hello there!
I’ve decided to get back into frequent blogging. It’s something I love doing and I genuinely want to grow as a writer and WordPress user.
Please bear with me as the blog undergoes changes (adios, old posts!) and revamps into something new, unique, and of value to myself and to readers.
I’ve chosen “hello there” as the title of the new blog. In many ways, it is simple, clean and straightforward… exactly what I’m looking for!
Hope you’ll join me!
-Andrea
Happy Friday! It’s sunny, and 53 degrees as I am typing this. Get outta here! That’s like, 50 — maybe even 60 degrees warmer than it was at the beginning of the week.
Seeing sunshine is such a mood-booster for me, especially since I am stuck in the office all day today.
I just finished up my online grocery shopping, and wanted to share what’s on our menu for the next several days. Ideally, I would have purchased enough groceries to get us through the end of the month but I have learned my lesson and have had so much produce spoil that I can only shop for a week or week-and-a-half at a time. Of course I could order the pantry staples and such but I do best when I shop (and think!) in complete meals.
Make sense?
Doesn’t it look so good, and filling? (Click the photo to read the recipe.)
I’ll make a few changes… like using ground Italian sausage instead of beef, omitting the cabbage, and adding more onion. Although I am not using ground beef I will be using beef base and probably organic vegetable broth because I know I have it in my pantry.
In an attempt to jazz up a regular old taco meal, I’m making a taco casserole inspired by the Weight Watchers recipe linked to the photo.
I’ll make my own blend of yumminess with ground chuck, black beans, corn, onion, taco seasoning, and Rotel tomatoes layered between flour tortillas. Of course, I’ll top the casserole with cheese, sour cream, green onions, and diced tomatoes.
Can you tell that we really like onions?
You could totally use chicken in this recipe and I probably will in the future. We’ve had chicken a lot lately, so I’m choosing beef/pork for our next few meals.
For another meal, I’ll pan fry thinly-sliced pork chops seasoned heavily with Cavendar’s (a hubby fave). For sides we will have steamed broccoli and baked sweet potatoes.
BLTs made the menu this week, and I will probably add avocado slices to mine! The BLTs may accompany leftover soup, too. Otherwise, we’ll have fresh fruit salad as our side dish. Maybe mac & cheese if the little man requests it.
Have you had Zoodles? If not, you are missing out! My husband found one of these in his stocking this Christmas, and we used it for the first time recently.
As zucchini lovers, I knew there was a high probability that we would be hooked on zoodles. I was right!
We have the traditional “As Seen On TV” Veggetti, which is $9.99 at Walmart or Amazon.
I’ll cook these in olive oil and garlic for 4-5 minutes, using tongs to toss them around a few times. It’s really quick and I’ve learned to not overcook them.
I’ll make my usual spaghetti sauce with ground chuck, and will serve it over zoodles. Such a fun and healthy alternative!
So that’s it for the next several days in our household. I know the soup and casserole will make leftovers, and I bought a few other staples to bring for lunch, etc. My goal is to be healthy (within reason), and to make filling meals that don’t break the bank.
Because let’s face it, we all want the rich, cream cheesy delicious pasta recipes on Pinterest that always call for sun-dried tomatoes + artichokes + bacon + asparagus that would cost about $25 to create that one insanely good looking meal. Oh, I want it, but my pants and wallet don’t!!
Have meal ideas to share? Please do!
I’m back, baby! I have a few minutes to squeeze in a quick FOF post, so let’s save the “so sorry I haven’t blogged in months” post for another day.
Have you heard of Agnes & Dora? It’s one of those brands you have to buy directly from a rep. Some styles are similar to Lularoe, but they have better prints, prices, and style… in my opinion. I was lucky enough to snag a pair of BLACK distressed jeggings from my local gal Courtney and let me just say, they rock.
The 2″ elastic waistband that is mid-rise is a life saver for my mom belly that never got quite right after pregnancy… not that I’ve tried.
All in all, I think these jeggings would flatter all body types, and they come in a few colors and sizes. I am not a fan of colored jeans, but I do have my eye on that denim-ish gray pair.
At $44, these are a great buy!
Shop her site here: shopcourtneyargo.com
Yep, we are Bachelor junkies! My husband and I totally look forward to watching on Monday nights and joke that it is the best part of our Mondays. I am not familiar with Arie, as I didn’t watch the season of The Bachelorette he competed on. So far, I really like him and think he seems pretty normal. Well, as normal as you can get for being on a reality dating show!
Back in November, my husband had oral surgery and while he was in the middle of that I took a quick trip over to Target for some solo browsing. *praise hands*
The Gaines’ Hearth & Home with Magnolia line had just launched and I was dying to see what was in stock. I came across this lovely scent and it wasn’t like anything I had smelled before. It is subtle and one of those ‘barely there’ warm scents. Why is describing scents so difficult?
