Hopping Down the Bunny Trail!

I will preface this post by saying that I LOVE my kids all the same! I do not favor one over the other but yes, Chandler is the star of my of my posts only because she sits, she can't run and hide, she actually smiles a smile that doesn't resemble any animals or alien faces and she actually likes me taking pictures of her. The other two, not so much....

We had a super busy weekend! Fun, but busy. I am kind of ready for some laid back weekends. Me and my pajamas have not spent any time together on the weekends doing "nothing" (you know by nothing that doesn't really mean nothing but at least it doesn't mean packing up and leaving the house!)

We got to go to Louisville (long overdue) and spent some time with some our friends and family! It was short. I think we stayed as long as we drove :( I truly wish I could have an entire week back in Louisville to visit family, friends, old co-workers, eat at all of my favorite restaurants that we don't have here and just have time! Every time we drive in I find a little piece of my heart. It is easier now than it was say a year ago, but there are still so many things that bring back so many great memories!

So, of course being the weekend before Easter we HAD to get to the Easter Bunny! So at Ashley's we got all of the kiddos decked out and headed to the mall! It was especially important since this was Grey and Chandlers first time with the Easter Bunny!

 

My pretty 7 month old (sob, sob) girl all dressed up and ready to go!

 

The cousins who despite what it looks like in this pic are only 3 days apart! Grey is hunching down trying to hide just how much bigger he is than my little Chan! They are so stinking cute!

 

Princess Chan wearing her crown! She is starting to be a hot mess!

 

And the ridiculously, overpriced, got conned into paying for beautiful Easter pics of all of my precious kiddos! I mean the women at the Easter Bunny Station must of had years of either sales experience or were just overly aggressive in nature. haha I know I will be glad I got it but I am cheap when it comes to these things!

 

And just because I was tired of trying to find Chandler "winter" clothes for church we decided to pretend it was spring outside and she looked so stinking cute, it didn't matter that it was 35 degrees outside! I loved these outfits so much I got three of them in different colors! (thank you zulily!) haha The more ruffles the better! Come on warm weather!

Cooking is Therapy

Between sicknesses, shuffling kids around and working full time I have actually managed to find some time to make some more pinterest recipes. We used to go out to eat ALL of the time (pre-kids and then when Palmer was born, oh heck probably up until a year ago!) but now I would say we eat 90% of our meals at home. Friday Night is ALWAYS pizza night at our house and we may eat one more meal out on the weekends but other than that we usually eat at home. A. It is too dang hard to take 3 kids out in public after a long day of school, not to mention sometimes embarrassing :) B. It is too dang expensive to take 3 kids out to eat at a restaurant :) C. Even though I don't always make the healthiest or most gourmet meals I still feel like eating at home has been a lot healthier for our family! This girls STILL LOVES to eat out, I won't lie! My husband, don't even get me started, he could go out to eat every meal of his life! :) But when you have 5 mouths to feed and your budget goes more to activities, diapers and formula you learn to cut back on the things that aren't a necessity.

So here goes another Cooking is Therapy Review and Recipes for things that I have made recently. I can honestly say there is nothing that I have tried that I didn't like (that is half the problem! haha I love food!)

Cream Cheese Sausage Pinwheels       

        I had been wanting to try these little treats for a long time! I am not a big sausage person but these are delicious! I will say that they aren't a food that you can just eat and eat... they would be perfect for an appetizer or to bring to a party! I give these a big thumbs up! The directions aren't hard but they are lengthy. Go HERE to see full directions and pictures!~

Ham, Egg, & Cheese Breakfast Roll-UpsIngredients:2 packages of 8 count refrigerated crescent rolls
1 cup cooked ham, cut into small pieces
1 cup shredded colby jack cheese
7 eggs, cooked and scrambled

Directions:
Unroll crescents onto a large ungreased cookie sheet.
Place a spoonful of scrambled eggs, a couple pieces of ham, and a sprinkle of shredded cheese on the wide end of each unrolled crescent.
Roll up each crescent, starting at the wide end and ending at the narrow end of the crescent.
Bake at 375 degrees for 11-13 minutes, or until crescents are golden.
Optional: Serve with salsa for dipping.

