April in Food

Yesterday was my 100th post here! Woohoo! It's probably fitting that it was about Jacob...he kind of consumes a lot of my time right now. Not that I'm complaining- it's just a fact of motherhood! : )

When we moved to the new apartment, I started keeping each week of menus that I make. I thought I'd use them for inspiration on the weeks that I sit down and have NO idea what I want to cook or what sounds good. Also, it helps me keep track of random recipes we try, as I write down where it is I found that recipe. So I thought I'd share some of it with you to maybe give you some inspiration! Note that we moved the first week of April so no menu got made!

April 8-14:
Breakfasts were Cream of Wheat with fruit puree for Jacob and cereal for Jim and I
Lunches during the week are almost always leftovers or sandwiches
Dinners:

• Basil Pesto Pasta: Grab a box of penne and a jar of pre-made pesto. Boil the pasta according to package directions and add in as much or as little pesto as you like. Top it off with some parmesan or mozzarella cheese, maybe add a salad and voila! 
• Meatball Subs and Chips: We cook up this recipe for meatballs from Mark Bittman, buy a bag of hoagie rolls, get some mozzarella cheese for topping and either use a homemade tomato sauce or buy a jar of marinara sauce for this yummy make-at-home version of a Subway sandwich. All different kids of veggies and cheeses optional! 
• Honey Glazed Chicken Stir Fry
• Caesar Pasta Salad
• Double Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies

April 15-21:

Breakfasts were cereal, cereal bars, cream of wheat with fruit puree, yogurt and/or biscuits.

Lunches were hardboiled eggs, applesauce, leftovers and sandwiches (**Jacob hated the eggs!)

Dinners:

• Baked Potatoes and Salad
• Quinoa Fried Rice
• Zucchini Boats

April 22-28:

Breakfasts were cereal, cereal bars, cream of wheat with fruit puree, yogurt and/or biscuits.

Lunches during the week are almost always leftovers or sandwiches

Dinners:

• Inside Out Pizzadilla Margerita
• Toasted Garlic and Sweet Pea Pasta
• Breakfast for dinner (Kerbey Lane pancake mix, sausage and eggs!)

So I hope that gives you something new to try for dinner this week (or next week if you've already got a menu planned out for this week!) ; )

Jacob :: 15 Months

Jacob turned 15 months last week, but we went for his well check up today, so I waited to blog until today. He has slimmed down since his last appointment. He was 26 lbs. 6 oz. and 32 inches long. He is now on the chart and in the 91st percentile. 

Not too much has changed since last month. He is sleeping better at night (translated LONGER). He rarely wakes up before 7 and has even been sleeping until 8 these last few days. The nap schedule is all sorts of unpredictable. He usually just takes one a day but depending on what time he woke up, it could be at 10 or 12 until as late as 2. I try to hold him off as long as possible but some days are harder to do because of our schedule with kids. 

We started giving him diluted apple juice this week and he loves it. If he could pick, I'm certain he would eat cereal bars and lil crunchies (and ritz crackers) all day long. So, we add in some yogurt and still give him some baby food to make sure things are as balanced as possible. 

We did finally get rid of that 4 month battle of a diaper rash. Dr. S said we could go back to using our cloth diapers (my wallet thanks you Dr. S) so we'll give it a try and see. If it comes back though, I'm afraid we'll have to move on. 

He is signing bite and all done, waves and nods his head "yes" and is developing perfectly. Dr. S wasn't discouraged or worried about the fact that he isn't walking. Taller kids walk later, boys walk later, and he has made it clear since birth that he is on his OWN schedule. He has 3 more months to figure it out before physical therapy is in the future. 

He is currently fighting a cold and allergies, but no meds needed. He continue to be obsessed with cars and going for rides in the wagon. His favorite thing to do is stand in your lap in the drivers seat. In fact, I let him do that a few times waiting on Jim to get done in his office and he will now scream most car rides because HE wants to drive. Oops. We did give him a toy steering wheel and it helps most of the time.

New Seasons + Monday Night Random List

It's been decided that I'll be transitioning from part time in the home work to a full time outside the home job. I, of course, have mixed feelings about it. I love spending time at home with Jacob, but we honestly aren't on a "stay at home" schedule. I love being able to help my Mom, but she won't be needing me for much longer. I'm not going to go into much more detail, because I'm sure I'll leave something out and then sound ungrateful or like work at home or work out of the home mom's have it better or worse. My thoughts on staying at home are much like my thoughts on breastfeeding: to each her own. For some the decision is clear and easy; for others its more complicated and more difficult. I am not the one to judge whether you are doing what's right or wrong. God gave you to specifically be your child's parents and provides you with the wisdom to parent that child. (Credit to Candis for that piece of wisdom)

I've applied for 5 jobs and already been turned down by 2 and 1 was filled before I could submit my application. I am not at all worried about this- just waiting to see what door(s) open. 

A few more random things for your Monday night:

• I did a painting class tonight at my church. It was super fun! 
• Jacob has slept in until at least 8:30 am the last two mornings and I've slept right along with him. I'm going to set my alarm in the morning to get up and actually make good use of that time which means I'm pretty much guaranteeing that Jacob will wake up early. 
• Jacob goes for his 15 month check up tomorrow
• My dogs have killed two birds this week. 

Fat Mum Slim :: Photo A Day {End of April + Beginning of May}

I forgot that I usually label the pictures with the number that corresponds to the date. So, these aren't actually dates 1-7. I'm not going back to redo it though.

1 :: May 2 Picture - Morning Ritual - - - I always get out my planner and look at what's going on that day and what needs to be done.
2 :: April 30 Picture - Glasses - - - I'll be so glad when I get my contacts back so I can wear proper sunglasses.
3 :: April 27 Picture - Earth - - - A view of my corner of the Earth
4 :: May 3 Picture - This Is Really Good - - - Mini Snickerdoodle Cupcakes that are leftover from a Wednesday night Bible Study
5 :: May 1 Picture - I Bought This Today - - - CONTACTS! Finally, no more glasses!
6 :: April 28 Picture - My Sunday - - -A Picture of sermon notes from church
7 :: April 29 Picture - I Wore This Today - - - and everyday, I wear my wedding rings and necklace with Jacob's name on it.

MOPS Talk : Being an Organized Mom

UPDATE: Here are the links to the printables:
iHeart Organizing's Free Printables and Ones You Can Purchase
Life Your Way's Printables (All Free or you can pay $7 for a zip file including all of them)
Clean Mama's Free Printables and Ones You Can Purchase

This morning, I gave my first official presentation on being organized. As terrible as I am at writing, I'm even worse at speaking in front of people. I'm afraid my presentation was scattered and rushed as I was trying to cram a lot into 30 minutes. So, here's a review of what my perfect talk would have been.

