alan and steph

30 Day Photography Challenge | Week Two

2012-01-22T19:07:00.000-08:00

Did you think I forgot this little challenge I set out to do?

Nope.

I've been busy, don't get me wrong, but when I set out to do something, you can bet I'll finish it. It's just a weird thing about me.

If you missed Week One of My 30 Day Photography Challenge be sure to click on over and check out the first seven pictures of this little challenge.

Without further ado.... Week Two

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Day Eight :: A Bad Habit. The Starbucks Drive-Through is truly a God send. Yummy coffee without having to get out of my car (and lug two girlies with me)? Yes please!

However at $5/cup let's just say that my hubby would label it as a "Bad Habit."

Day Nine :: Someone you Love. There are two specific things that I want to address in this photo.

#1. Let's keep the first things first. My mom and dad are THE BEST! Nora refers to them as Mop (yes... Mop) and Papa. My love and appreciation for them grows on a daily basis. Love you two!

#2. The creator of Skype. I really have no idea who he/she is (although I'm sure a quick Dr. Google search would help me figure it out in a second flat)... but I LOVE YOU! Skype has been such a great help in trying to keep our loved ones near and dear.

Day Ten :: Childhood Memory. Every once in awhile you just have to give your kiddo's freedom to jump on the bed.

Day Eleven :: Something Blue. Believe it or not, we have very few blue things around this house. With two little girls come lots, and lots and lots of pink and hardly any blue.

Thankfully I was working on a baby gift for my friends Liz & Aaron who recently welcomed their sweet baby #2, Titus, into the world, and I realized that I had something blue in our home to take a picture of :)

Oh - and yes - this was a Pinterest inspired gift.

Day Twelve :: Sunset. Arizona has some of the most beautiful sunsets. Unfortunately the sun sets at about the same time as the wicked witching hour for most children, so taking a photo of our beautiful sunsets I found was virtually impossible.

Thankfully I was able to snap this quick picture at the end of a family walk. Not too bad, huh?

Day Thirteen :: Yourself with Thirteen Things. I don't know about you other moms out there reading but we have LOTS of books in this home. These are just 13 of Nora's favorites (I let her choose which one's she wanted to be in the picture).

Day Fourteen :: Eyes. Elsie has some of the biggest most beautiful (at least to this mama) eyes. I couldn't resist snapping a shot of our sweet little peanut for this day's challenge.

Till next time.....

And in the meantime, be sure to hop on over to Nealy's blog to see her Week Two photos.

In Our Home | Potty Training & Elsie in the Hospital

2012-01-19T12:51:00.000-08:00

First let's clear something up... the two items mentioned in the title of this post 1) Potty Training and 2) Elsie in the Hospital happened THIS weekend. Yes... I'll repeat that. THIS weekend. At the exact same time.

Fun, right?

I suppose it wouldn't be fun regardless of if they happened in back to back weeks (or even in the same month for that matter) but it was extra special that they happened the same weekend.

Impeccable timing.

Let's start with the first....

Potty Training.

We decided to start our potty training adventures this past Saturday. I did some research into various potty training techniques and decided on the 3 Day Potty Training guidelines (with a few "Steph/Nora tweaks" here and there).

It was all or nothing and we were "IN!"

Here are a few of the reasons why we decided to start last weekend (for those who are interested)...

- Alan had a 3 day weekend. Gotta love some daddy help.

- We didn't have anything else on the schedule. Perfect.

- Nora seemed interested in using the potty.

- Potty Training isn't an optional activity. Although if it were up to me I'd NEVER potty train. It's not much fun (just being honest here).

And some notes about the above photos...

1) I was given the opportunity to review the Boon Potty Bench (note: be sure to check Scottsdale Moms Blog in early February as we'll be giving away a Boon Potty). I'll tell you more of my thoughts about it on SMB but for now let's just say that we've loved it.

2) Yes - Nora is reading a Barney book on the potty. No explanation needed.

3) & 4) One of the cutest parts of the 3 Day Potty Training philosophy is that the "student" wears around panties/underwear (the wording of this item is a much debated topic in this home - which side are you on?) around the home without any pants. For 3 whole days.

So cute.

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Elsie in the Hospital.

On the first day of our potty training adventures we noticed that Elsie just wasn't acting like herself. Sure enough that evening she had a temp of 102+, had diarrhea and vomited.

We took the best care of her that we could on Sunday and decided to take her into the Dr. on Monday morning as she wasn't doing any better. At the Dr. we were advised to watch her closely and if she became more lethargic or if she didn't have a wet diaper in the next 5 hours she suggested that we take Elsie to the ER.

Unfortunately both of those things happened so we were headed into the ER (mommy and Elsie that is.... Daddy needed to stay back with our newly potty trained Nora) with the assumption that we'd be in the ER for a couple hours and then head home later that evening.

No such luck.

We were admitted that evening because Elsie was dehydrated and the Dr. wanted to hook her up to an IV, pump some fluids in her and observe her for at least 24 hours.

It turns out Elsie ended up spending 2 days on the Pediatric floor at Scottsdale Shea Healthcare. Just. So. Sad.

Throughout the entire process we were humbled by God's faithfulness and our loved one's generosity. There is just so much we are thankful for...

Thank you to all of you who visited and kept me company while in the hospital with Elsie. It was difficult to not be able to be with Alan and Nora b/c of child visitor restrictions at the hospital due to it being RSV season (and the above mentioned potty training situation).

Thank you to all of you who brought Alan and I food the past couple days.

Thank you to all who prayed (and there were a lot of you) and showed support through FB comments, text messages and phone calls.

And lastly - thank you Lord for your healing powers.

Elsie is now home and doing much, much better! Praise God.

Steph's Pick | Starbucks Via Ready Brew {Iced}

2012-01-13T06:09:00.001-08:00

It's no secret...I love my cup of coffee in the morning. Especially since getting my Keurig.

However, in Arizona there are plenty of times during the year (especially during the summer) when an Iced Coffee is just far more yummy.

Up until now I've had trouble making iced coffee that tastes well - good. Thankfully I have a friend who also shares my love for Iced Coffee and got me one of my favorite Christmas gifts this season - a box of Starbucks Via Ready Brew {Iced}.

I'll be honest...at first I was leery. Instant coffee? What? I figured it had to taste nasty.

But to my pleasant surprise - it doesn't! It actually tastes VERY good - especially if you add a little French Vanilla creamer.

Upon sipping on one of these tasty (homemade) drinks I find myself comparing my Barista skills to that of my favorite Starbucks Barista at 40th St. and Greenway :)

Nah - let's not get carried away.

Nevertheless - my homemade Iced Vanilla Latte tastes pretty darn good if I do say so myself.

Check it out! It's totally worth it. And then come back and let me know what you thought!

My 30 Day Photography Challenge | Week One

2012-01-11T12:23:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of the new year I was asked by my sweet friend Nealy to do a 30 Day Photography Challenge with her. I immediately said "YES!" thinking that it would be

a) fun

and

b) encourage me to dust off my Nikon and take some pics on something other than my iPhone. (I'm not gonna lie - I love me some Instagram Pics)

Now one thing I hadn't considered was that I'd signed up to do a photography challenge with my friend who takes photos PROFESSIONALLY!!! Ugh.

I'd be lying if I didn't say that I'm kinda kicking myself for saying yes ... but I'm doing it...because I told Nealy I would. :)

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Day One :: Self-Portrait. Sounds a lot easier than it was but thankfully I was able to snap a couple shots while the girls were in the backyard playing one morning.

Day Two :: What I Wore. It's amazing how the most difficult part of this challenge (for me at least) has been taking pictures WHILE doing my full-time job of caring for my children. My guess is you'll be seeing a lot of the kiddo's in the back of my pics. I figure it gives you a little glimpse into my life. :)

Day Three :: Clouds. Now this was a hilarious challenge. I waited for THREE STRAIGHT DAYS for one cloud. Nothing. This is what I saw each of those days. Perfect clear skies.

Ahh... I love Arizona winters.

Day Four :: Something Green. I couldn't wait to show you our very favorite kitchen appliance these days - The Zoku Popsicle Maker. Nora got this as a Christmas present and we all LOVE it. (Thanks Tom & Jane!)

Nora especially loves her green Popsicles made from Naked Green Machine juice. We may or may not eat these 2-3x/day. Hey - it's 100% fruit and veggie juice. Why not?!

Day Five :: From a High Angle. By Day 5 I was in need of a little inspiration. What better way to get inspiration than from a morning cup of coffee! (Or should I say creamer? Yes - there is coffee in that cup)

Day Six :: From a Low Angle. We've spent a lot of time enjoying all of our wonderful Christmas presents (thanks again everyone). Another one of Nora's gifts was her very first Doll House from Papa and Ellen.

She loves it! I mean... what's not to love about a doll house that comes with a pink convertible?! And although it doesn't fit with the photography challenge I figured you might want to see the current condition of the dollhouse.
Day Seven :: Fruit. One of my favorite times of year is when the citrus fruit trees are in bloom. And specifically when the grapefruit trees are ready to be picked (and eaten of course).

For those of you who are not familiar with the amazing citrus in Arizona - let me explain my love for AZ Grapefruit.

Back in Iowa I never would have been caught dead eating a grapefruit without 20+ packets of sugar on top of it. It's just too bitter for me. Thankfully a majority of the grapefruit here is very sweet and mild. It actually requires little to no sugar.

In short... It's DELICIOUS!

Be sure to hop on over to Nealy's First Post for the 30 Day Photography Challenge too - that girl is an amazing photographer!

And lastly, be sure to follow my 30 Day Photography Challenge Pinterest Board where I'll be posting all of my photos throughout the challenge.

two (funny) videos for you

2012-01-04T06:15:00.000-08:00

For your viewing pleasure....

Nora & Elsie enjoying our Backyard ::

Yes - we know our grass is dead.

No - we don't care :) Nor does Nora.

Steph's Pick | My Top 5 Picks of 2011

2011-12-30T12:52:00.000-08:00

If you haven't noticed, I post a lot of Steph's Picks. In a perfect world I'd post 1/week. More often than not I end up posting a Steph's Pick an average of 2x/month.

But what are my favorites?

Great question!

Here are My Top 5 Steph's Picks of 2011 (in no particular order)

1) Pioneer Woman's Apple Dumplings. The. Best. Thing. EVER. So stinkin' yummy.

2) How to Start a Cooking Club. 2011 was the first year of the Scottsdale Cooking Club. In this post I cover how you too can start your own cooking club.

3) Loving the Little Years. This book was quite possibly my favorite (nonfiction) read of the year. A great encouragement to all moms who are raising little ones.

4) A Milk & Cookies Party. By now I'm sure you know that I love me a good party. I love planning any kind of party. You name it and I'll plan it. Of course every year I consider it a sweet blessing to be able to plan our girl's birthday parties. This year for Nora's 2nd Birthday party we opted for a Milk & Cookies Party. Super tasty and so fun!

5) Bacon Wrapped Dates. Don't stop reading. I promise these things are incredible! This recipe was actually my favorite recipe of all of the recipes I collected from the Scottsdale Cooking Club this past year. They are just so good. A great New Year's Eve option for those of you looking for a yummy (and easy) appetizer recipe.

Family Matters Blog | Siri on Parenting

2011-12-28T09:11:00.001-08:00

"...Although my girls are young (2.5 and 6 mo), I already see how easy it could be to fall into the trap of relying entirely on the church – seminary educated pastors, full-time church employees and energetic (and knowledgeable) youth leaders – when it comes to answering the tough questions that our children will have about faith. If we (the parents) aren’t building faith at home, there is no surprise kids grow up to become youth that don’t really care about devotedly serving others and they certainly don’t care about Jesus..."

I'm over on the Family Matters Blog today talking about my new friend, Siri, and my thoughts about outsourcing the "dirty work" of parenting.

Read Reflections of a New Mom | Siri on Parenting HERE.

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And if you've missed my other posts on the FM Blog click on the following links to read them.

Reflections of a New Mom | A Glimpse into Her Future

Reflections of a New Mom | Shoes off at the Door?

Reflections of a New Mom | Brave Sunglasses

In Our Home :: This Christmas

2011-12-27T08:21:00.001-08:00

What a wonderful weekend!!! Full of lots of love, family, friends, yummy food and celebration! We couldn't have asked for a better way to celebrate Christmas and the coming of the newborn King!

Here's a quick little glimpse into our weekend.

We spent Christmas Eve celebrating with our dear friends, Jeff & Kristina H (and family of course). Few pictures were taken; however, we did get a chance to snap an updated family shot.

And then Christmas morning came .... in PJ's (or jampas as Nora calls them) of course...

1) Santa arrived just in time for the girls. Somehow Santa knew Nora wanted a new Barney book (thank you very much St. Nick) and Elsie received a new toy for the car.

2) Elsie watching the present opening with anticipation.

3) Our family was just too good to us this year. We had LOTS of gifts to open.

4) Our Christmas morning Caramel Tea Ring. A Flies family tradition. Soooo yummy!

1) Nora isn't showing it here but she loves her new Melissa and Doug toy - the Pizza Party Set (thanks Nana).

2) Another Christmas morning tradition - watching A Charlie Brown Christmas.

3) Again... Elsie is excited about all of her new toys (and clothes).

4) A must-snap picture of the little girlies in their PJs in front of the Christmas tree.

Unfortunately we took very few pictures after we got showered and changed but we did snap this pic of lil' Elsie.

awww... I know! Don't you just want to eat her up?

Hope ya'll had a wonderful Christmas!

Now onto the New Years Eve preparations and planning!

♥Merry Christmas♥

2011-12-23T09:44:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas (blog-reading) Friends!

Pst... if you missed it.... we finally posted about our Christmas family gift - a trip to Disneyland. Read about that here.

our trip to Disneyland

2011-12-22T12:39:00.000-08:00

Drumroll please...I'm finally getting around to posting about our trip to Disneyland! (and applause was heard from all around the world... ok... maybe just our home...you get the gist)

I apologize for taking three weeks to post our Disneyland recap post.... but you gotta understand... December can be a total beast, right?!

Don't get me wrong. We've loved lots of things about this month but it has flown by. And I'm not talking flown by like a kite - I'm talking flown by like a military jet. FAST!

Let's get to it... our trip to Disneyland!

First, before diving into the good stuff (aka - lots of cute pics of the kiddos) , I feel like it's necessary to point out the top four reasons why we decided it was a good time for our family to go to Disneyland.

Our Top Four Reasons for taking our 2 year old and 6 month old to Disneyland ::

Kids under 3 are FREE :: Yes... you read that right. FREE. 'Nough said.
We can drive to Disneyland (Anaheim, CA) from Phoenix :: We figure that more than likely we won't be living in AZ forever (God willing), and so we'll never be able to get out of the expense of flying our entire family to the "happiest place on earth." So why not take advantage of the close proximity of Mr. Mickie and Ms. Minnie's home? :)
We met our {awesome} family there. Last January, Alan's brother, Nick, and his family moved to California. They too were up for a 4 kids vs 4 adults trip to Disney. Who better to go to Disneyland with than family???!!
Disneyland at Christmas. We decided upon booking the trip that this would be our
family Christmas gift to one another. We'd hear that Disneyland at Christmas is just magical and thought we'd check it out for ourselves.

With those things in mind, let's start at the beginning.

Our "vacation" started on Wednesday night (the 30th) when we packed the car and were on the road by 7:00 pm. Elsie was sound asleep before pulling out of the driveway (thank you Lordie) and Nora was happy with her first Christmas gift of the season, The Barney Christmas Movie (yes...please don't judge...the girl LOVES Barney).

All was great until an hour and a half into our ride. Duh, duh, duh....

Without getting into too many details lets just say that unbeknownst to us, Nora has pretty nasty case of car sickness. :( For those who want the more detailed story, I'd be happy to give it to you. But for those who don't (most of you I'm guessing), all you need to know is that the ride to Anaheim might have been the most terrible car ride I have EVER been on (and Alan would agree). Poor little Nora was very sick. So sick was she that she still brings up "ickie jampas" on a daily basis (jampas = pajamas).

Poor baby.

