The most wonderful time of the year!

I {heart} the holidays.  Everything about them just fills me to the brim with excitement and joy.  I'm so thankful that my girls seem to share in my Christmas enthusiasm.  We've been watching Christmas movies since August, listening to Christmas music for at least a month now, making Christmas lists, planning where the tree will go, and as soon as the temperature dipped to "slightly chilly" the girls were begging for the fireplace to go on.  I, of course, obliged.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that I start planning our Christmas cards....in July.  What are the girls going to wear? Will they match? or just coordinate? Will we do pics of just kiddos or the whole fam? (Let's face it, most folks just want to see the kids anyway right??) Where will we take the pictures? Then I get to start looking at Christmas cards and planning which one I want.  There used to be so few options available.  Now, it's nearly overwhelming.  There's also the cost factor involved.

My sweet friend Liz reminded me about Shutterfly's awesome Christmas cards! And they are truly on the affordable side.  The options are pretty endless too.  I browsed through their site and kept saying "ooh, I like that one. Ooh, no I like that one better!"

They have the fun 5x5 size

They have true "cards" where you can write on the inside (and they're great because they sit up for display!). You may notice I have a thing for the cards with three pictures.  It makes it so easy when you have three kids to get just ONE good picture of each of them instead of one good picture with all three.  Believe me.  

Of course they have options for just one picture (or two, or four, or eight...whatever you prefer).  

I loved the inside of this one (also named "the most wonderful time of the year, appropriately).  You can actually do a group shot on the outside of the card and then include a small pic of each family member with an update on them on the inside.  

(a pic of the inside)

They cover every saying, whether you prefer "Happy Holidays", "Merry Christmas", or even "Bah Humbug." Ok, I was joking about that one. Just making sure you were still paying attention.  I personally like the Religious cards.  Afterall, Jesus IS the reason for the season.  And I agree with this card.  Every good gift does come from above.  Especially my three gifts.

We are using Shutterfly for our family calendars this year 

(they happen to do invitations, gift tags, and photo books too!). 

The best part is that by being a blogger, I was able to get 50 free cards just for lovin' Shutterfly! 

Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly, follow the arrow à here :) You're welcome. 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some shoppin' to do....and I need to figure out what the girls are going to wear! 

Lil' Punkins

I realized that I never posted pictures from our trip to the Pumpkin Patch!
WARNING: THIS IS GOING TO BE A PHOTO HEAVY POST!

We discovered last year that going on a Friday was the best idea!! It's not crowded, and the folks that are there, all clear out by 3pm.  We have a lot of "parking lot pumpkin patches" pop up in October, but we still have a love for the "real" patch away from it all.  Well, not totally away from it all.  Technically there's a golf course less than a mile down the road, but it's still a real working farm.  :)

Skylar feeding a goat

Reagan on the hayride

Skylar on the hayride (I love her sweet sundrenched face in this one)

All three girls LOVE the pony rides! This is the face of a two year old that just told her mama to go away because she was "fine" to ride by herself.  Alrighty then....

This is the face of a little girl that could sit on that pony all....day....long.... (and also the one that asked the guy working "May I get up by myself please?")

Skylar really wanted her pony to just "go faster." :)

In the pumpkin patch area, Bailey tried to pick up the pumpkins.  She actually succeeded a few times!

Reagan and daddy were looking at the horses next door.  

Skylar just being sweet...

Reagan asked if we could take this pumpkin home. Sadly, the answer was no.  I'm no fun. 

Of course Yaya is ALWAYS fun! :)  She found a pumpkin hat!!

This year we got to meet my Sister in law and niece and nephew at the farm so we all had a wonderful day filled with special memories.  We are blessed to live near family! 

Happy Fall!

You'll thank me!

I have tried LOTS of recipes for Banana Bread and this one is by FAR our new favorite! I've also included a recipe that we just tried for pumpkin bread that was delicious too!
Of course it's 90 degrees today and I don't really want to turn the oven on, but if it's fall where you are, give these a try and let me know what you think!  These are NOT healthy recipes, just to let you know.  I'm sure you can substitute some ingredients to make them more nutritious if you prefer.  For us? We like them just the way they are! :)

Banana Bread

1/4 c. white sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

combine these two ingredients and grease two loaf pans.  Then shake the cinnamon/sugar mixture onto the pans.

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

3-4 VERY ripe bananas, mashed

8 oz of sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

2 1/4 c. flour

(optional) 1/2 c. crushed walnuts

mix the sugar and eggs together until well blended, add the ripe bananas.  In a separate bowl, mix flour with other dry ingredients.  Add the sugar/egg/banana mixture and then the sour cream and vanilla.  

Pour it into the two prepared pans.

For a crumb topping:

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. flour

3 tablespoons of melted butter 

1 tsp cinnamon

Combine until "crumbly" and add it to the top of the loaves before baking.

Bake @ 325 degrees for 70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

PUMPKIN BREAD

2 cups white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup oil

4 eggs

combine until creamy

add in

1 can of solid pack pumpkin (16 oz).

In a separate bowl:

3 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp allspice

Stir the two together and add 1/2 cup water to the mixture.  

Grease two loaf pans (or one bundt pan) and bake at 350 for 65 minutes (or 90 for bundt).

Cream cheese icing:

1 block of cream cheese softened

1/4 c. butter, melted

2 c. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

Trunk or Treatin'!

