H54F & Insta-Friday

Just another week in our household!

Thanks to Life Rearranged and Lauren Elizabeth for letting me linkup, again!

  

                                     

1. We took Landen for Miami Ice (shaved ice) and downtown to watch a parade for the Helen Keller Festival!

2. We got to have a DATE NIGHT!!! Wooohooo! It was so much fun. Dinner then drinks and pool with friends!

3. Everyone needs a little outside time! They all sat like this for at least 20 minutes! They are so funny!

4. SWORD/STICK Fighting with his daddy! I wish i would have videoed this because they were so cute!

5. Little dude did not feel good and I got some actual cuddles!! Very rare in this house!

Very Hungry Caterpillar Party Part 1: Invites and Free Printable

I can’t believe my baby is turning 1 in just 2 short months! I think I have been planning this party since the day that this little man was born! I LOVE party planning and cannot wait for it to be here!

For my first VHC Party Post I am going to show you our invitations and give you a free “Thank You” card printable!

I had so much fun designing this card… Actually, I designed like 20 different cards and finally added the best ones together to make this card!

Front:

Back:

I created this little gem in photoshop and once I get my etsy shop up and running it will be available! I am a Chevron lover, and I love the mixing of the Chevron pattern with the VHC “dots” pattern!

These are the “Thank you” cards! The free printable is here! If you download the Thank You carrd, please leave me a comment below to let me know how you like it!



I am working on lots of cute decorations, food, smash cake and party favors that I cannot wait for you to see!

Hope you enjoyed!

WWWW

Gah… I always forget to take pictures of us during the week!

I have at least one decent picture (OF LANDEN… NOT ME) that can go in for this week!

We had Landen’s 9 month pictures taken Monday and here is one from after the shoot.

I am wearing a striped top with a big bow in the back, from Sassy and Classy.

Landen is wearing searsucker shorts from Gap and a white long sleeve Blake Oxford Polo rolled up.

Have you read Honest Eller today?

If not, then I require you go here immediately!

I think that she is super funny, but today made me actually think.... "I wonder which mom I am?"

I would like to say that I am the laid back mom, but maybe I am a combination of a couple!

The "Laid Back" Mom. I think I am most like, I mean my child did eat rocks during his photoshoot yesterday, but when he bumps his head I always cuddle for at least 5 hours ;)

The "WebMD" Mom. This one is always fun, but I have a nurse for a husband so I usually just ask him... or google things, but I do not research anything for more than a second...

The "Posting" Mom! Well I am a new mother, but before that I am sure everyone got tired of seeing my dogs... Ohh Well! Here you go!

The "Perfect" Mom... Well, I can only try to be this woman!

The "First Time" Mom. I was her for about a week! Then everything settled in and I adapted! Now we do diaper changes and see how fast we can do them :)

Last, The "Helicopter" Mom... Helicopters are fun, but I have tv shows to watch, dinner to cook, a house to clean! I definitely do not have all the time in the world to make sure that my child is not getting into something every little second! For those moms who do have the time, GOOD LUCK!

So what kind of mom are you? I would love to know!

 

9 Months in 9 Months Out!

As we prepare to take Landen’s 9 month pictures next week, it really hit me hard that it felt like an eternity while I was pregnant and these last 9 months I have almost missed they went so fast!

Emotions are running high today as I look back at the last 9 months!



So to all of my friends who said, “You only gained in your stomach, you look great!” LIARS… You are now being called out! Oh… and YES. This is my bathroom at work!

This was taken on Friday (August 24, 2012) before I was induced on Monday.
Now, just 9 short months later this is the ball of energetic fun I have on my hands!



At his 9 month check up he was 23lbs and 31” long!

He has 4 teeth, and LOVES eating! His favorite foods are: Spaghetti (as you can see), Grilled chicken, steak, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cheese and puffs!

He loves the outdoors. We go for nightly walks and on the weekends we normally play outside all day!

His favorite toy right now is his activity table that he can stand at!

He is a great crawler and is pulling up on everything, but far from walking.