Well of course Nora's little tummy problem resulted in our family arriving to the hotel a good 2 hours later than anticipated (2 am to be exact). And we were planning on being at the park when it opened the next morning - 9 am! Hehe.... oh, the vacation was off to a great start, right?!

Thankfully our God-given-"I don't sleep much anyway because I have two small children"-energy kicked in, and by 8 am the next morning this family of four was actually up and out of bed.

We arrived at the park that morning and just the site of everything (the beautifully decorated main street, the smiles on everyone's faces, and the excitement of a 2.5 year old Nora and nearly 3 year old Adelyn) rejuvenated us all and we were ready to take on Disneyland.

First up...a picture in front of the castle and then Dumbo of course.

(Note to our readers: In very few pictures of our trip to Disneyland will you see Nora looking at the camera. Everything was just way too interesting to her, so simply getting a picture with her smiling while looking at the camera was nearly impossible. Sorry.)

After riding Dumbo the girls were determined to ride on the carousel, so onto King Arthur's Carousel we went with these two cutie patooties...

our sweet-as-can-be niece, Adelyn...

and of course our happy-as-a-clam nephew, Mason.

After riding the carousel the rest of our first day was a blur.

I know we rode these things A LOT...

And even managed to make it through It's a Small World without a meltdown (which is a lot to be said with 4 children in tote).

After a quick trip back to the hotel for naps and snacks we were back at the park that evening to check out a few more rides and watch the fireworks (which ended up being cancelled - boo).

All in all Day 1 was a hit! The kids loved it and the parents - well, we were happy the kids were happy ;)

Now onto Day 2.

Thankfully after Day 1, we had more of a plan for Day 2. I had downloaded the DL Maps and DL Hours apps (both free- I'd totally recommend them) and we were ready to take on the park!

We started with the Tea Cups (again)...

And eventually ended up at California Adventure where we waited (not-so-patiently) for Toy Story Mania.

(Yes - I realize it looks like we're waiting patiently. Trust me. We weren't.)

But.. the 45 minute wait was worth it! I can't believe I'm saying that, but all of Nora's crying was worth it. The ride was a BLAST!

Similar to Day 1, Day 2 was a total blur. I know we rode lots of rides (including California Screaming - see picture to the right) and ended the day with one of the most beautiful parades I've experienced "A Christmas Fantasy."

It was the perfect start to the Christmas season! Lots of music, lights and Christmas cheer!

We feel so fortunate to have been able to help create such incredible memories with our girls (and the other Flies family).

All in all our Disneyland trip was an incredible experience! Of course it was full of some crazy highs and some crazy lows - but that's what good memory making is about, right?

Thanks to my sweet mom and friends Christine, Seanne and Sharla - we made the best with what we had during our time at the "happiest place on earth."

(Yes - this is the best and only family picture we got during our trip)

Stay Tuned :: I'll be writing my Top 5 Tips for Taking Small Children to Disneyland post within the next week. I figure - why not share the love? I have lots of great tips to share.

For a few more pictures of our trip go here.

In Our Home :: December (thus far)

2011-12-18T19:55:00.001-08:00

For those of you who are just joining us... welcome!

Last week I launched a new series on our blog entitled In Our Home. In Our Home posts are a unique blend of the meaningful and inconsequential parts of our life. There will be things to make you giggle and things that will make you think. And of course lots of pics of our two sweet-as-can-be little girlies.

So here starts the second edition of In Our Home :: December (thus far).

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I LOVE December. Everything about it. Sure, there's a decent amount of hustle and bustle BUT there is just sooo much fun to be had. From the never ending treat selection, to mailboxes stuffed with Christmas Cards sent with love from friends and family - what's not to love about this time of year?! There's beautiful Christmas music playing everywhere. There's lots of gifts to buy to express our love for one another. And specifically in our home, there's even a blow up Santa right next door that Nora insists on visiting every single night to say "Hi Santa!" and "Bye-Bye Santa!" (just. too. cute.)

Here are lots of pics (not exaggerating here) to give you a glimpse into our lives over the past few weeks as we anticipate the celebration of the birthday of King Jesus.

1) This year we decided to buy a Costco Christmas Trees (for $45 we thought "Why Not?!"). We're loving the yummy scent of evergreen that fills our home day in and day out.

2)& 3) Each day (it seems) I'm floored by how creative my friends are! Here are just a couple of pinterest inspired gifts that I've received over the past couple of weeks. Personalized coasters from Katie and the cutest little bag (for Nora) and coffee mug sleeve from Allie.

4) Doesn't this girl look just like her daddy?! I think so.

Our Annual Cookie Decorating Day was just this past weekend. This day has become a highly anticipated day in our home not only because we leave with all sorts of yummy cookies but because we get to spend time with our family.

A huge thank you to Aunt Jane and Uncle Tom for hosting each year. We're so thankful for your hospitality.

1) After spending a little time in a friend's outdoor playhouse I've officially put in a request to Papa Scott to make (or help make) the girls one ASAP. Nora loved it.

2) I'm not gonna lie... I'm a bit in love with my wrapping paper this year. Pinterest inspired of course. (from Hobby Lobby - in case you're curious)

3) & 4) This past weekend we decided to take the girls to Dave & Busters for a family outing. Nora was a bit too little to really play the games but she certainly wasn't too little to enjoy picking out her prizes. We left with a princess ball and an Angry Bird. Jackpot!

Scottsdale Bible Church held their annual Winterfest celebration this past week. Nora especially loved the petting zoo (see above pics of her petting the sheep and the miniature pig), the snow and the cookie decorating room (figures!).

So. Much. Fun.

And last but not least was Alan's work Christmas party at The Phoenix Zoo. Nora is constantly asking me to take her to the zoo so this was a great excuse to load up the car and go. On this specific trip she especially loved the giraffes, camel and riding the carousel.

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Next up this week - a Disneyland Recap (yes... for serious).

Steph's Pick | French Dip Sandwiches

2011-12-16T06:36:00.000-08:00

What is it about French Dip Sandwiches that are just so yummy? Maybe it's the super juicy beef, the melted cheese or the broiled bun? I have no idea... but... I.... love....them!

And I've found a great recipe (thanks Jane M!) that I thought I'd share with you all.

Enjoy...

French Dip Sandwiches

Ingredients:

- 1 packet of Good Seasons Italian Dressing

- 2 cups of water

- Rump Roast

- Hoagie Buns

- Mozzarella Cheese

- packet of Au Jus

Directions:

Combine dressing packet, water and roast in crock pot. Cook in high for 5-6 hours. Shred beef and let it sit in the juices for a bit before serving.

Make Au Jus according to package.

Brush a little olive oil on the buns and broil for a couple minutes. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn't burn. Put beef and cheese on bun and broil again for a few minutes until the cheese is melted.

Serve with Au Jus on the side.

In our Home :: Christmas Season

2011-12-13T16:16:00.001-08:00

{I know, I know. I've yet to blog about Disneyland.

You see if you wouldn't mind giving me a few more days to process

how I want to blog about our experience that would be wonderful!

Thanks for the grace, blog reading friends!}

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In the meantime I wanted to launch a brand new series on our little nook of the web...I'm calling it In Our Home.

In Our Home posts will give ya'll a little sneak peek into our lives. It will be a unique blend of the meaningful and inconsequential parts of our life. There will be things to make you giggle and things that will make you think. And of course lots of pics of our two sweet-as-can-be little girlies.

So sit back and enjoy our very first edition of In Our Home :: Christmas Season.

1) All was a little too quiet around this home one morning. Let's just say we're working on keeping the pretty ornaments ON the Christmas tree. It's a daily chore.

2) The Advent Book. Nora received this book as a gift at her dedication a couple years ago and we're just now using it as we anticipate Christmas Day. This beautiful book has quickly become one of the highlights of my day. I love everything about it.... the scripture....the story of Jesus' birth.... and the beautiful illustrations. I'd highly recommend it.

3) While I look for a stocking for Ms. Elsie I figured a mini pink stocking will work for now :)

4) After arriving home upon selecting our tree (at Costco) this year, we all enjoyed a yummy cup of Peppermint Hot Chocolate for a mid-afternoon treat.
1) The Pickle Ornament Tradition. Yes... there is such a thing. I didn't make it up. Essentially the pickle ornament is hidden on the tree and whoever finds the ornament first gets a little gift to start off the holiday season. This was the first year that Nora was able to find the pickle herself. So fun.

2) A must see in this home. Frosty the Snowman (the original of course). Nora. Is. In. Love.

3) One of the things I've loved about this Christmas season is the lovely gift of Pinterest. Yes, Pinterest is a "gift." And what I mean by that is that never has finding creative Christmas gifts been as easy as it is through Pinterest. Here is just one of the many Pinterest Inspired gifts that I've received thus far. (Stay tuned for the Pinterest Inspired gifts that I'm giving to friends and family this year)

4) A pic of Elsie...just in case you thought Elsie was missing. :)

Steph's Pick | Chili

2011-12-09T18:14:00.000-08:00

It's FINALLY cold enough outside to make soup - HOORAY!! (And by "cold enough" I mean it's under 60 degrees in the evenings).

I busted out my tested and true Chili recipe last weekend and was reminded that I don't think I've shared it with you all.

The recipe was given to me by a dear friend, Becky L, who sadly doesn't blog (if she did I'd be referencing her yummy cooking and wise parenting advice lots).

If you're in the market for a new chili recipe... this is certainly worth it! Super yummy. Our "go to" for sure!

Becky's Chili

Ingredients ::

1.5 lb ground beef

1 onion (chopped)

1-28 oz can diced tomatoes

1-14 oz can diced tomatoes

2-3 small cans tomato sauce

1 cup red wine

2-3 cans kidney beans, drained, keep 1/2 cup juice

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 bay leaf

1-2 Tbsp. chili powder

1/8 tsp cumin

1-4 oz can mushrooms

Directions ::

Brown meat and onion in large pot.

Add the rest of the ingredients.

Bring to a boil, reduce, simmer for 2+ hours.

Optional Toppings Include ::cheddar cheese, sour cream, green onions and Frito's :)

Winter MOPS Newsletter Template

2011-12-08T13:25:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share a little something with all of you wonderful readers out there (hi mom, mil, gma's x4 and aunts).

I just finished up putting together a little newsletter for our local MOPS group that I thought you all might enjoy reading as well. It's full of lots of great Christmas thoughts and even includes a practical DIY Craft Idea.

Read the Winter MOPS Newsletter HERE.

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Additionally, if you've found this blog because you're looking for a MOPS Newsletter Template - WELCOME!

I too spent a decent amount of time surfing the web looking for a somewhat simple yet contemporary MOPS Newsletter Template but was unable to find anything (boo). It was then that I vowed to share the template that I made with all of you lovely ladies! Because sharing is fun... at least that's what we tell our kids.

Unfortunately I created the template in Microsoft Publisher (gasp... I know... can you believe it? I'm such an Adobe lover... what was I thinking?) and am unable to upload the doc as a downloadable document.

So..... if you'd like to have the template I'd love to email to you. Email me at alanandsteph@gmail.com.

Happy Reading!

a disneyland sneak peek (in photos)

2011-12-06T07:05:00.000-08:00

Thanks Instagram for making capturing our Disneyland trip sooo much easier!

More pics (and stories) to come... promise.

DIY Advent Calendar

2011-11-29T15:11:00.000-08:00

This is the year....the year when holiday traditions start to "stick."

YIPEE!!

Up until now Nora has been too little to participate in much of anything in terms of traditions around the holidays. Of course we've read her the Christmas story, bought her a stocking and have done a number of other things to celebrate the coming of Jesus. But let's be honest - she hasn't really noticed many of those things the past two Decembers.

Well that's all about to change - I can't wait!

Along with a number of other traditions our family will do, I wanted to create our own family advent calendar. I figured Nora would love the routine of opening a box each day as we anticipate the celebration of Jesus's Birthday on December 25th. And what kid doesn't love an advent calendar tradition?

I immediately went to the best place to go for ideas - Pinterest. Thankfully I found an advent calendar that I loved. It was beautiful and easy to re-duplicate. Perfect!

Here's what I did...

Items Needed for DIY Advent Calendar ::

Avery Print-to-the-Edge Square Labels 22806 (I found these at Office Max. Please note that they are not among the normal mailing labels as they are designed more for packaging needs. I found them in the stationary/postcard section)
Favor Boxes (We found ours at Michaels - they are 2x2x2)
Hot Glue Gun
Items to put inside

Directions ::

Download the following three Word Documents and print on Avery 22806 Labels ::: (1) Click HERE to download Advent Calendar Day 1-12 ::: (2) Click HERE to download Advent Calendar Day 13-24 ::: (3) Click HERE to download Advent Calendar Day 25
Assemble Boxes
Stick Label on front of Boxes
Hot Glue boxes together
Insert items inside

Here are a couple notes for the DIYer ::

- Favor Boxes come in packages of 100 - so it's ideal to split the pack with 4 other friends. Host a little Girls Night Out (that's what I did at least).

- Boxes can be glued in a square or a tree formation.

- When gluing boxes be very mindful of getting the boxes very close and tight together.

- Some of my friends who did this project also adhered their boxes to a painted canvas or a canvas wrapped in fabric. Super cute.

- I'm working on making little ornaments to go in each box. The ornaments will include a verse from the Christmas Story that we'll read each day. I'm thinking I'll either write the verse on the ornament or do something like this

The verses are as such:

Day 1: Luke 1:5-10

Day 2: Luke 1:11-13

Day 3: Luke 1:14-17

Day 4: Luke 1: 18-20

Day 5: Luke 1:21-22

Day 6: Luke 1:23-25

Day 7: Luke 1: 26-28

Day 8: Luke 1:29-33

Day 9: Luke 1:34-35

Day 10: Luke 1:36-38

Day 11: Luke 1:39-43

Day 12: Luke 1:44-45

Day 13: Luke 1:46-56

Day 14: Luke 1:57-58

Day 15: Luke 1:59-61

Day 16: Luke 1:62-64

Day 17: Luke 1:65-66

Day 18: Luke 1:67-71

Day 19: Luke 1:72-75

Day 20: Luke 1:76-80

Day 21: Luke 2:1-7

Day 22: Luke 2:8-14

Day 23: Luke 2:15-20

Day 24: Luke 1:5-2:20

What do you think? Nice, huh?!

Can't wait for December 1st!

sister comparison pic | 5(ish) months

2011-11-26T12:28:00.000-08:00

This is quickly becoming one of my very favorite things to do. I love looking back at pics of Nora and trying to reduplicate them with Elsie. It's not as easy as you'd think but it's still fun to try.

If you missed their 4 month pics or their 3 month pics be sure to click back over to see how they both changed in such a short period of time.

Without further ado...here's the girls both at 5 months old.

What do you think?

I just want to eat 'em up!! Such cuteness!

(Note :: Yes - if you look really close you can see two little teeth poking through in Ms. Elsie's mouth)

Giving Thanks (for the kids we have) | Raising Your Spirited Child : Part One Review

2011-11-23T08:29:00.000-08:00

I remember a conversation I had with a friend recently about how tempting it is to compare our lives to our friend’s/neighbor’s/co-worker’s (really anyone’s) lives.

We hear about how their 6 week old is sleeping through the night – I’ll take that please!

We can’t help but notice when another mommy down the street has the newest, most amazing double stroller on the market – where do I get one of those?!

We see a friend roll up to a play date in her brand new luxury car – yes, pretty please.

Then we hear about another friend’s 10-day vacation to Fiji sans kiddo’s – um, YES! Who wants to watch my kids (and pay for said vacation)?

We start thinking – if only I had THAT stroller, THAT car, THAT vacation and THAT baby – I’d be much happier. More thankful.

Over and over again we’re left feeling worse and worse about our own lives.

I think this is especially true of moms raising spirited children. At least it’s true for me. Please tell me I’m not alone with this. Have you felt this way?

Between the intense “Am I the only one with a spirited child?!” feelings and the jealousy that so quickly sneaks into our hearts, we’re left oftentimes wanting more.

Thankfully much of what author, Mary Sheedy Kurcinka, writes about in the first part of Raising Your Spirited Child is encouraging parents of spirited children the have the freedom to celebrate and enjoy the delights of our spirited child(ren).

