2 ingredient dessert

I found this recipe on pinterest & thought I'd give it a try.  They used blueberry pie filling & changed it out with cherry pie filling.  This was a HUGE hit with my boys. 

What You’ll Need:

1 box of angel food cake mix

1 can of cherry pie filling (approximately 22 ounces) {feel free to substitute any pie filling}

9 by 13 inch cake pan

What You’ll Do:

Mix powder cake mix and pie filling together…
{don’t add any other ingredients}

Place in 9×13 greased baking dish…

Bake at 350 degrees for 28 – 30 minutes.

that is it!
 serve with whip cream or ice cream.

**best served at room temperature**

ENJOY!

You had me at the first suck!

this thing had me at the first suck!

i love personal product endorsements of blogs I follow that they've found to be  neat, makes life a little easier or just plain cool!
So for the 100+ of you who read this blog a day, this one is for you!

So, from time to time I'm going to share some fun {or at least, fun to me!} products i've started to love.  You all know my love for the haan map {btw you can click that link & get it for $79.00 right now!}

Anyways, a few weeks ago we bought the ...

BISSELL Auto Care Pro Heat Compact Multipurpose Deep Cleaner

 as a mother of 2 little boys this has come in SUPER handy for milk spit ups, apple juice spills & so much more! The first day we bought it we deep cleaned both vehicles, cleaned up any stains on rugs, carpets & upholstery!  

amazing! 

And all you Ames moms that have stains...just borrow ours!  I'd love for it to get some good use!  

oh happy day!

Cy's 2 month report card

Eating: A+, he is eating 5-6 ounces ever 3-3 1/2 hrs. always downs it!

Burping: D, the kid hardly burps...ever.

Naps: C, he's sometimes great at taking/sleeping other times he wants to scream his little head off :-)

Sleeping at Night: as of last Friday A+++ (his 10 week b-day) @ 7:00 pm he goes down til 10, then we wake him for his dream feed @ 10, then he is sleeping from 10pm-7:00!!

 YAHOO!! 

 i can't tell you how amazing that is & how much better you feel!

Activity: A+  he is loving kicking his little legs, & pumping his arms!

Smiling: A++++++++++ our hearts melt when he smiles! :-)

Google Sky App {free app!}

This past weekend we headed to Cedar Rapids to visit my sister Carly.

 She has the cutest little patio outside her living room we all went out on after the kiddos were in bed. 

 It was a very clear night & Ryan stumbled upon a free app from google called, google sky.  

It was absolutely fascinating!  

He just held his phone up to the sky & had the phone's screen pointed tword us & you could see all these things!  It was so neat! 

 I'm not much for astronomy but found this absolutely cool.

  A cool fact I learned this weekend via google...did you know planets don't twinkle like stars?  

So we could see Venus & Jupiter with our naked eye & know it was them because of that fact. 

 interesting

{Andrew, thought you would like this post & our interest in your hobby!} :-)

My husband got a new toy

 My husband bought a new toy.

latest project: our rentals front steps.

nothing like a little elbow grease!

I love a good before/after photo no matter how small of a project it is! :-)  

1. 

   Before

After

white trash sledding

enjoying the snow, crib mattress & all

 although we did break out the sled for the day.  

T-man loved it.  

In typical Iowa fashion two days later we were flying a kite in 72 degree weather.

Gotta love it!

New Look {cheap pre designed blog look!}

I splurged & bought this pre-designed blog template for $10! Isn't it cute?! 

I love it!

Check out way more blog designs for 10bucks here!  

{Thanks SHABBY CREATIONS}

Cy's 2 months old!

Our little one is 2 months old!

I'm going to be honest & say the last 2 months have been a complete blur, but completely wonderful as well!  

Here are some random Cy observations:

he loves to be swaddled when he sleeps

he loves his swing & bouncy seat!

he is really starting to Smile & Coo a lot now 

He slept threw the night @ JUST at 8 weeks (two weeks sooner than his older brother!--I just PRAY it continues!)

