Steph's Pick | Whole Fruit Juice Tubes

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.

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Preparing for Easter in our Home

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!

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Steph's Pick | Salmon Patties

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!

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Our Cloth Diapering Journey UPDATE

{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!

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Steph's Pick | Southwest Stuffed Bell Peppers

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.

6  large red peppers 

1 lb ground turkey
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.

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Family & Maternity Pics {by Bri Anderson}

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.

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Steph's Pick | Personalized Children's Books from MJM Books

My mom was one of those moms that kept some of our old books and toys "just in case" - aka: for her future grandchildren some day :). Before becoming a mom I thought this was maybe a little strange. But it's funny how our perspective changes, right?!

In fact, some of our old toys and books actually look pretty retro now and are some of Nora's very favorite toys/books. Moms do seem to be right a lot, huh?! ;)

One of the the books my parents kept hidden away for years was "The Circus Star" - a personalized book given to me by my Aunt Jane and Uncle Tom for my 5th birthday. Over the past 6 months Nora has become more and more interested in books and her love for this old book of mine has grown and grown. She just LOVES it.

Here's a little look at it...

(Yes - it does say "Stevie" - that's an entirely different story)

These are the thoughts that prompted me to look for personalized books that I could buy for birthday gifts. With so many little one's being born on a monthly basis I'm always looking for a creative gift to give to family and friends.

That's when I stumbled across MJM Books. They came highly recommended from one of my very favorite mommy blogs, Cool Mom Picks. After reading a bit more about their books I ordered 3 copies of "If I were Big" and patiently waited for them to arrive in the mail.

I was soooo happy when they came. Not only were they super cute (and creative) but they were the PERFECT birthday gift for the three girls I bought them for (shout out to Callie, Ella and a soon to be birthday girl, Reese). And future birthday's to come I'm sure.

Here's the front cover...

And the first page...

They really are an awesome gift!

If you're in the market for a creative birthday gift do check out MJM Books! The books are fun for the gift giver AND the recipient.

(for another personal review check out Nealy's blog post here)

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Nora Recommends | Tickle Monster

Recently Nora was given a gift by her Uncle Mike & Rick - The Tickle Monster (the book) and a pair of Tickle Monster Mitts.

To most, this book may just seem like one of a thousand ordinary kids books. Nora has a book shelf full of kids books that normally get a little love just once a week or so. And we read LOTS of books every day so that's not saying much.

BUT along came this little Tickle Monster kit! She LOVES everything about this book (and so do I!). She'll either pull out the book or the mitts and immediately run to find the other so that we can sit down to read this super cute (and creative) book.

If you're looking for a great kiddo gift - do check out The Tickle Monster (but don't forget the mitts too!)! Nora promises you won't be disappointed! ;)

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Steph's Pick | Culver's Lemon Ice Cooler

Warning: Pregnancy Craving Alert!!!

In all honesty, I love these things pregnant or not-pregnant. BUT of course my cravings for them are even stronger when I'm expecting :)

I recently found out we have a Culver's that is scheduled to open fairly close to home. Now this may not be a big deal to all of you in the Midwest but this is HUGE here in AZ. Culver's opened some of their first stores in the Valley about a year or two ago and all (until now) have been roughly 30-40 min away. That's just too far to travel for a cold beverage.

But now with the new store opening within 10 minutes of our place I can tell you this mama is going to be in their drive-thru line ASAP :)

I can't vouch for much of anything else on their menu (it's not bad... it's just not "Steph's Pick" worthy) BUT I can say that there is nothing better than their Lemon Ice Raspberry Coolers. SLURP!!! So delightful! A perfect treat for any occasion.

Check it out!

Note: For my friends in cooler parts of the country something to note is that Lemon Ice (in all of it's forms) is considered a seasonal item on Culver's menu. I know! Boo, huh?! There have been countless times I've been soooo excited about getting my hands on one of these treats while home in IA or MN to pull up to the drive thru and be disappointed that it wasn't available until Spring/Summer time. (insert big sad face)

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some {photo} catching up

Oh wow! There are just some posts that call for mostly pictures.... and this is the post :) Plus I did promise in this post to tell you all more about our time in CA earlier this month.

