What I'm Loving Wednesday

Happy Wednesday, y'all! GOSH, where is the time going?!? I still have to upload TONS of pics and do lots of updates from the last week or week and a half or so.  Whew - will get to it hopefully tomorrow!  Anyways, glad I jumped on here in time to do a WILW post!  Wanna do one too? Link up HeRe!!

I'm LOVING the Chess Squares I took for dessert at Thanksgiving - super easy and they were definitely a hit!  All you do is mix a 4 oz. stick of butter, 1 beaten egg, and a package of butter cake mix and pat that down in the bottom of a 9x12 dish.  Then mix a pound of confectioner's sugar (reminder....I didn't say it was healthy), 4 eggs beaten, and 8 oz of softened cream cheese.  Once that is mixed, pour onto the crust in the dish and then bake at 350 for 30-40 mins or until brown.  YUM!!

I'm LOVING Christmas music!  I love The Carpenters this time of year....and Josh Groban has a very magical voice, especially with Christmas music!

I'm LOVING this advent idea!  You cut up these activity cards and do one each day until Christmas!  What a great idea!  You can find a printable version of the cards here! 

I'm LOVING that we are going to do the Elf on the Shelf this year!  I think we may get it out tonight and read the book and name it and all of that fun stuff!  I am wondering if Katie will get it - I guess we will see!

I'm LOVING that I am taking Katie to see Santa this afternoon.  We have been talking about it for about a week or so to prepare her.  I'm hoping to have a good picture rather than a screaming crying picture like last year.  She even has a list of things she plans to ask him for!  We've talked about the fact that she will tell Santa she would like a purse and a camera and then smile for a picture and give him a hug and be all done.  We shall see how it goes!

I'm LOVING that we are all but done with our Christmas shopping! I think I still lack a few giftcards, but other than that, we are set!  Bring on the wrapping!  I can't wait to get some gifts under our tree!

Christmas List

I wanted to quickly note these few things so I don't forget!  Katie has been hilarious the last couple of days!  I have been trying to prep her for her annual visit and picture with Santa - we will see if that actually worked.  And she "talked to him" on the phone tonight too!  So far, she has had very different answers when asked what she wants from Santa.  First, it was a canoe.  Then a reindeer.  And then a kangaroo.  And last, a camera.  Silly girl.  We are visiting the jolly fellow tomorrow - wish us luck!

Oh, and tonight was the first time I have seen her pretend to hold something.  She said she was going shopping for some leaves (my mom used leaves one time when they were playing outside and going grocery shopping).  She ran to a closet door and pretended to pick off some leaves (off of the door) and brought me one in each hand.  Then she did the same for Brad and Sadie and herself.  I love that her imagination is so great!

Sorry for the Delay...

I AM still here.  I do realize it has been almost a week since my last post.  So very sorry.  There was a holiday that happened during that time, so that gets me off the hook just a little, right? Anyways, there are lots of posts to come soon - hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving! Stay tuned...

Big Girl Bed!

Well, since we have a little monkey on our hands, we decided it was definitely time to make the transition to the big girl bed.  We went to buy a mattress and box springs so that we could get her bed in place (her crib converted into a full size bed)!  And then we shopped for some bedding.  So fun!  And it turned out so cute!  Here is the view of the big girl bed as you walk into the room...

 ...and this is the view from the other corner - love it!

 Sunday night was actually the first night in the bed - here she is climbing in the first time.

 She was SO proud and excited!

 And Daddy "tuck tuck tuck"-ed her in!

 And she loved being in her bed with all her buddies.  Look at that smile!

 And this...this is the moment I had dreamt about for years...being able to tuck my sweet girl in and lay with her in bed and read a book.  It was so sweet and I love being able to snuggle with her in her OWN bed before saying goodnight!

 And of course I snuck in and took a picture of her once she had fallen asleep.  Such a sweet, pure look.

And I do have to say...when I was laying in the bed with Katie the first night and reading a book, the perfect song was on the radio...Martina McBride's "Blessed".  Here is the chorus:

I have been blessed

And I feel like I've found my way

I thank God for all I've been given

At the end of every day

I have been blessed

With so much more than I deserve

To be here with the ones that love me

To love them so much it hurts

I have been blessed

And it couldn't be more true....

