Pinterest Project ONE of MANY

I am sure many of you have seen this on Pinterest and if you are a Peanut Butter LOVER like me, you were probably thinking like me... this was a "MUST TRY". I conquered this one on last year on Christmas Eve. We were going to my "grandparent-in-laws" house and i wanted to take something to show off my newly acquired domestication skills:)

I give credit where credit is due and this is the recipe i followed -  the-girl-who-ate-everything. She has great pictures of step by step instructions. Instead of using milk chocolate chips, i used white chocolate chips....MMMM (great substitution)

Peanut Butter "Cheese Ball"

Ingredients:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (not all-natural)
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips or White Chocolate Chips:)
3/4 cup peanut butter chips
Graham cracker sticks, teddy grahams, and/or apple slices for dipping

Instructions:
Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until blended.

Spoon onto a large piece of plastic wrap; bring up all four corners and twist tightly forming into a ball shape.

Freeze for 1 hour 30 minutes or until firm enough to keep its shape. Place peanut butter and chocolate chips in flat dish (I used a cookite sheet). Remove plastic wrap from ball and roll ball into morsels to completely cover, pressing morsels into the ball if necessary.

Place ball on serving dish; cover and freeze for 2 hours or until almost firm. (Can be made ahead. If frozen overnight, thaw at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.) Serve with graham cracker sticks, teddy grahams, or apple slices for dipping or spreading.

I found the serving dish and spreader for $1 at Walgreeens! What's GREAT about that is you can leave it where you brought it:) ENJOY!!

Leaning Tower of Cupcakes

I decided to do the ever so popular "Little Man" theme for Jaxton's First Birthday. Upon my research, i decided I would be making a lot of the decor. The first thing I decided to tackle were the "cupcake towers". I saw this on pinterest:  http://annies-eats.com/2010/08/19/how-to-make-a-cupcake-tower/ and went from there. I decided that I wanted 2 and would make them the same. I loved how they turned out and hopefully I will be able to use them again sometime! Stay tuned for more!

Mama said there'd be days like this...

I am a "Stay At Home Mom" who doesn't like to stay home. I am constantly trying to think of ways to get Jaxton and i out of the house. Today, there was absolutely NOTHING on our agenda to do outside of the house and so i decided to try and tackle the jobs that can be done inside the house! Included on that list - clean out/un-clog our shower drain, wash our sheets, wash the pile of dishes i let accumulate in the sink (no dishwasher), tidy up a bit and cook a good meal so when Big J gets home, he will be so proud of us:) (haha).

After my morning dose of coffee, i proceeded to get my tools - ready to attack the clogged up drain. (Of course, this is when Jaxton started following me throughout the house and pulling at my legs). I attempted to unscrew the drain cover with one hand, while the other hand was holding Jax back, and could only get one unscrewed so this project became officially "on hold" till the strong one gets home.

Next on the list - take sheets off bed and throw them in washer with little one crying and climbing up my legs. Check!

Next - DISHES!! I knew there was no way Jax was gonna let me tackle this one alone - SO on goes the ErgoBaby! I managed to make a dent in the dishes before the screaming baby on my back pulled out any more of my hair:/

Next - NAP TIME!!! Those of you who dont know - Jaxton takes 90% of his naps on me. The other 10% are because he's in the car. He wasnt going to sleep very easy today and so i thought maybe i'll see what he does if i put him in his crib - thinking maybe he would cry for a minute and eventually just lay down. NOPE - this little boy has his mama wrapped around his little fingers. He cried, cried, and cried some more:( I went in and got him, took him to our bed and nursed him to sleep (i needed a little resting today as well after the day has gone the way it has gone). He woke up and about the same time i looked up and saw a HUGE spider on the ceiling. I sat jax on the floor (he cried again), grabbed  a shoe to whack the celing, and MISSED!

After nap time and some lunch, i thought "we for sure need to get out of the house"...BUT realizing Jax probably doesnt want to go anywhere either and there's nothing i really "need" to do, maybe its best we sit and play... and currently - that is what we are doing. Im sitting on the floor in Jaxton's room while he is playing and laughing and as happy as can be - while also grabbing the computer and trying to shut it:)

The moral of the story is -  Its OK that the drain is still clogged, the sheets are still sitting in the washing machine, only half the dishes are washed, and there is a loose spider in the house. BECAUSE, my baby is happy. He loves hands on play. He loves when anyone will sit and play with him and his toys. He loves being held and being loved and i am 100% OK with it!

They say "a dirty mommy is the best mommy" and "a dirty house is the best house" and that is the mantra i will choose to live by for as long as i possibly can!  - Although, i may have made that one up:)

Oh, and Big J - if you are reading this - Im sorry, dinner isnt happening tonight:)