perfect summer tea

I love drinking iced tea in the summer time. It is such a nice way to cool down and  if you aren't a huge fan of just drinking water tea is a healthy alternative to soda. I love green tea but find it can be a little bland and watery when iced. To combat this I combine a darker tea with the green tea. This summer I think I have finally found the perfect combination of teas!  The fruit flavored green tea I use adds a nice summery vibe to normally plain tea. Here is what I have discovered

Salada Peach and Nectarine Green Tea- I found this at bi-lo in family size tea bags but it is also on their website here: http://www.greentea.com/tropicalfruitgreenteaforicedtea-1-1.aspx

Trader Joe's Decaffinated Irish Breakfast Tea: I use this because I don't like a ton of caffeine but they also have a regular version as well. It is a strong and dark tea that helps give some body to the green tea. Here is a link on Amazon if you don't have a Trader Joe's in your area: http://www.amazon.com/Trader-Joes-Breakfast-Traditional-Strong/dp/B003UTJEPU

To make half a gallon this is what you will need:

2  family size green tea bags
2 irish breakfast tea bags
1/4 cup sugar (I don't like mine super sweet)

Whats for Lunch?

Salad, salad, and more salad! I have been on a mission since January to eat a salad every day of the work week for lunch. I have been doing pretty well until this past week and I felt terrible after just one week of eating junk at lunch. Now, you may be thinking "wow its too expensive to eat salad every day" or "I would get so tired of  salad".  This is what I thought as well before actually committing to eat a salad for lunch five days a week. The thing is salad is really inexpensive if you do it correctly and there are SO many variations you can do that you should never get tired of eating salad! Here are a few tips:

Inexpensive salad making:

1. buy whole heads of romaine or leafy lettuce. By  cutting up your own lettuce instead of buying the bagged kind you will save a ton of money.

2. Buy ingredients at discount stores such as Costco or Trader Joe's. The lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and nuts are a lot cheaper at these places.


Salad add on's:

Keep your salad from being boring! Try a few of my fav's and mix and match until you have the salad you love. My favorite right now is lettuce, cucumber, sunflower seeds, cottage cheese, tomatoes and chick peas. I have been using hidden valley light ranch dressing.

1. Sunflower seeds: adds some protein and salt. Trader Joe's has these at great prices and you can buy them raw, salted, roasted, and unsalted. They also have great deals on Almonds and other nuts.

2. Chick Peas: Adds protein and keeps you fuller longer

3. Cottage Cheese: Again this adds protein and is a great way to get your dairy and the creaminess is great with the ranch dressing. Daisy brand cottage cheese is by far my favorite.

4. Cucumbers, grape tomatoes, red bell pepper, shredded carrots: add some crunch and color to your salad!

5. Dried Cranberries and Almonds: Great for a sweeter salad with a nice vinaigrette. 


So, Get out there and find your favorite salad and commit to eating your vegi's at lunch! You will save money because you will not be eating out and you will feel better because you are eating a healthy and natural lunch full of vitamins!

Tristan's favorite things : 2 1/2 year edition

1. Mickey Mouse and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
I'm not sure where this one came from, but Tristan loves Mickey Mouse.

2. Eric Carle books and Pete the Cat

Tristan is in love with "Brown Bear" and "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by EricCarle and he also loves anything "Pete the Cat"



3. Cars & Dinosaurs

he is such a boy

4. Playing outside

ie: helping mommy water the plants and making mud puddles to stomp in

5. His Superman hat from Old Navy

6. Any shirt with Elmo, Grover, Cars or Thomas

7. Chocolate Milk

Oh well, at least it gets him to drink something other than apple juice! 

8. Apple Juice, Apple Slices, Apple Sauce & even whole apples

But as his Grandma Lorri (nunu) reminds him "Man cannot live by Apples alone"

Long Time, No Posts

Yes it is true; I pretty much gave up on my blog. Not that I wanted to but just because we have been so busy! No telling where the time goes when you are a mommy, wife, and full time at work. Our newest adventure is buying a home! Our offer was accepted on the cutest little house and we are now working on financing and inspections. God has blessed us in so many ways here in South Carolina that I can not doubt that this is where we are supposed to be at this time in our lives. I hate being far away from my parents but I am learning to do better with not being able to see them for holidays , etc. If everything goes well then we will be in our new home by the end of July and starting on our new adventure there!

