Fall Family Traditions

I love fall, I mean LOVE fall!  And I have come to love it more as we start new family traditions.  In the spirit of Halloween, here is a little glimpse of some of my favorite fall activities!

 

Eckert's

 

I have some great memories of apple picking with my parents and siblings, so I wanted to start that same tradition with my family.  We asked...forced...Daddy to take a day off work to spend the day with us.  He works so hard for us and doesn't take many days off, so I wanted to plan a day dedicated to some family fun...just the four of us!  The idea started with a day at the pumpkin patch, but then we decided to make the most of his day off and head to Eckert's.  Out of the three Eckert's locations, we chose Graffton.  I'm pretty sure you can't make a bad choice out of the 3, but we were definitely happy with our choice.  It started with a scenic drive and a ferry ride across the river.  And that was just the beginning!  Once we got there, we had a hard time deciding what to do first.  From the tractor ride, to the pumpkin and apple picking, all the way to the animals, and playground, we had an absolute blast!  And of course Daddy had to get the biggest pumpkin they had!  Although it was a perfect morning, next year we will pack lunch for a picnic, or visit the location with the restaurant (which I've heard is amazing) so we can spend more time there.  Follow them on Facebook to stay up-to-date on all deals and special events! 

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin Painting Party

 

 

So now we have a carload (literally) of pumpkins, so what are we to do with all of them?  Well, have a pumpkin painting party of course!  I started doing this last year because, let's be honest, I love any excuse for a girls night.  Little did I know how much fun it was going to be.  And obviously we had to do it bigger and better this year.  I asked the guests to BYOP and bring anything special to make their masterpiece.  I provided the paint, paintbrushes, some carving tools, and of course, the boos booze.  I also made tortilla soup, which is one of our favorite fall soups (I will be sharing the recipe, so stay tuned).  I have some pretty creative friends, so I was very excited to see what was in store, and they certainly did not disappoint!  As you will see, we represented our hometown teams quite well!  And my Mom's "designer pumpkins" were the talk of Facebook!  I again took some notes and for next year I think I'm going to ship the kids off with Daddy to have some fun outside of the house so I can play hostess.  I will plan a separate painting party dedicated to the boys, and possibly their cousins too.  That way I can focus more on helping them with the Monsters Inc./kid friendly  pumpkins  and worry less about who's pumpkin they just added some color to.  :)  All in all, this is one of my favorite events and if you aren't doing it already, I highly recommend it!  And maybe next year I will have time to do something creative with the carload of apples... We'll see!!

Oh, and also next year, I will photograph the carved pumpkins at night!! ;)

 

 

 

Photo credit to Kelly Sahrmann (Bird on the bat/St. Louis Arch) 

Mizzou 'M' by Jenny Stranghoener. 

Orange Buttons and Spotted pumpkin by Momma (not pictured: Fancy 'H'). 

Mizzou Tiger Paw by Nikki Nill. 

Painted Carving and unfinished STL done by yours truly.

Mommy's: Spider web Mizzou 'M', STL Baseball, and Painted Carving.

Daddy's: The Monster (The picture does no justice, it is huge!)

Boys: Mike Wazowski (with a little help from Mommy)

 

Pumpkin cheese ball courtesy of my Momma. 

Contact me for the recipe.  Not only is it adorable, it is yummy!!

 

 

 

Tortilla Soup 

 

Is there really anything better than a simmering pot of soup and a fire crackling in the fire place on a cool fall day?  I didn't think so.  While I love chili, I had to find another recipe that I could throw into the rotation...and one my hubby would like.  And thanks to Pinterest, I found the perfect fall soup that makes everyone drool!  So many people have asked me for the recipe, so why hold out on the rest of you?  Bonus!  You make it in the crockpot!!  Easy and delicious?  Yes please!  I have since deleted the pin, so unfortunately I am not able to give credit to the original post, but I will share the recipe with you without taking the credit!  I was not prepared for this one, so I only have one picture that I sent to my pal Nikki to make her hungry as it was cooking.  Aren't I a great friend??  It doesn't look appetizing, but I promise you, it's delicious!

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

2 tbs olive oil

2 medium onions, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 qt. chicken stock

1 tbs chicken soup base

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 8oz can tomato sauce

1 19oz can enchilada sauce

6 small tortillas, minced

16oz velveta, cubed

1 cup Colby-jack chesse

1 bag Tyson chicken, diced (I used shredded chicken breasts)

1 can whole corn (I leave this out and set it out as a topping)

*garnish with sour cream, tortilla strips, and cheese*

 

Directions:

1. In a skillet, heat olive oil and sauté onions until tender

2. Add minced garlic and cook another min or two, then scrape into crockpot

3. Add all other ingredients, except the chicken and corn

4. Cook over high heat for two hours, or low for 4 hours

5. whisk until smooth (tip: I make mine the night before so the tortillas absorb the flavor)

6. Add chicken and corn if desired and heat through, approx. 30 minutes-1 hour

Bon Appetit!

 

 

 

 

There you have it!  I hope you have enjoyed a few of my favorite fall festivities, and please feel free to share some of yours with me!

