kindergarten fun facts: week 2

What's one thing you learned this week at school?

"Ugh, I just don't remember."

^^ Be still my heart.

Guys, we're off to a really good start 😂(can non-Mac users see this emoji? I didn't realize I could add them from my computer and blogging may be forever changed for me!). And yes, it's not Friday but Piper turns two tomorrow so you can expect a big long gushy, mushy post about that.

But then I asked, "Why did you want to pose like that?" Because she did this for all 10 pictures I took of her.

She said, "It's not a pose, but it does have a pose in it. It's called lavender pose."

WTF?

How many more weeks left?

Leia

mid-week meal share: hurried af chicken dinner because american horror story premieres tonight

It's 2016 and 'as fuck' is used as a unit of measurement, it's great. Well tonight I present to you a super simple baked chicken dinner!

Cost effective: yeap!

Easy to concoct: yeap!

What do you need? Some chicken tenderloins (or other cut of your choice), italian dressing and your fav seasonings. If you are too rushed even for sides cut out the green beans and mashed potatoes and you're all set!

Here's what you're gonna want to do:

1. Rush around the kitchen quickly gathering the ingredients and any necessary pots/pans/utensils making sure to drop something and simultaneously drop another when you bend down to pick up the first item.

2. Preheat your oven to 350ºF.

3. Marinade your chicken for at least 20 minutes (this might still yield in chicken that is a bit dry but we don't really give a shit because AMERICAN HORROR STORY).

4. If you chose green beans my fav way to cook them is in a skillet with enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover with lid and simmer until most water is gone. Add butter, garlic, and other seasonings.

5. Add seasonings to your chicken and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked thoroughly (obviously going to differ based on what type of meat you used).

6. Make mashed potatoes according to the box.

7. Enjoy!

8. Hurry and scramble to get the kids in bed, to do your homework, to pack your lunch for the next day, to lay out your outfit, to finish that last load of laundry, whatever the hell it is you need to do and plop down on the couch just in time for season 6 to begin!

g2g, bye!

Leia

picnic party for piper

How's that for an alliteration? Might as well have had a grammar party for our little two year old! She so totally would've loved that.

First off, I would like to say that I officially planned and pulled off her birthday party for $200, which I think is pretty decent and typical for any party I throw. This included her invitations, the decorations, and the food (which would have fed 15-20 people). Some parties I see thrown for kids and I can only imagine the budget that was used.

Printable Picnic/BBQ Invitations

One thing I hate when trying to plan parties? RSVPs. If you can't make it I understand. We all lead busy lives and I may or may not have slacked on finding envelopes in a timely manner which caused the invitations to be sent out much later than I had intended. But could you at least just tell me you're not going to come? Otherwise I'm left to guess who is coming and who is not and leaving me to stress about whether I have enough food and things to accommodate everyone. And no, I'm not going to hound you for an answer, I think the invitation does that for me. Maybe I'm too critical?

For food we did meatballs, fruit salad, pasta salad, watermelon slices, potato chips, and make your own sandwiches! I thought these were all good picnic-y foods and were all super easy to throw together. My biggest blunder with the picnic theme would be that I had it indoors. A few family and friends were expecting it to be outside and I guess I get their point. Also when I ordered this gingham bunting, I did not realize they were 4 feet tall.

I started documenting my setup but then people started showing up!

THERE SHE IS! The birthday party gal! Not smiling of course. And I forgot about balloons so I ordered this 2 last minute from Amazon, and it was pointed out to me that it's an upside down 5. My brain can't even see it as a 2 anymore! There were tie's to make it either number and I get why the company does this but COME ON.

Red gingham hair bow + lace overalls

And now time for food, presents, and cake and ice cream (which was provided by my cousin who happens to have won a one year supply of ice cream after her fiancé entered a contest on the side of a carton)! Multiple people had been asking me what is Piper interested in currently and it's always so hard for me to answer because the kid is an ever changing entity who loves pretty much anything. Give her a roll of tape and she'll be happy.

The very first present she opened she fell in love with! When she saw this vest from Adam she immediately put it on and started parading around the room showing it off to everyone.

^^ Also, tissue paper makes a nice make-shift seat amiright?