**I got this recipe from pinterest but it led me to THIS awesome food website! I love this website!

These are SO great to make on Sundays and just pop a few in the microwave in the mornings and have breakfast to go! I loved them!

BAKED CHEDDAR BROCCOLI RICE CUPS

*** This recipe was a hit! I LOVED these! Again, these are good to make a bunch of and just heat up with your dinner for the perfect side. I could eat this just by themselves! Rice, Broccoli, Cheese - you can do no wrong! I will definitely make these often!
From http://fountainavenuekitchen.com
Ingredients:
1 cup quick-cooking rice (like Minute Rice)
1 cup chicken stock
1 10-oz. box frozen, chopped broccoli, thawed and excess water squeezed out
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup Homemade Ranch Dressing, or store bought
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Prepare rice as directed on package, substituting stock for water.  Place cooked rice in a large bowl and let cool slightly.  Add the remaining ingredients, using only 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese, and stir until combined. Transfer mixture to eight well-greased muffin cups–I like to use an ice cream scoop–and top with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.  Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees or until tops are lightly browned and edges are starting to get crispy.

BROILED TILAPIA PARMESAN

**** This recipe was QUICK, EASY and SUPER DELICIOUS!!! Another fav at our house! Pair with some rice and a vegetable and you will have a fabulous dinner in no time! 

Ingredients
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
2 pounds tilapia fillets
Directions
Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

PIZZA QUESADILLAS



*** These little Dandy's are perfect when you are in a hurry or just need a quick lunch on the weekends! They are SO good, filling and the kids LOVE them (so does mom!) We have already made them multiple times :)

Ingredients

• 8 flour tortillas
• 8 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 6 ounces sliced pepperoni
• 1 (16-ounce) jar of pizza sauce
• butter for pan

Instructions

1. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and fry the pepperoni until crisp. Transfer onto a paper towel to drain.
2. Brush each tortilla with a thin layer of pizza sauce. You want the layer so thin that if you turned it over, none would drip.
3. Sprinkle cheese on top of the sauce on the bottom tortilla. Top with pepperoni and other toppings, if desired. Sprinkle with another layer of cheese and place the other tortilla on top (sauce side in).
4. Preheat a medium cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add a little butter if desired and melt.
5. Gently place quesadilla in the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, until cheese is melted and tortillas are crispy.
6. Slice into quarters and serve with a little bowl of warm pizza sauce for dipping.

Pinterest Told Me To

Since I have been on this journey of finding my new style, I have become slightly obsessed with a little blog called Pinterest Told Me To It is all kinds of regular moms like me trying to find a style and inspiration by outfits they have seen on pinterest! Since I am not one to think outside the box on my own, this website totally helps!

Unfortunately my work has banned pinterest and polyvore from our access (sob, sob, sob!) So, I couldn't find all of my "mint and gray" outfit inspirations for you to see but you get the jest. Mint is just the new black for this spring! haha (or so I have read...) So, I thought I would give it a shot! Here is one inspiration pic of mint and gray!

Here I am with my mint and gray outfit! It is a little dark but my shirt is mint and gray striped (JC Pennys), animal print scarf (Walmart), skinny jeans (The Loft) and gray ballet flats (Kohls). I love it!

What has pinterest told you to do? It tells me to do a lot of things and it also makes me feel guilty, exhausted, inspired and happy all at once. We have a love/hate relationship! haha Happy Thursday we are almost to the weekend!