Let's start with our time in California.

Nora and I went out to visit Abby, Adelyn and Mason at the beginning of the month. Nick was out of town for business and so it was a perfect excuse to have some girl (and kiddo) time. We went to Chuck-e-Cheese (yes - you did read that correctly), an indoor bounce-house and a number of parks. Needless to say we were consumed with keeping the girls BUSY.

While at Chuck-e-Cheese Nora found her most favorite character in the whole wide world. As you can see in the picture she was VERY happy to be sitting next to Barney.

And what would a trip to Chuck-e-Cheese be without riding some of the fun rides. Here is Adelyn and Nora doing just that.

Thanks to Nana the girls have the same coats :) Too cute, huh?! There were a number of times while we were out and about that we were asked if they were twins!

Upon returning from CA we were blessed to have my grandparents come to AZ for the month of March. We've spent a number of days over at their place. Nora loves having her great-grandparents around.

And lastly... a little update on the Baby Girl (#2). Things are progressing quite quickly (maybe a little too quickly in my opinion). Baby Girl is growing, has a name (yipee!) and we're attempting to prepare for her arrival as best as we can.

Here's an updated belly shot (so sorry about the weird lighting... my flash was being super weird).

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Steph's Pick | Our Top 3 Frozen Pizzas

Alright peeps....despite what you might think... I'm certainly not beyond cooking a frozen pizza at night every once in awhile. And by every once in awhile we're talking every other week... so a decent amount (at least in my opinion). There's just not enough time (or energy) in my days to consistently make my most favorite pizza/calzones.

So I've made it my mission to find some of the best frozen pizza's available. I figure we might as well go "all" out... and by that I mean spending an extra $3-$4 so I don't have to buy the college-classic Totino's pizza.

Here are our Top 3 Frozen Pizzas:

1. Trader Joe's: Trader Giotto's Pizza Parlanno. Honestly... my favorite... hands down!

2. Fresh & Easy: Supreme. This is what you'll find most frequently in our freezer b/c I do most of my shopping at Fresh & Easy... so yummy!

3. California Pizza Kitchen: CPK's BBQ Chicken. If you're not able to get to a Trader Joe's or Fresh & Easy this CPK option is a great pick and can be found in most grocery stores.

Now it's your turn... comment below with your favorites!!!

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some extra reading... for those interested

In case ya'll were thinking I'm a "blogging slacker" I thought I'd send a few links for your reading pleasure :)

We celebrated our One-Year "Blogging" Anniversary with a HUGE party. Here's the recap post: One Year Anniversary Party RECAP.

We're also busy planning our next event - Arizona Moms Night Out. Check out the details on this post (and if you're from the area - register TODAY - we "sold" 50% of our tickets in 1 day!): Arizona Moms Night Out - April 4th.

After a number of requests (think 10+) from my blogging partner, Joy, I finally sat down and wrote a post about my strategy with snail mail. Nothing life changing. But it seemed to be of interest to lots of peeps. The "Art" of Snail Mail.

And in case I haven't given you enough to read - we've also been guest blogging over at GalTime {Phoenix}. Here's a list of some of the most recent posts we've written for them. Our GalTime {Phoenix} Weekly Posts.

Needless to say, we're keeping VERY busy over at Scottsdale Moms Blog. We're so thrilled with all God is doing in using our little space on the web to connect 100's of women on a weekly basis!

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Steph's Pick | DIY Monthly Development Onesies (Girl edition)

Some of you may remember my DIY Monthly Development Onesie post back in November. I've had such great feedback from so many of you that I thought I'd create some new girl colored onesie files (yeah - I have girl on the brain - what can I say?!).

But first, a few notes for those who are actually making these...

* First, use the Avery brand labels. Supposedly the other brands are not nearly as good.

* The sizing of the onesies might be the hardest thing to determine. Especially since Gerber brand white onesies are so tiny. I've heard from experience that generally it's best to make the last month, the larger size. So, for example when you might think to make Month 3 a size 0-3 month size onesie, it's probably best to actually make it the 3-6 month size. Make sense?

Click HERE for file (1-6 months)

Click HERE for file (7-12 months).