After opening this babydoll stroller she REFUSED to let go of it, even to open other presents. When she was playing with the kitty keyboard (which has a meow setting btw) I slowly inched it away from her but as you can see from the picture below, I didn't make it very far until I was caught red handed.

And it's definitely not a party until the dog's nuts make an up front and personal appearance.

I was really excited for the idea I had in my head for the cake. The outcome did not reflect what my brain had conjured up. Piper was totally grossed out by the 'buggies' on her cake and she wouldn't blow out the candles when it was time and yet, she happily helped Kennedy pick them all off the cake.. which to be clear made it absolutely disgusting. All of us still ate it anyway, because that's what family is all about right? Yes, there were cupcakes but we just really love each other; cooties and all.

It was a long afternoon, but it was really great time. Piper ended up getting sick at the end of the day, but it seemed to have been an isolated incident; most likely from all the sugar and junk food packed into her tummy.

I can't believe my baby is going to be two in three days.

Leia

blogging professionally for one year

YESTERDAY, AVERAGE MOM BLOG TURNED ONE! How did we celebrate? We made a cake!

Just kidding, we were preparing for the party we had for Piper today. We actually hosted an event at a West Elm grand opening party! Okay, kidding again but it seems that's all the rage in the blogging community. Maybe if I were creative or contributed worthy things to the internet I could potentially get on the list for that? Haha, yeah, doubtful I know.

But really, I can't believe year one has come and gone. Oh kids, they grow up so fast. I didn't know if I would keep up with posting but over 365 days I've posted something on 182 of them and totaled almost 12,000 views. Yeah, not the largest audience and most of them are probably from my mom but, hey! Someone has read my words at a rate of about 1,000 per month and I personally think that's pretty cool. Big time bloggers are rolling over in their graves as these words make a permanent home on this blog.

Also today, we remember the attacks on 9/11. 15 years ago today we as a country experienced a horrible terror attack, many Americans I'm sure are still very much feeling the heartache of losing someone on that day.

Where were you? I was sitting in my sixth grade math class; Mrs. Strubel's at North Middle School to be exact. Her daughter called and she thought it was the strangest thing because, 'her daughter knows not to call when school is in.' That's when our class got the news and we watched the events unfold on television while she notified the office. Some students were picked up from school by their parents in a hurry, but most of us stayed. It was a very strange experience to go through at such a young age because you knew it was terrible, but it was hard to comprehend at the time that PEOPLE caused it all to happen. 

In 2013 I was able to see the memorial site and see the new One World Trade Center. Really a solemn experience to see all the names of those who were lost.

Never forget.

Leia

belle isle aquarium + conservatory: a photo series

On our second to last day of summer the girls and I hopped in the car with Granny and Aunt Izzy and headed to Detroit's own Belle Isle. I assumed that the green houses would be warmer than the temperature outside but seeing as the day called for a high of around 75°F I thought it would still be enjoyable. And it was for the most part aside from a few parts where we experienced a multitude of people.

If you do not like fish, plants, or my mediocre photography skills this post is not for you.

As any outing for us goes, we were out the door later than I had planned, but we arrived to Belle Isle with plenty of time left on our hands and we started off with a walk through the aquarium.

^^ Piper was absolutely entranced by the fish. Mainly they were just fish commonly found in the great lakes, but there were a few saltwater varieties including upside down jellyfish!

^^ Panther chameleon. I don't know about you, but I was upset that I spotted him so easily.

Next, off to the conservatory!

 ^^ Piper's running freedom didn't last long. I was surprised and happy to see the place so busy!

  

^^ Gotta love ivy that's made in China.

^^ Such a happy Granny with her girls.

^^ And so begins the journey of Piper insisting on carrying Granny's purse back through the cactus house and outside to the fountain.

  

^^ She had me in TEARS over the struggle of those stairs. I thought she was going to put it down for a second before crossing the grass so I went to reach for it and she took off running!

  Then when it was finally time to gather our things and head home, Piper absolutely did not want to leave. Kennedy was asking if we could go home by the time we hit the tropical plants. You win some, you lose some.

Since 1904 y'all.
Leia