foodie penpal reveal day: october

Happy Halloween, friends!  I'm excited to show off some pictures of my little goblin {no, she's not actually dressing up as a "goblin} & fill you in on her first Halloween experience!  But, today's blog post is dedicated to my 3rd edition of foodie penpals, put on by the amazing Lindsay over at The Lean Green Bean!  Seriously, if you haven't checked her blog out yet, shame on YOU {shaking finger at you}.  Take some time & check her out...or else I'll set the Ghosts & Goblins out to find you!

Enough with the "threats" & on to the TREATS :)  

This month, I was lucky enough to receive my package from Valerie over at Pursuit of Sweetness!  She has some amazing, drool-worthy recipes on her blog...and she's totally sweet!  

Valerie sent me some of her favorite Virginia snacks & foods:

• Reginald's Peanut Butter: She had me at peanut butter :)  I love PB & this was made with homemade Virginia peanuts!  I've been eating this stuff...well, um, straight out of the jar.  It's delish!  And, there are other flavors: Apple Sin, Bourbon Pecan, Double Chocolate Chunk...seriously, I think I'm gaining weight just thinking about such delicious-ness!
• Queen Bee Honey:  Unfortunately, this little gem didn't make the journey in one piece.  I love honey, so I may have licked certain items from the box that were drenched in said honey...don't judge!  What I tasted was sweet & it had me wanting more!
• Route 11 Chips: Valerie sent me two bags of chips.  One was Sweet Potato...a girl after my own heart :)  And, they were delicious.  And, a bag of Chesapeake Crab...OH.MY.WORD. these were to.freakin'.die.for!  I ate the bag in about .4 seconds...again, don't judge :)  They were crispy & spicy & totally amazing!  
• Penzey's Cocoa Powder: I adore cocoa...well, chocolate in general so I'm excited to have some good cocoa in my pantry!  I've made myself several cups of hot cocoa & will definitely be using this during the Holiday season for baking some yummy treats!  

Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you for the amazing package full of yummy treats!!  

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I was lucky enough to send some treats to Tracy.  Since she's a fellow blog reader, she sent me a little write up about what I sent.  

Tracy's write up:

This was my first month being a “Foodie Penpal” and I had no idea how exciting it would be. The box of goodies I received from Leah was like opening a long-awaited birthday present- a very, very yummy birthday present.

Leah did an amazing job of picking out goodies for me that I loved, and even more awesome was the fact that almost all of the things in the box were new to me... AND Leah made her first trip to Trader Joe’s along the way. ;-o

Here’s what was in “the box”:

·         Powerberries: wildly addictive and not too sweet, these were fruit juice bits (acai, pomegranate, cranberry, and blueberry) covered in dark chocolate. I’m usually not one to mix my chocolate with fruit, but these little things were WICKED good.

·         Organic fruit wraps and fruit/ yogurt gummies. Both were tasty treats and were much appreciated over the course of several late afternoons at work.

·         Green tea mints: who knew that a mint that tasted like tea could be so refreshing?

·         Assorted teas and coffees: Without even a hint, Leah hit this one on the nose and sent me some of my favorites. (How does she do it?)

·         Pumpkin bread/ muffin mix: I made this over the weekend (I added a small handful of semi-sweet CCs), and it is hands-down one of the best mixes I’ve ever tried. Not too pumpkin-y, not too pumpkin spice-y, and perfectly moist.

·         Pumpkin butter: I tried this last night on “Suzie’s” crackers with fresh, homemade goat cheese and almost fell off my chair. I’m not sure why I’ve never had pumpkin butter before, but I’m thankful it has found a way into my kitchen.

Many thanks to Leah (and her crazily accurate foodie intuition) for being the best, FIRST foodie penpal a girl could have!!

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Jealous and want to join??  Here's how:

What is the program all about?

- On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email.  It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal & get their mailing address & any other information you might need such as allergy or dietary restrictions.

- You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail.  On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!

- The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats.  The spending limit is $15.  The box must also include something written.  This can be anything from a note explaining what's in the box, to a fun recipe...use your imagination; the possibilities are endless!

- You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size & how fragile they are.  *Don't forget about flat rate boxes!*

-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers.  If you're a reader & you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received.  If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for the month.

