Apples

Crunchy, sweet fall goodness! A couple at our church brought us a whole box full of apples from their apple orchard. They even have invited us to their ranch to pick more apples, pet their horses, cows, and goats, and show Corbyn how to feed the animals. He is going to love it! His favorite thing though will be eating apples right off the trees, he is obsessed with this red sweet treat! Here are some recipes I am looking to make with our box of apples:

Baked Brie with Apple Compote:

Apple Granola Cookies:

Apples and Walnuts with Stillion Cheese:

Grilled Cheese Reinvented:

Classic Caramel Apple with a Twist:

Brie Apple Arugula Quesadillas:

Caramel Apple Cheesecake:

Apple & Smoked Mozzarella Mini Calzones:

Baked Apples:

Apple Crisp:

Caramel Apple Pie Cupcakes:

Yum!

Click on the title of the recipe to go to the websites with the full recipes and photos.

Mommy Mondays: Books

We've been reading 10 to 15 books a day in our house. Our little boy loves to read! As soon as you finish one book he is already asking for another. I think this is his beginning to a life long love affair with stories.

Here are his ten current favorites and what I think they encourage:

Imagination

Rhyming
Loving everyone
Silliness
Kindness and perseverance
Loyal friendship
Everything will be ok

Joy
Adventure
Language. All the sounds of the English language in one simple book!
Happy Reading!

ps. A Cup of Jo did a similar blog with her sons favorite at a year old. Check out her sons favs at www.joannagoddard.blogspot.com

From the Lips of Corbyn

Quotes from Corbyn's lips in the past week!

"Jesus love me this I know! Oh, I also know Jesus loves popsicles!"

"I went to the zoo and saw penguins and crocodiles and bird poop, eww gross, that's a bad story."

Looking at my watch "this watch says, it's almost cookie time!"

"Hush Paisley (our dog), it's just a little thunder, you. don't. have. to. freak. out!"

"I am going to get bigger and bigger and bigger and be a teenager. I am going to have a bat and a glove and a big funny nose."

And here is the funny man himself!

Happy Monday! Hope this makes you smile on this Monday morning!

Have a Cozy Weekend!

Hurricane Irene is the size of Europe! That's crazy. Most of the East Coast is going to be confined to their homes this weekend and though here on the West side of the US there's no hurricane we have monsoons in our forecast. They don't compare, but I know I don't like going out in the rain, the bottom of your pants get wet, then you get uncomfortable and then your hair goes nappy. Me and rain are not friends. Then, other parts of the US are just waaaay to hot to do anything outside, which means they also are staying in. So get cozy!

photo by Audrey Woulard. She's an absolutely amazing children's photographer in Chicago, how she captures kids is breath taking. Go check out her photos and check out all the eyes, their magical.

I challenge you this weekend to do something cozy, read a book, cuddle on the couch watching a movie, have breakfast in bed, etc.

Happy Friday! Have a cozy weekend!

And here are some things from around the web, enjoy!

These are such a cute invite idea.

What to expect when your expecting this. Praying for those on the East Coast.

Corbyn needs some new books, these look super cute and pretty to look at.

I want this necklace, like now.

This is a cute wedding gift idea.

This is a great idea, I'm glad Corbyn hasn't started school yet so I can actually do it!

This looks like a yummy breakfast.

This is an amazing house transformation that I think I could just move my clothes into and be happy.

I love free and these are some cute printables.

This is probably very good information to have.

Kid Lunches

Corbyn isn't in school yet but I still make his lunch to take with him to the babysitters everyday. I try to mix up his lunches so he doesn't get bored and sometimes have a hard time coming up with new things for him to eat and creative ways to get him to eat all his healthy food. I saw www.anotherlunch.com on Design Mom's blog and I am amazed at Melissa's creativity. Here are some of her creations that I may have to try:

What to Watch

I discovered Netflix streaming, I know, I'm behind, we've had Netflix for a couple years but I just never streamed anything, welcome to 2008 Amy. My favorite feature on Netflix is that it can predict what I would like to watch with amazing accuracy. I have found myself streaming videos when I am cleaning, folding laundry, and even getting ready in the morning. Here are a few I have watched recently:

The Human Experience Documentary: It is a story of two brothers on a search of answers to their burning questions: who am I and why do we search for meaning? Their experiences lead the to the concrete jungle living homeless in New York, to the orphans and disable children of Peru, and to the abandoned lepers of Ghana, Africa. It is heart breaking and heart warming. I laughed out loud and cried. It was beautiful and extremely thought provoking.

