my current addictions.

So one thing I like is when other people tell me what they are really "into" at the time. Everyone has their current addictions, some things that make them happy at the moment. We all go through trends. :) So I am going share a few of my current addictions and would love to hear some of yours! :)

reading:
I have a huge love for reading, it is a good way to relax and be in another "world" for a little while. Some current books I have read and
enjoyed:

Soup:
I have been on a huge soup kick the last few months, thankfully Joe loves soup too, because we have been eating it almost 3 times or more a week. :) I have been trying new recipes and its been a fun and yummy experience.
Our favorites have been a tomato basil bisque, potato cheddar bacon soup, and french onion. All of which I have been making in the crockpot, when I can find recipes that I like for the crockpot I am happy girl. :)

Viewing pleasure:
Joe and I have recently discovered Dexter and have been renting the previous seasons. It is fabulous! It's on Showtime, a channel we dont have, so once we are done with the dvd's we are going to have somewhat of a void in our lives. :)

Fresh & Easy:
We recently started going to this grocery store and now I cant remember what life was like before it. Its cheap, local produce, better quality... it's just better! Sadly they are only in three states, Cali, Nevada, and Arizona. I hope the branch out, because the rest of the country is seriously deprived of a good thing.


Scrapbooking:
I recently started scrapbooking again. It was one of resolutions to get caught up on Alex's book and the family one. I have been having a lot of fun doing it, looking back, seeing how much Alex has grown, looking at the milestones that we have crossed as a family. I know now that these books will bring a lot of joy and memories for years to come. And I have to add that I have definitely fulfilled that resolution.. I have done more scrapbooking in the last 2 weeks than I did all year in 2009!

Knitting:
I tried years before and couldn't get the hang of it, but started again last month and love it! I made a few scarves for people and have a lot more ideas one things I want to try. :)

Happy Holidays!

Like everyone else, we have had a busy week and half. :) Hope everyone's holidays were bright and full of joy. My parents were in town and we went to my aunts for Christmas dinner. Alex is head over heels in love with his train table and also got a Cars bike as well. He loves both. 

I wanted to share a few pictures, unfortunately my camera is still not working, but my mom took a few pictures. :) Also I wanted to share a few pictures of Alex from my cousin April's wedding, she got them back recently and I just love them. They came out so nice.

We will be back to our normal scheduling after the new year. Hope you all have a safe night and remember all the blessing we have in our lives. Tomorrow is a new year and a new day. Think about your resolutions, write them down, they don't become real unless you write them down. Some people think that resolutions are a waste of time, but I think it's good for people to try and better themselves and their families. I would love to hear a few. 


Nana and Alex- we have gotten a picture of Alex and Nana in front of the tree every Christmas, it's our little tradition. :)




Family photo


Pictures of Alex from April's wedding:

my cousin Jens playing with Alex






This one is my favorite. He smiles with his eyes, just like his daddy. :)

more blogs people NEED to check out:

Watch your waistline.. this blog is delicious:
http://notsohumblepie.blogspot.com/

Crafty moms and people, you need to see this:
http://mayamade.blogspot.com/

Also another great mom of preschoolers that has awesome ideas for crafts and learning:
http://www.artfulparent.typepad.com/


you will not be disappointed with these blogs. They are truly works of art!

Making snowmen today.. be back with some pictures. :)

Sunshine!

Today the sun is out and shining, yesterday it had stopped raining, but it was still very chilly and the clouds were still threatening to start again. ;-) This is my favorite kind of weather, sun out, nice breeze, and about 60-70 degrees. That is perfect! Could you stay like this in July too please? ;-)

Since we have been kind of locked up in the house the last few days, we took advantage of the sun and went for a walk and stopped at the park. We am blessed with two parks very close to our house. Alex loves the park and talks about wanting to go down the slides. He also loves the titter-totter.


I think we have a future athlete, he is always running! He was running around the park yelling, "Mama! I running!!"

For our next craft I am thinking about paper plate hanging snowmen, or a marshmellow snowman, Alex is a typical kid and will love the sweet aspect of that one. :)
I have been seeing some awesome gingerbread houses! I would like to get one of those going as well.
What kind of crafts are you doing? I love new ideas!

Some blogs I watch:

I love finding different blogs that will give me ideas of things to do with Alex, fun things to do as a family, or that are just interesting.

Wanted to share with a few with you! Check them out!

Since I am going to school for elementary education, I have really gravitated towards the Montessori method, I like that hands on part of it. This is a great blog for crafts and learning activities for preschool/school age children:
http://mymontessorijourney.typepad.com/my_montessori_journey/

I love this blog! So many awesome craft ideas! Definitely bookmark this for a rainy day craft!
http://jennwa.blogspot.com/

I have an obsession with my crockpot, we use it probably 4 times a week. I love the fact that I can throw something in there and not think about it for the rest of the day. Since having AJ I have burned a lot of dishes, because I simply forget I am cooking, that crockpot is my remedy for this problem. ;-)
Here is a great blog, she even ended up writing a book. Check it out, wonderful recipes!
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2007/12/alphabetical-listing-of-recipes.html

If you are a book lover like me, you need to check this blog out. She is a mom as well, and she is an inspiration to me that she can still read the amount of books she does! I strive to get there. She gives some great reviews:
http://debbiesworldofbooks.com/

Christmas wreath craft.

It's raining.. It's pouring!
So, in order to keep a 27 month old occupied in the house all day, you have to get creative! Today we decided to make a paper wreath. He loved it. I big success for such an easy, quickly put together craft.

All you need is construction paper, scissors, and glue stick (I am sure you could use different glue, but the glue stick was good because Alex was able to help me with that part, without making a total mess)

You could also make the wreath circle out of a paper plate (just cut the inside out of it) but we didnt have paper plates, so I used construction paper, and just glued two semi circles together.

Then get green and red (or some other colors if you like) and cut paper in strips, then cut in to varying sized squares. The big ones were about an 1 inch and then the smallest ones being a 1/4 of that size. Just to give it variety.

Take the glue stick and cover wreath circle with a thin layer of glue. Then stick the varying squares around the wreath and filling in the gaps.

I then got a piece of blue paper (a different color than the wreath) and folded it in half, and cut a paper bow out of it. Alex then glued that at the top of the wreath when we were done with the squares.




Then hang it up to admire! :) Alex loves that showing us his different creations, it makes him proud. :)


Have fun!

Painting Pinecones!

Last night we painted pine cones as a family. :) I think Joe was more excited than Alex. ha! Alex and I have been picking up "perfect" pine cones each time we go for a walk. So we have a little stockpile of 5 or so pine cones. So I cleaned them up, next time I will remember gloves, I had sap on my fingers for the rest of the day, maybe that is why people usually use store bought pine cones? Hey, why buy them when they are right outside your door?
Anyways, we got the paint and glitter out and it was fun for all! We did have to use acrylic paint for this, instead of Alex's normal paint, because his would not have shown up on the dark pine cone as well.

Here are a few pictures. I think we will be adding more to it later, I would like to make them into ornaments so Alex has some homemade ones for this year.



Joe concentrating :)


the final product, at least for now. :) (Alex's, Mine, and then Joe's)