I have to start this out by saying, this Christmas? The best one yet! We had so many wonderful laughs, created loads of memories and I loved each and every little moment! Garrett was far more into Christmas this year and seeing his excitement was contagious! He certainly didn't understand the whole Santa deal but he became quite the pro at opening gifts! I could talk on and on about it but who wants that...I'll just do a massive ole' photo dump instead...

 

Let's start with decor shall we? I tend to go a bit overboard and our house seems to look like the North Pole barfed all over the house but this year I scaled back a bit. We only had three trees (one of which is Garrett's mini tree) and I only put up about 1/5 of my decor. (I literally have something like 8 totes full...it's a bit much) The tree in the living room I usually decorate in some sort of theme but this year I decided to put our personal ornaments on it. So it was a hodge podge mix of Looney Tunes, Precious Moments, handmade ornaments and everything missed matched. But it was a lovely mix of memories that we hold near and dear. Our wedding ornament, an ornament filled with sand from our Mexican honeymoon, Garrett's footprint ornament from last year, a hand painted (by my aunt) deer ornament from my first Christmas & ornaments created by my (late) grandparents. Every branch of that tree holds memories that we hold so near & dear to our hearts. There where many times where I'd stare at the tree and tears would well up in my eyes...it just holds a dear place in my heart.

Every year growing up my parents would buy a new ornament for each of us. I knew long ago that it was a tradition I wanted to continue with my children some day. Last year we picked up a "Baby's 1st Christmas" ornament as it just seemed fitting. This year I was sort of at a loss though, I wanted to pick something that Garrett would like but wasn't sure what that could be as he is a bit young to tell me still. I settled on a Mickey ornament as Mickey is by far his favorite character thus far. And I'm so glad that I did. His little face lights up with excitement every time he spots it on the tree and he just wants to carry it around in his little hands, hugging it. It is far too cute.

The tree in our kitchen was a wedding gift from one of my cousins and I'm overly in love with it too. It's just the perfect little size and the mix of branch types and berries give it such a rustic, natural look. I decorate that one each year with a mix of rustic ornaments that I picked up from various locations (mostly Target & TJ Maxx). There also is a few book page snow flakes made by one of my best friends. It's skinny shape makes it a perfect addition to our kitchen! 

 As for other decor in our house...I'll let the photos do the talking...

I think I'll leave you with that for today, a slightly boring post I know but I wanted to make sure to document Christmas this year. Hopefully it will be our last Christmas in this little home of ours! ;)

Christmas Happenings

I know I've been a little M.I.A lately and truth be told I really miss this little blogging world of mine. But with the holidays (so quickly coming) I'd taken a little step back. It's been a challenge trying to accomplish everything I've hoped to while chasing around a 15 month old toddler. Therefore I try my darn est to cram everything into the short minutes I have during nap time. Talk about a challenge! 

 

I stopped in today to share some of our Christmas-y happenings that have occurred around here lately! 

+ Elfie continues to be Garrett's best little buddy! He's taken trips to Target with us, the grocery store and even attended Garrett's last well baby check up. Garrett's little face just lights up when he sees him! He will stop whatever he's doing, scream, yell "hi" and wave his little arms non stop. It is stinking adorable! It does make me sort of sad at the thought of packing his beloved Elfie away at the end of the holidays. I know that it will make it that much more exciting next year but seeing his happiness with Elfie just makes my days!

+ I've managed to whip up a few goodies for Christmas this year. I made an extra large batch of frozen cranberry salad which is like my all time favorite! It can be chilled and served from the fridge but I prefer to freeze it and serve it partially frozen...yum! 

Another favorite for this time of the year is my traditional Santa Hat Party Mix! While it is time consuming to make it always seems to end up a favorite! 

I also whip up a giant batch of Caramel Puff Corn, Rolo Pretzel Bites and Chocolate Crinkle Cookies. I had loads more on my baking list for this year but just didn't get there. And, in the end that's alright because my thighs don't need it!

 

+ Elfie was also so kind and made Garrett and I dinner one night last week when Steve was away. He whipped up the most delicious batch of Elf Spaghetti. Garrett loved it but I have to admit he'd pretty into spaghetti any way he can get it. 

And there ya have it, a few of the happening around the M household lately. I can't wait to share photos from our Christmas! Garrett's face is bound to be full of smiles! It's going to be such a great time packed with amazing memories!

Our 2014 Christmas Card

Thought I'd share our Christmas card with y'all. I went for a simple and rustic feel this year and when I stumbled upon this one it seemed to be both of those perfectly!

 

Looking back on our Christmas cards just brings a smile to my face. Last year we sent out our first card with our little family of three. And the year before that? Our first card as a married couple! While I make sure to count my blessings each and every day I think that this time of the year really makes you stop and notice them a bit more. It refills the spirit in your heart. It brings out the joy and happiness in people. It rekindles the goodness in the world. It makes you stop for just a moment longer, to look back on all the wonder and joy that the year has brought..

