a new favorite "non-toy"

I know Nic and I haven't been parents for long (a mere 17 months to be exact) but we've definitely figured out by now that kids prefer non-toys or over their actual toys. Water bottles, tissue boxes, anything in the kitchen that resembles cookware, toilet paper rolls, keys, definitely cell phones, wallets, you name it, if they aren't supposed to be touching it or it is not intended to be a toy, it is EXACTLY what they want. Liam is no different. I'm not even sure anymore why we even have toys around here when all I have to do is give the kid a basket of pens (that he doesn't know how to open yet mind you) while I cook dinner and it lasts AT LEAST 10 minutes. Genius!

Nic has joked about how we should come up with a basket product that holds random kid-friendly non-toys and we could make millions! haha The truth is though, kids are smart, and Liam definitely knows the difference between mom and dad's keys and his own toy/kid-friendly keys. But, sometimes we can fool him! One of Liam's favorite non-toys right now is Nic's work badge. The second he gets home at the end of the day, Liam runs to his arms to be picked up and reaches inside of his work jacket to pull out his beloved badge. So for Easter, Nic had Liam's very own badge made to match.

It has his picture on it and says his name with his job title, which is of course, "The Boss". It's fitting, right?! haha Now anytime we go to visit Nic at work, Liam wears his badge too. Like father, like son. Nic's response, "Instead of Liam working at a fast food restaurant during high school like I did, maybe I'll have my very own data-analyst partner and he can work for me." haha I wouldn't put it past him.

Easter 2016

Another wonderful Easter in the books. Did it feel strange having Easter in March this year instead of April for anyone else or just me?? Maybe I am feeling this way because I just don't want it to be over yet. A holiday centered around the Savior is one to cherish. This quote by Jeffery R. Holland was on my mind and in my heart yesterday as I reflected on the Savior's Resurrection ... "One of the greatest consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so. His solitary journey brought great company for our little version of that path-the merciful care of our Father in Heaven, the unfailing companionship of this Beloved Son, the consummate gift of the Holy Ghost, angels in heave, family members, prophets and apostles, teachers, leaders, friends. All of these and more have been given as companions for our mortal journey because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ ... Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone or unaided" and I've never been more grateful for all of those heavenly and earthly angels that surround me each day and never leave me alone, especially the Savior.  

Anyway, Easter morning ...

We had wheat blueberry muffins and fruit filled Easter eggs for breakfast. :) I'll give you ONE guess which egg Liam went for first ... 

BANANAS!!!

After breakfast we opened Easter baskets. Somebody's keen eye went straight for the carrot shaped bag filled with Reece's pieces and he never looked back. haha

Those baby blues and that tiny polka dot bow tie kill me!!!

When he discovered there were jelly beans inside the Easter eggs, he tossed the m&ms to the wayside and shoveled them in as fast as he could while daddy ready him That's Not My Bunny. :)

The weather hasn't been the nicest (it snowed today) to be spending time outside so he hasn't gotten a chance to try out his new bubble gun yet but he sure likes carrying it around the house with him! I'm not sure how well he is going to like it though after seeing his reaction to the Thomas the Train Engine toy that grandma gave him. It blows bubbles out of the top as you push it and it totally freaks him out. haha

That handsome Easter bunny of mine got me this sweatshirt and it is now my favorite thing in my closet! I love it!!

We had Nic's mom over for Easter dinner. I made these fun bunnies out of cloth napkins and we tried a hummus filled garden pot for an appetizer. We had the traditional ham dinner with roasted rosemary red potatoes, salad, and asparagus. So yummy!

Holding Grandma's hand and waiting anxiously at the door to go outside for the Easter egg hunt ...

I had every intention of starting a new tradition of burying magical jelly beans with Liam on Saturday to grow into suckers on Easter morning but the weather did not cooperate and Liam is still too young yet to understand and enjoy it so we'll postpone until next year! However, I still stuck suckers (say that ten times fast, yikes!) throughout our dirt patch in our backyard and it was the first thing he noticed! His face lit up when he saw them and he immediately plucked two out of the ground, one for each hand, and carried them all around the backyard. It was game over for the Easter egg hunt after that! Instead he followed daddy, carrying those two little suckers with a death grip around the yard, while Nic gathered all the eggs. haha Look at how happy he was though!!!

Such a good egg gatherer. haha

The highlight of his day, finally getting to have one of those beloved suckers.

We wanted so badly to take Rue outside for her first time on Easter. Up until the end of last summer, we didn't have a fully fenced in yard so we never wanted to risk her hopping away. I swear the older she gets, the moodier she gets. She is still so sweet but with an attitude. She was being very stubborn and her usual nocturnal self so she didn't want anything to do with coming out of her cage a minute sooner than her normal time in the evening. Sadly, it was after Liam went to bed and it was dark outside. Another day! It looks like our little Easter bunny got herself a salt lick for her favorite day of the year. ;)

Happy Easter from this little family of mine! Hope you had a wonderful day! XO

P.S. Pictures of last Easter here. Look at how tiny Liam was!

Decorating Easter Eggs

On Monday night we decorated Easter eggs and I felt like a kid all over again (I love this kind of stuff)! Decorating Easter eggs with a one year old however proved to me that I was in fact, not the one who was the kid in the room.  

I thought I might be losing my mind to let Liam anywhere in a 10 foot radius of glass cups filled to the brim with colored die but those little hands were highly monitored on daddy's lap and all was right in the world! He loved helping lower the eggs into the glass and became a master at swirling the spoon! 

Instead of buying a kit from the store like we usually do we used vinegar and food coloring. I used this chart to create some pretty mint and coral colors. I'm sure I can count on a whole host of stickers, crayons, and other craziness involved in the future but this year we called it good after coloring them. We made it through the whole process without a single egg being dropped or broken so I called that a win in my book! 

