Train Rides and Coffee: A Few of My Favorite Things

When I was kid, I lived in New York and we would take the train a lot. There is just something so mysterious about trains. The history they hold is so interesting to me. The places they have been, the passengers they have carried, and the way they changed our country for the better continues to fascinate me. I love to picture myself in a big, beautiful 1860's gown, boarding the train for New York City to meet my beau for an afternoon stroll through the lush central park. Doesn't that just sound dreamy?? Or am I the only one who has these thoughts? Needless to say, I love trains so when my mom came to me with the idea to take my kids for a train ride, I didn't hesitate! 

Our morning started off at Denny's for the much needed pumpkin pancakes. You can't go through Fall without the mandatory plate of scrumptious pumpkin pancakes, you just can't! My kids LOVE any food in the breakfast category; yogurt, pancakes, french toast, eggs, sausage, English muffins, cream of wheat, etc. So we all very much enjoyed our big Denny's breakfast!

Cate is very much into coloring right now, I love it! Okay so after our stomachs were screaming, "ENOUGH", we packed up headed to the train station. Caleb's reaction to the train approaching was so awesome! He couldn't stop squealing and smiling! I sometimes wish I still got that excited over the little things in life!! Cate was very quiet during the ride as she watched the trees go by through her big window. Riding the train as a kid was an exciting experience for me, but I got to say, watching my own child's excitement was much more thrilling. 

After we got off the train, we walked around downtown. I found the cutest little shop that sold knick knacks that I will definitely be returning to in the near future. I love finding odd, tiny shops that hold such an eclectic inventory. Our first stop was our favorite coffee shop, of course. Bean There, get it?? Of course you get it :) I think it is just the most darling coffee house around here. They have the best drinks and the atmosphere is most desirable for the college student cramming for midterms or the blogger with writer's block. They offer so many different drinks but I tend to always order the same boring thing, an iced vanilla latte! My sister ordered a chai latte that was delicious but my mother's snickerdoodle coffee (caramel, mocha, and toffee nut) was exquisite!!!

By the way, this extremely adorable coffee cozie you see above is handmade by my friend who owns her own Etsy shop! She has tons of patterns to choose from and they are seriously so precious! My personal favorite is obviously this gold chevron. I get so many compliments when I use it out in public. They are earth friendly and only $5 bucks!! Y'all need to go check out her site right now, especially with Christmas coming up. These make great stocking stuffers or teacher appreciation gifts. 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ThrLtleDragonflies?ref=pr_shop_more

After enjoying our coffee, we continued to walk around and let the kids let out some energy before we had to catch the train to head back home. The kids had a blast just getting to run around and check out the sites. 

Well that sums up our little trip downtown on the train. This is totally something we will do again and again. I love that my kids enjoyed the train just as I did as a kid. What made this experience even more special was that I got to share it with my mom just like old times. 

Mom Moment Monday

Alright so you got me, I have a thing for alliteration. Mom is obviously the first "m" word that popped into my head so I went with it. The definition for mother is one who gives birth but we all know motherhood is so much more than that!! Motherhood hasn't always been easy for me or my husband. 

When I first found out that I was pregnant, my husband and I had only been married for two months. I was shocked and extremely terrified! Kyle's reaction to my pregnancy was a relief and so comforting. He just smiled at me, took a deep breath, and said "Let's celebrate!" So we discussed baby names and our new addition over a delicious, deep dish pizza from Uno's. We then walked around Gap, oohing and aahing over all the tiny, beautiful baby clothes. We still have that adorable first outfit we bought that night! Unfortunately, that bliss began to wear off once I hit two months pregnant. I was incredibly sick the entire pregnancy, including two trips to the hospital for dehydration. Most couples have at least a few months in the "honeymoon" phase, we didn't. Our honeymoon phased consisted of vomiting and absolutely no romance. Even though it was hard, we swear it brought us closer! They say "A couple that that cleans up vomit together, stays together." They do say that, right?? Okay, well probably not but..... Anyways. 

Our son Caleb was born four weeks early at 5lbs 5oz!! He was our beautiful, miraculously healthy baby boy!! All of the sickness was worth it when I got to hold Caleb for the first time. He was perfect! I loved him more than I had ever loved anyone all within the first few seconds with him. Shortly after he was born, we knew we wanted a second child! My second pregnancy was exactly the same! Extremely hard full of sickness but like before when our daughter was born it all seemed worth it!!

The sickness, the lack of sleep, and the lack of free time is all worth it when I look at my children's faces! These two bring me so much joy! 

I'm a stay at home mom so each day we definitely have our ups and downs. Some days are full of fighting and screaming and tantrums, but other days are full of laughter and cheer! Days like this one in particular make my job the best in the world! This was just an ordinary morning in our ordinary home but getting to spend it with them made it extraordinary.

