What's Up Wednesday {9.27.17}

I absolutely adore when these What's Up Wednesdays come about! It's so fun to read through!

{1} WHAT WE’RE EATING THIS WEEK:
Monday: I have been all about that comfort food lately! Just a heads up story of the entire week ;) Monday we had beef stroganoff and it was the best EVER! seriously we semi winged the recipe and it was perfect. I think the key is to use the better that bouillon paste for any chicken, veggie, or beef broth in a recipe! Even Elliot and Dixie devoured their meal! 
Tuesday: I am pretty sure this is a Minnesota thing, but tater tot hot dish? Anyone have that ever? Now I moved to Minnesota when I was a young kid, so I didn't have those Minnesota Roots like so many here so it is something I never ever grew up with. When I met Jason he was shocked when I hadn't had it before and made it immediately. It is so good! How do you turn down tater tots, cheese, hamburger and green beans? I mean you just can't! 
Wednesday: Jason is fixing another hot dish :) what can I say, I warned you! Work starts to slow down for him as the grass isn't growing as fast and so he has more free time to cook! 
Thursday: I could really go for some good Mexican! I am thinking tacos! 
Friday: Convincing the hub to go out to eat ;) 

{2} WHAT I’M REMINISCING ABOUT:
I've been deleting pictures off my phone to try and get it all cleaned up before I switch to a new one. I'm talking like over 15,000 pictures on my phone. So far I have deleted about  3,500 and I'm not even to Spring of this year yet! Seriously anyone else take a million pictures? Its hard getting everyone to look at the camera! Anyway going through these old pictures (by old I mean three months ago) makes me so sad. Dixie (especially) has grown up so much in those last few months! She is really starting to look like a teenager. Here is my favorite of her from July :) 

{3} WHAT I'M LOVING: 
 I would say fall weather.......... but that just isn't the case yet! Does anyone mix some lightly salted peanuts together with candy corn? It is the best sweet treat! It's addicting!

Also I've been loving the fact that Elliot has been so exhausted from all day preschool that she is falling asleep and staying asleep much better! 

{4} WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO:

 What haven't we been up to lately! Last weekend my mom came over and helped me gut the basement! Seriously it needed a serious overhaul! My mom means business when she cleans. We got toys into a throw away, sell, donate pile and taken care of. We rearranged the living space. We got rid of just a whole lot of junk! My basement looks like an actual basement again! We never use it but hopefully we will start to now! Though its so hard to when we have our fireplace upstairs! 

We have been on a PT/OT overload! We got Dixie set up to go through the hospital for additional therapy because we feel like she's close to walking and between those sessions and the school sessions it has been crazy! Three appointments last week, two this week, and 3 next week! 

{5} WHAT I’M DREADING:

 Next week Dixie goes to her big evaluation to see if her developmental delays are something more. I'm seriously dreading this. It will be so great to know answers if there are any but I just hate it. I hate that she is delayed, I mean the girl is so happy she has no idea she is, but I'm just so selfishly ready for her to meet those next milestones. This whole process has made me really feel for those special needs parents, I just can't imagine how hard it must be. I really try to always been a happy and positive person, its been my mantra since I was about 21. When I was 21 I realized I was surrounding myself with negativity and gossip and it just brought down my own life and I told myself I would always try to be positive and happy, always, but sometimes I just worry so much about Dixie. In one of my pitty party moods I asked Elliot what her favorite thing about Dixie was and she said that she talks :) I instantly got so happy its true, Dixie doesn't say a lot, but she says whats important like "Elliot" all day long! 
Love these girls :) 

{6} WHAT I’M WORKING ON: 
I need to be working on using my nice camera more and lightroom! I have totally neglected using my camera! Going through pictures on my phone made me realize how much better quality a camera picture is than an iphone one ;) I've also returned to pinterest to work on some fun fall activities for the girls and I! Jason hunts quite a bit in the fall and I don't mind it one bit, it just means we get lots of girly activities in! 

Also with cleaning the basement I have been selling a few items on the swap shops on facebook. Do you have those in your areas? Anyway a few items people are just like hound dogs on them! It stresses me out, I really don't think a fifteenth person needs to write next under the picture and not only that I mean these people are like messenger crazy. I swear I was replying to 5 messages every time. It was going something like this, Hi I'm interested in this item.... (2 mins later) is it still available.... (1 min later) I can meet today if you want..... (3 mins later) hello? I'm like my goodness people! I have a life! I think I'm just donating the rest. Ha! 

