Things For The Nursery

After I cleaned all of Grace's pacifiers I wanted something to put them in for easy access. (Which you DEFINITELY want to be able to have a clean pacifier at all times!) I came up with this easy and cute holder. This is just an old mason jar that I already had, a napkin from a fifty cent pack from Walmart, and a ribbon that was on a gift. Easy enough and super cute!



Another easy super cute thing are these frames that I filled with napkins. 


I found two dressers on craigslist for $100. I was thrilled! They were in good shape, but I wanted them white, my wonderful husband sanded them down and painted them white. I ordered these super cute pink pulls from Amazon.





Cinnamon Roll Cake



I made this delicious dessert for tailgating and it was gone very fast! Just don't make it if you are on a diet because you can't stop eating it!  Next time I make it I won't put as much icing on it though.


Cake:
3 c. flour
1/4 tsp.salt
1 c. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 c. milk
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. butter, melted

Topping:
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. cinnamon

Mix everything together except for the butter. 
Slowly stir in the melted butter and pour into a greased 9x13 pan. 
For the topping, mix all the ingredients together until well combined. 
Drop evenly over the batter and swirl with a knife. Bake at 350 for 28-32 minutes.

Glaze:
2 c. powdered sugar
5 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla


While warm drizzle the glaze over the cake.


Enjoy!




5 Years!!!

My husband and I have this joke that we only have to be married for 63 years. Which means as of today we only have 58 more years. I do not even remember when this began, but we always joke about it. So here is to 58 more wonderful years, to the best husband in the world!


We had our ceremony in my parent's backyard, where I love to spend time, and it was perfect!


We had the perfect wedding party which included: my three sisters, my two new brothers and my brother!


My dad was actually the one who said we were now husband and wife!


We could not have asked for a more beautiful day!
I am so thankful for my little family now. I am so grateful for our new addition to our family this year. 



My whole life I dreamed of this life. Being married to my handsome husband. Having festive holidays with friends and family in a beautiful home that I can decorate, and making it come alive with smells of goodies in the oven and children running around. 
I am so blessed!

2 Month Must Haves

I can not believe that we have made it to the second month!! Here are a few things that I have found very helpful...


  1. Swing- So Grace was having a difficult sleeping unless someone was moving with her or she was being rocked. I initially did not want to get a swing because I did not want her to be addicted to it... well when you don't sleep you will give anything to get some more sleep. My husband and I went to the store to get a swing because everyone told us that a swing would be the answer to my problems. At the store, it took me forever to choose a swing, there are so many!!! I had such high hopes for this swing, at the time I thought my life depended on it! We eventually made up our mind on the cheapest swing at the store with thoughts of bringing it back. Actually this has been a great swing because I can move it from room to room which the other one would have been much more difficult. 


2. Gerber bodysiuts- These has been great to either put under outfits or just wear. The best part is they have little mittens on the arms because if your little one is like mine and pulls their hair and won't let go. 

3. Dr. Browns Glass Bottles- This is one item that I did research on before Grace was born and they have been great! 


4. Pampers sensitive diapers and wipes- After several diaper rashes, we finally have determined that it is because of the wipes we were using. I will only use pampers sensitive on her from now on!


5. Baby Ganics Hand Soap- This stuff is wonderful! First of all it is foaming which my husband loves. It feels really soft. It also makes me wash my hands more frequently and makes me feel at ease that it is safe for Grace. 


Hope this helps new moms. 


Here is my beautiful baby enjoying her swing. 

Please leave a comment if you have any suggestions for next month. 



Fall Is Time For Soup

Fall has finally arrived and it is time for soup. I love being able to throw dinner in the crock pot and know it will be ready whenever I am or when your husband comes home. This is a soup recipe which is super easy and very delicious. Also this soup can be frozen and brought out for a busy day. 


Tomato-Basil Soup

Makes about 2 quarts (about 8 servings) 

2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 T fresh oregano
1 T dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
4 cups chicken broth
½ bay leaf
½ cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup butter
2 cups half and half, warmed (or skim milk if you’re trying to cut some calories)
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1.  Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to a large slow cooker.
2.  Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.
3.  About 30 minutes before serving prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add all back into the slow cooker. Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper.  Add additional basil and oregano if needed (the slow cooker does a number on spices and they get bland over time, so don’t be afraid to always season to taste at the end).
4.  Cover and cook on LOW for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve.
Try this recipe and let me know what you think.

The Terrible Baby FAT


            Today is 7 weeks postpartum! Time has definitely flown by. It feels like the other day we were on our way home from the hospital. I had my 6 week checkup this week and I have learned something... In 6 weeks all the baby fat should be gone. BUT and of course there is a "but". That is if you only gain the 25 to 30 pounds that the doctors suggest. Of course I gained for than that, 50 to be exact and have lost 29 pounds by 6 weeks. We are designed to lose the weight quickly, and get back into our old clothes. Unfortunately for me I gained more than that. I will definitely know for the next child. Even though I really did feel like I ate healthy and I continued running till my 28th week and walked up until the day Grace was born. This just means I have a lot more weight to lose. I know I can do it, I just want instant gratification. Really the numbers on the scales do not bother me, I just want to wear my clothes again. I will keep you updated with my progress. If anyone has any advice I will greatly appreciate it.



I leave you with a pre pregnancy photo. 

My Obsession

Since high school I found something that makes me feel like myself. That is RUNNING. I love to run. There are not too many days that I do not want to run. Which is why the last 17 weeks have been so difficult. I did not feel like I could run any longer while I was pregnant. After delivery I waited until yesterday.... I ran!! I only ran one and a half miles, but finally felt like myself. 



Beer Bread

When we first got married I would make homemade bread all the time. Then... I stopped. I had to stop because a new loaf would come out of the oven and Michael and I would down the entire loaf while it was warm. I love carbs and bread too much. Not to long ago I went to one of those parties to try and sell you stuff, beer bread was one of the items that we had to sample and I fell in love with it. I did not want to pay the high price for their mix, so I went on a mission to find a cheaper version:


Beer Bread
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons honey (can omit for a more savory loaf)
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 bottle (12 ounces) beer
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted (use a whole stick if you are daring)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9″ x 5″ x 3″ inch loaf pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Using a wooden spoon, stir the beer and honey into the dry ingredients until just mixed. 
Pour half the melted butter into the loaf pan. Then spoon the batter into the pan, and pour the rest of the butter on top of the batter.  It will look buttery, which is obviously a good thing!
Place the loaf pan on a cooking sheet (in case any butter drips while baking) and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until top is golden brown and a toothpick/knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Enjoy! Let me know what you think.

Fall Has Arrived!

Oh my, where has the time gone!? I can hardly believe that my not so little baby is already 6 weeks old!  It feels like yesterday that we brought her home from the hospital. I cleaned out her draws today of all the clothes that she can no longer wear. I thought that day would never come. (I loved some of those sweet little clothes too) Of course now is my favorite time of the season and time for fall clothes. Thanks to Grace's Uncle Oliver and Aunt Callie Grace has some clothes for the season. 



Hi! I'm Katie. Wife to Michael. Mom to Grace, David Michael & Emma. Christ Follower. Runner. Stay at home mommy.



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