Trader Joe's Love

This can only mean one thing, I went to a Trader Joe's!

I am not lucky enough to have a Trader Joe's in my neck of the woods, but when I am near one and have the chance, I love to go in and grab a few items.
Over Easter weekend, my sister-in-law and I snuck away to Trader Joe's. She has a regular shopping list for herself and her friends whenever she comes home. I just like to go and pick up whatever looks good to me.
These Cats Cookies for People are always a hit. I also like their multi-grain chips. And you pretty much can't go wrong with anything chocolate.
Do you shop at Trader Joe's? What are some of your favorites?

A Few of My Favorite Things

1. Sassy Baby Mealtime on the Go Feeding Set: I had been thinking that we needed something just like this when Peachy went exclusively to table food. Gone were the days of grabbing a baby food jar, spoon, and bib and calling it supper. Then I saw this set advertised on the back of a parenting magazine AND it was available at Target. Win, win. Now when we are eating away from home, I toss Peachy's food in and we are a go. The only complaint I have about this product is that the spoon that it comes with is pretty much flat and therefor not so useful. Oh, and the set we got is all blue, not the cool mix-match of colors shown here.


2. Tupperware Sandwich Keeper: Since we have a fun food storage set for Peachy, we may as well have one for ourselves, right? Actually these will mainly be used in packing Mr Cherry's lunches. I think that it will be nice not to go through so many sandwich bags every week. Also, these are able to just be tossed into the dishwasher to be cleaned.

3. Tresemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo: This is a product that has been making a big splash on some of the blogs I read. (Or maybe not a splash, since it is dry! :o) I have the kind of hair that really needs to be washed everyday. I have the kind of motivation that makes me not want to wash it and style it everyday. When I saw this product, I thought that I might have found my solution. I have tried it a couple of times now and it really does help my hair not too look and feel so greasy. Now, it isn't the same as actually washing your hair, but several steps up from doing nothing at all. I was also able to pick this up at Target and it cost less than $5.


4. Up and Up Daily Cleansing Cloths: Add these in with the dry shampoo and you can have yourself feeling halfway human without setting foot in the shower. (Sorry to admit this to those of you who always thought that I was perfect and to those of you who know me in real life. :o) I am told that these are just like the Biore brand cleansing cloths, but of course they come with an Up and Up price tag.

5. Safety First Sleepy Baby Nail Clippers: I have never been a fan of cutting Peachy's finger and toe nails. The clippers that we had made it very hard to see where you were clipping and it only took a few bad clips to make me hesitant. When I found these at K-Mart recently, it looked like a design that might work for me. Plus the added emery board feature really seemed like a good idea. These clippers work really well for me. I can see where I am clipping and feel steady while doing it.

Summer Love

Have you been seeing the magazine coupons for 20% off one Merona item from Target? I scored three in the last few weeks. (Yes, I may have a slight addiction to magazines.) I also use one of my coupons to score this dress.

At the store, I just popped it in my cart. (Trying on clothing in a store with a one year old doesn't always work out so well.) When I did finally get to try it on, I was in love. I normally wouldn't have picked this particular color, but I went out a limb and really like it. The way the soft fabric is so comfortable and the cut is very flattering on me. I can't wait to wear it as a fun, casual summer dress.

Rave: Baby Supplies Part 3

Little Peachy's ceiling fan addiction has branched out. Don't worry, ceiling fans are still her first love, but they are now closely followed by mobiles. Her Pack N Play came with a wind up mobile that we attached after seeing her love for all things overhead. Although the music annoys her parents, she can sit and look at it for minutes on end. And when she begins to tire of it, all you have to do is pivot it to a new spot and it is a whole new toy.

Seeing the joy this mobile brought our daughter, we also purchased a mobile for her crib. (I hope this isn't the first step to becoming over indulgent parents.) She loves her little ocean friends. (Almost too much in fact. When you put her down for a nap the sleep instantly leaves her eyes as she starts smiling at them and talking to them.) As parents we feel we are helping to shape her little mind as you have your choice of ocean sounds, Bach, Beethoven, or Mozart. Fun and educational all rolled into one. Too good to be true.

Rave: Baby Supplies Part 2

Ah,the magic of the bouncy chair! When an important task is at hand, your friend bouncy chair comes to the rescue. Need to eat some lunch? Bouncy seat is your friend!! Need to take a shower? Your child will be content to wile away the minutes in her friend bouncy chair. Need to write a blog post? Bouncy chair! You get the idea.

Peachy's bouncy chair comes with some key features such as the vibrating seat and the attachable woodland friends bar. I have found that a slow build up is the key to making the best use of the bouncy chair and its features. 1. Place the child in the seat. 2. When child starts to fuss, turn on the vibrations. 3. If the child happens to fuss again, add the toy bar. These three simple steps will bring you at least ten minutes of hands-free fun. (Just enough time to take a shower!! Then again, if you are in the shower, you most likely won't be hopping in and out to attach toys, but you get the idea.)

Rave: Baby Supplies Part 1

Now that I have been a mother for all of three months, I feel that I can pass on a bit of baby knowledge that I have acquired. The first piece of knowledge is that no two babies are alike and no two days with the same baby will be alike. Little Peachy is not a fan of regularity. One day she will only sleep in half hour chunks and the next she may decide to sleep for three hours. One week she will be sleeping through the night and the next she will decide that is overrated. As my one friend likes to tell me, "When you figure her out, right the book and you will become rich."