{7} WHAT I’M EXCITED ABOUT:

October! I love holiday season. It officially kicks off October 1st for me with lots of halloween activities all month, then on to Thanksgiving, then on to Christmas! I love that fall slows down and we get to be all warm and cozy. Elliot has already been requesting Hocus Pocus and I can't say that I disagree! This year I want to go into the history of holidays more with Elliot because I finally feel like she is at that age where she will be intrigued! 

{8} WHAT I’M WATCHING/READING:

Jack Reacher books! So not my style, but they have absolutely sucked me in. I have to wait to start a new one because I know I won't accomplish anything once I start a book! Usually I'm all about those girly books but these are just so good! Also, I don't know if it is just because we are kicking off fall and the holiday season but I've been wanting to buy pretty much every magazine on the stand in the check out isle! I love magazines this time of the year. 

{9} WHAT I’M LISTENING TO:
I'm slightly embarrassed by this but Kidz Bop, seriously. I jam out, Elliot jams out, Dixie jams out. We are all happy. However, I did tell J the other day I was fighting every single temptation not to start listening to some Christmas music. I can't help myself! UGH!

{10} WHAT I’M WEARING:
I wish I could say lots of fun layers, scarves and booties but that is just not the case! More importantly on what I've been wearing has been my hair. I just don't know what to do with it! Its long, like really long. I love that for braids, but I fear it has reached a point where it looks trashy long. Do you know what I'm talking about? Its pretty sad that I keep my hair long for the braids, I should probably cut it, I'm just not sure if I cut it above the shoulders or a bit below it just to freshen it up. Its also so blonde, I need to get that back to more of a fall caramel color. You know what else I need to actually start wearing again? Makeup. I've been using bb cream only for the most part all summer and I need to start using actual makeup. Lets just say my appearance hasn't been my number once priority lately. Whoops! 

{11} WHAT I’M DOING THIS WEEKEND:
We have nothing on the books which is just absolutely GLORIOUS! I have a feeling the hubs is going to want to go mattress shopping which is fine by me but I also want to be lazy and get a few tasks done around the house! Now that the basement is all cleared up my next goal is upstairs closets, mainly our master and the girls' closets. There is a lot of clothing that could be donated and needs to go! Plus momma wants a few new items and J might kill me if I don't get rid of something first. 

{12} WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH:
Obviously Halloween! I just get giddy over holidays! We typically go to the downtown stores to trick or treat after school and then to the library as they do an activity. Then we pick up our annual Jack O Lantern pizza from Papa Murphy's fix it for din and take off trick or treating at our small town :) It is so fun! 

I should also note it is Jason's birthday in October, I should really start thinking of some birthday present ideas. hmmmmm!

{13} WHAT ELSE IS NEW:
Spending time with my sister in Fargo!

Finding some great looking recipes in magazines! 

Seeing my Grandparents one last time before they head south! 

School picture day for Elliot!

Lots of time wearing our very "real" night time glasses

Celebrating fall!

Lots of selfies (maybe why I have to delete so many pictures)

Bonus question this month: Fall shows?
I feel like I might be the only person that hasn't joined the This Is Us bandwagon. I want to watch it so bad, but honestly I can just imagine myself sobbing every single episode. Is it really that good that I HAVE to watch it? Right now the only consistent show we are watching is Bull. Do you watch it? Its so so so good! 

xoxo

Friday Favorites {9.15.17}

Can you believe we are half way through September?!?! I can't! But I won't lie, I'm ready for it to feel like actual fall! The last three days have been in the 80's with high humidity which is not like us normally for this time. I went on a walk with my mom yesterday and seriously thought I had heat stroke! I want chunky sweaters, scarves, and boots! I hate to admit it but I'm going to go ahead and say I'll probably end up watching Hocus Pocus this weekend! Now on to some favorites!

{1} Zone Bars.

I bought a big pack of these bars from Costco a couple weeks ago and I wasn't expecting to like the fudge graham kind as much as I did! I would seriously rather have it than a candy bar right now! It's got a slight cinnamon taste to me and it is just so good! I usually have one when I get hungry right away at the office and it really hits the spot!