Little Boys Christmas List

Can't decide what to get the little one in your life for Christmas? Here is a list of our top picks!

1. Thomas and Friends Fisher Price Play Sets.

A more toddler friendly version of the many wooden Thomas play sets out there. These are for toddlers as young as 18months of age!

2. Books!

Can't get an idea about a good book for a little one? Get on Amazon.com and read some reviews until you find the best ones! We like books by Sandra Boynton 

3. Bath time toys

Our bath tub toys always seem to need to be replaced. They either get nasty, tristan gets tired of them, or the dog eats them.  If you have a baby or know a baby who loves bath time then try some new bath time toys for a thoughtful gift!

4. Nice Straw Sippy Cups

You can never have enough nice straw sippy cups when you have a toddler. The Foogo Thermos ones are worth the investment!

5. Puzzles

Encourage mental development with age appropriate puzzles. Wooden puzzles are perfect for little hands. Go for a puzzle with a theme you know your little one likes.

6. Trike or Ride on Toy

Toddlers have lots of energy and it is always a good idea to have a toy around that lets them get the wiggles out! 

7. Crayons, Coloring books and stickers

My son loves to scribble and put stickers all over the place. It doesn't keep him occupied for a long time but it makes him super happy for a little while! Try triangular crayons and large coloring books for young children in a theme they like such as sesame street etc. 

8. Puffy Vest

A very versatile piece you will get lots of use out of! Layer it over short sleeves in spring and over long sleeves in fall/winter. They don't restrict movement as much as bulky coats but it will keep your little guy warm while going in and out. 

9. Chinstrap fleece hats from old navy

Tristan has had his fleece hat from old navy for over a year and he is so in love with it! I love it because it keeps his ears warm and is super cute and affordable at the same time. 

Best Baby lotion

Tristan has never had a bad problem with dry skin but he does tend to get small patches of dry, rough skin that will sometimes become irritated. He doesn't have these all the time but maybe once a month I will notice a patch on his arm or back. I know there are some great natural moisturizers but as a full time working mommy I hardly have the time to remember to go buy groceries and always forget to pick up things such as baby lotion or hop over to whole foods to get something natural. Luckily someone gifted us with Burts Bees Baby Bee Calming Lotion. I have used it twice and Tristan's rough patches went away after the first night! We had been using Johnsons night time lotion and it did not seem to calm Tristan at all and it was such a thin lotion that it seemed to not give any moisture after a few minutes. I loved the smell of Johnsons night time lotion but it was almost overpowering at times. The Burts Bees lotion is a thicker lotion and Tristan was noticeably calmer after using it the first night. Its nice to know it is a more natural option than what we were using and when we run out we will certainly be buying more! If you have been looking for a more natural option of baby lotion I would highly recommend Burts Bees! 

http://www.burtsbees.com/natural-products/baby-mom-moisturizers/baby-bee-nourishing-lotion-calming.html 

Tristans Favorite Books 18month addition

Well, It has been months since I blogged so I thought I would kick off with a new list of Tristan's favorite books.I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to read with your kids and having some favorites to read with Tristan every evening is one of the best parts of my day. We recently bought him his own book shelf and it has really helped his love of reading grow. He knows where his books go at the end of the night and he will go pick out his favorites and bring them to us to read. What mom wouldn't want their child to bring them a book and snuggle down on their lap to read? Now that Tristan is older he is fascinated with learning words and has ditched some of his older books for new ones. Most of the touch and feel books have been replaced with word books. However, he still loves his "pajama time" book and his "Biscuit is Thankful" book. I hope this list inspires you to read with your little ones :) 1. Tristan is in love with this book which is categorized by animals, foods, shapes, colors, transportation etc.

2. This book has tabs which makes it easy for baby to find the page they want and the bright colorful pictures are large and clear. They are categorized into pages of insects, pets, farm animals etc.