Christmas Wish List: Momma, Dadda & Toddler Too

Putting together my wish list is always quite easy for me. Many items show up on it year in and year out. Bath and Body works candles anyone?! There's rarely something super expensive and/or fancy as I really am a simple girl. Here's what made my list this year: 

 EOS Lip Balm l Return Address Stamp l Infinity Scarf

50mm Canon Lens l Cake Plate

Leather Slouch Boots l Birthstone Ring l B&BW Candles 


 Every year I rack my brain for good ideas for that husband of mine and while I normally come up with a few good ideas I rarely can come up with a whole list of things that I think he'd like. This year was different though! I came up with so many ideas that I knew he'd love! I can't wait for him to open some of his gifts as I totally feel like I nailed it this year! Here are a few of my favorite ideas for that hunk in your life:

Hey Handsome Travel Bag l Whiskey Stones l Exotic Beef Jerky
Dollar Shave Club Membership l Dual Breakfast Sandwich Maker
Watch l Mason Jar Shaker l Remote Control Helicopter

 

When thinking about what we wanted to get Garrett this year we knew we wanted to stick with things he could use & play with for quite awhile. He has so many toys already but I've found him quite bored with them lately. I think it's a mix of playing with the same ones all the time and outgrowing them. I (of course) bought him a whole pile of books but here are a few other things that may appear under the tree for him: 

 Bean Bag Chair l ALEX Click-able Finger Crayons l John Deere Sit and Scoot

Santa's Little Helper Pj's l Melissa & Doug Felt Sandwich Set 

Merry Christmas Stinky Face l Tool Set l Teepee Tent

Spicy Lemon Chicken Pasta With Tomatoes

We've exhausted our favorite recipes lately so I turned to Pinterest last week for some new ideas. I'm in love with quick, one pan dinners as it makes for little clean up and allows me to throw everything in, turn on the stove and hang out with my boys while it cooks. This pasta dish is delicious and so full of flavor! The lemon chicken offers such a fresh flavor and the red pepper gives a good kick of spice. The entire dish takes about 20 minutes and cooks in one pan allowing for little clean up and loads of family time! 

Looks pretty dang amazing right? I think you'll be amazed at how easy this recipe really is! I have to admit though, I didn't have any grape tomatoes on hand so I just used some fresh basil and oregano diced tomatoes that I had in the cupboard. Worked well and tasted great but I am looking forward to trying with fresh grape tomatoes next time. 

Spicy Lemon Chicken Pasta with Tomatoes

Ingredients

1 pound chicken breasts
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1 Tbsp minced garlic
8 oz (about 2 1/2 cups) small, dry pasta
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
2 cups chicken broth
Juice from one large or two small lemons
1 cup water
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup shredded Mozzerella 

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat

 
Add onion and stir, cooking until soft and nearly translucent

 
Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds

 
Add chicken and cook until just browned

 
Stir in the pasta, tomatoes, chicken broth, lemon juice, water, basil,

red pepper flakes, salt and pepper

 
Bring to a boil and continue to stir often, uncovered, for about nine minutes, 

or until most of the liquid has evaporated

 
Remove from heat, sprinkle cheese on top, and cover for ten minutes or 

until cheese is melted and remaining liquid is absorbed.

Our Newest Addition

If you clicked this post thinking it was some adorable pregnancy announcement I'm sorry to disappoint you. The M family is not adding a new addition in the form of a diaper wearing, bottle drinking baby...not anytime soon that is. We did add a new member to our family though! Meet Elfie! Garrett's new little Elf friend!

Steve ran errands the other night and stopped at Target to grab some diapers while there he picked up Elfie as a surprise for Garrett and I. He brought him home and Garrett hasn't put the little guy down since! He was banging on the box trying to get him out, kissing him through the box and carrying the box everywhere. We opened it then and he grabbed him, gave him about a dozen hugs and refused to put him down. Steve literally had to pry him out of Garrett's sleeping hands the first night we got him! We'll hide him somewhere and Garrett will run around and search for him! Cute!

Since arriving at our house Elfie has taken a trip to Grandma and Grandpa's with us, hid in the Christmas tree, hung from a (mounted) deer's antlers, went for a ride on Garrett's little dump truck, danced to the Hot Dog Dance and he even attended Garrett's 15 month well check as Garrett refused to leave him home. Those two are two peas in a pod...

