The Statement Gift

Our doorbell has been ringing a lot in the past few weeks...e.g. I did a lot of online shopping this year. It was just so much easier than dragging one or two kids with me to various stores. So I've gotten very used to hearing the doorbell lately...and always usually ignoring it. In the late afternoon, I will get the mail and check the front door for any packages that were left by the friendly UPS or FedEx people during the day.

But yesterday... the UPS man was very insistent.

He rang the bell once.

Then he knocked.

Then he rang again.

I was getting a bit annoyed, but then finally I opened the door and he had this giant pink box in his hands with a big ol smile and said, "This one's a good one - and I didn't want to leave it outside."

Boy, was he right.

This is what the box looked like:

 Can you read that label on the side?

Georgetown Cupcake. OH. MY.

I've heard of this company many times. They've been featured on Food Network and many, many blogs. I also have a few friends who have actually eaten there and raved about how delicious their cupcakes were.

And anyone who knows me, knows I am completely obsessed with really like sweets, so my heart started racing a little bit when I realized that this giant pink box contained some of the most delectable confections in the U.S.

So... the hunt for the cupcakes began!

I opened the pink box and saw this:

A neatly wrapped foil/bubble wrap insulated envelope. Inside that was a giant ice pack.

Below that was yet another pink box. But this one was beautifully wrapped and contained a sweet note from our friends Chuck & Monta.

(I should have known it was from them - they are so creative with their gifts every year!)

Now the excitement was palpable as my mouth started to water and I gently unwrapped the black bow.

Oh boy...I finally got to the mother load!!!

12 of the most beautifully decorated cupcakes I've ever seen. Each one nestled into it's own compartment with a thick white stick coming out of the top to protect it from becoming smooshed.

This picture doesn't do it justice, but here's an up-close of one of them:

The instructions said to let them come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before eating them, so I immediately took one out and set it on the counter for after lunch.

I thought it was Reese's Peanut Butter Cup because it had peanut butter flavored icing, but it turned out to be something with Butterfinger candy bar crushed into the icing.

I barely made it the full 30 minutes before devouring it!

It was SO. AMAZING.

I am not even joking. It was the best cupcake I've ever had in my entire life.

And I may have had one more that evening when the boys had their first tastes of these little gems.

(Payton chose the chocolate with chocolate frosting)

 This one was chocolate with a buttercream frosting. Unlike anything I've ever tasted.

 

 If you are ever looking to give a "statement gift" - you know, one that people will talk about to all their friends and remember the next year... you will not go wrong with Georgetown Cupcakes.

Okay, all of this talk about them has made me crave another one. I better go take one out and let it thaw for after lunch! And then I better hit the gym. :)

Thanks Chuck & Monta for such an amazing Christmas gift. We love you guys!!

A Little Elf Inspiration

Apparently Percy the Elf has given Payton a little inspiration.
Payton decided to write a book based on an Elf, but in a diary format (picture "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" meets "Elf on a Shelf"). He worked all weekend creating his story, finding pictures on the internet for illustrations, and printing out each page at a time for us to read and review.

Now the he is finished, he has decided to spend his own money to make color copies for certain family members. So, here's a little peek at what it looks like in raw format. I'll post a picture of the finished product once it's completed.

And speaking of Percy, Payton also left a note for Percy asking him if he was on Santa's "Good list." So Percy flew back to the North Pole last night and returned here this morning:

On the arm of our Santa figurine with a special note tucked under Santa's arm.

This is what was inside the scrolled note:

A letter to Payton from Santa himself!!! Even on authentic Santa Claus letterhead!!

The note said that Payton is in fact on the "Good list" right now, but that there are still 7 days until Christmas, so he needed to be sure to continue his good behavior.

Payton really loved getting a special note from Santa... maybe your kids would too. ;)

 

In other Christmas news, Payton totally stole our neighbor's Santa hat yesterday and was wearing it all over the house. He looked SO cute! But of course I couldn't get a good picture.

"CHEESE!"

We also received an early Christmas present from my brother & sister-in-law.

Oh, we didn't open the actual gift.

The "present" was the box it came in.

This is the stereotypical situation where the child is in love with the box, and hasn't asked once about the wrapped gift that came inside the box.

 

Parker has made a little play area in this box every. single. day since it arrived.

 

I've had to duct tape the sides back together multiple times already.

And yesterday, I found both boys in the box eating their snack together.

Kids...gotta love em.

One last Christmas item.

Did you see the Elf on the Shelf movie that aired last Friday night?

It was SO cute!

We went to our church volunteer party that evening...

...and then after the boys were bathed and Parker was put to bed, the 3 of us snuggled up on the couch and watched the movie together. Payton loved it of course.