Next time you’re at Target, give this candle a sniff! I am happy with how slowly the soy candle is burning, and I will definitely repurchase this Christmas gift.
In case you were wondering, this is our favorite Christmas evergreen scent and this is our favorite year-round wax melt scent. While I do love Scenty’s Mochadoodle and Pumpkin Roll in the fall, I always come back to the Soft Amber Cashmere and it is so cheap and easy to find.
As I was squinting as hard as I could the other day to read the computer screen I came to the realization that my vision may not be as great as it once was. I was prescribed glasses for reading when I was 8 years old… I have vivid memories of my glasses fogging up in the afternoons in second grade. My classroom was upstairs in a red-brick school building with no air conditioning. Wouldn’t people riot these days if schools didn’t have air conditioning?
Anyway, from that point on I usually had an exam and got new prescription glasses every 2 years or so. I would wear them any time I was doing extensive computer work or reading. Fast forward to now… and I think the last eye exam I had was 5+ years ago. Yikes! So my glasses are 5 years old and I’m afraid it’s time for a new prescription.
Online eye glass retailers seem to be super popular these days. I’ve heard good things about Warby Parker & Zenni Optical.
Actually, the last time my mom got a new prescription, her optometrist suggested she go to Walmart and find a pair of frames she likes and he would order her lenses. I think she said her frames were under $20!
If you have purchased glasses online I want to hear about your experience!
The past 4 weeks have been fairly hectic for our family, because besides all the hustle and bustle of the holidays… our little Samuel has been sick. A few days before Christmas he was diagnosed with his first ear infection. I told the nurse practitioner, “Well, it was a good run” and she thought was pretty darn funny. It’s so true, he had only been to the doctor a couple other times other than for his well checks. Those two times we were just told he had a cold, and took him for peace of mind.
With his first ear infection came 10 days of amoxicillin. He started acting better within hours of his first dose, it seemed. I threw the bottle of amox away on New Years Day after we were done with our 10 day episode… and I found myself back at the pediatrician office on January 5th to be told that he had “mild pneumonia”.
I was feeling so frustrated and defeated. I do my absolute best to Clorox wipe, GermX, Thieves, and wash my hands so many times a day they are literally cracking. And, I can’t beat the germs! Ugh!
More antibiotics, of course. I am so thankful that he did not require chest x-rays or any intense diagnostics.
But man, having a sick kiddo is exhausting… for mom, for dad, for grandparents, and we all hate the fact that little man isn’t feeling well.
Saturday, my husband and I are rewarding ourselves with a date night because we need it. So badly. We can’t even remember the last time we had dinner at a restaurant together, alone.
I picked this new-ish Italian restaurant to check out. The reviews are fantastic and honestly, I am just looking forward to having quality conversation and a glass of wine… or 3.
Cheers to the weekend!
Andrea
Quickly sharing a few photos from our most recent trip to Arkansas to visit my other set of in-laws. Sammy REALLY enjoys the animals, as you can tell!
Prepare for animal cuteness…
Luckily, Aunt Morgan (sheep & goat extraordinaire) snagged a baby for us. These babydoll sheep are adorable and so soft.
Then, daddy had a wonderful idea… (insert eye roll). Boys will be boys!
This boy is so comfortable around farm animals. It’s amazing!
In the photo above, he is pelting the goats with feed. Maybe he’ll be a pitcher 🙂
He also loves laughing at the dogs splash in the water!
Cooling off with Grandma after a hot afternoon taking care of the animals. Farm life!
We are so thankful and blessed to have so many people that love and deeply care for our little Sammy. Wherever we go, he lights up others’ faces!
Here’s to a relaxing weekend at home preparing for the little one to turn 2 next weekend…
XOXO
It may seem silly to post an update just before the big ‘2 year milestone’… but if I don’t document life with Sammy right now, I will regret it. I write this blog mostly for myself and absolutely love going back and reading about what we were doing a few months ago.
Finally, we’re at the end of what seemed like the longest.week.ever!
I’m excited to have a chance to post on Five on Friday, because I’m seems like it’s been forever.
I’m linking up with other fabulous bloggers, listed above!
This past week, I had family in town visiting from Ohio. One thing we wanted to do is hit up a local lavender farm that has recently opened up the the public. Lavender Falls Farm is a cute little farm in the middle of nowhere (Jamesville, MO to be exact). You can read more about the farm here and here.
My cousin Jenna, Sammy, and myself
One thing that surprised me about Lavender Falls was the smell. Of course, we all know what lavender smells like… but this was different. When we got out of the car, the fresh air was a lavender and cinnamon-spice swirl! Really cool, and I would totally want to bottle that up.