In her A Credo for Parents of Spirited Children she sets the tone for the rest of the book and highlights 5 specific things we must embrace in order to effectively raise our spirited child(ren).

A Credo for Parents of Spirited Children

You’re not alone.
You did not make your child spirited.
You are not powerless.
You have permission to take care of yourself.
You may celebrate and enjoy the delights of your spirited child.

Spirited Children (all children really) are a GREAT gift and there is much to celebrate and enjoy in all of their spirit.

Coincidentally a lot of these thoughts that I’ve been processing have come at a great time of year – Thanksgiving - A national holiday in which we’re legally forced to take time to reflect on that which we’re thankful for.

Isn’t it so easy to peak into the “bags” God has packed for everyone else? Their strollers, their cars, their vacations and their sleeping babies. So quickly we forget that God has packed a “bag” for us that is filled with so much to enjoy and be thankful for.

With that in mind, this Thanksgiving I’ve decided it’s time to give thanks for what’s in my bag…

I’m thankful for…

…my sweet little Elsie who still wakes up at least 1x/night for special mommy snuggles. Because I just never know when our girls will be too big for snuggle time.

…my double stroller which was a gift from my parents and does the job in hauling my two little girlies around.

…our Toyota Highlander which despite looking like a cheerio bomb exploded in it, is able to fit all four of us and the above mentioned stroller comfortably. It’s exactly what we need.

…the vacations that are still yet to come (maybe not to Fiji but somewhere out of our zip code).

… and finally, for my spirited little Nora who everyday reminds me that there is MUCH to celebrate in this life.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Steph's Pick | Toddler Backpacks

2011-11-17T14:47:00.000-08:00

After Elsie's arrival, one of my new mommy dilema's was what to do with my diaper bag situation at the church nursery. You see I only have one diaper bag (yes - for those of you super observant type - I did get a new bag when Elsie was born) for both girls. But when dropping the girls off at church, they are in different rooms and thus the one bag/two room situation just wasn't working.

Now of course I'd love to say that this inspired me to potty train Nora - but no - not so much. Although a potty trained kid requires no bag, we aren't exactly ready for that transition just yet.

So off I went (and by "went" I mean my fingers went a searching on trusty ole Google.com) looking for a preschool/toddler backpack.

Here were my requirements :

- Personalization available

- Cute

- Side pocket for sippy

- Toddler Size (nothing too large for Ms. Nora)

After lots of research we finally decided on one of Pottery Barn's Preschool Backpacks.

I couldn't wait to get it in the mail!

Thankfully this sweet little bag didn't disappoint. It was just as cute as I'd hoped and Nora loves it too. She calls it her "hap-back."

Let's just say there may be a couple of these under our tree for some special nieces this year ;) What can I say? I'm a total sucker for personalized gifts!

And I'm throwing in this last picture for sentimental reasons. How in the world is she getting so old???!! Tear.

Steph's Pick | i♥phone

2011-11-11T07:53:00.001-08:00

Guess who's getting one of these??!!!

Me, Me, ME, ME!!!

I'm FINALLY getting an iPhone and I couldn't be happier. Alan just ordered the 4s for me yesterday and you can bet I'll be waiting at the door each day the mail is delivered waiting with (much) eagerness for this sweet little gift to arrive.

Now there are all sorts of online resources that recommend the "must-have" apps for an iPhone (including this great post by Sarah on Scottsdale Moms Blog - iLove my iPhone) but I want to hear from YOU!

Spill it... what apps are must haves for a mommy of a toddler and baby?

a weekend in minnesota + a wedding

2011-11-06T19:45:00.001-08:00

This past weekend Alan, Elsie and I traveled to Minnesota.

Yes... you read that right.... just us two...

plus this little cutie patootie...

We left Nora behind in AZ to spend a long weekend (we referred to it as an uber long slumber party) with Laura & Phil E (you may even remember them from hosting Nora's 1st Birthday).

While she had the time of her life with L&P, we flew to Minnesota to attend the wedding of these two (gorgeous) people - Tom & Elyse.

Of course we managed to do a few additional things as well...

Like.... introducing Elsie to her Aunt Sara, Uncle Kyle and Cousin Ella.

Nick also flew to MN this weekend and got to snuggle Elsie for the first time as well (sorry - no pics of Nick and Elsie).

And of course we had LOTS of people to catch up with at the wedding (love a good college reunion/wedding) :)

All in all it was an amazing weekend - full of lots of great memories.

Blessings to Tom and Elyse as they start their lives together!

******************

And in case you wondered ... or just want a good laugh...

Yes - I did take the above pic of Elsie at the Minneapolis airport. :)

That's what you get when you have decent light, no toddler, a happy baby and a little extra time on your hands.

******************

Raising your Spirited Child Book club

2011-11-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

A number of you have heard me mention that Nora is a spirited child. In fact I've even written about it on a number of occasions over on Scottsdale Moms Blog : Rejoicing in your Spirited Child and Rejoicing in your Spirited Toddler.

Wondering if you too have a spirited child? Here are a few ways Mary Sheedy Kurcinka (author of Raising your Spirited Child) describes a spirited child

"Spirited kids are the Super Ball in a room full of rubber balls. Other kids bounce three feet off the ground. Every bounce for a spirited child hits the ceiling."

"Spirited children are more intense, more sensitive, more perceptive, more persistent and more energetic."

"Spirited behavior truly falls within the range of typical human behavior - more but normal."

As Nora gets older and is interacting more and more with me, I continue to be encouraged to embrace this sweet gift of her spirted-ness.

My desire (and prayer) these first years of her life is to better understand Nora's personality and help guide her so that all of her spirit ends up being a real strength of hers in her future. God knew exactly what He was doing when He created her - spirit and all - and so I'm choosing to believe that He has great things in store for her.

Now I'm not saying it's been easy. As most parents of spirited children will say - raising a spirited child is EXHAUSTING. Raising kids is tiring for anyone but a spirited child cranks up the energy need even more.

It's also been very easy for me to feel like I'm the only person raising a spirited child. Well I'm not! And you're not! There are millions of parents that are in the exact same boat!

This is exactly why I decided to start a book club/support group for other moms of spirited children. I figured it was time I surround myself with people (online and in person) that I can link arms with in trying to better understand Ms. Nora.

So I invite you to read Raising your Spirited Child along with me.

Here's our plan :: The book is already divided into four parts. We'll read one section/month for the next four months. I'll post about my thoughts in the middle of the month and we'll use the comments section to encourage one another as we try to better understand our sweet-as-pie spirited children.

Part One :: November

Part Two :: December

Part Three :: January

Part Four :: February

So who's in?

{Oh - and yes - I am actually doing this with a group of local moms so if you're interested please email me and I'll send you the details}

two lil' sweeties

2011-10-30T21:57:00.000-07:00

Let's just say that getting a sister picture these days isn't as easy at it used to be. Just as Nora is getting the hang of "cheese" (aka: looking at the camera and smiling - pretty amazing stuff, huh?), Elsie is now rolling and scooting all over the place which of course doesn't help this mama's picture needs.

Here's a few pics I snapped yesterday in an attempt to capture these sweet little girls (in their super cute t-shirts made by Lauren).

And here's the best I could get...

And of course it was followed by this...

watch out Nora...little Elsie is learning to hold her own in this house!

the bib club {2 yrs old}

2011-10-28T07:09:00.000-07:00

Some of you may remember the following video - taken of Nora and Reagan at 4 and 3 months old.

That video still totally makes me laugh as it represents EXACTLY who these two little girls are to this day. (so cute). It never ceases to amaze me how God gives us sweet little glimpses into our child's personality at such an early age.

Recently I had the opportunity to watch Reagan for a bit and was able to shoot an updated video of the two girls.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

our move :: the bitter and sweet

2011-10-20T20:29:00.001-07:00

We're still alive... we've just moved and are busy unpacking boxes. LOTS of boxes.

{Note to self :: Don't keep so much junk next go around.}

It's amazing to me how the simple act of packing up all of your things and moving from one home to the next can bring to mind so many bitter and sweet thoughts.

With that in mind I thought I'd try and document just a few of them for you.

Let's start with...

Ice Trays ::

I can't believe I lived 5 years without an ice machine!!!

Yes, you read that right. We've been living in the {ice cube} stone ages for the past 5 years. Thankfully about a year ago I decided to upgrade from just 2 trays to 4. Woot woot! Talk about a promotion!

Without sounding too cheesy, I'm going to miss these things. There really is something to be said for hard earned ice :)

Patio Play ::

As much as I'm already loving our new YARD, there was something so sweet about Nora's ability to play wherever and whenever. She didn't care that her only outdoor space for all 2 years of her life was a 10 feet x 10 feet patio! She made that 10x10 space an outdoor wonderland filled with adventure upon adventure.

We spent countless hours on our little patio blowing bubbles (for the whole condo complex to enjoy), playing catch and riding her brand new {used} Radio Flyer Rocket.

Love the joy my children bring to our home!

Stairs to our 2nd Floor Condo ::

Oh boy do I have a love/hate (ok - mostly hate) relationship with this set of stairs.

Up and down. Up and down. Up and down. Over and over and over again. Pregnant (x2) and not.

I'm sure there were plenty of lessons I learned by climbing these stairs (with two children) but at this point leaving these things is PURE SWEETNESS!

Address Stamp ::

Can you believe I posted about this stamp over 3 years ago?

This stamp has certainly been a dearly loved (and used) item. Because of my love for snail mail, this little stamp has been used more times than I can imagine. From countless birthday cards, to our annual Christmas card, many of you have received mail with this sweet little emblem in the top left corner.

I'll be honest - upon taking this picture and later throwing this stamp away, I without a doubt shed a tear - ok tearS. It was as if the releasing of this little item was the symbol of moving on from the past and looking forward to the future.

********

Aw... so many incredible memories were made in our very first home. It really is so hard to say goodbye to so much sweetness.

{Excuse me while I go grab a tissue.}

Promise my next post won't be so sappy :)

***********

But before I go ... here's a blast from the past.

Here's the photo we took before moving out of the apartment into above mentioned home.

Boy how things have changed!

sister comparison :: 4 months

2011-10-09T21:37:00.000-07:00

Because it's just too fun to put together these monthly comparison's... here's a 4 month shot.

Steph's Pick | Postponed

2011-10-07T08:51:00.000-07:00

Here's a little honesty for you...

Between packing, writing (check out some of my recent writing on the Family Matters Blog - Brave Sunglasses and Shoes off at the Door?), working, planning for AZ Mom's Night Out, packing (did I say that?) and simply caring for this little munchkin

and her sister I just haven't had a lot of time to do anything else. Imagine that?! ;)

The "anything else" includes pretty much everything I'd highlight on "Steph's Pick" - cooking, product reviews, reading, etc.

Don't worry... I'll be back soon...don't give up on me just yet. Just give me a few weeks :)

a home tour

2011-10-06T08:20:00.000-07:00

One of my very favorite {blog-reading} things is when bloggers post tours of their homes on their blog.

I don't know what it is about touring a virtual "friends" home. Maybe it makes me feel like we could be friends in real life? Like I could picture myself having dinner at their table or having a cup of coffee with them in their little reading nook. Whatever it is - it's just dang interesting to me.

Now I know I have posted pics here and there of our condo, but never have I taken you on a "tour" per-say. Well... wait no longer :)

You see we are moving in a little over a week so there's a bit of a bitter sweet underlying message in this post. Here are some bitter & sweet thoughts...

Bitter -

- This was the first home we purchased.

- We brought both of our girls home to this cozy space.

- We've called this place "home" for the past 5 years so there are tons of memories.

*tear*

Sweet -

- We're just outgrowing our 2 bedroom, 2nd floor, no garage space home.

- We're moving to a home that has a lawn (YIPEE!) and has 4 bedrooms ( double YIPEE!)

Without further ado....I invite you to picture yourself coming over for a cup of coffee at our place RIGHT NOW....

Here's what you'd see...

Full Disclosure: Yes - these pics were taken for the MLS, so NO - our home never looks this clean.

*****

In case you care : Two of my top pick virtual tours are Sherry and John from Young House Love (of course - how could I not include them?) and coming in a close second is Michelle from 4 Men and 1 Lady.

we laugh in this home

2011-10-04T21:44:00.000-07:00

When your children leave the home, what words do you want them to use to describe your home?

I've been thinking a ton about this lately.

As we mentioned in Elsie's Dedication Blessing - two of the things that we certainly (with no exception) want our home to be marked by are 1) a passionate love for Jesus and 2) an unquenchable love and concern for others.

Those are non-negotiables.

But one other thing I was reminded of the other day during bath time was the importance of laughter in our home.

Nora reminded me of the great gift of laughter just the other day.

It was nearing the end of her bath time when Nora asked me to spray her mouth with our diaper sprayer. (yes - I did say diaper sprayer - stick with me). Now I have no idea what even made this simple action so hilarious but after fulfilling her request, we both immediately died laughing.

Now I'm not talking my child is being silly so I'll laugh with her type of laughing. I'm talking full on belly laughs that result in tears of joy and the hiccups. For BOTH of us. It lasted for a good 5 minutes and then it was over.

While putting Nora to bed that night I said a prayer to the God who created laughter. I thanked Him for the moment just a few minutes prior when my sweet little Nora and I were laughing with one another, and asked that He would bless us with 100+ more moments just like it in the coming years.

You see, there is something special about laughter. It may seem cliche but Laughter really is the BEST medicine.

My prayer going forward is that our home would be full of laughter. And not just your every day kind of chuckles but the laughter where tears are running down our cheeks and we're helping one another try and get rid of our hiccups.

*************

And just in case you need a little chuckle yourself (don't we all?) - check out Elsie's face in the following picture... she must have gotten the memo! :)

Love my girls!

a sweet one word reminder {amen}

2011-09-26T08:36:00.000-07:00

I'm constantly in awe of how our God is so attentive to details. And I'm equally amazed at how the Spirit (our Helper) is always ready and willing to speak to our hearts at every stage of our lives.

Let me explain.

For you church going folk...I'm curious if this has ever happened to you.

This past Sunday our worship leader, Jason W, led us in worship by singing Manifesto by The City Harmonic. (GREAT song by the way.) Now I've sung this song a number of times in the past, but never has it spoken to my soul like this past Sunday.

If you simply read the lyrics of the song you'd find that at least 50% of the words are "Amen." Over and over again.

In the past, if I'm being completely honest, I've found my mind wondering to my grocery list or scheduling what I am going to do during nap time during this song. I know... terrible... but true. Not yesterday. Yesterday it was as if the words "amen, amen, amen..." were EXACTLY what I needed to be singing (and what my soul needed to hear).

You see "Amen" is one of those words that very few people even know the meaning of. Because I'm a dork and love a good word study, I know that "Amen" in both Hebrew (OT language) and Greek (NT language) means "so be it" or "let it be so."

'amen - אָמֵן verily, truly, amen, so be it, let it be so

Now for those of you who know us well, you know that we are in an extended season that could easily be marked by the words "Let it be so."

And I'd venture to guess that a number of you reading are also in a similar season.

It's certainly not an easy season...but because God is a trustworthy God, I love that I can rest in the simple word "Amen" and pray that my soul would find comfort in the sovereignty of God Almighty.

My prayer today is that you can rest in that truth as well.

Amen. Amen. Amen.

"Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, 'Amen!'"

- Psalm 106:48

Steph's Pick | Southwestern Sausage Quiche

2011-09-23T07:41:00.001-07:00

I don't like eggs.

Not one bit.

I don't like them scrambled. Or fried. Or sunny side up. Or sunny side down (is there is such a thing). And I certainly don't like them in a casserole or quiche.

That is until yesterday.

You see I was the last person to sign up to bring food for MOPS and of course the only two items left were two egg dishes. Hehe. I had to chuckle that I'd be making my very first egg dishes for other people.

Turns out one of them was pretty decent. It was actually quite delicious (if I do say so myself).

A Southwestern Sausage Quiche. I just might be turning over a new leaf.