Who Knew?

Apparently this is the office dress code these days....love my girl! :)

Thanksgiving Lunch

Since Katie doesn't have Mom's Day Out next week because of Thanksgiving. her class had a little celebration yesterday! It was such a great day (mainly because it was my birthday - another post to come on that one) and we had so much fun seeing Katie in her element at school.  She started the day loving on Sadie.

 When Brad and I got there, the kids were out on the playground.  It was so neat to observe Katie - she was making sure all the kids made it down the slide safely.  So cute!  Then we went and waited on her in her classroom.  She had the biggest smile when she walked into the room and saw us there!  Then she got back to her regular routine - sitting on her spot on the mat and waiting to eat.

 Such a good girl - and she told me she sat on a red square!  A little side story...when we got there, her teachers said they had set the table to get ready for the little party.  Katie must have known it wasn't time to eat, so she picked up all the lunch containers and stacked them at the end of the table.  Silly girl - but that is our girl for sure!

 And then it was time to dig in! She loved having us sit with her at her little table!

 Love this picture - so fun!

 And then they had a craft for the parents to do with the kids - Brad was hard at work here :)

 Daddy-o and his sweet girl - love it!

 And they had a big GIVE THANKS banner with all the kids' pictures on it - here, Katie is pointing to her picture!

What a fun, fun lunch!  It is so fun to see her interact with her friends and teachers!

And The Winner Is...

Time to announce the winner of my giveaway!  I used random.org and it picked comment #7 made by The Cochran Family!  Congrats and I'll be contacting you!  Thanks again to Amy for sponsoring the giveaway!

Enjoy your fun, new camera strap, Christin!!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

It's Wednesday! And you know what that means - it's time for some What I'm Loving Wednesday!!

I'm LOVING that tomorrow is my birthday! Please see previous post if you want to find me something ;)

I'm LOVING these Pinterest finds from this week! ...

 {Scrappy Ribbon Garland}

 {Holiday Photo Checklist}

 {Cool Advent idea - wrap 24 Christmas books that you already own - or you can buy a few new ones - and let the kid(s) pick one to open and read each day leading up to Christmas!}

{A neat frame - spray the frame a cool color, put scrapbook paper behind the glass, and put a little clip on it!  Then add your favorite photo!  And changing the picture out is oh so easy!}

I'm LOVING the camera strap giveaway I have going on! It is the last day to enter!  Jump over to THIS POST to enter!

What are YOU loving?? Link up hErE!!

Have You Shopped Yet?

So, with my birthday only two days away, I thought I'd give you all some ideas for shopping for my birthday! :) Who doesn't love creating a "wish list"?? I know I love it :)

{I really want a sewing machine - even if the one I've borrowed is still in a box in my closet!  At least it could be my own still in its box in the closet!}

 {I would LOVE a Kindle Fire!  I've been wanting an e-reader for quite some time, so it's way overdue!}

 {And who can have an e-reader and not get a fabulous looking cover??? Love this one!}

{And of course I love these Uggs!  And thanks go Katie being a blabbermouth, I think this is a success!! My feet will my warm and oh so cute this winter!} 

{I really love any type of perfume, but this one smelled good and has a cute name! OH! And it has dots on the bottle...it is meant to me!}

 {And when all else fails, Target gift cards are totally the answer!  I can get ANYTHING at Target!}

{And if you prefer the old-fashioned way, straight cash works too!}

I hope 48 hours is enough time for you to shop! :) Only kidding...I just thought it would be fun to do a wish list post.  Are there things you are asking for for Christmas or any other upcoming holiday?  Please do share - I am always open to ideas and suggestions!! Oh, and if it includes a cutesy camera strap, don't forget to visit my giveaway HERE!