He falls asleep & stay asleep in his car seat when we go places ( after T-man I had NO idea babies did this!)

he loves to watch his older brother

He is very laid back

He is a Momma's boy {just like his brother!} --gotta say I don't mind that...most of the time ;-)

Not a fan of tummy time

in size 1 diapers {almost ready to bump him up to 2!)

Getting to be more predictable in his nap cycles (which makes it easier to get chores done around the house!

He loves interacting with people.  My favorite time is when T-man is down for a nap & its just me and him for awhile.  I still want to make sure he gets some good 1 on 1 time with his Momma :-)

Very tough to get a burp out of him! 

Doesn't spit up all that much.

He is such a JOY & so blessed to have him!

A Shout out on a very popular blog!

This just shows what a HUGE dork I am but I got a shout out from a very popular blog, one that the TODAY show endorses...www.hip2save!!  My sister e-mailed me a Yankee candle coupon which I forwarded to collin (the sites owner) and she gave me a shout out...how fun.  Sometimes its the little things like that or HUGE things like my little man sleeping through the night 2 nights in a row.  (hope this continues!!)  AND...to show my hubby & I are made for each other yesterday on the Keith & Murphy show Andy read one of Ryan's tweets on the air...MADE.HIS. DAY!  :-)

Click here to view my shout out! :-)

100 Way to Encourage a new mom!

My sister was right, my blog is totally becoming a mommy blog!  :-) 