I have literally been blessed to have 9 months with this little dude! I wake up thanking God for another day with Landen! I love waking up to morning slobbery kisses and going to bed with night time cuddles!

I never thought that having a baby would change my life so much, but everyone always says, “You never know until you have one of your own!” and I agree… They could not be more right! I Love You, Landen!

Finger Paint Part 2... Happy Father's Day!

Since Father’s Day is over I want to post the ADORABLE pictures that I got of Landen finger painting.

At First, I had to put his hand in it, because he did not even care about there being plates of bright colors. Once he inspected his hand and felt the squishiness of it, well, you will see how it went…

Then the fun began! Not only did he make a COMPLETE MESS… He got to eat a little big as well!

And, of course, my favorite picture from the day! I just love those blue eyes! They get me every time!

  

And here is his finished Father's Day Card!!! It turned out great, but next time I will definitely use a thicker stock paper than just poster board.

Then yesterday his daddy had to work :( So we put on our favorite “daddy” shirt and went outside to take pictures with our finished artwork!

On a good note, we went and visited daddy to give him his Father’s Day card and some lunch. I had originally lied and told him that I threw away Landen’s artwork because I did not want him to see it! So his face when we gave him his card was priceless! He was so happy that he got a special piece of artwork from his little boy!

  Don't forget to take a look at our Baby Friendly Finger Paint to see how we made this fun mess!

H54F & InstaFriday

 
I am linking up, again, this Friday with Life Rearranged and Lauren Elizabeth to bring you my week of fun!

 
1. All of the children in the house begging for a morsel of granpa’s cookie. This picture probably makes me smile the most, because 2 months ago my dad was diagnosed with cancer, which turned out only to be REALLY BAD/BIG infection. I was not sure if the most important man in my life would be around to see this. He is happy and healthy now and my child LOVES him more than the world!

2. THIS CHILD IS READY FOR THE BEACH… And so is his mommy! Only 53 MORE DAYS!

3. Very random, I know, but we have been begging for recycling bins and this week I came home to this with a sign on it that said Adopt Me!! HECK YES I WILL!

4. This one may be self explanatory… OK, MAYBE NOT… As I said that I thought, “OK, We are crate training our kid?” NOOOOOOO…. I think our kid is starting out early with the, “I want to be a dog” thing! The joy I have to look forward too :)

5.  Last, but not least, MY FAVORITE!!! A little glass of red wine before bed, but you notice my hand on top… That is to keep out the creepy crawlies that happen to make their way into my wine. I am not eating another grasshopper tonight!

Baby Friendly Finger Paint

After one of my friends told me how easy it was to make “edible” finger paint last week, I decided that would be so much fun and would make a WONDERFUL Father’s Day Card!

I found a website for baby friendly finger paints on this Baby Center thread! Landen and I literally had SO MUCH FUN making a mess with this finger paint, I am pretty sure he consumed more than he painted with, but he thought that it felt so cool!!

This very simple recipe took about 10 minutes to make and cool. I tasted it so I knew what my child would be eating, and it did not taste HORRIBLE…

Of course, here is my little cutie eating/feeding the pups while I whipped us up some Finger Paint! How can you resist a cute baby and doggies!

I used the first recipe on the list! Here are the items that you need:

1 cup cold water

3 cups boiling water

1 cup Flour

Food Coloring

Step 1

Bring 3 cups of water to boil. Put 1 cup of flour in a pot and get out 1 cup cold water.

Step 2

Mix together cold water and flour and mix together (picture 1), pour in boiling water 1 cup at a time, stirring (pictures 2,3,& $ show the consistency after each cup is poured in and stirred).

Step 3

Pour mixture into separate bowls and add food coloring. (TIP: only add a TINY amount of food coloring. I thought that it needed a bunch and I had to make another batch to lighten my colors up).

 

Once the mixture is cooled you are ready to use it! I placed the finished mixture onto paper plates, because I knew how would be throwing them by the end of the adventure!