Resolution Recap: October

I just realized that I never did do a Resolution Recap for last month! OOPS!  So...better late than never, right?? And after thinking of all of them, I realized I've been a big slacker.  Anyways, here we go:

1) Read 14 books: Ugh.  I think I'm on the same book I was on the last time I did a recap.  I definitely need to finish this book!  And I think I've decided to buy a Kindle Fire - maybe that will make me more inclined to read!
2) Learn to sew: Still in the same boat as I was - sewing machine is in its box in my closet.
3) Cook more frequently: I was doing so well and then Brad started traveling a TON for work.  I just don't get motivated to cook for only me and Katie.  We (I) need to do better about that for sure!
4) Read the Bible everyday and all the way through: Still need to get back on that bandwagon.  I really am going to.  I am.
5) Use treadmill/workout at least 4 times a week: I haven't done too good of a job on this one recently.  I will, though!
6) Use coupons when I shop: I didn't do well on this last month.  I'm hoping to dedicate a special time to do this every week - maybe Sunday afternoons? We will see!
7) De-clutter & simplify: I am hoping to do a big purge next week and take a load to Goodwill.  Brad is taking off work next week, so we hope to get rid of things we don't need!
8) Find a Sunday school class at church: Still on the list.  We were just talking about this at church this past weekend.
9) Buy fresh flowers once/month: I don't think I did this last month.  Gosh it just seems like it flew by and time got away from me...oops!
10) Have a date night with Brad at least once/month: Hm.  I think we did this last month.  Yes - we did.  And it was delicious.  I spared Brad and didn't get a picture of us, but we really did go on a date!
11) Send 2 hand-written cards/month: Finally!  Something I can say I did!
12) Have another baby: Yep...still working.  Hoping I can mark this off the list soon!

No Secrets Here

So apparently, there is no keeping secrets for Miss Katie...

Via

I got home this afternoon after shopping with my mom and Katie started saying "Happy Birthday!"  While I was gone, she and Brad had gone on a lunch date and done some shopping for my birthday (which is Thursday).  Brad said she was telling everyone in each store that it is my birthday!  Well, when Brad and I were talking about that, Katie said "Boots and cards!" ... HA!  That is what they got me :) I'm so excited!  And I told Brad not to worry about wrapping anything since I know what I am getting! Oh, silly Katie...

Still Playing Catch Up

I wanted to post just a few random thoughts....

1) Last night, Katie went into our neighbor's bathroom and started brushing her teeth with Lewis' toothbrush.  Hilarious.  He probably didn't find it quite as funny as Jill and I did. And to justify it, she had just had a bath, so the normal next step would have been to brush teeth!

2) I love that I have reached 50 followers! Thanks, y'all!

3) Yesterday morning, I went into Katie's room to make sure that she still had all of her clothes still on.  Once I saw all was well, I ran downstairs to grab the clothes for her to wear, was coming back upstairs, and guess who greeted me at the top of the stairs?? Yes, you guessed right.  When I went downstairs, she was in the crib...and then she wasn't....I asked her how she got out and she said "neigh," so I asked her if she rode it like a horse to get out and she said yes.  So, she got out safely and was just fine.  I guess a big girl bed is in our VERY near future.  We had talked about doing it over the week of Thanksgiving, but looks like it may have to happen sooner.  She did stay in and go right to sleep last night, so hopefully it was a one time occurrence.  I think we are going to go out and look for big girl bedding today so we can make the transition soon! Oh my.

4) We had pictures done for our Christmas card and I just got the CD of them.  There is one picture on there that just makes me laugh every single time.  I love these three bunches!  Here it is...

Happy Friday and have a great weekend!

I'm Back!

Gosh, it seems like it's been forever!  But I am back!  I had a work trip that took me just outside of Washington, DC.  And man does it feel good to be home.  I missed my sweet girl, my hubby, and my bed :)  It was definitely nice to take a little break from the normal routine, but I missed it!

With that said, I haven't been able to do a lot with the giveaway currently going on, so guess what? I'm going to extend the deadline!  You can see the original post {here}, but you now have until Wednesday, November 16 at 3:00 PM CST to enter!

Girls' Weekend Sneak Peek

Friday, Katie and I headed to Memphis with a friend and her two year old little girl.  We had such a fun time!  Our main mission was going to see Yo Gabba Gabba Live - but we also stayed at the Peabody (and saw the ducks make a grand entrance to their fountain), took a horse-drawn carriage ride, ate dinner on Beale Street, and did some shopping.  Definite girls' weekend.  And we had a blast.  For now, here is a picture of the little ladies running and playing on Beale Street before we went to the show!  The other momma is a photographer, so she took some pretty awesome pictures!

Another Giveaway - Camera Strap Edition!