The farm has a natural waterfall, small cafe serving lavender infused dishes and drinks, and a small area to walk around the lavender field, pictured above.
The drive to Lavender Falls was very scenic… we even came across a huge Holstein cow in the middle of the road!
Note: I also learned that my brain wants to spell the word lavendAR instead of lavender. I keep struggling to spell it correctly.
We were very excited to enroll Samuel in swim lessons at our city pool again this year. Last year he seemed to really enjoy it and progressed over the 4 sessions.
This year was a different story… He just wasn’t into it. He wanted to get out or sit on the steps. Or get out and hang out with daddy, as pictured.
He did not want to attend the last 2 sessions when I asked if he wanted to go. But, we stuck with it.
Sam is really experimenting with independence right now and everything is “me! me! me!”. That phase along with the class time (7:20-8 p.m.) is just rough on a little guy.
Now we are searching for the best lifejacket/floaty/suit with floaties in it for our boy so he can go to our neighborhood pool and still be independent. Please email me your suggestions! andreagraddy1@gmail.com
Cookies! Our neighbors just added a sweet little girl to their family and I want to bring them some freshly baked chocolate chip cookies to their doorstep. This is my go-to recipe for chocolate chip cookies.
I baked a lot as a kid (and teenager) and used my mom’s Better Homes & Gardens cookbook 99% of the time. That’s why their recipe for chocolate chip cookies, and almost anything, is my favorite!
Yes, I do think the invention of Pinterest has been phenomenal for DIYers and those who like to spend time in the kitchen but I certainly think there is a lot to be said about opening up a cookbook with splattered-on pages and dog-eared corners.
The BHG recipe makes floury, cake-like chocolate chip cookies that are so stinkin’ good. Our grocery store had a 2 for $3 deal going on so I grabbed a bag of semi-sweet chips along with a bag of butterscotch chips. I think I’ll mix both of those together and deliver them to the new parents (are you still new parents if you already have a toddler, because they do?) and maybe Old Man Andy next door.
Keeping your neighbors on your good side is a good thing… especially when you’re too busy to mow the grass. Eeek!
I told the hubs we were having a date night at home tonight after the little one goes to sleep. I’m picking up groceries after work, and added a couple bottles of wine to our online grocery order. White Zin for me and Cab for him!
We’re having a “big salad” for dinner, and wine for dessert. We just might bust out some of our favorite 2-person board games. I always tell engaged couples to add board games like Trouble, Stratego, Mastermind, Etc. to their wedding registry because nothing tops a date night at home with a little booze and a little friendly competition!
I told him of my plans last night, and I think he’s really excited. We’ve had one thing after another in the evenings the past 2 weeks it seems, so we are both looking forward to being home and just relaxing.
We don’t have anywhere to be in the morning either, so maybe just maybe Sammy will let us sleep til 7:30. That would be a real treat!
There are a few posts I’ve been working on (mentally) that I plan to share in the coming weeks. Topics I want to cover: Extended breastfeeding, decorating our guest bedroom, and goals for the second half of 2017. Anything you’d like me to write about?
I hope you have a restful weekend! XO
Oh my sweet forgotten blog – life happened, and blogging certainly has not.
Things that are currently being neglected (other than this blog): laundry, vacuuming, the ever growing pile of junk mail sitting on my counter.
Things that we are spending our time doing: sidewalk chalk, playing in the dirt, playing with the wooden train set (Thomas), and watering the flowers (aka spraying mom with the hose)! Now doesn’t that sound more fun?
Perfecting the “corn on the cob” hold to get every little bit off the stick.
We have visited our neighborhood pool once, and are gearing up for parent/child swim lessons starting next week. Since the schedules conflicted, we dropped out of gymnastics for a couple months to enjoy the water and sunshine!
Samuel continues to be such a joy and quite the funny boy. He is talking more every day and is incredibly independent. Far more independent than I was at his age, which makes me wonder what the toddler years will be like for the three of us 🙂 He is so curious, involved and helpful. I would much rather hear his “Me! Me! Me!” and have him engaged with what Jeremy and I are doing, rather than having him sit in front of the TV, iPad, or whatever…
He is constantly learning and never forgets a thing.
I’ll do my best to share those photos here, because it’s the best archive I have right now.
Cheers to Thursday, and being one day closer to Saturday!
It seems impossible. Sam is the shining light in our lives, from the moment he wakes in the morning, til the time he falls asleep at night… and then we just stare at him! “Can you believe how long he is?” and “When did he get so big?” come out of our mouths nightly.