Southwestern Sausage Quiche

From PlainChicken on Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:

1/2 lb sausage

2 eggs

1/4 cup Ranch Dressing

1/4 cup sour cream

1/3 cup milk

1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes and green chilies (Ro*Tel), Drained

1 whole unbaked 9-inch deep dish pie shell

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large skillet, cook sausage until well browned. Drain off grease and set aside. Whisk together eggs, ranch dressing, sour cream and milk. Add sausage, cheese and Ro*Tel. Stir to combine. Pour egg mixture into prepared pie crust.

Bake 1 hour. Allow quiche to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

♥ cookie dough ♥

2011-09-21T22:24:00.000-07:00

Confession time...

There's no hiding why we make cookies in this home...

for the dough!!!

And in case you're interested.... we've been using Kiley's Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe (thanks Kiley!).

an {indoor} amusement park

2011-09-17T13:32:00.000-07:00

Upon receiving Nora's baby book, I noticed there was a "First Amusement Park Trip" page. Now I'll be honest - I thought (and still think) it's a bit weird to have this in a baby book. But because I'm a gotta-fill-out-everything-in-the-baby-book kind of girl I was itching for Nora's first amusement park visit.

We finally had our first opportunity on Labor Day. We had just learned about this new indoor amusement park for kids and figured it would be a fun family outing. So we hopped in the car and off we went.

Now believe it or not - Nora was a bit skeptical at first and wasn't too crazy about trying any of the rides but finally we were able to encourage her to try the swings.

Here she is getting ready for her very first amusement park ride to begin...

And of course a {funny to us but maybe not to you} video...

Now between the swing ride and the little choo-choo train ride Nora was in HEAVEN! She specifically stayed on the train ride for about 10+ rides in a row and was all smiles each time. Too cute!

Our trip to this little amusement park has made us very excited about an upcoming trip to Disneyland that we're planning with the family. Adelyn and Nora are going to LOVE it!

elsie's dedication & blessing

2011-09-13T22:36:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we were honored to be able to dedicate Elsie at our church.

Now they've changed things up a bit since we dedicated Nora. One of the main things that has changed is that the parents are asked to write a special blessing that they read to their child the day of his/her dedication.

We were encouraged to read the book "The Blessing" by Gary Smalley and John Trent (awesome book - I'd totally recommend it) and pray through the blessing we want to give our children as they grow older.

Here's our blessing to Elsie Grace:

Sweet Little Elsie,

What an incredible blessing you are to all who know you! From the moment we found out we were expecting we haven’t stopped dreaming of all of the great things God has in store for you.

Elsie Grace – today (and everyday of your life) we commit to raising you in a home that is marked by true greatness - a passionate love for Jesus Christ that demonstrates itself in an unquenchable love and concern for others. We pray that you would grow up with a desire to personally know Jesus and that you would serve people with the same love Jesus showed us by dying for our sins on the cross.

As your middle name designates - our prayer also is that you would come to fully understand the truly amazing grace that our Heavenly Father has given those who know Him and that you would grow up to be a woman that is full of grace and truth.

Elsie – we are confident of God’s great plan for your life and so grateful to be able to call ourselves your mommy and daddy.

With much love and humility –

Mommy & Daddy

Thanks so much to all who were able to be with us at church this past weekend - both friends and family. We're so thankful for the incredible people God has put in our lives who also have committed to helping us raise our girls to love and serve Jesus with all of their hearts.

make it work

2011-09-12T07:47:00.000-07:00

I'll admit - I've only watched one season of Project Runway, so I'm a bit under-qualified to use PR Host Tim Gunn's famous phrase "Make it Work." But that doesn't mean that I don't think that there is some great truth in those three little words.

In actuality I really do think that in everyone's lives we're constantly "Making it work" - whatever that might mean for your family.

Right now for me "it" means (just to name a few)...

- my exhausted, still hugging baby weight body

- the "just didn't turn out right" dinner

- our broken dishwasher

- the french pedicure turned - eh - I have no idea what to call it now

- and finally - we're making a two bedroom condo work with our 4-person family by putting our little Elsie in our closet :) Complete with necklace mobile and personal fan. She's living the high life, huh?

Here's a sneak peek...

**I post this picture solely for our documenting purposes

What is your "it" right now?

Steph's Pick | Happy Tots Organic Superfood

2011-09-02T08:57:00.000-07:00

It's official... I'm starting a "Mamas of Picky Eaters Anonymous" group.

After seeking advice on Scottsdale Moms Blog this week via my post "Mommy SOS | Picky Eaters" I'm happy to have found a group of ladies that love (wink, wink) meal times as much as I do!

You see, Nora is a picky eater. Ugh... so sad about that because I'm a bit of a foodie. Here's how Urban Dictionary defines a foodie...

Foodie - A person that spends a keen amount of attention and energy on knowing the ingredients of food, and finds great enjoyment in top-notch ingredients and exemplary preparation.
A foodie is not necessarily a food snob, only enjoying delicacies and/or food items difficult to obtain and/or expensive foods; though, that is a variety of foodie.

And of course a picky eater is probably the furthest from a foodie by definition. So needless to say we've been having a little battle each and every day around the hours of 8 am, 12 pm and 6 pm.

Well I'm happy to report that thanks to some great suggestions on the above mentioned Scottsdale Moms Blog post we've at least found something that Nora will eat (that contains veggies) - Happy Tots Organic Superfood Pouches!!! Yipee!

Now do I want to have Nora eating these for the rest of her life? - No! But I figure it's at least working now. Like so many things in parenting you sometimes just gotta to do what you gotta do to get through the day ;)

Note: I'm also looking into purchasing a Sili Squeeze so I can make my own little pouches for Nora (at a much lower cost of course).

All for now... just a little something to consider if you too find yourself in a picky eater situation.

a little {video} glimpse

2011-08-28T21:26:00.001-07:00

I love to take video of the girls for no reason at all but to capture these precious moments of their lives. It doesn't have to be anything extremely noteworthy that I'm planning on documenting... just their sweet little faces (dirt/spit up and all in most cases) is reason enough to pull out the camera on a consistent basis.

Of course it's fun to take video of Nora when she's being my little barista or when she's eating a Popsicle. But I also love videos like the two below that show the good, the bad and the ugly (all in less than 2 minutes in Nora's video).

Consider these video's a little glimpse into what our days look like (minus the donuts of course - that was a treat).

First, here's Nora...

And then Elsie...

Steph's Pick | Loving the Little Years

2011-08-26T14:37:00.000-07:00

Very rarely do I post a book review on this blog. It's not that I don't read (I actually read a lot) but more that I don't know of too many books that I feel are worthy of one entire post.

Well - things are a-changing today ladies (and gents for those of you men who read our blog).

A couple months back a college friend of mine (hey sweet Lynette) suggested that I read Loving the Little Years. I'll be honest - initially I just assumed this was another parenting book. Don't get me wrong - I love me a good parenting book (heck, I even work for a parenting ministry so of course I love parenting resources). But there are times when I just feel overwhelmed with all of the books I should be reading... and all of the things I should be doing with the girls. When I start feeling like that I often just take a little break from reading non-fiction and switch over to my much loved fiction books.

Well this time around I'm so glad I took Lynette's advice. I purchased Loving the Little Years and within a couple days found 6 other young moms who were willing to read through it "with" me. I say "with" because let's be honest - long gone are the days of book clubs for me (tear). Instead we meet up for play dates and between "we don't hit our friends" lessons and sips of our triple shot vanilla lattes we talk briefly about the book.

Within a couple of days I received the book in the mail and was especially pleased to read the back cover:

"I didn't write this book because mothering little ones is easy for me. I wrote it because it isn't. I know that this is a hard job, because I am right here in the middle of it. I know you need encouragement because I do too.

This is not a tender reminiscence from someone who had children so long ago that she only remembers the sweet parts. At the time of writing this, I have three children in diapers, and I can recognize the sound of hundreds of toothpicks being dumped out in the hall.

This is a small collection of thoughts on mothering young children for when you are motivated, for when you are discouraged, for the times when discipline seems fruitless, and for when you are just plain old tired.

The opportunities for growth abound here but you have to be willing. You have to open your heart to the tumble. As you deal with your children, deal with yourself always and first. This is what it looks like, and feels like, to walk as a mother with God."

Phew. It sounded like exactly what I needed.

You see, as I sit down to write this I am anticipating the wake-up call of 2 little girls. There are toys sprawled out across the entire living room floor AND kitchen (no - I didn't clean them up during nap time). And yes, I probably could recite the Going to Bed Book. I know what motherhood in the trenches looks like.

With wisdom and humor, and in 20 very short chapters (think 3-5 pages each) Rachel Jankovic reminds us that sometimes when the attitudes are bad and everyone is crying the first person who needs to repent is Mommy. God is using these mischievous little angels to make us more like Him. Yes I did just use "mischievous" and "angels" in the same sentence. :)

While reading this book I literally laughed and cried. I will be reading it again soon, chapter by chapter, taking notes and absorbing ideas. In fact, I will probably read it every year. It's just that good!

So if you're a mom of little one's I would STRONGLY encourage you order this book today. It really has been food for my soul over the past few months.

***************

Elsie {August} Happenings

2011-08-20T13:27:00.000-07:00

So I certainly can't do a Nora {August} Happenings post without following it up with an Elsie {August} Happenings post, right?! ;)

Despite being a bit bug-eyed in the above pic, she's pretty cute, huh?!

Here's a little about Ms. Elsie...

3 months old!!!
Learning to smile and coo = precious.
Rolling a lot! She rolled for the first time at 3 weeks old (for those of you who are not familiar with baby milestones this is VERY early for a baby) and she's been rolling ever since. Essentially if you leave her on the ground you can be assured she will not be in the same position when you come to check on her.
Has taken up residency in our master bedroom closet. You see we live in a small 2 bedroom condo. We've always wanted to keep Elsie in our room until she starts sleeping through the night (we've had no such luck - yet!)). She was getting too loud in the bassinet right next to my side of the bed so I had to get creative. Luckily the bassinet fits really nicely in the closet. I actually figure she probably likes it as it's quite cozy and my necklaces hang on the wall right next to her - it's like a make-shift mobile.
Her tummy issues are finally getting better. Thank you Jesus! This of course makes her so much happier.

And finally - because so many people ask - here's a pic of Nora and Elsie at 3 months old. It's always so fun to compare pictures of the girls.

What do you think? Do they look like sisters?

Steph's Pick | City Moms Blog Network

2011-08-19T08:39:00.001-07:00

Yes... I know...this isn't my usual "Steph's Pick" recipe or product pick but please stick with me because this is something I'm SUPER excited about (which of course is why it is labeled a "Steph's Pick").

Some of you may remember my Start your own Local Moms Blog post back in May. Well I'm pleased to report that as a result of our SMB Media Group Webinar in June we now have THREE Sister Sites up and running...and more importantly - reaching the moms in their communities!

Dallas Moms Blog, Peach State Moms Blog and the Quad City Moms Blog are run by local moms that love their cities and all their cities have to offer families! If you live in any of those areas OR know anyone who live in them please be sure to direct them to these awesome resources.

We're so thrilled with how things are going that we're wanting to invite YOU (mamas and mamas-to-be) to be a part of the action!

If you're interested in the possibility of joining the City Moms Blog Network - visit our “Start a Sister Site” link. We're currently taking registrations for our next City Moms Blog Network Webinar on September 17th. During this Webinar Joy and I will cover the logistics of setting up a SMB Sister Site, Content Management, Working with Local Businesses and Event Planning basics. At the end of the webinar attendee’s will have the opportunity to move forward with partnering with us as a Sister Site.

Email me at steph@scottsdalemomsblog.com for more details! We'd love to have you join us!

Nora's {August} Happenings

2011-08-17T22:06:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy month for Ms. Nora (and Elsie of course but we'll wait to do a different post for her)...and we still have a couple weeks left!

Here's a little Nora happenings update...

Just last weekend Nora and Alan went on a daddy-daughter date to Barney LIVE in Concert. Yes - you read that right. Our little Barney lovin' Nora got to see the big purple guy LIVE :) I think it may have been the highlight of her life thus far ;)

Not only did she get to go with her daddy BUT she also was joined by two of her dearest little girlfriends - Reagan & Colette (and their daddy's too of course).

Let's just say these little girls had the time of their lives... dancing...clapping...singing... all sorts of things. And I'm pretty sure the dads enjoyed themselves too, right?!

And as with life, all good things must come to an end...

Just two days after her roof-top Barney experience Nora had quite the scare.

At the end of Nora's nap-time I heard a very loud bang coming from her bedroom. I of course ran to her door to see what had happened and found the door locked! (Nora just recently learned to lock herself in her room - this was the 2nd - and last- time she's done it. We've since changed the door handle).

I spent the next 5 minutes trying to open the door with anything I could get my hands on. Luckily Alan returned home from work just in time to kick open the door (that's my hubby) and found Nora's dresser on the ground and our sweet little Nora scared to death in her crib.

We're still not sure exactly what happened, but we're certain that God had his guardian angels protecting our little girl as somehow she escaped the incident with only a bruise on her cheek.

Here are a couple pics to document her battle wound. The first was taken about an hour after everything had happened and then second before bedtime that night.

Needless to say we're telling everyone that has children to 1)flip your door handles around so the locks are on the outside (it will save you a heart attack) and 2)bolt your furniture to the wall. We of course learned these two lessons the hard way... as with much of life...but we're making our mission to encourage others not to make the same mistakes.

Nora is recovering quite well.

And lastly... I've recently trained our new Keurig Barista... and I LOVE it!!!

Here's a (fairly lengthy) video of one of her earlier coffee making endeavors.

Stay tuned for an Elsie update soon!

Steph's Pick | Top Kids Snacks

2011-08-12T08:26:00.000-07:00

Ever since Nora started eating solid foods it seems as if my diaper bag has become more of a snack bag. And I'm not saying that I just stick a large container of puffs in the diaper bag and call it good. I'm talking lots of different kinds of snacks!

You see one thing I've learned is that it is especially important with spirited/strong-willed children to give them options. For example: Do you want to wear your pink or yellow bib? Do you want to climb into the car by yourself or have mommy help you? Would you like to color or play with your ice cream set? Would you like apples or grapes? Or peas or corn? The list is endless. I probably give my sweet little Nora 50 different decisions to make any given day. I'm still choosing the two options but she is then making the final decision.

The reason I mention this is because this is the exact reason why if you took a peak into my diaper bag you'd find 5+ snack options. :)

Recently I posted a "Mama Question of the Night" on Facebook (I've been doing this ever since Elsie was born simply to encourage moms to share their experiences on various topics). The question was : What are some healthy snacks you give your kids on the go?

Below is a Top 10 List of Healthy Kids Snacks. Some are idea's submitted via Facebook and others are one's taken from my bag of tricks (or bag of snacks...hehe).

Top 10 Healthy Kids Snacks

Nuts - pistachios, pecans, etc. Note: be sure to take special note of the child's age and allergy recommendations for this snack. We buy the large bag of de-shelled pistachios from Costco and it's great.
Fruit Leathers/ Cliff Fruit Twists
Frozen Fruit - I love this - especially for the summer. Stick grapes, berries and melon in the freezer in little baggies. Grab one before heading out the door to be used later for a cool refreshing snack.
Cheese - string cheese, sticks of cheddar cheese, etc.
Apple Slices - My new favorite thing is the pre-sliced apples from Costco. They last forever and require no prep work. Very easy for an on the go snack.
Frozen Go-Gurt - Freeze gogurt like a Popsicle.
Dried Fruit - raisins, cranberries, cherries...you name a fruit and I'm sure you can get it dried (or DIY if you're super motivated).
Veggies Sticks - Alright... I'll admit. These aren't the most healthy things in the world but Nora just loves them. You can buy them in a uber-large bag at Costco.
Mini Peppers - Nikki says they sell them at Costco (totally going to have to try this).
Puffs/Cheerios - a staple for lots of moms.

Do you have any healthy snack ideas to add to this list? Comment below.

Steph's Pick | Bacon Wrapped Dates

2011-08-06T08:23:00.000-07:00

Eh??? I'm sure that's what you were thinking when you read that I was blogging about Bacon Wrapped Dates! Although I'm a self professed lover of anything wrapped in bacon, the minute I heard the word "date" I wasn't (initially) interested.