1. Fold her laundry – especially all the socks
2. Leave immediately when the baby falls asleep so she can nap
3. Bring chocolate
4. Don’t tell her to call if she needs anything, just drop by and help with everything
5. Take the big kids out for a play date
6. Tell her she’s a hero
7. Bring her food in disposable dishes so she doesn’t have to deal with washing or returning them
8. Don’t tell her to carpe diem
9. Cry with her
10. Laugh with her
11. Share details of what you love about her baby
12. Watch Up All Night with her
13. Don’t tidy your house before she comes over to visit – it doesn’t help her to think you have it all together
14. Tell her a day will come when she will sleep again
15. Make her a 2am nursing station on Pandora
16. Email her a bunch of fun deals links she can surf while nursing
17. Make sure she’s actually in 1 out of every 1,000 photos she’s taking
18. Take candid pictures of her in the new daily routine
19. Bring diapers when you visit
20. Offer to drive her on errands and stay in the car with the baby
21. Be honest about how hard motherhood can be
22. Text her encouraging messages throughout the day
23. Come over and hold the baby so she can have her arms back for a while to do chores or cook or catch up on anything that’s driving her crazy
24. Tell her to keep her phone on vibrate so you can call without being “that person who woke the baby.”
25. Don’t let her become isolated in the baby cocoon – invite her and the baby out so she can reconnect with friends
26. Never expect her to show up anywhere on time
27. Bring her lip gloss
28. Massage her neck and shoulders
29. Run her a hot bath
30. Don’t imply that breast feeding should be a breezy walk in the park; let her know it’s normal to struggle sometimes getting the hang of it
31. If she chooses to go the bottle route, please let her do so guilt free
32. She is just discovering the hard world of mother guilt – please don’t do or say anything to add to that burden
33. Don’t share any horror stories related to motherhood
34. Protect her from turning on the news in her first few weeks of being home
35. Vacuum
36. Bring fresh flowers
37. Take out any dried up bouquets
38. Paint her toe nails
39. Tell her she’s beautiful
40. Don’t tell her by now your kids were all sleeping through the night
41. Especially if by “sleeping through the night” you mean from 1am to 5am.
42. Remember that your memories of new motherhood have the romantic haze of distance
43. Wash her dishes without being asked
44. If you come over for a meal, please bring the meal and then clean it all up afterwards
45. Let her know it’s normal to stand hunched over a sleeping baby just listening to them breathe
46. Anytime she is disappointed by her new figure remind her that she grew a human being – that’s a miracle and turns out miracles need room to grow
47. Don’t bring over any magazines that feature celebrities in swimsuits 6 weeks after giving birth
48. Ask her what the one chore is around the house she wishes she could get to and do it for her
49. Always bring your camera when you visit
50. Print and frame one of the zillion photos she emails of the baby; include baby’s name and birth date
51. Bring toys/games over for the older kids when you visit
52. Tell her it’s OK to feel like you want to quit motherhood some days
53. But tell her that Trace Adkins is right and she’s gonna miss this one day
54. Don’t just make a hand print of the baby – make one of mom and/or dad’s too for a fun comparison keepsake
55. Bring her a Memory Keeper Box for that hospital bracelet, first lock, or even those first few pairs of shoes or favorite toys
56. If she has to go back to work, assure her God will be watching over that precious baby. She is brave if she gets up while it is still dark to provide for her family
57. Tell her pizza covers all the food groups
58. Hold the baby so she can get a shower
59. Bring over the Pride and Prejudice (BBC Series) boxed set for all those dinner {for the baby} and a movie {for her} months
60. Ask her which baby items she still needs – get her those instead of the cute clothes you have your eye on
61. Assure her you understand that while she might know that she’s walking on holy ground, that doesn’t mean she won’t still feel irritated how often that ground is strewn with cracker crumbs and yesterday’s socks
62. Admit motherhood is one of the hardest things you’ve ever done
63. Go ahead and quote that goodie-but-oldie, “It’s not brave if you’re not scared.” {Thank you Ben Affleck}
64. Warn her everyone will have an opinion on how she mothers but at the end of the day, hers is the only one that matters
65. Assure her motherhood is not graded; some days just surviving is victory enough
66. Tell her that drive-throughs are the best friends of mothers-with-sleeping-babies everywhere
67. Keep a pack of Thank You Cards handy in case she freaks out late one night that she hasn’t thanked anyone for all the meals
68. Never expect a thank you card from a sleep deprived new mom
69. Tell her there is no such thing as “doing it all.” And especially no such thing as “doing it all perfectly.”
70. Reassure her that sometimes the love and happiness in a home is directly proportional to the mess.
71. Send a special prayer, encouragement or blessing addressed to the baby via snail mail
72. Turn the music up and dance with her and the baby
73. Suggest that the greatest Pandora station for soothing baby music that mama can also love has to be “Winter Song” by Ingrid Michaelson and Sara Bareilles
74. Take her (and the baby) for a walk
75. Stock her fridge with necessities anytime you come over – like milk, bread, eggs, yogurt, ice cream etc – in case she isn’t up for grocery shopping
76. Watch the baby for her while she goes grocery shopping
77. Suggest she spend 15 extra minutes just reading in the magazine aisle
78. Tell her it’s normal to be be smitten with newborn love one minute and weeping with tired the next
79. Encourage her that a content household is rarely ever a perfect one
80. Remember to always be kind to the mom on your flight
81. Bring a goodie bag over for the new mom and not just the baby when you come to visit
82. If you’re too far to bring over a meal, tell her dinner from her favorite delivery place is on you
83. Tell her there’s no shame in cereal for breakfast, lunch and dinner
84. Make up midnight snacks for her to grab when she’s up feeding the baby
85. Tell her not every photo needs to be perfect – sometimes the closer to real life, the better
86. Give her the The Girlfriends’ Guide to Surviving the First Year of Motherhood for when she needs to laugh
87. Give her Devotions for Sacred Parenting: A Year of Weekly Devotions for Parents for when she needs to be inspired
88. Tell her matching socks are highly overrated
89. Wash the baby bottles for her
90. Tell her not to sweat store bought baby food, disposable diapers or pacifiers
    - whatever works, works
91. Reassure her that perfect is merely a street sign at the intersection of impossible and frustration in Never Never land
92. Tell her motherhood should come with a super hero cape, a really cute one with sparkles
93. Buy her sparkly nail polish
94. Tell her not to sweat everything Pinterest tells her she should be doing, baking, making and crafting for the baby
95. Encourage her to embrace PJ days – even if they last for weeks
96. Encourage her also to go spend two glorious hours at the hair dresser while you watch the baby
97. Tell her about all the women who did all these things for you
98. Assure her that just passing along the encouragement one day is thank you enough
99. Remind her it’s the ordinary days that make the extraordinary memories
100. Promise her it will just keep getting better

