Day and Night

I was watching this Pixar video over the weekend and it really spoke volumes to me about how different yet similar we are.   Yes, our brains are different, our "plumbing" is different, and our outsides are different. Yet, there is something so similar about all of us. How beautifully stated in a Pixar video :-)

Happy Monday! bdfe34933f4321c28a666c42d129bc7dc7507d866f79dc1fc2

Tummy Time Artwork

Covering my fridge with art from my little Picasso is my favorite these days.  Dutch and I love to have art time together.  Back in December I posted a picture of some artwork that Dutch was working on for Christmas gifts.  Dutch has always had a fairly strong neck and never really minded “tummy time” but this was a way to have a little bit more fun with the activity.  On this particular day, Dutch had a friend over to play (aka- Mama had a good friend over for chatting, coffee, art, and babies), and I thought this project would be fun for him and his precious friend.

I put some paint on a sheet of paper and placed it securely in a ziplock back and taped the bag to the floor. (You always want to be as safe as you can with plastic and babies- so obviously make sure you’re paying attention).  Make sure that you use light paint so that if it globs up on the page that it doesn’t bust a hole right through the paper- this has happened a few times to us.

Then I let the kiddos go to town moving the paint around.  Dutch is always so fascinated with mixing the colors around. When we’re done I take the paper out and let it dry.

This is a fun and mess free art project. 

Happy Friday friends!

What I’m Lovin’ Wednesday: Melton Booties

I first saw Melton Baby Booties on Zulily, and thank goodness I did because they can be pricey!  But fellow mamas, they are worth e-v-e-r-y penny! I can’t tell you how many comments I’ve received on social media about Dutch’s baby booties.  Most of y’all say that they are cute, and yes they are (thank you!), but that’s not the best part.  These booties are so soft on the inside and have great grips on the bottom, but the best part, the absolute BEST part, is the drawstring tie. Every other shoe I have put on Dutch falls of when he kicks, or slides off, or just isn’t the right fit for his ever-evolving feet.  But the drawstring is the perfect tie to keep shoes on his feet no matter what size he is or how active he is.  I have flagged them on my Zulily account so that I get a notice every time they are on sale, and I spent about $12 a pair there.  You can also purchase them on Amazon.  There are so many cute options for both girls and boys.  Dutch has three different pairs in his closet now, but I’m sure that will change hehe. So mamas of youngsters, make sure you check out Meltons and order a pair as soon as you can! Stars - Navy- Polka dots- Stripes- Light blue

Obligatory Blogger Disclaimer: I was not paid for this post; I just really like this product.

Oceans

Every now and then a song will touch the depths of my soul. The words from this song have been burning in my heart.  I've got this song on repeat so I can glean it all.

You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now

So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior

Oh, Jesus, you're my God!

I will call upon Your name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours and You are mine Happy Monday!

What I’m Lovin’ Wednesday: SweeperVac

For Christmas my mom gave me the Swiffer SweeperVac.  I already had a vacuum that worked great and most of my house has wood floors, so I didn’t initially see the need for another one.  That is until Dutch became mobile.

So attention all new mamas with pets….this product is for YOU! 

While I may sweep & vacuum on a a daily basis, try as I might, there is no way I can get up all of the dog hair.  Dutch can clean the floor way better than any cleaning product with his belly!  I can’t stand it!  I hate when I look down at my baby boy who is having so much fun crawling on the floor and he looks up me with his big grin covered in dog hair.  Totally nasty! 

Now with my SweeperVac we don’t have this issue anymore thank goodness.  Every night, right before bed, I quickly run this lightweight cordless vacuum through the house and it either sucks everything up into the vacuum OR the debris is like a magnet to the Swiffer pad.  The handle swivels the Swiffer pad in all of those hard to reach places so I don’t even have to move furniture.  I am a new believer in this product: it is easily charged and uses the regular Swiffer pads.  It’s so effective, keeps the tile and wood floors clean, keeps Dutch’s mouth free from dog hair, and keeps me sane. I was going crazy vacuuming and sweeping 2-3 times a day to stay on top of the dog hair.  (Not going to lie, I really contemplated either full-body waxing or laser hair removal for the dogs.  Do they do that?!  The Mr. said that I was losing it hahahahahahaha)  The SweeperVac saved my sanity lol  If you’re a new mom and your little one is getting ready to start crawling, do yourself a favor and purchase this bad boy!

Obligatory Blogger Disclaimer: I was not paid for this post; I just really like this product.

Blissfully Away

Hi friends!  It’s me, Darby.  Do you remember me? I’m not going to apologize, because I’m not really sorry and I know you know what I mean when I say that (not being rude, it just is what it is), but I’ve been blissfully away playing with this 7 month old little boy who has captured my heart. Thank you Grace Hill Photography!!!  Y’all, seriously, go now and book an appointment! Happy Monday!

DIY Chick-Fil-A

What day of the week do we all crave Chick-Fil-A?
Sunday!  Everyone wants what they can’t have. Am I right or am I right?

I mentioned about 4 years ago that I had cracked the sacred CFA code; I figured out how to have Chick-Fil-A without leaving my house…even on Sundays!

