You know You're a Boy Mom...

You know you're a boy mom when... you are not phased by how dirty he gets from playing outside.

You know you're a boy mom when...you are asked if we can keep every bug, frog, or turtle that is caught in our yard.

You know you're a boy mom when...you know every name of all the dinosaurs and if they are a carnivore or herbivore.

You know you're a boy mom when...you know all about construction and tractor machinery.

You know you're a boy mom when...you are loved so fiercely by the cutest little man.

Wednesday Randoms

This post is going to be quite random. I have lots of odds and ends that I want to write about. So here it goes!

1)  Yesterday in the mail, I got my new computer case and keyboard cover for my new computer. The keyboard cover is so flippin' cute!! I'm so excited about it. I just bought my computer over the weekend and the place I bought it from was out of cases for my size of computer. I bought my case and keyboard cover on Amazon. I'm so glad I did as it was half the price of what they were selling them for in the store! Love a good deal!

2)  On Monday, Layne and I went to our local zoo. We had a blast! Our zoo has a couple of albino alligators on exhibit till Labor Day. We spent lots of time checking them out! (Layne is obsessed with alligators!)  We also road the train at the zoo and got to see the cheetahs! They are usually hiding when we are at the zoo but we finally got to see all three of them!  Layne loved feeding the goats and the ducks too! Such a fun day with my little man!

3)  Yesterday, Layne had another class at the outdoor campus. It was all about catfish. He got to try fishing for catfish. Sadly, no one in his class caught a catfish. His teacher caught a bass and a blue gill and one kid caught a painted turtle. Layne was bummed that he didn't catch anything but he did have a couple of nibbles on his line. He's excited about next weeks class. He gets to learn about all the different kinds of fishes that are found in South Dakota. My little man is such an outdoors man. Its adorable!

4)  The next four days are super busy for us. Tonight I am having a girls night with one of my friends that I haven't seen in a while. So Excited!  The company Matt works for is hosting a golf tournament on Friday. Matt has to work all day at it. The night before they are hosting a big get together for all the customers and he has to work that as well. Friday is also my last day of doing daycare. Bittersweet day. This weekend we are also moving my grandma back home to her house and settling her and my uncle in. We are also working on tearing out more cabinets in the kitchen. Busy Busy! I will be sharing the progress soon!

5) Matt and I took the plunge and got a membership at Costco. We went on Sunday and I was super overwhelmed by it all. I'm thinking it will take me a little while to get used to shopping there.  I was very excited about all of the organic and gluten free items they offer! One of the things I did buy was some fresh peas. Oh my they are delicious! They taste just like they are straight out of the garden. We also bought some salsa and it is really good as well. I'm curious to see what else I will find there. 

Well that's all of my randomness for now. Have an awesome day!

New Beginnings

For the past seven plus years, I have had the privilege of working with my mother in an in home daycare. I've enjoyed being able to be around my son as well as caring for other little children. This week, that chapter is ending. I'm happy for a change but I'm also filled with lots of other emotions as well.

I have truly enjoyed caring for all the children that we have had at our daycare. Even if some days were more trying than others, I will still miss it. I will miss the chaos, noise, and all the silly things the kids would say and do. On Friday, our time as daycare providers will end and our new adventures will begin. This last year has been a tough one for my mom and dad as my grandma and uncle have had many issues and my parents have been taking care of them since January. My mom and I made the decision to close the daycare as her and I have a full time job taking care of my grandma and uncle now. ( I will write more about the whole situation sometime soon. Its been a long year.)

I'm excited but nervous about this new beginning. I'm almost overwhelmed by the idea of starting a new job and school all at the same time. However, I am almost certain that I will be able to handle it. I just need to take it one day at a time.  I'm very excited that I will still be able to have Layne around for whats left of the summer till school starts. I'm planning lots of fun projects and things in between taking care of my grandma and uncle.

Can't wait to see where this new adventure leads. Thinking positive thoughts.

To New Beginnings!

Menu Plan Monday #2

I've had a crazy busy weekend! Matt and I started our kitchen demolition. Our island is out, the cabinets that were above the island are gone as well as one of the corner lazy susan cabinets and the cabinet above the fridge. We made a makeshift kitchen in our dining room that we will have to use for the time being. Today I spent the afternoon emptying more cabinets and organizing our makeshift kitchen. I can't wait for our kitchen to be done. I absolutely hate living in a torn up mess. Hopefully I can handle it for about a month.