3. It has sesame street characters, it rhymes, and its about bath time...whats not to love?

4. The wonderful pictures in this book is what Tristan loves most. They are bright and raised off the page which he loves. The story is kind of long for a toddler so we usually just point out the flowers and animals in the pictures and make our own stories up that are shorter.

Favorite Baby products 12months and up!

It has been awhile since my last list of favorite baby products so I thought I would share another one. Here are a few things that make my life easier, keep Tristan happy, and keep him occupied. The list is pretty short because I didn't include toys and have tried not to duplicate items on my previous lists. Enjoy!

1. Burts Bees Apricot baby oil- This stuff is amazing. I love putting just a little bit in his bath, it makes him smell so good and it clears up the rough patches he gets on his skin, plus it makes my hands soft in the process!

2. Perdue whole grain chicken breast nuggets- out of all the chicken nuggets out there Tristan loves these the most. It makes me feel better about giving him chicken nuggets because the breading is whole grain and it is breast meat. He is usually super picky about his meat but he loves these!


3. Old Navy baby socks- These are the best socks I have found! They stay on Tristans feet and are not too tight around his little legs,plus they are thick enough that he can run around in just socks and not get cold toes!

4. Plastic colander- Seriously the best bath time toy ever.

5. Fruties squeeze baby food- There are a lot of different brands of squeeze baby food but I like these the best because they are always a great price and they have more in them than the Target brand. The only down side is that they are fruit and no vegi flavors but if you are willing to spend a little more you can buy different brands that have vegi flavors. Tristan eats one of these every morning on the way to day care. It keeps him happy in the car :)


6. Huggies Slip on diapers- Honestly I could take or leave the fact that these are slip on. What I like the most about these diapers is the way they fit around the waist and legs. They are more elastic like and keep in the mess!

The rash

Tuesday morning I woke up to a scary sight.At 7am Tristan woke up and his ears were swollen, the back of his neck was swollen and he was covered in red bumps. At first I thought it might be chicken pox because the bumps were small.....and then the bumps started to grow and join together. I knew something was wrong so we were at the pediatrician first thing and found out that he had developed an allergy to penicillin. Tristan still had an ear infection so the nurse practitioner gave him another antibiotic and sent us home with benadryl. I was thinking this was more serious than that but since the nurse wasn't too worried I assumed I was just being a normal mom and freaking out. Boy was I wrong.(At this point I should just say that all moms should just trust their instincts. If you think something is seriously wrong don't let other people pat you on the back and make you feel better when your gut is telling you it is something more serious!) The medicine the nurse had given to Tristan only aggravated the allergic reaction and by the next day we were rushing to urgent care. I can't believe I took Tristan to day care that morning, but the nurse told me it was ok and he was fine! I rushed to get him as soon as they called me at work and Tristan was shaking and his hives had turned hot and red. His whole back was just a blanket of swollen red skin. I called the pediatrician on the way to the daycare and after explaining the situation I was told "the nurse will call you right back". I was already mad that they had sent us away the day before when it was obviously more serious than they made it out to be, so I made up my mind that if the nurse did not call me back by the time I had Tristan in the car we were going straight to urgent care. It was a good choice to go to urgent care because the dr saw us right away, told us the medicine the nurse had given us was a mistake and that children allergic to penicillin are prone to be allergic to that too and gave Tristan a shot right away to kill the allergic reaction. The urgent care dr did not tell us to go back to our pediatrician, he told us to follow up with him as soon as they opened the next morning. On the way home (an HOUR later)the nurse called me back and asked me how Tristan was doing. I told her I had explained the situation on the phone already and we rushed him to urgent care because it was a serious reaction. After I told her this I asked if we should bring Tristan up there to be seen by his dr and she said "no, if you've decided to listen to the urgent care dr you should just do that since he is the one you decided to go to. You could have come here though and we would have fit you in between appointments you do have that option you know. Your message wasn't marked as urgent in my box so I didn't call you back right away, if it was marked as urgent I would have called you sooner." It wasn't so much what she said but how she said it all snotty and like I had done something wrong by quickly getting my child helped...and HOW is "child has fever, is shaking, turning red and covered in hives" not a serious message?!?! I couldn't resist at this moment and I snapped back "Yesterday we came in and his face was swollen and it was obviously serious and we had to wait over an hour to be seen by a nurse. Thats why I took him to urgent care because we couldn't wait" Then I said we would see them at his follow up at the end of the month and hung up the phone. Boy was I MAD. I had gone through my child being traumatized and the nurse had the audacity to question my parenting skills because I didn't go to THEIR dr. Goodbye Parkside Pediatrics. First you gave my son an antibiotic he was allergic to, then you gave him another antibiotic he was prone to be allergic to because you have lack of communciation between your nurses and dr.'s then you were rude to me over the phone and didn't treat my son's condition as serious. I will not be going back to your office or be calling to ask your advice.