Sports Mania

So, since we last visited on this blog, the stomach bug has hit our house again! This time though it started last Thursday and Ann Mason started throwing up first and then Palmer climbed into our bed because apparently he thought he would rather get sick in our bed than his .About an hour after getting Annie down and settled with trash cans and a pallet on the floor, Palmer sits up and starts his puking. I am SO out of it at this point.... It is dark, I can hear puke, I can smell puke but I can't see where it is going. I am scrambling around and turn on the light and to my horror the puke had gone on the baby who was sleeping in her rock in play by the bed! Yes, it is slightly funny now but at the time I thought I was going to lose it! Sheets were ripped off, pillows thrown everywhere, trash cans, trash bags strewn all over the house and now my sweetest baby had puke all over her! It is one for the books for sure! We all survived it yet AGAIN! haha I have really grown a sense of humour and tough skin this winter about sickness!

I have been HORRIBLE about taking my camera places because it is just too darn convenient to take pics with our camera phones. My sweet friend Sarah sent me these today and I loved them! I love that my kids are starting to really get involved in sports, activities, etc... and our navigating thru trying to find their niche! I have always said I will give them the opportunity to try anything they want and they have to finish out the season but after that they can choose whether it was something they loved or not!

Palmer likes sports but I am pretty sure it is way more for the social aspect right now than the competitive, passion aspect of the sport :)He may not be one to love playing sports and that's ok, right now he LOVES using the computer and he might be a little more "techy" :) haha Here is playing bball with his pals!

All of these pics crack me up! Palmer is literally a mini Tex in these because his hair is crazy and he has a red gatorade mustache in them all! If you have ever seen a childhood photo of Tex he has a red koolaid mustache in every single one of them!:)

Being ANNOUNCED and running out on the court!

Blocking a much bigger player :)

Adler and Palmer, can you tell they are more into the audience than the game :)

My sweet boy with crazy bed head and gatorade mustache!

The three amigos. Adler, Karson and Palmer! They loved this season, I definitely think we will be back for round 2 next year!

One of the many wonderful things about living near family is we always have a surplus of "fans" that show up to the kids games! Mamaw hardly ever misses a game and the kids love when people come to watch them!

Annie being a good big sister to Chandler, either that or driving her crazy :)

Sweet sisters~!

I was SO excited for Ann Mason this past weekend! Girlfriend got to start a sport all of her OWN! I realize she is only 4 but she has set thru many soccer, tee ball and basketball games of Palmer's and I was so glad she was finally getting her turn to play! Of course mommy had to buy a girly ball, totally awesome soccer socks and new shoes with hot pink laces! haha SHE LOVED IT!

 

Ann Mason did awesome! Like scored 5 goals awesome and loved every minute of it! She may be our athlete, you never know! I just want my kids to enjoy whatever they do!

And then there is Chandler! I could eat her sweet, laid back, does no wrong EVER, little face up! This is her at the game looking at me like is it over yet, it is nap time people :) She is in for a long road with two crazy older siblings. I love this baby girl so much I could just cry thinking about it. I would love for her just to tag along like this with me forever!

Tee Ball starts up next month and as funny as it sounds (since before last year I had never really even stepped on a "ball field") I LOVE it! Love everything about it, the ball field food, the enthusiasm, the parents, the kids, it is just plain fun!

A Week of Instagram

I can't even believe I am typing this AGAIN but this week/past weekend has been LONG!!! Chandler got her shots on Thursday... Friday I picked her up at daycare and she felt warm and when we got home the fever started. Saturday the vomiting and water poop started (sorry for the disgusting verb-age but there was no other way to explain what it was!) I am NOT a dr, I do not have any backing to my theory but I am 100% convinced as a mother with a motherly instinct that she got sick from the roto-virus vaccine! I think she may be that 1% that gets extremely ill when given the vaccine, just call it a hunch but that's my story and I am sticking to it.

We literally went for about 72 + hours of water poop EVERY 45 minutes. It was absolutely exhausting and last night was the first time that I saw my happy baby again. Granted, Chandler is always happy but I didn't see that spark in her sweet little eyes for the past 5 days and it broke my heart. I think she is BACK :) and things are looking up!