I'm getting so excited for Sunday! The Easter program at church is always one of my favorites. I used nap time today to fill Easter baskets with fun goodies and I can't wait for the Easter bunny to hide eggs for Liam to hunt for! ;) I think he's going to freak when he discovers there are jelly beans inside! We're hoping for good weather to let Rue hop around the backyard for her very first time too! 

pizza Saturday!

I have found myself unintentionally putting a lot of pressure on the weekends lately, particularly on making them fun. Saturday and Sunday are the only days out of the week that we have Nic home with us so I always feel this need to fill them full of entertaining plans. In a small town during winter time that is a hard thing to accomplish and I end up setting myself up for failure and feeling disappointed. I know that your time is what you make of it and the truth is, when I finally let myself relax and let go of that burden, I discovered that I'm happiest doing anything and nothing at all just as long as I'm spending my time with my two boys. After giving myself that little pep talk last week, this weekend was amazing! A lazy Saturday morning spent in pajamas watching Mr. Popper's Penguins, warm enough weather to go for a run together, and Saturday night pizza made the most fun Saturday I could ask for. 

Speaking of Saturday night pizza ... we started the New Year with a resolution to cut back on sugar and simply eat healthier all around. We both have sweet tooths to the max (I'm talking to you ice cream!!!) and it has been good for us to limit what we do eat. We decided to make Saturday a pizza night to indulge and look forward to and it is one of our favorite days of the week now! Liam LOVES pizza. He can eat 3 pieces in one sitting by himself! I mean, I don't know where this kid puts it! ;) He has been eating with a spoon for a while now but just recently started figuring out a fork. While he still needs a little extra help stabbing a bite on the end, he definitely knows exactly where to put it once it's on there. haha 

And nothing better than washing it down with a big throw-your-head-back, hold-your-breath, kind of swig of water. ;)

I know it's only Tuesday but, hooray for weekends! Can every day be pizza Saturday?! 

Spring Favorites

Happy second day of spring and Easter week! Yesterday was GORGEOUS outside and we enjoyed every second of it on our first family walk of the season. Now I'm hanging on to that thread of warm hope as I watch it torrential downpour outside my window. Boo! We are so ready for warmer weather, especially Liam! I think he might live outside if I let him. 

Being that it is the second day of spring, I thought I would share a few of my Spring favorites ...

TULIPS! My most favorite flower and the one and only flower I can't help but buy whenever I go to the grocery store. As I was walking out of Costco this morning with this particular bouquet in hand, the lady who checks your receipt on your way out said to me, "Good for you for buying yourself flowers, you deserve it!" I DO deserve it, don't I?! haha Just kidding. Lucky for Nic this will likely be the only handful I buy for our Easter table on Sunday and the rest will come from our very own garden that we planted last Fall! Despite my black thumb, they've already started popping up out of the ground and I can't wait for them to bloom! Also, a new favorite pastel nail color to wear on Easter, "Back in the Limo" by Essie paired with this Fossil watch. 

These eggs from Target were my favorite thing I added to our Easter decor this year. I love the flecks of gold! 

While my shelves are all decorated for Easter Sunday I haven't quite decided how I plan to decorate the table and what I am making for the food but I might try my hand at these adorable bunny ears for the napkins and these little carrot and hummus pots for a dinner appetizer. What do you think?

Ah, I can't even handle when Liam grabs my finger like that and holds onto it. It's a stage I hope/wish would last forever. Boot season has been fun but I am ready for sandal season. My shoes are old from Target but they are killing it this year and if you are in the market for a new cognac pair, I love this strappy gladiator pair, this gold zipper gladiator pair, and this pair with the double buckle on the side. White denim is my favorite this time of year. I've had these capris for a couple of years now and have gotten so much wear out of them. Can we take a minute and talk about Liam's pudgy feet in those sandals because oh my gosh! Cutest thing I've ever seen!! I also love a little boy in camo and couldn't pass up these shorts for Liam this summer and they are only $5 right now!

Just a few new favorites! We are decorating Easter eggs tonight as a family and I am hoping it is not a total disaster. Liam will likely be sitting in daddy's lap and his every move monitored or he just might look like a dyed Easter egg himself. haha We might try a couple ideas from this, we'll see how things go! Wish us luck! XO

St. Patty's Day 2016

Happy St. Patrick's Day!! There has been a whole lot of green but not a ton of good luck when it comes to festiveness over here today. haha Real life people! 

I've mentioned this before but probably one of the most fun things about being a mom for me is celebrating holidays and making them memorable and fun in some way! Of course that means some kind of cute Pinterest-inspired breakfast. ;) Insert green banana pancakes with whipped cream and lucky charms! I always get these fun elaborate plans and build them up in my head only to be disappointed when they crash and burn. haha Needless to say, after dirtying way too many dishes and wasting some ingredients, my sad banana pancakes were not eaten and thrown away instead. It turns out burnt pancakes and a picky eater doesn't make for a very good combination but he did LOVE the whipped cream and lucky charms!

My poor luck streak seemed to continue throughout the morning as Liam was incredibly fussy and I couldn't figure out why, he managed to grab a tube of neosporin from my open bathroom drawer while I was getting ready and managed to squirt it all over my brand new jogger sweatpants, and I topped off the lunch hour with a crazy long Panera drive through, a cranky kid in the backseat, and not one but two poopy diapers. 

While at times it didn't feel like the luckiest of days as one would hope on a St. Patrick's Day, as I tucked that sweet boy into bed tonight and he squished my cheeks together and touched our noses with a giggle I felt like the luckiest mom in the whole world. I'm so glad this little Irish is mine! 

AND here is evidence that I do have a green thumb after all and Spring is on it's way!