- Foodie Penpals is open to US & Canadian residents.  Please note, Canadian residents will be paired with other Canadian residents ONLY.  We've determined things might get too slow & backed up if we're trying to send foods through customs across the border from the US to Canada & vice versa. 

If you are interested in participating for November, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form & to read the terms & conditions.

You must submit your information by November 4th as pairings will be emailed on November 5th.

ten things for 10 months

I know I sound like a broken record & I say this every month...but, how is my sweet, baby girl 10 months old already?  Time really does fly!

Here are 10 things for our ten month old!

1.  October 6th, Dafney started crawling!  Let the baby proofing begin!  It was by far one of the neatest things we've seen her do to date. Obviously, everything has been cool, but she's been trying & trying to crawl for well over a month now, so to finally see her do it was completely amazing!  Everyday she gets faster & faster!  Seriously, if there were an Olympic sport for crawling, Dafney would win :)

2.  Dafney absolutely loves to feed herself.  We still feed her oatmeal & rice cereal, but she tends to get upset after the first few spoonfuls we try to feed her.  She attempts to grab the spoon...she wants to do it HERSELF ;)  She's really getting the hang of finger foods & eats the little "puff" cereal like it's her job!

Yum!  I love feeding myself!

3.  Good-bye infant bathtub...yep, she's takin' baths in the "big-girl" bathtub!  She sits up really well & was starting to outgrow the infant style bathtub, so we've made the transition to letting her bathe in the actual tub.  She looks so tiny in there, but loves splashing around!  She sat in there so long the other night, that she was prune-y from head to toe!

I realize this isn't a picture of her in the tub, but I figured I'd save those embarrassing gems for another time :)

4.  She is starting to pull herself up; well to her knees at least!  She will grab on to your leg, the couch, pretty much anything at her level & pull  herself up to her knees!  Before we know it, she's going to be standing up {tears}!

Hmm....maybe I can escape!

5.  Ms. Dafney is a chatter-box!  She always has something to say & she always gets the last word :)  

6.  Speaking of "chatting", she's finally saying Ma-Ma!  Okay, so she might not know what it means, but I'm pretty much convinced that she knows I'm her "Ma-Ma"!  Either that or she's saying "more" since she does tend to say it a lot while she's eating...nah, she's saying ma-ma!

"ma-ma"

7.  Dafney loves to "help" with the laundry!  She gets wildly giddy when she sees a laundry basket full of clean clothes!  I see a little laundry helper in my future ;)  She thinks ripping the clothes out of the basket is the coolest thing...and then it goes straight into her mouth.  Meh, who needs clean, dry clothes anyway?!

Here, let me help you fold those clothes!

8.  The ever dreaded sleep is still pretty much the same.  Some nights she sleeps great & only gets up once; others {last night, for example} she's up 2-3 times.  There isn't really a pattern, but she is getting better at putting herself to sleep, which is nice.  If only we could get it down to just waking up once a night, I'd be an overly happy {& awake} mama!  I thought all his crawling would help tire her out...was I wrong!

she's so cute when she DOES sleep!

9.  Dafney is still super clingy towards me.  I'm hopeful that this is just a phase that will pass in a couple months.  Don't get me wrong, I ♥love♥ my time with her & I realize how precious it is, but sometimes I need a break & it would be great if she'd let someone other than me hold her.  

♥♥♥

10.  Dafney's personality comes out more & more everyday.  I think she's going to be a very independent person, with just a hint of "attitude" {but in a good way}.  She's sweet & happy and is constantly making everyone around her smile :)  I might be biased, but she certainly lights up my world!  She is a true blessing & I'm thankful for her every.single.day!

Other fun Dafney facts:

Dafney ♥loves♥....to clap her hands, to wave, dancing to kids music {not grown  up music}, taking baths, swinging, eating "puff cereal" by herself, watching Hannah & now crawling all over her, laundry baskets, exploring {& seems to find all the things she's not supposed to have}, using her voice & crawling everywhere!

Dafney is not-so-fond of...getting her face washed, having her nose wiped {she screams}, strangers {we've hit the "stranger-danger" phase}& eating new veggies/foods.