Alright - I think that's about it!

Good Luck! And please report back if you do end making these... I'd love to hear from you.

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Mommy SOS | Preparing for Baby #2

Like many other mama's expecting their second child, I've been thinking a lot about how much will change come the end of May when we move from a family of 3 (aka: Nora is the center of the universe) to a family of 4 (aka: Nora is not the center of the universe). Tear :)

Now I'm joking a bit in saying that Nora is the center of the universe - but to some extent it does illustrate the changes that will surely happen to our family when baby girl #2 enters the world.

A couple months back I posed the question - "How did you prepare for baby #2?" on Facebook and had some great feedback. Now it's time to hear from our Flies Blend readers too!

Here are some questions I have in preparing for the arrival of baby #2:

- How did you prepare child #1 for the arrival of baby #2 (remember: Nora will be 22 months old)?

- Are there any resources you read/consulted for this transition time?

- Is there any advice you were given that you'd like to share?

- Any other suggestions are welcome.

I fully realize that every family is different so as we work to prepare for the arrival of baby #2 there is no "checklist" per-say to making it a smooth transition. I'm just eager to hear all of YOUR experiences.

Comment below please :)

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Steph's Pick | Apple Dumplings

I have a confession. It hasn't even been 24 hours since I first laid my eyes (and tummy) on these things. I had every intention of keeping this recipe in my "Steph's Pick" idea's mental list but it was just TOO good to not share with you immediately!

Leave it to Ree, the Pioneer Woman, these little pieces of apple-heaven are delightful. The combination of the crispy crescent rolls, apples and the key ingredient - Mt. Dew - make these treats irresistible. So yummy....

Easy Apple Dumplings

taken from Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients

2 whole Granny Smith Apples, Cored and Peeled

2 cans refrigerator crescent rolls

2 sticks butter

1 1/2 cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 can Mt. Dew

Ground Cinnamon

Directions

Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9/13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mt. Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

******

More photos and videos to come of our time in CA. If you didn't get a chance to see the video of Nora I posted earlier this week it' s a MUST view. Click here to see Spinning in California.

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spinning in california

We're just finishing up our time here in California. Don't worry...there are many more pictures and videos to share of our time here. But for now, here's a little sneak peak into all of the fun we've had :)

Before viewing this video you must know a few things....

First, yes, I do feel a little bad about laughing so hard about something like this. And by laughing hard I mean that I almost peed my pants... for reals.

Second, the little one crying in the background is Adelyn - not Nora. She didn't seem to be sad or upset at all about what happened to her. Adelyn on the other hand was a little sad (obviously) :(

Third, anyone know where I can find one of these things in AZ? :)

Without further ado...

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Steph's Pick | Netflix Documentaries

For Christmas, along with our Keurig (yes - I'll never let you forget how much I love my Keurig) we were given a subscription to Netflix. Now maybe this gift isn't a life changer or anything BUT it has been a very welcomed addition to this home :)

Now a majority of what we're watching are not movies but documentaries. I know???!! I must be getting older, right?! Here's why I love documentaries:

1) They're normally shorter than the average movie in length (usually around 1 hr)

2) After I'm done viewing them I generally feel as if it wasn't a waste of my time

3) They're for the most part very informative

Before I give you my Top 5 list I must give a shout-out to those of you who suggested a number of the below items on FB or in person. Thank you!!!

So without further ado, here are 5 of my most recently viewed Netflix Instant View documentaries...

1) The Cove

2) China's Lost Girls

3) Inside North Korea

4) The Business of Being Born

5) Food Inc

All of which are VERY interesting and worth the time to watch them.

(Items in our Queue: Tapped, Babies, The Vice Guide to Travel, The Lottery, Bonhoeffer and World's Most Dangerous Drug)

Now I want to hear from YOU!!!

Comment below with your Netflix Documentary OR Movie suggestions :)

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Nora Recommends | Boogie Wipes

Ready or not it's cold and flu season!

Introducing...Boogie Wipes. Our solution to the nasty cold season that seems to come and go on a weekly basis in this home :)

I know what some of you are thinking.... aren't Boogie Wipes just a glorified kleenex?!! Well - yes... kindof. BUT.... they are worth it.

