Our Life Lately

The only thing certain is that everything is uncertain- and death and taxes, so I'm told. Right now there's a lot of big things happening for our little family, but before I get ahead of myself here's a brief update on what we've been up to lately:

My 3 favorites!

Watching: House of Cards and Call the Midwife (thanks, for the recommendation, Ashley!)

Sweating to: Bodyrock- I just finished a 30 day challenge, and I'm happy to report I can still do push-ups and still hate burpees!

Obsessing Over: This Easter dress for Grace

Looking forward to: Seeing my sister and Mom!

Thankful for: My new shiny pretty things.

Dust and Daffodils (By my talented friend, Amy)
This year my resolution was to 'Choose Joy,' so this is oh so perfect! 

Held In Your Hands Design (from my thoughtful friend, Courtney!)

So over: Snow days that aren't really snow days, but they cancel school anyways!

Reading: Wild by Cheryl Strayed. Now, I have to wait until the movie comes out on DVD...

Freaking out about: The dead horse I saw getting eaten by vultures. Seriously. I saw it, and I can't un-see it.

Really need to: Wash and clean out my car.

Eating: Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Bacon Poppyseed Dressing (like this recipe, but with spinach). We seriously ate it 5 times last week.

Baking: Banana Bread (recipe). Three-year-olds are great at mashing bananas.

Kind of delirious from: Nighttime feeding dates with my little man, but thankful that he goes right back to sleep. I know the days (and nights) are long, but the years are short, so I'm trying to relish the time. Holding his little tiny body reminds me that soon he will be much too big for my arms and uninterested in snuggles from his mama. *sniff sniff*

Planning: A move north... and east...

Proud Mama because: Grace can recite the Pledge of Allegiance and is learning something new everyday!

Contemplating: Training for a half marathon... time to bust out the Double BOB!

Laughing about: Spilling blueberries all over the supermarket while Grace loudly throws me under the bus. "MAMA, you spilled the blueberries. THEY"RE EVERYWHERE! Mama, you dropped them!!!" (It made me miss the days she couldn't talk, and I could have blamed it on her!)

Also laughing about: Being featured and recognized by friends on the Army Medical poster.

So, tell me, what are you up to? What's something you've been obsessing over? Do you have any good recipes, shows or books to recommend?

Figuring Out How To Be a Family of Four

Christmas is over, new years has come and gone and we're already well on our way through February!

Baby Braxton isn't quite so brand new anymore, but we are still working on figuring out our new routine. The lack of sleep wasn't quite as shockingly painful the second time around and my learning curve for breast feeding/diaper changes/bathes/teeny-tiny onsies wasn't as steep. Next week is his 2 month doctor appointment, and I can't wait to see how much he's grown! Grace is still a fantastic big sister, and has only had brief moments of jealousy. She runs to our room every morning to see her baby brother and asks him how he slept.

1 month old: loves sleeping, eating and baths.
Tolerates diaper changes and his sister coughing in his face.
Really hates getting put in his car seat and sleeping at 4am.

Fairy Tale Ballet- she only agreed to pose next to Little Bea

Ha! She loves her #littlebrudder 👶👸

A photo posted by allisonandersonland (@allisonandersonland) on Feb 9, 2015 at 11:31am PST

Last week Grace and I were sick with flu-like symptoms that knocked us out for a good 5 days. We spent lots of time laying on the couch, drinking juice and hot lemon and honey and watching Tinkerbell. Braxton escaped the sickness unscathed and continued his habits of eating, pooping and sleeping unconcerned about the hacking germ boxes he was living with. He really is a pretty easygoing baby.

Yay for surviving the plague on our house, some sun and time with Daddy! #cheapdate #justchocolatemilk #blingedoutthreeyearold 💕

A photo posted by allisonandersonland (@allisonandersonland) on Feb 8, 2015 at 6:56pm PST

Sometimes when I'm holding Braxton and Grace is nestled up next to me with her head on my shoulder, I can't even believe I am this lucky. Life can be hard, but Cole and I have the privilege of watching and guiding our sweet babies as they grow up. I am making an extra conscious effort this time around to enjoy the little moments, as I know all too well how quickly the days (and years) flew by with Grace.