However, I was introduced to these little sweet and savory bites at last month's Scottsdale Cooking Club (thanks Claire) and because I've decided I'd try EVERYTHING at our SCC meetings, I grabbed one for my plate.

Let me tell you folks.... these are DELICIOUS! And so easy to make. So easy that I've already made them and have plans to make them again really soon.

Thanks again Claire for introducing me to this super easy appetizer!

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 16-ounce package of Applewood Smoked bacon (regular thickness-not thick cut), cut into thirds
1 8-ounce package of pitted dates

Directions

Wrap each individual date in a strip of bacon until each date is fully wrapped then place toothpick in the center to hold the bacon and date together.
Place tin foil on a cookie sheet pan and then a cookie cooling rack on top of the cookie sheet pan. Place your bacon wrapped dates on top of the cookie rack and broil until bacon is fully cooked. (Keep a close eye on them so they don't burn)
Once they are cooked take out and cool for 5-10 minutes.

Makes 25-30 bacon wrapped dates.

what's in a name? | elsie

2011-08-02T15:48:00.000-07:00

~above pillow designed and created by a dear friend, Amy J.~

A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

- Proverbs 22:1

After Elsie was born a number of you asked how we came up with her name. Well wait no longer...Here's how...

There were a number of things we took into consideration when deciding on her name:

- Does it "go" with Nora?

- Is it popular?

- Does the meaning align with something we believe in?

- Do we like it?

We started looking for names on the Social Security Administration Baby Names Website. First we searched the Top 200 names of the 1880s. Obviously Nora is a bit "older" name (although it is making a come-back) so we went as far back as the SS Website would take us. And that's where we "met" the name Elsie (#55).

Although I liked it a bit more than Alan (he had some coming around to do), neither of us had ever

a) heard of the name (no - we hadn't ever heard of Elsie the Cow) or

b) know anyone with the name Elsie.

So it met a number of our qualifications right from the start... it "went" with Nora, wasn't too popular and we liked it.

Now for the meaning....

Elsie - my God is a vow or God's promise

Perfect!

Our prayer is that Ms. Elsie Grace will grow up to fully understand the many promises that our great God has given to those who trust in His Son Jesus! And that she would come to know the incredible grace given to us in Christ Jesus. May these things be the aroma of our homes and our hearts. Amen!

And a sweet little video of the little peanut...

a baby shower {for michelle}

2011-08-01T13:09:00.001-07:00

No two words get me much more excited than the words BABY SHOWER!

Honestly... what can be better than the new mom-to-be glow mixed with a good party to honor that special lady?

Upon hearing that my sweet friend, Michelle, was expecting, I immediately started thinking "What kind of baby shower would she like?!" You see one of my very favorite parts of planning a shower is considering what the mom-to-be might like and not like.

Here were the things I knew about Michelle after having known her for going on 8 years...

Dislikes: Cheesy Games, anything that puts a lot of attention on her, anything boring/dull (because she's as far from those two words as anyone I can think of)

Likes: Delicious and well displayed food, tasteful decor

So... we browsed the web and came up with a Dessert & Drinks party idea with a Teal, Black and White theme.

The "event" started off with this invitation...

Here are a few pics of the food {and decor}...

Here's the menu:

Mini Cappuccino Mousse cups

Mini Chocolate Mousse cups with raspberry garnish

Chocolate Peanut Butter cups

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Strawberry Marscapone tartlets with balsamic reduction

Key lime tartlets

Red Velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and white chocolate shavings

Brie with orange fig spread

Creamy Roquefort w/ Bordeaux Cherries

And this is the best picture of the drinks that I got. We served White Wine Sangria, Blue Hurricanes and Jones Soda Co. Sodas (raspberry lemonade and cream soda flavors).

And it just wouldn't be a party without a group pic:

Shout out to Jennifer R for the AWESOME food, Brittany for the great decorations, Lindsay for hosting and Denise for working out the logistics of the game. Working with a "team" of ladies is the best!

We couldn't be more happy for Mike and Michelle and can't wait to meet Baby Boy B. in a little over a month.

Steph's Pick | Orzo Salad with Dried Fruit & Pecans

2011-07-29T09:18:00.001-07:00

This past spring I was at a Ladies Luncheon at our church and was served this DELICIOUS salad. Thankfully I knew exactly who to ask (thanks Susan B!) to get the recipe.

We've made it multiple times since and just love it. It's the perfect side salad to so many Summer meals.... BBQ's, Wraps/Sandwiches, etc...

yum, Yum, YUM!!

..................................................................

Orzo Salad with Dried Fruit & Pecans

1 lb orzo

1 apple, chopped (leave skin on)

1 bunch scallions, chopped

1 cup toasted and chopped pecans

1/2 cup dried cranberries

3/4 cups chopped celery

8 oz goat cheese (or feta if you like stronger cheeses)

Pomegranate Dressing (see below recipe)

1. Cook Pasta according to the directions on the box. Don't overcook. Spread it out on a cookie sheet and let it cool down.

2. In a large bowl mix the orzo with the other ingredients along with a fair amount of dressing. Toss the salad and taste for salt and pepper.

Pomegranate Vinaigrette

1/4 cup pomegranate syrup or molasses

2 Tbs red wine vinegar

1 Tbs Dijon Mustard

1-2 Tbs honey

Salt and pepper

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Whisk together everything but olive oil. Slowly add in olive oil until emulsified.

**Local Peeps: Aj's has Pomegranate syrup. The Whole Foods by Walmart in Scottsdale has the pomegranate molasses (the one on Mayo Blvd doesn't).

Steph's Pick | a Milk & Cookies Birthday Party

2011-07-22T08:30:00.000-07:00

Did you hear that our little Nora turned TWO last week?!! So crazy to think that it was 2 years ago that we welcomed Nora Marie into the world. Which of course called for a party! ;)

As you know...parties are my thing. I honestly love planning any kind of party. So naturally I couldn't help planning a super fun party for friends and family to celebrate Nora's 2nd Birthday.

Here's a quick recap of the party:

The Theme :: Milk & Cookies!

Food :: Milk & Cookies of course. We had 7 different kinds of cookies. Some homemade and others were store bought. We also had 3 different kinds of milk - Skim, 2% and Chocolate Milk for the kiddo's (and kids at heart).

Guest List :: Lots of little friends (and their parents).

Activities :: Eating yummy sweets and playing in the baby pool and sprinklers in the backyard - two of Nora's most favorite activities.

The Attire :: Matching sister outfits from Nana of course ;)

Thanks Kevin, Joy, Reagan and Elliot for hosting Nora's Party for us! We're so thankful for such great friends who are willing to open their home for such an occasion.

And of course a HUGE thank you to everyone who attended!

elsie :: two months

2011-07-20T19:55:00.001-07:00

We took lil' Elsie in for her 2 month checkup today and here are her stats :)

Weight: 10 lbs, 1 oz (25%)

Height: 23 in (75%)

Don't you just want to eat her all up?!! She's just the sweetest little baby and we're so thankful to have her as a part of our family.

our little flower girl

2011-07-18T07:31:00.001-07:00

Some of you may remember back in January when I was petitioning your help with a "How to Prepare my 2 year old to be a Flower Girl" Mommy SOS post. Thanks for all of your help - I loved all of your comments and suggestions.

Now I wish I could say that we were uber-prepared and started working with Nora in January but we didn't. If we were totally honest - we started a week before Lexa's Wedding(if that). Mostly our practice/preparation included a green tin bucket with some fake petals in it. We tried our best to encourage Nora to walk from one end of our living room to the other while dropping flowers in between. RIGHT!! She's 2 people. :) She was just going to do whatever her little heart desired.

On Friday we headed to the Royal Palms for the rehearsal. Just thinking about Friday makes me smile and get all worked up at the same time. Without going into too much detail let's just say Nora spent the entire hour of the rehearsal running laps around the wedding ceremony room. When it was time for her to practice walking down the aisle Alan would simply "unleash" (not really - but you get the point) her and we'd pray that she'd head in the right direction. Both times she practiced she never walked or even ran down the aisle. We were in BIG trouble!

Saturday was the wedding. Upon arrival we had the task of getting Nora into her dress. Let me tell you - that was a chore... to say the least. Most little girls LOVE dressing up and acting like a princess. Not Nora. After finally getting the dress on her she spent the next 30+ minutes trying to rip it off. She did successfully destroy the beautiful peony (Nora = +1) that was on the front of her dress but thankfully after an hour passed she actually forgot about the dress and stopped yanking on it. Mom and Dad = +1.

The shoes were another story. There is no convincing our sweet little Nora that she is going to wear anything but her Havaiana flip flops. We decided the dress was a battle we were going to pick but the shoes... not so much. Nora = +1.

After finally getting Nora ready, it was time for the ceremony to start. We both said a little prayer that Nora would at least show her face in the room. Thankfully Nora actually did better than we ever could have imagined. She walked down the aisle, holding the basket, smiled and shouted "Flowers" at the end of the aisle. She did AWESOME! And of course everyone thought she was sooo cute. Mom and Dad = +1.

Here's a picture of Nora and the beautiful bride, Lexa.

And of course the flower girl with her mama.

So all in all it was a great night. Both girls made it until nearly 10 pm (yes - I know - that's a pretty late night for a 2 year old) and we were so happy to be able to celebrate with Lexa & Andre.

Congrats to the new Mr. and Mrs. Andre Cotan!!!

Steph's Pick | A Birthday Blessings Book

2011-07-15T07:45:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of extending birthday celebrations as long as possible (which I'm a strong advocate of doing) I wanted to highlight one of the things I started last year that I just LOVE.

A Birthday Blessing Book.

Last year as we were approaching Nora's birthday I was thinking a lot about how important it is as a parent to give our children our blessing. I was reading The Blessing by Gary Smalley and John Trent and was really encouraged to find practical ways that I could give Nora the gift of our blessing.

Although there are plenty of ways to do this, one of the things I decided to do was start a Birthday Blessing Book - Nora's Birthday Blessings (shown above and below).

It's simply a small notebook that I keep in a safe place throughout the year. On Nora's birthday every year I pull out this little book and write a prayer of blessing as a way to document our prayers for sweet little Ms. Nora.

I specifically chose a bible verse that I use to pray over her throughout the year. A yearly theme verse. (If you're looking for a quick and easy reference for how to pray for your children check out FamilyLife's Lifting My Children Through Prayer Card)

Nora's theme verse for this next year is:

"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord."

- Romans 12:11

I thought this was a perfect verse for Nora as this past year has been a year of ZEAL! (To read a little more about this check out my recent post on Scottsdale Moms Blog - Rejoicing in your Spirited Toddler). Now our prayer is that this spirit/zeal would turn into true spiritual fervor that would show itself in GREAT service to the Lord.

Although we pray for our kids on a daily basis (well - let's be honest - we WANT to pray for our kids on a daily basis but we're not perfect), I thought a Birthday Blessings Book would be a great way to document some of those specific prayers.

*******************

Note: I have no idea when I'll end up giving these books to our children - more than likely it won't be for a number of years. Because you never really stop giving your children your blessing - even when they are grown and have their own families.

happy {2nd} birthday nora!

2011-07-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

It honestly seems like July 13, 2009 was just the other day. Now two years later, we stop to thank God for the sweet gift He has given us in Ms. Nora Marie.

Although her birthday party is scheduled for this coming Sunday (party details to come next week - promise!) we wanted to give a little bloggy love to our sweet little Nora on her actual birthday.

Here's what our day looked like....

We got up nice and early for her 2 year Dr. well check appointment. I know, I know... what kind of mom schedules a Dr. appointment on her birthday??! I won't do it again as I'm pretty sure Nora knew what was coming as this is what she looked like all morning prior to the appointment.

No smiles for the camera from this 2 year old!

Next we got a chance to spend some time with Reagan, Joy and Elliot. Playdates with the Cherrick's are a weekly to-do as the girls just love spending time together (and well, the mama's need some social time too).

After naps we took Nora (and Elsie) to Yogurtology. You may remember how much she loved her first visit to this frozen yogurt shop. You can see pics of that trip here.

Well things haven't changed much as it was nearly impossible to get a picture that didn't involve a wide open mouth and spoon. Case in point...

And lastly, Nora was lucky to have lots of gifts to open up today from various friends and family.

One of the specific gifts was a perfect close to our ice-cream filled day.

Have I ever told you how much I LOVE Melissa and Doug toys? They truly are our favorite toys and the ice cream set Nora received from her Aunt Sara, Uncle Kyle, Aunt Abby and Uncle Nick (oh and her cousins too) was just perfect for Ms. Sweet Tooth herself.

Nora Marie - you truly are a joy to know and love. We're so thankful for your spunk and spirit. You've flipped our lives inside out and all about BUT we wouldn't want it any other way.

We love all that you are and everything that you will be! Blessings to you on this day.

Happy 2nd Birthday!

love - mommy & daddy

A Co-Ed Baby Shower for Greg & Amy

2011-07-11T20:31:00.000-07:00

I love planning/hosting parties. You all know that. And there is nothing better than being able to celebrate the upcoming arrival of a baby with a baby shower for our dear friends, Greg & Amy B.

The minute we found out Greg & Amy were expecting their very first bundle of joy (a boy!) I knew we had to plan an awesome party. So that's exactly what we did!

Amy requested a Co-Ed Baby Shower - which I thought was PERFECT! Laura and I immeditaly went to work on planning all of the details for the shower. Food, decor, invitations... there were all sorts of things that needed to be decided.

So here's what we came up with...

The Theme: We decided on a teal and orange "theme". Mostly because we thought it was fun, co-ed appropriate and boy-ish (for the soon-to-come little boy).

Here are a few pics showing the decorations and yummy drinks. Not to worry guys... there were plenty of non teal or orange beer too. ;)

Sidenote - Have you had these flavored San Pallegrino's? They are delicious! Especially the orange. I actually got a 24 pack at Costco although I've seen them at the grocery store in 6 packs as well. I'd totally recommend them.

Ok...random thought over...next up...

The Food: The best part (in my opinion) - we decided that we'd do a "Make-Your-Own-Pizza" Night. We call Greg the "Pizza-Master" because it is sooo good at making pizza's (that's what previously working at Domino's will do for you). I wish we had more pictures but this was sooo fun. So many fun toppings were available for each attendee to use when making his/her own pizza.

For those with the grocery store Basha's at your disposal, we've found that we LOVE their pizza dough. Just walk right on up to the pizza counter and ask for a dough ball. At roughly $2 they are an awesome way to make yummy pizza in your own home.

And of course we couldn't not take a group picture (minus Alan, Ms Elsie and I - insert sad face)...

Greg & Amy - we couldn't be happier for you two! You will be such incredible parents. Can't wait to meet the little guy here in the next month.

Steph's Pick | The Flag Page {Adult & Kid Versions}

2011-07-09T07:18:00.000-07:00

I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a total sucker for personality assessments. What's not to love about finding out more about YOU?!

I can remember very specifically the first personality assessment I ever took - The Myers-Briggs (in high school - junior year maybe?). I remember after determining I was an ENFJ - extrovert, intuitive, feeling, judgement - I couldn't help but be thrilled to have some way to better define me.

I realize it's a little narcissistic. But in all honesty, even though you may think you know how you operate - inside and out - there's always something new that can be discovered by taking one of the many personality assessments that are out there.

And these assessments have done wonders for our marriage. For those of you who know Alan and I - we couldn't be more different. We're polar opposites in so many ways - which is only a HUGE blessing. I wouldn't want to marry anyone else. Which is why assessments are so helpful in helping us better understand one another.

One of the specific tests we've taken that we've found to be very helpful is The Flag Page. It's super easy, short and the results are almost scary (in a good way). I remember after printing off my Flag Page and reading through the 6 pages that described my motivations, my talents and my soft/hard tendencies I couldn't believe how accurate it was.

Since taking it we've had several of our friends who have also taken it (and loved it). It's an easy (and cheap) way to help encourage your family relationships and friendships.

And there's more (I realize I totally sound like an info-mercial ... not my intention...sorry)...

The Flag Page isn't only for you but is now available for your kids. So fun, huh?!