Anyways, since we are starting on our kitchen, I have to get kind of creative with how I can cook. I can still use our oven for a little while but I basically am limited to my crockpot, the grill, our microwave, and my electric fry pan. I have a feeling we will be using the crockpot and grill a lot! Here is this weeks meal plan:

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

Crockpot BBQ Ribs

Mexi Mac and Cheese

Baked Tortellinis 

Crockpot Beef Roast


Here is my recipe for super easy baked tortellinis:

Baked Tortellinis

1 Bag frozen tortellinis ( I use just the cheese ones but any would work)
1 Jar Prego Italian Sausage and Garlic Sauce
1 Jar Prego Alfredo Sauce ( Prego makes several kinds I just grab whichever one I feel like at the time)
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded or other kind of italian cheese.

1. Boil tortellinis until tender. Drain and put into a baking dish. I usually use a 9x13 but i've used other size dishes as well. It doesn't really matter. Combine sauces in a bowl and pour over tortellinis. Top with cheese. (You don't have to use as much cheese as I did. My family really likes cheese so thats why I add a lot.)  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

This recipe is super easy and really yummy!! I'm linking up over here today so be sure to check out more menus and recipes!

Friday Favorites

I'm linking up over here today for Friday Favorites.  We've had a busy week at our house! Between work, my school orientation, camp, and everything else, this mama is exhausted! I don't think I would have been able to get anything done without my first favorite this week. Diet Pepsi!

I usually don't drink much pop at all but this week I've needed a couple of these. I don't think I would of made it through my school orientation yesterday with out this! 

     

   My second favorite thing this week has been a lifesaver! Last week I decided I need a day planner. With school starting for both Layne and I, as well as lots of other upcoming activities, I thought it would be helpful to get one. I'm so glad I bought one! I love having my grocery list and all of our activities all in one place. I would of love to have bought an Erin Condren one but I just couldn't justify spending the money on one of those right now. Maybe next year. I went to Office Max and picked up one. Best thing I have bought in a long time.

Another one of my favorites this week is this book.

It's so good! At first I wasn't so sure about it as it is written in a weird perspective but I'm enjoying it a lot! I just wish there was more time in the day so I could read without falling asleep! Hoping I get a chance to read some more on it soon! 

Last night Matt and I stayed up way to late watching this show on TLC.

This show is so good and really intriguing! We watched the episodes with Cynthia Nixon and Matthew Broderick. We dvr'd the Sarah Jessica Parker episode otherwise we would of been up watching that too! I love hearing about family history things and all the stories they share on this show and the journey to find the, are so interesting! 

Well that's my favorites for this week. Can't wait for the weekend and spending it with my favorite boys! Have a great weekend!

Thanks Pinterest...Part one

I have an obsession with Pinterest. I'm addicted!  I really don't know what I did before pinterest. I have found lots of decorating ideas for my home, recipes, crafts, everything on there. It is my go to place when I am looking for something or just need inspiration. I thought I would share some of the things that I've found on pinterest that I've incorporated into me home today!

1. Chalkboard

      Every time I'm on Pinterest, I always seem to see lots of chalkboards. I just love them! I was at an auction and I spotted with gorgeous old mirror but parts of it were in rough shape. I loved it despite that and had to have it. I scored it for only $5. With a little paint it turned out amazing! Wish I would have taken a before picture but I didn't. Sad.

2. IKEA Bookshelves

            This was one of the first things I found on pinterest. I just had to recreate it in my sons room. Layne loves books and I knew this would work great in his room. I opted not to paint the spice racks but I've seen lots of pins with them painted and they are darling!

3. Bathroom Canvas

       I love all the canvas ideas I've found on pinterest. But this one stuck out at me and I had to recreate it. I thought it turned out pretty well.

4. Yarn Wreath

    I wanted something to decorate my front door and stumbled upon wreaths made with yarn. I think they are adorable and just had to make one. I plan on making a couple more. 

This is just some of the things that Pinterest has given me inspiration for. Can't wait to share some more soon!

My Little Turkey Hunter

 We have a great place close by to us called The Outdoor Campus. Layne and I love going there. The best part is it's all free! The Outdoor Campus offers lots of classes and they are super fun! Layne has taken several classes from archery to learning all about different types of animals.  Monday Layne and I went to a class on Turkey hunting. ( My boy is obsessed with all things hunting!). He was so excited to learn that he would be able to shoot nerf guns at actual turkey targets! 

Here he is shooting! Such a fun time!

