Dare to DIY Blog Party with the NewlyWoodwards: Week 6; Dare to Have Traditions

This is the last week of Kim's DIY Blog Party. I can't believe that the end is here, but I really can't believe that Christmas is just around the corner. This Christmas has come more quickly than any other I can remember!!

Christmas to me means being with the ones I love. Growing up that meant packing up the car/van and hitting the road. I have many fond memories of Christmas travels. There were the many, many books that my mom would read to us as dad drove. There were the fights over who got to sit where. There was the year one sister decided to brush her teeth in the van and when she tried to spit out the window it actually went into the back seat and landed on my other sister's pillow. There were the countless sandwiches (some with mayo and some without) that were made in the morning before leaving so that we wouldn't have to stop for fast food on the way. The Christmas decorations that adorned our hotel room the one Christmas. The family that we picked up off the side of the road after they hit a deer. The list could go on and on. Looking back I realize how truly wonderful it was to be able to spend so much quality time together. Getting there was really half of the trip.

This year as we celebrate our first Christmas with a child of our own, I wonder what traditions will emerge for our family. Will I read the same stories to my little girl as my mother read to me? As she gets older will she stay up late the night before a trip with the hope of being able to sleep in the car as much as possible? One day, will she have siblings to fight with over who gets to sit where?

In the end, spending Christmas with those near and dear is really one of the best presents of all.

Scrumptious Saturday: Chicken Broccoli Braid

It was one of those weeks where I really had no clue what day it was all week long. So Friday came and went and I didn't get this posted. I apologize to all of you for making you wait so long. You were all waiting, right?

I found this recipe at the blog Recipe Resource. It was very good and easy. I will definitely be making this one again.

Ingredients:

-1 can crescent rolls

-2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

-1 c cooked broccoli (I cooked up some frozen, but I am sure you could cook some fresh broccoli as well)

-1 red pepper, diced

-1 can cream of chicken soup

-1/2 c sour cream

-1 c grated cheese

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients, except for crescent rolls, in large bowl.

2. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Lay out crescent rolls with with point ends out and large ends overlapping to form a base.

3. Spoon broccoli mixture down the center of the dough. Fold the pointed edges over the mixture and seal.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

What Season Is It Anyway?

I bought a winter coat for Little Peachy today while shopping at Target. It was on clearance for 50% off. Hmm, the last time I checked we hadn't even reached winter yet on the calendar. What are people going to do when they need a winter coat in January and they have been replaced by swimsuits?

Getting My Craft On

You know you've got a lot of projects going when your pin holder is almost empty!! Better get that sewing machine cranking.

While I won't be able to show you many of the things I am creating until after Christmas, here are two creations I finished up this weekend that I can show you.

1) Little Peachy's Christmas shoes.


2) Christmas shoes that I made for a friend's daughter. (Hope they work out, Bekah!)

Dare to DIY Blog Party with the NewlyWoodwards: Week 5 Dare to Deck the Halls

I really didn't create any new decorations for our home this year. I have kind of adopted a less-is-more approach to Christmas decorating. Kim's challenge this week had my wheels turning. Do I quickly create something for the challenge? (Nope, too many other projects going right now.) Do I skip this week? (Technically, I already skipped one week. I didn't want to miss out on another.) So, I am recycling an idea from last year.


I love to send and receive Christmas cards and letters. My mom has always hung each card and picture that they receive up in the house. I can remember seeing the cards in different locations in the different houses that we lived in. This is a tradition that I wanted to continue for myself. In the apartments that I have lived in, I simply used good old masking tape and hung them right up. Once we moved into our new house, I didn't want to mar the paint job by sticking and un-sticking tape. Last year I came up with this idea to display our cards without using tape.

I bought some decorative metal stars from JoAnn Fabrics and hot glued ribbons to their points. Using Command Hooks, I hung the stars from the wall. When we receive a card I use sticky tack to adhere it to the ribbons.

Foodie Friday: Pizza Bites

We love pizza. M and I think that we could eat pizza everyday. There are so many varieties out there I really don't think that we would get sick of it. I found this recipe on the blog For the Love of Cooking I made sure to enter it on our December menu. After making it, I think that it will be making many menus after this month as well.

Start with my basic dough recipe. (I doubled it so that I could make two pans and we could have leftovers.)

While dough is rising, get your favorite pizza ingredients ready. I used Mozzarella, Feta, sliced black olives, and mini pepperoni slices.

Grab walnut sized pieces of dough. Flatten into your hand and place desired ingredients into the dough. Seal dough around the ingredients. Place dough rounds into a greased pie tin. Brush tops of bites with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, oregano, and basil to taste.

Bake in 400 degree oven for 16-18 minutes. Serve with pizza sauce for dipping.

This recipe would be great for kids to help out with. (They would probably have to be older than Little Peachy, though.)

7 Months

Today our little girl turns 7 months old. When people meet our daughter we usually get one of a few comments:

1) Just look at her red hair! (And then they normally want to know where she gets it from. Obviously my red highlights aren't fooling anyone.)

2) She is such a good baby.

3) What a good smile.

4) Look at those cheeks.

5) She is so cute. (But, what are they going to say to the doting parent?)

I have to say that I agree with all of their comments.

1) Peachy does have red hair. It isn't screaming red, but it does have a strong red tint to it.

2) She is such a content and happy little girl.

3) She loves to flash those gums and two teeth at anyone who will look her way.

4) Yes, she does have rather pronounced cheeks!!

5) I might be a bit biased (okay, lets be honest, their is no might about it, I am,) but I think she is a cutey patooty!

Some things that others may not realize right away is that Peachy is very determined. (This could prove to be problematic in a month or two, but it is a good trait to have.)

Going along with that determination is her physical strength. There are times I have no idea how she does what she does. She ends up in the craziest positions in her crib while wearing her sleep sack and having her arms swaddled. ( I would love to have a video monitor just to see how she does it.)

Peachy is always pretty excited about food. She eats three solid "meals" a day. (That is if you call pureed veggies and infant cereal meals.) When in her highchair being fed she often keeps her arms out and leans her body forward with her little mouth open. She doesn't want anything to get in the way of that loaded spoon. Between yesterday and today she learned the joys of feeding herself Cheerios. In that amount of time she went from the fist grab to using her index finger and thumb. (See, her determination is already getting her far in life!)

We love our little girl and I am truly blessed to be able to spend so much time with her!!