Valetine Cookie Lesson

This whole cyber blog world is relatively new to me.
I think I subscribed to my first blog when Parker was born (2 years ago).
I was writing my own blog long before that, but it was strictly to create an online scrapbook for my kids and family.

Since then, the blog world has become like a sisterhood to me.

I anxiously read new posts from writers whom I strongly admire. They inspire me. They challenge me. They make me think about real-life issues that we all face.

I also love my long-time friends who keep family blogs like me. I treasure the new baby pictures they post and reading up on their latest parenting adventures.

But one thing that can really be dangerous in this virtual world, is envy.

Envy is ugly. It's evil. And it will steal your joy.

I try really hard not to be envious to other bloggers who seem to "have it all together."
They blog.
They do amazing crafts with their kids.
They work full time.
They have immaculately clean and organized houses.
Their hair and clothes are always on the cutting edge of style.
But I digress... I really, really try my best not to be envious of them.

Because as we all know, no one is perfect. We all have flaws. We all have shortcomings. We all have areas of our lives that we wish we could improve upon.

I know I do. (Lots of them.)

So, in keeping with this theme, I thought I'd share a little story about a Valentine's baking incident gone wrong. Learn from me people.

... A few days ago I read a post from one of my new favorite bloggers. She lives in Texas and does all sorts of fun things on her blog. I really enjoy every post.

She wrote about a "super simple way" to make Linzer cookies. You know, those delicious little sugar cookies with the jelly in the middle sprinkled all over with powdered sugar? I LOVE those cookies! And what better time to make some of these babies than Valentine's Day?

I followed her "easy" suggestion and bough pre-made sugar cookie dough to make the cut-outs.

Oh boy. Things went wrong very quickly.

The dough wouldn't roll out. It kept sticking to my rolling pin. Then when I finally added like 4 cups of flour to the countertop I finally got it to roll out. But I couldn't get the darn cookie cutters to work properly! The little cut-out hearts wouldn't come out and I ended up balling up so many of those stupid things and starting over. UGH.

Can you say "mess?"

In the end, I was able to salvage a few trays of cookies.

Of course, by the time the cookies came out of the oven, Parker's nap time was almost over so I was rushing to finish this lovely little project.

Dust the tops with powdered sugar...

Check.

Fill in the bottoms with strawberry jam... check.

Sandwich them together and display on large red tray... check.

As I was finishing the last few, the baby was screaming calling "MAMA!" from his crib. 

It was not the relaxing motherly baking experience I had hoped for.

But then, I got Parker up from his nap and excitedly carried him into the kitchen to see the large platter of warm cookies.

He was excited for sure!

Dove right in and picked one out...

 

And then he got very upset about how he had powdered sugar EVERYWHERE and jelly EVERYWHERE...

 It was a mess.

Payton took one look at the cookies and said, "Oh, thanks Mom. Can I just have some pretzels?"

Brian said, "Those cookies were good but I don't like things with jelly in them, so I ate a plain one."

But not to be deterred, I took a plate of them over to a friend's house (since we clearly had more than anyone in our house was going to eat).

She looked at them and said, "You made cookies?!? Handmade cookies?!? MAN! You can do it all!"

What's the lesson here?

Well, my friend saw the finished product and thought it was all rainbows and daisies and I was a wonderful mother for making homemade cookies.

Little did she know that I practically threw my rolling pin through the window while making them, completely stressed myself out in the process, and then no one in my family wanted to eat them.

Just remember: not everything is as it seems on the outside.

So many of those "perfect moms" that I follow on blogs have bigger problems than me, but they surely don't publicize them on the internet.

Don't let envy steal you of joy.

Your life is probably far greater than you give yourself credit for. Find your joy. Find what you are proud of. Count your blessings - each and every one.

Oh, and today...

I made "break and bake" sugar cookies and topped them with Valentine's M&M's.

Guess what...

They were generic. And plain. And took all of about 2 minutes to prepare...

and my boys LOVED them! :)

Sometimes, simple really is better.

One Final Birthday Post

This weekend was the finale to the boys' week-long birthday celebration.

Both sets of grandparents and their Great Grandfather were able to make it into town for the special occasion; which makes me well up with tears just writing that. We are so incredibly blessed to have our family living so close by and we don't take it for granted for even one second. The boys felt so loved and so important all day. It was beautiful.

Of course, there were plenty of gifts to be opened...

 How funny is this t-shirt Payton got from his grandparents??

It says, "It takes a lot of skill to be this awesome."

 And this little shark hoodie that Parker got from his grandparents is also so adorable!

 And what birthday would be complete without Play Doh, Elmo and Legos?

Parker kept trying to feed his lollipop to Elmo. It was so funny!

 Another favorite of the day was a magnetic dart board that my Dad got Payton. Everyone played with it all afternoon.

"High five Nana!"

The guys grilled out burgers and hot dogs...

Of course Parker's eyes are closed in this picture. Grrr...

And then it was time for cake & ice cream!

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday Payton & Parker... happy birthday to you!"

Blow out the candles & make a wish!

My sweet birthday boys.

Our neighbors were even able to make it over for some birthday cake.

There was a lot of love going around that day...

 

Again with the closed eyes Parker? Come on... :)

What a blessing these boys are.

They make our lives so rich. So filled with love. So fun.

Happy birthday Payton & Parker!!!

Some New Favorites

We've got a busy weekend ahead of us with a camping trip, a visit from both sets of Grandparents, more birthday celebrating to do, and I'm singing at church on Sunday. So... I thought it best to fit in a quick post now knowing that I probably won't be blogging again this weekend.

I have some new favorites to share with you!

I hope you've eaten lunch (or dinner) because these might just make you a bit hungry...