Lilacs: 
Valentine's Day is this Saturday, so Grace's class is having a party. I love any excuse to get crafty, so I was pretty excited that she had to bring in Valentines for her class and decorate a box for Valentines cards. I will readily admit that I hijacked her project, BUT, I did let her help put on the stickers (her favorite part) and she decorated cards for her teachers.

I found this cute idea on Pinterest, and it was really inexpensive and easy to assemble (I also liked that it didn't involve candy!):

Envelope Valentine's box and watercolor Valentines for the class

The box is just an empty Cheerios box, cut in half and taped with white duct tape. The Valentines are watercolors from the Dollar Tree with this cute printable. 

Lemons: 

That time I thought I was super on top of things and sent a thank you note that looked like this:

Sorry, Christina!!!

My Lemonade: I loved laughing at myself. I'm pretty ridiculous and do something silly/embarrassing basically everyday. Oh well. Secret's out- I'm not perfect! ;)

7 Kitchen Tips That I Learned the Hard Way

I will be the first to admit that my prowess in the kitchen is sadly lacking. 

My husband would be the second. (He has never once complained and gladly eats what I cook and helps with the dishes.) Good man!

Unfortunately he seems to have married a wife without many talents in the kitchen. I think over the past 10 years my cooking has actually improved a little bit, but I will never be anywhere close to a culinary genius. 

If I had to give myself a grade in the kitchen, it would be a C-. Just barely passing. The underachiever in the back of the class.

Grace thinks I'm an excellent cook!

Luckily, I've learned some important lessons in the kitchen over the years, and I'm happy to share them! Hopefully you can avoid some of the mistakes I've made:

1. Don't cook microwavable rice without adding water

It will burn, melt the dish and smell really bad.

2. Saving leftovers you don't really intend to eat is a bad idea
You will find them weeks later in the back of the fridge and have to call the Hazmat team for proper and safe disposal. 

3. Always keep fresh garlic and wine on hand

They can turn any dinner into something mostly edible.

Pasta Making Class- Let's be honest, I was there for the wine!

4. Cereal or PBJ are perfectly acceptable meals
Unless you don't have cereal, milk, peanut butter, jelly or bread. Then take-out is perfectly acceptable, too. 

5. Clean your sink

Grimy dried up food stuck in your sink is gross. 

6. Assume that your creation will never look like the one on Pinterest

Pinterest fails are basically the story of my life, but I still love Pinterest and have found many delicious and easy recipes and craft ideas. 

7. Master some go-to recipes that you're not afraid to feed guests or take to parties

I don't have many dinner parties, because I have a two-year old with the table manners of a gorilla, but when we do have people over, I always cook something that I've made successfully in the past. There's nothing worse than a failed new recipe and hungry guests! My favorites are Chicken Lettuce Wraps and Taco Chicken Bowls. I also feel like a really scrumptious dessert makes up for a so-so dinner. Can you say Chocolate Molten Lava Cake!? That will make me forget about a nasty dinner. 

BONUS
8. Put a piece of bread in a tupperware with your brown sugar to keep it soft
My mom taught me this one.

Well, there you have it. 8 Kitchen tips from yours truly. You can tell 'em you learned from one of the worst.

What are you best kitchen tips? I'd love to hear them.

...no seriously, tell me how you do it!

7 kitchen tips based on mistakes you have made in the past.

My Birthday Wish: 28 Acts of Kindness

There are some awesome ideas posted on Pinterest for celebrating a birthday with random acts of kindness equal to your age. My 28th birthday was quickly approaching, so I figured, why not?  I thought it would be nice to share this experience with my 2-year-old daughter, Grace, while we give back and spread good cheer.

You're never too young or too old to be kind. 

I knew that my acts of kindness wouldn't be completely random, so I decided to make a list in advance to make sure I could get all 28 done.  Over the past week I've been working to complete all 28 acts of kindness. I also didn't want for them all to be centered around buying things or giving people money or gift cards. While giving money is a generous gesture, I wanted to also do things that were thoughtful and meaningful. True, nothing I did this week is life altering, but maybe I brightened someone's day. That's my only goal.

I hesitate to post here because I am not looking for recognition or praise. I am grateful for all that I have, and yet sometimes I get caught up on things that don't matter in the greater scheme of things. I am lucky to have good health, a loving family, supportive friends, plenty to eat and a warm house, so why not pass a little of that luck on to others in honor of my birthday.

