Seriously, the best kiddo ever…

 

Love this boy more than anything.  

He brings purpose to my life, happiness, joy, and well…just about everything.

I started planning and gathering his 1st birthday party this week.

Crazy how time flies.

 

 

 

I’ve been attempting to get some freezer-cooking done in the morning while LJ plays.  However, it has to be quick since LJ only gives me about 45m of independent play before he’s demanding my attention.  I’ve made this recipe several times before.  The first time it turned out great, second time not so much, but decided to give it one more try.  This time, instead of making one big loaf, I decided to break out my mini-loaf pan to see if they turn out better.  And boy did they!  This recipe is pretty easy, uses up the Cocoa powder and chocolate chips I’ve had, and they freeze great!

The most efficient way for me to get cooking done quickly is to pull up your recipe, gather all your supplies and measure them out ahead of time, then follow the instructions on mixing.  I tend to get things done quicker that way, and seems to create less mess, clutter, and frustration!

I found the recipe over at Money Saving Mom, and I’ll definitely be making them again.  Not sure what happened the second time I made them.  I think I made it with whole wheat flour, and I’m just not a fan.

Mini-loaves: FAN!

Here’s the recipe if you’d like to give it a go yourselves…

Chocolate Banana Bread

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 stick butter, melted and cooled
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed well
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Stir the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. Carefully fold the banana mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 65 minutes until the bread has risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and wrap in plastic wrap and foil or in a ziptop bag. Store in the refrigerator or freezer.

Adapted from Joy of Baking

 

 

 

 

As mentioned in a previous post, reading one book a month on a topic that can help better myself, or teach me something is one of my goals of this year.  To start off and kill 2 birds with one stone, here’s a BLOG post about the first book I’m reading.  Positive Energy by Judith, Orloff, MD is a book I found while searching for self-help books on dealing with stress, cause I suuuuuck at that.  I read the sample, and wanted more so I decided to give it a go.  So far I think I’ve learned quite a few things and I’m only on Chapter 3 (it’s hard to read with a 10m old getting into everything around here).  It’s about reading energies and using said energies to tackle obstacles.  It’s a pretty interesting read, thus far.

My new Mantra from this book…”Let it be.”

Now, if I can just put it into practice regularly…hopefully she gets into that.

 

 

 

Follow us on Instagram @erinw82!

 

 

 

So…every year I try and set myself a bunch of goals.  Most of which last through the week, and then are forgotten about until the following year.  I’m sure some of you know how it goes.  This year I’ve decided I’ll pick 5 and stick with them (instead of 20).  I’ve thought it over and here are the lucky 5 goals that made the cut:

1. Be a caring, creative, loving, calm and relaxed mom and wife.
2. Read at least one book a month that will help better me…or my life.
3. To make a plan for the week every Sunday night and stick to it (this includes meals, and cleaning!).
4. Keep up on my blogs (I miss them so much).
5. Save and budget for our next house (this may be far in the future, but for what we want and need, better start now).

So there they are.  Written in stone in cyberworld.  Not in my head and “sorta goals” to be forgotten about at the end of the week.  And you know what, if I don’t meet or accomplish something, I promise to not feel guilty about it.  Life happens, and not everything goes the way you plan, but all you can do is try, right?  If I don’t accomplish something between #2-5, I don’t want it to make me fail at #1.

   

There we have it.

Goals of 2013.

 

 

I can’t believe it’s been pretty much 6 months since I’ve updated…actually, yes I can believe it.  I was never very good at writing in this thing, even though I always said I would, blah blah blah.  lol

Anyway, a new little person (see above photo) lives here now and takes up about 99% of my time these days.  Born Feb. 29th, 2012 at 3:17am.  The other 1% I’ll be sleeping.

I haven’t actually counted how many photos I’ve taken of this little guy, but I’m pretty sure it’s close to a gazillion.  I won’t bombard you with all of them (I’m refraining from doing so, believe me!), and select just a few for now…

It’s been amazing 5 months with this perfect little boy.  I can’t wait to see whatever else is store for us!  We love you little man!

 

 , 

Erin

 

 

    

::CLOSER – KINGS OF LEON::

I’ve spent the majority of the day re-arranging my desk/office in our master bedroom and I like it soooo much better than the way I had it set up before.  I was NEVER in here and taking advantage of the space, but now the vibe is much better and actually makes the room feel bigger, which I like a lot.  I’ve been meaning to do this for awhile now, but have never had a chance to get around to it because of work and preggo exhaustion.  Now that I’m no longer working I have no excuse!  And I love it!  Lots of stuff still left to do, like go through bins I’ve just thrown stuff in to get it off the floor, etc.  And I still need to go through LJ’s closet and get it cleaned out (where we put all our extra stuff when we had company come over and didn’t want them to see!  lol), so you can walk in there (right now there’s like 10 boxes of diapers and 10 boxes of wipes blocking the doorway).  That’s on the agenda for this week too.

It will be nice to be organized again.  To start blogging again.  To start couponing and saving money again.  To have a little boy to love on and take care of.

Lowell and I signed up for a Sam’s Club membership last night, and I’m like a kid in a candy store there.  I love bulk shopping!  It’s going to save me lots of time grocery shopping, other than any store stops I make for free or super cheap stuff from couponing during the week, and milk, bread and eggs and such when we run out.  We bought the plus membership so LJ and I can hit it up before the store actually opens at 10 (you can shop from 7am-10am!).  It will come in handy to not have to battle traffic, and the lady at the desk told us to come on Tuesday’s when they mark down the meat!  So excited.  lol

Finally found an Android photo app too that I like.  It’s not Instagram by any means, but works good enough.  Plan to see lots of my phone photos from now on!  The three above were all photos taken from my phone, and I can’t wait to bombard LJ’s face, feet, hands, and cute outfits all over this.  :)  And I’ve been charging my Kodak Play all day, so be prepared for lots of videos of the little guy too!

