Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies… Heaven is for real!

The boy is fed, burped, changed, cuddled and now he is down for a nap…. Or by down for a nap I mean, hiccuping and trying to fall asleep.  Poor guy, he's like his Momma! We get hiccups all the time! Who knows why, or what causes it, but I never grew out of it either, so it's one of those special things I gave to him… Sorry bud.

Oh yah… and I've been doing a lot of this too….

Yes people, millions of pumping parts and bottles to
wash several times a day will make you go a little nuts...

So, that means MOMMY TIME and mommy time will be spent telling you how much I am love with a cookie….. Really, it's a true love and I could eat these things silly! I think it was a couple years ago that some Albuquerque girls started a food blog called ChowCity.  Well, it was one of the first blogs I found and followed and tried a lot of their yummy recipes… BUT… NOTHING BEAT THIS ONE!!!!! I've make them every fall and would like to start making them every.single.day… If I start turning orange, you'll know why. You remember that I love and obsess over anything with pumpkin? Well, this is no different ladies and gentlemen! I introduce to you… THE PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE! You will love it and become obsessed with me over it, I promise! It's not just any ol' cookie, it's like a cake cookie and you could eat a million in 2.2 seconds! To give credit where credit is due, I believe this recipe was from Dani Sorenson, which I am forever grateful for her sharing!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies 
(AKA The Goddess of all Pumpkin Things..) 

Ingredients:

1 heaping cup canned pumpkin
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

To Make These Bad Boys: 

Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg in a mixing bowl.  In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt.  Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir it in.  Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and mix well.  Add the vanilla and chocolate chips too! Do yourself a favor and don't be stingey on the chocolate chips... :) 

The "cookie dough" should be soft and sticky

Drop by spoonful (I use a cookie/ice cream scoop) onto a greased cookie sheet or Silpat mat.

If you haven't invested in a Silpat, do so NOW..

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.  I put mine in for 11 minutes and that seemed to be perfect! 

Thank me later for the delicious smell in your house from these cookies baking…
After you're done, let cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet/mat.



Transfer to a wire cooling rack and be sure to test one out while they are still warm...

You're welcome! :) Happy Fall!!!!!

I am feeling a little extra giddy today because tomorrow we get to have a special visit from some special  people! Gam and Papo (Debbie and Dan), Aunt Jasmine, Uncle John, Sweet Darby and the BOYS (twin A and B) are coming to spend some time with us tomorrow! Can't wait to steal some snuggles from our sweet little niece and rub Momma's belly!!!!

I mean, C'mon… Could she be any cuter?
And the girl stole my heart again with those little leopard flats…. 

Lookin' good, boys! Keep growing big and strong!
Can't wait to introduce you to the Twins Club!


Enjoy the rest of your week everyone! Make it a good one and remember to count your blessings! 

Friday, September 20, 2013

Today was the day….

Today was a very special day in my book… Literally… It was inked into my lovely Erin Condren planner and had stayed there since January 2013….. It was my Due Date….. My very first due date that had been given to us by the ultrasound tech back in Albuquerque… It was the day that I could plan my next nine months around and be excited for! I had always imagined what it would be like to be given a "due date" and to be able to pencil it in, like it's some regularly scheduled event or "to-do" for that day.. Granted, I know that most people don't actually deliver their babies on their due date, it gives you a guideline to work with, plus or minus a week or two… Well.. never did I imagine that having a due date in September would leave me delivering our sweet Baby # 1 in JULY!!!!! NEVER! I kind of always had a feeling that Oliver would come early, but early meaning a few weeks early, not a few months! I popped out right away and he got big fast.  He was always moving, and I mean ALWAYS… He's always sort of had this, "I'm HERE and you better be ready" sort of attitude I've felt.. That's when I should have known :)

Today was a day filled with morning "blow-out" diaper changes (and clothes and changing liners), milk mustaches, fussing and crying "Mom… I'm hungry again" cries, more bottle washing, but most importantly SNUGGLES AND KISSES… Instead of being in the hospital right now, still being pregnant in this hot heat of Arizona, or still recovering from a c-section… I was the lucky one! I was cuddling and loving on our sweet Oliver Reid Barnsley who just couldn't wait another day to get here! And he did everything in his power to let it be known that he was ready… He wanted to meet us… IN JULY!

He is our little surprise, our miracle and our baby who gave us the title of "Mommy and Daddy…" Today I am just thanking God that He had HIS big hands protecting our sweet boy every step of the way, and HE gave us an early present… He trusted us with taking care of him even before we were supposed to in our minds… He gave us a healthy, strong, happy and beautiful baby boy! Today, and every day Sweet Oliver, we celebrate YOU! You, are here, you've been here for almost 7 weeks now and you are the greatest GIFT FROM GOD! Happy DUE DATE and thank you for saving Mommy the extra baby weight, discomfort and sweat and allowing me to enjoy my glasses of wine more frequently… We love you and will forever cherish our bundle of joy and be thankful for all the sweetness you've brought into our lives!