At 20 months old, you are somewhere between 26-27 lbs. and get taller every day. I can’t remember how tall you were at your 18 month check up, but I remember thinking that it is very possible that you could be over 3 feet tall (a whole yardstick -wow!) at 2 years old.
We love you so, Sammy Hayes!
xoxo
Happy Friday, folks! I am SO happy that here in Missouri we have sunny skies and warm temps. It has been such a yucky past several days… rain, rain, rain. Surely these gloomy skies will pay off in May!
I was so excited when I saw these adorable Osh Kosh denim short overalls on the rack at TJ Maxx this week! I love the darker wash and am already picturing what tees I will pair these with. And, I just know Sammy will love the pockets. At $12.99 there was no way these weren’t coming home with me.
For my fellow overall-lovers, Osh Kosh is having a 50% OFF sale right now! Here’s the link to shop their site to find the perfect pair of overalls for your little.
I had a hankerin’ for homemade cookies the other day and did what anyone else would do and took to Pinterest to find something that was both easy to make and delicious.
I present to you: BROWN SUGAR COOKIES
Combine flour, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and set aside.
Cream butter til soft then add brown sugar. When combined, add vanilla and banana. Beat on high for 1 minute
Gradually add dry ingredients. Mix til incorporated.
Roll into 1″ balls, and roll in white sugar, and place on ungreased cookie sheet. I use a silicone baking mat. Bake at 350 for 8-9 minutes. Rest for 3 minutes before moving them to cooling rack.
These cookies are seriously good, and Sammy approved. I mean, look at that pot belly! Oh, and now he knows what the KitchenAid is for and keeps pointing at it and saying “mmm!”. Needless to say we have made this recipe twice in a week. Yikes!
How can I deny him cookies? Especially when he signs for “please”!
Did I have you at “free”? Good.
Shutterfly is offering FREE prints on their app! Yes, FREE! This offer is good for 4×4 and 4×6 prints, and doesn’t even require entering one of their annoyingly long alpha-numeric codes.
There isn’t a momma I know that has a good handle on regularly printing iPhone photos, so this is your chance to get caught up.
I ordered 250+ prints, and only had to pay $22ish for shipping. What a deal!
I passed down the super-dry skin gene to my little boy, and we have tried for… well all 19 months of his life… to get it under control. You see, we’re really good about greasing him up with Aquaphor after bathtime, not changing bath soaps, using free & clear detergent for his clothes, and limiting how many baths he has a week to try to retain some kind of moisture in his skin.
Recently I purchase CeraVe baby bath + shampoo and am hoping that it makes a difference for Sammy’s skin after bathing. Also, I whipped up a batch of Lavender Coconut Oil Lotion, because why not? We had the ingredients (only 2 things!) and I am willing to try anything to keep from putting steroid cream on his young skin.
We are 1 week in, and I think it’s working. I have noticed less itching and his skin seems less bumpy overall. Time will tell! If you have any kind of home remedy or product recommendation for dry skin/mild eczema that is toddler-appropriate I am all ears. Shoot me an email at andreagraddy1@gmail.com.
I searched for Cetaphil for Babies and didn’t see it at the store. It is the next bath wash product on my list if the CeraVe is not effective.
The lavender oil sure makes him smell yummy, too!
I am SO ready to leave the office and head home to open the windows and let the fresh air in!
Oh, quick note, if you have little ones you have got to try my easy and cheap trick for baby-proofing your blinds!
Cheers..and Happy Weekend-ing to you!! XOXO
Linking up with other fantastic bloggers for Five on Friday
We spent the weekend with Jeremy’s dad’s side of the family in Arkansas. We all had a great time with their farm animals… but no one loved it more than Samuel! He is quite the helpful farm hand. Always ready to feed the animals.
Louise… always the aggressive one. After all, she’s the biggest of the herd.
Samuel wanted to “ride” all the horses. Mia the Pony was nice enough to let him!
Look at these beautiful eggs! Dark browns, light browns, greens, and pinks! Easter came early 🙂
Utah the Miniature Donkey – known as “Haw Haw” to Sammy
Kisses for Papa Mikey!
Obsessed with Haw Haw. Probably because he’s the perfect size for a toddler.
But, donkeys can be unpredictable and very noisy!
We picked daffodils from the front yard of Jeremy’s Grandpa’s old house. Jeremy dug up several bulbs to plant in our front flowerbed. These will be a beautiful and meaningful addition to our home!
Hanging out with momma on the swing! We sat here together and he demolished 3 servings of Grandma Kim’s minestrone soup. Sam is a soup lover, just like daddy.
I look forward to our next weekend in Arkansas, as I know Sam will be SO excited to see the animals. I am sure they will look forward to Sam being around because they know they’ll be fed constantly.
hello there 