Dafney is now wearing some 9 month clothes.  The 9 month onesies & long-sleeved shirts I have for her are big, but they're fine.  She does wear some 6 month onesies & shirts still, but she's slooowly growing out of them.  Pants are a bit trickier...she really needs a 6 month size for her waist, but 9 month size for the length.  Since it's been getting a bit colder, I've been putting her in the 9 month pants, but she practically crawls right out of them because they're so big in her waist.  
And, she still wears a size 2 diaper.  I don't foresee her moving up to a size 3 anytime soon :)  

 ♥happy 10 months to my sweet Dafney♥

freaky friday

It's that time of year.  You know what I'm talking about....the time of year when the air gets crisp, every recipe you see now-a-days contains pumpkin and cinnamon, my face is covered in chocolate from all the Halloween candy that I've already eaten...oh wait, this just got awkward...

...let's continue...most importantly it's time for some scary movie marathons!  I have this love/hate relationship with scary movies.  I love the idea of snuggling up & watching scary movies...you know, to the point where every little sound freaks you out.  But, in all reality, I'm sort of a wuss when it comes to actually watching the movie.  You can usually find me with the covers pulled over my head or my hands covering my eyes.  

I'm also not a fan of gory type movies {a.k.a. the Saw Series).  I'd rather not see someone saw their leg off, or anything containing a lot of blood & guts.  Not my thing.

What I do like is a good ole' "this is pee-your-pants freaking me out" scary {minus actually peeing your pants, DUH}.  Some of my favorites include:

• The Strangeres - Scared the pants off me...not literally, of course
• Scream  - every time I see that stupid mask I want to cry in the freakin corner like a little baby
• The Ring - scared the bejesus out of me {I'm not even sure what that means, but it's bad}

So, what are your favorite scary movies?

Happy {freaky} Friday!

better late than never...

...or something to that affect :)

I meant to post this when Dafney turned 9 months, but had my hands full with a sick baby :(  Nothing is worse than a sick child.  NOTHING.  It's heartbreaking & time consuming.  But, after 5 straight days of cuddling & shoving medicine down her throat medicine, she finally started feeling better.

Here were her 9 month stats:

• Weight - 14lbs 12oz = 1%
• Height - 28 inches (I swear this is the most inaccurate measuring EVER) = 66%
• Clothes - She's starting to fit comfortably into her 6 months clothes, but can still wear her 3 month onesies.  9 month pants literally fall off of her, but her 6 month pants are almost too short...
• Diapers - size 2 {and not moving up anytime soon} 

Dafney also started swimming lessons last week.  I was certain {a Mother always knows, right?...wrong} that she would love them.  I couldn't have been more wrong.  Swimming lessons - 1, Dafney - 0

It went something like this:

We had directions to get the pool.  We pulled up with about 3 minutes to spare, went to the front door and they were locked.  After yelling at my husband  telling my Husband that we should have left he house earlier like I suggested, we figured we'd have to try another door.  So, we went in search of another door...on the other side of the freakin' building.  We found the pool.  Dafney & I quickly joined the other babies, toddlers & parents in the water.  

Now, when I took swimming lessons when I was kid {which was a long, long time ago}, I remember how nice and warm the water was.  So, I figured the water for sure would feel like I was taking a bath.  Wrong again.  It was, um, shall we say *a bit nipply*?  

We got into a circle sang a couple songs and dunked the kids under water {insert evil laugh here...muahahaha}.  Dafney doesn't really mind getting her face wet, but when the water is cold, it's not so fun.  Then we practiced "puppy paws" or what is also known as "doggie paddle".  Of course, Dafney barely knows she has hands, so it was basically me just walking with her belly in the water & her looking at me with her lips ever so slightly blue with the "when the eff are we getting out of this freakin' water" look on her face.  

Then, we sat/stood the kids up on the side of the pool and they practiced jumping in the water.  It was fun for about 3.2 seconds...then it got {c}old{er}.  The last 7-8 minutes or so was set aside for "free time" {*just a thought, during swimming LESSONS maybe they should do a little more teaching & a little less "free time"...just saying}.  By this point, not only were Dafney's lips blue, but her body was shaking from being so cold.  So, the freakin' awesome mom I am got her out of the water & into a big ole' towel.  

98.6% of the lesson was spent in tears {her, not me :)}.  Poor kid.

I thought I'd put her under some warm water in the shower.  Third strike.  The water in the shower was about as cold as the pool water...{sigh}.  So I quickly changed Dafney into some warm clothes & we were on our way.