Why Does Being Organized Matter?
While there is no direct commandment from the Lord to be an organized Mom, there are a few places that refer to our role as a Mom in Scripture. Our God is a God of order. He created things in a specific order and has a perfect purpose for every thing He has created. Our lives are ordained to the second to go a certain way. He is all about order and not chaos! Titus 2 says that older women are supposed to teach younger women how to be good workers at home. Whether you're a stay at home mom or work outside the home or a combination of both, you're still a Mom and still a manager in your household, even if you're husband is very much involved in that aspect of life. 1 Corinthians 14 tells us that God is a God of peace and order. Matthew 25 tells us to be good stewards of our resources. The Bible also speaks against laziness in Proverbs.

Hear me say that being organized does not make you more or less spiritual or on top of things. I am simply submitting that we've all been given a set amount of time, the same 24 hours in a day, and if some of these things help you better manage your household so you're freed up to do other things, then please implement them.

A Few Things To Remember:

• What works for you may not work for someone else. What works for you for a while may not work once your life enters into a new season. BE FLEXIBLE and always evaluating and adapting your plan. Forcing yourself to do something that isn't working is counter productive to your cause in being organized to free up time.
• Let go of perfectionism. Accept good enough as just that and move on. Perfectionism is the enemy of productivity. 

Being Organized in your Cleaning

Before we can address cleaning, we've got to address all of the stuff in your house. If you don't find something beautiful or functional, get rid of it. For things that you want to store, store them in numbered crates. For instance, crates with the numbers 1-4 are all Christmas decorations. Crate 5 is spring home decorations and Crate 6 is that black and white table setting that you love to use on special occasions. Then, you know what you have and where it is. 

Maybe you're a once a week cleaner and you'd rather spend a couple of hours once and week to knock it all out. Maybe you prefer to do a little at a time every day. Personally, I follow Clean Mama's routine of doing a few chores daily and one bigger chore. I declutter, wipe counters, vacuum, and do a load of laundry every day. Mondays I clean bathrooms, Tuesday I dust, etc. You can read more about her cleaning routine here. Find a routine that works for you. And remember, just because it works for a friend doesn't mean it will work for you. BE FLEXIBLE and READY TO CHANGE if life demands it. Maybe you'll want to clean twice a week or on Monday and Wednesday and Friday.

Something else to remember is that clutter, even if you despise it as much as I do, will come into your home. Have somewhere it all goes so that you can deal with it at the appropriate time (whether that's nightly or weekly). Put a laundry basket somewhere that everything goes into and deal with it at night after everyone has gone to bed. Not letting it pile up more than a week will be incredibly helpful in staying on top of things.

One more thing in the area of cleaning: implement the one in, one out rule. If your child gets a new toy, tell them they have to pick one to give away. New shirt for you? Find one to donate. Having this rule ensures that you don't acquire too much stuff to deal with and keep clean. Less is more.

Being Organized in your Menu Planning

Whether you make a menu monthly or weekly, it's important that you make your menu plan realistic. Don't plan a 45 minute cooking meal on a night you have a lot going on. Use the crock pot that day or just plan to eat out. Find a few easy meals that are quick that you can throw together in a few minutes for other busy nights. 

When you make your meal each week, take your schedule into consideration and shop at home first. What items do you have that you need to use up? Then, make your grocery list as you make your menu. Add any non-food items and then go grocery shopping. Stick to the list! 

A few things to keep in mind: 

• Make double batches of food to freeze if you can on nights that you have time to cook for those nights that you don't.
• Remember to be realistic in your planning
• Considering freezer cooking with some friends to stock your freezer

Some Final Things

I shared my planner that I print at home and have coiled bound at Office Depot for $3. I use printables from Life Your Way, iHeartOrganizing and Clean Mama (see the link above in cleaning). I also use Dropbox and Evernote (both free!) for other things I want to have on file without dealing with the paper. With iPhone apps, I always have them with me, too! If you have any questions or want to talk, hit me up on Facebook or leave a comment below!! 

Bring It

As I look at the calendar today, I can't help but feel a little sigh of relief that April's calendar page is being folded up, scribbled with the months plans marked out, rearranged and ultimately gone.

We sold our house officially and moved into an apartment. We've settled in and I think are adjusted. The dogs seem to be having trouble dealing with the fact that they have to share their "yard." They've never had to share.

We started serving in the preschool ministry at our church and celebrated Easter with our families. Baseball season started, I ran a mile without stopping and have run more this month than I have since Jacob was born. Jim and I watched seasons one and two of Downton Abbey and are awaiting June's arrival for season three to be available on Amazon Prime.

Our country experiences horrific tragedy in Boston and West. Jacob got to go to Chuck E. Cheese for the first time. We are busy busy planning a wedding for my sister. Jim and Jacob both recovered from a staph infection and I recovered from a sinus infection. Jim has been busy at work and I've been busy working for my Mom. We're still teaching table groups and mentoring students. We're making plans for the summer.

I'm excited for May. Summer is making its way closer. April was busy and hard. May could be too, but I'm meeting it with a 15 month old, a husband who loves me deeply and a God whose plan for my life is far greater than I can imagine! BRING. IT. ON.

photo cred : Versagram app

A Busy, Busy Weekend

I have a lot of things I need to unpack after this weekend. Nothing too gigantic or life-changing; just little decisions here and there, some weightier than others, that are on my mind and heart. I won't go into too much detail, as some things don't need to be put out on the internet for all to see!

One big thing comes after attending the Love and Respect conference. We were invited by our mentors. Honestly, we wouldn't have gone if they hadn't invited us. It's not that we think we have this marriage thing down perfectly. And it's not that we think we know it all or don't have areas we can improve in. When I said "yes" to Jim, we started getting ready for the big day almost immediately. An important thing was getting pre-marital counseling.  We had EXCELLENT pre-marital counseling. They sat us down for weeks in a row, gave us books to read, things to think about, asked us hard questions that sometimes made us uncomfortable, and even more importantly modeled for us what they preached. As the anniversaries come, I grow more and more grateful for their wisdom and their faithfulness to share it with us because I know we are better for it. I know that not everyone gets the kind of equipping we did going into marriage. All of that being said, there is ALWAYS room to learn and grow. I can't speak for Jim, but I know there were things that I was convicted over and am challenged and want to change to better our marriage. In the grand scheme of things, Jim and I have a great marriage; at the end of the day, I know he loves me and is on my side and I'm confident that he knows I respect him and will stand by him till death do us part. 1 Corinthians 10:12 says it best, though:   "Don't be so naive and self-confident. You're not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it's useless. Cultivate God-confidence." (MSG) God designed marriage, he designed the inner workings of marriage and has a purpose bigger than procreation and pleasure. Marriage is a refining fire, a work in our lives to make us aware of just how much we need Christ. My youth pastor in high school always told us that "who you are at home is who you really are." There is great truth in that. I left the weekend encouraged, thankful, convicted, and energized to ask God for strength to do better. An unexpected take-away from the weekend came as I thought not only how I relate to Jim, but also in parenting and understanding Jacob.

