The Crocheting Mom

     While making all of my Christmas cookies, I thought it would be a good idea to post a recipe to one of the favorites.  I have always gotten rave responses about the Peanut Butter Blossoms from my family and friends.  It's a classic cookie, and I realize that there are lots of recipes out there, but some work for some and some work better for others.  So here's mine.

     As a parent of two girls who love to play games on the Ipad and Iphone, I'm always looking for new apps that I can download for them that will actually keep their attention!  Especially my two year old.  The problem that I have with apps and her though, is that she plays them for a second, and then goes to find another one.  There are not many that hold her attention for very long, and therefore I have to keep a constant watch on which apps she is getting into.  So when I found one I liked, for both my two year old AND six year old, I was very happy!

      My family loves Christmas.  We love it so much our youngest daughter's middle name is Noel.  So, naturally we would love all events that go along with this holiday.  When our oldest daughter was two, we started going on the Polar Express.  We decided to do it every other year, to make it more special.  The other years, my husband and I go to Trans Siberian Orchestra's Christmas concert, and hope to start taking our oldest with us next year.

**My cookies from last year**      So now that Halloween is over, and we are nearing close to Thanksgiving, what better time to start thinking and prepping for Christmas cookies?!?!  Ever since I was little, my mom was always the one to provide Christmas cookies at the family gatherings.  I remember making them with her and just loving it!  We would make quite a few different kinds, and continued to throughout the years, sometimes adding or taking away new varieties.

         A lot of weird things happen when your pregnant.  I find one of the weirdest things is the dreams that you have.  They become so much more vivid, and just plain out there!  Lately, I've woken up with a few that just have me wondering what they mean.  I've read that you remember your dreams more when you are woken during your REM sleep.  And any woman who has been pregnant, knows that there is always something that wakes us up in the middle of the night, multiple times.  Whether it be leg cramps, full bladders, or just that big 'ol belly getting in the way, there is alway something interrupting our much wanted sleep.

     Every year we are invited to our friends' Halloween party.  This year was the 5th year that we have attended and each year our costumes become better and better.  The party's main rule is : Costumes are Mandatory!  If you don't wear a costume, then the hosts will give one to you.  See picture below.

     One of the staples of October for my girls, has always been carving pumpkins.  We have done it with Ashley, every since she was a baby sitting in her Bumbo.  Of course then she didn't contribute much, but she sure did love playing in the bowl of pumpkin guts!  So every year after, we made it a tradition, as most families do, to carve a pumpkin.  

     With the upcoming baby, I really want my youngest to get potty trained before the due date.  She just turned two in June, so I knew it may be hard at such a young age.  I am determined to have her as independent as possible by the time January comes.      First, I would like to state a clear advisory about this post.  It contains "potty" talk.  As moms, we are all used to this, talking about our kids and their bathroom attempts, so really, it comes second nature to me.

     If you are a parent of a toddler, you know the struggle of sippy cups.   Sure, they are advertised as spill proof, but are they really?  If you are like me, you've gone through a variety of brands that just don't seem to work great.  Either the child figures out how to manipulate the spout to make milk come out, or likes to shake it upside down to make it "rain".  How about the dreaded instance when she throws the cup down, so she can see a white puddle form at the base of the table?  All of these situations are definitely not ideal.   Don't even get me started about the fear of giving your toddler a milk cup in the car!  Who wants spilt, smelly milk, all over your upholstery?  I sure don't!

     The toddler bed is a big transition for any young child.  Usually, most parents don't even have to think about it until their little one has figured out how to climb out of their crib.  That's how it was with our first anyways.  With Baby #3 coming in January, though, we have needed to push Lilly a little more than normal to become a big girl.  The toddler bed and potty training, which I'll post on at some other point, are the two major hurdles that we knew we would have to accomplish.