out of the loop

I have been terrible about blogging lately, I find myself lacking motivation after a long day at work and then playing with Tristan, getting dinner ready, bath time, story time, bed time...WHeW. I am one worn out mama. I will be beyond glad when Jake is done with academy and is home with me to help out a little bit. There really hasn't been too much going on since the holidays. Tristan is still a total boy and is always wanting to wrestle or climb on something. The sweet cuddly moments are few and far between but I relish them when I get them. I got the nasty flu bug this past weekend and felt like doing nothing at all. My house looks like I haven't cleaned it in a month with toys everywhere and laundry everywhere. The only thing that is clean is the bathroom and the kitchen. I managed to get half my clothes hung up today before Tristan stole my sweet tea and reminded me he is getting to the toddler stage as he laid in the floor and screamed after I took it away from him. Of course there are exciting things happening as well as Tristan grows. This month Tristan has learned "bye bye" and also how to blow kisses and brush his teeth. He no longer cries when I drop him off at day care and he is trying his best to say "duck" since that is his favorite bath toy and he thinks pictures of ducks are funny...go figure.

Peter Rabbit Birthday party!

Since we couldn't be at our extended families homes for Thanksgiving or Christmas this year we decided to throw Tristan an early birthday party in Durham so we could see everyone and celebrate at the same time. It worked out really well and Tristan had a blast! I decided to go with a peter rabbit theme since Tristan is so cute and sweet but at the same time mischievous. I channeled my inner martha stewart and made a Happy Birthday banner, home made vanilla cupcakes with butter cream frosting, coconut "grass" and home made candies that looked like garden vegetables! I also made cupcake toppers that were SO easy!! Here are some pictures and how to instructions so you can interpret the ideas and use them at your next party!

1. Cupcake toppers

you will need:
toothpicks
hot glue gun & glue sticks
Photo paper
Scrapbook paper

How to make them: First, find a picture that matches your theme online, then save it and print it off on photo paper in wallet size( i used picasa photo software to edit and resize my pictures). You can usually get 6-9 wallet size photos on one piece of large photo paper (which they sell at the dollar tree). Cut out the pic's in whatever size and shape you want and then glue them onto your scrap book paper which is cut in the same shape but slightly larger so it peeks out from behind your picture. Next, flip them over and glue a toothpick to the back leaving enough so that you can stick them into the top of your cupcakes! Couldn't be easier.

2. Birthday Banner

You will need:

Scrapbook paper
Glue stick
Embroidery floss or yarn
Hole punch
Computer paper

Cut your scrapbook paper into large squares, circles, or triangles. You will need one piece for each letter plus two pieces for a picture on each end. Using Word or some other program find a font and color you like and print off the words "Happy Birthday" onto plain computer paper. Cut out the letters however you like and paste them onto your scrapbook paper. Print off two pictures that match your party theme and cut them out and paste them to your two extra pieces of scrap book paper. Punch a hole in the two top corners of your paper and thread through your yarn, making sure to leave a few inches at each end so you can tie a loop to hang the banner.