So, in between cleaning up puke, poop and doing a million loads of laundry I became slightly addicted to instagram, LOVE IT! I had never really utilized it before and I like following people cause you get to see the pics without out all of the hoopla of facebook. Here is our week in instagram pics... PS. I am NOT biased about my children. There are more pics of Chandler but that is because she is not yet mobile and will actually look at the camera and smile and not run and hide like two other children I know!

After 4 days of pedialyte this cutie-patootie finally was able to eat some solid food!

Oh, this kid. Her very first time sitting in the shopping cart like a big girl! Yes, I teared up and took 5 pictures in the front of Walmart, why are these milestones getting me so choked up????

Thankfully, my boss has been wonderful thru this unbelievably sick, sick season! Chandler can come to work with me on some of her sick days. Pretty much the whole office loves when Chandler comes and "aunt Lindsey" pretty much just lets her hang out at the front desk with her all day and I can only hold her a few times because she is spoiled rotten by my co-workers. So blessed for a job like this!

This was her at urgent care. On top of having the roto-virus she had a double ear infection so we got on an antibiotic...

It was SO nice outside, that was the one saving grace of the weekend. The bigs got to enjoy themselves and play non stop. Here is Annie asleep on the couch by 6:30 pm!

My sweet sleeping beauty. I love this pic especially her hair everywhere!

And Finally my sweet momma's boy! Today is the book fair at school and this kid is SO excited. I ALWAYS loved the scholastic book fair I could look around for hours and he is just like me! Funny how different things jog your memory. Of course his dad doesn't even remember book fairs! haha Palmer has my love of reading gene :)

I am looking forward to a weekend of firsts (Annie starts playing soccer), a weekend of catching up with old friends (BG here we come!) and if I can even say it.... A weekend of no sickness!

Shot to the Heart

Both of my sweet girls had to go for well child check ups yesterday and get shots! I DREADED it! I don't like to see either of my girls hurt but I was definitely more nervous about the 4 year old shots than I was Chandler. Ann Mason was a nervous wreck and I felt so bad for her.

Once we got there, there were a few quivering lip moments and crocodile tears but Ann Mason held it together like a champ! She cracks me up, she is a strong cookie. She let out an Indian war cry when she got poked both times almost like screaming helped push thru the pain, whatever works girl, whatever works! They both were great, precious and just a reminder of how blessed we are to have three healthy children!

Chandler Grace

Chandler there is so much to say about you and really not much to say at all! You are seriously PERFECT. Not just like mommy thinks your perfect but I get at least 3 comments a day about how laid back and happy you are! I can only say this because I deserve it! haha! I told someone today I never even knew that a baby like you existed, you are THAT good!! I know, I know this means I will pay for it when you get older but man, I am enjoying every single second of your sweet self!

*You are FINALLY eating baby food and actually liking it, I am SO excited. We got you a super saver seat and new baby food and spoons and I cried like a baby! Each milestone breaks my heart, I seriously can't take my baby getting bigger!

*You are still sleeping thru the night minus the occasional night when you need a bottle around 4:30 and for some reason I never mind that snuggle time!

*You are sitting up like a champ, rolling over, grabbing everything!

* You are driniking about 4-5 bottles a day all about 5-6 oz and eating about 3 jars of baby food

*Well, you still sleep in your rock n play I have to admit I am not ready to give you up! :) You don't wake up and I love it, you love it so it works!

*You are literally the center of our family's little world. The kids adore you, Molly the dog adores you, Mommy and Daddy adore you, you get the picture! Everyone lines up to hug you before school, you are the first person they want to see after school, you are the STAR! From the minute you were born there was never a doubt or moment of worry about having a third child, you were in our hearts long before you were a thought in our minds. We love you SO very much!

Here is your little growth chart for your 6 month check up!

Oh Ann Mason! My girly girl! Here you are in the van before we walked in waving your 4 in the air for Mommy! You were so brave, those eyes full of wonder, fear and excitement. You asked a million questions and you are my little engine that could, we just kept on saying "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can" you thought it was SO funny! I am so proud of you and you were such a BIG four year old getting your shots and helping your sisters get hers.