     We were watching the first Harry Potter one night and Ashley saw all the money that Harry's parents left to him in Grigott's Bank.  This is what she said next:

         Have you contemplated the thought of getting a family pet?  Many people want to get a dog for the companionship, and just another "person" to play and cuddle with.  I mean, who wouldn't want a  friend for life?  Someone to love you no matter what, always eager for you to get home, and always wanting to play or cuddle with you.  Many times though, most people don't think about all the costs of having a dog before they make the decision.

     As being part of the Bzz Agent community, they send me free products to try out and review.  Recently, I was given an art set.  I was really excited about this, because one of my 6 year olds favorite things to do is art!  When the mail came, Ashley and I were happy to review Doh Vinci .

     Wow!  Kindergarten??  Really??  Please tell me when that happened.  When did my little baby girl, grow to be old enough to be in Kindergarten?      Yes, she's been in daycare her whole life.  Yes, she's been in preschool for 3 years now, so I should have been ready for this.  But I wasn't.  It snuck up on me.  And to make it sink in even more, her school has all grades, Kindergarten and up, wear uniforms.  My sweet baby girl is old enough to have to wear a uniform to school!  After she put that uniform on, she looked so grown up to me.  She's no longer a baby, or even a preschooler.  She's now a legitimate school aged kid.

     Wow!  I feel like I haven't been blogging in forever.  It's true, I've been posting some articles here and there, but most of those are ones that I had previously written.  In regards to actually writing new material, nope.  It feels like I have just been so busy lately, that blogging seemed to have fallen to the wayside.

     I have done my share of fundraising in my lifetime.  I used to be a girl scout and I fundraised like the best of them.  I was a cookie pusher, every single year.  I had to get the top number of boxes sold, or I was a disappointment to myself!  It didn't stop at cookies either.  There were many more fundraisers for this group throughout the year, nothing as big as cookie time though!  I was in other activities growing up as well that had many fundraisers; choir, basketball, school.  It's a skill, a skill that can be learned!

     When I think of summertime food, I always think of the macaroni salad that my mom made.  I mostly remember it as a teenager.  I would claim it as mine, or eat all I could before it was gone.  It was my favorite breakfast, lunch, and dinner food, well, maybe not breakfast!  I didn't do a lot of cooking when I was younger, so I never asked my mom how she made it.  When I went home recently, I requested her to make it, so I could finally learn.  It's actually really easy!

     Everyone has been through hard times before.  It tends to be a really taboo topic, talking about money, and how 'comfortable' you are.  I wanted to put a list together of things we had done in the past that seemed to really help us out.  We actually still use some of these strategies because they have just become good habits.  There are ways to save money, that some people don't even think about.            

     While on vacation, Ashley noticed her tooth was loose.  Daddy and I were out at the movies at the time, but when we came home, she was so excited to tell us.  For the next week she couldn't contain herself.  She felt like such a big girl and was so excited for it to fall out.  I was happy because usually she's worried about anything and everything hurting, but not this time.  This time, all she cared about was the significance of the tooth, and that it meant she was growing up!

     After 4 long years, my family finally got to take a trip back to my home town.  I grew up and lived in the same house in Rhode Island, my whole life, until I got married.  The last time we went, Ashley was still a baby, just learning how to walk.  There was no way she was going to be able to remember that trip, so everything and everyone was new to her this time.  We've had a few family members come visit us here and there, and my mom usually comes out twice a year, but there was a lot of family who have never met Lilly, and have not seen Ashley in a long time.      We were really dreading the 15 and a half hour car ride it would take to get there.  It turned out, it actually wasn't that bad.  We left at 830 at night so we could get the most sleep out of the girls while driving.  The drive on the way back was broken up, which made it a lot easier to handle during the day. We visited family in New York, and then got a hotel after 8 hours the next day.  Mix all the ho

     Yesterday was  my oldest daughter's birthday.  My beautiful Ashley.  We were so excited to have children and were in love with you the second you were born, even from the second we found out we had finally started a family!  Our love for you has only grown over the years, and will continue to do so.