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5 uses for used baby food jars

1. store home made baby food in them- perfect tool to measure your home made baby food into portions for your little one

2. make butter- just pour heavy whipping cream into a large baby food jar until it is about 1/3 of the way full. Shake, shake and shake some more. You will notice it turn into whipped cream but keep shaking until it turns into a ball and then shake some more until some liquid starts to come back out. Pour this liquid off and you should be left with a semi soft ball of fresh butter! Yum

3. Store thumbtacks, nails and screws-helps keep that Junk drawer organized!

4. Store dried spices- when winter comes instead of letting your herbs die out in the garden chop the plant off and dry the leaves in your oven (warm oven to 250* then place your herbs inside in a single layer on a cookie sheet and turn oven OFF, leave herbs inside without opening oven until oven is totally cool. Repeat if needed until herbs are dried out)

5. Make votive holders! To make votive holders: paint the jars with glass paint from your craft store, fill bottom of jar with sand or salt (you can even dye your salt with food coloring) and add a tea light or small votive!

A Single Stay at Home Mom

Since Jake has been gone to academy during the week I feel like I have been thrown into the world of being a "single mom" mon-fri and to top it off staying at home has made it even harder. Moving to a new area and not being connected with any other moms here yet has made my life so hard! But we have gotten through it and I start work tomorrow morning and Tristan will go to day care. I think it will be great for both of us. I just don't have the personality to stay at home day in and day out with my little one and be all alone while doing it. Also, Tristan is so very active and stares at other kids when we go out and loves the nursery at church and I feel like he has been deprived of play time with other babies and that he needs the interaction of day care. I honestly have to say I have no idea how my mother did it and how many women today are stay at home moms while their husbands are away at work. It is certainly not for me right now. Maybe when I am older if we have more children it may be an option, but now is the time to get back on track and try to get a career started for myself! I can't wait!

Tristan's favorite books

Tristan loves books. He will sit for a long time and just turn the pages, look at the pictures and "read them". However, he doesn't like just any book. Tristan is a little picky about his literature. So far he does not like "Goodnight Moon" or "Guess How Much I Love You?". As a mom I love these books because they are so cute and geared towards bedtime, but maybe Tristan will like them when he is older. Here are a favorite baby books as picked by Tristan.

1. "Moo, Moo Brown Cow"- Tristan loves this book and it has been his favorite since he was about 4 months old. He will now make the animal noises and point at the animals (of course all of his animals noises sound like "ooo", but its still super cute.)

2. Are Lemons Blue? My only complaint about this book is that it is really short and after reading several times over it can get very repetitive for the parent. Tristan never seems to tire of it though.

3. Pajama Time Tristan really loves this one mainly because it rhymes very well and we have made up a little song so it is more like a song than a story now. He adores it and tries to sing along. http://www.amazon.com/Pajama-Time-Sandra-Boynton/dp/0761119752/ref=tmm_other_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1322807130&sr=1-1

4. Theodore mouse goes to sea. I have to be really careful with this book because it is not a board book, but Tristan is in love with the pictures in this book.

5. Daddy Hugs . Tristan really likes this book and it teaches counting as well as the word "daddy". A great book for dads to read to their baby.

6. Thats not my bear Tristan's favorite touch and feel book.

Thanksgiving 2011

What a great thanksgiving weekend! This Thanksgiving we spent with Jake's dad and his wife Lorri. We had way too much food (as always) and enjoyed some good times talking and relaxing. On black Friday Jake ventured out to get a new game on sale and also a new blu ray movie. I decided to stay at home since we are doing a small Christmas this year and I wasn't super excited about any of the deals I saw in the multiple ads I looked over. Friday was also my grandmothers birthday and it was nice to get to go to Hickory and see my aunts, uncles, and a few cousins. My mom and dad came home with us and spent the night. We drove them around downtown Greenville (which is AWESOME) and then they had to go back home. I was sad not to have more time to visit but I will see them soon at Tristan's birthday celebration. Now Jake is out hunting, the house is decorated for Christmas and I am enjoying the peace and quiet of Tristan taking a long afternoon nap after his super busy weekend. I am thankful for such a great weekend and for catching up with my wonderful family.

my thoughts on unplugging

**after re-reading this post I decided to edit the content. It was a bit harsh at first I believe.**

I'm not a huge fan of the no technology kicks some people go on, but at the same time I also don't like the overflow of technology I am seeing in a lot of peoples homes and lives. I just don't feel that an iphone, ipod, ipad, laptop, desktop, e-reader, multiple tv's and game systems are really necessary. I'm noticing that a lot of people my age are obsessed with having it all when it comes to technology. Why not just pick and choose your electronics and be a little more economical while at it? I have fallen into this WANT of new shiny things when the things I already have do the job perfectly. Here is my list of things we have and things that are just really overload.