After the conference, we celebrated my Grandfather's birthday and then Jim, Jacob, and I went for a run. I'm doing the Couch to 5K thing (I'm only on Day 2) but we went 1.5 miles at about a 12:30 pace (it has you walk and run at intervals which is less daunting to me than going out and running a mile and a half outright). After Jacob went down, we finished Season 2 of Downton Abbey. If Season 2 hadn't ended the way it did, I'm afraid I would have had to read ahead about the seasons to see if I wanted to invest anymore time in this. BUT, since Matthew proposed to Mary and she said "yes" and Mr. Bates got his punishment moved to only life in prison, I will continue on. But things are going along too well, I'm afraid, so I am a little nervous about what is going to happen. NO SPOILERS PLEASE.

Sunday, Jacob woke up a little earlier than usual, so Jim went to our 8 am service and I went to the 930 service so that Jacob wouldn't have to be at church until noon and could get his nap in. We tried an afternoon nap after church, but that never happened. We headed out grocery shopping, to Bahama Bucks (Jacob wasn't a huge fan of snow cones, but he did like Jim's smoothie!) and then I cleaned the Cube. Janey (our "good" house trained dog that hasn't had an accident in YEARS) peed on the carpet RIGHT in front of me twice yesterday evening. It was like she was trying to prove a point or get my attention. This was after two small run-ins with some neighbor dogs and Jacob pooping in the tub. Anyone who knows me knows that I love animals, especially dogs, and especially my dogs; but I would be lying if I didn't say that there are some days that I wonder if we might need to find them new homes because they aren't cut out for apartment living. : (

BUT Monday is here- a new week, a new start, the end of the month. What did you do this weekend??

Fat Mum Slim :: Photo A Day April

I love these photo challenges. Sometimes I forget a day here and there and then I'd quit because I wasn't keeping up with it. I think this will be a good working solution: I'll take my photos each day (or not and fill in as needed!) and then post them here each Friday. You can join along too!

If you want to know more about Fat Mum Slim's Photo A Day challenge, you can go here!

20 : On My Mind - I've constantly got my to do list out thinking about all the things I need to do that day. I feel like the last couple of weeks have been extra overwhelming in getting things done.

21 : Fire - I love candles. I've tried the Scentsy thing, but there's just something extra special about lighting candles. Our favorites are Yankee and Bath and Body Works

22 : Blurry - I was trying to get a picture of Jacob playing, but it didn't quite work out

23 : Time - This is my favorite area of our apartment. It's in our living room. I put some cube shelves right behind our couch and our books are stored there. The clock is centered on the wall, flanked by the lamps and rows of pictures.

24 : I Saw This Person Today - My sister Emily and I (along with my Mom and Jacob) went to pick up her wedding dress and see her venues.

25 : Life is - Life is getting better. We are on less meds than we were last week, and hopefully all on the mend for the long haul.

26 : Childhood - Jacob is completely obsessed with cars. I'm constantly finding them all over the apartment. Anything with wheels is a "car" at this point.

Link Love

I thought I'd share some posts today that I've flagged recently as good reads.

First up, this post entitled Motherhood in an Overloaded World. I am completely guilty of feeling like I'm doing everything wrong. There are so many decisions to make on a simple grocery shopping trip that it can stress me out. "Sometimes it can be easy to lose perspective that those choices are gifts, because they are, they represent space and freedom- don't forget that." She goes on to advise us to make the decision, move on and change it if needed.

Next up? This post from Clean Mama has a printable for Homemade Cleaners. She is working her way through these cleaners and how she makes and uses them in her home. Honestly, there are some recipes I try for these and I don't feel that they work as well. Plus, I've found some natural cleaning companies that make natural cleaners that work. However, they're more expensive, and when you're trying to live on a smaller budget, these homemade cleaners may do the trick. 

This last post is from Rachel (who also wrote the first post I linked to). It's called 10 Mindset Goals for Moms (but I think it would apply for ANYONE) and I think it's a good read.

And I Would Drive 500 Miles...

See what I did there? Do you have that song in your head now? Well, if you didn't, now you do. You're welcome. My connection with that song? Seeing it framed with a picture collage at the home of a family that I was close to in college and who did our premarital counseling/officiated our wedding. Miss you guys!

Back to regularly scheduled programming. I drove over 500 miles today and spent 12 hours in the car. We left home at 8 am, drove two hours south to pick up my sister. We then drove two hours northeast to pick up her wedding dress. The dress was beautiful and so was she. We found our bridesmaid dresses and also found a replacement bridesmaid for one who decided she couldn't participate. No hard feelings, just wasn't working out. We drove two hours southwest to see the church where my sister is getting married and the venue for her reception. They are both awesome. We decided on shower dates and had fun, too! (Jacob learned how to pick his nose) Then we drove the rest of the way back to drop Emily off at her house and then two hours north back home. We arrived around 8:45.

Emily- I know today was a little bit stressful for you. But we have almost 200 days to amend things and it will ALL WORK OUT. I love you and am here to help, even if it means calling to vent about something or making save the dates. Thanks for letting me be such a big part of your big day!

Currently :: On My Wishlist

1. My earbuds broke. I had a million of those things at one time (from all the iPhones/iPads/iPods we had amassed over the years) but I think I either got rid of them or they broke and now I have none. I don't need any fancy or expensive. Earbuds are like sunglasses and watches to me: I use them a lot, and don't want to have to be careful with them so I buy cheap ones so it's not some huge let down when I break them.

2. Tickets to a Texas Ranger game. I can't wait to share baseball games with Jacob.

3. Pedicure- it's been a while since I had one. I've tried to DIY, but I get carried away and end up giving myself an ingrown toe nail.

4. A new iPhone case: my Otter Box rubber outer-shell is stretched out or something. It doesn't fit perfectly around my phone and has lumps in the seams. It's annoying to me (I know- first world problem, but I'm just being honest here) and it makes it easy for Jacob to get into it. This Speck Candy-shell one in blue/black is my pick.

Do you have any current wish-list items?