     My oldest, almost 6 years old LOVES Barbies.  I'm serious.  Anytime we are in a store, it doesn't matter what it is, she will find something with Barbies and start trying to get us to buy it.  It could be a shirt, a ball, shoes, a backpack, dolls, accessories or anything else.      I don't really know how this phase started for her.  She was our awesome little tomboy most of her life, up until she turned 5.  She loved playing sports like soccer, football, or anything with a ball!  She loved comics, especially Iron Man.  I even spent a whole summer crocheting her an Iron Man blanket that fits her full sized bed!  She loved it!  Needless to say, when she told me 6 months later that she didn't want the Iron Man blanket anymore because it was too boyish, I was a little bummed.

     It's the dreaded sound for all parents.  When you hear that gut wrenching music, you know what's coming next.      "ICCCCEEEEE CREEEEAAAAMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

         Baby number 3 is now on the way to our household.  My husband and I found out we were pregnant about a month before our vacation.  We decided it would be fun to tell my side of the family in person, instead of them finding out through facebook.      To do this, we had to be very careful if we decided to tell anyone.  That meant, ASHLEY WAS NOT TO KNOW!  She has such a big mouth.  If we told her right away, she would've let it slip.  She is the worst secret keeper, LOL!  Unfotunately, we did have to tell her the day before we left on vacation.  I think she would've figured it out when I took her to the doctors with me and saw the ultrasound.  So we told her, and pleaded with her not to tell anyone until we said it was okay.

     June 2nd was my youngest daughter's birthday!  My precious baby Lilly is now two years old.  On her first birthday we took her to the Indianapolis Zoo, and that was something I really wanted to do again this year.  It looked as though it was going to rain, so I was super bummed out.  We looked and looked for different solutions for her special day, but nothing seemed as fun for her.  We had a back up plan, but were crossing our fingers that the weather would hold out for us.

       Happy 2nd Birthday to my sweet baby, Lilly.  Although, I really can't call you a baby anymore can I?  You are growing into such a big girl and I couldn't be any more proud of you.      You are known for being the sweet baby.  While walking in stores, you wave to everybody as we walk by.  You give them a smile, and I like to believe, really make their day.  Even when they don't wave back, you don't let it phase you.  You just continue on and wave at the next person you see.  You're innocence is so amazing and I hope that you stay the sweet little girl who likes to make people smile.  It warms my heart to see you truly happy.  The smile on your face, gets me to smile every single time.  Even when you are misbehaving, you just give me that smile, accompanied by the cute little head tilt, and it's so hard to stay mad at you for long.  You are a goofball, and I love it.

     Here it is, our garage.      I wouldn't be surprised if it's the messiest one on the block!  And trust me, when we have it open, I'm slightly embarrassed at how much crap we have in here.  It's not just the amount of crap, but how unorganized it is!

      I got to try another great items thanks to BzzAgent. The Special K Moments, indulgent snack bites, arrived at my door and I was excited to try them out, as always.         They claim that these are 3 bite snacks and are only 70 calories.  If you are looking for something small that's sweet and can cure the common sweet tooth, then these are your snacks!  The are small, in my opinion only 2 bites, snacks that are quick to eat, without the guilt of consuming a lot of calories.  I've tried them both, and they both have the consistency of a rice krispy treat, airy and light.  I enjoyed both flavors.  The caramel pretzel bites had a great sweet and salty combination, while the dreamy coconut flavor had more of a rich sweetness.  

     My husband and I have decided that when we do have another child, we are going to put the girls in a room together with a bunk bed.  I figured it was a good time to start getting Lilly used to sleeping on a regular bed, and not in her crib.  Ashley figured out how to get out of her crib when she just turned 2, so it's bound to happen with Lilly soon anyways.   With Ashley, though, she had been in daycare, and was used to sleeping on cots.  Although she still enjoyed the fact that she was able to get up and play in her room, she was able to get the concept of not getting up, pretty quick.