Garrett: 15 Months

I'm finding that being a momma is really mellowing me out. There are things I used to be such a stickler about and these days I'm like, "ah, whatever". Garrett wants to play in the plastic cupboard and throw them all over? Ehh, okay. He throws out all the cooling racks and baking sheets outta the oven drawer so he can crawl in? Alright, I'll just pick those up later. He refuses to let me get him dressed. Alright, nudie it is. Spaghetti sauce EVERYWHERE?!? Thank goodness for warm, soapy water! Same with his monthly photos. I had a vision of what I thought these photos could look like every month now that he's a bit older. Truth be told? It's a challenge to get him to sit for more than two minutes, look at the camera and leave the owl sitting next to him. And I'm learning that sometimes it's alright to have things not like I pictured. It's alright to have photos of him leaning forward, water bottle in hand with slober running down his chin. Because at the end of the day is silliness and the memories of snapping those photos is what really matters. So, our photos may not be perfect but they're perfectly us.

Stats & Recent Appointment: We had his 15 month check this morning and well it was a few weeks late we'll go with those measurements. He is certainly a big boy and tipped the scale at 28lbs 14ozs (98%). He's 33inches long (95%) and his head measures 48.7cm (92%). The nurse and doctor where again astounded by his size.

Features: Brown eyes, brown hair. Hunk of handsome.

Teeth: Still just with the six teeth. I see a glimpse of his two eye teeth making their way down so we'll see how long it takes for those to pop through. That might also explain the fussiness and cheek redness we've had going on lately.  

Sleep: I feel like I can finally breath in regards to sleep. At 15 months he seems to finally get the hang of it! We'd been doing bedtime around 9pm but he kind of self rearranged his naps and was SO fussy around 8pm. Therefore we bumped his bedtime up to 8pm. Since we did that he's actually been sleeping until 6/7am on my days off! Ahh-mazing! The days I work I'm still getting him out of bed at 5:20am which he isn't such a fan of. Poor lil' guy! Usually he'll still take two naps about one hour each.

Eating: Love, love, love foods!

Diapering: Size five.

Clothing: Pants 18m-24m. Onesies 18m-2T. T-shirts are mainly 18m-2T. Pajamas are anywhere from 18m-2T. Shoes are size 8. His 18m pile is getting smaller and smaller as he starts to outgrow them.

Social: Still so, so social! He loves to people watch. Loud crowds and animals seem to scare him so we'll have to focus on being around different people more often.

dada

momma

ba-ba = cup/bottle

uh-oh

wowww (when he finds something amazing)

oh = ouch (when he falls/trips)

no

doooooeee = another version of "no"

get out! 
wwaaaiiitt = wait (when we try to get him to do something he isn't ready to do!) 
away, away = when putting toys, shoes, clothes away
bus
peeassee = please

Nicknames: Gert, Gertie, Scooter, Little Man, Goober, Little Love, Chunk 

Likes: Music is a favorite for sure! He loves anything with a little bit of a beat that he can dance too. Running! He runs in the house, he runs outside, he runs at the stores. He is impossible to get to sit still! Climbing is his newest thing and while he can't quite get up on the couch yet he certainly tries! Pulling everything off the tree! There's like no ornaments on the bottom two feet of our trees as he just rips everyone of them off.

Dislikes: Getting into his car seat, having his hair rinsed/dried, waiting for food & being over tired (momma hates that too!).

New This Month: 

- He's officially mastered the art of silverware, plates and bowls! It's so cute to see him eat like an adult! He loves his oatmeal in his own bowl each morning and does so well with eating every last bite of it! 

- He becomes smarter and smarter everyday! It's funny how now I can ask him simple questions like "Where are your shoes?" and he'll go find them. We meantion dinner time and he runs to his chair. If we so much as whisper the "B-A-T-H" word he's upstairs faster than I can blink and trying to climb over the side of the tub. It's so fun to see him actually connecting our words and what they mean. 

- He's also become such a helper! He loves to help and then claps after he's done! Too cute! He helps me sweep, vacuum, put dirty dishes (toys and remotes) in the sink. If I give him a wet rag he'll crawl all around the floor wiping it. Seriously the most adorable thing to see! 

- He now is able to point out his nose, ears, hair and button! Though usually when I ask where his ears are he grabs mine. Silly guy. 

Christmas Is A Coming!

Thursday? Thursday already?! How in the heck did that happen?!

I'm still trying to figure out where November went. And here were are just 21 days away from Christmas! Whoa baby! I feel like there's so much that I want to do before Christmas but I just can't get myself off the couch to do any of it. 

Garrett has come down with his first cold and is in total clinger mode the past few days as well. I am LOVING the cuddly side of him but it's been a challenge to even keep him content long enough so I can pee without him on my lap...oh how life changes when you become a mom!

My mind keeps reeling...there's cookies I'd like to bake, snacks to create, shopping to do, decor to finish putting up & presents to buy/wrap. Christmas is by far my favorite holiday but this year I feel so overwhelmed. So today I'm going to suck up the sick induced cuddles when babe is awake and  chug a double Spark and get stuff done while he naps. 

I hope that you're all having a fabulous week! In the next weeks I'll be sharing some gift ideas, our Christmas decor & some incredible shops with y'all! Stay tuned!