Where A Kid Can Be A Kid

We took Jacob to Chuck E. Cheese's for the first time on Friday. My Mom had just returned from a week long trip to North Carolina for a work conference and she wanted to celebrate. There weren't a TON of things he could do but he liked listening to the puppets perform on stage and watching my siblings play. He also loved playing any racing games (or just sitting at them, honestly) and driving. Jim and I had our fun too. We got 200 tickets which was enough for me to get a bag of cotton candy. Yum!

He spent the night with my Mom on Saturday night. Jim and I went to bed early and I slept in. We went to church and then tackled our storage unit. We got it all organized and also got the crates from my in-laws that we had stashed there during the hectic move. We'll get the ones from my Mom's house this week. Add in some grocery shopping. cooking two delicious meals (Zucchini boats with a bacon gremolata and Quinoa Fried Rice) and the fact that I'm coming down with either a sinus infection or bronchitis, and you have a weekend!

Highs and Lows

Today is my very awesome Mother In Law's birthday! She is celebrating in a big way today so we'll celebrate later on this weekend. Sherrie- I am so thankful for you and the man you raised to be mine and Jacob's Dad. You're a great Lolly! Jacob loves spending time with you. I hope you have a very Happy Birthday!

My heart goes out to the community of West, Texas. I heard about it this morning and actually just watched a video of it that a friend had posted on Facebook. It brought me to tears. I don't know if it's the sub-conscious emotions from the whole Boston thing or the Mommy inside, but my heart hurts for that community and I'm praying for them as well as continuing to pray for Boston. A friend of mine, Emily, wrote a thought in post yesterday that I wanted to share:

The Run for Boston 4.17 Facebook page said “Hope triumphs over Fear. Light overcomes Darkness. Good defeats Evil. Every. Single. Time. #runforboston”
Sounds a lot like the book of James. I would rephrase the previous quote: “Christ is the Hope that triumphs over fear from the Enemy. Jesus is the Light who overcame darkness once and for all. Christ (not “good”) defeated evil. Every. Single.Time.”

Even though today has been a frustrating day with my little one, I will offer more grace and hold him a little tighter knowing that some aren't able to do that tonight.

Apartment Life + Nap Schedules + Run for Boston

We've lived in our apartment for a week and a half now, and we're completely settled in. I was set on getting things unpacked and placed as quickly as possible. My home may not always be clean or in perfect order, but if it's chaotic for more than one day, it affects me in big ways. My productivity slumps, my mood changes, I am more "on-edge" and start being critical. Sure, there are some things I may want to change and projects I want to do, but everything as it is now is functional and mostly organized.

I'm not sure if it is all in my head or a reality for now, but I feel like I can clean the apartment and be done. When I cleaned my house, I felt like I was never done. There was always something I needed to do. Maybe it's having less space and less stuff. I have no scientific findings, but I like that I can shower, read, and clean up the apartment (using the schedule from Clean Mama) all during morning nap.

Speaking of naps, that may all be changing. Yesterday, I had to take my little brother to therapy at 11. I knew if Jacob went down at his normal time (9:30) I would have to cut his nap off. The past week he has really only taken one nap most days. A few days I put him down in the afternoon because he was acting tired, and he laid in his bed and played and talked for almost two hours. I decided yesterday to try to hold him off until after the rehab appointment and it was a success! I kept him busy and he went down at noon and slept until almost 3. Glorious.

If we are making the transition to one nap, that means I've got to get up earlier than he is to get my stuff done! Man...I hate alarms.

We are in a moderate risk for severe (even tornadoes! ahh!) weather today so I'll be keeping a weather eye out, praying for the rain we desperately need, and for safety from severe weather. I'll also be running later on, whether it be outside or at the YMCA for Boston. You should do the same today, too!

What I Did Last Night

Last night, I did something that I haven't done in a long time. It's probably been more than a year, yeah that long. I walked out my front door wearing running shorts, a t-shirt, and my saucony shoes, John Mayer's latest album turned up in my ears (so I can't hear myself breathing hard) and my Map my Run app going and decided I was going to run a mile without stopping. And I did it! The adrenaline wore off and then I was sad because I used to run miles and play soccer for 45 minutes at a time and now I'm excited about running a mile. I'm getting old. I know that people run miles at a time much faster than me (speaking of runners- prayers for those affected by the Boston Bombings) and they are going "big whoop, Sarah." But, I did it and I'm proud of myself for not walking or stopping (because I definitely wanted to when I looked down and saw I had only gone .51 miles!)

The only bad thing about this run was that I did it after we got Jacob down for bed. I got back around 9 and I was NOT tired. So what did Jim and I do? Responsible adult things? No. We watched 3 or 4 episodes of Downton Abbey. We finished season 1 and started season 2. Didn't go to bed until 1 am and we are paying for it today. I know we're super behind, but it's an awesome show. Can't wait to watch another episode tonight. It's killing me not to turn on the PS3 to watch another while Jim is at work.

Pack It Up & Move It Out

I last left you on Day 1 of packing and it was quite the week.

So as not to bore you with dinky details, I'll just tell ya about the important parts. After all, this is one of those posts that's more for me and my memory than for you.

• I had grand plans of packing up carefully, going through and purging things as I went because we were losing 300 square feet of space. I also wasn't going to stress out about it and would work that way as long as I could, and then resort to throwing things where they fit.
• I had a hard time figuring out what to pack because movers weren't coming for a full week. I didn't want to crowd the apartment with boxes making moving furniture in difficult.
• I worked evenings and late nights packing up the boxes we had, taking them to the apartment, unpacking what I could, bringing the boxes back to the house, and repacking. I moved the kitchen first as it could be put away at the new apartment.
• If you put the seats down in the cube, you can fit lots of stuff in there.
• Thursday came and I was completely overwhelmed. Jim had been unable to help with packing and fully handling Jacob (more on that tomorrow). I wanted to just sit and cry multiple times, but there was no time for that.
• The movers that were a gift to us from my Father in Law were AWESOME. They came in, took anything apart that needed to be, saran wrapped and blanketed everything, moved it out, and took it to the apartment. They unloaded it, put it where I wanted it, and put beds and such back together. They came at 9 that morning and were completely done before lunch.
• The rest of the day I was just taking things over by the Cube. We ended up using my Father in Law's truck to move as I was running out of time.
• At 3:45, we went to sign over the keys. We asked, and were given, an extra couple of hours because I still had an entire garage and driveway of things to move. I am not exaggerating. 5 truck loads to go and the house wasn't even technically mine anymore. 
• We pulled away with the last load at 6 pm. There was no time to be "bye first house" and emotional. 
• We left a lot of things there that we had intended to take and sell (microwave, grill, a couple of pieces of furniture).