The Kids Flag Page is an interactive game for parents to do with their kids. Suggested for kids ages 4-15, it's a must have for all parents.

Read (and watch a video tutorial) more about the Kids Flag Page HERE.

I personally cannot wait to do this with my girls once they get old enough. I think it will give such great insight into their how their little minds operate. :)

Plus I really believe in the ministry behind The Kids Flag Page. Sending some linky love to the Family Matters team.

Here's to learning more about you and your kiddo's.

a Baby & Bellini's Party

2011-07-06T06:56:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading our blog for awhile it's probably obvious to you that we have a group of friends that LOVE to throw a good party. And we're at the stage of life when at least one of our closest friends is pregnant so we're always planning a baby celebration of some sort.

Well I was one of the first to be pregnant with a 2nd baby. A traditional baby shower wasn't necessary. Instead four of my dearest friends (thanks Laurie, Denise, Michelle & Brittany) decided to host a "Sip & See" of sorts. Only they didn't like the name "Sip & See" so they called it "Baby & Bellini's" (which I LOVED - so creative).

This was such a perfect way to celebrate Elsie's birth. Sweet company, delicious food and yummy drinks... oh, and a precious baby too ;)

I apologize in advance... I didn't take any photos (boo for me)... but here is what I do have...

The Evite...

The uber-cute Welcome Sign (made by Britt of course)...

And two of the pics I actually took of people :)

Thanks to all of the ladies who came to help celebrate little Elsie!!!

flies girls update

2011-07-02T07:08:00.001-07:00

Seeings how it's been 2 months since the last Flies Girls Update I figured it was about time to give you a little peak into the lives of our two little peanuts.

Let's start with Ms. Nora...

Nora is approaching her 2nd Birthday! It seems like just the other day we were planning her 1st Birthday party. CRAZY?!
busy, Busy, BUSY!! This girl is busy. People say - well that's how 2 year olds are. Well - maybe. But you haven't met Ms. Nora. She takes the word "busy" to a whole new level. She'll run laps around any 2 year old (boy or girl) any day. I often tell people I feel like I have a 4 year old boy on my hands.
So busy is she that it earned her a trip to the ER this week (boo). Nora was playing so hard (and drinking so little) that she came down with a case of heat exhaustion and dehydration. Needless to say it was a bit scary for everyone involved but after getting some fluids in her via IV she felt much better. **Note: I will certainly be posting about this experience and the heat exhaustion/dehydration signs to look for in your children so stay tuned.
She still loves her friends Reagan. Yes... if you've missed it in other posts...Nora has two besties named Reagan.
Nora made her first appearance on live television this week. Check out SMB's ABC15 Interview by clicking here.
Nora loves her baby sister. So much so that she is always the first one to hear her cry after waking up for a nap. She'll run 100 miles an hour to wherever I'm at and let me know by saying "Baby sad!" Who needs a monitor when you have Nora?! ;)
Nora's new favorite activity: Flash cards. Yes... you read that right. This girl loves her flash cards. And some of you moms may be feeling all bad that you haven't thought to buy your children flash cards. Well let me ease your mama anxiety a bit. I honestly bought these solely to help distract Nora when I'm feeding Elsie - and it's worked like a charm! Some kids might be cool with coloring or reading for 30 minutes. My busy bee just doesn't want to sit still for longer than 1 minute. So flash cards to the rescue!!! I consider the purchasing of these to be one of my finer mommy-moments.

And how about Ms. Elsie...

6 weeks old!!! I'm as stunned as you are. :)
Still having some tummy issues but we're on the road to recovery. I've been eating dairy-free for a couple weeks now and it has seemed to help a ton. She's also taking a probiotic so we're hoping that helps too.
Elsie rolls over all of the time. I thought it was a fluke the first time I laid her on her tummy and found her on her back. Nope! She pretty much performs this little stunt every time now. This girl is crazy.
She's sleeping pretty well at night. Usually goes one 5-6 hour stint and then the rest are always around 3 hours.
Starting to "coo" and smile more which of course makes this mama's heart melt.

And that's all for now! We're awaiting the arrival of Uncle Erik & Aunt Amy this morning from Iowa - it's sure to be a wonderful weekend! We can't wait!

Steph's Pick | Gymboree Bubbles

2011-06-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

Did you know that Gymboree has the most amazingly super bubbles?!

I had no idea... until recently!

When compared to regular market bubbles, they burst every other competitor's bubble. While regular bubbles quickly fall to the ground and pop upon immediate contact with anything, Gymboree bubbles magically float suspended in the air.

Case in point - we live on the second floor of a condo complex. We blow bubbles out on our patio (yes - even in the 110+ degree heat). Since getting the Gymboree Bubble Ooodles there have been numerous times that after 10+ minutes of blowing bubbles we hear one of our neighbors yell out something to the effects of "It's a Bubble Wonderland out here!" The bubbles just don't pop. No joke. It's amazing.

They are a perfect summer activity for your own kiddo's and a perfect gift idea for any kids in your life. At $5/set they might be a little more expensive than the average bubbles BUT they are still affordable and oh so much better.

elsie's announcement

2011-06-28T13:13:00.001-07:00

Photos: Kimberly Bee

Design: Me!

How to "Host" a Baby Shower by Mail

2011-06-26T20:13:00.000-07:00

One of life's happiest occasions is a baby shower! But what if she lives in ________ (and you don't)? You can still celebrate by instilling the spirit of a shower into a thoughtful care package -- a shower (by mail).

This is exactly what I just finished planning for my dear friend Jess. And let me tell you - it was soooo much fun!

You see Jess and her hubby, Nate, live in California (aka: too far away from me if you ask me). So when I first heard they were expecting a baby in August my wheels started turning about how I could host a shower for Jess. You know how much I love throwing a shower?

But reality sank in fast ...I had forgotten (oops!)...I was also expecting a baby BEFORE Jess. There was just no way I would be able to make the trip to CA to host an in-person shower for her. Grr... I was totally bummed. But Dr. Google pulled through again. I started researching baby-shower-at-a-distance ideas and decided on a Baby Shower by Mail!

Let me tell you ladies... it was perfect! The ladies who participated loved it. I loved it. And most importantly Jess loved it.

So for those of you interested in knowing how to host a Baby Shower by Mail - here's my step by step guide to doing just that!

**************************

How to "Host" a Baby Shower by Mail

1) Start a Facebook Event. Isn't Facebook wonderful?! When planning this event I knew there was no way I wanted to manage it all via email - so a Facebook event it was. Here are the things to include in the "More Info" portion of the event:

- Note if it's a surprise or not.

- Date that gifts need to be mailed to you by.

- Mailing address for gifts.

- Wrapping specifics. (I'll discuss this more below)

- Note for guests to keep in mind that all gifts will be mailed together so it's important they buy smaller gifts (if at all possible).

- Registry info.

- Invite guests to invite additional guests who might also be interested in participating. Hey - no one is FB friends with everyone, right?!

- Ask guests to RSVP via the FB Event so you know who to expect gifts from.

2) Collect Gifts. As gifts came in I kept all of them in one place and was sure to make a note of who sent what. That way it wasn't too overwhelming when it came time to put everything together.

3) Receipt Envelope - I wanted to be sure Jess had all of her gift receipts in one place so as the gifts came in I started a receipt envelope which I included in the Baby Shower package that was sent to Jess.

4) Wrap and Package up Gifts. I decided I wanted the package to look uniform (and cute of course) so I asked all of the "attendees" to not worry about wrapping the gifts as I would wrap them all once they arrived. I chose a couple different colors of wrapping paper and spent an evening (or two) wrapping all of the gifts that came in. I then packaged them in a large box and prepared the box for shipping.

5) Include a few fun/random items. I decided it wasn't a shower w/o some sort of sweet baked good. Now shipping a cake or cake pops is nearly impossible so I wrapped up a cake mix and frosting. Include your own fun random items in your shipment. The expecting mother will really appreciate the extra touches.

6) Ship it.

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And that's it!! It's easy-peasy and a great way to really bless the expecting parents.

Thanks so much to all of you ladies who participated in Jess's shower - she LOVED it.

And this post just wouldn't be complete without a picture of the guest of honor after receiving her Surprise shipment :)

Steph's Pick | Mr. Clean Magic Erasers

2011-06-24T08:29:00.000-07:00

If you've yet to hear (and try) Mr. Clean's Magic Erasers I honestly feel sorry for you. Here are two reasons...

The first reason... I'm sorry I haven't highlighted them on our blog yet. I honestly was STUNNED when I went back through our "Steph's Pick" archives and didn't find these fabulous cleaning gems. To think that I could have helped your cleaning efforts all of these years and didn't.... ugh... it gives me a knot in my stomach (wink, wink).

And the second reason...I guess I just figure everyone has heard about them. So if you haven't - then you really have been missing out. I'll just assume your hubby is the only one who does the cleaning (oh wouldn't that be nice).

So why are they so great? These little erasers really are MAGIC. No marketing ploy here.

Case in point. We just bought Nora a new little table for all of her coloring efforts. Although we color with Crayola Color Wonder Markers a majority of the time, a crayon still comes out a time or two.

Yesterday for example. I was busy doing something (probably feeding Elsie). I knew Nora was up to no good when I hadn't heard from her in 5+ minutes. My suspicions were correct when I came into her room to find her white (yes - we bought a white coloring table - it looks so much better from a design perspective) coloring table covered in Nora's version of Van Gough's "Night" painting. After my miniature mom panic I thought I'd give my little Mr. Clean Eraser a try... just to see if it would display it's magical abilities once again in or home. Well - sure enough. With little to no elbow grease I cleaned up Nora's table in 10 seconds flat and felt so good I gave myself a little pat on the back. For what? For remembering the secret power of the Magic Eraser of course! :)

And these Magic Erasers aren't just for cleaning up coloring tables, but for virtually anything you can think to clean.... tables, chairs, walls, doors, sinks, shoes. You name it. It's really pretty amazing. I have no idea how they do it... but they did... and I'm thankful!

You're welcome ;)

Nana meets Elsie

2011-06-21T14:57:00.001-07:00

If you spent a full day with Nora recently it's safe to assume that you'd hear the following words spoken a number of times: Mommy, Daddy, Barney, Reagan, Caillou, Nana, Bubbles, Papa and Ma.

Nora never ceases to amaze me with how many times she can say one word over and over (and over) again.

Today her word of choice is Nana.

You see, Nana spent the past week with us. Nora and her spent countless hours reading books, coloring and playing all sorts of fun games. (Aka Nana helped Mommy soooo much)

And of course she helped snuggle lil' Elsie too.

Nora was SUPER lucky one afternoon when Nana suggested it was time Nora try Yogurtology for the very first time. And boy did she LOVE it :) We honestly couldn't get a picture that didn't look exactly like this (hence the family pic in this post- hehe).

Here's a little glimpse into how much she enjoyed her time:

And a family pic at Yogurtology of course.

Thanks Nana for all of the extra lovin' you gave to our girls (and us) this past week! I'm honestly wondering what we'll do without you.

Elsie | One Month

2011-06-19T20:58:00.000-07:00

Our sweet Elsie turned ONE MONTH old today! Can you believe it?! We certainly can't!

It really is amazing how fast time has flown. Between all of the extra kisses we're giving and hours of lost sleep, I feel like we've stepped into a time machine and can't seem to slow down these precious days with our girls.

Before calling it a night, here are a few of my One Month thoughts:

- Elsie's stats are as follows: 8 pounds, 8 ounces. 21.5 inches.

- She LOVES her Miracle Blanket. So much so that we're going to go out and buy a second one simply b/c I don't have enough time to wash the one she has.

- She dislikes her car seat (major bummer). Not sure why I have two girlies who strongly dislike their car seat. I'm starting to think it's God's sly way of teaching me patience. :)

- Nora is adjusting as well as a 2 year old can adjust to being de-throned by a little 7 lb baby. Although she is still our little princess, the adjustment to sharing our attention has been hard on Nora. Thankfully each day it gets easier and easier.

- Elsie spends a large portion of her days in the Baby Bjorn or Moby Wrap. It's just the only way this mama can be hands free with a highly energetic toddler.

- Elsie's tummy is a sad situation. i.e. she's pretty gassy and constipated. Needless to say I'm learning how to eat dairy-free and we're praying it helps with her digestive system. Thanks Jordan for all of the great tips.

- For those interested in comparing our two little girls: Click HERE for Nora's One Month info.

- Interested in how we chose the name Elsie? We'll save that for another post ;)

Love you Elsie Grace! We're so thankful for you.

Steph's Pick | Crayola Color Wonder

2011-06-17T13:32:00.000-07:00

Please allow me to introduce you to my new BFF...for serious!

The Flies Blend Reader - Meet Crayola Color Wonder.

Crayola Color Wonder - Meet The Flies Blend Reader.

You see Nora has become very interested in coloring over the past couple months. Great - I know. I'm sure it's a developmental milestone of some sort. But there's a problem with this new found hobby - It can be MESSY. Although I'm learning to be ok with the mess that Nora makes (thanks to Darcy K's encouragement in this recent FM Blog post), I certainly am not going to shun a mess-free toy. :)

Insert Crayola Color Wonder. Thank you to the working mom who is employed by Crayola and suggested the Color Wonder Markers and Coloring Pads (that has to be how this came about, right?). Nora loves to color with them and watch them magically appear and I LOVE them even more b/c they only appear on Color Wonder Coloring Pads (that means not on skin, furniture, TVs or most importantly- walls).

At first I was less than eager to try them out just thinking they were a marketing ploy as they are more expensive then your average coloring book and crayons BUT take it from this mom - they are well worth it!

If you have young children I would totally suggest that you try Crayola Color Wonder markers and coloring pads! Your house will thank me... I have no doubt.

our little gymnast

2011-06-15T17:29:00.000-07:00

I thought a Nora video was long overdue.

Here's her new favorite activity...doesn't she run like she's going to mount a gymnastic vault?! :)

Steph's Pick | My Goodreads

2011-06-10T07:40:00.000-07:00

Where has time gone? I can't believe the last time I did a "Steph's Goodreads" post was back in November of 2009?!!! For those interested, click here to read that post.

So a year and a half later I'm back with another edition...

1. Her Mother's Hope & Her Daughter's Dream by Francine Rivers. When I found out one of my very favorite authors recently released a two part series I immediately requested it at our local library. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Thankfully the books didn't disappoint (as very few books of Francine's do) and I would HIGHLY recommend you read them as well. So good.

2. Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay. I actually picked this up at Target before heading to Iowa for my G-Gma's 100th birthday party. I'm generally not a person to buy books that haven't been personally recommended by a friend or family member. Well - Sarah's Key was an exception. And I'm soooo thankful I picked it up. This is a historical novel (which I always love) that brings to light a disturbing hidden aspect of French behavior towards the Jews during WW II.

3. Still Alice. by Lisa Genova. I loved everything about this fiction novel about a Harvard Professor that is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's at age 50. Genova is also a Neuroscientist and so she writes from years of experience to paint a very realistic picture of what an early onset Alzheimer's patient might go through personally and relationally. I'm also currently reading her most recent book Left Neglected and am also really enjoying it.

4. The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan. "The Middle Place", as Corrigan describes it, is that unique time in your life where you still heavily rely on your parents admonishment and direction BUT you also have a family of your own who obviously looks to you for those things as well. This book is an excellent novel about the special bond between a father and daughter.

5. The Athena Project by Brad Thor. For those of you who know my reading preferences, this suggestion won't seem odd. But those of you who don't - I'm a quirky reader. I obviously love me some standard "chic-flick" type books but I also love to pick up the occasional espionage/thrilled book. The Athena Project is just that! But what I loved the most about this espionage story is that the "hero's" are a group of undercover WOMEN operatives. LOVED it!

And that's it!! Happy Summer Reading!

Ma and Papa in AZ

2011-06-05T21:14:00.001-07:00

After a week of doing this two kid thing on our own, it was time to call in the reinforcements :) AKA: have the grandparents come into town to help around the house and assist with the girls. I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm always up for an extra helping hand. And two sets of hands are even better!

