Time Out Mat

So, my newest purchases for Little Miss Blakely has been this lovely, Time Out Spot Discipline Rug! Something I just know she is just super excited about! I had been reading articles about this award winner mat/spot/rug, so ofcourse, I google it and find this website:http://www.timeoutspots.com/. I also purchased it from this website as well.

It was super informative! Here is a little what the site states. "Time Out Spots are a discipline technique designed to help discipline children ages 18 months and up. When a behavior problem arises, children should be given one warning. If they do not obey, they should be sent to sit on their "Time Out Spot." When calling a time-out one minute of time out is recommended for each year of the child's age (example: 3 years old/3 minutes). Time out technique is a very effective way to manage unwanted behavior. To learn more about using the time out technique successfully, please refer to the links below."- timeoutspots.com

Blakely has been showing us her "temper" lately and we have been enforcing time-out time.

She likes to hit and pull hair. I guess I should be glad she hasn't been biting?

This is the rug we got, but we got it in the brown/khaki.

Smarty Pants!

As most of you know Blakely has really gotten into reading books. She loves to sit in our laps and point at everything on the page while we are reading. If there is a "moon" in the background she will just starting pointing at it and saying something that doesn't sound a thing like the word "moon". We also have some educational books that we sit down and point objects, animals, automobiles, etc. out to her with too! SO. . . .

Last night we were in the play room after dinner settling down from our day when Blakely went and grabbed one of her educational books(Priddy Books; My Little Counting Book), plopped down on my lap, and wanted to point out things to me. Ben was sitting in a chair watching us. As I start turning the pages asking her where the "bear" was, the "dolls", the "trains", the "boat", the "balls", the "bugs", the "leaves", the "car", the "cow", the "dog", and so on and so on. (I am sure you get the picture) She just was pointing them out like she was a little pro at it! I mean, there are a few things that she can get caught up on(ex: shells, roster, square, frog), but for the most part, she knows whats in these BOOKS! It totally shocked Ben! He was so proud of her, like she had just gotten into a IVY LEAGUE school or something. I guess I had just forgot to mention or assumed I had already told him , that she had begun to recognize objects, shapes, animals, etc. She is becoming a smarty pants! She still isn't to good with colors, but is getting better at shapes! I just thought that was a story worth sharing!

We have several of this books and we totally think they are great.

My Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

I wanted to make us some comfort food, that warmed our insides and filled the house with the smell of freshness! Plus, all I had was chicken at the house, so I crafted the idea of Homemade Chicken Pot Pie! Now, I have never actaully made chicken pot pie, so I Googled a few recipes. However, I didn't find anything that seemed perfect to me. They all seemed too difficult or to simple. So, I just took a few ideas from other recipes I had found and created my own. Here is the recipe, but you too could play with mine and make your own creation!

Ingredients:
4 Chicken Breast Cooked and Diced(or 2 LARGE breast)
1 cup potato, diced
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup celery, diced
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper



Ingredients for Pie Crust:
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 cup of shorting
1 tbsp. salt
1/2 of cold water



Directions: Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
1. Saute potatoes, onions, carrots, and celery with butter(10 minutes)
2. Add Flour to sauteed mixture, make sure you cover all veggies with flour
3. Combine milk and chicken broth to mixture, stir well until thick and bubbly!
4. Stir in S & P, then diced chicken
5. Right before adding mixture to pie dish, add frozen peas, stir.



Directions for Crust:
1. Take the 2 cups of flour and salt and cut shorting into it, until turns crumbly.
2. Add Water, needing it slowly until dough forms.
3. Make ball, then divided into 2 even balls.
4. Roll out each dough balls(one for bottom of pie dish and one for top)



Once you have placed pie crust into dish, pour mixture into it. Place top pie crust on mixture, pressing edges with fork. Cut slits in top to allow steam to escape. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until crust is golden brown!

Playroom Tent!

This is the Princess Fairy Tent that was given by the grandparents! I have been talking about it, so here it is....

She just loves it! Thanks! Love you!

Look what I found. . .

I was cleaning the house today(I am hosting a Spouses Coffee) and stumbled along this. . . .


Look close. . .

Ohhhh yes! It is crayon on the wall! I totally thought that I wouldn't have to deal with this until Blakely was atleast 3 or 4! But this is what happens when Daddy watches her during "craft time". Ben is right here next to me saying that, " I am making this up. . . I would of noticed!" YEAH RIGHT! That is Ben trying not to take blame for an 18 month drawing on the wall!

To be honest, I got a good laugh at it, then got to work on getting it off with my handy dandy, MAGIC ERASER! Took a good 10 minutes of scrubbing, but it did come off! Good times!

Award Won

I was given this award by my friend Susan(follow blogger)! Thanks you girl!

The winners of this award have to answer these questions, in one word per question.
1. Where is your cell phone? Counter
2. Where is your significant other? Bed
3. Your hair color? Highlighted
4. Your mother? Lovely
5. Your father? Softy
6. Your favorite thing? Sleep
7. Your dream last night? Nothing
8. Your dream/goal? Florida
9. The room you're in? Living room
10. Your hobby? Shopping
11. Your fear? Loneliness
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? ?
13. Where were you last night? Bed
14. What you're not? Hungry
15. One of your wish-list items? Purse
16. Where you grew up? Florida
17. The last thing you did? Cooked
18. What are you wearing? Clothes
19. Your TV? Off
20. Your pets? Dogs
21. Your computer? New
22. Your mood? Tired
23. Missing someone? OFCOURSE
24. Your car? White
25. Something you're not wearing? Socks
26. Favorite store? Anthropologie
27. Your summer? GREAT
28. Love someone? Forever
29. Your favorite color? White
30. When is the last time you laughed? Today
31. Last time you cried? Forever!

