Laney's First Trip to the Zoo!

Tippy toes to see the sharks!

Tired and ready to go home! :)

Monkey Business

This wasn't her official Halloween costume but was a back up to our back up costume and was a gift from Christmas that was finally fitting and was fun to run around in before the big night! Cute and warm! Couldn't resist posting these shots! :)

Web Finds Wednesday

Improve your dinner with a simple trick

How baby signs can help with breastfeeding

10 popcorn ball recipes for fall

squashy parts

comparing grass


why we chose to share our bed

First Trick or Treating!

Our modified cupcake costume! Much easier to move in!

Cherry on top!

Our bowl of candy for the trick or treaters while we were out!

Why are we leaving the candy?? :)

Trick or treaters getting to the candy before we even left the house!

Heading down the street!

Warm and cozy!

Finally a sucker! Yum!

Hope everyone had a happy and safe Halloween!

Happy Post Halloween!

Yes, my baby is trying to eat our bowl of candy for the trick or treaters! Haha - so cute!

Thank goodness she hasn't figured out wrappers yet!

Good Quotes

"All children behave as well as they are treated."
-- Jan Hunt
"The attention you pay to the other person, and the attention they pay to you – those moments are what your relationship is made up of.  You don’t have a relationship outside of that".
-- Alison Armstrong

"The secret of parenting is not in what a parent does but rather who the parent is to the child.  When a child seeks contact and closeness with us, we become enabled as a nurturer, a comforter, a guide, a model...All the parenting skills in the world cannot compensate for a lack of attachment relationship.  All the love in the world cannot get through without the psychological umbilical cord created by the child's attachment."
-- Gordon Neufeld

Homemade Caramel Apples

Apple awaiting their caramel coating!
This is why I am glad I save all my Popsicle sticks throughout the year! :)

Yum!

In progress - I am so messy in the kitchen!

Our little spoon licker!

Yum!

After getting our pumpkins for this year, we hunkered down at home while our stew simmered in the crockpot and made some caramel apples! With homemade caramel! So easy and so good!

Here is the recipe! (found here at Tasty Kitchen)

• 12 whole Apples (we only had 9)
• ¼ cups Butter
• 1 cup White Syrup (used Karo Corn Syrup)
• 14 ounces, fluid Eagle Brand Condensed Milk
• 2 cups White Granulated Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Assemble all ingredients: wash and dry apples, insert sticks, and butter a cookie sheet and dinner plate before starting to cook.

Heat all ingredients except vanilla in a heavy 2-quart saucepan over medium/low heat. Stir constantly! (Unless you really like the look of scorched bits on your apples.)

When caramel reaches soft ball stage (235°F–240°F) remove from heat and add vanilla. Let cool a few minutes.

Using the stick inserted in the apples, dunk apples in the hot caramel and twirl slowly away from the heat for a couple of minutes. It’s nice to have a helper or two at this point.

Place caramel-covered apples on a buttered cookie sheet. Optional: drizzle with melted chocolate or roll in chopped nuts.

Extra caramel from the bottom of the pan:
1. Can be scraped out with a spatula into a buttered plate or dish to be cut into individual pieces when cool.
2. Can be thinned in the pan with half-and-half and eaten warm, as a dip for apple wedges.
 

Web Finds Wednesday

How Kids Learn to Control Their Emotions

At What Age Do You Start Disciplining A Baby?

Slow Parenting

DIY Mod Podge

Cool blog ---> Play at Home Mom

Mainstream Parenting May Be Hurting Our Kids

Us

Our little family rocks! :)

Delaney's First Pumpkin Patch!

Family Chain

Found this cute quote on a bench in Nashville...very sentimental.

Our family Chain is broken
and nothing seems the same,
but as God calls us one by one
the Chain will link again.

Web Finds Wednesday

grown up pumpkin pie milkshakes

Being Elmo: A Puppeteers Journey (SOO want to see this!)

 Toms shoes for infants?! Oh Em G!

Day Trip

Packing for a quick afternoon road trip has never been the same now with a little one! Haha! :)

Birthday Hour Sentiments

Celebrating my baby's one year birthday just about broke my heart. How did it go by so fast?? I didn't quite realize how sentimental I would get until the day before  - I would constantly look at the clock and think about what was going on that day at that time. Going to the doctor at 8am, finding out there was a tear and was leaking fluid, going to the hospital, getting the pictocin drip, contractions starting, asking for an epidural at 6pm, not getting an epidural until 7pm, pushing at 10pm, etc etc.

I caught myself eagerly trying to snap pictures of my little one - last pictures before she is officially a year old!

Then as the evening wore on and on - I became more and more aware of what was happening. My baby is turning one. One year. It has been one whole year - already.

I crept into the bedroom around her birth hour 12:46am and quietly picked up my little preciously, sweet, sleeping little one and held her close as I cried silent, happy, sad, sentimental mommy tears.

Catching Kisses

 One of my favorite new games! :) Catching kisses from my little one as she swings! :)

First Apple Orchard Visit

We have a little catching up to do with the posts! Got a little behind! Such a busy time! :) Delaney loves, loves, loves to feed herself! And apples - with a starter bite or two - are perfect for her to carry around and munch on! :)

Happy First Birthday, Delaney!