"Ma" and "Papa" (names selected by Nora herself) flew in from Iowa last Monday and will be leaving in the morning (tear). Their help has been soooo wonderful. It's honestly hard to describe in words how valuable their time here as been to both Alan and me.

Maybe Nora can help give you an idea of how thrilled we were to have their help this week. I think this pic illustrates our thoughts perfectly :)

We spent the week getting out (as much a possible) and resting. Lots of resting. I figure I won't be doing much of that starting tomorrow so I wanted to be sure to take advantage of the extra hands while I had the opportunity.

Here's Ma lovin' up on Elsie-belsie :)

And despite Elsie's funny face in this picture, the girls really do love their Papa.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Ma and Papa. You are such a blessing to us! We could never thank you enough for all of the kindness you've bestowed upon our little family this week.

Now I'm on my own! Ugh....wish me luck...I'll need it.

Steph's Pick | Ebelskivers

2011-06-03T07:11:00.001-07:00

Photo Credit: Jordan Reasy

Yes, yes, yes... I fully realize that this is the first Steph's Pick since May 6th!! I know... I'm just as surprised. But what can I say? The reason(s)...more than likely a lack of ideas and this new little baby we are lovin' on now :)

Now to Steph's Pick -

By now most of you probably know that I'm in a Cooking Club. It's pretty much one of my most favorite things of this year.

Well this past week we met for our May meeting with a theme of "Favorite Brunch Recipe." I for one and am a HUGE lover of brunch. So much so that even though the meeting landed just 5 days after Elsie's birth I couldn't help but go! And I'm so happy I did because I there were some delicious recipes shared.

One of the recipes was for Ebelskivers - a Danish Pancake. Aka: the most delicious thing on the planet!

I'd never actually heard of Ebelskivers but when I saw Jordan bringing them in last Wednesday I knew I was in love. And you will love them too...promise.

Here's her recipe:

Ebelskivers

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 eggs, separated

between 1.75 and 1.85 cups buttermilk

4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted (plus extra for cooking)

Directions.

1. Heat the Ebelskiver pan on med heat.

2. In a large bowl whisk the dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl whisk together the egg yolks, buttermilk and melted butter. In a third bowl beat the egg whites until they hold a 2 inch peak (do not over beat the whites).

3. Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients in a slow, steady stream while gently mixing with a rubber spatula (you should still have large patches of dry ingredients by the time you've finished mixing). Then fold in the egg whites very gently.

4. Place a small amount of butter into each of the pans hollows. Using a spoon, fill each hollow almost to the top with batter. If you're adding a filling, add it on top of each hollow filled with batter and add a little more batter to cover it.

5. When the edges are slightly dry and you see bubbles, use two wooden skewers to turn each Ebelskiver over to finish cooking. Remove Ebelskivers from the pan once they are set or a toothpick comes out clean. Roll in cinnamon & sugar. (See WilliamsSonoma.com for other suggestions for filling & serving)

Enjoy!

Mommy SOS | Preparing for Baby #2 UPDATE

2011-05-31T16:44:00.000-07:00

It's been nearly two weeks since our little Elsie's grand entrance into the world (missed Elsie's Birth Story? Click here.) Who knew that a little 7 lb baby could bring such change to our home?!

Although I'm certainly not going to say we have this "Preparing for Baby #2" thing down (yet or that we'll ever have it figure out for that matter), I did want to give ya'll a quick update on this Mommy SOS | Preparing for Baby #2 post I wrote a couple of months ago.

First of all I have to say a HUGE thank you to all of you who provided such great insight (in person and on the blog) into this transition time for our family. I LOVED so many of your suggestions and will be passing on your mommy-wisdom to other friends who will go through this same transition in the future.

So here is it...the good, the bad and the ugly. :) Because that's what life is all about, right?!

Take out all of the baby stuff well in advance. Nora is a curious little girl....and busy. So at the beginning of May I decided to bring out the bassinet, the car seat and the bouncy seat. By doing so it gave Nora lots of opportunities to investigate (aka: jump on, climb in, etc) all of these "new" things. After a week or so she lost interest in them and has since stayed away from them (for the most part :)).
Read the book I'm a Big Sister by Joanna Cole. We bought this for Nora in April and she LOVED it. It was a "must-read" before every nap time and bedtime (not because we wanted to read it to her but because she wanted to read it). I do think it helped prepare her little mind and heart for Elsie's arrival.
Purchase a little something for the big sister/brother to receive as a gift from the new baby upon their arrival. I read a number of things about this “exchange” pre-Elsie but most noteworthy to me was that the gift didn't need to be expensive but something VERY exciting for your firstborn. In our case I actually buckled down and bought a 12″ Stuffed Barney. You see Nora LOVES the big purple guy. I had him wrapped up at the hospital for Nora and Elsie's first meeting. Let's just say Nora is just a tad obsessed with Barney...the thing goes everywhere with her...in her crib...to the store...to the park...in the bath (only joking - although she has attempted this).
Pray for the baby with the big sister/brother. We are very intentional to pray as a family together before bedtime. For months before Elsie's arrival we prayed (with Nora) for her arrival - for her safety and for our family as we transition to being a family of 4.
Plan on giving lots of extra grace to yourself, your hubby and your firstborn. Let's face it...bringing a baby home is a lot of work. And it's a HUGE change. I'll be honest...Nora hasn't been the most well-behaved child over the past two weeks. But that's to be expected, right?! First of all...she's two. 'Nough said. And second of all...she is no longer the center of everyone's attention (no one likes that). It's a major kick-in-the-pants-reality-check. But through it all it's been such a great blessing to be able to step aside and trust God's provision for our family in ALL things.
Put together a Nursing Basket. ***Disclaimer: I have yet to actually take advantage of this because I'm waiting until my help with Nora has left.*** Christy suggested that I put together a nursing basket. For this basket you buy a number of new toys for the firstborn to play with while you're nursing the baby. I actually still had a number of Christmas toys left and so I'll be putting those in the basket along with a couple other things to keep Nora occupied while I'm nursing Elsie.
Stay connected with your firstborn, even during the first couple weeks. This is easier said than done. One of the things I've been thankful for the most these first couple weeks is the help with Nora I've gotten from my husband and parents. I really wanted to be sure to have this time to connect with Elsie BUT I've also tried to be sure to maintain my mommy-daughter connection with Nora by changing her diaper, helping with her bath, being with her during bedtime and prayer time, etc.

Again, I'm the first to admit that we still have a TON to learn and we haven't done everything right. But that's the sweet thing about grace.

In everything our prayer is that through the successes and failures we would learn to trust our sweet Savior all the more and entrust the care and provision of our family to HIS care above all else.

Blessings to you all!

Our Birth Story | Elsie

2011-05-26T13:34:00.000-07:00

I'll be honest...it wasn't until a couple weeks before Elsie's birth that I had even considered the possibility that this little one could come before her due date. I know, I know... weird. But for some reason I had just expected that she'd come on her due date...not earlier...not later. It's probably just because that's how my brain operates I guess - on a calendar.

That is until a number of people mentioned that oftentimes 2nd (3rd, 4th...) babies come early. WHAT?!! Let's just say when I was faced with the reality of this possibility this mama kicked her "gotta-get-stuff-done" self into high gear. :)

Thankfully come last Wednesday night (5 days pre-due date) I was pretty much completely done with my to-do list and "ready" to have this little girl.

So here's her birth story (and all of the fun details)...

I had a OB appointment Wednesday afternoon at 3:30 pm. I had asked if there was anyway he'd be able to strip my membranes. Although there was no promise that would start labor, he agreed that if I was far enough along (3+ cm) that he'd do just that. Well thankfully I was 3 cm and 70% effaced. So strip the membranes he did!

Come 6:00 pm I was starting to have mild contractions - like the kind where you don't know if you're just having a menstrual cramp sort of thing or if you're actually having a contraction. They were at this time about 30 min apart so Alan and I were going back and forth about moving forward with our evening plans of meeting with our church small group. Thankfully we decided to stay home.

From 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm (when we went to the hospital) we did a variety of hilarious things. And by that I mean things that only I would probably do while in the middle of labor. Like for example...because I knew I needed to be on my feet to encourage labor along I decided that it would be the perfect time to make a couple sets of the DIY Monthly Development Onesies for some of my friends who are expecting later in the summer. I know... I know... I was totally ironing away in the middle of contractions. And I'm proud to say I completed two sets during this time!

And Alan was under our sink fixing a leaking faucet. Yes.. you read that right. It was probably about 9 pm and I noticed some water on the ground. I called Alan into the kitchen and asked him where it was coming from. The first thing he said... I kid you not was "Did your water break?" Hehe. And what's even funnier is that I actually checked my pants to see if it had broken. As if I wouldn't notice if my water had broken. ;)

Anyway... where was I? Ok - by 9:30 we called my sweet friend Laura to ask her to come over (as she was going to stay with Nora while we were in the hospital) and at 11:00 pm we were headed for the hospital as my contractions had gotten closer and closer together and were at that point roughly 5 min apart.

Upon check-in the triage nurse checked me and I was 4 cm. So progress...but not a lot. She suggested we walk the halls for an hour and see if things would progress. (sounds a lot like Nora's birth story, huh? Just in case you're interested you can read Our Birth Story | Nora here.) After an hour my contractions were roughly 1 min in duration and 2 minutes a part and I had progressed and was 5 cm! They were going to admit me and I could get my IV and epidural - yippee!

After getting the epidural (thank you Lordy) we rested for a couple hours. Rested = slept. It was WONDERFUL. Come 4 am the nurse checked me and I was 10 cm and ready to have little Elsie!

Dr. Dado arrived at 4:15 and got things set up. I pushed 2x and out she came - at 4:25 am - Thursday, May 19th, 2011 - all 7 lbs, 1 oz of her.

The only additional side note to this whole ordeal is that poor Alan was a little sleepy and hungry and decided that the minute Elsie was born would be a good time to pass out. Really... no joke. Thankfully he had sat down before he blacked out but the first few minutes of lil' Elsie's life are a blur to poor Alan (love you honey - you're the best daddy in the whole world).

And that's it! All 4 of us are doing well and loving our newest addition.

Here's our first family picture...

And lastly - a HUGE thank you to all of our friends and family who visited us in the hospital and have since stopped by to meet Elsie (or have sent well wishes through the phone, text, FB, mail, etc). We're all feeling very loved by the incredible people in our lives.

Here's just a little treat we had for the visitors who came to meet Elsie at the hospital.

Introducing....Elsie Grace

2011-05-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

We're so pleased to announce the arrival of our daughter (and Nora's lil' sis) -

Elsie Grace

Born May 19, 2011

4:25 am

7 lb, 1 oz

19.5 inches

Birth story to come...

My Pregnancy #2 Tips

2011-05-18T06:41:00.000-07:00

Nope... no baby yet! We're still patiently waiting for her arrival. :)

Rather than a baby announcement... are you interested in hearing a few things I've learned during this pregnancy?

Jump on over to Scottsdale Moms Blog today to read my "DOs and DON'Ts of Pregnancy #2" :)

{heaven}

2011-05-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes, yes... I AM one of "those moms."

Nora came home yesterday with her very first Sunday School art project. And believe it or not - THIS mama put it directly on the fridge. (thank you very much)

Isn't it beautiful? In a child-like-faith kind of way?

___________________

And another pic of Nora...because I can...and because I'm thinking there is a good chance Nora is really hoping there will be bubbles in heaven :)

What do you think?! ;)

Happy Monday!

Start your own Local Moms Blog

2011-05-10T07:35:00.000-07:00

Hey ladies! And actually more specifically this post is for all of you mamas and mamas-to-be out in cyber-space that read our blog.

Have you been checking out Scottsdale Moms Blog over the past year and have thought to yourself "I would LOVE to do something just like that in my town/city?!"

Well - now you can!! And we'll even help you do it.

We've (and by "we" I mean SMB co-founder, Joy and me) just recently launched the SMB Media Group. Through it we're committed to partnering with local mom bloggers around the United States. Our sister sites showcase information about what’s going on in the lives of moms who live in their respective communities. We know that it’s difficult to get out and meet other moms when naps, eating and potty-training are calling for a mom’s attention. These sites are our little attempt to make the world feel smaller and to encourage other moms that they AREN’T ALONE!

Our sister site bloggers are working moms, stay at home moms, city moms, suburban moms, and rural moms—but, most of all, they are local moms.

To see an example of what YOU could do in your area be sure to check out our very first sister site who has officially "launched" just last week - Dallas Moms Blog (so happy for you Lauren K!)

Now here’s where YOU come in!!!

If you're interested in the possibility of starting a SMB Sister site - visit our “Start a Sister Site” link. We’re currently putting together a wait list for our very first SMB Media Group Webinar (most likely early June). During this Webinar Joy and I will cover the logistics of setting up a SMB Sister Site, Content Management, Working with Local Businesses and Event Planning basics. At the end of the webinar attendee’s will have the opportunity to move forward with partnering with us as a SMB Media Group Sister Site.

Email info@scottsdalemomsblog.com for more details!

Steph's Pick | Cooking Club

2011-05-06T06:53:00.000-07:00

Some of you may remember me mentioning that at the beginning of the year a couple friends and I started the Scottsdale Cooking Club. (As if I need one more random thing to be organizing... but hey - that's what born-out-of-the-womb party planners do, right?!)

Well I'm pleased to report that things are going VERY well. I've even had a couple of you mention that you've either started your own cooking clubs already or are thinking about starting a cooking club in your area. Nealy & Liz - way to go girls!

Which is actually the reason for this post...

First of all, if you're wanting to start your own cooking club be sure to head over to my post - Scottsdale Moms Blog: How to Start a Cooking Club. This post highlights all of the things you'll need to consider in getting your own cooking club started (it's really easy ladies - don't be nervous).

Secondly, if you're not quite totally interested in started your own cooking club just yet... but are wanting to get your hands on some of the recipes that we share at the SCC ... SMB guest blogger, Mandi N, has given great updates on our first few meetings (a couple recipes/post included - woot woot!). Follow the below links for these updates:

Scottsdale Cooking Club | Husband's Favorite

Scottsdale Cooking Club | Favorite Dessert

Scottsdale Cooking Club | Favorite Cookbook Recipe

And lastly, I wanted to share a couple things I've learned from starting a cooking club. Consider it "Steph's Do's and Don'ts of Starting a Cooking Club" :)

I always have to remind my perfectionist self that with every new thing there is a bit of a learning curve. I'll admit, there are a few things I would change about what we're doing now... which is why I wanted to share them with you all so you don't make the same mistakes too :)

Although we LOVE our group of 18 ladies I think we all have decided the ideal group size is 10-12 people. Simply b/c the amount of food to consume is manageable and in a group of 10-12 you are generally able to chat with everyone in attendance sometime throughout the evening. (there's nothing I hate more than leaving one of our meetings and feeling like I didn't even say hi to _____ and ______ ).
Keep serving sizes very small. You want everyone to be able to taste everything throughout the evening and it's just too hard on the tummy when the serving sizes are too large.
Encourage attendee's to think outside of the box and bring a full array of items. Like appetizers, main dishes, desserts and even drinks. We learned this the hard way. :) Our first meeting was "Husband's Favorite." Now ladies... it sounds like a GREAT idea to add a number of awesome recipes to your list of things to make your hubby... and in that regard it was. BUT... my tummy has never felt so terrible in my life as after this meeting. Why? Well...of course most everyone brought a main dish that contained anywhere from 1-2 lbs of MEAT (including me)! I love me some meat peeps but I literally felt like I had a 2 lb hamburger patty sitting in my belly when I left that evening. I couldn't even sleep that night because of what I now call my "SCC Hangover." All that to say, encourage participants to sign up to bring a number of different types of items. :)
Hostess Note: Be sure to have plenty of serving utensils. Now we've decided to alternate who will be hosting our group each month. You could have your group at one house every time.... it's really up to you. BUT one thing I have learned from participating in 3 months of a cooking club is that the hostess needs to have a number of serving utensils. I'm talking at least 1/dish.
Nametags. Although they aren't as necessary now, it was super helpful to have nametags for all in attendance during the first couple meetings. **When I get a chance I'll be sure to take a pic of our nametags and maybe even upload a downloadable file (if I'm feeling super ambitious)
Facebook Groups are AWESOME. Like I mentioned in my "How to Start a Cooking Club" post, it's important to find some sort of communication that works best for your group. In our case starting a SCC Facebook Group has been perfect. We use the event wall to RSVP and post what everyone will be bringing. I'd totally suggest using this feature on FB! Five Stars for sure *****!!!!

