February wishes

One Flats. I hate wearing flats because I'm short, plus they hurt my feet most of the time, but I have come to realize that they are needed for some occasions. After trying these Reef's on at the store, I decided that these are super comfy, not just for flats either.

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Two A book. I'm taking the month of February off from school to spring clean, spend time with my son, work on my etsy shop, and hopefully make some time to open up a good book.



source

 Three A planner. We are already in February, and I still haven't gotten a new planner, but there are so many fun options! Do I refill my Franklin Covey planner, or do I get a full-on life organizer from etsy?

 

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What are your February wishes?

It's Semi-Official

Remember a few months ago when I posted about my family's decision to choose recruiting orders? Well, we did it! Chris called his detailer the first week of January just to let him know that he was interested in recruiting and actually picked the orders we were hoping for right then and there! His detailer had sent out an email that morning to fill a spot from the month before, and Chris just happened to be the first one to call.

So at the end of this year, we will be heading to......

NRD Nashville!

While we have our hearts set on a specific location, we know not to get our hopes up too much because NRD Nashville covers all of Tennessee and parts of Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi.

But I'm still keeping my fingers crossed!

February Goals

I'm really excited for my February goals! Not only am I taking the month off of school (my last month off until I graduate in August), but I am going to start working on my Etsy shop! I can't wait to share it!

 

 

1. Open up my Etsy shop. Like I said, I can't wait to share this! It is something that I am very passionate about- organic baby products.

2. Make 'me' time. I mentioned in my first post this year that I wanted to be a better me. In order to do that, I need to make time for myself. And, its easier to make time when you have time.
3. Gymboree classes with Caden. It is easy to go a little stir crazy when your a stay at home mom (especially one who is away from their family and friends), so I've really been looking forward to doing some type of kids class with Caden. Now, if I can just get Chris to fix his bike so I can have the car..
4. Spring clean and declutter. Yep, I am one of those people that actually gets excited by this.
5. Read a book. One book in one month used to be so easy for me to do!



January Baby Recipe- Apple Muffins

 

My little man loves a big breakfast, and these muffins were a hit! I started making these when Caden was around 10 months old, and I almost always have them stocked in the freezer.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour (I did half wheat and half white)

1 cup old fashioned oats

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 cup unsweetened apple sauce (Make sure it's organic, apples are on the dirty dozen!)

1/2 cup squash puree

1/2 cup milk (or formula)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup oil

1 large egg

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line muffin tins with cooking spray.

2. Combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, mix apple sauce, squasg, milk, oil, egg, and add brown sugar. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well.

3. Bake until top begins to brown and springs back to the touch. Mini muffins take about 12 minutes, and regular muffins about 18.

You can also switch out the squash with pumpkin, carrots, or avocado!

 

Happies and Crappies

Crappies

1. Duty day last weekend
2. I can't remember my wifi password, which only matters because I got a new Iphone.

 

Happies

1. Chris got to leave work early to celebrate my birthday.
2. Caden had a few of his molars finally break through, so we are sleeping much better at night!
3. And, I think we made it through the second to last wonder week!
4. Three day weekend with my Hubs coming up!

23

Yesterday, we celebrated my 23rd birthday!

My birthday started with my husband getting off right when I was waking up and walking out to a vase of roses on the dining room table. We spent most of the day lounging around, but we did take a walk down to Starbucks for a birthday caramel macchiato. For dinner, Chris took me to my favorite restaurant ever, Italianissimo Trattoria. The mushroom ravioli with mushroom cream sauce was absolutely amazing. Caden was a fan of his real sliced chicken breast tenders (and my dinner too), and Chris cleaned his plate of cheese ravioli with shrimp and brandy sauce. My birthday dessert was the best cannoli I have ever tasted brought by a cook singing a beautiful Italian version of Happy Birthday. Did I sell the restaurant to you? I know, pictures would have been the icing on the cake, but I was just enjoying myself to much to bother with the camera.

 

I loved the presents Chris got me this year because they were really out of the box. Besides a new hair straightener, I got a groupon for a sunset family portrait session and a box of organic produce delivered to the house.

New Year, New Me

Every year I make my new year's resolutions, and then I keep them to myself. This year, I decided I was going to make myself more accountable by sharing them on my blog. I wrote out each of my 5 resolutions and explained why they were on my list, but instead of hitting publish, I deleted every. last. word. I decided my resolutions were a little too personal this year.

