Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!  I hope that all your little ones are tucked quietly into bed (one of mine is still reading in bed. . . crazy, tired kid!).  I am determined to finish this blog post before the night is over, so I have until this cup of hot apple cider is done to finish this post. . . then it's off to bed, I go.  

I love holidays.  Seriously.  I love Halloween. . . the harvest-y, pumpkin side of it anyways.  We go pumpkin picking and hay riding.  We bake lots of pumpkin themed foods, and get all dressed up and go to our church's Pumpkin Patch event (huge and awesome!).  

This year, however, has got me thinking.  I want to find a way to reach out to my neighbors (whom we never see) and so, I think we might be using Halloween as a way to reach our neighbors on our street next year.  I am not sure what it's going to entail. . . its 1 year away and there are many other things jumbled up in my brain right now, too.  

So, due to some jumbled up thoughts (and the fact that I am almost out of apple cider), here are some fun pictures from the other night's pumpkin carving extravaganza with the kiddos.  

Weston had fun helping me find all the seeds.  He wasn't too sure about the slimy pumpkin meat.  

Ethan couldn't wait until we carved pumpkins!  He sure doesn't like to touch the inside, though!  

Ethan's Jack-o-lantern. . . as drawn with a sharpie by Ethan and cut out by Daddy.  

And finally, a recipe.  Don't worry, I couldn't just post without something for you. . . 

Harvest Muddy Buddies!  Yep. . . super easy.  Find your favorite Muddy Buddy recipe. Mine is the one on the back of the rice chex box.  Make it according to the directions and then add in some Reeces Pieces to give it that harvest flair.  I don't think I have ever meat anyone who didn't like Muddy Buddies. . . so make a batch, bag them up, and give them to a friend.  These will still work even after Halloween because it's Fall!  Yay!  

Oh and before I go (because I am tired and I am out of cider). . . I just wanted to announce that I will be participating in 21 Days of Gratitude. . . Come join me and a bunch of other bloggers. 

randomness

Ahh.  Sometimes I need to sit back and breathe.  Sorry it's been awhile. . . I've been to the other side of the country and back and it takes a while to get ready and then to recover. . . especially getting back into a routine with my two very active boys!  

This is my quiet time basket. . . in other words, when Weston is sleeping and Ethan is doing his quiet time activities, I can get my stuff done.  It has been easy to just throw some projects into this awesome basket and work on it whenever I need to.  Unfortunately, there have been so many things going on, that has yet to happen. I am hoping that tomorrow, things will get worked on. . . i am not making any promises. :)  On another note. . . the fabric is going to be a fun scrap potholder.  It's for a friend's housewarming present and it is way long overdue!  

My stomach is also recovering from this amazing grub!  North Carolina had some amazing eats and I will confess that I was a bit stressed out that we weren't going to fit all of them in.  I think we did good.  We ate really good food!  This was from our favorite restaurant, Allen & Son, which was seriously a little old restaurant in the middle of a forest that was only open half the week and only til 8pm.  But when the cook/owner rises at 3 to cook the pig and bake some pies, you don't really blame him!  So, if you are ever in the Chapel Hill/Durham area, I highly reccommend this place!  

While my sweet husband was leaning new things at a conference, I went shopping.  Durham had a really cool, new mall that had all these beautiful statues and fountains.  Fun, right?  They also had a Crate and Barrel and Pottery Barn Kids and then I was introduced to West Elm. . . LOVE!  Let's just say, some new kitchen gadgets were welcomed into my stash when we got home. :)

And here, some fall, overcastness for you.  I may even just made up a word, but it works, right?  This is one of the really old chuch steeples on the UNC campus.  Fall is just beginning there and I almost didn't want to leave!

Lastly, I will leave you with this concoction of deliciousness. It may even be proof that I have been somewhat productive since we have been home (for the record, I have been working on MOPS stuff, organizing a Boutique, and chasing boys around).  But, these are amazing.  I made them for Jon's lunches this week instead of cookies (I'm almost out of butter) and they were a big hit! 