And that's it!

As always, feel free to comment below with any questions you may have.

Oh - and for those interested - here's a pic of our group at our first meeting...

Happy Cooking (clubbing)!!!

Flies Girls Update

2011-05-01T15:12:00.000-07:00

Wow! We have had quite the past 2 weeks! All fun... but BUSY! Between a number of Scottsdale Moms Blog outings, celebrating Easter and the pending arrival of Baby Girl #2 we have had a very full schedule!

Because I'm sure you like knowing what's going on with Ms. Nora and Ms. Baby #2 here are a few highlights from the past few weeks...

Splash pad.

Nora LOVES the splash pad. What adventurous kid wouldn't, right?

The above pictures were taken of a specific trip just a couple weeks ago when we met Mrs. Cherrick and Reagan at the Scottsdale Quarter Splash pad. (Best splash pad in the area - for serious)

Just a couple thoughts from this trip:

First - Nora LOVES her girlfriends, Reagan and Reagan. Yes - you read that right. She has two BFF's who are both named Reagan. (I'm secretly wondering if she thinks every little girl is named Reagan - I guess we'll see in time). But because she really only says the first syllable of every word she calls them "Rae" - as in Ray - like my father-in-law. Hehe. Too funny.

Second - Nora LOVES drinking the splash pad water. I'm not talking standing up and sticking her tongue out sort of drinking. I mean laying on the ground slurping it up type drinking. Weird.

Next up....Sesame Street Live.

We were lucky enough to be given tickets to attend Sesame Street Live at the Comerica Theater this past weekend! We attended the 10:30 am showing just yesterday and were super anxious to see how Nora would do at a LIVE show :)

Oh how I wish I would have gotten video of Ms. Nora during the production! Our little girl a)would not sit in her seat...she was far more interested in standing up and dancing and singing for the entire 1.5 hrs - b)was a little obsessed with Big Bird. I'm talking she wouldn't pay attention to the show when the Big yellow Bird wasn't on stage. And c)despite loving everything about the show decided she was "all done" about 15 minutes before the end of the production. So "all done" was she that she started waving and saying "bye-bye" in the middle of the production. Alan and I just looked at each other and said "Ok - I guess we'll go!"

Oh this girl cracks me up!

Easter.

Now I'll admit - this certainly is not one of the most entertaining videos I've posted...but I figured I'd post it as I'm sure the grandparents will like it at least. :)

Nora had a great Easter. We went to church and spent the rest of the day poolside and eating yummy food at home. Oh I love April in Arizona!!

And lastly...Baby Girl #2

(I did title the post "Flies GirlS Update," right?)

Oh Baby, right?!

Here are just a couple of Baby Girl #2 thoughts....

- In case you're interested in seeing what I looked like with Nora around this time be sure to check out my Belly Project | 36 week update post to compare. Note: one thing that is funny to compare in these pictures is the amount of finger prints on the mirror behind me. Pre-Nora - not too many. Post-Nora - Holy Finger-print-mola! :)

- Mom-to-Mom advice: When packing your little one's clothing away be sure to pack the larger clothes on the bottom. I suggest this as I recently went to get out all of our 0-3 month girls clothes and had a terrible time as they were at the bottom of our 0-6 month bin! Ugh! I realize it's more work when you're putting the clothing away but believe me, that's when you'll want to put in the extra time. Not when you're getting ready for additional children :)

I'm just saying.

- Lastly - this very well may be my last Belly Project update. Honestly, I don't think I'll want any more pictures of this growing belly.

Next time you'll see a pic of me I'm hoping I'll be holding our sweet little girl :)

All for now!!!

Steph's Pick | Whole Fruit Juice Tubes

2011-04-22T06:40:00.000-07:00

I love finding great Costco finds! There's just nothing like going into Costco with my usual list of items to buy for the month and stumbling across a new snack, drink, outfit... you name it...Costco probably has had it at one time or another!

And like most things in life, I love sharing my finds with other people. :) That's what bloggers do, right?!

Specifically, I recently stumbled across a 24 pack box of Whole Fruit's Frozen Organic Juice Tubes at Costco. They come in 3 flavors - Apple-Strawberry, Apple-Cherry and Apple-Grape and are 90% juice. Mmmmm, Mmmmm, Mmmmm.

Now of course I'm having a terrible time finding a picture of them online but take my word for it... they're awesome!

Here are the 3 top reasons why I love these things...

1) They are mostly juice (90% is pretty good for something non-homemade)

2) Nora loves them as an afternoon snack. See below video :)

3) They aren't as messy as a popsicle simply b/c they are in a push-up/tube type container.

Preparing for Easter in our Home

2011-04-20T07:53:00.000-07:00

Whoa....Easter snuck up on me this year! How about you?!

I've had every intention of being very deliberate in our home in preparing all of our hearts for this Easter season. But like so many things... time got the best of me. I hate that! Especially when it comes to such an important season.

I love what Darcy Kimmel says on the Family Matters blog...

"As Easter approaches, we are coming to a most holy time of year. If Christmas is the bow and wrappings of our faith then Easter is what’s inside the package.
Somehow though, Easter doesn’t get the same billing as Christmas. Yes, Easter has its own super character, its own candy line and retailers depend upon it for a boost to their monthly sales total. But the celebration of Christmas has become its own season, demanding our attention from Black Friday to New Years Day. And if bottom lines are really the bottom line, Christmas wins as far as the number one holiday celebrated here in the western world."

Read the rest of her post here.

Despite Easter flying in at a rapid speed, we have done a couple things that we're praying will impact Nora's heart for eternity.

1) Resurrection Eggs.

Here's the deal... I really love everything about this kid-friendly teaching tool. I was so excited this year b/c I thought surely Nora is old enough to start to comprehend some of this. I mean - I'd read on a number of blogs about other 2-ish year olds being very interested in the Resurrection Egg process.

Hehe...boy was I wrong! Nora really doesn't fit in with the "norm" anyway. So why would I expect her to do something "normal" this time around?

Now I'm not doubting that other 2-ish year olds could sit through the 12 day egg story...but this daughter of mine did not!

This is how it went...my type-A personality self insisted on taking one egg at a time and telling the story of Easter (because that's what the instructions say, right?). I had this beautiful picture in mind of us sitting down together and having the "Jesus Died on the Cross for you" conversation. But Nora-bora was much more interested in opening up every egg at a rapid speed in no order of any kind and paying little or no attention to what I was saying.

I love it how God teaches us lessons when we least expect it. Does He do that to you?

After God and I had a little heart to heart in the middle of Nora thoroughly enjoying herself I was reminded that "She's just 21 months Steph!" God will prepare her heart to understand this story in HIS timing. Not mine.

Phew - what a relief! God's timing is always better anyway so I'll surrender to that truth!

We'll try Resurrection Eggs again next year :) Until then we'll just play with all of the eggs and special surprises inside each egg.

(If you like DIY projects you can also make your own Resurrection Egg kit using my friend, Nealy's instructions here)

2) What is Easter? book.

Thankfully I have an awesome MIL who came to the rescue! She brought us a wonderful book called "What is Easter?" when she came to visit a couple of weeks ago and I really do believe it's been preparing all of our hearts for this coming weekend.

We've been reading it daily before naps and bedtime. It's been such a great reminder of the truth of Easter.

AND Nora does sit through this... yipee!!

Here's to YOUR family celebrating the resurrection this upcoming Easter!

Steph's Pick | Salmon Patties

2011-04-15T07:29:00.000-07:00

Everyone has a few "go-to" recipes, right? You know the ones that you generally have everything on hand in your pantry and don't have to consult a recipe for the ingredients?

In our home one of our go-to recipes is Salmon Patties.

When I first moved out to AZ I lived with my aunt Jane and uncle Tom. Thankfully my aunt is a great cook and was willing to let me sit under her wing in the kitchen and take notes while she cooked. Prior to this, I had lived 4 years in the dorms and spent very little time and/or energy cooking...so I was an eager student.

Salmon Patties was one of the recipes she made. Now I'll admit - I was a little skeptical as canned fish just sounded a little shaddy. Right?! Well, I'm pleased to tell you that this is by far one of the easiest and yummiest tasting options to add fish into your weekly menu. We have these probably a couple times a month with steamed broccoli and gnocchi. Mmm, Mmm.....

Salmon Patties

Ingredients:

1 can canned salmon (I prefer Trader Joe's - no bones & skin or Costco's canned salmon)

1 egg

1 Tbsp minced onion

1/2 tsp dill weed

1/2 tsp mustard

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs

1 Tbsp olive oil

Directions

Drain and reserve liquid from salmon. Mix egg, onion, dill weed, garlic salt, mustard, bread crumbs and salmon together. Make into patties (2 large patties per can or 4 small patties). If mixture is too dry to form into patties, add reserved liquid from salmon.

In frying pan, heat olive oil. Place patties in pan. Brown on each side, turning gently. Drain on paper towels and serve.

** Note: Make sure to buy the canned salmon that is boneless and skinless. Or else you'll have quite the mess :)

Bon appetit!

Our Cloth Diapering Journey UPDATE

2011-04-11T08:29:00.001-07:00

{For those of you who missed my 2 Part Cloth Diapering series back in January 2010 be sure to go back and read Cloth Diapering 101 and Cloth Diapering Questions Answered: Mom to Mom. These posts will give you a little insight into why we decided to cloth diaper.}

UPDATE: I've been wanting to post a cloth diapering journey update for quite some time as I feel like I've learned a number of lessons over the past 2 years that might be helpful for other moms considering cloth diapering OR encouragement for other moms in the middle of it.

But before I begin, like the other posts, I have to clear up two misconceptions.

By posting this I'm in no way saying that 1) cloth diapering is the best decision or 2) I love cloth diapering. Neither of these statements are 100% true. Now, do I think cloth diapering has been a decent decision for our family - YES. And do I love cloth diapering - NO! ;) Hehe. I'm the first to say that cloth diapering is more work... BUT we are still very happy to have made the decision to cloth diaper. And - what about parenting isn't work anyway? I figure why not just add something else to the pile ;)

Now the following items are probably not going to make sense to anyone but those moms who cloth diaper... but nonetheless I wanted to post them as they may be of help to you ladies out there browsing the web for cloth diapering resources.

- Wet Bags

I had no idea I'd have an opinion about a wet bag. Well I do! My favorite (hands-down) is the FuzziBunz In and Out Wet Bag. Why? Because there is a zipper on the bottom!!! No joke ladies, the simple luxury of having a zipper on the bottom when doing laundry is AMAZING! 'Nough said.

- Bum Genius Customer Service.

This is the main reason I wanted to write this post.

When researching what cloth diapers to purchase I read a TON of blog posts, visited our local cloth diapering store, and talked with a number of CD moms. This specific Passionate Homemaking blog post stuck out to me during my reading so I added it to my favorite links list and went about my merry way. Hey - you just never know when you might need to reference it again - right?!

Well - sure enough, after using Bum Genius One-Size Pocket Diapers for just under a year I could tell that the elastic around the legs were starting to loosen. The diapers were leaking so quickly that I'd have to change Ms. Nora every 30 min or so just to keep her clothing dry. Grrr... I was not happy!

BUT I remembered Bum Genius's 1-year warranty (as noted in above blog post that I favorited) and contacted Cotton Babies about sending them back and trading them in. I was frustrated but not ready to give up. :)

Here's the bright side of the story - they were SUPER helpful and supplied me with 24 brand new bumGenius Organic One-Size All in One diapers!!! Woot woot! (Note: I requested the change in diapers as I'd heard that these were much easier to clean and fit better around the legs - I did pay the difference between the two though)

Moral of the story: I will still sing bumGenius praises solely because of their great customer service! Do keep this in mind when choosing what cloth diapers to buy. Good customer service is something worth paying for!

- Diaper Sprayer.

Ladies - this is a must if you're going to CD. We followed this DIY Diaper Sprayer tutorial and it works like a charm! Gone are the days of scrubbing the dirty diaper with your hands. Love it! You can also buy a diaper sprayer if you're not wanting to go the DIY route.

- Disposables.

Yes - I do actually have something to say about disposables.

I, for one, am not above using a disposable or two every once in awhile. Especially during this pregnancy, there have been times when I'm out and about and cloth diapering just doesn't sound like my cup of tea. So, I put Nora in a disposable. I figure - the CD have already well paid for themselves (we figured we were "even" at 10 months of using CDs).

All I have to say about disposables is that I've found that I LOVE the Target brand diapers better than any other brands. Here are the reasons.... 1)Low Price 2)They're actually cute - and by that I mean they don't have characters on them and 3) They don't smell (that is when they aren't dirty).

- Two Babies in Cloth?

I get this question a lot. Have I liked cloth diapering so much that I'm willing to cloth diaper two little girls at the same time?

YES! Well - that's the plan for now. We'll see how it goes. That might call for another update post in 6 months :)

So those are my thoughts for those interested!

Have a Cloth Diapering Question? Feel free to comment below!

Steph's Pick | Southwest Stuffed Bell Peppers

2011-04-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

So I know I've mentioned that I started a Scottsdale Cooking Club, right?! Have I told you how much I'm LOVING it???!!! It's such a great excuse to get together with wonderful girlfriends AND eat delicious food - 2 of my very favorite things!

If you're interested in finding out how to start your own cooking club be sure to check out this post on Scottsdale Moms Blog: How to Start a Cooking Club.

Well here is a recipe that a SCC Member, Moriah, shared at our first cooking club.

Now - disclaimer. I've previously made stuffed peppers (probably 3 or so different recipes) and although they've been good they just weren't noteworthy. I'm happy to say that I now have a noteworthy (and Steph's Pick worthy) Southwest Stuffed Peppers recipe!!!

Without further ado...

Southwest Stuffed Bell Peppers

from OurBestBites.com

Ingredients.

4 very large or 6 medium sweet peppers (red, yellow, or orange)
1 Tbs salt
1/2 C white rice (or brown if you want to take the time to cook it), quinoa also works
2 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 – 1 jalapeno, minced (or you could sub a small 3oz can of mild green chilies)
1 14oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 green onions, sliced
1/2-1 tsp chipotle chili powder (you can start with 1/2 and add more to taste)
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 black pepper, plus more to taste
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably fire roasted
1 1/4 C jack or pepperjack cheese, divided
3-4 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro
tortilla chips, just a handful and more for serving if desired.

Directions.

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare peppers by washing, slicing tops off, and removing insides. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Boil whole peppers for about 3-4 minutes, until they begin to soften. Remove from water with tongs and place on paper towels to drain.

Add rice to boiling water and cook until tender, about 13 minutes. Drain thoroughly.

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeno (or chilies) and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add corn, beans, green onions, chipotle chili powder, kosher salt, and pepper. Stir until corn and beans are heated through, about 5 minutes. Place peppers in a baking dish. Remove skillet from heat and add rice, tomatoes, 1 cup cheese, and cilantro. Stir to combine well and give it a taste. Add additional salt, pepper, and chipotle powder to your liking. Then evenly divide mixture between peppers.

Top peppers with remaining 1/4 cup cheese (or more if you can fit it on there :) and crushed tortilla chips.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Top peppers with remaining 1/4 cup cheese (or more if you can fit it on there :) and crushed tortilla chips.

Family & Maternity Pics {by Bri Anderson}

2011-04-03T20:58:00.000-07:00

We just received our maternity/family pics from Bri Anderson and I just HAD to share a selection of them with you! Because she really is THAT good!!

You can view more pics on Bri's Photography blog here. And check back on Scottsdale Moms Blog later this week where we'll be doing a recap of our photo shoot with Bri.

For anyone in the Phoenix area.... do keep Bri in mind for your future photography needs. She is AWESOME!

Thank you Bri for sharing your time, talent and passion with our family! We are so thankful to you.