Updated Family Photo

June 24, 2015

Tipton/Coleman Wedding

A few sweet pictures from the wedding we were honored to be a part of. Evalyn was asked to be the Flower Girl, and she was thrilled to say the least.  

It was held at the beautiful and historic Barr Mansion on Sprinkle Road in Austin, TX.  It was beautiful and fabulous!  

Thank you Madeline and Hunter for including our family in your special day!

Posing with the girls!

A practice walk.

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The most amazing cake!

A friend of mine sells baked good from her home to help support her family while staying home with 2 little ones and another on the way.  She bakes some scrumptious breads, but this cake she made to sell for Valentine's Day is AMAZING!  I was lucky enough to try a slice of it today and umm...WOW!

Here is her description: Chocolate Covered Strawberry cake. Made- from- scratch strawberry cake filled with strawberry preserves and creamy whipped chocolate ganache. Covered with more whipped ganache and finished with a silky poured chocolate. ($40, whole cake only)

I admit I'm not overly fond of strawberry cakes, or fruit flavored cakes in general, but this one was just like taking a bite of a chocolate covered strawberry!  Except I didn't have to deal with the cold of the strawberry, the chocolate breaking away and falling off, or the seeds that seem to always get stuck in my teeth.  I HIGHLY recommend if you are local to contact her to place an order soon because she will only be able to make a set number of them in order to guarantee the quality.  Yes, $40 does seem like a lot, but remember this is a homemade cake, no preservatives like what you might find in cakes from the grocery store.

You can reach Laura C. at her Facebook Page here: Thebreadlady Bakedgoods

* I was not compensated in any way for this review and post. I was not even asked to write a review by Thebreadlady Bakedgoods.

Announcing...

Baby #2 is due in December 2013

We have moved and are adding to our family!  Baby BOY Straub will hopefully arrive by mid-December.  Evalyn is quite excited, however still asks for a little sister. ;-)

Telescope

This is the telescope I gave +Jason Straub  for Christmas.

Celestron Powerseeker 114AZ Reflector Telescope

I ordered it through a Black Friday deal (on Thanksgiving Day) from Kohl's.  Yes, I too was amazed that Kohl's had telescopes!  I think we got a wonderful deal on it for his first telescope as an adult.

It didn't seem that large in the picture, so I wasn't sure what to expect.  But as you can see from the photo of him using it, it's a decent sized telescope and does a great job.

 

I love you...

to the moon and back!

I was going to blog about the joy of slicing an avocado in half and sprinkling just a bit is Season Salt on it, but before I got my first bite Jason called me outside to come see the moon through his new telescope.

WOW! Even with his lowest magnification lens, 25 mm, it was an amazingly crisp image! I was able to snap a picture with my phone and then later, as we chased it across the sky, the tablet.  (Just FYI, we call the tablet Tabby.)

Moon with Jupiter on bottom right.- Basic "naked eye" photo w/Tabby

Moon with 25 mm lens on telescope. Photo taken with Tabby.

Jupiter with moons. This was the best photo I could get with how fast they moved across the sky.
The moon is glowing at the bottom.

I see many future date nights with my star gazer. :-) 

This post would not have been possible without my husband's interest in astronomy. Thank you +Jason Straub!

MOPS "My Story" Fundraiser

Many of you know that I am a part of a group of moms that meets a couple times a month.  It's called MOPS, Mothers of Preschoolers, and it's an international organization.  It is a group that I was involved with when single and in college helping with the children's program, MOPPETS, and now I currently coordinator our local group, Brownsville MOPS.

This group is near and dear to me because they have been there for me.  These women are all moms that "get" where I'm coming from when I'm having a bad day, and they are there to celebrate with me when Evalyn reaches milestones.  They were also there with me as I experienced the grief of losing a child.  These women are important not just to me, but to the world as a whole.  When a mom has a place she can go to be encouraged and receive support she becomes a better mom.  The ripple effect of her being better passes on to her child(ren) and family making the world better one generation at a time.  I am privileged to know these women and their stories.  I also truly believe that no mom should be alone.

Would you consider helping support our group by purchasing one or more of these wonderful books to tell your story to future generations?  This book was created by another MOPS group in Dripping Springs, TX, and I am so grateful that they have allowed us to use it as a fundraiser so our group will not be limited by funds in growing and making a positive influence in our community and the world.

Please feel free to share this with friends and family.  One book is only $20 and if you order 2 or more, the price goes down to $15 per book.  Shipping is covered to me, so if I need to ship to you we can find out that cost for either First Class or Media Mail, depending upon the time needed to reach you if you want it before Christmas.

Don't let your story get lost in this technological age.  And just think, by the time you finish filling out the questions in this book, you would have written a book!  You can cross that off your bucket list!

Don't forget friends/family that are single or married with no children, they too have a story to tell.

Pinterest Tested and..

APRROVED!  I saw a pin over on Pinterest about a cleaner for the tub/shower that you spray on, leave for an hour, and then pretty much just wipe it down.  I read thru The Craft Patch's post and thought that if it worked for her, maybe it would work for me.

