My new love :)

5 years ago my husband got me my first KitchenAid Mixer. This little red beauty is gorgeous and I love making cookies, cakes & other special treats with it. But, when it came to making my homemade bread...well, it just couldn't make the cut :( The motor wasn't powerful enough to take on the 4 cups of flour it takes to make one loaf. So...I sat & waited, dreaming about the day I could purchase the professional 600 model. Then came Christmas....

Jason's Mom & Dad SHOCKED me with this sleek baby as a gift. Just look at her. If the little red beauty is like a 20 year old newlywed, well, this beast...she's like a cougar :)

This baby will whip through 8 cups of flour on speed 2, without even a thought. Oh, how I love her.
And you see that beautiful spot she's in...yep, the hubs had to cut the cabinet for her to have a permanent home. But it's perfect...she just belongs there :)

Her she sits with the little red beauty...

There is just no comparison. Sorry beauty, I've had to upgrade to more experience :)

Honesty is always the best policy...{maybe}

Homemade Valentines

I'm always looking for cute, homemade things to give to the teachers, and, valentines day is kind of hard. I searched & found the cutest idea on Pinterest, and it was so easy!

Our Teachers, Therapist & Bus drivers will all get a birdseed valentine to hang outside & feed their feathered friends. How adorable are these?!

All I did to package them was cut open a fold over sandwich baggie, lay some red tissue paper behind the heart, and, tie with raffia.

I thought these turned out so cute!

If you want to make your own...mix 3/4 cup birdseed, 1 tbsp flour & 2 tbsp water together. Pack tightly in a heart mold, poke a whole for the ribbon to go through (we used a sturdy straw), and bake in a 170 degree oven for 1 hour. If they aren't totally set after the hour, leave them in a bit longer. When they are done, transfer to a cooling rack & allow to cool several hours. Then just tie your ribbon on & package up.

A day in our life...

Meet my monkey...

and my 6 year old ladies man ...

They keep me busy!

with lots of shenanigans..

and, of course sword fights...

But the big grins let me know we are doing something right :)

Best Buddies :)

Jacob & I get the pleasure of hanging out with a sweet, sweet boy during the day. Mommy has fallen in love with Mr. Matt, and, Jacob has found his best-est buddy. (not to mention, it's greatly helped Mommy's baby fever, which makes Daddy very happy too!)

Sometimes I just watch Jacob play, dreaming about when I'm big enough to jump on that turtle....

Occasionally he decides he wants to play when I'm trying to take a snooze...

We love to snuggle together & watch TV. Sometimes I just wear out & have to grab some shut eye :)

"Maaaaat...phone's for you!"

And, we love to sit & wait for my Mommy to get home. I love her :)

We're starting to Spell!

I picked up this book at Dollar General for 2 dollars. It has magnet letters, and, you spell the picture out in the boxes underneath it.

To help Cole, I wrote out all the words on a separate sheet of paper. He would identify the picture, then find the word on the paper (by sounding out the word - and looking for the letters that correspond with that sound), then he could use my written word as a guide to find the magnets & spell out the word on the book.

He did the entire book with 100% accuracy the first time! Next week I will have him try without my hand written she with it. That will be a bit more challenging I'm sure :)

Why I get nothing done in a day....

A 6 year old goofball - that keeps me laughing always :)

Random games of peek-a-boo during my laundry folding...

Smiles that make me stop in my tracks & have conversations that most would find silly...

Paying bills, or taking silly pictures with my boy? :) Like you would choose laundry...

The rocking...oh the rocking. Who can resist?!