         Your kids have fun at the Dr.'s office too right?  Is that weird?  I mean, it's not like she was going to be getting a shot (she made sure before we went).  My kids are very creative, with what little they may be given, and can make any situation fun!

     As a member of BzzAgent, I have received a free Freschetta Gluten Free Pizza for free, to try and then review.  From what I understand, those on a gluten free diet, are not allowed anything made with wheat, which includes pizza dough, until now.  Now Freschetta has come up with a way for people who want to, or have to, live a gluten free life, to still enjoy a slice of pizza.  Because who doesn't love pizza right?

     This weekend my daughter had her first sleepover!  She didn't go to someone else's house though, she had a friend come to ours.  It was also her friends first time ever having a sleepover, and it went great!    Her friend came over earlier because they had a fitting for their cheer uniforms that I needed to take them too.  My big thing, was I wanted to make sure that they had a good time, and her friend wouldn't be sad being away from her family.  There was a lot of playing outside, and then inside, and then outside again.  They watched movies, and played hide and seek.  They seemed to be go, go , go all day long.  After they had their cheer fitting, I took them to the playground so they could run around even more.  They had a blast!

     For lent this year, my husband and I went on Nutrisystem , so basically we gave up food!  My husband had done it the previous year for a few months, and had good results, so both him and I decided to do it again for a few months.  First of all, if you are going to do it, you might as well commit to  at least two months.  They make it cheaper if you sign up for automatic renewals, which means a second  month must be added.  

     I am a member of BzzAgent, who graciously give me free items in exchange for a reviews.  This time, I gladly received a 3 pack of BIC Soleil Glow razors .  I alway like receiving these types of items, because, as most people probably do, you find one you like and stick with it.  This forces me to try other brands and see what else is available to me!

     I hope all you wonderful mothers had a great Mother's Day this past Sunday.  It was a beautiful day here in our town, perfect for any outdoor adventure!      I woke up and my daughter gave me some pretty bracelets that she picked out at the store with Daddy.  I also received lots of art from her that she made at school, and a nice flower!  I was excited for the flower.  Last year I kept my Mother's Day flower alive all summer!  Normally plants do not last that long in my care.

While putting Ashley to bed: Ashley:  I love you forever, Mommy. Me:  I love you more. Ashley:  No you don't, I'll love you longer because you'll die before me.....but I don't want you to die...I want you to stay the way you are right now. LOL!  That was her trying to make up for talking about me dying.  How sweet, Ashley.

     Ever since we got our dog, Daisy, she has been a fast eater.  I've seen dogs eat quick before, but this is crazy.  I swear she doesn't even chew her food.  It's gone in about 10 seconds.  We got her from the pound when she was 2, so maybe she didn't get much food before.  Who knows what her life was like.  Maybe she had to fight for food, so the quicker she ate it, the more she would get.  Or maybe, she's just a fast eater.

         I love the town that I live in.  There really are many reasons for this, in particular, all the activities and events that I can do with my family.  I have been here for four years, and am pretty sure I have not seen everything this town has to offer yet.  Between museums, plays, parks, trails, activities put on by the town, and more, this town is a fantastic place to raise your family. 

     Although it important to encourage reading year round, May is the official Get Caught Reading Month.  The campaign was started in 1999 and supported by the Association of American Publishers.  It began in order to remind people how much fun it is to read, no matter what the material.  Reading is reading, whether is the newspaper, a fiction novel, non-fiction, magazines or even comics.  Exposure to language at a young age, reading alone and being read to, has been scientifically proven to stimulate brain growth in children.   Also it gives them an advantage over their peers when it is time for them to start school.

         My home state is Rhode Island.  No, it's not part of New York, no it's not the same as Long Island.  It is it's only little state on the east coast, which is part of New England.  Since the states there are so tiny compared to most, we are all very similar, and often it's just easier saying I'm from New England (even though I still get people questioning me about living in England when I say that!)      New England is known for the Red Sox, Patriots, a faced pace of living, old buildings and a beautiful landscape.  It is also known for a way of speaking, and living that is not like the rest of the country.  I call these New England'isms.   I have been out of New England for about 9 years now.  I still get frustrated when people do not know what I'm talking about.  Some things are second nature to me, and it is odd to me that I have to explain them to people.  Here is a list of different New England'isms that I have compiled.