Thanks Aunt Courtney in Hawaii for my awesome burp cloth! 

Oliver's party suit! 

He's done with the photo sesh…
 It takes a lot of work to do what he does, you know? 

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

"Fallin" in Love....

Hi my name is Lindsey and I LOVE FALL….

I admit it.... I'm an addict I think! Everything about it I just LOVE! Now that we are living in Arizona, I haven't quite felt the fall breeze in the air type of feeling yet, or the smell of roasting green chilies, or that State Fair in the Air, but.... It's not 115 degrees, so in my book, HAPPY FALL, Ya'll! :) There are just too many fun things that come to mind when I think of fall! Here are a few of my favorites....


  Candy Corn…. 

I have a sweet tooth if you didn't know already!
The reason why I have to work out double time in the Fall....
                                  (Notice how much is left in my first bag of the season..???)




Fall Scented Candles Burning 

People... I'm obsessed with these! If you have never owned a Gold Canyon candle, you are missing out on LIFE! That's right, LIFE! Get ready to live when you buy yours! The wax burns evenly all the way down to the very last bottom bit, no wax is left on the sides of the jar, and most importantly, the smells are to.die.for and carry their scent all the way till' the end! I have the Sweet Cinnaroll and it smells like that to a tee! Heaven in a jar is possible! I also picked up a few lovely scents at Bath and Body Works that I pretty much have a love relationship with.  My faves are Pumpkin Pecan Waffles, and Pumpkin Cupcake in the mason jars! They were doing a 2 for $15.00 deal, so I went nuts. Yes, they are too cute for their own good and they smell so delicious you want to eat them...seriously! You do!




Pumpkin Spice Lattes from the "Bucks"

Call me spoiled, but I don't care about spending almost $5.00 on a coffee drink... This is Heaven in a cup and will make you smile every sip of the way! No need to get fat-free, just do it people! Indulge in the greatness and treat yourself! They aren't around all year, so I feel the need to get one a couple times a week! It's sometimes my one outing of the day and I choose to go drive through Starbucks and pick one of these bad boys up! That's how good they are if you have never tried one for yourself!
Worth every calorie, worth every cent! 




Anything Pumpkin or Spice...

If it says "pumpkin" on the label, it's in my cart I'm pretty sure! 
Here are a few things already stocked up at home

Bath and Body Works soap and hand sanitizer…
Why not be germ-free and smell yummy? DUH!


Baking anything pumpkin is sure to put a smile on my face.
That's why there are always a couple of options!
Oh, and if you've never tried the mulling spice with cider
from Trader Joe's… DO IT! You'll be happy you did! 

Haven't tried it yet, but just found this at TJ's too…
Early mornings and late nights with little Oliver
gives me the excuse to have this. 


Yummy Cinnamon Orange MarketSpice Tea From Seattle

My wonderful Momma brought some of this goodness 
with her on one of her trips and I LOVE IT!
Find more flavors and order HERE :)




Cozying Up and Working on Projects...

...like Oliver's Baby Book that I'm obsessed with…
What's new? Me obsessed with projects?
I found this gem of a book on ETSY at dottedcrossdesigns shop




 Taking Time to Relax, Dig Out My Creativity Bin 
& Make Some Art!

What better art to make than for my lil' sweet guy?




Decorating for Fall

(I haven't done our house yet, but you better bet your bottoms that on Jesse's Honey-Do list, it says, "Dig out Fall Decorations for Linds.." Love you babe! Love that you let me consume our house with decorations! (I'll post some pictures later once I'm done!) 


Fall Clothes and Accessories

This year has been a bit different… Instead of packing up my summer clothes and digging out fall/winter clothes, it's been like this… Pack up maternity/anything that fit clothes and unpack summer/fall clothes that never came out of the box when we moved! That's also on the weekend list of things to do! BUT…. I have been a bad girl found a few things to add to my collection of favorites for this fall!


The Leopard Flower Scarf in Navy! LOVE IT!
Got it here: Leopard Scarf


 Classic Camo TOMS!!!! So fun to slip on with so many things! 


Love these simple and sweet bracelets! 
They were both gifts and I wear them just about everyday! 

Alex and Ani Initial Bracelet Find it Here! (Thanks Court for introducing me to these!) 
Chloe and Isabel is a new favorite of mine  Love the Bling
It's the Petite Baguette and look at this new, fun one! So Cute!  Here's Mine




Fun Things to Try

I love things I forgot about in my cabinets new products!
Here's a few things I am really digging lately!

Elf makeup brush cleaner ($3.00 at Target)
Baby Lips: The perfect hint of color! (At Target and thanks for showing me this, Court!)
Los Poblanos Lavender Salve… AMAZING!
Sonia Kashuk's Translucent Illuminator Bronzer
Fresh's Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment and Polish. YUM


Football (College and NFL) 
& Making Chips and Queso 
to Celebrate...