 

 

 

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 



 

 



Mommy's Favorite Things

I recently shared a couple of my favorite things with a few of my friends, so it prompted me to want to share them with all of you too!  Whether you're a mommy or not, this is some good stuff!!

1. UP by JAWBONE

 

 

This is by far one of my most favorite things.  I have my good mate, Mike to thank for introducing me to this little gem.  It's a wristband that not only tracks your activity by number of steps you take, it also yells at you if you have been idle too long...as in "get up you lazy bum"!  Nothing proves how hard a stay at home mom works when she's logging almost 11,000 steps just on a normal day!  But one of the coolest features is the sleep monitoring.  In the morning you can see how log it took you to fall asleep the night before, how long you were in light vs. deep sleep, and...wait for it...it also wakes you up when you are in your lightest sleep!  No more waking up feeling groggy when your alarm goes off (or a toddler barges in your room) in the middle of a dream.  Simply download the app, add your personal info, and begin.  You don't even know it's there.  Bonus!  You can also link it with other apps, such as Run Keeper and My Fitness Pal (which are also favorite things of mine).  I could go on and on, but instead, feel free to read more or order online here.

2. PLEDGE MULTI SURFACE

 

 

Every mom, or woman for that matter, needs a handy helper in the cleaning department.  Mine is Pledge Multi Surface.  Since it can be used on almost any surface, there are countless uses for this bad boy, and I find myself using all throughout the house!  In the kitchen, for instance, I use it to clean the glass-top table, the sliding glass door (sticky fingerprints), the outside of the fridge (more sticky fingerprints), and the cabinets.  And if you're using the antibacterial product, you can also use it on countertops.  That's a whole lot of efficiency in one room.  Just think how much I get done in the family room!  I can clean and dust the tables, picture frames and the TV stand.  And since it can be used for electronics, I can also clean the TV.  The list goes on and on.  If you want to give it a try, Target even has a coupon available on their website you can get by clicking here!  (More to come on Target, so stay tuned!)

3. SRUBBING BUBBLES WIPES

 

 

Speaking of cleaning.  I also get a lot of use out of the Scrubbing Bubbles wipes.  I keep some under the sink in every bathroom for quick and easy access.  One of the common misconceptions about a stay at home mom, is that she has all day to clean.  It's actually really hard to clean during the day with two toddlers running around, that I just have to fit it in when I can.  So while the boys are finishing their bath, for instance, I just pull out the container and go to work.  And since I keep them under the sink, I never have to leave the room!  This helps me a lot when I don't always have time to do a complete house cleaning...especially in a bathroom used by boys!!!

Reminder: Make sure cabinets that store cleaning products have child-proof locks!



4. CLOSET CANDY BOUTIQUE

I have come to love boutiques!  They all have so many unique and cute clothes and accessories, but my favorite boutique is Closet Candy.  Anyone who knows me knows that I lived in my maxi dresses this summer.  And if you saw their stuff,  you would know why!  Sure, there are definitely those days where "getting dressed" is putting on yoga pants, but on the days where you want to be cute and comfortable, maybe run a few errands, I grab my Closet Candy.  Go to their website and like them on Facebook to check out all of the end of summer deals.  Not to mention the A-dorable college gameday collection!

5. SEPHORA BRONZER

 

 

 

 

I never thought I would say this in a million years, but most days I don't feel like wearing (wasting) make-up.  But I also don't want to scare the pants of anyone who might happen to ring the doorbell or see me outside watering the lawn.  So my solution is bronzer by Sephora.  These days, there are a million bronzers out there.  But what I love about Sephora's product is that it's not too greasy and doesn't smell like you just fell off the Banana Boat.  I also have yet to have it streak or get blotchy, which is key when you are applying bronzer yourself.   I ordered mine online a few months ago, and not only received free shipping, but also received 3 free samples.    

6. CARTWHEEL by TARGET

 

 

 

Ok, here is the one you have been waiting for!  I know I have already shared this beauty before, but I could not leave it off of my favorite things list.  And I didn't want to take a chance on anyone missing out on it.  Thanks to my amazing friend, Amber, I started using Cartwheel about two weeks ago and I am in love!  It is a free app that allows you to select certain deals and instantly save on the things you are already buying.  Here's the best part.  All of the deals you select will use one barcode.  So if you are terrible at remembering to bring or use your coupons (like me) this is your solution to save.  Once you are at the checkout, simply hand your phone (or a printed copy) over for one quick little scan and, voila!  Instant savings.  So let's review how you should be shopping at Target.  Add your deals to Cartwheel, use any additional coupons you brought, and swipe your Red Card for an additional 5% off.  You now have just saved enough to buy that dress you've been eyeing at CCB!  Pretty simple stuff huh?  Thanks again, Amber!!

 

 

 

While this list could go on and on, I will stop here...mainly because my UP band just told me to get my blogging booty out of this chair.  But I would like to ask you to share any of your mommy-must-haves with me.  That's what this is about after all...to share, learn and laugh with each other, right? :)  Thanks for stopping by and I look forward to reading your comments on this one!!