From an imprompteu photo shoot my hubby and I did ourselves one weekend!
10 months old in this pic!

Happy Birthday Delaney Ruth! I cannot believe it has been one year already! My little baby is fast becoming a toddler! So independent, smart and on the go! Delaney, you are the love of my life! (next to your daddy of course!)

Born October 5, 2010 at 12:46am

8 pounds 9 ounces and 21 inches

Reading This Week...

In lieu of a Web Finds Wednesday post - here are a few things I've found interesting this week on the web.

How to Get Things Done with a High Needs Baby or Toddler

Whirley Pop Recipe Book

Basic Newborn Pant Sewing Pattern


How to Make Easy Kid Pants

Easy Pleated Baby Top

No Milk Here - New Daddy Blog

This Weeks' Menu (Partial)

So happy that fall is here! We were definitely hitting the point in the kitchen where we needed some inspiration - and then bam! cooler weather arrived and the comfort foods started sounding oh-so good! This week we brought back some fall favorites for dinner! Has to be a simple week since things are little rushed in the evenings and we definitely take advantage of our left overs if it really hits the spot. If not, we would typically freeze the leftovers.

Sunday Dinner: Skillet Burgers (aka Homemade Sloppy Joes)
I reduce the amount of mustard in this recipe down to a just a smidge because it is not my favorite flavor and if you use the amount called for - it really stands out
Monday Lunch: Left Overs from our Cheesecake Factory Date Night on Saturday (Garlic Noodles w/ Chicken)
Monday Dinner: Meatball Subs
(spaghetti sauce with frozen meatballs (thought about doing this recipe for homemade meatballs - BUT like I said it's a busy week), sub sandwiches brushed with garlic powder, Italian seasoning spices blended into melted butter and toasted before adding the meatballs and serving)
Tuesday Lunch: Left Over Skillet Burgers
Tuesday Lunch: Leftover Meatball Subs - maybe add spaghetti for a side
(they were a big enough hit to do again! - plus we still have two pieces of sub bread left)
Wednesday Lunch: Leftover Meatball subs - or spaghetti with meatballs since we will be out of the bread
Wednesday Dinner: Left Over Skillet Burgers

Rest of the week - undecided - I am more of a cook on a whim type person so it is hard to plan out too far. But I was hoping to do maybe a crock pot meal for dinner - so maybe something chickeny - like Creamy Broccoli Chicken over Rice, Chicken & Noodles, or Angel Chicken (some new recipes to try out!)


Snacks: Kettle Corn - We are on our THIRD batch of this so far! So good! Though I reduced the amount of salt to just a sprinkle and increased the sugar by another 2 tablespoons. So 4 tablespoons in the popper before things get popping and then another table spoon after the kernels start popping!

Any favorite fall recipes to share? Link them in the comments! I'd love to add them to my list of new recipes to try!

Ultimate Baby Shower Song List

My husband and I put together a cd of songs for my friend's baby shower almost 4 years ago now - and it is still one of my all time favorite list of songs to play at parties, baby showers, or just any old day! (listening to it now)

Here's the mix: (yes, there are a few duplicates but that is how we made the list so I thought I would stay true to how it really is)

1. Beautiful Day - U2
2. Blackbird - The Beatles
3. How Sweet It Is - Michael Buble
4. Stay Up Late - Talking Heads
5. Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
6. Sir Duke - Stevie Wonder
7. Bubbly - Colbie Caillat
8. I Me You I'm Yours - Jim Noir
9. How Sweet It Is - James Taylor
10. Popsicle Toes - Diana Krall & Michael Franks
11. C'est Si Bon - Eartha Kitt
12. Whenever I see Your Smiling Face - James Taylor
13. How Sweet It Is - James Taylor
14. What A Wonderful World - Michael Buble
15. I Feel the Earth Move - Mandy Moore
16. How Sweet It Is - Michael Buble
17. I Feel the Earth Move - Carole King
18. What a Wonderful World - Michael Buble
19. You Life Up My Life - Leann Rimes
20.  I feel the Earth Move - Mandy Moore
21. You are The Sunshie of My Life - Frank Sinatra
22. Extraordinary - Mandy Moore
23. A Kiss to Build a Dream On - Louie Armstrong
24. My Baby Just Cares For Me - Nina Simone
25. Dance Me to the End of Love - Madeleine Peyroux
26. My Heart Belongs to Daddy - Sophie Millman
27. Agua De Beber - Sophie Millman
28. Tell Mama - Etta James
29. Besame Mucho - Diana Krall
30. Lovin' In My Baby's Eyes - Taj Mahal
31. Come, Sing Me a Song - Sing-Sing
32. Danke Schoen - Wayne Newton
33. Fever - Peggy Lee
34. Fools In Love - Inara George (Grey's Anatomy Sound Track)
35. The Good Life - Bobby Darin
36. I Put Myself Together- Charles Brown
37. The Look Of Love - Diana Krall
38. Los Angeles Blues - Peggy Lee
39. A Lot of Livin' To Do - Nancy Wilson
40. Put Your Records On - Corinne Bailey Rae

UPDATED! Here's a link to the iMix of this playlist in iTunes!