The Proposal: Ryan Reynolds, Sandra Bullock in a romantic comedy, yes please! One of my all time favorite romantic comedies. I think I laugh throughout the whole movie. They do awkwardness and touching well.

Babies: A documentary looking at the lives of 4 babies for one year from around the world, from Mongolia, to Namibia, to San Francisco, to Tokyo. Though the babies language is different and their environments are incredibly different, the babies cry the same, laugh the same, learn the same frustrating yet satisfying art of crawling than walking the same. The movie is a joyous celebration of life and is often quite hilarious.

Secretariat: You end up cheering out loud for a horse and wanting to jump up and down with owner Penny Chenery (Diane Lane).

Friday Night Lights: Best. Show. Ever. Relevant magazine says "A show that gives reality its messy, unromatic due, even while it almost always tips its hat in direction of hope". Moral dilemmas are at the centerpiece of conflict and yet it gives quality in the form of families rallying around each other, a community that still believes in community, and teens who make bad choices but have to work through their choices and ultimately are striving for what is right. I was hooked at the 1st episode!

The American President: A comedy drama from 1995 about a widowed US President and a lobbyist who fall in love. Its charming and sweet.

Happy Streaming!

Mommy Mondays: Potty training

I have failed at potty training my boy. Yes, he can go to the potty on the potty and is staying more and more dry every day. He has not failed but I have failed in making some of the most common potty training mistakes.

First, I woke up one morning and thought "hey, I'm home for two days strait, I'm going to start potty training". No plan, no research, I just made up MY mind, went and bought chonies, and went for it. FAIL.

Second, I was inconsistent. This was even surprising to me. I like my routine, I know my son likes routine but I was inconsistent in when he was to go to the potty, when he drank liquids, even in telling our different caregivers what our expectations were. FAIL.

Third, I expected too much. I thought for sure by the end of two days at home with mom he would be putting his poppy and pee pee in the potty every single time, I mean the kids a genius, why wouldn't he (catch the sarcasm, though of course, he is a genius)? FAIL.

Fourth, I reacted negatively to accidents. I believe I showed disappointment when he had an accident, I got worked up about having to clean poopy off from all over his legs instead of staying calm, encouraging him and comforting him in his own disappointment. FAIL.

And finally, trying to force the issue. It's very much in a toddler's nature to turn every issue into a power struggle. He became stubborn. Mom became more stubborn. Instead of listening to him and maybe hearing a fear he couldn't express I thought I could will him into preferring the potty. FAIL.

Round one of potty training was a failure on mom's part and though I may be being hard on myself I have learned. So, here's to round two starting Thursday, mom is prepared, read up, and stocked up on patience and mini marshmellows (his treat of choice). We shall see if Corbyn is now ready, fingers crossed.

I thought diaper toosh was cute, but little boy chonie toosh is super cute (sorry about the poopy phone photo)

In Print

Hope these make you smile on this Monday morning! Happy Monday!

Upside Down World

We live in an upside down world and though I love our world, sometimes I can't help but think "wow". I am a fanatic of fashion and gossip magazines, I was almost addicted in college and spent way too much money on magazines weekly, so I am guilty, but maybe I just never realized the extent of what I was funding. When 24,000 kids are dying every day from hunger, which is 100% preventable, a magazine (which is probably my fave) is spending 1.5 million dollars for exclusive rights to Kim Kardashian's wedding photos. I am refusing to purchase and have some thinking to do.

photo from:Whine and Roses

Home Inspiration: Chevron

The pattern that is taking over and needs to find a suitable place in my home. Here are some I was thinking of:

This rug from Urban Outfitters.

Or This bedding also from Urban Outfitters.

Or These mugs

Or These hand painted plates

Or This throw pillow

Or This chair

Or These DIY fan blades

Or These curtains

Or This tray

Have a Creative Weekend!

We have zero formal plans this weekend. There is part of me that wants to grab a clipboard and start making a detailed itinerary of all the things I should and could be doing, carefully planning what the next two days will look like and what I will get accomplished, blowing my whistle if we dare veer off course. But not making an itinerary seems so freeing at the moment, like it may lead to doing something spontaneous and creative or nothing at all (which I am also fine with).

photo from: www.learningtobreath.tumblr.com

I challenge you to do something creative this weekend, do the craft you've pinned on pinterest but just admired, do something out of the ordinary with your kids, go on a different date (one of my favorite dates we ever went on was picking up dinner, driving out into the forest, turning the back of the xterra into a sitting area, having a long cozy dinner, and then watching a movie) different then the classic dinner and movie or dance in the streets, why not.

Happy Friday!