I mean, if it says it's better than sex, then it must be good, right?  Also, if it has Reeces Peanut Butter Cups in it, it has to be good, right?  Then, add the drizzles of melted caramel, white chocolate, and semi sweet and sprinkle it with a bit of sea salt and it's like a party in your mouth!  I promise!  

You can find the recipe, here. 

Have a great day everyone!

The four year old

I have a four year old.  It's been a month.   I like having  a four year old. . . it's pretty fun!  He is (and has always been) a joy to me!  This picture was taken a few weeks ago when we were doing a quick shoot in the backyard for his thank you cards. 

Now, this four year old is growing up and it makes me sad . . . and excited. . . it's bittersweet.  I am sad that he's not really my baby anymore. . . but he still loves to cuddle.  I am excited about all the new adventures we will have now that he's a big kid.  

But with this growing up things, we had to say goodbye to naps.  Yep. . . out the door.  Naps have always been kind of sacred to me (probably selfish, I know), but it when I get just a few moments of peace and quiet and I really had a moment where the loss of said naptime gave me a very sad feeling.  I almost cried. . . . really.  

However, I thought to myself, there has got to be some kind of quiet box idea out there that will help with this. . . so I went to my favorite search zone for items such as these and came out with site after site of ideas for quiet boxes!  So, other mom's also thought of similar things!  So here are mine:

Mine are filled with various books, color wonder stuff, tangrams, unifix cubes, file folder games, busy bags, puzzles, and other things I can't think of right now.  Each box is filled with different things and every few weeks, I will change everything out for new things.  

I made the labels using some free backgrounds and my Storybook Creator program.  I taped them on using clear packing tape.  If you are interested in the labels, comment with your email and I will send you the jpg of them.  They aren't perfect, but they work (and I am kind of on a Chevron kick right now).  

The boxes are just Sterelite boxes from Target that were a dollar a piece.  This ended being a super easy and fun way to install "Quiet time" into this new phase of childhood.  

What do you do (or plan on doing) with your child after naps end?

Oreo Cupcakes. . . yum!

It is officially October.  Wonderful October.  Pumpkin filled October.  Yet, we are celebrating the beginning of the month with some lovely triple digit weather.  Yep. . . it's very hard to get into it.  I made a lovely pumpkin cake last night hoping to get in the mood. . . it was good, but it didn't help.  I hot.  I am sweaty.  It's not right.  

But enough about that.  Let's move on, shall we?  Let's move on to something that doesn't scream fall, but just screams pure yumminess?

Who doesn't like Oreo Cookies?  Seriously, which ever ones you buy. . . they never fail!  Seriously. . . and soon Trader Joe's will be begging me to buy a box (or two) of Peppermint Joe-Joes.  I am in trouble!  

Anyways, I really wanted to get this recipe posted before I forgot about it (it happens. . . really, it does!).  Not that they are forgettable. . . they aren't.  I am still dreaming about them.  Good dreams.  Very good dreams!  

You can find the recipe over here at Annie's Eat's

Have a wonderful day. . . Hopefully, it is fall like?

Time for Pumpkin. . . part 1

Today I smell Fall.  Really. . . it's coming.  yes, I live in California and we are still dressing in shorts and tank tops for morning soccer games (trust me on this one. . . it happened this very morning!).  But, yesterday I was able to enjoy a Pumpkin Latte and a morning at Starbucks (I will add, also that their were no kids. . . it was just me. . . AWESOME!).  But. . . i smelled it. . . Fall! I promise you it's coming. . . even if I just have to keep telling myself that cardigan weather will be here soon, to get through this wretched triple digit weather!

So, in order to urge Fall to hurry . . . and I know some of you, are already experiencing it . . . I know, I talk to my sister . . . she tells me about Fall goodness, and how I just dream about it, I have posted some of my favorite Fall recipes.  The bad news: I have way more than I can have links for. . . so this is just part one. The good news:  There are more pumpkin recipes to come. . . and some new ones this season!  Stay tuned!  

Side note: you should just able to click on the picture and be directed to the actual post where the recipe can be found.  Good luck!  