Getting to the apartment Thursday was the biggest relief that we had made it and also the biggest stress because I had so much to unpack and finish going through to decide what was making the cut. In our time crunch, we literally crammed things in available garages (my Mom and in-laws are awesome).

At this point, I still need to go clean out our storage unit, get the things from my Mom's and in-law's garages, and take everything to storage or Goodwill, accordingly.

Easter 2013

March 31st was a great day! Not only was it Easter (which is the most important part) but it was also Opening Night for my favorite baseball team, the Texas Rangers. We won't discuss what actually happened at the game because it was a giganto let down (Astros? Really?) but we've since moved on.

Normally, the ministry that we serve in at church has small group time after the 11 am service because the chances of a college student making it to church at 11 and then staying for free lunch and small groups are much greater than said college student making it to 9:30 small groups and then staying for church at 11. For Easter Sunday, we didn't have small groups after church so that the students and leaders could spend time with their families. We were encouraged to serve somewhere instead, so Jim and I worked the Nursery for the first time. We had two year olds and it was great. The preschool staff was there for any issues we ran into. We are now on the rotation to volunteer at least once a month. I snuck this picture while washing my hands after a messy finger painting project:

For lunch, we went to my Dad's house. We had delicious food and snacks and Jacob went on his first official Easter egg hunt. We had plans last year of walking kids everywhere, but alas, Jacob had to be carried everywhere to pick his up. Back breaker. He loved it, though, and all the cousins went on a wagon ride that was super fun, too!

That evening we hung out at my Mom's house for a delicious dinner. We were home by 7pm to watch the disaster of the Ranger game. 

Hope you and your family had a great Easter weekend!

Jacob :: 14 Months

Jacob turned 14 months old today! This has been a big month as far as milestones go. We are completely done with nursing (I came down with mastitis right around the 13 month mark which expedited things). It took a week after quitting cold turkey to feel "normal" again and there hasn't been much of an issue since.

Jim took over bedtime routine at that time because it was frustrating for me to handle Jacob when he wanted to nurse but couldn't. He now gets a bath, a warm sippy cup of milk, and a song in the rocking chair. He stays asleep (or cries, but stays in his bed) until 6:30, but sometimes 7 or 7:30. I handle morning times so that Jim can focus on his things and getting ready for work. I do mine in the evening. It's the first time we've really had a pretty solid routine and it's working for us for now. He is still napping twice a day, once for 2+ hours and another time for 90 minutes. That doesn't happen every day, but most of them.

We are almost completely done with baby food. He much prefers table food at this point and especially loves Lil Crunchies. We usually give him those while we finish up eating. I spent a lot of time feeling like he was behind in things and wondering if it was something we weren't doing or were doing that were keeping him from eating them. I'm so glad I didn't force it on him because the transition was so easy. We occasionally would give him something to try and see how it went. Suddenly, one day, he did okay with it. And since then, we can't keep food on the tray fast enough for him to eat.

The diaper rash almost went away with the seventh generation diapers. So, we tried stripping our cloth diapers and wearing them again and it's back. Onto the next thing...

His love for cars is growing and he can almost say "car" as they drive by. He also actively waves at everything coming or going. A few spanks with the spanking spoon was helpful for now; he seems to respond more obediently to a "no." I know that probably won't be forever, but for now, I'm enjoying it.

Packing Day 1

Packing has officially begun. We got word yesterday that the buyers are asking for no repairs on the home and that the inspection went well. The other kickers was that they wanted to move the closing and move out date up even further. We now have less than one week to pack and move.

Yesterday, my sweet friend Melissa (and Skylar) watched Jacob while I went to sign the lease on the apartment and they graciously let me bring the keys and lease home so that Jim could sign it upon returning from out of town. We dropped it in the box this morning. Now, once electricity gets transferred to our name, moving will officially begin.

A Gross Confession

I just have a quick confession. You will probably think less of me and that's okay. I'm just trying to be real here, okay?

Yesterday as we were walking out of the house, one of my dogs spit up (so as not to completely gross you out) a little on our bed. I had zero time to deal with it, so I cleaned it up as best as I could. I threw a blanket down on the bottom half of the bed and we left. The house inspector was coming as was the buyers of our house, so I wanted things neat. I couldn't just rip the bedspread off the bed and throw it into the washer.

We got home last night at 8:30. A long day. I honestly looked at Jim and said, "Is it gross if I don't change the sheets tonight? I'm just SO TIRED. I cleaned it up and it's not like it was directly ON the sheets. Just the top bedspread which I never really touch anyway." He shrugged his shoulders in half agreement and half "I sleep in the chair anyway" so I didn't change the sheets yall.

And this morning, right after stripping diapers and washing Jacob's overflowing hamper, the bedspread went in. And you'll never guess what: it HAD SOAKED THROUGH the sheets. Gross. Gross. Gross. Gross.

My name is Sarah and I slept in sheets that had dried dog throw up on them.

All For Nothing

Yesterday, I left my house at 8 am and drove to my in-laws with my dogs, husband, and kid in tow. He unlocked the door and made sure the alarm wasn't armed (it wasn't) and then we dropped him off at his office. About 200 yards down the road, he calls me and says "keys." We made a U turn and headed back to the entrance to get his set of keys so I could get back into his parents' house.

I made a stop at McDonald's for a large coke and then we dropped of Jim's cleaning. I dropped my dogs off in the backyard, got Jacob out of the car, changed his diaper and laid him down for his morning nap. I went to move my dogs from one side of the yard to the other only to discover that Josie had squeezed through the gate to a busy street (the reason I was moving them from that portion of the yard). In a panic of coaxing and reaching, I was finally able to barely reach her and drag her back through the gate. I'll have you know that the gate was automatic and the only openers are in my in-laws' vehicles, so that's why I didn't just open the gate.

After a high stress morning of barking dogs and a non-napping kid, I got in my car a little bit early, chancing that driving around would be better okay for 20 minutes. I drove by my house 45 minutes before I was allowed to and saw that no one was there. I let the dogs in and brought Jacob in to change clothes and diaper. The house was oddly exactly the way I left it. Either the home inspector and family were awesome at putting things back JUST the way they are or...

THEY DIDN'T COME. They rescheduled it for today and told no one. So, that's my house selling complaint in a blog post. It actually isn't that bad. It was just a stressful situation and it wasn't even necessary. If you ever buy a house, be considerate of the people living in it.

