Happy Halloween!

Here is my hubby's costume this year....last minute idea.

4 hours last night, but I think it turned out pretty well.

(cross your fingers he wins again this year at work....3 years in a row now)

2010

2009

2008

Happy Halloween Weekend!

Be safe and have a great Halloween!

***Don't forget yo sing up for the Fall Favorites blog Swap***
(Link on my right sidebar)

Don't Forget....

 Come join us in the

{click on the picture to go to the swap post} 

You mush sign up to participate before Nov. 4th

::

This weekend...all my Invitations/Announcements/Holiday Cards are 40% off.

Get your holiday cards for a great price, made exactly how you want them, and print as many as you need.

 {click on the picture to go to my Etsy site}

Use the code 'FABFALL' to get your 40% off discount

{Refer 2 or more friends and/or family and your holiday card is FREE}

(Please be sure they write your name when checking out, in the comments to seller)

Food Fixing FRIDAY!

Peanut Butter Chicken

  

Ingredients:

8 or 10 pieces frying chicken (I used some thighs and some breasts, since my hubby and I like opposites)
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 extra lg. or jumbo egg
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. flour
Cracker crumbs (I used a whole sleeve of saltine crackers)
1/2 stick butter- melted

Directions:

Stir egg, peanut butter, salt and pepper together to blend. Beat milk into peanut butter mixture until thoroughly blended and smooth. Rinse chicken pieces in cold water and drain.

Put flour in a bag and shake chicken pieces to coat. Dip chicken pieces in batter, coat with cracker crumbs. Place chicken pieces in lightly greased baking dish or pan. Drizzle melted butter on top of each chicken piece. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until tender.

This chicken is amazing!

Now link up for some new recipes!

Can You Believe It?

...60 days till Christmas!

{Holy Moly Batman...that is coming up quick}

I'd better get shopping!

 I used to be so good about being almost done Christmas shopping by November....let me just say 3 1/2 kids later...that just isn't so easy!

&

 Only 31 days till we get to do this...

 We have a tradition of decorating our tree the Saturday after Thanksgiving! I usually break out the decorations before then, cause I get so excited, but I look forward to decorating the tree with the kids every year!

I take about 10 days off from the daycare and I love spending that time with family and friends! (big changes are coming after this time off from the daycare...stay tuned for a post about the daycare) We always spend all of Christmas Eve with my hubby's family and then all Christmas day with my family. {It makes it so much easier that way}

 We get dressed up for Christmas Eve and spend most of the day in our PJ's on Christmas day. The PJ's (or comfy clothes) that we wear Christmas day are new ones that we get as a gift on Christmas Eve.

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE traditions?

 My mom always saves a gift for each person, for Christmas night, so that the excitement of gifts and giving lasts all day. She used to tell us that Santa sometimes forgets some gifts in his sleigh, so he drops them off at the houses after dinner. {I LOVED this as a kid and my kids love it now}

For Christmas day...we always have cinnamon rolls for breakfast...among a bunch of other yummy things! I LOVE cinnamon rolls! 

Christmas Eve we have the kids 'hide' in a room and we tell them Santa is coming, then we put out the rest of the presents under the tree, so that when they come down, the tree is full and presents are ready to be opened. They love this!

What are some of your family traditions for the holidays?!

Fall Favorites Blog Swap

It's Blog Swap Time...

{back by request, but this swap involves everyone!}

Everyone is welcome to join this blog swap. It is easy and who doesn't love a great blog swap!?

Link up below with your name and blog address and then get ready to go shopping for some of your fall favorites.

{Ideas...gift cards, frames, decor, treats, slippers, nail polish, cards, Dvd, book..etc}

Here's how is works...

  

{1} Sign up by adding your blog to the linky below. Please include with your first name @ blog name.

{2} Your partners will be revealed on Friday, November 4th on my blog. You'll contact your partner through their blog and swap addresses.

{3} Get shopping and have fun! Please spend between $20 to $25 (not including shipping). Make sure your box is packed carefully to withstand shipping. Make sure your box is shipped out on or before Saturday November 12th.

{I will have a link up posted on Friday November 18th, so everyone can share their fall favorite packages!}

Testing A New Sport...

 He wanted to try out soccer....

 ...he found out that he loves it!

He loves running around with friends...

...playing against coaches and being challenged.

  

But....Baseball is still the #1 thing on my little man's mind!

{This will just have to tide him over till spring}

Far From Perfect!

Though I hate to admit it, I am very far from perfect. I am the best mother and wife I can be...but that by no means makes me perfect.
I have my flaws, I make plenty of mistakes, I have many regrets lessons learned and I have a ton of room for improvement.
 I have yelled many times and regretted it right after I did it. I hate my temper and as many times as I've said I am not going to blow up yell, I still did it.

The thing is NO ONE is perfect! I am ok with that.
Though you do see 'those people' who walk around with their head held higher than everyone else...'the people' that look down on everyone around them...'the people' who think they are on top of the world....but even those people AREN'T perfect!

I have my flaws....
yelling too much * being obsessed with cleaning * not giving people the benefit of the doubt * not always being patient * not knowing how to take a break and slow down * worry about what people think 
(just to name a few)

 It is nice to read other people's blogs and find out they have similar flaws and aren't perfect...just like me!
 I love blogging and it gives me a sense of peace knowing that I am not the only mom/wife giving it my all and trying the best I can, but still failing learning now and then.

Blogging 7 years ago, when I started, was just posting pictures of Chase and telling stories, so my family could read about him and keep up on our lives....now it has turned into so much more.

A place to get advice, a place to find new fun products, a place to find 'friends' with similar lives and situations, a place to document our ever changing life and more!


Thanks to all my readers, commenters and blogs I've found along the way {that I love reading}!

Food Fixing FRIDAY!

BLT PASTA
 

Ingredients:

1 8 oz. block of cream cheese

1 box of penne pasta

1/4 cup grated parmesan

2 tsp Italian Seasoning

8 pieces of bacon

1 cup of cherry tomatoes (I used 1/2 cup diced Roma tomatoes)

1 cup of milk

 Directions:

Cook pasta according to box. 

 

Drain and rinse pasta.
 

While pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet on medium high heat and mix together milk, cream cheese and Parmesan cheese till smooth and combined.

You can keep your cherry tomatoes whole, but I choose to use Roma tomatoes, so I diced them up.

Cook bacon and crumble

 Mix pasta with cream cheese sauce

Add spinach, tomatoes and Italian seasoning...

...and mix well

Add bacon before serving.

Enjoy! I ate way too much and had leftovers the next day!

Link up ladies...I am lacking recipes and it is starting to get cold, so I need some new ones! :)

Family Photos Fall 2011

 

As many of you know, I get the privilege of being friends with Erin from The Schuler Family Blog and also the owner of Simply Classic Photography.

Erin has taken our families pictures since Chase turned 3 years old.....these were the first pictures she took for me...and I fell in love with her work!

  

She even took on the HUGE task of shooting 4 one year olds 

{all friends of mine, who had babies around the same time as I}

(believe it or not....Abby is the one on the far left)

  

Here are some of my other {favorites} from over the years...

   

  

  

  

I LOVE her work and couldn't be happier with it!

::

So, when I saw all her fall photo shoots on her site...I knew I had to get fall photos taken!

Here is a sneak peek...

{some more of our fall shoot are on my new blog layout....and more to come}