I discovered these babies recently at our local Publix. They are in the refrigerated case in the deli section - like near the potato salad and coleslaw.

There are lots of varieties, but these are my two favs:

 "Couscous Primavera with Feta" and "Roasted Corn Poblano."

 Here is what the roasted corn one looks like:

On mornings when I work out, I come home and have one egg on a whole wheat English muffin with a little bit of shredded cheese. I started mixing in this roasted corn salsa with it and it is SO tasty!

I also added it to my quesadilla last night and it was equally delicious.

Here is what the couscous looks like:

There are so many yummy flavors in this one: green pepper, red pepper, shredded carrot, feta parsley...it's like a party in your mouth!

I eat it straight out of the container with a spoon (and a little salt), but I bet it would be delicious added to a turkey wrap too.

My next fav is nothing new, but it's still worth mentioning.

OH. MY.

If you like salt & vinegar potato chips, you must try Cape Cod's version.

They are so flavorful and vinegar-y. They are worth every calorie!

Fortunately, they are so powerful in their flavor that you only need a small amount to feel satisfied.

These are also not new to a lot of people, but I'm totally addicted to them!

Marcona Almonds.

Uh oh! Looks like Dad needs to bring me some more!

These almonds are native to Spain, so they are very different than the dark almonds we are used to seeing here in the States.

They're also kind of hard to find around here. But my Dad buys them at Costco and brings them to me (and I don't share them with anyone!). Thanks Dad! :)

They are much softer than a typical almond, and almost buttery. That may sound a little strange, but trust me on this one. If you see Marcona almonds in your grocery store - pick up a canister. They will be gone so fast!

Last but definitely not least, let me introduce you to a fairly new line of products called "Angie's Delightfully Different."

The packaging is edgy and bright with bold lettering. 

And the ingredients don't make you feel guilty eating their products.

My friend Alexis told me about this popcorn and I am so glad she did.

If you don't have the opportunity to get your hands on my Dad's famous homemade popcorn, this will do as a fabulous substitute.

 And it's only 35 calories a cup!!

Did I mention I like the packaging? How funny is this little "Nom Nom Now." phrase next to the opening of the bag??

I have only seen this brand at Target, but I'm hoping they start selling it in our local grocery stores too.

Okay, now that I've tempted your taste buds, go find some good food and enjoy yourselves!

Happy Friday everyone!

More Birthday Fun... and a Super Bowl

The weather is amazing here today.
70's, sunny, breezy.
My french doors are open and the fresh air is trailing in, slowly warming up the house.
I'm sitting at my desk enjoying a much-deserved cup of coffee (Starbucks Blonde, Keurig style), while my new tea light candle holder does its job of dispersing just enough scent and light to give out some beautiful ambiance.

I am about to load up my favorite Pandora station and...
Wait.
What's that noise?
Surely that's not the baby waking up from his nap?
I only put him down 45 minutes ago!
I barely had time to shower & dry my hair!
WHAT?! Why is he awake?!?
Maybe he'll go back to sleep...
Nope. No such luck today.
Well, I bid you adieu for now.


The above portion was written at 11:30 this morning.
It's now 8:34 p.m.
But... both kids are in bed (one is asleep, so that's progress).
Hubby is on the phone working, so I'm back to finish my post.
No candle, or coffee this time. Although I might bust out some decaf in a bit if the mood strikes...

So, where was I???
Oh yes, I wanted to share a few photos with you... some of which are birthday related.

Payton's birthday weekend extravaganza continued after his birthday party on Friday night. 

Saturday afternoon we all went for a bike ride and ended up at Starbucks (surprise, surprise).

Yes, that is a monkey on the back of Brian's bike. Remember Payton's class "pet"?

Yes, Bongo the monkey enjoyed Starbucks too. :)

We let Payton get a ginormous chocolate chip cookie and then we headed to the park to play with friends. The day was amazingly beautiful! Sun was shining and temps were low enough to need a light jacket. Just goregous.

Saturday evening we laid low and hung out at home. Payton (and Brian and I) really needed to rest after the sleepover party. But by Sunday afternoon, we were ready to celebrate some more! We headed on down to our neighbor's house for a little Super Bowl party.

Brian convinced Payton that the Bears were in the Super Bowl, so they all wore their Bears attire (and yes, he even asked me to wear my Bears t-shirt). Nothing like brain-washing your kids at a young age! :)

 Payton and his buddy Avery had so much fun hanging out all evening.

The Moms had fun relaxing a bit too!

Monday was Payton's actual birthday and we always let the kids pick the menu on their birthday. He asked for birthday cake & bacon for breakfast, and a chicken casserole for dinner (no veggies of course). 

So... we obliged!

Cake 1st thing in the morning!

 I love the look on their faces! 

They couldn't believe there was a cake on the table at 6:30 a.m.

 He was definitely a happy birthday boy.

I believe Payton has had a wonderful entry into his 8th year so far. But the fun isn't over yet. 

 He and Brian go on the Cub Scout camping trip on Friday and then both sets of grandparents will be visiting this weekend to celebrate the boys' birthdays.

The fun just doesn't end around here folks!

To wrap up the rest of the weekend, here are some other random photos...

Parker being silly at the park.

This is the Valentine's inspired plaque that is displayed on the kitchen table right now.

We change the wording every day. 

This was Payton's birthday message:

And one more photo that makes me tear up every time I look at it.

Payton looks like a middle schooler in this picture.

He's growing up so fast.

Thank God he still likes to cuddle, give me lots of kisses and hugs, and still yells out, "I love you too!" every morning when leaving for school with his friend.

I know it won't be like this for much longer, so I am treasuring every second of it.

Happy 8th birthday to one of the sweetest, most genuine kids I could ever dream of being a mom to. You make me so proud and I love you more than you can ever imagine!!!