1. Laptop- This is the piece I use the most. It is my gps (google maps), internet browser, coupon printer, e-reader, word processor, etc. It is portable and I feel like it does all I need. No need for an extra desktop which just takes up space and is bulky!

2. Smartphone- yes, I have a smartphone and no it is not connected to the internet and I do not pay extra for it to have a dataplan. I purposefully got a touch screen "smart" phone that I was not required to have a data plan on. Why? because it saves me lots of money, it does everything a phone should do and everything else I can go to my laptop for. I have no desire to have an iphone and as a previous iphone user I can honestly say I don't miss it at all.

3. Books bought on e-bay, Amazon, or half.com- I read a lot and I have no problem buying used books for super duper cheap online and having them delivered to my door or getting them for free from the library. I have no desire at all to have an e-reader. Can you imagine the frustration of the battery going out while reading or having to charge your book or not taking your book to the pool or beach because it is an electronic that could get damaged? No thank you! There is something about turning the pages and smelling the paper of a real book that is just magical to me. I will never have an e-reader.

4. multiple game systems- we have a ps3 and a wii. We never use the wii. So we have a pointless game system laying around. We keep it because we figure one day Tristan will like it and it has a lot of kid friendly games and it is fun to play with a group of friends. It is not really needed but we bought it before the ps3 so there ya go. We did also have an xbox360 but when we got the ps3 we got rid of the xbox because it would be just another game system and that would have been pointless! My point is choose your favorite and go with that. I would say choose a system that is also a blu ray player so you can consolidate that way as well.

5. ipad- don't even get me started on these, lol. To me if you want the technology of an ipad just get an iphone, that way you have your ipad gadgets as well as your phone and you can cut down on an electronic. I know they are different things but I just don't get the point of these.

6. multiple tv's- not a huge fan of a tv in the bedroom. To me a bedroom is for sleeping, romance, and relaxation.

I guess my point is this: Take a look around you at the gadgets you have and ask yourself if they are really necessary. What else could you be devoting your time, money, space, and electrical bill to? Unless you are a business owner, serious gamer or programmer then more than likely you don't NEED the overflow of electronics.

Back to Work and Giving Thanks

Starting Dec 7th I will officially be going back to work. After being a stay at home mom for 6 months I can honestly say I have a greater level of respect for stay at home moms. Let me tell you it wears me out! I love love my little man but I will be glad to return to work and our finances really really REALLY need it right now. I will be working 34hours a week so there will be some flex time hopefully to spend some time with Tristan during the week. There is an awesome church near here that has a fantastic day care which had ONE spot available and will save us 30-40$ a week. I keep seeing God working in our lives and it never ceases to amaze me the way he has taken care of our needs this past year. As Thanksgiving rolls around this coming week (Tristan's first Thanksgiving!) I can honestly say the thing I am most thankful for is the many prayers said for our family and the many blessings God has given us this year as we moved to a different state and have started new jobs. Also, I am thankful for my little boy who is walking! Actually he also started climbing and is now in the sofa chair...guess I should go rescue him.

9 months

Tristan at 9 months is a handful. Here are some of the things he has been doing this month!

-he has 6 teeth
- he can cruise around the living room by holding onto the furniture.
- he is finally crawling instead of scooting everywhere!
- he stopped nursing on his own. One day he just wouldn't take it and we haven't looked back since.
- He has decided he loves apple juice
- The doctor says he needs to gain some weight by his 12 month appointment so we are working on feeding him a little more but it is a struggle because his reflux has come back with the increased feedings.
- he took his first very wobbly and very short step!
- he is a climber
- he loves to play peek a boo
- he loves to scream and really enjoys the sounds his voice can make
- he is learning the meaning of no
- his new favorite food seems to be blueberries and baby oatmeal.
- he says "dada" and "mama" to us now instead of just saying it to everyone.
- he loves his toys and will happily play in the floor for hours