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin Scones {Starbucks Style}

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Pumpkin Poundcake

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ethan turns 4 {cookies & milk party}

We have been so busy the last few weeks having so much fun! I haven't had a whole lot of time to sit down and and blog until now, so first off . . . Ethan turned 4!  I can't believe that my little boy is  no longer a toddler. . . seriously, where has the time gone?  He has such a heart for learning new things and creating new things in fact, he can't wait until he can start school. . . . like his cousin Logan.  He has been keeping us busy with soccer, swim lessons, and zoo trips.  For this year's birthday, he picked out the theme Cookies & Milk.    It was so much fun to put together! 

This was our table.  I went with basic colors. . . red, blue, yellow, orange, and brown.  I loved the simplicty of the balloons behind the table.  They didn't last long, though.  As soon as the party got under way, Ethan was crawling under the table to get balloons for all his friends!

I stuck cookies in apothecary jars and a trifle bowl.  The cookies were Peanut Butter Snickers, Chocolate Chip, Nutter Butters (I bought them at the store), homemade Oreo Cookies, Cookies and Cream Cupcakes, Marshmallow Monster Cookies, Oatmeal M&M cookies, Brownie Pops and Chocolate Sugar Cookies.

They all turned out amazing and I may not make another cookie for awhile. . . we'll see. . . we love cookies at our house!

I printed square labels using pictures created on my Creative Memories Software . . . Super fun! And I found milk in glass jars for less than 3 dollars a piece at Whole Foods!  I just added the syrup to make them chocolate and strawberry.  Super fun! 

The favors were so much fun.  I bought the mini cookies at the store and put them in tiny mason jars attatched some ribbon and a tag that said, Just add Milk.

And with every birthday, Ethan has to have his number 4 shirt. . . I barely finished it (the day of the party).  But, he was so proud to have his shirt.  I was thankful the shirt was really thin, because despite being a beautiful September day, it was triple digit weather!

My 4 year old!

Lastly, I love having something tangible for the kids to do at parties. To go along with Cookies and Milk theme, I baked up some yummy sugar cookies and had frosting (store bought. . . sorry).  I put the frosting in fun decorating bottles from Pampered Chef, and scattered bowls of sprinkles around the table.  I also bought some fun brown treat bags from a store called Sweet.  The kids never used them. . . they never made them home.  They went straight to their bellies.

It was such a fun afternoon celebrating my first born son!  He is such a blessing in my life!  Thanks, Ethan for letting me throw you a fun party!

The Ultimate Peanut Butter Cookie

I may have mentioned before regarding my new addiction.  

Remember these?

yeah. . . those life changing muffins with that incredible dark chocolate peanut butter swirled in?

Oh yeah!  

So, to add to my addiction I made these.

 Guess what.

They look as good as they sound!  I promise.

If I wasn't in the process of making batches after batches of cookie dough for a certain future 4 year old's birthday, I would probably go make some now.

Oh wait, I should probably go make some dough instead of sitting here blogging and getting distracted between Facebook and Pinterest?  Speaking of Pinterest.  Have you checked out my boards lately. . . some super cool things I want to do.  Maybe I will share some of them with you. . . maybe after E's party. . . there's a lot of baking that needs to be done.

See. totally distracted today.  yep.  I think I will leave you the recipe and go make a chocolate cake.    Tomorrow I will make some cookies (let's hope!).

Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies
adapted from here

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed, of course!)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 cup unbleached flour
1/4 cup dark chocolate peanut butter (yummmmy!)

Directions:
:: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Line your cookie sheet with your favorite lining tool (silpat, parchment paper. . . really, whatever your heart desires to make your cookies not stick).

:: In a mixing bowl, combine butter, peanut butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla.  Mix well until nicely blended.  Add flour baking soda, and salt.  Drizzle Peanut Butter on the top of your dough and swirl it around with a butter knife.

::  Chill dough for about 15 minutes (although, I think I may have skipped this part).  Roll dough in balls and place on baking sheet.  Using a fork, press the balls down to flatten slightly (It wouldn't be a peanut butter cookie without the trademark criss-cross, right?).

:: Bake 7-10 minutes.  Make sure your cookies rest for a couple of minutes before moving them to your rack.

:: Pour a glass of milk and enjoy a nice, warm cookie.