He had a blast!! 

Besides going to the classes they great walking trails, a fun indoor play area, and lots of other cool stuff. Layne loves the fish tanks as well as the giant fish!

Here's Layne checking out the giant fish! So cool!

We have lots of plans to come back here in the future! 

Birthday Party Fun!

Sunday we had Layne's birthday party with all his friends. He wanted a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle pool party and that's what we had!

This is the cake I made. I used marshmallow fondant for the turtles and it worked out well. Layne loved the cake! He was excited that the turtles were on it!

Swimming in the pool with a couple of his little friends.

Slip N Slide fun! The kids thought this was a blast to go down with all the soap on it.

Look at them go!

Piñata time! I must admit that it always scares me a little giving little kids a stick to hit things with. Ha!

Power hitter!!

Opening presents with the help of his friends. 

After presents, more swimming took place. We had a full pool!

It was a great day! Layne had a blast and that makes me so happy. I'm glad I could throw this together for him. Love making that little boy smile!

Menu Plan Monday

I love to cook and try new recipes. Pinterest is one of my favorite places to find recipes. Sometimes the recipes I find are horrible but 99% of the time they are good. There are even a couple I've found that have become family favorites!

I try to make a play every week of meals so I don't have to scramble to find something to make my family. It also helps with saving money on our groceries every month. Love that!  I'm linking this up over here.

So here's what's on this weeks menu:

Hot Dogs with chips and salsa

Grilled Shrimp with Rice 

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Chicken and roasted potatoes

Crockpot Ranch Pork Chops and garlic mashed potatoes

I'm trying to have an easy cooking week after the busy weekend we had with Layne's birthday party. 

One of our favorite recipes to make is Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Chicken. My husband came up with it after we ate at a local bar and grill that served something similar as an appetizer. 

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Chicken

4 Chicken Breasts

1 package of bacon

Canned jalapeños ( you won't use very many)

Onion chopped

Garlic cloves chopped ( I usually use 2 or 3)

1. Cut chicken breast horizontally but not all the way through. Then cut vertically but not all the way through. You want 4 sections but they still need to be attached to each other. 

2.Stuff each breast with onion, garlic, and jalapeños. Then you wrap each breast in bacon. It will depend on the size of your chicken breast as to how many slices you will use. 

3. Cook chicken at 350*F till chicken is done. Mine usually cook from 25-30 minutes. 

These are so delicious! Hope you enjoy!

Layne's 6th Birthday

Layne turned 6 on July 15th. He had a great day and was excited about all the great presents. 

He received a small kit of Jawbones from his great grandma and great uncle. He wasn't sure about them at first but after trying them out, he is obsessed! They are a blast to play with.

Layne was so excited about his next gift he received from his Grandma Lynda and Papa Georgie (my parents). He got his very one bow. He has been practicing with Matt and I and is getting the hang of it. 

My parents also bought him a farm set to add to the one he already has at there house. He was quite excited about this!

The day before his birthday he helped me make a cake for the daycare kids. The kids enjoyed the cake! 

Layne had asked for a scope for his BB gun so Matt had found him one at sd heels and surprised him with it. Matt had to help Layne get used to looking through a scope though, hence why he's covering his eye in the picture. Ha! 

 Besides the scope, we also got Layne a fourwheeler! He was so excited! He got it a few days before his actual birthday because it was a little hard to hide it from him but he didn't care!

Matts parents came over for supper on his birthday and Layne got to have his favorite, Papa Johns pizza and their apple pizza. They gave him a slip n slide and a soccer ball. He loved his soccer ball because it was his favorite color, green! We had a busy day on his birthday but it was so much fun!!

Makeup Routine

I am going to start off by saying that I am horrible at doing my own makeup. Honestly, I know how to create about one look and that's it. Ha! So I really won't be able to offer any one any good tips. But However I will show my favorite products that I use quite a bit. I'm linking up to Kelly's Korner and hopefully I can learn some new tricks! Or not because I am slightly makeup challenged.

Here is what my makeup normally looks like.

Most of the products I use are from Avon. I have somewhat sensitive skin and I have found that their products seem to work best for me. 

Clinique Super Cityblock face sunscreen- I absolutely LOVE this stuff. It works great and I don't breakout or have a reaction from it. 

Avon Ideal Flawless cream to powder foundation- I like that this doesn't feel like I'm wearing anything on my face. 

