Thinking Ahead

I am planning ahead for Christmas. Being a stay at home mom, we don't have as much money to work with for gifts. So I have decided to make as many of the gifts as possible. I have been scouring the internet and crafty blogs for weeks now. I have a list of things I plan on making. One of the things I found my daughter has been asking for on for months now, a pillow pet. I made one for Isaiah and one for Grace yesterday and I am quite pleased with their turn out!

I have quite a few things left on my list to make and I am still looking for more ideas. :)

Pumpkin Waffles

I was just about to make myself a bowl of cereal for breakfast and changed my mind. There was a recipe I came across that I have been wanting to try and oh my what a great decision!!
Pumpkin Waffles & Apple Cider Syrup

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 cups milk
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
•  
• APPLE CIDER SYRUP
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Preheat a waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, salt, and brown sugar in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together the pumpkin, milk, and egg yolks. Whip the egg whites in a clean dry bowl until soft peaks form.
3. Stir the flour mixture and 1/4 cup melted butter to the pumpkin mixture, stirring just to combine. Use a whisk or rubber spatula to fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter, stirring gently until incorporated. Fold in the remaining egg whites. Cook waffles according to manufacturer's instructions.
4. To make the syrup, stir together the sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in a saucepan. Stir in the apple cider and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until mixture begins to boil; boil until the syrup thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the 2 tablespoons of butter until melted. Serve warm. 

Isaiah enjoying his SECOND waffle :)

Our last day of Fall Break

  I said that not having any money would not put a damper on our last day of Fall break and I meant it. We had a lot of fun! Grandma and Grandpa sent Isaiah home with a bird house kit that we assembled and Isaiah painted!

 

Which we then followed with a tea party in the living room with the tea set we painted on a separate occasion. We had sparkling apple cider "tea" and Nilla wafers.

                                                                                                             Cheers!

We also had a picnic in the living room floor on an old tablecloth and watched a cool movie together.
All in all it was a pretty decent day. :D

Missing them

For Fall break the kids have been out of town with their Grandma & Grandpa. I missed them before they even left! Today is the day they come home!! I am beyond excited. My oldest doesn't have school tomorrow so I am racking my brain trying to think of something cheap/free & fun to do with the kids tomorrow. My husband will be at work so it will just be the kids and I. I am still no where near 100% with my health but I won't let it get in my way! We are going to do something fun!
Now in the spirit of DIY crafty fun I am going to share some of my favorite blogs!
Dollar Store Crafts
Everything your mama made (TONS of free tutorials)
Make It - Love It
The crafty crow

I know there are more that I have bookmarked and frequent but I cannot locate their links currently. I love finding new blogs! :D

Date night

My husband and I don't get to go out often because we have three children and don't live very close to family. Well, this week is Fall break and our two older children are staying at Grandma & Grandpa's house. We didn't have a sitter for the baby or much money for eating out so we decided to cook ourselves a fancy dinner at home. It was actually quite fun and very delicious!
We had steak, asparagus, croissants and coconut shrimp. 
Here is the recipe for the coconut shrimp. They turned out to be AMAZING!
Coconut Shrimp [link to original recipe]

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups flaked coconut
• 24 shrimp
• 3 cups oil for frying

Directions

1. In medium bowl, combine egg, 1/2 cup flour, coconut milk and baking powder. Place 1/4 cup flour and coconut in two separate bowls. 
2. Hold shrimp by tail, and dredge in flour, shaking off excess flour. Dip in egg/beer batter; allow excess to drip off. Roll shrimp in coconut, and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes (or freezer for 15, the is an important step!). Meanwhile, heat oil to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) in a deep-fryer.
3. Fry shrimp in batches: cook, turning once, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Using tongs, remove shrimp to paper towels to drain. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce. 

 

We really enjoyed having a fancy dinner at home. We even had some sparkling cider in champagne glasses to make it feel like more of a special occasion. I think next time we can do something like this again, we will!

Rainbow Meditations

 I had a lucky streak this week because I also won a drawing from Rainbow Meditations. It was a MYSTERY prize. :D
I received in said mystery prize today! I couldn't wait to tear open the package and see what I won!
Can you feel the anticipation?! What could it be?

 

 oooooh the colors......

 

And we have it! It fits! :)

Thanks Rainbow Meditations for the prize! It is so vibrant and adorable!

Goats Milk Goods

I was fortunate enough to win a drawing that Goats Milk Goods had on their Facebook. I won three standard size bars. I chose Tea Tree Oil, Coconut and Oatmeal Milk & Honey Scrub.

My first impression upon receiving the soaps was how great they smell!! The smell stayed on my hands for awhile after opening and checking out the bars. I got my husband to test out the oatmeal milk & honey scrub bar when he got home. He said that it was really nice! It had a bit of a scrub to it, but not too abrasive, a good scent and didn't dry out his skin.
I cannot wait to try out the Tea Tree Oil bar. I am hoping it helps to improve my skin. My son had sensitive skin as well so we are going to see how he reacts to the soap!
I think I may have to order more and perhaps even try out some of their all natural bath bombs or lip balm!

The Beginning

So here it is, the beginning of my blogging career. :D
I am hoping that I can write something remotely entertaining and possibly even enlightening. This is just going to be a collection of thoughts and ideas from my day to day life as a mother and wife. As I sit here sipping my coffee and listening to my husband get our youngest ready for bed, I have many thoughts running through my head about my future post and all the things I can share. So until the next time!