     While driving to school I was letting Ashley know that we were going to the dealership when I pick her up, so that they could give us an estimate on the trade in value for our car (we're planning on purchasing a new one soon). She didn't understand banks at first, but she eventually got it.

        May 1st is National Mother Goose Day, a holiday I wished I'd known about when I was teaching toddlers.  I've always known, and celebrated with my classes, Dr. Seuss' birthday.  If I had known there was a national day to celebrate all the fantastic rhymes by Mother Goose, I'd be able to make a whole lesson out of it!  I've done nursery rhymes as a monthly theme, but having it in May and adding in a little more about Mother Goose would have made the lesson even better in my opinion.

     I crochet for a "living".      What does that mean?  It means I do whatever I can to get my name, The Crocheting Mom, out there in the world.  A lot of my time has to go into promoting, or my husbands time that is.  He's the one who does most of my marketing and such.  There are two main outlets that we use to promote my business; online sales, and craft fairs.

       It's that time of year again.  The time of year when it rains like crazy.  Plants, trees, and the grass all come out of their hibernation turning green and growing.  The grass has grown lots in the past few weeks, due to all the rain, and it was finally time to start mowing again.

   This past weekend was my birthday.  I was very lucky to have my mom in town, and since it was my choice, I wanted us to all go out to DoMo, which has a Hibachi area.  My girls had never been, and turns out my mom had never been to one either!  I've always enjoyed going to places that do hibachi, and figured that everyone would love it!      We sat down and made our orders.  While waiting, the cook at the table near us had just started the show.  The beginning flame that they do was so big that we felt the warmth all the way at our table!  The girls were not expecting it and we very shocked when they saw it.  Ashley jumped back, and Lilly's eyes were wide, neither really sure how to react to it.

     It was Easter day, and I wanted to make a yummy home cooked meal.  I haven't made cornbread at home in a long time, well because I used to use the classic boxed recipe, and it always came out dry for me.  So when my husband suggested cornbread, I went online to see if I could maybe make it from scratch.  I found a recipe, tweaked it a little, and this is what I came up with.  The bread actually tastes really good and moist!  This is now going to be my go to cornbread if I need to make some at home!

I hope everyone had a Happy Easter!  My family sure did.  The day before Easter I was able to take the girls to an Easter egg hunt, put on by a church that our babysitter goes to.  She told us about it last year, and it was so much fun that when she told us about it this year, there was no way we were going to miss it!  This first picture was actually at the end of the day, once the girls had done all the activities they wanted to do.  Ashley saw the Easter Bunny and was so excited to go see him.  Lilly looked a little unsure, but after a quick "high five", the E.B. was okay in her book!  

     During the summer, my children LOVE going to the library.  During the school year though, we do not get to go as much.  I knew that I had to get them there at least once during Spring Break.  Our town has many great resources, and activities, for children.  The Monroe County Public Library, is one of the many reasons that I love my town.  

     It's only mid April, yet I'm already stressing about planning our summer efficiently.  First of all, Ashley only gets about 9 weeks of summer this year.  9 weeks!   I feel like summer used to be at least 12 weeks.  There are so many "summer" activities that we need to get in during that short amount of time.      First of all, we really want to get in a vacation this year.  The fact that we do not live near our family, and we have young children, that for us means a vacation visiting.  Figuring out a time for our trip wouldn't be so bad, but we have a lot of restrictions.  My husband is very busy with work, and already knows he can not take off any time in July or August, which leaves us June.

     Ashley:  "Mommy, April showers make more flowers!."      Me:  " You're right!  I know the saying as 'April showers bring May flowers, but yours definitely makes sense too!"