Blog Maintenance + House Selling Update

I just completed some blog maintenance. Does anyone else get overwhelmed with the whole labeling and tagging posts in categories? I'm afraid I won't always write fitting in those categories and then I'll have so many specific categories that it's overwhelming to look at. So, I edited some down  (made them less specific) and took some out completely. Since I've committed to making the blog more personal and less project-y, I took my Project Life posts down. No one looks at those for inspiration for Project Life.

Today is day 6 of the 10 day option period in the house selling saga. We will have an appraisal and inspection done this week and negotiate getting any necessary repairs done. If all goes well with that, we'll pay our official deposits for our apartment on Monday and moving day is April 4th! I have the incredible urge to pack (and will start boxing up non-daily needed things this week) but don't want to get too ahead of myself just in case something happens with the deal.

I think I'll be having an impromptu garage sale to sell some things we won't need (lawn equipment) or that we won't have room for (wardrobe, office/craft comes to mind) so that I can raise some money to buy a VACUUM. Yes, we'll now have carpet so I need a good pet hair vacuum to keep things clean.

A Friday List

1. We finished touring apartments in town yesterday and decided on the one we want. We turned in our application and fee and she is holding it until the option period is over for us (which is March 30). We should be getting a call for them to come do the home inspection and then we'll negotiate out anything they find and want repaired.

2. Yesterday was my last day as a dance teacher. One of my siblings is being homeschooled again, I was constantly going going going and not able to fully watch the kids sometimes, scheduling out sitters for Jacob was proving to be more difficult and stressful than originally thought, so I resigned after much thought and consideration. I don't think I've ever felt as out of control and "just surviving" as I have these last three or four months.

3. I think for the most part, our house is finally healthy again. Jim had bronchitis for like 20 years (or 6 weeks) and I've had the allergy, runny nose/cough, my voice was replaced by my sexy man voice thing, and Jacob has had lots of boogers and coughing. I think our Kleenex budget will be significantly reduced in April.

4. I cooked a crock pot brisket for the first time and it was good. Nothing extra special or out of this world, but a nice base cooking method that I can now add layers of flavor too. The recipe is to trim the fat off your 3-5 lb. brisket, put it in the crockpot, add a can of cream of mushroom soup, a package if onion soup mix, and water to cover. Cook on high until it's bubbling, then turn to low for 8-10 hours or until around 170 degrees inside and fork tender. You'll want some kind of good BBQ sauce or something to go with it.

5. Opening Day and Easter are on the same day. What a great day it will be!

6. Also today, my Dad's 51st birthday! Happy Birthday Daddy!

Have a FANTASTIC weekend!

Fear of Being Ordinary

I had a realization in church on Sunday. I don't recall exactly what I was hearing or reading, but it was just like this sudden conviction that in my pride, I'm afraid of being a normal, ordinary, nobody. I almost crave the attention and approval of others and it is a sickness.

Now, this isn't a new realization. My husband would tell you that I work hard to please, and that it has been a process of letting go of the fact that I can't make every one happy. I think I've come a long way from my high school days of constant stomach aches and high anxiety levels and nights of tears; however, motherhood seems to be pulling a strand out here and there and it's a sickness and a sin.

I know I'm not a nobody. I have many characteristics and life circumstances that would make me "weird" in the world's eye. I am a covenant partner and co-heir with Christ, and it isn't because I did enough to please Him.

I think that's why my blogging in the past months has been less personal and more task-oriented. I was afraid that people would think I'm boring or OCD or crazy. Honestly, I don't blog for relevance though. I blog for me. I like writing, I like chronicling my days, I don't have time to sit and journal each moment, so I capture it on my iPhone and put it in Project Life or on this blog. I'm knot particularly awesome at any of those things either, and it's okay. I wasn't put on the earth to have the best blog (though some are) or the most creative Project Life album (though someone is) or the most organized house (but I sure love trying!). I have many roles, none ordinary, but sometimes boring and all redeemed in the name of Christ.

Here's to more personal (not schedules of projects) blogging in April.

20 Days

I honestly flat ran out of time to blog yesterday. The last 36 hours have been a whirlwind of activity and once I finally had everything done that had to be done last night, I was out.

For the sake of coherence, I'll back up to Sunday. We got a call at noon from our realtor that someone wanted to look at the house that afternoon. That night, he texted us and said the same buyer wanted to come back first thing Monday morning. Great news!

They made us an offer around 5 Monday afternoon and it wasn't great. We talked it over and with help from our realtor, made a counter offer. I went to Bible Study and got a text from Jim that they had countered and we'd discuss it once I got home. Our leader was closing out the study time with a prayer and when I opened up my eyes, I had this message:

Greater news! So, while it isn't done until it's done, it's a little crazy because they want to close on April 8th. That gives us 20 days to find an apartment and move. To complicate things a bit more, they have the 10 day option period to get the house inspected and can back out at anytime. We don't want to wait until March 30 to see if everything goes through, but we also don't want to jump all in and then something happen and we end up not actually selling to this buyer.

I spent yesterday making cookies for a church function, calling around for available apartments and prices, signing papers to officially enter into contract, teaching two dance classes, letting Jacob nap, preparing for another home showing this morning, touring an apartment that may be "the one" and watching my siblings in between. Exhausted, but in a good way.

Today, we had another house showing, (and I totally missed the memo that you show your house even under contract- so I made a huge mess making those cookies and then paid for it later) are touring two more apartments, turning in applications, keeping the siblings, going to church and doing the homeschool thing with Alijah!

Spring Cleaning : The Garage

Friday, I took on my first Spring Cleaning project. Here's the breakdown!

1. Before I could finish moving crates from the garage, I needed to get the storage unit better organized and make a list of everything that was in there. I bought a pack of vinyl letters at Target for $3 and labeled all the crates with a letter or combination of letters (so as not to waste any). Then, I just took a general note of what was inside of them. Christmas, home decor, baby items, etc. I made a list and am going to type that up and save on DropBox so I always have it.

2. Next came moving crates from the garage. I labeled them and added them to the list at home and loaded up the Cube. With the seats folded down, I could get 12 crates in the Cube. 

3. I had to make a quick phone call to Jim to see what he wanted to keep of his gardening stuff. Since the plan is to move to an apartment, we won't have a huge garden. But, Jim has spent hundreds of dollars on his gardening projects, so we don't want to be wasteful. We kept the tools and some of the supplies for storing until the next house, and recycled the plastic seed starting planters and some of the fencing. 

4. I also took a load of things I don't want anymore to Goodwill.

5. Then, I blew out the garage with the blower because a lot of leaves had gotten in. There are a a few crates I want to go back through, so they're still in the garage. 

Next up: Sunroom and Jim's closet!