It brings tears to my eyes just to think about it but when Ann Mason knew Chandler had to get her shots she said "mommy, I can't be in here" so I waited with her out in the hall and the minute she heard Chandler cry she got those big crocodile tears in her big hazel eyes and said "I don't want her to hurt mommy" Then I started crying so we both walked in crying ready to rescue and hug on Chandler! This girls heart is SO big it is amazing! She surprises me everyday and I am SO proud to be her mommy!

DRUM ROLL PLEASE..... 90% for Weight and 95% for Height???? WHAT? Coming from her 5'2 mom! haha She is going to be taller than me when she is 10 :) She was so excited that she was such a big 4 year old!

My two amazing daughters!

PS I have a guilty heart right now because I feel like I haven't talked about MY Palmer lately! He is SO sweet and I am going to do a post all about Palmer!!! SO glad it is Friday I can't not even put it into words. This Girl is READY for the weekend!

Cooking Is Therapy II

I have tried a few more pinterest creations in the last couple of weeks and they were a success!!! I am loving not being in such a dinner rut! Winters are so much harder when it is cold and you can't grill, etc... So, thankfully pinterest has put some pep in my step and I am excited to be in the kitchen again! Here are some of the new recipes we tried!

Greek Pasta Salad - *This was Delicious! I don't do olives but the rest of the salad was a huge hit! Great as left overs too!

1 1/2 tablespoons salt
12 ounces bite-size pasta, your choice
2 cups medium diced seedless cucumber, lightly sprinkled with salt
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes, lightly sprinkled with salt
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped coarse
1/2 medium red onion, sliced thin
1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Ground black pepper
Bring 3 quarts of water to boil in a large pot. Add salt and pasta to the boiling water. Using back-of-the-box times as a guide, cook pasta until just tender.  Drain pasta (do not rinse), pour into a shallow baking pan, and cool to room temperature.
When ready to serve, place pasta, cucumber, tomatoes, feta, olives, onion, and oregano in a large bowl, Add oil; toss to coat. Add vinegar and pepper to taste; toss to coat. Adjust seasonings and serve.

Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches - *This is SUCH A HIT at our house now! We have made them twice already and both times they were amazing! The meat is even better the next day! Of course I have to add cheese and it is delicious! Ingredients

2-3 lb bottom round beef roast
1 Cup Beef Stock
1 packet Italian Salad Dressing Mix ( I used Good Seasons)
1 jar pepperoncini rings
1 loaf crusty french bread
Giardiniera (Optional)

Chess Squares - *HOLY COW! These have to be made just on a special occasion because I found myself hoping Chandler woke up for a bottle in the middle of the night so I could sneak bites of them! Delicious and Easy!!!!

1 box yellow cake mix
3 eggs
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
4 cups (1 lb) powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 300 and spray a 9×13 dish with cooking spray. Mix cake mix, melted butter and one egg to a soft dough. Press into the bottom of the pan. Mix powdered sugar, softened cream cheese and remaining two eggs until smooth, about 1-2 mins. Pour on top of crust. Bake at 300 for 40-50 minutes until top is golden brown.

Till the next time, I have a list of recipes I am going to try this week and I can't wait!

Finding a New Style...

So, I decided to steer away from "kid" talk today and make it all about ME! Haha I have really been having fun lately finding my own "style". I am not even sure you would define what I have as a certain style but I guess just becoming more stylish! I think it is hard after you become a mom and are in your 30's to really figure out how to dress cute, age appropriate but not frumpy, stylish but keeping on a budget, etc..

Let me start by saying that since I have been trying harder on my new style I am definitely NOT a fashionista in the slightest BUT I have come a LONG way from over sized  sweatshirts, all black wardrobe and no accessories!