1. Donate Blood
Cole had a long weekend, so I made an appointment for Columbus Day. I hadn't given blood since well before I was pregnant. The nurse was impressed when I pumped it out in 7 minutes. She asked me if I wanted to take a picture with my blood, so here I am...holding a bag of my blood.

2. Run in the 2013 Virtual Joggermom Cancer Run 
I have one month to log 26.2 miles and a portion of my entry fee goes to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

3. Return carts from the parking lot at Target
This one was easy, and I don't know if it had any real impact, but at least the carts were safely stowed in their cart corral. (I always find it annoying and lazy when people leave their carts in a parking space or prop them against a curb.)

4. Buy someone a cup of coffee
There was no one in line behind me at the Starbucks inside Target-shocking- so I bought a $5 gift card instead. I ended up giving it to a man who was helping some elderly people from Cape Fear Valley do their shopping. He asked me what it was for, and I told him, "just because." He seemed surprised and said he was going to give it to one of his patients. What a sweet guy.

5. Leave a dollar in the dollar deals toys section of Target
I thought it would be fun for a kid to find it, so I put it down low in the play dough.

6. Donate to the Hoke County Humane Society
Grace and I brought old throw pillows, a dog bed, some leashes and doggie bandanas to the Hoke County Humane Society. The lady we left them with was so appreciative. We went back and said hi to the dogs, but it really is heartbreaking to see them all shut in their cages. Please think about adopting, if you are considering getting a pet. There are so many who need loving homes.

7. Hide a surprise in a favorite book 
Grace loves the library, or "libaby" as she calls it. We spent some time reading and playing with the puzzles, and then snuck a surprise into one of our favorite books, The Giving Tree, by Shell Silverstein.

8. Donate to the Library Giving Tree
On our way out I noticed a tree with pumpkins ranging from $1-$50. We chose a $5 pumpkin to help support someone in need in the community. The tree is through the window, behind Grace.

9. Bring spare clothes to Grace's school
Grace's wonderful school was asking for some spare clothes to keep on hand in case the kids had accidents or a run-in with a mud puddle.

10. Buy locally
From now on we will be purchasing our eggs from Grace's teacher's son. Yay for fresh and local!

11. Buy a lotto ticket for someone
I never buy lotto tickets, but I thought it would be fun to surprise someone with the chance to hit the JACKPOT!

12. Donate to the Goodwill
In preparation for our move, I cleaned out some of Grace's baby toys and kitchen gadgets and dropped them off at the Goodwill.

13. Pick up trash around the neighborhood
Grace really got the hang of this fast. Now I need to get her to STOP picking up random grossness!

14. Leave quarters at the laundry mat
The laundry mat attendant seemed suspicious of me, probably because I didn't have any laundry... So I left my quarters and darted out before he could say anything. I remember how annoying it was when we didn't have a washer and dryer. I hope some surprise change will bring a little cheer to this miserable chore.

15. Bring treats to my hardworking SS mamas
I seriously get to workout with some awesome women. They wake up and drag their babies and all of their gear out the door to attend Stroller Strides. They provide friendship and support to each other and can do burpees like it's nobody's business. I thought it would be fun to bring some cookies to share after class, since, you know, it is my birthday. :)

16. Call the electric company to report street light outages in the neighborhood
There are more than a couple street lights out in our hood. I kept meaning to call, but haven't, for months! I finally called today, and they said they would send someone out. They asked me to tie ribbons around the poles that were out and didn't have ID numbers.

17. Bring Ranger Gavin a thank-you treat
Ranger Gavin keeps the park we workout at clean and safe. He is always cheerful and friendly whether he's tidying up the restrooms or returning a lost turtle to the wild. I don't think he gets a lot of recognition for all he does, so we dropped off a jar of trail mix and a thank you note to let him know he is appreciated.

18. Buy "Gage's New Friend" a book to help Gage earn money to get an alert dog
Ten-year-old Gage was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. He has written a book about his struggle and hopes to raise money to get a Diabetic Alert Dog to be his best friend and guardian angel.

19. Give a loan on Kiva.org
This is an amazing non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Through their website I am able to lend $25 to someone trying to create a better life for themselves. My loan will go to help a young man in Kenya mentor and educate the youth. Click here to learn more about John.