Book Review :: Loving the Little Years

One of my goals for the first part of this year was to read 3 books. One of those titles that had been suggested to me by a friend was Loving the Little Years : Motherhood in the Trenches. I purchased the Kindle version and had it read as fast as any book I've ever read.

Actually, in doing a little search, I saw she just came out with a new book called Fit to Burst that is going on my "to read" list.

I liked the book because I could so easily identify with her anecdotes and found her "advice" to be more of an encouragement than someone telling me how to be a "mom." I laughed out loud and read things to Jim and also did some highlighting for things I wanted to remember. The book affirmed my "no judging" rule I have when it comes to mothering- everyone's battle is different, yet the same because we're all fighting a sinful heart that just manifests itself in different ways.

Here are a few of my favorite highlights:

"If your son in his high chair is struggling with anger about his vegetables, you should be seeing a high school boy acting out after a lost basketball game. Give him the tools now that he will need then." 

"Christian childrearing is a pastoral pursuit, not an organizational challenge."

"Scars and stretch marks and muffin tops are all part of your kingdom work."

So, if you want a quick read that might be a re-read, that will make you laugh and give you some good things to remember, I suggest this book!

There's Always Hot Pockets

When Jim and I first bought our home, and got cable, I started watching a LOT of HGTV for inspiration. However, it seemed to contribute more to my discontentment than to the cuteness of my house so I had to stop watching. You can ask my husband if you don't believe me- it was pretty ridiculous and all completely the fault of me.

When I went on bed rest, I started watching Food Network. I don't really remember what turned me on to the channel but so began my love for all things Food Network. It was really odd considering I was probably the worst cook around. I come from a line of great cooks, but somehow the genes skipped over me. I once rebaked cookies thinking that it was a broccoli cheese casserole. The whole cooking thing really scared me.

Jim was the cook in our home until a few months ago, really. He was good at it and wasn't afraid to mess up. I couldn't bear the thought of failure, so I just stuck to baking (an exact science, something that fits for me) and left the meal prep to him.

I started cooking more once Jim went back to work after having Jacob. I wanted the break in the evenings and Jim wanted bonding time with Jacob. I started out with easy recipes that I had seen JIm make over and over and slowly branched out.

So, thanks to Jacob and Food Network, I've become more confident in my chef skills. We have good knives, a new cutting board, new pots and pans, and lots of new cook books. I'm eager to try new ingredients and new cooking methods. Thanks to the cooking shows, I've seen how things can and are prepared and I'm not afraid to try it out- because guess what? Jim pretty much eats anything, and if it's so bad he won't, there's always Hot Pockets.

March is a Fresh Start

I don't remember where I heard it, but in a past conversation, the thought came up that God was a God of fresh starts. In Him we are a NEW creation, the old has gone (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). And that new self? Well, it's constantly being renewed in the image of our Creator (see Colossians 5:10). God is the God of "new." He has structured our time around that fact: Friday was a new month; yesterday (or today, depending on how your brain works) is a new week. Today is a new day. We've been given another shot at it, a fresh start, a clean slate.

March for me is going to be about "fresh." It's s-l-o-w-l-y starting to feel like spring. The days are getting longer. I love this time of year. Jim and I are also going to commit to eating more "fresh" foods (even if they were meals we made from fresh ingredients and froze them for convenience) and less fast food. With the spring-like weather comes a desire to freshen up the house. And, Jacob and I are getting a fresh start into the next chapter of our relationship as he transitions out of always having to have momma around to becoming a boy and not a baby anymore.

It's easy to get weighed down by stuff of life. Today, I'm laying it aside. Some of it needs to be dealt with, some of it let go, some of it bathed in prayer as I search for wisdom in knowing what to do. I am thankful for fresh starts and new mercies, every morning.

Jacob :: 13 Months

• Is almost completely weaned. Thanks to an awesome onset of mastitis, that process is now being expedited (and in fact he was cut off completely yesterday thanks to the antibiotics and infection). It is absolutely heartbreaking to deny him what he wants because I know he doesn't understand. It's also incredible that he is so smart. He will start crying and point to me and to the chair in his room where we spent so many hours hanging out- but then he throws an absolute fit when he doesn't get it. So tiny and yet so manipulative.
• Is in all 2T clothes
• Still has a mean diaper rash (going on a month). What started out as a yeast infection turned into a diaper rash thanks to the chlorine in disposable diapers that we were using because the cream that we were using to treat the yeast infection couldn't be on our cloth diapers. So, now we're onto clean and free disposables because the cloth keeps wet against his skin and isn't allowing the moisture to wick away so he can heal. 
• Basically, life is hard for the little guy right now!
• He is eating much better! Still mostly baby food and we add in table foods as we see fit. The kid can put away 2-3 containers at meal times though (when he's not with me, though- he's holding out)
• Still LOVES being outside- watching birds, cars and now planes. We have a base nearby that has flight paths right over our house; he loves it.
• We now have a spanking spoon. Little dude is going to have to learn that Momma means business when it comes to a few things.
• He has slept "through the night" twice now (and by that I mean from 8pm to 5 am). I was nursing him at that 5 am time and sending him back to bed so I'm not sure what we're going to do about that now. Cry it out? Get up? 
• Napping has become more of a guessing game, but that's partly because my schedule changes as does his sleep at night. If he wakes up early, he'll usually take two good naps. If he sleeps in, sometimes it's just one nap. 
• We have the two bottom middle teeth in. So cute.
• One funny thing he did this month was take his long sleeved shirt off during a nap. I went in to wake him up and it was in the floor. 
• He talks a lot more (mostly babbling) but it's super entertaining and funny. 

Planner 2.0

Back at the beginning of this year, I shared my homemade planner.  A month in, I decided to change things up a bit. I knew that it was going to be work in process. (You can click the link to visit the post about the original version). And it was only $3 to get a new one rebound (plus the paper + ink) but that stuff is on hand.

Some things stayed the same:
--> I left my goals page in the beginning. I did type it up for this planner so it looked bit neater.
--> The monthly planner page I left, as it helps me get a big picture of view of what's going on that month.
--> The menu plan stayed the same, but I did find a prettier page to use.
--> The grocery list stayed in, but again, I found a prettier one to use.

Some things didn't make the cut:
--> I took the routines page out- I found it just unnecessary for a daily planner. It would be better suited for a home management binder that stayed at home.
--> Monthly blog topics page got the oust- I liked having a month plan, but it was kind of overwhelming and life happens sometimes and I would get off the plan and that just causes me anxiety.
--> The weekly outlook I had was broken down by days and hours and didn't always get filled in when life got busy. I needed just some blank space to give me that weekly outlook, but not so specific that I felt like I was wasting the whole page for a few things.
--> The to do list simply did not have enough lines.