I think a lot of it has to do with being comfortable in my skin and how I feel about myself. Also about looking at myself differently than I did in my early 20's . I know that the stretch marks on my stomach came from 3 wonderful miracles, that the wrinkles starting to show here and there on my face have come from living life and a lot of laughter and that my slowly sagging chest would not provide hours of entertainment for my 6 month old baby! ha! There was a long time when I wasn't happy when I looked in the mirror, I wasn't happy with my weight, I wasn't happy with me, period and it showed. Here is a prime example of how "stylish" I was and this was taken BEFORE kids!

My sister and I probably around 2005

This is even embarrassing for me to post. This was at Thanksgiving Dinner of all places and I have on a men's XL sweat!!!

So fast forward.... Thru the years since this picture I have taken it up a notch here and there in the wardrobe department but my "go to" outfit never failed. Jeans and a black turtle neck and black boots! My poor mom and mother in law dress SO cute and ALWAYS wear bright colors, I know they have secretly prayed for the day that I might step out of my drab wardrobe and get with the new trends! :)

Well, my mom took my sister and I shopping to the LOFT before Christmas. Her friends were there and they were telling me about straight leg pants, layering tops, what size I REALLY should be wearing and I had a BLAST!!! I bought clothes that fit, I bought clothes with color and I finally had a little "style". From there it has been a mission! I definitely keep it on the safer side! I wish I was a person that knew how to piece together different patterns and styles but I am SO not. The best I get, is seeing it on Pinterest and trying to imitate it! Here is a look at the beginning of my new style :)

I wear COLORS, straight leg pants and flats! Ooooh I also layer necklaces! This is all so new for me. See how that kid behind me could care less about my new style! haha

 I wear animal prints! CRAZY! :)

I wear two different colors and NO black! This outfit was bought for me by my mother in law, when I opened it she looked at me and said "Now, you wear these TOGETHER" Get out! I would have never tried that, I would have paired each piece with something black :) She is in heaven that I love shopping now!

I wear RED velvet pants and scarfs! :)

 I wear colors that I had no idea you could even wear together (thanks to the mannequin that had on the same outfit in the store! ha!)

And, I go outside the box and try on things that I would HAVE NEVER tried on years ago and guess what, most of them I like! This is a recent pic of my mother in law and I and yes, we do buy a lot of the same clothes!

It may not seem a lot for most people but it has been a great experience for me! It has kept me motivated to keep the weight off so that I can keep wearing the stylish clothes, it makes me feel better about myself and it is just plain fun!

Thanks mom for releasing my inner fashion plate :) My closet is starting to look like a rainbow exploded in it instead of a black hole! ha!

Girls Night Out!

I knew I would LOVE having a daughter (now I am blessed with 2!) but as Ann Mason grows up it seems like it just gets more fun! Granted I will probably retract this statement  somewhere around age 12 and won't be feeling this way until about 23! haha (joking, kind of, not really)

Friday night we had a big night out! We took Ann Mason and my niece Katelyn to Olive Garden and to get their nails done. Believe me I think the adults were more excited! Chandler even went because Ann Mason is adamant about the fact that she IS a girl, which means she MUST go to girls night!

We ate too much, laughed too much and shopped too much! I wish I had a picture of Chandler camped out on the dressing room floor playing with all of her toys! We may or may not have planned the shopping part :)

I know not every Friday night can be a big girls night out but I want my children to feel special and loved all of the time! I read on another blog about how we don't always have to make grand gestures that a picnic is just food with a blanket on the floor, spa day can be in your bathroom with some sliced cucumbers, movie night can become something more special with sleeping bags, popcorn and drinks on the living room floor! I loved that!

(side note: I have not forgotten about the sweetest boy in the world, my Palmer! He had "guys" night with his dadddy and I always try and do special things with him too! Ok, just had to clear that up so my "mom guilt" didn't go into overdrive!)

So here's to forts built out of sheets and chairs, camping in your bedrooms with flashlights, pizza and movie nights, spa nights with bubble baths and fake face masks, this list is infinite!

OLIVE GARDEN/NAIL NIGHT/SHOPPING
March 2013