So now I'm supposed to pass this on:
How about my only other friend Cydneyhttp://sweetcarolinesboutique.blogspot.com!

This is for Yaya and Catherine!

Sneak Peek of Blakely's Halloween Outfit!

We just had to try it on. . .

Pumpkin Patch Farm!

We had a great day at the Pumpkin Patch Farm. There was hayrides, donkeys, turkeys, goats, geese, toddler corn maze, and even a train! Lots of pictures! Hope everyone is well! Love to all!

Sleepy girl!

Halloween Cookie Making!

We decided that we were going to make sugar cookies with Blakely, which ofcourse ment, me making the cookies(which was a Sugar Cookie Recipe made with Sourcream and they turned out delicious), Ben and Blakely watching, and then Ben and I decorating them! We are also going to take some to the neighbors. . .

We had such a good time, so I thought I would share our finished product with you!

Crazy Weekend

Like I said in the last blog, we have been having a busy, hectic month! So, this past weekend, we has a "Girls Day Out". There was 12 of us that met at a friends house(Ali) and drove into the City to The Plaza in downtown Kansas City, MO. It is this beautiful shopping center outdoors with all of my favorite stores(GAP, Anne Taylor Loft, Anthropologie, J. Crew, Gymboree, etc.) and tons of places to eat! My friend, Ali who I mentioned in last blog, planned it all! Here's the kicker. . .it was actually a Surprise Bacherolette Party for our friend Tiffany.

So we headed to KC, shopped, then planned on going to get something to eat and drink at this Mexican restaurant. We had just finished up at a store and started heading over to the restaurant, ironically enough Tiffany was the last person to walk into the room, so we all got the yell, "SURPRISE!". She was shocked and hide behind this booth and started to cry( probably being surprised, happy, & overwhelmed). It was a site to see! It was perfect! Something I will defiantly remember forever and it wasn't even my bacherolette party!

Tiffany: Just a few tears.

After Dinner we continued to shop. We hit up Anthropologie and went crazy in there! Partly with the help of the margaritas.

Shopping pictures!

Finally we headed to the Hilton in the Light and District are in KC to get ready to go out!

Did I mention we were also going to go out to a club to go dancing! It was a blast! I can't tell you how much fun we all had, so I will just show you. As you can tell, it was much needed time away from the everyday!

Dancing!

Busy Month!

I am surprise excited about having so many things to do this month! It feels like I actually have a life!
-Oct. 11th: Girls Day Out to the City! Yeah! This has to be one of my favorite days I have been looking forward too! Shopping, eating, drinks, and best of all. . .girls!
-Oct. 17th: MOPS; making activity bags for the local shelter.
-Oct. 18th: Air Force Ball(still looking for a babysitter)
-Oct. 19th: Alex's baby shower(I am co-hosting it with 2 of my friends, Lisa and Cat!)
-Oct. 23th: Hosting the 394th Spouse "Social"(coffee). I have 2 more friends co-hosting with me, Amiee and Colleen.
-Oct. 28th: Halloween Party(we have a babysitter for this!) I am most excited about this! We get to dress up and just have fun! Which reminds me. . .I need to get on the ball with finding the rest of our costume! Anyone have any Dallas Cowboy stuff?
-Oct. 31: Halloween! And The Allen's Kids Halloween party!

I have other little things here and there to keep Blakely and I busy, but I am trying not to get stressed about it all! (which just means I am) It actually makes me happy because I know it just means I have, finally, made friends here in Missouri and are blessed to be staying busy!

Just a little side note. I dropped Blakely off at PDO yesterday and went to Lees Summit with my friend Ali. Ali is a friend here(who doesn't have children,yet!) that I really haven't gotten to hang out with on a regular basis because I am always having to drag Blakely with me, everywhere I go!(totally run on sentence) With that said, I really enjoyed myself yesterday. I got to know her a little better, which was nice, and we have alot in common.
Thanks for the little adult time Ali! Can't wait to hang out again!

Love to all!

Pig Tail Pictures!

18 month appointment!

I could never deny that our baby was a "big girl", but when you see it on paper and have the Doctor tell you it's true. . .it makes me laugh! Blakely had her baby well check up today. She is a 29lbs 1.2oz(95th%); 32 1/2 inches long(75th%); 19 head(95th%).

She hasn't changed in the past 2 months. . .we just had her 16 month check up(which was supposed to be 15 months, but we were in Florida). I kind of thought she would have lost some weight because she hasn't been eating well or sleeping well! BUT I am glad that she hadn't because I LOVE her chub and am kinda sad that it is starting to go away. She is getting taller which is making her thin out in her legs and arms! I am going to miss those rolls! They are the cutest!

Just an little update! Hope everyone is well!

Fall has arrived!

Yes, it is that time of the year, the air is crisp and the leaves are starting to fall. . .Fall has arrived! We have started trying to find different ways to keep ourselves busy these fall/winter. We are signing up for swimming lessons at the local Community Center here, which has an indoor pool. We have also found this nice indoor park as well(Cornerstone Park), which has been a weekly staple since we have been home. There is also somtehing similar at the Community Center called Tiny Tots Park that we also signed up for once a week, that just lets her run around and be a toddler!

We actaully are going to try out something called the MOPS(Mother's of Pre-Schoolers) tomorrow. It meets the 1st and 3rd Friday of every month. We are going to "try" it out first, to see how it is.

Here what the website says: MOPS helps moms through relationships established in the context of local groups that provide a caring atmosphere for today's mother of young children.

I hope this weather is making everyone think about all the wonderful times that await us! Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas! Yea! Love to all!