New additions:
--> I found a new week at a glance page, but I think it's a little too detailed for what I need for this one page.
--> I also found a to do list that was divided into "work" and "home" and had plenty of space!
--> I found a weekly blog post schedule to try out.

Fab Food Feb : Chicken and Pineapple Quesadillas

I don't remember where we got this recipe, but it is super yummy and reminds me of spring/summer which I want so badly to be here.

Oh, a quick google search reminded me that this recipe came from Pioneer Woman. Here's the link!

This is the last installment of Fab Food Feb. It hasn't gotten great traffic. The whole theme thing is cool, but it limits what you can write about and I don't like that. It's nice to have a fall back when you don't know what to write about, but meh, probably won't do a whole month long series again.

Hope that you've enjoyed the recipes, though!

Fab Food Feb : Beef Stroggie

This recipe is one that we use on a pretty regular basis. We pretty much know the recipe by heart and only have to pick up a few things at the grocery store to make this meal happened. It is really quick to make which is helpful when you have a baby crawling around everywhere.

Ingredients:
12 ounce package of egg noodles
6 ounces of mushrooms, sliced (I think we use more though because we love mushrooms!)
1/4 cup of butter
2 pounds of ground beef
One cup of sour cream
Worcester, salt and pepper to taste

First cook the noodles to package directions and drain. While the noodles are cooking, cook the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter, until soft. Remove from pan and set aside.

Melt the remaining butter and cook the ground beef until browned. Add the mushrooms back in and stir in the sour cream. Season to taste and serve over at noodles.

Fab Food Feb : Linguine with Basil and Bacon

I got this recipe from my new Giada cookbook, but I changed things up a bit. We're not big fish/seafood eaters in our house so I took out the shrimp and added chicken and it was still delicious.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound linguine (you can use whole wheat linguine, if you prefer)
• 1 pound thick-cut bacon, chopped into  1/2-inch pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs. chicken (we just buy the stir fry chicken that is pre-cut)

STEPS

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.
3. While the pasta is cooking, put the bacon in a large skillet. Turn on the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until the bacon is brown and crispy, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel. Then, cook the chicken until done. Remove and set aside.
4. In the same skillet, add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds.
5. Add the tomatoes with juice, the cream, chicken stock, 1/2 cup of the basil, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
6. Bring to a boil and with a wooden spoon, scrape up the browned bits that cling to the bottom of the pan.
7. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes, until slightly thickened.
8. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixed well and warmed through.
9. Add the bacon and simmer until warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes.
10. Pour the mixture over the cooked pasta and toss until coated.
11. Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with the remaining basil.

Fab Food Feb : Spiced Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

This recipe came from the newspaper of a tiny Texas town. It looks overwhelming, but I'm pretty sure this is one of Jim's favorite desserts. Okay- top 3 (he just said that nothing beats a good Chocolate Chip bundt cake or Kahlua Cake) BUT IT'S GOOD. You'll need an 8x8 or 9x9 square pan.

Cake Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp.cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/8 tsp. ground clover

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce

Frosting Ingredients:

5 oz. cream cheese

3 tbsp. unsalted butter

1/4 tsp. vanilla

1 cup confectioners sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt & spices

2. Beat butter, brown sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer on high until fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then, beat in applesauce.

3. Spread batter evenly in pan and bake until golden brown, 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees.

5. For the frosting, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla with an electric mixer until fluffy. Sift in sugar and cinnamon.

Fab Food Feb : Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today's post is short and sweet. Really- it's sweet treats.

Homemade Chocolate Chip cookies- so easy and so worth it. Here's what you do: buy a bag of Nestle Chocolate Chips and and use that recipe. Way better than chips ahoy or whatever.

While you're at the store- pick up some parchment paper. Line your pans with it and it will change your life on clean up.

Fab Food Feb : Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

I had these for the first time a couple of years ago while hanging out with some friends! (Hey Em!) She gave me the recipe and I started making them anytime I was required to "bring something" to a dinner or other event. I'm not a huge fan of snickerdoodle cookies, so I was skeptical, but they're SO GOOD.

Here's the link to the recipe. And of course, today's kitchen gadget will be my favorite way to top cupcakes. I actually prefer making mini-cupcakes; it's better icing to cake ratio if you ask me. I keep a package of Wilton Pastry bags and the coupling and big star tip to make icing cupcakes mess free and quick! (PS: Found this good post on how to do this!)

Fab Food Feb : Meatball Subs

This recipe was one we kind of made up to use up what we had. Well, we didn't make it up, but it was a "what can we cook with this, this and this?" Every once in a while, I love getting a messy meatball sub from Subway. So, when we had some extra hamburger meat and homemade tomato sauce that needed to be used, we found a recipe for homemade meatballs in "How To Cook Everything" and stopped for some hoagie rolls on the way home and voila!

 Here's a link to the recipe for the meatballs! Get some hoagie rolls, jarred (or homemade) tomato sauce, some good cheese and make yourself a yummy sandwich!

Hope you and the ones you love have a Happy Valentine's Day! Since it's a work night (and I work until 7 tonight) we'll find some other time to celebrate. Valentine's Day is fun, but honestly, Jim does a fantastic job of making me feel special all throughout the year, not just on specific holidays. But who doesn't love another day to shove candy in your mouth and get some extra treats?

Fab Food Feb :: Chicken Parm Wraps

Pinterest and I are kind of on a break. I know that taking a break from various things is a little bit cliche, but it's what I must do to maintain moderation in my life. (I've also taken "breaks" from Twitter and Facebook. PS: If we were friends on Facebook, you'll have to refriend me on my new profile, as the old one got irreversibly hacked!)

Back to Pinterest- one reason for the break was that I had so many pins and was doing NONE OF THEM. A lot of the pins were food items. So, I started picking at least one on most weeks and giving them a try. Chicken Parm Wraps were a delicious success.

Here is the original post so you can have the recipe for yourself.

A few things:

• We just bought a Rotisserie chicken that was already precooked at our market. I was needing fast, easy dinners. We just shredded it with a fork and moved on.
• I couldn't find egg roll wrappers at my store, so I bought Phyllo dough and used 5-6 sheets. You could also use crescent rolls.
• We usually make our own tomato sauce, but you could easily buy jarred marinara.

The cooking gadget/tip that I have to share with this is to have a nice size sheet pan (we have a cuisinart from Jim's Mom that is my new favorite!) and cooling racks that you can place inside of it to keep the heat circulating around them in the oven and also not sticking!