Please come back and join me on Monday for our “Father’s Day Art Adventure” post! I do not want to post it before Father’s Day for the fear of his daddy actually ready this (which is highly unlikely), but you never know! And just because you read this far… Here is a sneak peek. SHHHH…. ;)

Have a GREAT Thursday!

WWWW

 

It’s Wednesday!

Today I am linking up with Toronto Mama and A Life from Scratch on What We Wear Wednesday!

Sorry that all you get today is a selfie in the mirror, but it is very rare that I have anyone to take a picture of me around! So I guess today we can deal!

 

My dress is from BLUSH Boutique and is very comfortable!

The little man is in a button down from Carter's and a t-shirt (hand-me-down)!

Eggplant Parmesan

So, today I ventured into an unknown cooking category. I LOVE meat, but I have decided to cook for a friend who just had a baby! I decided to try my hand at Eggplant Parmesan. I got the idea while watching “The Best Thing I Ever Made,” so I scurried to the food network and found the recipe.

While I changed a lot, I really just used the recipe as a base and changed things as I went. I ended up with a wonderful recipe of my own, and will definitely be making this more. It is also a meal you can make then freeze and bake later!

Ingredients:

The Sauce:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic
2 medium onions cut into thin slices
salt
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 28-ounce cans whole San Marzano plum tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

1 tablespoon Oregano

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

The Eggplant:
2 medium eggplants (about 2 1/2 pounds total), washed and cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
salt
1 cup all-purpose flour (I used white wheat flour)
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons whole milk
3 cups Italian-style breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Vegetable oil, for frying, as needed (1 1/2 to 2 cups)
1 1/2 pounds mozzarella, cut into thin slices (or torn into thick slices)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan,
1/2 cup grated provolone

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Cut your eggplant into slices about 1/2 inch thick and lay out on a couple of baking sheets. Sprinkle both sides with salt and let sit for 45 minutes to an hour. The salt will bring out the extra moisture.

2. Pour your olive oil into a LARGE skillet  (I say large because I had to eventually transfer this to a pot, which you may want to start with a pot) this will fill up very fast! Once your oil is hot, throw in your garlic cloves and onions, season with a little salt and the red pepper flakes, let this cook in your pan for 5-7 minutes or until your onions get almost translucent.

3. Once your onions have cooked through add in the 2 cans of tomatoes and 1 can of sauce (you can use just 3 cans of whole tomatoes, but I am not a whole tomato person so I did 2 can tomatoes/1 can sauce). Add in your sugar, oregano and Italian seasoning. Let it cook for 15-20 minutes, breaking up the whole tomatoes as you stir. If it seems like it is getting thick you can add a cup or so of water to it.                                                                                    

**** don’t mind my swiffer in the background haha! I was cleaning! 

4. While the sauce is cooking on the stove, get our 3 separate bowls (1 for flour, 1 for eggs and milk, and one for italian breadcrumbs, oregano and thyme). Wash the salt off of the eggplant and dry. Once dry, coat the eggplant with flour, then dip it into the egg wash and then cover it with the breadcrumbs. 

5. Pour your vegetable oil about 1/2 inch deep and let it get home. Use tongs to put the eggplant into the oil and let them get golden brown on both sides. Place fried eggplant on a paper towel to dry off the excess grease. 

I added in an extra step here, because I do not like whole tomatoes or onions, but I used the emersion blender and blended my sauce. Then sat it to the side to cool.

 

 Once all of that is complete, it is time to layer! In a 9x13 pan (I used 2 5” pans because I am making this for someone else) pour a layer of sauce to coat the bottom. Place the eggplant on top of the sauce, it is fine to overlap some of the eggplant. take 1/2 the mozzarella and layer it on top of the eggplant. Repeat this again ending with the mozzarella. The sprinkle the provolone and parmesan on top to finish it off. 

 

Place in the oven and back for 3-45 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden.

This turned out really well! I have never cooked with eggplant before, so I would say it was a success for my first time! Like I said I did 2 smaller pans and froze one for them and baked the other for ourselves! Of course, I was too hungry to take a finished picture! 

Enjoy!