Polkadot Posies

Favorite baby pictures...

I thought I would pull out some not so recent pictures for this one!

I will start with one of my all-time favorites of my daughter.  She was such a rolly little girl ...

Got chins?

She was 2 months old in this picture and it still makes me laugh.  Such a cutie!!

With my son, I have such a different aspect when it comes to favorite.  He had such a rough start, spending 2 weeks in the NICU, along with 5 very long days on a ventilator.  When I look at him I see such a strong, strong little boy.  He's already been through so much in his tiny life.  He had surgery back in February and has yet another test to endure on Wednesday.  We've had more medical experiences with this cutie than I ever want to go through again!

Here's the little man ..

 

This was the photo I used for his birth announcement. This was a few days after they let him come home.  I feel a huge sense of peace and comfort when I look at this photo.

Happy hopping everyone!

Wedding Showers

It's Friday blog hop time again.  This week's topic is wedding shower ideas.  I have hosted quite a few of these over the years.  I think with each one I learn more and more.  I think most of my friends and family will agree, but I am one who goes over the top with details.  I like to pick a few things and do them really well.  Simple but yet perfect.

The hardest part of throwing a shower is always selecting a theme.  I am of opinion that every party or event needs a theme.  Whether it bee simple "Couples" or an elaborate "Seasons" shower, you must have a theme.  My all time favorites are "Pots and Panties" and "Seasons". 

For the Pots and Panties, Sex in the Kitchen, etc., it is a combination lingerie and kitchen shower.  This serves as a practical but light-hearted event.  So much fun to do with a group of the bride's closest friends.  The "Seasons" shower was a neat one I attended.  Every guest was given a month to center their gift around. The purpose of this one is to help with household decorations or specialty items.  I think this is a great shower for a lady who has already had a couple of general showers.  For the shower I attended, I was the month of May.  I gave a set of ice cream sundae dishes, an ice cream scoop, and some decorative napkins in summerish colors.

Overall, when hosting a shower it is all about the details.  More one of my more recent general showers, my favorite part were the favors. I personally printed the labels and affixed them to a $1.00 set of cookies cutters.  It totally transformed them from simple to chic!  I leave you with a couple of pictures from that shower.  Happy hopping!

Let's Laugh ...

Laughing is probably one of my most favorite things to do.  I get to do it often, thanks to my wonderful family and friends.  I will re-cap a post I did a few months ago about a conversation I had with my three year old daughter.

Abby: Mommy!  Mommy!   Mommy! (running out of her room at bedtime into the den)

Me:  What?! (standing up and quickly walking in her direction)

Abby: There is a dinosaur in my room!!!

Of course I'm quite intrigued at this point.  I take her back to her room thinking there is a good explanation for this.  I ask her to show it to me and of course it's not there.  I then break into a great lecture about shadows and she tells me it's not a shadow, it's a dinosaur!!!

Then, I see it.  The almost white colored dinosaur scurrying across the wall.  Dinosaur = 3 inch gecko.

At least she got the kingdom and phylum correct, right?

My cutie:

Baby Showers .. Ideas and mine (blog hop)

This is part of the "Show Us Your Life" series sponsored by Kelly.  This week's entry is about baby showers and here is my input.

I've given quite a few showers over the past 5 years, but the thing I struggled the most with were showers for mom's who already had at least one child.  To me, showers are more than gift-giving, they are a time to spotlight the mom-to-be and share in this special time.  Today, I feel like so much emphasis is put on etiquette do's and dont's that we don't get to focus on the expectant mother!

My best friend was pregnant with her second child.  Not only was this a second child, but also a second daughter.  We still wanted to honor her with a shower, so we did a "Sip and See".  This was a shower held about a month after her daughter was born.  This allowed all of her close friends and family to come see the new addition.  This was very well received.  Who doesn't want to come see a new baby of a dear friend!  And to top it off, many brought gifts.  It was more about seeing the child then receiving gifts.

To prepare for this post, I went through pictures from one of my showers.  All I can say is, whoa!  These were from my daughters pregnancy and I will just say I didn't feel half as big as I look.  I mean, I knew I was 8 months pregnant, but I thought I just looked a "little" pregnant.  These pictures make my back and ankles hurt just looking at them.

May I remind everyone this was the summer of 2006.  It was like the hottest summer on record in 25 years.  We had like 45 straight days of 100 degree plus weather.  I say this because this next picture, I just look HOT.  Not sexy hot, but sweaty hot!

Happy hopping everyone. Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe Blog Hop

This really isn't a true recipe but a great little snack for kids. 