What you need:
1- dirty/filthy tub/shower
1 - dollar store spray bottle
Vinegar
Dawn Dishsoap, Original, Blue one

So I "let" our tub get dirty enough so it would show a difference...ok, I didn't clean it waiting to do this post and also because we were busy house/dog sitting so my housekeeping at home goes downhill when that happens.  I bought the vinegar and orginal, blue Dawn Soap at the grocery store and the spray bottle from the Dollar Tree.  I measured out 1 cup of vinegar and warmed it in the microwave in a glass measuring cup for 40 seconds. I poured it into the bottle, checked the measurement and then added the Dawn Soap to make it a 1:1 ratio.  I heated the vinegar because that seems to make it work best from reading different posts.  Shook it all up and then got to spraying.  I did a half spray test so I could really see how well it worked.

How the tub looked prior to spraying: (No judging!)

Once it was sprayed on the far side.

It sat for an hour then I turned on the warm water and used a wash cloth to WIPE it away. WOW! The grime really did just wipe right off!


A couple of shots of how it looked after wiping it all down. (I could really see a difference in the plastic bar on the wall.  I can see why you could use this for your plastic shower curtains too!)

See how shiny the sprayed/cleaned side is!

I took a few photos then quickly sprayed down the other side. I think I'll give it about a half-hour and then see how well it wipes up. 

Notes:  It does have a strong smell for the vinegar/soap, but I just turned the vent on while it sat.  I noticed that once I got it all rinsed most of the smell dissipated.  However, I would still much rather have vinegar fumes to smell then the chemical ones from manufactured cleaners.




So over all, YES, I recommend this as a legit pin and will be using it in the future and sharing it with friends/family.

Joy...Unending Joy!

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

A Touch of Spring

Here's the Spring wreath I made recently. Finally got it finished.

Super easy:
1 scan of fun fur yarn (Looks like threads attached to thicker yarn)
1 wreath form (leave plastic on it if sealed)
Flowers
Ribbon

Directions:
Hold down a section of 2 inches of yarn on the wreath and then begin wrapping around scan around the wreath to "tie down" the section. Then just keep wrapping until you cover the wreath to your satisfaction.
Add flowers, Easter Eggs, etc as decor to it (otherwise it just looks like a Muppet Wreath).  Tie a ribbon around it to hang.  Enjoy!

Oh and if it seems to "Muppet-y" you can "mow" it a little with scissors, but mine kind of grew on me and I liked how it looks shaggy and long.  (All puns intended.)

Easy TV project or like how I did it girl's night craft night so you can chat all you want because it's not too hard to wrap yarn around a wreath and carry a conversation.

Edited: I attached my flowers with straight pins so I can change my mind without fighting hot glue.  The "Welcome Bare Feet" sign is taped to a toothpick and stuck in.

Original website where I saw it:  http://www.duitang.com/people/mblog/17378736/detail/
(Caution: It's not in English)

24 Weeks

Getting bigger everyday! I feel baby moving almost all the time. Most active when I'm finally calm and not moving around a lot. Jason has been able to feel baby move too. Actually got nudged in the face quite forcefully one time. :)

18 wks 2 days

We had another visit to the doctor on Monday.  We got to do a sonogram this time for them to measure length of different bones to estimate size/age of baby.  I was supposed to be almost 19 weeks when they did it, but measurements put us back where I knew us to be, 18 weeks 2 days.  (Which means I was right, our "weeks" change on Saturdays, not Tuesdays like they originally said.)

I feel lots more wiggles and kicks now. It's so nice. I really enjoyed all of that so much when pregnant with Evalyn.  Not strong enough movements for Jason to feel yet, maybe in a couple more weeks.  My weight is going up as it should and my finger prick test for iron was still really good.  (Must be all those hamburgers I crave when pregnant, LOL!)

Here's the 2 pictures we got to take home with us.

First is the "freaky" picture.  Baby is facing straight up, so no cute profile picture.  :-) During the sonogram on the screen you could even really see the eyeballs...very neat and weird at the same time. Of course Jason's comment was, "Can you tell what color eyes they are?"  Silly guy!  If you look closely you can see some of them in the picture I scanned.  This picture really shows the ribs well!

This 2nd photo is why we still are definitely not finding out what baby is!  (We are still discussing it though, we do have a little over 4 months to decide still.)  ;-)   Baby was not going to show us this time anyway.  Those are the knees on the right on and the head to the left.  Gorgeous little arm/hands  in the middle.

 

Due date is still towards end of first week of April.

Any votes on boy or girl?  Leave a comment.  Thanks

Celebrating 2 years!!

Last time for bed...

I put my baby girl to bed tonight as a one year old, in the morning she will be 2 years old!!

(Although technically I can say that tomorrow night because she was born at 10:56 pm.) :-)

And I admit it...I got a little teary...thanks to all these extra hormones!

A Rockin' MAM Rock-a-Bye Baby Party!

+         =   A Rockin' Good Time!!


I was honored to host another party for Child's Play Party...this time for our little ones at home. MAM Baby Products made this such a fun and exciting way to learn about new products. Thank you MAM!

