugar cookie dough so it could chill in the fridge until after dinner. Of course I found a new cookie dough and icing recipe on pinterest to try. Not until I got to adding the dry ingredients- 51/2 cups of flour did I realize how many cookies this recipe made! 4 effing dozen cookies!!! What the hell are we going to do with almost 50 bunny and carrot shaped cookies? :) After dinner I cleared off the kitchen table and Rick, Stella and I rolled out some cookie dough and cut out bunnies and carrots- perfect Easter shapes :) I know we did this a few months ago for Christmas but Stella had blast this time. She was rolling out the dough, pushing down on the cookie cutters and handing the cut out cookies to Rick to put on the cookie sheet. Needless to say we had a pretty damn good assembly line going.

Kitchen messes are meant to be made.

The kitchen was covered in flour table to floor. And so was Stella :) These kinds of messes are the best. I was whooped after cleaning the kitchen last night, but totally worth the memories that we just created at that very table. But for our cookies....I am not going to say they are the prettiest, but they are damn good. In this house, it is not all about presentation but about how it tastes going down! get in my belly.  I am thinking we should wrap some up and deliver some to our neighbors. ;)

On another note my little baker is infamous lately for putting things in places where they don't belong! Let's see I caught her putting a bottle of Rick's cologne in the toilet, her small toy pieces in the central vac system in the house, and I can't forget about the dried clementine wedges that I found in my vase yesterday. I feel like I have a funny story for Rick each day about this little lady. i love it. i am so thankful and feel so blessed for all of these stories, memories, and experiences that i am living through. 

Okay and this video...I really have no words. She is just so silly at times :)

TGIF! can't forget to mention it's the first day of Spring and we are sitting inside waiting for the expected snow to fall...wtf?!

Lately and Some Food Fun

I'd like to think that we are over the cold hump and the days will be mild until it really warms up. And by mild, I mean feeling comfortable with a coat on outside. Today was mild. Stella is a happy camper even if it's just walking around outside, digging in the rocks and touching what snow/ice is left on the ground which isn't much-hallelujah! It's the getting her to come back inside that is the difficult part. The ground is still way too mushy both at the park and our backyard as well. Driveway and sidewalk play it is :)

Our weekend was good. Busy one day and the other was just the opposite. It was a nice balance. Saturday we visited with some friends. Stella is so great around other kids- to sit back and watch her just makes me feel warm and fuzzy. Not because she is my kid and all, but she is just a great sharer and is always willing to give her toys away. She will hand over every single toy in her backpack. I really hope that character trait is around to stay ;) She is growing up so fast, which makes me want to freeze time more and more. Sunday we spent running a few family errands, grabbed lunch and cooked a nice big ol' pot of split pea soup. Still loving Soup Sundays! Stella decided to not nap on Sunday. Surprisingly the evening went way better than I had imagined it going. The little babe was in bed by 7:30 snoozing and Rick and I sipped on some tea and watched a movie. Great end to a weekend. 

blurry as hell- but adorable

And lastly- for a little food fun lately....

initial pancakes

my jam lately..Stella's too..baby arugula, strawberries, feta, hard boiled eggs, walnuts in a dijon maple vinaigrette

mini rum cheesecakes with strawberries shooters

and because it is almost St. Patty's day..Lucky Charms marshmallow treats with extra marshmallow :) I have trouble letting them set before I get my hands on them and begin eating them...

Cheers! Wishing I had a green beer in hand ;)

First Froyo Trip of the Year!

This girl just kills me. She must think I am always in her face with the camera. When she sees me taking a picture of her now, she gives me her cheesy smile. I am so in love with her smile. Her whole faces scrunches and she shows off her pearly whites :)

Stella and I had our first froyo date of the year. Many more to follow- that is for sure. It was so much fun. She was able to walk around the froyo shop and help me pump out some yogurt. She pointed to the toppings that she wanted-all the colorful ones of course- and we shared a cup together with two separate spoons each feeding ourselves. She felt like such a big girl sitting in the big chair. Between each bite she would point to the chair she was sitting in and say "chhh" for chair.

First fro yo trip of 2015 down!