Thanks the gypsy momm!

Baby Eviction Notice

I found this too funny not to share!

BABY EVICTION NOTICE
I, the Landlord (Mommy), am issuing a notice for EVICTION. Tenant (Baby) will have to comply and promptly vacate the premises, or wait until authorization for removal by physician. After which, she will be removed from the property by induction.
The Tenant (Baby) is being evicted due to breach of contract and destruction of property. Expansions only to the FRONT of the house, within reasonable limits, were discussed. Not only have these limits been exceeded, but additions to the back and sides of the house were also made without approval from the Landlord (Mommy).
Remodeling and gutting of the home was never approved, nor was changing the initial layout and base structure. Due to the damage by the Tenant (Baby), the foundation has been compromised, and the structural integrity of the house is questionable. The Landlord (Mommy) has also received numerous complaints about frequent nightly disturbances.
If the Tenant (Baby) doesn’t comply with the notice it will result in an immediate and forceful removal at the discretion of a physician and the Landlord (Mommy)

Rolo Cake Mix Bars

Okay, I need these like I need a hole in my head.  With that being said, don't they just look amazing?!

Rolo Cake Mix Bars

Ingredients

• 1 box (18.25 oz) yellow, vanilla or white cake mix ( I used Duncan Hines), dry
• 5 oz evaporated milk
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 40 Rolo Candies, unwrapped and cut in half

How to Make

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
3. With your mixer, beat cake mix, evaporated milk and butter until combined. Mixture will be thick and sticky.
4. Divide batter in half and press 1 half into the bottom of the pan.
5. Bake until just set, approximately 8-9 minutes.
6. Remove base from oven and place Rolo candies, caramel-side down on top.
7. Drop remaining batter on top of Rolos in teaspoon sized amounts.
8. Bake for 20-24 minutes longer until top begins to golden.
9. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Thanks Cookies & cups!

tips n' tricks

Ames Tribune! I feel like I took a huge step into adulthood {as if we're not there already with two kiddos!} but i ordered the paper!  A sign we're getting older :-)  It costs $120.00 for a year & I'm making it a challenge to myself that I make that back in the coupons i'll get from it.  So, I'll keep you posted!   I have a spreadsheet ready & everything...I know, I'm a dork!

 Phone Trick:  this one is for my sister Haley who says my blog has become a mommy blog! :-)  Ryan actually shared this one.  But, when I listen to my Pandora on my phone if I put it in an empty bowl (like a cereal bowl)  it sounds SO MUCH FULLER!  It really makes a difference.  Someday I'll get a docking station, but until then this will work just fine!

 Shelf:  This spring I am soooo making this.  I have fallen in love with it, simple, rustic & just my style!

 

Sippy cups:  for all you moms out there you KNOW what I'm talking about finding the perfect sippy cups.  Ones that don't spill ...its nearly impossible.   Well, I finally found some that we LOVE!  They are Nalgene sippy cups!  I had NO idea they sold these but I found 'em on Amazon for 7.50/each and got free shipping with my membership to Amazon Prime {love this btw, I'll have a whole post devoted this! }

My funny husband:  Ryan started this segment called,  "the faces of Cy" with funny captions.  This one was my favorite..."You want to take my temperature WHERE?"