Why? Well - these little tissues are soaked in saline which helps to dissolve the caked on boogies. Cool, huh?!

Certainly worth a try. We don't use them for every nose wipe but for the really nasty one's we pull out a Boogie Wipe.

As far as I've seen Boogie Wipes are sold at Target, Buy, Buy Baby and BRU.

You're welcome! :)

(Oh - and just for fun - here's a pic of Nora and her Baby Chloe watching a little Veggie Tales this morning)

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The Belly Project (Part 2) | 27 weeks

Here are just a couple random thoughts about our little baby girl (2)..

- I'm certainly bigger than I was since my last Belly Project (Part 2) update. Crazy what 10 weeks can do!

- I still haven't consulted a pregnancy book during this pregnancy. (Is that bad?!)

- We're getting closer and closer to deciding on a name. There is a little in-home feud over a couple names. We'll see who "wins." ;)

- The flu has been going around our home... boo! Don't come over! It's not worth the chance of catching it. (note: I never get the flu... EXCEPT when I'm pregnant....that darn ole pregnancy immune system)

- Believe it or not I actually wore the bridesmaids dress I wore at my friend Jess's wedding last night for the Phoenix Children's Museum Gala. Joy & I were invited to attend and we just couldn't pass up the opportunity to get out (and dress up!)

Now the surprising part about the dress is not because it is an ugly dress or anything. It's actually BEAUTIFUL. It's just that honestly when I had it altered when I was pregnant with Nora the thought did cross my mind "Now what is the chance I'll ever wear a bridesmaids dress that's been altered maternity style again??!" Never say never I guess! Hehe.

(Sorry about the crummy pic - it was taken on my phone)

- Cravings? Well - if sour sugary candy counts, that would be my main craving lately! So much so that for those of you who follow my FB status updates you might have seen my mentions about a certain Valentine's Day candy craving (SweeTarts Heart Gummies to be exact).

This is the story - upon returning from Cancun I went out the day before Valentine's Day to find these delightful little treats and couldn't find them ANYWHERE. I'm talking no where peeps. I went to Target, Frys, CVS, Walmart and Walgreens. Poor little Nora was probably wondering how many stores we could visit in one day. :)

- According to the latest BabyCenter.com update - this little girl is the size of a head of cauliflower.

All for now... till next time!

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Steph's Pick | DIY Instant Oatmeal

One of my most favorite (and thoughtful) gifts someone sent us after having Nora were little packets of home-made instant oatmeal my friend Michelle S sent.

As many of you know, one of the best ways to bless a new mom is to bring food. That's easy when you live in the same city. Well, Michelle lives in Iowa. So that always makes it a little difficult, right?! Rather than throw in the towel she mixed up her own instant oatmeal recipe, divided it in single serving (snack size Ziploc baggies) portions and shipped it to AZ. How fun, right?! AND delicious!

Ever since this little snail mail delight I have been making my own instant oatmeal and trying new ways to perfect my creations.

Fast forward to present day. I was over at another friends home (Jennifer R - this is where I'd give you a blog shout out :)) and she had made me some oatmeal. It was PERFECT! Ladies (and gents) - I've found THE WAY to make DIY Instant Oatmeal!!!! So yummy.... I just had to share it with ya'll.

Here are the two "secret" ingredients....

Drum roll please....

Why are these so special? Let me tell you.

The Almond milk is a perfect way to add just a little bit of sweetness AND there are some people that say that almond milk is actually better for you than cow's milk. I'll take it!

And lastly - Sun Maid Fruit Bits. This little package of goodness is a perfect find for this mama. With two different kinds of raisins, dried apple bits, dried cranberries and dried apricot bits it's perfect for oatmeal.

Now you didn't think I'd leave you without the recipe. Here you are...

Steph/Jennifer's DIY Instant Oatmeal

1 serving

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Instant Oats

1 cup Almond Milk

Handful of Fruit Bits

Nuts (optional)

Brown Sugar (to your liking)

Cinnamon (again - to your liking)

Directions:

Combine oats, almond milk, fruit bits and nuts. Microwave (covered) for 1 minute. Add brown sugar and cinnamon. Enjoy!

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