{2} My Momma

I hope I'm half the Mom to the girls when they are older that my mom is to me. I'm not a neat person, I'm not gross and dirty (well my sister might say I am) but its not horrible! I'm just not tidy. Especially my car. My grandparents are coming up from Iowa today and then my parents, grandparents, the girls and I are heading up to Fargo for my nephews birthday party. Well my mom suggested we all take my car since we can all fit in it, which I'm totally on board for. Then she goes, well maybe I'll just take it home and clean it out too. I mean I guess if you have to.... just kidding yes please! ha! This was right after she brought me some subway for lunch :)

{3} Health Field Professionals

I've wrote about it before but Dixie is pretty delayed for her age, especially in gross motor. She is just over 2 and not walking by herself. She will walk behind a wagon or toy stroller but not by herself. This has caused a lot of tears and worries. Lots. She finally got set up through the school district for Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy and we have been seeing some great progress. I distinctly remember tearing up to the special ed teacher and saying could there be something more? Could this be bigger than just delayed and they both said they would like to wait and see. Well I was completely blind sided to where she wanted to get Dixie re-evaluated at a children's hospital. Which I'm completely ok with, I think the more information the better, but I was just so sure everything was going to be ok with the progress she has been making. It brought me right back to 6 months ago where I would cry and cry and worry about it. I bawled to both Dixie's Physical Therapist and her Doctor. Bless their hearts for comforting me. Parenting can be a scary road sometimes. I feel 100 times better now that I have talked to Dixie's doctor but it is still just so scary to think it couldn't be something "more". I just need to remind myself that Dixie is just so darn happy and that is what I need to focus on. We are ramping up the PT and OT sessions in the mean time to see if that helps her break the barrier and start cruising on her own!

{4} Family Time

The last bit of summer and this first bit of fall seems to be just packed with activities and I'm not digging that! I am ready to just sit back and relax, but in the mean time we did squeeze in some family time and that is my favorite! We are just so lucky with the girls!

{5} Decluttering!!

This has been my goal for the last 3 weeks except we have just been too busy. I'm nailing it down this Sunday - next Sunday. My husband has a huge dump trailer for work and I'm loading that bad boy up. We have so many toys that are in awful useless condition. Remember how I told you I'm not tidy? We have used our basement as a landing space for all our junk over the last 5 years because we don't ever use our basement. We have a king size mattress down there that the kids just jump on. I meant to sell it on a swap site and never got to it and it just never got moved. For real it looks like we are hoarders down there. I'm treating myself to some pumpkins and giant mums after this is all said and done to decorate the front entry way! I'm really hoping Costco still has some big mums around!

{Bonus}

I've seriously been wanting to cut my hair sooooooooo bad lately! I love it long for braids and top knots, how sad is that! Its so long it looks kind of gross straight. Both my sisters cut their hair and now I'm itching to do it too, maybe just not as short. I'm so torn!

xoxo

Girl Chat: Fall Favorite Recipes

This is one of the first times I've ever linked up besides Friday Favorites and Wednesday's! But I've found a few blogs I find myself reading daily and this link up was one of them! I have the PERFECT fall recipes!

{1} Chicken Noodle Soup
I found the best chicken noodle soup a couple years ago! It is Taste of Home Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup and you can find the recipe here. It is so good! I double the veggies in it for sure. I'm not sure if it is the marjoram in there or what but it is just SO good! I have never used marjoram in any other recipe.

To go along with that soup, we only use a certain kind of chicken and beef broth. Its actually a starting paste you add and it is SO good! Definitely get this and we love it because it takes up way less room than keeping a bunch of cans on hand!

{2} One Pot Lasagna

Another good recipe which is perfect if you have kids is a one pot lasagna recipe! You can find it here. We sub out regular ground beef and cottage cheese for the ricotta! Our girls devour it and it is so easy to make!

Also a little bit of a confession, my hubby almost does all the cooking! I absolutely love cooking but so does he and he is a MILLION times better at it than I am ;) So not picture on these would be his wings on the grill, his chili, and his bloody marys. Which are all so fantastic and just what you want for football season! 

xoxo

Friday Favorites {YAY it's September!}

I'm back! I swear I'm going to make this more frequent! I don't know why its so hard to do, I think mostly because I'm mentally checked out by Friday! We have been busy these last couple weeks of August and into September. School started, football started, and I'm wearing fall clothes! Holla! Onto some favs!