Avon glimmersticks eye liner- My absolute favorite product!! This stuff goes on so easy and stays put. I also love that it is self sharpening.

Avon eyeshadow primer- I just recently bought this and I don't know why I didn't buy something like this sooner! My eye makeup lasts so much longer than what it did before using an eyeshadow primer.

Avon Super Drama Mascara- this is what I'm currently using. I will say that it's not my favorite. I switch mascaras lots because I just can't seem to find a decent one that works. Will gladly take suggestions!

Avon true color eye shadows- I like these eye shadows but there isn't really anything too special about them. Would also love to here suggestions for eye shadows!

Avon Glow bronzing powder- I love bronzers! This bronzer works great for me!

Ponds dry skin cream- This is a must have for me!! It is the only facial moisturizer I have found that seems to moisturize my face and I don't react to it. Love this stuff so much!!

St Ives apricot facial scrub- I love love love this stuff!! I've been using this since high school and it seems to be the only product that really helps to keep my skin looking and feeling good! 

Well that's my makeup routine. I would love to improve it and learn new tips and tricks. If anyone has any suggestions for a good mascara andeyeshadows that aren't crazy expensive I would love to here them.

Changes Are A Comin'

This past winter, I came to the realization that I needed to change some things. When I graduated high school back in 2005, I enrolled my self for college at a local private school in my hometown. I was so indecisive in my major and ended up dropping out after my first year. I just couldn't see myself coming to a decision anytime soon and didn't want to waste a ton of money and end up not being happy with my decision.

After lots of thought, I've decided to take the plunge and am enrolled at a local tech school to pursue my degree in Marketing Design. I'm so excited and can't wait to see where this takes me! I've tried to explain to Layne what is going to be happening and he thinks I'm going to go to school with him! Ha! I think that would be a lot more fun! I guess that's what I get for being home with him all the time! 

This will be a huge change for me but I'm ready to take this challenge on full force. Can't wait to start this new adventure!

Birthday Boy!!

I am in shock that today my little boy, Layne, turns SIX! I can't believe that six years ago today I gave birth to this amazing little boy. 

Layne,

   Today you are 6! I can't believe how much you have grown this past year! You made great strides in Jr. Kindergarten and that made your dad and I so proud! Becoming a youth wrestler was another one of your big accomplishments. We loved cheering you on at tournaments and were so proud of you for how you handled yourself even when you didn't win. I love your sense of humor! You can always make me laugh. It also amazes me at how smart you are in certain subjects. You know so much about dinosaurs and construction equipment it's scary!  I love you more than you will ever know my little man! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you and love you so!

My Love of Reading

I LOVE to read. For as long as I can remember I have loved to read. When I was younger I was constantly reading. I would basically read any book I could find. In high school, I was very into reading all of the classic literature.( Hello, Don Quixote, Wuthering Heights, and one of my favorites, The Sound and the Fury!) After graduating high school, I became so busy that I had no time for reading for fun. The past couple of years I have rekindled my love of reading. On average I read about 3-4 books per month.  

Some of my recent favorites that I have read are:

This was the last book I finished and I absolutely LOVED IT! If you like historical books you must read this! It is so good! 

I loved this book! It was a quick read and of course I cried at certain parts. I'm curious to see the movie and how it compares to the book. 

Before I share my next favorite, which is a series, I need to share something. I'm a complete SUCKER for romance novels. Not sure why but I am. I love all kinds of books but if it has something to do with a love story. I'm all over it.  That being said I love the Thoughtless series by S.C. Stephens. Yes it is kind of trashy in parts but I absolutely love it. I would absolutely love it if they made this series into a movie!

Anyways I will definitely be sharing more books in the future!

My Story

Here's what I'm about.

My names Anna. I married my best friend, Matt, on 7/7/2007. In November 2007, we found out I was pregnant with our son. Layne was born on July 15,2008.  In 2009, we decided to try for baby #2. After years of trying and 3 miscarriages, we haven't gotten anywhere. However I'm trying not to give up hope. We reside in the great state of South Dakota. 

I love to write and can't wait to share all of my favorite things on my blog. I love cooking and attempting to bake. ( I sometimes have major problems baking. Ha!) Reading is my favorite! I have a weakness for shopping, especially if there is a sale! Spending time with my little man is the absolute best thing in the world hands down! Don't be surprised to find this all and more on my little old blog!

Taking the Plunge

Hi, I'm Anna! After reading blogs for several years, I have decided to join the blogging community. Welcome to my little corner of the blogging sphere!