When I watch them play and get along together, it makes me feel almost a little emotional! I'm a crier, I can't help it! It's so amazing to know that I carried these two little monsters for months! They are a big part of me and pretty much my entire life! Their smiles can brighten my entire day! I love listening to them talk to each other and to see their personalities really shine. They are so silly and right now, they have a huge fascination with hats! I honestly have no idea why but it's cute! :)

Motherhood can be very hard and definitely has it's challenges! There are days that I feel overwhelmed or I question whether I am even doing a good enough job! When I sit with them in their rooms and play "restaurant" or try on hats, I know that this is right where I need to be! When they hug me and tell me they love me on their own, I know that I'm doing something right! I feel so blessed that this is my life. I would go through months of sickness all over again just to hold my babies. I love being being a mom and this particular moment with them today is exactly why I love it so much!

To all you moms out there, you are doing a great job and remember to always enjoy the ordinary moments because they are what makes this life so special! 

Time to Spice Things Up...

If you are anything like me, you probably spend a lot of time searching your cabinet for the spice you need. It is so hard to see them when they are all the same height. I tried this spice organizer from Bed, Bath, and Beyond but it only fit a fourth of all my spices so I was still having the same issue with the other 3/4 of them. I searched the internet for other ideas but the only other organizing rack I found that fits a lot of spices sits on the countertop, which I like my countertops clear so that wouldn't work.

Tuesday nights we head to my husband's parents house for dinner. It's great to catch up and have the kids hang out with the grandparents. I also love, love, love my mother-in-law's cooking. She is a a mastermind of all things southern comfort when it comes to dinner. Seriously, mouth watering. Pork chops, fried apples, biscuits & gravy, green beans (southern style), black eyed peas, yeast rolls, etc. Everything she cooks is to die for, no joke. 

On one particular Tuesday, I was particularly impressed with something other than the food, shocking I know! As a recipe called for last minute seasoning, I noticed her pull out a wide, shallow drawer lined with all her seasonings. It was seriously the best way to organize your spices I had ever seen. Each spice is laid out, perfectly easy to see, and the drawer holds a bunch. Unfortunately, my drawer isn't as wide as hers so if I add any other seasonings I will be needing another drawer! :) 

Ever since I moved my spices from the cabinet to a drawer, it has made my life so much easier. I love my food spicy and full of flavor so being able to access my spices so easily has been the best. I thought I would share a little bit of my mother-in-law's brilliant mind with you. It has helped me so much and I figured it might help some else racking their brain trying to find a better solution for their spices.

let's get crafty

It's Friday and that makes me very happy! I'm sure I'm not the only one who loves weekends. They are the best! I get my hubby home for two straight days, we get projects done, we get to hang out with family or just relax. The weekend is full of possibilities and I love it! 

Today has been a particular great day! Nothing special has happened. It has been just a normal, ordinary day but yet slightly better. The weather is simply amazing, my children have been angels, the housework has been going smoothly, and I even got to do a little craft. Crafting brightens any day, am I right?! I think is so cool to sit down and create something with your own two hands. The project for today: Scrabble Letter Coasters. 

A few weeks ago, I mentioned my Pinterest Christmas idea for the family. For my grandmother, I decided to make her these coasters along with a few other darling goodies. She LOVES scrabble! Some of my earliest memories of her were sitting around a table sipping tea and playing scrabble. I remember playing with her but in reality, she would "help" me on every turn. It was pretty much her playing against herself. As I got older, I started to actually play and began to love it. I actually beat her last time we played and I got to say it felt good. It only took 16 years to get there but, hey, better late than never, huh? :) 

When I first saw these coasters, I ran up the street to the local Michael's as fast as I could. I just know she will love these. I can picture her at her dining room table playing scrabble while her hot tea rests upon these adorable coasters. Seriously adorable, right? Anyways, besides their obvious charm, they were super easy to make! It took me a total of 30 minutes to make four coasters. 

DIY Scrabble Letter Coasters

four cork squares

bag of scrabble letters (Amazon)

hot glue gun

extra hot glue sticks

....that's it, that's all you need!

So there you have it! Now you are all set to make these totally cute coasters! See how cute...

For this weekend, we have a few fun things planned. We have to run to the grocery store (exciting, huh?), the kids need hair cuts, the garage needs organizing, and an exciting, surprise trip to Busch Gardens. I hope everyone else enjoys their weekend and maybe, just maybe get a little crafty?

The Perfect Chili for a Chilly Day

So I have been pretty obsessed with my slow cooker lately! Seriously, I feel like this slow cooker has relieved a lot of stress from my day. Normally my nights consist of trying to decide what to make for dinner and then proceeding to make dinner while two little monsters reek havoc all around me. I have to stop what I am doing consistently to prevent injuries or to settle arguments. Cooking used to be a relaxing treat for me but now it is a stressful chore. Well that is where my trusty slow cooker comes in to save the day!! When I lay the kids down for a nap, I have the whole kitchen to myself. I put on some Norah Jones, prep all the ingredients, and then throw it all in the crock-pot. Dinner is done! No fussing children that want to be held at the very moment I need to chop onions, no screaming matches to settle, and no boo boos to kiss. Now don't get me wrong, I love holding my children and kissing boo boos just not when I'm trying to cook dinner. 