Everything boiled down to one idea: becoming a better me. The past few years, I've struggled with emotions, self confidence, trust, and health issues. I've let everything pile on me, and I've let myself and my relationships suffer because of it. I need to take the time to make myself the person I want to be, in order to be the person others need me to be. I want need to be the wife, mother, and friend that I can be proud of. At the end of the year, my 2014 goals won't be ones that I can just cross off the list. They will continue to be a work in progess, but I will make progress.

 

Whose with me?



Eight years handed to the Navy

It's official, Chris is the property of the  U.S. Navy for another four years. You know, it didn't really hit me until I typed that line. We have been living this lifestyle for the past few years, and it has become a part of us. It seems normal to think that we are going to be a military family for another four years, but when I really think about it, it does make me a little nervous. In less than a month, Chris will be choosing(loosely) where we will spend the next few years of our life, where we will raise our family. In less than a year, we will once again pack up all of our belongings and move to a new town where we don't know anyone. Sure, its exciting, but it is also scary. Especially for someone like me, who needs everything to be planned to a T. But somehow, I got carried into this life where I am constantly challenged to stay sane. Anything for love, right?

Speaking of anything for love, Chris changed his reenlistment to Dave & Busters because he was worried about me making the hike up Cowles Mountain after my surgery on Friday.

I am ready for whatever journey this life takes us on because we will do it together. Cheers to another, completely different, four years as a military family!

This weekend, I...

.. Recovered from having my wisdom teeth removed and my tongue tie snipped. My husband got a few embarrassing videos of me waking up that I thought about sharing.. just for a very brief second! To all the people who told me it would be nothing, you lied!

Yay me, I didn't swell or bruise too bad. You should see my tongue though.

.. Last weekend, my son was the one doing the recovering after his own surgery.

Luckily, everyone is starting to feel better around here because we have such a busy week coming up! I am nowhere near finishing my class, wrapping presents, making blankets, or starting to pack for Arizona!

December Goals

 

1. Decorate for Christmas and find a tree. We have a small apartment but will hopefully be in a house for Xmas next year, so I want to find a decent tree at a decent price. Craigslist is not helping me.

2. Make dentist appointments. I have to get cavities filled and my wisdom teeth out. Needless to say, I’m postponing making the appointments even though I am in pain.

3. Lower grocery bill. Somehow, our grocery bill has been up $100- $300 the past few months. I know my son can eat, but not that much.

4. Finish class before going back to AZ. Another month of rushing to get a class done before heading back home for a visit.

5. Wrap all presents before Christmas Eve. I’m so good at leaving a present or two for Christmas Eve.. or Christmas morning.. But not this year!

 

I did so-so well on last month's goals..

1. Bake with pumpkin. Pumpkin bread, plus two home made pumpkin pies with fresh pumpkin- one for a church dinner and one for Thanksgiving.

2. Organize Caden’s room. I’m about halfway. So many toys, and we still have Christmas!

3. Finish my class schedule. Almost, just waiting on an appointment with my counselor.

4. Start Christmas shopping. Check!

5. Pack up Caden’s baby stuff. I really need to do this. Baby gliders and cradles may work well for storage, but I’d much rather have them in storage.

I'm so excited for December!

Christmas on a Budget

Christmas is my favorite holiday, hands down. I love buying presents for other people, and of course, getting presents myself is just as fun. This year, our christmas budget is a little smaller than usual, so I'm taking every step possible to make sure that I get the most for my money and spread that Christmas cheer as thin (or thick?) as possible!

Here are the steps I have been taking:

1. Creating a budget and sticking to it. We already have a monthly budget, and sticking to that has been the only reason we have saved enough to buy christmas presents. Something that we have been trying lately is a paycheck 'allowance' for each of us, and its actually working. If Chris or I want something, we have to save our money until we have enough to get it, so it not only helps us save money, but it prevents impulse buys that we may not be happy with later.

2. Planning meals for the weekend, clipping coupons, and shopping the sale ads. Somehow, our grocery bill  has skyrocketed the past few months, and I'm trying to lower it without sacrificing how well we eat. Saving money in other areas means more money for Christmas.