It’s probably about time that I share this recipe with you, right?  Okay here goes:

Ingredients:
chicken (breast or strips)
salt & pepper
1 tsp paprika (I use a little more than this and I also add some cayenne pepper because I like some kick)
vegetable oil
1 large egg
½ cup milk
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup whole-wheat flour
1 tbs plus 1 tsp powdered sugar
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp dry mustard
jar of dill pickles
2 tsp white vinegar
hamburger buns
1 tbs butter

Directions:
1. Marinate the chicken in the pickle juice over night in the refrigerator.
2. When ready to cook, season chicken with 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, ½ tsp paprika.
3. Heat the oil in a pan (make sure the oil is at least 2 inches deep). While heating, whisk egg, milk, and 2 tbs water together. Whisk flours, powdered sugar, baking soda, dry mustard, ½ tsp paprika, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper in another dish. In a third bowl, toss 8 pickle slices (the size you would find on a sandwich) with 1 tbs pickle juice and vinegar.
4. Dip the chicken in the egg mixture, dredge through flour mixture, fry until brown (time will vary depending on the thickness of the meat), and then let drain on paper towels until you finish frying all the chicken.
5. Toast the buns with a little butter on top. Assemble the sandwich with 2-3 pickle slices for each.
6. Enjoy!

Yes, of course you should serve your Chick-fil-A sandwich with Arby’s fries, duh!

Happy Monday folks!

Oatmeal Coconut Cookie Scrub

I couldn’t share many of my December DIY projects this year because the majority of them were Christmas presents; I didn’t want to spoil all of the Christmas fun!  This scrub is seriously ah-maz-ing!

The oatmeal is soothing.

The baking soda exfoliates.

The coconut oil moisturizes, and the
sugar is sweet.

Not only is this a great scrub, but it smells scrumptious & it’s completely edible.  Here is my simple & quick scrub recipe.  All you need to do it collect your ingredients & starting mixing them together:

Ingredients:
1 cup dry oatmeal, blended into small pieces
4 tbs brown sugar
4 tbs sugar
2 tsp baking soda
8-10 tbs melted coconut oil

Directions:
1. Mix & put in a jar.
2. See, told ya it was easy :-)
Have a great weekend!

What I'm NOT Lovin' Wednesday: Baby Age Emails

When I was pregnant I signed up with thebump.com, Baby Center, & several other baby websites and apps.  I absolutely loved getting emails from them each week telling me how old my little boy was and what gestational week we were speeding through.  As soon as they hit my inbox I pounced on those emails like a moth to a light bulb. The fruit-size baby comparison was so much fun.  The Mr and I had so much fun talking about our poppy seed or baby green olive, or jicama (which I'm still not sure what that is). I loved being reminded of all of the developmental milestones Dutch was hitting as he grew in my ever-expanding belly.
I even loved what each app or email told me about what changes I was experiencing either physically or mentally. Then Dutch was born. Those same emails still come to my inbox every week.  But instead of telling me how old Dutch is inside my belly, they tell me how old he is outside of my belly. I hate this. No, I loathe this! I hate that he is growing so fast. I hate that those emails are counting how fast each week is wizzing by before I even realize that the week is over. I hate how those emails are counting life away. I hate that those emails are reminding me that my life is flying by and I'm barely holding on. I hate that I don't have a chance to embrace each stage before it is over and gone forever. Yes I'm fully aware that time speeds up once you pass the age of 25, get, married and have children.  I hate how unfair it seems. I want time to slow down and I don't wish any day away. I now refuse to read those counting age emails; I immediately delete them before I even read the subject line because they tick me off.  I just can't read them.  I'm not at place where I'm ready for the next stage. Dutch will age and grow and develop, and I don't need a reminder that it is happening.  When I was pregnant of course I wanted him to "bake" as long as possible, but now I want him to slow down lol (gosh I'm so demanding sometimes). I still want him to grow and love life, but I still want time to slow down. I know time will fly by, and before I know it Dutch will be going off to kindergarten, embarrassed by  my public kisses, go through puberty and eat me out of house and home, go off to college, get married, and have his own family.  I am fully aware that this is going to happen in the blink of an eye. But for now, I don't need those reminders anymore of how quickly my baby boy is growing. I hate those emails and app notifications, and I will continue to delete them without reading. Friends, I hope you're with me and embracing and loving every day.  Don't wish them away because they will end on their own.

Merry Christmas 2014

To say our first Christmas with Dutch was magical would be a huge understatement.  I had so may “happy tears” this Christmas because I just enjoyed sharing this season with him so much.  Watching Dutch smile and light up as he took everything in for the first time was so much fun and something I will always remember. 

The anticipation and preparation for Christmas was just as great as the actual day.  I think I normally stress about getting everything done before the big day and just rush around in general that I miss the reason for the season.  Not this year though.  I wanted to make sure we were able to enjoy all of the preparations and forget about stress.  So yes, my to do list this year was much shorter and I still didn’t get to cross everything off of my list and I’m completely okay with that.  In fact I didn’t even notice the things that I typical do that were missed this year.  Less is definitely more sometimes. 

We shared so many magical moments like shopping for a Christmas tree, Christmas eve service, art projects, visiting Santa, watching Christmas movies, reading the Christmas story, putting on our new Christmas jammies, watching Dutch play with all of the wrapping paper, visiting with friends, getting a letter from Santa, watching the mischief our new Christmas Elf Sheldon got into, and making Christmas cookies.  It was all so much fun and I’m already looking forward to next Christmas with Dutch

Our Christmas was so blessed & we hope that yours was too!