And I was the lucky recipient of homemade hot chocolate. 

I have no idea what all he put in it (probably whole milk and Hershey kisses) but it was GOOO-od!

I'm off to buy a few more gift cards to complete my Christmas shopping. Feels good to almost be done... and to know that we stuck to our guns about buying minimal gifts this year. 

Happy final shopping days everyone!

The Zoo

While the weekend definitely had a dark cloud hanging over it with the sad news our nation was hearing, we felt that it was important for our family to continue on with our plans that we had made to visit the zoo.

Yes, that sounds a bit trite, but at the same time, this horrific tragedy made me want to embrace life on a whole new level.

It made me want to snuggle with my kids longer, play with them without the distraction of my iPhone, look them in the eyes and say "Do you even know how much I love you???" and spend time together as a family enjoying little every day things.

So, Friday night, we let the kids stay up late while we all cuddled on the couch. Then, we let Payton sleep in our bed. And Saturday morning, we went to the zoo. A simple little day trip to a mediocre zoo. But the reality of it was... we were together. As a family. Enjoying each others company with no computers, cell phones, or TVs. It was beautiful.

I created a little video to share our special time.
Zoo Visit Dec 2012 from Stacy Heckman on Vimeo.

And so tonight, as I try to avoid viewing the disturbing headlines and images on the internet, I am once again reminded that we have no guarantee of tomorrow.

I read something the other day that said, "What would your life look like tomorrow, if you only had what you thanked God for today?"

That's something to think about, eh?

Something to Make You Smile

With all of the grim news coverage and headlines this weekend, I thought I'd share a quick video to help make you smile.

Parker has recently become obsessed with yogurt. It's quite funny to watch him eat it...
IMG 3528 from Stacy Heckman on Vimeo.

Have a good rest of the weekend everyone...and don't forget to tell your loved ones just how much you love them!

Heavy Heart

Today was a good day for me personally.

We had some great family time this morning. Parker was in a particularly good mood all morning. He went to Miss Patty's house and created this adorable ornament (his first handmade Christmas ornament):

I got a ton of things accomplished while Parker was at Miss Patty's. I even treated myself to a pedicure (and boy, did I need it).

I came home, put Parker down for his nap, and ate lunch while I worked on the computer for a bit.

And then I got on the internet to place an order on Amazon and I saw the headline...

"27 Reportedly Killed in School Shooting, 18 are Children."

I started crying. My stomach is in knots. My head actually hurts. My heart hurts.

I cannot even fathom sending my precious child off to Kindergarten and then learning that a crazed person shot the entire class. What would a parent do with that kind of news? I cannot imagine.

My heart is so heavy right now. As if all the goodness and happiness of the day has been wiped away by the cruelty of the world.

Why?

How?

I want to cry out, "LORD! How could you let something like this happen?!?!?!?" But I know that God is crying out right now too. All of the evil in this world...it's too much to bare.

All I can do right now is pray.
Join me if you'd like...
Dear God,
I pray for the families of the loved ones who were senselessly murdered today in the Connecticut school shooting. Please let them feel your presence as they endure the unthinkable. Help them cope with the sadness, the pain, the anguish and the countless questions that will undoubtedly follow. Lord, please protect us. Our children. Our families. Our souls. Protect us from the evil in this world. Help us to know you better, and share your goodness with the world to help counterbalance all of the bad. I pray for these families and so many others who have experienced such loss. Help them dear God.
Amen.

Chicken Recipe & Elf Update

I made a super easy Crock Pot dinner last night that I could have sworn that I had posted on here before, but I searched the archives and don't see it. So, I'm going to share it with ya below, along with a few Percy the Elf pictures!

Recipe: Crock Pot Chicken & Stuffing

This is one of Brian's favorite recipes, and the kids love it too, so that's always a win-win in my book. The only problem with it, is that it's not the "prettiest" recipe I've ever seen. It comes out sort of looking like brown mush. But that's because there is Stove Top stuffing on top, which technically is brown mush, really. Anyhow, try to look past the aesthetics and go with the fact that it's an easy and family-friendly recipe!

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (thawed)
• 1 can cream chicken soup
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 box Stove Top Stuffing
• 1 2/3 cups of water

Directions:
1. Spray Crock Pot with Pam and then place chicken breasts inside. Generously sprinkle chicken with salt & pepper.

2. In a medium size bowl, mix together the soup & milk until combined. Pour over chicken.

3. Using the same bowl, mix together the Stove Top Stuffing & water. Let it sit for a few minutes until the dry stuffing has absorbed the water. Pour on top of the chicken.

4. Cover & let cook on low 6-8 hours.

It's as easy as that! Serve it with veggies & garlic bread and you've got yourself an easy weeknight meal!