20. Visit our local fire station and thank them for keeping us safe
We are scheduled to visit our local station next Friday with Grace's classmates. If I must spend the afternoon with firefighters, than I must. It's tough being me. ;)

21. Send a surprise to a friend

Bows by Simply Pretty Bows

22. Pay for someone's movie at Redbox
I think Redbox movies are more than a dollar now, but I stealthily taped a buck to the screen anyways. Happy viewing!

23. Donate books to the library
Maybe one day I will have my own library wing in my house, but until that day, I can't keep every book I read. I hope they are enjoyed by others!

24. Visit a nursing home
I was nervous about this one. I don't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable, but I thought it might be nice to bring Grace to a nursing home to visit with anyone who wanted. I called the nursing home before hand to make sure it would be ok. They said we were welcome. We stopped by and spoke with a sweet lady named Leela. She seemed happy for some company, and said she has 6 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild.

25. Let someone go ahead of me in line
No one likes to wait, but sometimes people get extra impatient at the grocery store. Grace and I happily let the lady with 5 items go in front of us at Food Lion even though we didn't have a full basket.

26. Take the It Can Wait Pledge
Nothing on my phone is that important that I need to endanger my life, my daughter's life or anyone else on the road.

27. Pay for someone's order in the drive-thru
Panera was kind enough to give me a free Birthday pastry, so I decided to pay for the car behind me. I drove off as quickly as I could, but I hope the girl enjoyed her surprise gratis lunch!

28. Write an overdue thank you note
There are a lot of people that could use an extra note of thanks, so I chose someone who wouldn't have expected to hear from me. ;)

So there are my 28 acts of kindness. Nothing earth-shattering, but it was meaningful for me. It was fun and reminded me to be generous. You really never know how a little kindness can turn someone's tough day around. I couldn't have asked for a better birthday gift to give to myself...

...but, if you wanted to do something for me too... there is something. Maybe in honor of my birthday, I could recruit 28 of my friends and family to do something unexpectedly nice for someone else? Your random act of kindness can be anything you want. I promise it will make you feel good and you will brighten someone else's day! Take a risk and make the choice to do something kind. If you do, comment here or on Facebook. It will make my birthday even more super-duper extra special!

Potty Training: Tales From the Loo

Apparently once babies are born, they just keep growing bigger and smarter at an exponentially fast pace? I know it's a cliche, but where did the time go? My baby Grace is two, and very much not a baby anymore. 

Now, if only we could be done with diapers... We've had some success and I've even risked it and let her run around naked a few times, but I don't think we're quite there yet. Luckily she still thinks it's fun to wipe, flush and wash her hands. 

I found some ideas on Pinterest for a potty chart, so we've been trying that for the last couple of weeks. (How cute is this chart from The Scrap Shoppe Blog?) 

Check out The Scrap Shoppe Blog to get your own free printable potty chart

Basically with the chart, Grace gets a sticker each time she successfully uses the potty. Once she fills up a whole row with 5 stickers, she gets a sweet treat (jelly beans). When she fills up the whole chart, she gets to pick out a toy at the store. Yes, I know I'm bribing her, but at least it's positive reinforcement, right? 

What are your potty training go-to tricks? I'm all ears for suggestions/commiserating tales. 

Not-So-Frosty The Snowman

Even though the thermometer says 70°F, the calendar still reads Decemeber. It's already the 10th...that's just 13 days until my family arrives...2 weeks until Christmas eve...15 days until Christmas...you get the picture! Usually I would be scrambling to come up with gift ideas about this time, but not this year. I'm done!

So this is what it feels like when you don't procrastinate until the very last day. It feels good-and a little unnerving. I can't help but think maybe I need to do a little more shopping or at least some window browsing... Nah, I'll just tackle some more activities on my 25 Days of Christmas list! (The check marks below are me marking them off of my list!)

Last week we put up the Christmas tree. ✓ There's nothing like the smell of a fresh pine tree 6 ft. artificial evergreen tree in your living room office.

Decorating the tree

Grace loves looking at the tree at night when we turn on the lights. She also loves stealing ornaments.

I finished addressing all of the Christmas cards and sent those out with the snail mail carrier. ✓ One may be headed your way!