While I was writing this post yesterday, Stella was napping, I was fresh off the treadmill, the house was clean decent, no dinner prep really needed to be done so I sat and looked at my posts from last year. More specifically this time last year. Reading and looking at pictures made me feel so happy that I began this when I did. I can't believe all of the things I had forgotten about already and it's only been a year. To see how my little baby has changed in just one year is incredible. Some posts made me cry, and some made me chuckle. Beginning this blog about my journey through motherhood was one of the best decisions I have made. Blog on I shall!

More Pictures, Less Words

The first 50 degree weather day yesterday felt like Spring! No doubt that we were outside. After the time that we spent yesterday just walking around the driveway and sidewalks, digging in the stones, dipping the stones in the snow, made me more excited for this Spring. Stella was so happy to be outside; one glance at her swing she was smiling ear to ear pointing and yelling. When Rick got home he cleaned off her swing and in she went. The soggy mess that it is outside is not going to keep us from enjoying the temps. We have been stuck in the house for way too long! Here are a few pictures from our short adventures outside yesterday...

Stella the little mixologist. Ha! I swear this kept her busy for a good half hour last night. She was dumping drips of her water into her four color cups and either spilling it out to wipe it up with a paper towel or drinking it, slamming her cup down and saying "ah!' (the sound you typically hear after drinking a refreshing drink on a hot Summer day) 

all the meanwhile our friends were outside eating their dinner...

And those bunny jammies that I ordered for Stella??...totally in love with them and her cheesy smile in the next picture. Stella loved them too because they have bunnies on them ;) Getting her dressed these days is a real chore. She'd rather wear no clothes and stick to just shoes or boots. Getting dressed for the day usually consists of me either chasing her down followed by buckets of tears or some sort of bribe. Yup, bribing a one year old- no judgement! :)

Friday Favorites

Well it is Friday. Cheers to that! I thought maybe this would be a good day for a post about some at the moment favorites. So Friday favorites it is and here they are....

Stella calls them 'deeries' and I call them Rick's furry children. Our deer around here are like clockwork. I swear they know when Rick gets home and are across the street waiting for their corn. Rick stops on the way home weekly to buy them a huge bag of corn like it's his job ;) Lately since the ground has been snow covered, they have been making more stops than usual at our home looking for extra food. Yesterday, they came breakfast time and were digging in the snow covered driveway looking for any hidden treasure. As soon as Rick was done slow blowing for the upteenth time this winter,  they were here eating away. The other day Rick counted 14 in the driveway! The babies are soo cute!

We, mostly Stella has really been enjoying a new addition to the playroom. This pizza party keeps her busy for a record time! All of the pizza slices and topping coins velcro to make the pizza pie. I have really grown to love the Melissa and Doug wooden toy sets. I find them to be well made and last a long time. The cupcake set is also Melissa and Doug. Not only do we like to make different pizza's with the toppings, but we like to make it rain mushrooms up in here!

I can't even explain how funny Stella's babbling is. I have tried so many times to catch her best work on video but as soon as I turn the video on the best is over. She really gets into her conversations and she is a hand talker! Her hands are always going as she babbles. Rick and I enjoy nothing more than to sit back and take in this live entertainment each and every night. Here is a short clip. 

I have recently switched shampoos for Stella and have found a new favorite. I have fallen in love with the Honest brand body wash and shampoo. The sweet orange vanilla scent is to die for and leaves her smelling oh so yummy. But even better, it leaves her hair so silky and soft. If they made an adult version I would be all over that. 

These cheesy faces....my favorite

This has been my go to lunch for over a week straight. I am in love. It didn't take Stella long to jump on the spinach quinoa salad band wagon. This time I don't think she wants it just because it is my plate, however, she really enjoys it.  baby spinach, craisins and sliced pear tossed with a small amount of EVOO,balsamic vinegar and salt. Then tossed with warm quinoa to slightly wilt the spinach. Add in goat cheese! Yumm!

To say I am excited to make up Stella's Easter basket this year is an understatement. I can't wait to fill it with tutu's, chapsticks, and these heart shaped sunnies. Of course I will put in a few Easter books to add to her library. 

Time to kick off the weekend :)