{1} Elliot turned five and started her last year of Preschool!

 

Elliot is going Monday - Thursday all day long. That means packing lunches four days a week! I distinctly remember the end of the year last year I gave her some nuts, a string cheese, and a bag of chips. Whoops! But our game is SO strong right now! I pack her a big lunch and what she doesn't eat at school she has as her afternoon snack on the drive home. It works perfectly! Elliot also turned five, which she wanted a Rapunzel party! I love getting fun cakes and this time was no different! I also love me a good theme so we made some tangled angel hair pasta and braided garlic bread sticks! My sister made capellini from our garden tomatoes and it was SO good! Definitely a fav now! Her recipe was super simple. Get some olive oil warming up, put as much minced up garlic as you like (we love garlic) cut up some roma tomatoes or leave cherry tomatoes whole, sprinkle with salt and pepper and simmer until all the tomatoes have broken down. Put some fresh basil in at the end, toss with noodles, sprinkle with some Parmesan cheese and you are good to go! Here is Elliot with her cake from the party! 

{2} Football is back!

We love love love football in this house! The girls got some new NDSU Bison apparel last time we were in Fargo and they are just the CUTEST! We are that family that totally loves to be lazy on the weekends to catch up on all our football games. We will maybe run an errand or two on Saturday, but Sundays are church then straight home to watch football all day! We love it! 

{3} Dixie's progress! Dixie is so so so close to walking, in fact her PT at the school said she things she has the strength but she's just not confident in herself so we are getting her a little walker to help her out! She has made huge gains in language these last couple weeks. I swear she is mimicking all the words Elliot says lately. Actually if you ask Dixie what her name is she says Elliot and then giggles. Yesterday I had to grab the girls from my sister later which they were at Qdoba and somehow Elliot convinced me to get some chips and queso for the drive home. I mean she really really had to beg. Anyway now Dixie likes to ask for queso, except she keeps yelling quedo quedo quedo! Its the best. I understand girl, you want your queso! Dixie is getting quick as can be getting up and down from the couches and beds too! I think we will have a walker soon! 

{4} Kicking ass and taking names! I've been pretty lazy lately! With school starting Tuesday I made it a goal Monday to enter the school year with a little more organization in my life and a little less laziness. Tuesday at work I made a long to-do list to keep knocking things off throughout the week! It has worked wonders. I get Elliot after school, we get home unpack all our bags (which means throwing the 800 million half colored sheets of paper from school right away), repack everything which includes lunches, get coffee ready for the next day, start a load of laundry, workout, get two things done off my list, fix a decent dinner, and get the girls bathed and ready for bed. I don't sit down till 8 pm, but I guess that's what happens when you have to grow up ha! I have accomplished SO much this week and the house is pretty well picked up! I really hope I can keep with this schedule! I have tackling our basement on the radar this weekend. We never ever use our basement, just to workout and when J needs to bill, so it becomes somewhat of a throw all area. I have big plans to get rid of at least HALF the stuff in the basement. We don't ever use it! It needs to go! I feel like even getting some totes, throwing a bunch of toys in there, and rotating the totes out so the girls feel like they are "new" toys. Anyone have luck with that?! Also I need to get rid of SO MANY SHOES. Mine and the girls shoes! I don't know why I keep so many of the girls' shoes when they aren't in great condition. I need to donate those or just toss them if they are in bad shape!

{5} Speaking of shoes, J saw that I bought a new fall pair. Whoopsie! He said if I was going to do that I probably should get rid of a bunch. Which is totally justified. But my new pair is a pair of Sperry shoes! Not the boat shoes, but the ones that almost look like converse. I have a pair of converse I like, but they are so uncomfortable. Does anyone else feel that way?! The new Sperry shoes have memory foam in the sole! Sign me up! I've worn them a ton this week and they are like little pillows for my feet!

That is all for now! Hopefully I'll be around this place just a little more! Fall seems to slow down and bit and I just LOVE that. Now I need to scour pinterest for some good apple recipes! Enjoy your weekend!

xoxox