My fave NFL team is the Niners… I lost a bet years ago to Jesse… That's how I became a fan.. I told him that the ONLY way I would become a Niners Fan (because I like to play hard.to.get) is if they drafted Michael Crabtree… Welp… THAT HAPPENED! So… Go Niners! Glad you're a fun team to watch and like to kick butt on the field! Plus who doesn't like Jim Harbaugh?? He's intense and I love a competitive, fierce Coach!
Going to college in Lubbock meant one thing… WEST.TEXAS.FOOTBALL and tailgating! Well, ok, maybe a little drinking of the beer too and brushing the dirt off your face from the dust storms! I really wish everyone could experience the small town feel of game day when the whole town shuts down and flies their crimson red and black flags! IT was my very most favorite thing about Tech! So much tradition, and support for a team that loved playing a game of "AIR RAID." Of course I love my team, the Red Raiders, and I don't care if we haven't been that good in the past few years… but there is hope! We have a new Coach- Kliff Kingsbury, he's young and fresh and ready to rock that place! We always have a new coach it seems, but this one seems promising…. I hope.. Plus, can you say, Wes Welker, Michael Crabtree, Danny Amendola and Kliff Kingsbury? Some talent has come from Tech and I'm proud of it! Raider. Power. Now, let's have a good season! 






Finally.... Finding out We're going to have 
TWIN NEPHEWS!!!!!

Jasmine and John are due February 2nd, but…. I'm sure those little twinkies will be anxious to meet their sweet Mommy, Daddy and adorable sister Darby!!!! They went for an ultrasound yesterday to find out the sex of their baby and TADA!!!!!!! There were TWO! They are identical and Mono-Di which means that they share 1 placenta.  Brotherly love already!
BTW….Jasmine was so sure that she may someday have twin nephews or nieces herself, but the best part is that she gets to have some double fun of her own and I couldn't be happier! Best present ever! Now little Oliver gets to have not 1, but 2 other boy cousins to play with that will be in the same grade as him! :) And that also means that Sweet Darby girl will be getting some major girl time and love when she comes to visit Aunt Linds! We won't let those boys steal your thunder, Darby girl! :)

So cute to see 2 heads! 

I see you! He must be getting ready for Halloween!

Mommy and Daddy sure knew how to make this cutie pie happy! 

Thank you God for Jesse who is such a PERFECT Dad and babysit's while I take some "Me-Time" to blog, and find fun new stuff that makes me smile! Otherwise… I would go crazy! 

Monday, September 9, 2013

1 Month Old

Can you seriously be 1 month, almost 2 months old already? Look at you grow!!!! :) 

At 1 Month Old you: 

* You weighed 5 lbs. 3.8 ounces at your check up and were 18 1/2 inches long
* You eat about 50-55 mL or about 2 ounces every 3-4 hours and like to help hold the bottle already
* You are just growing out of preemie clothes and starting to fill out the newborn size. 
* You spend your days mostly sleeping with such a content look on your face
* You love your paci (Soothie's vanilla scented are AMAZING)
* You comfort and self soothe by bringing your hands to your face or mouth and by sucking on your paci
* You spit up a little bit after every feeding
* You make funny grunting sounds, squeals and peeps all day long
* You still have hiccups at least once a day
* Your hair is a light brownish color and is lightening everyday 
* Your eyes are a bluish color for now
* Your dimples started showing the more chub you grew on your cheeks
* Mommy has to file down your nails a lot because you always have your hands by your face
* You have already started lifting your head up and switching from side to side....!!! You love tummy time! 
* You love sleeping on Mommy and Daddy's chest- we have to wake you up to eat when you're there. 
* You smile when you pee look at Mommy and Daddy
* You love bath time more than anything in this world! 
* You like being swaddled but prefer your arms to be out
* You're not too big a fan of diaper changing time
* You have a stuffy nose a lot and we have to put saline drops in your nose and get those boogies out! 

Going to his 1 month check up

Thanks Aunt Les for my Red Raiders onsie!
Surely it will fit by the end of the season! :) 

"Come on guys? Really? This is not a good angle for me!"

Thanks Aunt Kacy for my cute monthly ties! 


One of Mommy's favorite preemie outfits

Looking for anything and everything to eat!

oh.those.eyes


I'm a big boy now eating big boy food, right guys?

Daddy and Mommy love you so much Oliver! You've proven to everyone that you were ready to meet the world! Even at 32 weeks!!!!

Momma and her Camera...

So, I must say that Jesse getting me a camera for my birthday/push present has led me into a new obsession.... I have A LOT to learn with photography, but ya gotta start somewhere! I really, really didn't want to pay a lot of money for newborn pictures, so I thought I'd give it a go myself.... I know I'm no pro, but for a first timer, I would give myself a B...... Also note, there isn't much editing of the pics that went on.... I have some major learning on how to do that! Here are a few of my favorites! Enjoy our little Love BUG!!!!! :)


My Daddy is Number 1 :) 

I'm sorry, I had to put a little tie on him!