Easy ABC's

This was a fun little decor project for Jay's room. I completed it a month or more ago, but just got it mounted on the wall this week.

$0.99 Letters from Hobby Lobby

Spray paint- I did his initials in lime green, all the other letters in his name are white and the left over letters are blue or turquoise.

I attached the letters with small wooden craft sticks on the back and hot glue and mounted with 6 velcro Command strips.

Food Challenge: Week 1

Something you should know before we get started: As a rule, I am the most boring grocery shopper ever. It really NEVER occurs to me to "shop" while I'm getting groceries. I buy what I know and that is it. I am largely brand-loyal and boring. Some of these things may seem like no-brainers to you but for me this week has really been shaking things up. Overall I think week 1 went well for all of us!

Wednesday Lunch:
Black Bean and Cheese Quesadilla-whole wheat tortilla with mashed black beans, cheddar cheese, toasted (I didn't want to cook it in a pan with added butter), pineapple
Result: Jay loved it! Very Easy. Day 1 is a success.

Thursday Lunch:
Egg Salad Sammy-Easy and a no-brainer? Check and check..BUT since we're breaking the mold here Jay had cereal (like a big-kid) and fruit for breakfast and he is not a big meat-eater, so I thought Egg Salad for lunch would be a good way to get in some protein.
Result: B, the only negative being that Jay isn't really wild about cold foods, but we're learning!

Thursday Dinner:
Chicken and Broccoli Penne the best thing about this recipe? I had everything to make it already at my house! Fast and simple. It's amazing what happens when you look at the back of the box! *Note: I used some Tyson Simply Grilled diced chicken that was already in my freezer, so my version was even faster and easier. Also, I think it would serve 6 people easily. I froze half and we still had leftovers.
Result: A

Friday Snack:
Yummy Muffins from this Yummy Recipe I found over at The Mastins-Whitney mentions when giving the recipe that it could be a little sweeter, so I added about a cup of Golden Raisins that I just had in the pantry. The muffins were good and veggie-packed, Jay ate two for snack.
Result: B+, Daddio was not a fan, but I drizzled just a touch of cream cheese frosting on some that we ate for breakfast and they were much better for him.

Saturday Breakfast:
Multi-grain frozen waffles, cream cheese and strawberries
Result: A+ added bonus of the house not smelling like Waffle House. :)

Sunday Dinner:
Pre-made refrigerated Spinach and Cheese Ravioli--yes, it was convenient and another good way to get a few servings of veggies in without heating up canned, processed veggies, so it achieved my main goal. It was very quick and something I've never tried before. I probably could have made a more wholesome choice here, but it's better than spaghettios and something we could all eat.
Result: C, Fast but a tad "blah".

Monday Leftovers.

Tuesday Lunch:
Chicken Salad and Crackers, Hummus and Crackers and fruit
Result: A++. The hummus was very well received! Maybe it will be helpful as we add more meats and veggies.

That wraps up week 1. I hope to continue our challenge next week so we can keep expanding our wholesome food horizons. I'd love to hear what your kids are eating and what keeps things interesting and healthy for you!

Issuing a challenge

I receive a number of daily emails from parenting and pregnancy websites and magazines filled with updates on safety recalls, top 10 tips for getting baby to do this or that, shedding baby weight, etc. Usually I scan through a few every day or so, sometimes while in line on errands, waiting for Jay to wake up and what not.

Because I scan through them haphazardly, I retain very little of the information but one tid-bit I read months ago has stuck in the back of my mind for months-

"If you ate only what your child ate for a week, would you be healthy?" 

I have to say, the answer is yes, probably healthier than if I am making the choices for myself. But this week I've asked myself, "But would you be bored?" again I think the answer is YES.

At 13 months Jay's daily menu looks like this-
Breakfast: 1 scrambled egg with a dash of ketchup, 1 biscuit with grape jelly and 1/2 cup of fruit, 8 oz. whole milk.
Lunch-Chicken Noodle soup, Spaghettios, Ravioli, Beefaroni, or maybe some leftover pasta, veggies like green beans or Lima beans or cooked carrots, 1/2 cup of fruit 8 oz. whole milk
Snack: YoBaby yogurt, vanilla goldfish or a fig newton, milk
Dinner: Veggies (above) pasta or starch that we are having for dinner, 1/2 cup fruit (almost always strawberries, pineapple, occasionally melon)

Every.Single.Day.

While I take a great deal of pride in his balanced, colorful meals and the fact that overall he is a good eater, I am somewhat ashamed by the fact that lunch and snacks everyday are canned-pre-made and boring.

So, I'm challenging myself over the next few weeks. My goal is to introduce new foods and present balanced meals everyday that are outside of our standard, mindless grab a can from the pantry and nuke it.

Not that I am trying to become a baby gourmet, but the hope is that everyday we will be able to enjoy new meals while maintaining the easy mealtimes that we both love.

Wish us (all) luck!

un-glam party photos

Ah,  how I love to swoon over amazing party pics that capture every well-planned detail and leave the blogosphere weak in the knees over a blissfully perfect child's fete.....I hope those folks have fun at their parties! I know we had a great time at jay's and I wish I had better photos of party details, but I don't. Maybe next year. I can tell you that I was just about to throw out some of the decorations I've been hanging onto for the last few weeks and I just couldn't so it occurred to me to photograph those to keep. Here ya go. It's what we've got. We had a GREAT time and GREAT party.

 Cake topper and fondant gears courtesy of Biddy Bear Cupcakes

Envelope front and back

Invitation-open

Banner, tissue tassels and 2 of the 6 large "1"s that hung from doors.

Gear shaped Rice Krispie treats for favors

Fun Firsts

Recently we've had some fun firsts to share!

First trip to the dentist- AMAZING! If you're anywhere around Birmingham or Tuscaloosa, I highly recommend Pediatric Smiles

. 

First time in a big-boy cart at Target! This is also a grumpy-sleepy face. 

First time in the forward-facing car seat!

First PIZZA!

12 Months!

This pretty much tells you how our monthly photo shoot went. Thanks for the memories, PickyStickers--I think we've had all the fun we're going to have. 

Jay's 1 year check-up went great--27 pounds, 32.5 inches tall and 49 cm around his head. 95th percentile in all three and Dr. Malone reports that his Daddio's stature has definitely presented itself. 

Clothes: 18 month, a few things are already too small, we're moving into 24 month quickly.

Shoes: Have only worn them once since Easter.

Diapers: This is our last pack of size 4. I debated moving up last time I bought and now wish I would have, but we only have a few days left so we'll manage. 

Teeth: 11! Including 3 molars

Not walking independently but today took 3-4 steps on 3 different occasions. 

New words/sounds

MAMA!!! Finally, just a few days before his birthday as a gift to me. Thanks, Buddy. You'll never know how overjoyed I was to hear you say it. 

KAR-LA (always screamed at the top of his lungs. Sometimes when Karla is here, sometimes when she isn't.)

Papa

He "clicks" as if he's getting a horse to giddyup or to call the dogs or Dada. "Dada, click-click" "Guuuh, click-click"

We're having lots of fun these days, Jay is learning how to pretend and try to trick me when it comes to going to sleep and eating. He's also great at hiding in the curtains and has loved playing with all of his new toys and books he received for his birthday. He also passes the time in some unexpected ways, but has fun no matter what and remains the happiest child I've ever known. 

He is able to get in and out of his new (35-year-old) rocker himself. I'm amazed!