Babies come with lots and lots of stuff. (Well really, they don't come with anything, but any good parent will make up for that by buying lots and lots of stuff for their baby.) Just when you think that you have everything that you could possibly need you see something that you know that you cannot live without. A recent addition to our baby supply arsenal is The Miracle Blanket. (AKA The Baby Straight Jacket.) Little Peachy has uncontrollable hands that like to whack her in the face and take her pacifier away in the middle of the night. M and I tried every method of swaddling known to man, but our little girl is a regular old Houdini. She can get herself out of the tightest of wraps. That is until we purchased The Miracle Blanket. (Cue music and light from heaven.) Now most nights find her swaddled tightly in the cozy cocoon that is The Miracle Blanket. Once and a while she will get an arm or leg out, but lets chalk that up to operator error.

One would think that a baby would not tolerate being put into a straight jacket. But we have found quite the opposite to be true. Peachy almost seems to welcome being swaddled when she is tired. I just swaddle her up, give her her pacifier, and place her in her bed. Most days and nights she goes down without a fuss even if she is still awake. See how much she likes it?

So until she is able to keep those unruly hands out of her face, she will be snug as a bug in a Miracle Blanket when it is time to sleep.

A True Bowl of Cherries

The title of my blog is not just a cute moniker for me to go by. I really do love cherries. I love to decorate with them. I love to see them on my daughter's clothing. And I LOVE to eat them. So, I couldn't be happier now that it is cherry season.

I picked these bags up for $.99 a pound the other day. I just have to be careful not to sit down and eat them all at once.

Deliciousness in a bag!

Rave: Vinegar

Did you know that this bottle can be your one stop shop for many of your household needs? You know, the big bottle that can be purchased for mere dollars at the grocery store? The bottle that you may even have right now in your cupboards?

I started using vinegar for cleaning purposes about a year ago. Why, you ask? It does the job. It isn't a harsh chemical. It is very inexpensive. I keep a spray bottle of vinegar diluted with water for most of my cleaning jobs. I use vinegar to clean counters, the bathroom, it can even be used to clean windows and mirrors. Ever since I started using vinegar, I have come across many other uses for this wonder product.

Have you heard the latest? Vinegar may even help you to lose weight. Really! Google it.

Tomorrow I will share with you how I use vinegar to clean the hard floors in my house.

Mmm-Mmm-Mmm

Here are some yummies that I am currently digging:

1) Edamame

These little green pods of goodness are one of my favorite veggies at the moment. Just cook them in boiling salt water, shell, and eat.

2) Cantaloupe

I just bought my first cantaloupe of the season and boy was it good! Juicy and delicious! Like summer in a rind.

3) McDonald's Shamrock Shake

You didn't think that I had gone completely healthy, did you? I love these seasonal shakes and had been waiting to get one. The first McDonald's I went to acted like they had never heard of the Shamrock Shake, but that wasn't going to stop me. I tried another McDonald's and they had them on their drive through menu! Sweet success!!

Easter Is Coming

And do you know how I know? I bought my first bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs at Target today!!

Mmmmm . . . Pure milk chocolaty, candy coated goodness in a bag.

(What's that you say, Easter is two months away? Oh well, all the more time for me to purchase the goods.)

A Perfect Pair

I love the combination of cranberries and white chocolate. Whoever came up with this magnificent food pairing is really a geneous. I will eat it as a snack mix with a few other ingredients thrown in. I will add the combination to cookies and bars. And lately I have been enjoying this delicious twosome in my oatmeal with a few almonds sprinkled in.

I just was out shopping and bought a new bag of each. Here they are sitting on my counter just waiting to be used.

The best part is, you will never guess where I bought them. You will have to stay tuned to find out.

December Obsessions

I don't know if it is the pregnancy, or simply gluttony, but I can't get enough of these lately. (Not necessarily at the same time.)

Mission Cillantro Lime Tortilla Chips

m&m's Holiday Mint Candies

And for those times that I am not really hungry:

Seasonal Sensations Baked Goodies Candle (from Target)

with three layers: Gingerbread House, Maple Pecan Cookies, and Hot Cocoa & Cookies

A New Friend

Allow me to introduce you to a new found friend. We have not been acquainted too long, but I already see this relationship going places. We have been spending some good quality time together as of late and frankly, it warms my heart. Even M is a fan, always a good thing to have the husband on board.

And here she is, Nestle French Vanilla Hot Cocoa Mix. So, so good on the cool fall evenings that we have been having. (And almost 100% caffeine free.)

Fall in a Cup

This morning I was able to stop by Caribou on my way to work and get my first pumpkin latte of the season. Hmmmm. Nothing says fall like pumpkin spice treats. While I wouldn't mind a few more nice summer days, I totally love fall. It would be hard for me to live anywhere that didn't have "real" seasons.
The air here has definitely taken on a fall feel. Now if only they would come and connect our gas line so that we can turn the heat on. We haven't needed it yet, but just the thought that I can't turn any heat on scares me. Call me weird, but I like to be warm and cozy when I am inside my home. When I talked to the builder the other day about this issue, the receptionist told me that they are working on it. She said if it wasn't done by Monday to give her a call. I am hoping that I don't have to make that call as the projected lows for the week are all in the mid to lower 40s. Brrrr.
Good thing we have our love to keep us warm! :o)