Easy fall dinner

Fall is here and as the end of October approaches the fall recipes come out! This year I decided to try my hand at butternut squash soup and pumpkin filled crescent rolls. Both the recipes I came up with were inspired by ones I saw on the web and in magazines. I ended up doing my own recipes because none of the ones I saw online were exactly what I wanted, but they were good jumping off points. Here are the two recipes I ended up with. Enjoy~

Butternut Squash & Sage Soup

1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into cubes
1/2 large onion, diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
8 fresh sage leaves minced
2 cans chicken broth (all natural&no msg)but not low sodium
1/2 cup milk or cream
salt and pepper to taste

Place enough oil in bottom of large pot (I used an enamel coated cast iron dutch oven)to saute your onions, garlic and squash over medium heat. Saute until the onions turn translucent,stirring often so your garlic does not brown. Once your onions are done add both cans chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20min or until squash is tender. Using a slotted spoon remove squash from broth and place in a food processor or blender. Add milk or cream and blend until smooth. Pour broth from pot into a large bowl. Place squash puree back into pot and add ladles of broth until you have the soup the consistency you are looking for. Salt and pepper to taste. Add fresh sage and serve hot. Would be great garnished with Crispy bacon!


Pumpkin Maple Crescent rolls

1/2 can Pumpkin
cinnamon to taste
sugar to taste
2 Tbsp melted butter
2tsp maple syrup
dash of salt
1 can crescent rolls
4 marshmallows

Combine pumpkin,sugar,cinnamon,melted butter,syrup and salt in a bowl and mix well. Unroll crescent dough and divide into triangles. Flatten each triangle with your fingers until they are a little wider. Add one spoon full of pumpkin mixture at the base of the triangle and top with half a marshmallow. Roll up triangle starting at the base and fold ends over to seal in pumpkin mixture. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake according to package directions until browned. Let cool a few minutes before enjoying this treat! You can add pecans, walnuts, or pumpkin pie spice to these if you like!

The natural look...AKA, the mom look

Well, I'm happy to say the natural look is back. At least according to magazines and television. I'm personally more than happy that my stay at home mom makeup is considered in style now, haha. Its kind of nice that you can do this look without spending a lot of money. I have always believed that being pretty doesn't have to be expensive anyways. Also, if you are a stay at home mom you owe it to yourself to get dressed and at least put some mascara on during nap time!!! Now, I don't profess to be a master at makeup or know what I'm really talking about but here is my "stay at home moms guide to the natural look".

1. Get a good moisturizer with at least spf 15. I like Biore Nourish. AND it is under 10$

2. Use Tinted moisturizer as your foundation for a more natural look. I LOVE Aveeno postively radiant tinted moisturizer. But I do add the Biore underneath first because my skin is really dry this time of year. You can also use Neutrogena healthy skin enhancer . It is actually a bit lighter weight than the Aveeno and goes on super easy. Also, they are about the same price.

3. Use a lightweight powder to hold it all on. I like coverGirl clean powder Under 10$ bucks for one and it lasts a long time and won't break you out!

4. I skip blush because when I'm bumming around the house with the little guy I don't need it and it doesn't really go with the natural look.

5. Skip the eyeliner girls and go straight for a nice neutral shade all over your eye lid and brow area. I really like Mary Kay mineral eye color in moonstone I then use the Silver Satin color lightly just ABOVE the crease and blend it in well. Best part about this eye color is it is 6.50$ for 1 and it has lasted me since December of LAST YEAR.

6.Add some black mascara. If you want to go for a more subtle look you can use a brown or whatever shade you normally use. When I buy my mascara I use maybelline great lash because it is super affordable and has always gotten great reviews. However, I currently have Lancome Hypnose Doll lash mascara which was given to me and I love it. It is budget buster though but if you splurge on one thing it should be mascara. ... right?

7.Add some sheer color to your lips. I am in love with burts bees pomegranate lip balm. For about 3 bucks, who can beat that?!

For hair I am in love with this style!Super easy, fast and great for those little hands that like to grab any hair that is hanging down..and it needs day old hair which is perfect for us mommies!