{First Kiss}

Fact: Mason doesn't like to give kisses. He has kissed me several times and it melts my heart each and every time. He kisses with his mouth wide open and ends each smooch by saying "mmwah." Matt has tried unsuccessfully to get a kiss from Mason. I believe, my mom is the only other person who has received a kiss from Mason...until the other day. Let me tell you A has been trying to give Mase a kiss during our last few play dates. Of course, he pushed her away like he does with everyone else. Something changed when A kissed Mase last Saturday night;  Mason kissed her back. And in a blink of an eye the roles had changed; Mason was going after A trying to get a few more smooches before we had to call it a night. It was precious, adorable and funny all at the same time.

Of course, none of us were prepared and didn't catch the young love in action (why is it the one time I don't have my phone glued to me ends in a missed opportunity)!?!?!

Here is what we do have! Hope it warms your heart on this cold day:

Mase going in for the kill!

{CooKin'}

Mason and I have spent the better part of this week cookin' (he puts the emphases on the co & kin part, really cute if you ask me). It took me a week to get back in the swing of things after coming back home; pretty sure I had to adjust to the -18 temps.  In this weather there is little Mason and I can do; we are spending a lot of time at home. I needed a project, so I started gathering recipes I wanted to try. Surprisingly Mason got really into it. He would stand by my side with his hands reaching up to me saying, "I see." Holding Mase makes chopping a little difficult; I tried pulling up a chair so we could work together but that didn't work either. I love his enthusiasm and interest; it helped pass the time for both of us. I'm thinking of buying a toddler step stool. They are pricey but safe; any mom out there invest in this? If so, was it worth the investment?

Here is what we made this week!

Spicy Black Bean Stuffed Peppers.  This is my second time making these; they are quick, easy and tasty....my favorite kind of recipe.  I skipped out on the cayenne pepper this time so that Mason could eat the inside mixture for dinner.  I sprinkled some cheese on top of the bean/corn mixture and he loved it (an extra bonus in my eyes). 

Sticky & Sweet Brussel Sprouts  & The Ultimate Grill Cheese.  The brussel sprouts turned out great even though I didn't have all the ingredients it called for. Now, for this sandwich; AMAZING.  I can't a wait to have this fabulous mixture of flavors again soon.

Sweet Potato Soup This is soup is quick and tasty.  I used chicken broth even though the recipe called for vegetable broth.  I also made the soup in the morning and served it for dinner; it really let the flavors settle.  I added cilantro because I had some.  This soup does have a kick to it but you can totally skip the hot spices if you need/want to. 

With the left over sweet potato I made these Sweet Potato Bites.  I'm pretty sure Greek yogurt is my new favorite ingredient. If you need an app to serve during the Super Bowl this would be a good option. 

I told you we spent the week cookin!

Brutal

Brutal is the only word to describe the kind of weather we are having. I shouldn't be complaining considering we have only been home since Sunday.  With the dangerously cold temps it seems senseless to bundle up and take Mason out just to run an errand.  I'm hoping we missed the worst of it since Mason and I spent almost an entire month in sunny Florida. I would take their 60 degree temps over these below freezing days any time. In fact, mom and I decided to extend our stay to keep Mason in the warmth as long as possible. So, while we fill our days with visits from Nana, Papa & Aunt Mia as much as possible. Think of Mason and I at home literally making a mess by playing with everything and anything. Spring can't come fast enough.

Florida trip:

Our annual Florida trip was fabulous; I say that now looking back at it. Like I've said in the past; vacations aren't really a vacation anymore. I was just blessed with being able to be a mom in a much warmer climate. The large open floor plan, limited baby proofing stock at Target and some bloody falls made for a stressful beginning. However, once we all got in the swing of things we were able to relax a bit. Our trip was filled with family dinners in, movies, games and lots of fun. It was so nice to be able to share Mason with everybody and watch him interact and learn from others. We even had the pleasure of getting a visit from Grandma Jean and Uncle Mike; they were able to get a taste of our days of chasing after Mason.
While we were away Mason's love for cars and trucks increased.  He found a new love: fountains (this made walks and shopping more fun for him).  He also managed to make friends with all the neighborhood dogs.  He enjoyed petting them and saying "hello dogie" "bye bye dogie." Mason also found a new favorite food, ice cream (I don't have any pictures of him enjoying a scoop because it would be gone in a blink of an eye).

Here are a some pictures of our fun times; as you can see we spent as much time outside as possible.

Mason & Papa at the outlet mall

Mason's first day back in the pool!  Clearly, he is our little fish.

We brought down one of his Christmas gifts.  He would have mowed the lawn all day long if we let him.  Pretty sure the people who live below us weren't too thrilled. 

At the park but playing with a cup.

Heading out for a walk with his Monkey & toothpaste.

Mommy & Mason wearing glasses.

Playing with Nana at the Napes Children's Museum.

Loving all the Florida fruit.

;

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.