Needless to say, I'm not looking forward to tonight's lesson.  I pray that the water will be warm{er}.  I'm not holding my breath, though!  

 happy Tuesday, friends ♥

September Foodie Penpals Reveal Day

How is that I woke up today & it's October?!?  OMG...where did September go?  But, even though I had to change the calendar over meaning we're that much closer to cold weather, shoveling snow & leaping into a new year...the good thing about today is it's foodie penpal reveal day!

The foodie penpal program is put on by the Lindsay over at The Lean Green Bean.  Please check out her amazing blog & this fabulous program! 

This was my second month participating and it was another fabulous month!  I was paired with Melissa Brooklyn Locavore!  Melissa is passionate for all things local & knowing where her food is coming from.  Her blog is such an inspiration...please, check her out!

On to the GOODS!  I was "pee my pants" excited when I saw this on my doorstep

When I ripped into it, which took all of 1.4 seconds ;)...this is what I found:

1.  Bread Alone Granola - chocolate berry granola...um, delicious!  I love this in my yogurt, on my pancakes {yes, I'm weird like that}, or simply by the handful!  It's great for on-the-go snacking!

2.  Justin's All Natural PB - I love, love, LOVE peanut butter!  My new favorite sandwiches are PB & Nutella...{swoon}!  

3.  "Spicy" {aka - boozy ;)} Cranberries ♥♥♥ - I told Melissa that my favorite Holiday was Thanksgiving...nothing reminds me of Thanksgiving more than cranberries (& booze, duh...)!  They're cooked down in Grand Marnier with a hint of Cinnamon & Nutmeg.  It's like fall/Thanksgiving in a jar!  So, so, so delicious!  I'm certain these will not make it to my next Thanksgiving...SO GOOD!!

4.  Chocolate covered espresso beans - what's not to love?  Chocolate & espresso...a tired Mom's best friend ;)  I may or may not have eaten these all at once...in 4 seconds. 

5.  Green Tea - a perfect drink for the cooler nights!  I love drinking tea at night while snuggling  up on the couch with a good book!  

6.  Chocolate brickle - this was hands down, 100% AH-MAZING!  I lost all sense of control & ate this like a wild animal!  It was sweet and chewy and down right delicious!  It's a local NY treat, so unfortunately I can't get any more here...but it's probably a good thing; I'd probably weigh 450 pounds if I could eat this everyday (because lets face it, I totally would).  

Thank you so much Melissa for the wonderful treats!  They were totally delicious!  I loved trying some local NY treats!!! 

MICHELLE'S REVEAL DAY POST

This month I sent my goodies to a non-blogger, Michelle!  She's totally sweet & has an amazing hobby.  Check it out here!

She sent me a little write up to post...here it is!

This month I received my goodies from Leah.  I couldn't wait to open my box!!  Once I did, I couldn't believe how accurate she was on everything that I like and I didn't even tell her.  The first thing that I loved was the Double Chocolate Mint Cookies she made herself. She even included her recipe!  Her box came at the right time because I was famished when I got home from work and already hungry so I ate one immediately.  Shhhhh...... The Apple Cinnamon Chips I didn't even get to try because I looked over at my fiance and he was gobbling them up.  If he likes, they had to be good!  I loved all my other goodies as well.  Everything was soooo perfect and was great to grab and go.  Thank you Leah for making my second month a great experience!!

 

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Jealous and want to join??  Here's how:

What is the program all about?

- On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email.  It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal & get their mailing address & any other information you might need such as allergy or dietary restrictions.

- You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail.  On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!

- The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats.  The spending limit is $15.  The box must also include something written.  This can be anything from a note explaining what's in the box, to a fun recipe...use your imagination; the possibilities are endless!

- You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size & how fragile they are.  *Don't forget about flat rate boxes!*

-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers.  If you're a reader & you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received.  If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for the month.

- Foodie Penpals is open to US & Canadian residents.  Please note, Canadian residents will be paired with other Canadian residents ONLY.  We've determined things might get too slow & backed up if we're trying to send foods through customs across the border from the US to Canada & vice versa. 

If you are interested in participating for October, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form & to read the terms & conditions.

You must submit your information by October 4th as pairings will be emailed on October 5th.

**If you're from somewhere besides the US, Canada or Europe & want to participate, send Lindsay an email & she'll see if there is enough interest this month.