3. Making money while I spend money buying all those Christmas presents with Ebates. I seriously love this site. In just under two years, I have made $140. That might not be too much, but when you think about the fact that it's free money, it seems like much more! After Christmas last year, I received $50 from all my online shopping, and I'm hoping to do the same this year.

4. Setting a limit on Christmas spending and buying for the kids first. Yes, budgets apply to christmas shopping as well! And Christmas really is about the kids.

5. Getting creative with wrapping. The dollar store is a great place to buy gift bags, and I even found scored big with Toy Story wrapping paper!

Or.. You could always put a bow on your child and give them to their grandparents for a few days..

Happies and Crappies

It's pretty simple this week, but both my happies and crappies have to do with Caden's recent doctors appointments:

Crappies
1. Caden had to get his 12 month shots, and then have an xray done in the same day. It was torture. For Caden too.

Happies
1. Caden is still cleared from hip dysplasia!

Say cheese!

I somehow overlooked this post a few weeks ago! Better late than never, when it comes to pictures like these!

***

I'm a snacker, and it can be difficult to find quick, easy snacks as a stay at home mom trying to do 10 things at once. And my husband is a snacker because he just loves to snack, so having healthy choices in the house is always important. Which is where Sargento cheese snacks come into play. They are so portable, my husband can even eat them while working out!

Plus, sargento has these spiffy cheese holders that keep the sticks colder longer, so they are perfect for lunch boxes (and gym bags).

Special thanks to my husband for being such a great model ; )

*I received compensation for the products in the post by Sargento because I am a member of Influenster*

Friday's letters

 

Dear Upstairs Neighbors, Please stop scheduling your child's in-house exercise time for my child's nap time. Dear apartments, Your new parking rules are absolutely ridiculous.. Maybe you should have anticipated all the problems when you decided to not assign parking spaces? Dear Mom, We are so excited that you are flying in tomorrow and staying until Christmas! How lucky we are that we actually hope for long visits from Nana! Dear Husband, I am so lucky to be married to you. Dear Caden, I'm so sorry that you have to start your weekend by getting so many shots, but I promise to give you extra attention and extra love.

November goals

Is it November already? Last month, I posted my October goals:
1. Plan Caden's birthday party. I did a test run with the recipe I wanted to use for Caden's cake, I made his shirt, and even sent out paper invitations! It turned out perfect.
2. Decorate for fall/ halloween. I decorated our mantle. We need more halloween decorations!
3. Make/find halloween costumes. We decided on Tim Burton characters. Chris and I were the Corpse Bride and groom, and Caden was Jack Skellington from Nightmare before Christmas. I found an all natural costume makeup from etsy, so I wasn't nervous about painting Caden's face, and it turned out adorable!

4. Finish class before we go to Arizona. Although I did turn in an assignment without attaching a file.
5. Baby proof the house completely. The kitchen is baby proofed, but there are still a few more things I need to do around the house.

1. Bake with pumpkin. I made Caden's birthday cake with pumpkin, and I've baked pumpkin bread/muffins, but I still have two pumpkins sitting on my table that I need to use!
2. Organize Caden's room. I made so much progress, and now it is overrun with toys that he got for his birthday.
3. Finish my class schedule. I've been putting this off because I don't want to think about how many classes (and how many months) I have left until I graduate.
4. Start christmas shopping. I'm hoping to have at least half done by December.
5. Pack up Caden's baby stuff. I've been waiting on Chris to put away the cradle, glider, and swing, but now that Caden is already a year old, I think I'm going to have to do it myself!

Thank you to all the men and women who have served or are serving in our military.

One year!

I never thought I could be so busy because my child was turning one. My last blog post was Oct 18, and now we are a week into November and I'm just getting back to blogging!

I spent the week before Caden's birthday working on my October goals, and I was working like a mad woman, but I did it!

My little man officially turned one on Thursday, October 24. I've always imagine making my children's birthdays full of fun, but unfortunately Caden spent 6 hours of his birthday in the car for our drive to Phoenix. However, he did spend the morning playing with his first toy, a popper, and he did get to see his grandparents, aunt, uncle and nephew!

We had Caden's birthday on Saturday at my sister's house in Phoenix, and we had a lot of fun with all of our family and friends. Caden was so worn out by the end of the day; poor guy was a bit overwhelmed with all the people, cake, presents, and pictures!