Better get back to work!

 ,

ib

 

All weekend I’ve been trying to prepare to make things a little easier the first month LJ is here so I’m going to have a go at freezer cooking for the first time.  Lowell and I went out last night and purchased a small chest freezer in preparation and I bought some freezer-friendly, straight-to-oven Glad containers on Amazon that will make it nice and easy.  I’ve been doing lots of searching for recipes that will not only be good to freeze, but ones that *cough cough* will actually eat.  It’s not as easy as it seems!  lol  So to make it a little easier on myself I thought I’d post the links here to the recipes I plan on making so I can come back to it quickly and easily!  The majority of these I found on Pinterest or found them after finding them there.  Gosh, I love Pinterest.  :)  Not sure how I lived without it.  lol

Breakfast Freezer Meals

To Die For Blueberry Muffins x2 (for 12 muffins)

Cinnamon Belgian Waffles x2 (for 6 waffles)

Hash brown Casserole (divided into 2 8×8 pans) – (Note: Read comments for suggestions and go HERE for how to freeze)

Cinnamon Rolls x2 (32 count – pull out as needed)

Whole Wheat Pancakes x2 (28 count – pull out as needed)

Coconut Almond Granola x2 (approx. 10 cups and can be frozen)

Whole Wheat Coconut Waffles x2 (for 6 waffles)

Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins x2 (24 muffins or 48 mini muffins)

Lunch-Type Freezer Meals

Savory Chicken Pot Pie Pockets x1 (10 count – to pull as needed and can be for dinner)

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos x4 (48 count – to pull as needed and can be for dinner)

Chicken & Rice Soup x2 (4 quarts?)

Hamburger Vegetable Soup x2 (4 quarts? – and can be for dinner)

Calzones x2 (to pull as needed and can be for dinner)

Buffalo Chicken Bites x1 (48 count – to pull as needed)

Southwest Roll-Ups x1 (16 count – to pull as needed and can be for dinner)

Ground Beef Burritos x1 (12 count – pull as needed and can be for dinner)

Dinner Freezer Meals

Baked Teriyaki Chicken x2 (for 2 meals) (Make marinade and put in little baggies with frozen bone-in chicken with instructions)

Jambalaya x1 (for 1 meal) – (Note: Scroll Down to view recipes)

Italian Beef For Sandwiches x2 (For 2 Meals)

Baked Ziti w/Sausage (divided into 2 8×8 pans – For 2 Meals)

Dessert Freezer Treats

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies x1 (for 3 dozen cookies – freeze dough)

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies x1 (for 3 dozen cookies – freeze dough)

Chocolate chip cookies x1 (for 2 dozen cookies freeze dough)

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream (recipe from Ice Cream maker instruction booklet) (2 Quarts)

Chocolate Ice Cream (recipe from Ice Cream maker instruction booklet) (2 Quarts)

Grapefruit Sorbet (1 Quart)

Preparation For Meals

Taco Meat x4 (for 4 meals with Homemade Taco Seasoning)

Shredded Beef Filling x1 (For sandwiches/tacos)

Pizza Sauce x8 (For 4 pizzas and 2 batches of Calzones)

Pizza Crust Dough x8 (For 3 pizzas, 2 batches of Calzones, 1 batch of Buffalo Chicken Bites and freeze the rest for a head start on next freezer cooking day)

Also, made a bag of BBQ chicken, lemon pepper marinaded chicken, & BBQ pork chops for quick pull-out, throw in the crock-pot meals!

  

I think that’s a pretty good start, and I can always add a meal a here and there when I get an hour or so of good LJ nap.  This may make me look crazy, and people probably think I’m crazy, but hey…I know what’s going to help me, and keep me so much more relaxed and rested during the crazy first few weeks of being a mom.  Plus, all the mommy bloggers swear by this method.  I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time anyway because I’m so tired of the, “What’s for dinner, babe?” and not having a clue.  It’s time consuming and when dinner from the decision process through clean-up takes 2 hours that is just not efficient.  I’m going to want and need all my new-baby time I can get!  They’re only so little and precious for so long and I want to take every advantage I can get!  The whole idea is that Lowell will be able to look at a list on top of the freezer, pick something he wants (or we want) for dinner and follow the instructions attached to the bag (if any) and be able to make dinner if I can’t.  Quick, easy, and simple.  At least it should be if all goes to plan. lol

Now off to inventory the fridge and pantry for things I already have on my list, and add things I don’t to the shopping list.  Go through the grocery store flyers and finish putting my coupons in my coupon binder!  And clean this place up because not doing anything but searching for recipes yesterday and compiling this list has left the house in complete bomb-came-through status.  lol

It feels so good to have this list done and together!

Until lata!

 

So many changes are going on around here.

Let go at work last week and works out to be the best thing that could have EVER happened right now believe it or not.

9 weeks from now a little helpless person will be living with us.

Lots of plans in the works.  Lots of things left still to get (lots of little, a couple big), but not many.

We put the stroller together today, and tried out the new Motorola Video Monitor in the nursery last night.

Our 8 month old nephew just spent 4 days with us and now our home feels so empty and boring!

We can’t wait for little man to get here and livin’ things up a lot!

Here is our little man in 3D…

Everyone says he looks like me so far, and I have to agree.  :)

Mommy and Daddy love you, LJ!

We can’t wait to meet you!