Every year our church puts on a fantastic fall festival for all the families of our community.  I wish I had walked around and taken pictures of all the great activities for the kids, but I was busy decorating my "trunk" so I could hand out candy to all the kiddos.

I did manage to get a few shots of the cutest Alice, Minnie, and Bee at the festival though!!

We temporarily misplaced the ears to Skylar's Minnie Mouse costume so with a half hour to spare before the festival, I whipped up a new set of ears out of a handkerchief and an old black velour infant headband.  

Reagan's dangling front tooth?? Yah, one bite into a caramel apple and it was almost out.  Daddy pulled it with little effort so she has a fun toothless grin now!

The bumble bee costume has now been worn by all three girls.  Can we all say 'aw'?? :D

We don't make a big deal out of Halloween.  Our house decorations are more "fall-ish" and we don't buy new costumes every year.  I usually just tell the girls they can wear "whatever they want out of the dress up chest." Both older girls' costumes are from yard sales.  Reagan's is from two years ago, Skylar's from this year.  I love that they are "go with the flow" kind of girls.  :) It's really all about the candy though, right?

Here's our "trunk" for the festival.  We went with a beachy/hawaiian theme this year since that's what we had in the leftover party bin (and Brian's surfboard too of course!).  We had SO much fun!

I flipped the calendar to November today and almost gasped.  There are only 7 days throughout the month without something planned.  Oy.  Bring on the coffee.  

Bloggers Quilt Festival!

I'm so excited to be participating again in Amy's Blogger's Quilt Festival! Last year I was so inspired by all the quilts.  I can't wait to look through them this time around (and maybe actually see ALL of them).

In spring I saw a few "scruffily" quilts and instantly fell in love.  I modified it a bit (only did two layers instead of 3), but love how it turned out!! It's made with Moda pre-cuts (the Wrapped in Paisley line) so I was able to assemble the top in about an hour.  I did free motion quilting on each of the center squares and then through the seams on the large squares.

This quilt was a gift for a friend so I embroidered (free hand so it's not perfect) this phrase in the lower right hand corner: "Blessed is the home that welcomes a friend." I wanted it to be cozy and warm so I backed it with chocolate flannel.

I can't wait to do another scruffily quilt!! I didn't think I would like the raw edges as much but I just love it! It's my new favorite and SUPER easy!!

After the quilt arrived at her house, this is the post that she wrote about it (with a full picture of it).

Now go visit the festival and be inspired!

Friday Funnies

The girls were a total crack up this week (and I remembered to email the "funnies" to myself)!

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Driving home from school, the girls noticed a man struggling to get his sweatshirt over his head. 

Skylar: Mommy, that man is stuck!

Reagan: He wouldn't be stuck if he took his helmet off before putting his sweatshirt on.

Me: Uh baby....that's not a helmet.  He's bald.  

Reagan: But it's so shiny!

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Skylar was playing with her baby doll.  Overheard from the other room:

Skylar: Oh Kayta, you're such a challenge sometimes.  But I still love you and your little watermelonhead.  (In her defense, our watermelons from the garden this year were about the size of her baby's head). 

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Later on that day while she was playing with Kayta, she came running into the room.

Skylar: Look mommy! See the necklace I made for Kayta out of beads!?

Me: Yes, she looks so fancy! What's the occasion?

Skylar: We were in the rainbow parade! People were walking wearing rainbow colors and carrying rainbow flags and wearing lots of rainbow beads.  It was SO fun!! I wish it was real!

ummmm, at what point do I fill her in that rainbow parades really DO exist?? :)

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I put a little chapstick on Bailey because it's been so dry and windy.  Ten seconds after putting it on her, she says, "Mommy, can I have more lips please?"

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Bailey has been asking to watch "Ginger Bears" for a while and we finally figured out that she means Berenstain Bears!

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Skylar and Bailey were playing one night and Skylar tells Bailey, "Look what I brought you from my trip! I know you wanted it but it wasn't on sale yet so I bought it for you.  All the way from China!"

It is true that most toys they own say "Made in China." :) I think it's even funnier that she knows we don't buy things until they go on sale. :)

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We went to the pumpkin patch last week and my mom bought Cinnamon Bears for all of us to share.  After she left Skylar noticed that she had left them on our counter.  She said, "Oh no! Yaya left her cinnamon bears!!" Then the phone rang.  Skylar said, "I bet that's yaya calling.  She's going to say 'don't you eat my cinnamon bears!" :D

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Have a blessed weekend!

Friday Funnies-The Skylar version

I only have two this week but they are both from Skylar and super funny!!

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Our backyard neighbors were having their trees trimmed one morning.  The girls were fascinated by the chainsaws and the guys climbing into the trees to cut the branches.  One guy had to stand on our fence to reach a limb and he happened to squat down in order to reach the branch after it fell.  Skylar was watching out the window and then looked away quickly with her hand over her mouth.  She gasped and then said, "Oh my word!! I can see that guys bum bum!!" Apparently the tree trimmer was also a plumber. :)

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Skylar and Bailey were playing "ring around the rosy" and they sang a second verse that I hadn't heard before: "Horses in the meadow, horses in the meadow, buttercups, buttercups, we all jump up!" I asked her where she heard it and she said, "My cousin Sam.  She knows lots of stuff. She's a teenager." I said, "Oh really, so you think teenagers are smart huh?" She replied, "Yep! Daddy says when I'm a teenager I will know everything." 

Have a blessed weekend!