It all started a couple weeks ago when I received this HUGE box. We're talking almost 5 feet long and 2.5 feet tall! There were so many goodies in there. I was spoiled by them supplying pretty much everything I needed to host a rockin' party! The thought of everything, even the cookie cutters shaped like a baby bottle, teddy bear, and rocking horse and the door prizes for the games!

I invited 10 moms over to learn more about their products. I enjoyed having friends and all their little ones over to play for a couple of hours. We enjoyed snacks, chatting, and learning some interesting facts about the MAM products. I'm surprised how different their new MAM Anti-colic bottles are from bottles just a couple years ago for Evalyn. I even heard one mom remark that she really liked the bottle and it looked like she would be buying a new set to try!

Some hadn't heard about MAM products before and were very happy to receive so many products to try out. The Trivia Game was a lot of fun and we learned a lot. (Did you know 25% of babies suffer from colic?  I didn't!) One mom remarked that she'd like a copy since she's a 1st time mom and it was so informative.

My $75 Package Included:

• MAM Baby Triple pack Anti-Colic Bottle 8 ounce
• MAM Baby Triple pack Anti-Colic Bottle 5 ounce
• MAM Baby Night pacifier
• MAM Baby Air pacifier
• MAM Baby Clip & Cover (for pacifiers)
• MAM Baby Oral Care Rabbit
• MAM Baby Cooler Teether
• MAM Baby Bite & Brush

The guests $30 Packages included:

• MAM Baby Single Anti-Colic Bottle 5oz
• MAM Baby Single Anti-Colic Bottle 8oz
• MAM Baby Night Pacifier
• MAM Baby Oral Care Rabbit
• MAM Baby Cooler Teether
• MAM Baby Learn to Brush Set

Snacks for the party.

Getting ready for the fun to begin.

  

Our wall of fame! So many cuties!

 

All the goodies ready to go.

!

Lots of happy moms and babies!

Again...thank you MAM and Child's Play Party!  

Looking forward to the next fun party!

Sausage Balls

These are a family tradition for Christmas morning at our house. They are so yummy and quick that sometimes I like to do them at other times during the year.

This is my personal preference on the recipe. Feel free to find a way to make it your own for your family.


Sausage Balls

3 cups Bisquick
1 lb breakfast sausage (turkey)
8-10 ox sharp cheddar cheese
1-2 tbsp Worchestershire sauce (opt)

Heat oven to 400°F degrees.
Using your hands mix until 1 large ball is formed and then roll into balls, no bigger than ping pong size. Place on baking sheet (with sides) and bake for approximately 15 min. Remove from oven and enjoy! These refreeze well once baked and taste best reheated in the oven.

The ones E and I made we mixed in a gallon zip bag so she could help mix. I then took it out and finished it off by hand. I did use a scoop to make the balls this time to keep my hands clean, but the hand rolled ones look better.



Other variations used by my extended family include:

half mild and half spicy pork breakfast sausage
adding a few dashes of Tabasco

Phineas and Ferb Movie Screening Party

WOW!! From the beginning we were so excited to be chosen as a host for the First Ever Phineas and Ferb Movie Screening Party by Child's Play Party. I actually went to the "Bullseye" store and found a few items in the $1 section. Sadly they were sold out of most. I picked up some magnetic notepads and post it notes for the moms coming since I knew Disney Channel was providing the swag for the kids. (Masks, temporary tattoos, sling backpack with buttons and stickers!) I wanted something that could hang on the fridge at home and remind the whole family of what a fun time was had.

I actually used a Phineas, Ferb, and Perry mask to hang outside from the trees to alert people where we lived so the house was easy to find. (Sorry no picture...a couple of them disappeared during the movie time....off to the 2nd Dimension I guess.) Guests were greeted with a locker wipe off board inviting the come in and join Agent P's gang.

Once inside we had a mom stationed at a bowl of water with scissors for tattoo application. HUGE hit! Each child had at least 1-3 put on and they still were able to take home some in their bags also.

I tried to theme my snacks around some of the episodes I remember and loved. Here's the snack table run down:

The Lemonade Stand


Mr. Slushy Dawg's Mini-Dawgs


Apple Pie - "Anyone want pie?" (Quote from end of some episodes. Snacks already there with pretzels.)
(Notice the Platypus egg?) :-)


My husband even came up with his own Dr. Doofensmirtz invention - The Bubblinator! The kids LOVED it!And you'll notice that Perry is "attacking" Dr. Doof in this picture.

Now on to the show!

Trivia questions prior to show starting...thankfully they weren't too upset I mute the episode that was on just prior to the movie. ;-) Bribes of lollipops will do that I guess.


Kids and parents enjoying the movie.



Final poses after the movie of kids with their masks.




We all had so much fun and many of the mom's later posted on Facebook that they REALLY enjoyed it, not just their kids, but them too. Thanks Child's Play Party! I hope to host another party in the future!


Even my daughter, who's only 21 months old loves Phineas and Ferb! When she hears the theme song play she comes running in, "Ferb! Ferb!" And she also now says, "Where's Perry?" and signs it too! (We're teaching ASL as a 2nd language.)

Videos to follow in 2nd post.