S'mores in a Jar

Things I love:
My family and friends, shopping, shoes, traveling to Colorado and Las Vegas (but who I am I kidding. I'll go anywhere) trying new fun restaurants, movies, taking walks or runs, reading, KU Basketball softball, and S'MORES!

I am currently looking for some fun party ideas for my friend Bethany and I ran across this fantastic idea! A little background. Right now I am OBSESSED with putting food and drinks in jars. It is something I see on all the party planning blogs I follow and I think it is so cute and for some reason...homey. Anywho, I am even more obsessed with baking things in jars. Think of the gift possibilities! Attention Everett's future teachers: I believe in bribery so get ready to gain the LB's. You'll be getting cupcakes, brownies, cakes, basically anything I can bake, in a jar.

And now...the time has come...S'MORES IN A JAR!

Click here for the recipe and have fun making these crazy things!

Another Easter Post

I'm sure you have seen your fair share of little ones next to their Easter baskets, but I can't help it. Everett took to hunting eggs like a pro. He knew exactly what to do with them when he found them, and by that I mean put them straight into the basket until he figured out they were fulled with snacks and then he ran around opening them.

One of my favorite pictures ever!

Bubbles

For Everett's circus themed first birthday, I bought him a bubble machine. Don't get excited. It was $5 at Walmart. Here was the vision- I was going to make a sign that said "Bubbles, Beer and Beverages" and have bubbles floating around the drink station. Turns out the bubble machine sounded like a runaway train. The next idea was to put it outside for guests to walk through bubbles when they came up to the house. My son was born in January. It was snowing and the bubbles froze.

Now that spring has sprung and the bubbles have thawed out, it's playtime! At first Big E wasn't so sure about the thousands of bubbles flying towards his face. Once he got warmed up to it he was screaming, "Bubos! Bubos!" You can see the excitement below-

First Day of School!

Many people know I coach softball at Olathe Northwest which gives me the hook-up with some VERY responsible babysitters that I trust. Not only do they think Everett is "so cute", he adores every one of them!
A couple weeks ago, Everett was invited to Ravens Kids Night Out at ONW. This is where the Child Development class has an activity night where kids can come and play, watch movies and eat dinner for $10. They will watch the kids from 5:30-9:30. Because I knew three of the girls working, I was in! Also, this class is very near and dear to me since I took it in high school. It is one of the biggest reasons I became a teacher and decided to work with kids.
While Everett enjoyed a night with the big kids, Grant and I enjoyed a night out of dinner and shopping. Everett loved every minute with "his girls", as we call them.
I guess he was such a good boy they asked him to come back for preschool. Kids can come for 1-2 hours a day for circle time, songs, snacks, stories and crafts. It's awesome and not to mention FREE! Please enjoy some pictures from Everett's very first day of big boy school.

Spending time with Miss Courtney
Legos with Miss Hannah

He made a caterpillar. His first art project!!

Oh yes, they let my 15 month old eat pudding...by himself! Miss Courtney spent the rest of the day with chocolate on her sleeve.

Not to sure about smiley Miss Taylor.

Operation: Vegetables

Let me start this post by saying when Everett first started eating solid food, he would eat anything, I mean anything! I can still see my little 10 month old chowing down on asparagus on Thanksgiving, green beans at Houlihans or peas during a family dinner. It didn't matter. Sometimes the child would eat more than me! Now, not so much. He won't try anything green and if I try to put it in his mouth, he shakes his head and says, "Naw".

Basically the only vegetable he will eat by itself is carrots. I can't accept that. I am the girl who ate every fruit and vegetable in sight while she was preggers. I believe in a balanced diet and my kid will not be eating bread and fruit for the next 7 years. I had to get a little creative. Enter Deceptively Delicious and Double Delicious! Now my Sunday afternoons are spent pureeing vegetables to mix in with different recipes. Here I thought I was finished pureeing baby food. Jokes on me.

So far I have tried-

Chicken Pea Pesto Pasta

Banana Peanut Butter Muffins (These were bomb-dot-com!)

Blueberry Oatmeal Bars

This week's menu includes-

Macaroni and Cheese

What I have learned so far-

• 
  
  Plan a menu. I started doing this about a year ago and it is A LOT of help. I pick up the coupons and ads in the Sunday paper and create my menu using the foods that my family likes that are on special or the ones that I already have a coupon for. I grocery shop on Sundays and don't have to go back for the rest of the week! This also saves money because I don't buy anything we don't need. A good tip for this is to make meals with fresh fruits and vegetables (i.e. salads, grilled vegetables, etc.) earlier in the week and meals such as tacos or enchiladas later in the week using food that stays fresh longer or meat that you can freeze until you need it. I also post my weekly menu on a chalkboard I put together using a frame I bought at an antique store and a piece of wood I painted with chalkboard paint. Pictures soon to come.


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  I add different frozen vegetables to my shopping list and make my purees on Sunday. You can do this with fresh vegetables, but let's face it, I don't have time to steam, cut and puree all those vegetables! I puree them in my blender and then pre-measure them into 1/2 cups and throw them in labeled baggies. Now I have all the purees I need for the week and more! You can keep them in the freezer and quickly thaw them in warm water when you need them.


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  Another thing I like to do is make a breakfast item for the week. I want Everett to have a healthy breakfast so my mom will feed him the breakfast item of the week and some fresh fruit. I will make breakfast on Sunday and then we can eat it throughout the week. It's just one more way to add veggies to our diets. Trust me, you don't taste them! Last week there was cauliflower in my muffins and this week there is spinach in my oatmeal bars!


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  Stay updated on new recipe's by visiting Jessica Seinfeld's website.

New Blog to LOVE

I have discovered a new blog that I adore called I am Momma Hear Me Roar! Anyone who knows me well, knows I love to give gifts to the ones I love. It is absolutely fulfilling and makes my heart happy. This week I found a new gift for E that I have to create!

This one is my fave! Bethany, if you are reading this, take note sister, you'll be shooting a picture of E like this in the near future. If anyone can nail it, you can! Love it!

Check out the whole story at Momma's Soapbox Saturday post. Warning: Don't log on to this blog unless you've got some time to look around. She is amazing! There are tips for anything from Teacher Appreciation Gift ideas, cooking, playing, sewing, crafting, you name it! I look at these blogs all the time and think, "How the heck to these mommies do it!?" It makes me look lazy!

A Look Back

This is one of my favorite videos of the little boy. You can tell it is from a while ago because he is all gums baby! Please excuse the slobber and food all over his face.

Squeaky Shoes!

A few years ago I saw a little girl at the Cheesecake Factory with shoes on that squeaked when she walked. I thought to myself, "When I have a kid, I am totally getting some of those!" Enjoy!

Everett is rocking a camo pair from from Pip Squeaks.