• 2 bananas, cut in half to have 4 bananas
• Box of your favorite jell-o (I haven't tried this with sugarfree jell-o)

It's kind of reminiscent of fun dips we had when I was a kid.  Section off the jell-o into 4 little containers (we wouldn't want anyone to double dip!) ... Then dip your banana in the jell-o.  My 3 year old loves to do this.  This flavors the banana a little and adds a touch of sugar.  Plus, it starts turning colors when it gets on the banana.

Another quick and easy treat is what we called Pudgie Pies in girl scouts. 

• 2 slices of bread per person
• butter
• favorite pie filling, nutella, peanut butter, or whatever your hear desires

Everything else is like making a grilled cheese.  You are substituting the cheese with pie filling.  I usually use apple.  After I have cooked the "pie", I then sprinkle it with cinnamon sugar.  And that is it.  Super simple and super delicious!

Favorite Vacation Spot

We don't get many vacations anymore, but whenever we can get away, it's to Lubbock, Texas.  We are season ticket holders and love going to all of the Texas Tech games.  We save all of our childcare favors for football season and take many Fridays and Mondays off so that we can enjoy the tailgate parties and the great atmosphere.  By the way, only 28 days until kick off.  Wreck'em!!

Blog Hop Tuesday - Favorite Kid Photo

I took this picture back in April.  The expression on her face says it all.  I think she was DONE with the photo shoot!

Blog Hop Tuesday!

Today's Blog Hop topic is a favorite recipe.  This is my go-to appetizer. There are never leftovers.  I have made them for every party I have had over the last 3 years.  It is an adaptation of a recipe from Sandra Lee on the the Food Network's Semi-Homemade.

Cream Cheese Stuffed Cucumbers

Ingredients:
3 English/seedless cucumbers
8 oz cream cheese
Fresh Dill
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1 Shallot
Salt and Pepper

Here is what I do:  I take the cucumbers and cut them into 1 inch thick sections.  Then you take a melon baller an scoop out the seeds.  But don't go all the way through.  You are making a cucumber bowl.  I then chop up my shallot into a very fine dice.  I also chop up my fresh dill very finely.  I then mix my cream cheese and mayonnaise.  It helps a ton if your cream cheese is room temperature.  After the mayo and cream cheese are incorporated, I mix in the shallot and dill.  I then season to taste.  I like to let the mixture set for a few hours in the refrigerator. 

Now for the creative part.  I love piping things: deviled eggs, stuffed cucumbers, cool whip, etc.  I just use a gallon size freezer bag.  The freezer part is important.  They are a little more study than the normal ones.  I use a large star tip in the corner of the freezer bag (but you don't have to use a tip, a simple slit in the bag is OK).  With the help of a large cup, I then put the cream cheese mixture into the gallon sized bag.  If you put the bag inside the cup and fold the bag down over the sides, it will keep the bag pretty clean and make the process easier.  If you are using a tip, the tip needs to be positioned in the corner before filling.  If you are not using the tip, after filling the bag, cut the corner of the bag off.  I like to make the opening about 1/2 inch in diameter.  Then you just pipe into the cucumber bowls.

I suppose you could just use a spoon and fill them, but I'm one of those over-the-top type of gals.  A great side note is this can be adapted to be fat free with ff cream cheese and ff mayo.  I have made it both ways.  Anyways, happy eating!

Blog Hop Tuesday

3 Things About Me

1.  I have been to over half of the Texas Tech football games in the last 10 years.  That is since I have graduated.  I thoroughly enjoy college football in the fall.  I love watching it on TV, in the stands, or listening on the radio.  If there is a TTU game on some form of media, you bet I'm watching it.  We even streamed in a game via the internet last season when the Red Raiders were playing in Reno, Nevada.  I can't wait for this season!!

 

2.  I have a booth at First Monday Trade Days in Canton, Texas.  This will be my third month of selling $2.00 bows.  Yes, I said two bucks!   I stumbled upon this business in a quest to find a less expensive bow.  Bows are an disposable part of my daughter's outfit, no matter how much I may object to that statement.  Sometimes she comes home with them, but most of the time she does not.   I can't tell you how many of my $10 bows were lost in the Wal-Mart parking lot or in black hole bowland at the school.  Better yet, sent home with another child at school.  So, I now bring to you the $2 bow.  You be the judge.  I think they are definitely worth the money!

3.  Lastly, I must watch Young and the Restless every day.  Well, I might not watch every day but I have it recorded.  I'll surely catch up at some point in the week, but I've got to!  I've been watching the show since I was in fifth grade.  The kids that were younger than me now have college aged kids, LOL.  Or, you have got to love the time warp of summer camp or boarding school.  Leave as an 9 year old little boy and come home a year later as a grown up 17 year old stud.  LOVE IT!  But mostly, for about 42 minutes I escape to Genoa City, Wisconsin.

Happy hopping everyone!