I have a friend who has a sewing and embroidery business and she has agreed to sponsor a giveaway! Who doesn't love a giveaway, right?? 

 Amy has offered to give away an amazing camera strap!  I have one of her custom camera straps and I love it - and I always get lots of compliments on it! Aren't these just adorable?!

So...wanna know how to win? Here we go!

1) Become a follower of my blog.  Once you have done that (or if you already are), leave one comment stating that you are a follower!  This counts as one entry.

2) Become a fan of Amy's my two girls on Facebook.  Once you have done that, leave her a wall post and let her know I sent you!  Also, post an additional comment saying you are a fan of hers on Facebook.  You can find her store HERE! 

You have until Friday, November 11, 2011 (sidenote: my favorite number is 11, so I am pretty excited about the day 11/11/11) at 3:00 PM CST.  The winner will be announced on this blog.  This giveaway is open to US and Canada residents only.  Once the winner is announced, he or she will coordinate with Amy on the camera strap!  Good luck - I wish I could win this one!! :)

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Happy Wednesday, y'all! I hope you have had a fun week so far - I know I'm having trouble believing that it is already November!  Man, time is flying!  Now, let's get down to it...here's what I'm loving this week!

I'm LOVING that it is my birthday month! Gifts are welcome. :)

I'm LOVING that my fantasy football team actually WON this past weekend! WOOWOO! I'm hoping this will become a trend (but not holding my breath)!

I'm LOVING this idea!  A Mama & Me journal.  Learn more about it HERE!  I found this on Pinterest and definitely plan to do something like that when Katie gets a bit older!

I'm LOVING this recipe!  I haven't made it, but doesn't it look DELICIOUS?!  You can find the actual recipe at this link!

I'm LOVING this list of children's books!! You can find it, along with more HERE!

I'm LOVING these birthday questionnaries.  On your kid's birthday, you go through these questions - what a neat way to capture each year's changes!  You can download them HERE!

What are YOU loving today??  If you want to link up, jump over here!

Successful Trick or Treating

First, I have to say trick or treating with a 2.5 year old is so much better than an 18 month old!  She totally got it this year - and LOVED it!  She loved going to each house, ringing the doorbell, and saying Trick or Treat! Though most of the time, she just looked up and held her pumpkin bowl out!  Whatever her trick was....it worked!  She loaded up!  Here are some pictures from our night out in the neighborhood. 

 The basket of goodies I left on the front porch.  I know they lasted at least an hour - it was definitely empty when we got back.  And I didn't put out the Reeses I bought ... those are mine :)

 Heidi the crazy driver!  She wanted to drive around after she got ready!

 Ready to head out.  We went next door and ate chili before heading outside. It was delicious - such a fun tradition! And Katie and Stella were both Heidi / German girls / Bavarian Princesses.  Jill and Lewis went to Germany over the summer and brought these adorable dresses back!

 And of course we had to take some pics of the girls before we headed out!  Gosh - if we are like this on Halloween, I can't imagine their first dance, prom, etc! Ha!

 Such a cute little Heidi!

 She loved trucking along to all the houses.  And I love that she was super careful about walking when there were cars around.  That's my girl.

 Our first stop (our neighbors on the other side!)..."Trick Or Treat!"

 Katie decided to help herself!  Oh dear...

 And she loved ringing the doorbells.  We had to make sure she only rang them once.

 Katie and Stella getting some good loot!

 Holding Daddy's hand - I love pictures like this!

 And Katie and Stella held hands between a couple houses - adorable!  Brad was making sure that Katie let Stella walk on the sidewalk with her :)

 My FAVORITE picture of the night - such a sweet, cute girl.  I love her so much!

 Our neighbors near us get together in a driveway and hand out candy together and are all decorated.  They even had these ghosts that lit up and "danced" around - Katie was so interested in them!  She loved making sure they stayed on!

 And we were done!  Stella kept taking candy from the bowl at her house and putting it in Katie's pumpkin!  Hey...I'm not complaining - means Momma has more to choose from...

 SO cute!  They had a great time trick or treating together!

And of course - the digging into the candy.  Katie ate a Milky Way and some fruit snacks.  She had such fun this year - can't wait to see what future Halloweens will be like!