Instead of ordering a shirt for $20, I made this one with scraps of fabric that was left over from the sheets and blankets I made him before he was born.

I made all the cakes from scratch the day of the party. Please ignore the random candles in the background.



 

 

I made Caden's smash cake somewhat baby friendly- I made a pumpkin, avocado, applesauce cake. I did a test run the week before the party, and it turned out amazing so I made one for the adults as well (and of course chocolate too). I really thought Caden was going to smash his cake, but instead he refused to touch it and just sucked the frosting off. I'm not sure if it would have been different if he wasn't so tired, but it was still adorable.

 

Friday's Letters

Dear Amazon, I was very upset with you for the past month, because you didn't tell me that it would take a month to get Caden's new car seat when I purchased it. After talking to a rep on the phone, and then emailing customer service to tell them that I needed it for our road trip, you got it to me within 3 days! I am  once again a happy and loyal customer. Dear Husband, I have finally come to terms with the idea that you watch cartoons (specifically, The Avengers) as a way to relax.. I guess. Dear Baby Boy, I cannot believe that you are going to be ONE next week. You are still my baby boy though, don't you forget it!

Julian

A few weekends ago, we made a day trip to Julian, California. Chris and I had been wanting to go since a family member told us about it at Christmas, but one thing after another (including the AC going out in our car and costing a measly $4,000 to fix) made us delay the trip. I have to say, it was well worth the wait (kind of like the pictures I'm about to show you).

 

I got my boys to try on some cowboy gear in one of the shops. Aren't they handsome?

We couldn't leave without some apple butter and pumpkin butter. Even Caden is a fan!

 

We decided on barbeque for lunch. We both had a 'burnt ends brisquit' sandwich and it was amazing.

 

Although Julian is a huge tourist location, it has maintained the small town feel. The people who live and work there are so friendly! Not just the "How are you doing?" with a smile friendly, but genuine conversation with you friendly. If we are still in Cali next year, we are planning on taking Caden to the pumpkin festival. If your ever in San Diego, Julian is well worth the trip!

Happies and Crappies

Crappies

1. Caden having a yeast diaper rash. I'm pretty sure that it started as a reaction to the acid in kiwi, and then turned into this mean yeast infection. Luckily, we caught it early and nystatin + coconut oil + baking soda bath = healing!
2. Weekend duty. No fun.
3. My brother was in an accident. He has a fractured skull, and his jaw and upper palette are in pieces. After 4 days in the ICU, the swelling in his face has gone down enough for surgery. Prayers would be greatly appreciated!!

Happies

1. Middle of the night snuggles with my baby boy. I hate that he is in pain, but I am appreciating the fact that he wants his Momma to hold him and make him feel better. Caden slept in bed with me up until he was six months olf, and then all of the sudden he decided that he didn't want to cuddle anymore and went straight to his crib. So when I have to stay up holding him in the middle of the night for 45 minutes (or bring him into bed with me) I cherish those moments instead of counting miss sleep.

October Goals

I'm so excited October is here! I know Fall starts in September, but for me, it never feels like Fall until October. Which means it is time for decorations, Caden's birthday, and the start of the holiday season! Since I find it really easy to get overloaded this time of year, I've decided to make a goal for each month through the end of the year.

1. Plan Caden's birthday party. We are heading back home for his party, so it is pretty impossible for me to wait until the last minute to start planning. Also, I want to do a practice smash cake so I can make sure the recipe actually tastes good!
2. Decorate for fall/ halloween. Last year, I decorated for fall instead of Halloween because my pregnancy hormones wouldn't let me bring home a new baby to a 'spooky house!'
3. Make/find halloween costumes. We wanted to dress Caden up like baby Bane, but we don't let him use his binky unless he is going to sleep, so we have to think of something else.
4. Finish class before we go to Arizona. Every time we go back home, I am on the last weekend of a class (I take one class a month) and I make a mad dash to get everything done ahead of time. That's still the case this month, but I'm taking a lab so I'm hopefully going to be able to work ahead.
5. Baby proof the house completely. Caden loves everything that he is not supposed to have, so baby proofing is really important. Right now, all the sharp objects that used to be in the kitchen drawers are now just sitting on the counter because I haven't figured out how to reorganize!

What are your goals for October?