Now, on to more fun things...

Percy the Elf Update

There has been no shortage of craziness when it comes to our Elf lately. He's been...

Pretending to poop out a Hershey's Kiss:

Having an ice cream party with our salt & pepper shakers in the freezer:

And taking a marshmallow "bubble bath" in the guest bathroom (yes, there's water in that tub!).

 

The kids have really gotten into it this year. Parker wakes up and says, "Where Percy???" And then they both go on a hunt around the house looking for him. 

I love hearing their reaction when they find him - it's so funny!

It's date night tonight! I'm so excited. We haven't been out alone in too long. Sitter arrives at 5:45 and this mama is puttin' on her heels and headin' out... let's just hope it's not coupled with Parker screaming at the top of his lungs like usual. ;)

Stocking Stuffer Ideas

It's that time of year again... time to start thinking about what will go in the kids' stockings for Christmas morning.

I clearly remember the excitement and pure delight of Christmas morning as a kid. My Dad would be up super early cooking a huge buffet breakfast with a big fire burning in the fireplace. My brother and I would get up super early and beg to open SOMETHING.

My Dad wouldn't let us touch anything until my Mom made her way out into the family room searching for that first cup of steaming hot coffee to help her shake off the lack of sleep caused by an all-night gift wrapping session the night before.

When we got the "green light" from our parents, my brother and I would immediately start tearing into all of the tiny packages carefully wrapped in white tissue paper stuffed inside our soft red velvet stockings (handmade by our grandmother of course).

I don't particularly remember it mattering much what was inside our stocking. I just remember being  filled with that Christmas-morning-nothing-could-go-wrong attitude that children have on that special day.

BUT, I do remember a few things...
1. We always got scratch-off lottery cards
2. We always got batteries (which I appreciate so much more now as an adult)
3. We always got gum & candy (which we were allowed to eat right away, as much as we wanted).

Other than that, I don't really recall any specific gifts. But as a parent now, I feel like I want to give my kids useful, fun stocking stuffers just as my parents did. And specifically, I don't want to fill it with a bunch of crap that is going to a. fall apart in 15 minutes, b. get thrown away in 3 days, or c. be tossed aside and never looked at again by either kid.

So, here's a list of some stocking stuffers that I think almost all kids (some depend on age) regardless of gender, would love to receive!

Super Snow ($3.25 on Amazon) - I've used this stuff with a couple of different groups of friends before and it is so fun for Florida kids... or anyone else who doesn't live where is snows very often. You can play with it in the yard, or put the kids in their bathing suits and play with it in the tub. It's SO much fun!

Toothbrushes ($2-4) - There are so many different types of fun toothbrushes on the market today. I wouldn't normally spend the money on them, but for Christmas, it's a fun splurge. They have ones that play music, ones that come with stickers that you can personalize, and everything in between.

Target Dollar Bin musical instruments ($1-2) - I got maracas and a mini tambourine ($2 each) for Parker just a week ago. Hopefully they carry them in your Target as well. 

Mini Flashlight ($2-7) - These range from a simple plastic one from your local drug store, to this cool one on Amazon that comes with different lenses that you can put on it to make fun shadows. Either way, include some batteries with it!

Pack of Origami Paper ($3-10) - If your child is 7 or older, a pack of Origami paper and a kid's Origami book from your local library can open a whole new world of creativity for your child. They can create adorable characters and creatures with a few simple folds.

Gift Cards (Any amount) - You can get McDonald's, Chick-fil-A, Dunkin Donuts, Target, etc. gift cards in any amount. Payton loves to get a $5 gift card and then use it whenever he wants.

Activity "gift certificates" - I saw an idea where a mom gave her kid a little cloth cinch bag filled with Chuck E. Cheese tokens and a certificate that she printed off offering a trip there with a friend. You could do this for just about anything... the zoo, Science Center, beach, sleepover, ice cream... the ideas are endless!

Scented Markers ($5) - Or scented pencils or glitter crayons, or stickers, or any sort of small craft materials. We even gave Payton two rolls of Scotch tape one year that he could just use for whatever he wanted. He LOVED it!

Lottery Scratch-off Tickets ($1)- If your kids are old enough to scratch off the little silver box with a coin, they will love these. It only costs $1 a ticket and if the kids win anything, it will make their morning!

Okay, that's my list of starter ideas for you. I hope it sparks some good thoughts and gets your creative juices flowing! But remember... you could probably stuff the stocking with a few packs of gum and an orange and your kids wouldn't care. Christmas is about what you make it. So, have fun getting creative and enjoy coming up with a few fun surprises along the way.

Merry Christmas everyone!