Enjoy some Elton Christmas tunes here

We had a pretty rockin' dance party to Elton John's Christmas Party cd on Thursday morning. ✓

I also made the house smell like Christmas with some delicious Honey Pear Cider and Apple Press Scentsy scents ✓ and wrapped some Christmas gifts. ✓ 

All this checking makes me quite happy!!! ✓✓✓

Cole absolutely loves it when I get crafty (false, he does not), so I made some Christmas decorations ✓ and decorated 3 new ornaments for the tree! ✓ They were all super easy, but I'll share the melted snowman ornament. (As usual, it was inspired by Pinterest!) Any snowmen in our area would definitely melt...there is no snow in sight!

 

How To Make a Melted Snowman Ornament

Supplies:

Clear glass or plastic bulb
Ribbon
Salt
Funnel

Black puff balls
Orange paper

Red felt
Small sticks of twigs
Glue

1. Using a funnel, fill the bulb about 1/4 of the full with salt.
2. Toss in the black puff balls. (These represent the coals that make up the snowman's eyes and mouth.)
3. Cut out a small piece of orange paper and roll it up to look like a carrot. Toss that in the bulb.
4. Cut out a small strip of felt and cut fringe on either in to represent the snowman's scarf. 
5. Break off two pieces of twigs and toss those in the bulb. (These are the snowman's arms).
6. Put the lid of the bulb back on and tie a piece of ribbon to the top. Ta-dah! Super cute and easy!

Not-So-Frosty the Snowman hanging on the tree

I also had an amazing opportunity to collaborate with my fellow Stroller Stride mamas and adopt 3 in-need military families. Together we shopped for toys and clothes for 8 kids who may not have otherwise received any gifts for Christmas. Being able to help out and witness the generosity of others is always a humbling experience.  ✓

Finally, we read a Christmas story. ✓ Grace is actually starting to like books. Well, she may not really like them, but at least she'll let me turn the pages now!

Reading Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, a cool recordable storybook we got at the Fort Bragg 5K this weekend!

I'm loving the holiday season this year! I hope you are too! Wishing you a silent night!

Thankful

Thankful Turkey Craft (see below for instructions)

This weekend I ran the Pinehurst Turkey Trot 10K. It was a great way to start off Thanksgiving week... until I went and ate a giant breakfast burrito afterwards and washed it down with a large mocha. 

Confession: I run to eat!
(and that's fine with me)

K and H were troopers and kudos to their moms for pushing the double stroller! That thing is no joke!

Seriously, though, on this Monday before Thanksgiving I was thinking about all of the Christmas shopping I have yet to do and packing for our trip to Florida later this week. I was thinking I should buy a wreath for the front door. I had thoughts of a cinnamon roll and Pumpkin Spice Latte. Then I took a deep breath and realized...

It doesn't matter. 

Black Friday and holiday travel. 

Decorations and overpriced coffees.

None of it is really important!

What's important is family.

Good health.

Good friends.

Making memories

and

finding time to enjoy what you have. 

That's what I want my life to be about all year long!

(Not just during the months of November and December! How does that make sense?)

So in honor of turkey day, get out your crafting scissors and let's show some gratitude with attitude!

How To Make a Thankful Turkey

Supplies:

White paper plate
Tan, orange or brown construction paper
Yellow construction paper
Black Sharpie marker

Googley eyes
Foam sticks in assorted colors (or paper feathers cut from construction paper)

Scissors
Glue

Paper plate cut in half with scalloped edges will form the turkey's wings.

1. Cut your paper plate in half and then use scissors to cut scalloped edges along the round part of the plate.
2. Cut out a turkey head and neck from the brown or orange construction paper. (I drew mine and then added the eyes and beak with the Sharpie- just make sure the head and neck are at least as tall as the halved paper plate.) 
3. Cut out the turkey's waddle from the yellow construction paper. (Apparently the waddle is the hangy-thing under a turkey's chin. Turkeys use their waddles for cooling purposes.)
4. Use 3-7 foam sticks to give your turkey feathers. Fan them out and glue them to the paper plate. Make sure the ends of the sticks all start from the center so they will be covered when you glue on the turkey head. (You could also cut out colorful feathers from construction paper if you don't have the foam sticks.)
5. Using a Sharpie, write what you're thankful for on the end of each stick. 
6. Glue the turkey head to the plate. 
7. Glue the waddle under the turkey's beak.
8. Glue on some googley eyes!

I'm thankful for friends, my electric blanket, running, Girl Scout Cookies and family.

I promise I am thankful for other things like my freedom and clean water- I just had Thin Mints on the brain while I was crafting my turkey!

Gobble Gobble!

Happy THANKSgiving!