With this new plan, I am to cook dinner in peace and then let the slow cooker do the rest of the work while I spend the rest of my day stress free. Whenever we are ready to eat, dinner is warmed up and ready to be enjoyed. Needless to say, I love the slow cooker and think I might be a little obsessed! The cold weather we have been experiencing has only furthered my addiction. For tonight's meal, I decided to make a turkey chili served over rice and, of course, topped with lots of cheese! Yummy! 

Turkey Chili Recipe

1 lb of extra lean turkey meat

1 red bell pepper

1 medium onion

2 cans of beans (I used dark red and pink)

1 can of tomato paste

1 can of green chilis

2 cans full of water (I just used the empty bean can)

2 garlic cloves

1 bag of frozen corn

1 can of diced tomatoes

olive oil

cumin

chili powder

salt

pepper

paprika

DIRECTIONS

Heat a skillet on medium-high heat with a little olive oil. Then add the turkey meat in to brown a little. I seasoned the meat with a dash of salt and pepper. The meat doesn't have to be cooked all the way because it will finish cooking in the slow cooker. 

Add the meat into the slow cooker. Then add the rest of the ingredients into the slow cooker right on top of the meat. Give it a nice stir and then cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. 

When I cook, I tend not to follow a recipe exactly. I didn't give exact amounts for seasonings because I did not measure them out. If you want a more specific recipe, I searched the web for a very similar recipe that sounds just as delicious. Check it out: Turkey Chili

I got to say I am loving this fall like weather and these delicious, easy slow cooker meals. Slow cooker meals also provide tons of leftovers in our household which means plenty for lunch the next day! See what I'm talking about now?? Slow cookers equal zero stress!! If you try this chili out, I hope you enjoy it!

Hey Good Looking, Whatcha Got Slow Cooking?

So yesterday we had my husband's family pictures, which was super fun! Trying to get a large group together, which included 12 children and 10 adults, to take a picture is hard work. Between wrangling the escapee toddlers, saying "CHEESE" fifty million times, and secretly cursing the wind, I was exhausted. On top of the exhaustion, go ahead and add shivering children and chattering teeth to the list. It was unexpectedly very cold out! Fall had definitely decided to grace us with its presence and what fine timing it had. Anyways, the pictures went well, I survived. Our photographer was pretty much a superhero to deal with our family :)

With the crisp air coming in, I got an itch for some warm soup and Christmas music. I know you are thinking, "Seriously, woman?!" To make myself look worse it was a high of 65 today but hey its chillier than it has been, okay? Anyways, while rocking out to Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" I got the idea to make chicken noodle soup. I have never made homemade chicken noodle soup before so I opened up Pinterest (my BFF) and began my search for a healthy recipe that called for the crock-pot. Of course I found one because Pinterest never lets a girl down! I present to you......

I have to say that this was so delicious!! I have nothing against canned soup or people who eat canned soup, but I personally just can't eat it. The meat tastes funny and they are packed with loads of sodium. Finding this easy, yummy, homemade soup made this girl very happy! My husband loves soup and sandwiches so he of course was very pleased. What actually really shocked me was the fact that my children loved it. My daughter (16 months) will eat ANYTHING you put in front of her so I wasn't surprised when she gobbled it all up. My son (35 months), on the other hand, is a little more hesitant to try stuff and had actually never tried soup before. He tried it and liked it!! I was so shocked! This was literally a family favorite. 

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 5 medium carrots, peeled and chopped (1 3/4 cups)
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
• 4 stalks celery, chopped (1 1/4 cups)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (3 - 15 oz cans)
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups uncooked wide egg noodles
• 3 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Saltine crackers (optional)
• 
  
• Directions
• To a slow cooker, add chicken (un-cut), diced carrots, onion, celery, and garlic. Drizzle olive oil over top then add in chicken broth, water, thyme, rosemary, celery seed, bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on low heat 6 - 7 hours.
• Remove cooked chicken and allow to rest 10 minutes, then dice into bite size pieces. Meanwhile, add egg noodles and parsley to slow cooker. Increase temperature to high, cover and cook 10 minutes longer (or until noodles are tender). Stir in lemon juice and toss in cooked, diced chicken. Serve warm with saltine crackers. Enjoy!!

We have plenty of leftovers for lunch tomorrow which is terrific!! Sometimes dinner can be such a pain. Trying to decide what to make, gathering the ingredients, and actually cooking it is a long process and sometimes I'm in a hurry or simply just too tired to spend all night in the kitchen, so this crock-pot soup will be a lifesaver for me through the next few colder months. Thank you Pinterest and Jaclyn at Cooking Classy for this wonderful addition to my recipe collection! Here is proof of my son enjoying the wonderful flavor this soup has to offer.

I swear he was very happy with this soup ha! I also wanted to add a little info about the slow cooker I use. One word, AMAZING!! It was actually a gift from my lovely mother-in-law last Christmas. It can slow cook, roast, saute, and steam. It can be found here. I just checked and Williams-Sonoma still carries it so if you don't have a slow cooker or are looking to upgrade, I highly recommend this bad boy! Okay well I now have a glass of wine calling my name or maybe that's my husband, either way it's time I say goodbye and head off to clear our DVR list. Have a great night everyone!