Mom Jeans

Yep...Mom Jeans...

Let's not get it confused with these...

I have discovered the perfect "mom jeans". In the last year or so, J. Crew introduced their High-Rise Skinny Jeans and y'all...I. AM. HOOKED.

I currently own four pairs and I'm seriously contemplating buying more...let's bear in mind that I LIVE in jeans these days and I also live with a toddler...hence the reason why I need so many.

Side note: why is it that your toddler wants to give you a hug when she is covered in spaghetti...but not when she is clean?

If you're looking for some good high-rise skinny jeans, these are the ones! They come just below my belly button and really hold everything in. And truly, they don't look like mom jeans. They are trendy and let's say mom-friendly...'cause no one wants to see your crack when you're on your hands and knees picking up toys!

I just got the black and the sanford wash for Christmas and they are awesome! I HIGHLY recommend them...and great news...the sanford wash jeans are on sale!!!! 

Check it out!

What are your favorite "mom jeans"?

Bittersweet Birthday

This week is truly bittersweet. Our baby is turning one. I want, more than anything, to watch her grow up to be a beautiful, kind, smart, funny, outgoing, faithful young woman...but I also miss our baby. I miss the sweet baby snuggles. I miss holding her in my arms while she sleeps. I miss our one-on-one time when I was nursing her.

These past few weeks she has flown through the milestones. She breezed through the transition from army crawl to real crawling, going from sitting to crawling and crawling to sitting. She is pulling up on whatever stable object she can get her hands on, and she is cruising around the house with her walker. I miss my baby.

But though I miss my baby, I am in love with this toddler. I love her smiles and her giggles. I love the way she sticks out her little booty when she pushes her walker. I love that as soon as her walker starts playing a new song she has to stop and dance to the music. I love that when she really likes a song she "sings" along. Our sweet girl can clap her hands to the beat and has that cute bouncy baby move down pat. 

She is eleven months and four weeks old...our baby is a toddler. We are so proud of her. Proud of her progress, proud of her big smile and her happy attitude. We love our sweet girl and while we miss our baby, we are so thrilled to watch this little angel continue to grow up. Friday is a bittersweet birthday. Our baby girl will be one, and we will have officially survived the first year. Cheers to many many more birthdays! We love you sweet Chandler!

10 Months!

I say it EVERY month, but I can't believe we have a ten month old! I mean, I have already ordered her first birthday party invitations?! How can that be?

This month was a big month! You really started crawling. We love your quirky army crawl...it is truly unique. We're also blown away by how quickly you can get around these days!

This month marked the entrance of not one, not two, not three, but FOUR top teeth. They all started poking through right at ten months and you've gone from having four bottom teeth to now having eight teeth! You are starting to look more and more little a little girl and less like our little baby. It is so sad and wonderful all at the same time. 

This month we went to the zoo for the first time since you were a little bitty thing! You met the giraffes and aside from that, you were generally unimpressed...but that's probably because you wanted desperately to get down and crawl or pet the animals.

You went to your first basketball game the month and together we got to cheer on Daddy and his friends. You had the best time and loved watching your dad run up and down the court.

You're eating well and we're having so much fun watching you try and love new foods. We're so happy that you're starting to eat what we eat!

We are having so much fun with you these days and we can't get enough of your sweet, funny personality. You are so silly and we love your big toothy grin!

This month we are looking forward to sharing all of our Christmas traditions with you and creating some new traditions. We count our blessings every day! Thank goodness for the wonderful you! We love you so so much, sweet Chandler!

Island Shrimp Spread

So in my last post I mentioned the amazing shrimp dip my parents made for Thanksgiving...and as promised, here is the recipe. They bought some pottery at an art show from the Island Potter and picked up this recipe when the purchased the piece. It is to DIE for...seriously...try it...now...

Island Shrimp Spread

2 cups boiled shrimp (peeled, deveined, and chopped)

2 8-oz packages of room temperature cream cheese

1 Tbsp. grated onions

4 oz mayonnaise

2 Tbsp. ketchup

1/2 Tbsp. horseradish

1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire

1/2 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients together in a food processor or with a hand mixer. Add shrimp and enjoy! I think this is particularly good with a little freshly ground black pepper on top...and would probably be very good with a little hot sauce for those of you who like it spicy!

What's your favorite dip? I'm always looking for new and good appetizers!

Life Lately

We have had so much fun over the last week! Thanksgiving was even better than we could have imagined! I spent the first part of the week baking cheesecakes like a crazy lady, but this little helper certainly made it much easier than anticipated!

Wednesday morning, we headed to Georgia for the rest of the week and all of our Thanksgiving festivities. We got there in time for lunch with my family, followed by table setting for Thanksgiving lunch the following day. My parents and sister were such a HUGE help to us during our visit and Chandler is sorely missing her audience now that we are back home! She loved her snuggles with Aunt Chan, Grandaddy, and G. She is very excited to see them again in just a few weeks for Christmas!

Thanksgiving day was filled with family and a pretty fantastic Bloody Mary Bar...because you know, Thanksgiving!?! Aunt Chan, my dad, and Uncle Patrick set up an awesome Bloody Mary Bar...I had three one and it was amazing. Each year that my parents have hosted Thanksgiving, they've prepared this amazing shrimp dip and this year was no exception. Luckily I got a copy of the recipe and I'll be sharing it later this week!

After our day of eating (we did go for a good walk...thank goodness), we had a day of decorating. Chandler took her first trip to the Christmas tree farm  and we got everything ready for Christmas. I love the holiday season and it is so fun to be with family...it makes even the slightly mundane (like stringing Christmas tree lights) fun!

Playing in the grass with G at the Christmas tree farm!

I did get a chance to try out a new cheesecake recipe while we were in Georgia and I'm excited to say, that is was a success. I still want to tweak it just a little, but hellllllooooo Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake!!! Just in time for Christmas! #verymerrycranberry

This little cutie put on a show for everyone throughout our visit, but this shot is one of my favorites...blueberry beard! She loves blueberries and her grandparents spoiled her rotten with endless blueberries throughout her visit!

I think I've said it a million times, but we had such a great time! Chandler got to crawl all over the place, pet the dog, chase the cat, go on walks outside with Grandaddy, eat blueberries until she was literally blue in the face, and snuggle and read books with Aunt Chan. 

What a wonderful way to spend Thanksgiving week! And now that we're home...let's get ready for Christmas!

What are your favorite Christmas traditions?