It was a Merry Christmas

 I was very much in the Christmas spirit this year!  I was so excited to decorate our house for the first time and share some of my Christmas spirit with my son.  DIY holiday projects and online shopping were major part of my holiday prep. I usually prefer the hustle and bustle of mall shopping but with the extreme cold temps online was a much better option.  Plus it put me ahead of the game.  I was happy with my online purchases and I believe my recipients were too. Thank you GAP, Shutterfly and Amazon for having just what I needed to complete my list this year.

Mason loved seeing Christmas trees and saying hohoho when talking about Santa but the whole concept of Christmas and opening presents didn't matter to him. Just because he didn't want to unwrap his gifts didn't mean he didn't love them. This was the year of the kitchen for Mason; complete with play food, pots and pans. I think this is going to be a great addition to the toys he already has; he can cook while I cook (and just maybe he will open the cabinets in his kitchen instead of the ones in mine). Mason received several items from Melissa & Doug (great quality toy brand by the way) his favorite so far being the broom (he is still sweeping away). His other favorite gift this year was a firetruck from Uncle Tony & Aunt Sherri (Matt likes this one too because it is a remote firetruck). Matt and I only got Mason a few small things this year but Santa along with everyone else went above and beyond; we are truly blessed.  Watching Mason oooh and ah over the past few days filled my heart with joy.  It also shed Christmas cheer among those around us.  We certainly are lucky. We hope you had the same magical experience in your house this Christmas.

His new favorite Firetruck 

Aunt Mia & Mason Christmas Day

Checking out his new car

Pintrest in Action

I've been "pinning" things to my "boards" for a couple of years now! I have tried some recipes along the way but recently I'm making my way through my recipe board and attempting some DIY holiday projects.  Pintrest is a great place to search for great ideas; food, style, home decor etc.  As a mom with a 1 year old running around I am looking for quick, easy and yummy dinner options. I love to cook but I don't have the time I used to; so making labor intense meals isn't a great option at this time in my life.  For other moms wondering what is for dinner; here are a few of my favorite Pintrest successes.  Follow my Cooked it Up board going forward so you can see what we are eating and what is a flop and what is not.

Seal peppers, potatoes, zucchini and sausage in an aluminum foil pouch and grill for a quick dinner (I baked mine, way too cold to grill right now). Would highly recommend this for a quick easy and mess free meal. 

Broccoli Cheese Bites: I've made these once a week for the last few weeks! I have altered the recipe along the way to our liking.  I always have panko on hand so I substitute that for the breadcrumbs. 

Mini Frittatas: I make these at night and we all enjoy them in the morning!  I wasn't sure how they would warm up but honestly they are great.  I have made them three times in the last week; putting whatever we have on hand in the frittata.  







Getting Organized on Pintrest: As I started trying out more recipes on Pintrest I had a need to get organized.  I have a recipe board (recipes I want to try) & a cooked  it up board (recipes I have tried).  I simply edited my pin once I have tried a new recipe and add a comment when I move it to my cooked it up board. This allows me to keep tract of what recipes we liked and those we won't be making again.  Happy Pinning!

Not into Pintrest; not to worry our family blog will remain family focused!

Snow Day

We are having a very cold very snowy winter; it's hard to believe it is only December. I'm doing my best to keep Mason & I from going stir crazy.  Last week we made pizza which then lead to a bath. It was a great way to pass time and I didn't have to worry about what Mason put in his mouth seeing it was all edible.

Matt and I bundled him up on Saturday morning (after a decent snow) to see what he thought about playing in the snow. It was hard for him to walk with his layers on but he sure did look cute. It was nice to get some fresh air and have some family play time.

Our visit with Santa & Aunt Megan

Tis the season; and this year I am really in the Christmas spirit. So is Mason, he loves seeing Christmas Trees & saying "Christmas tree." We have taught him who Santa is and that he says Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas. So, when we ventured out in the snow to see Santa I thought it would be painless. Mason started by giving Santa a once over and then it went down hill from there (I'm going to blame it on the unfriendly Santa who neither said Ho ho Ho or Merry Christmas). We got some great shots of this transpiring. Plus, things went more smoothly when both Matt and I sat on Santa's lap (literally all three of us were on his lap). Of course, brunch turned that frown upside down and the rest of our Sunday was joyful.

                     

With the extreme cold weather I find it unnecessary to take Mason out if the house every day! Plus taking him in and out of the car seat with his big bulky winter coat is not easy or fun (more tears). We are so lucky that we had a visit from Aunt Megan this past weekend. It truly takes a village and having another adult in the house for 48 hours was amazing! Megan was able to entertain Mason along with Matt and I. It made staying inside most of the weekend an absolute pleasure. Thank you Megan for the pre-holiday visit; we are very grateful or the one on one time we got to spend with you.