Year End in review

Well, I don't have any links or other things to post, but it has been a fun, wild year! I'm going to bullet what I remember.

*In January, Emma moved into her big girl bed and I went gluten free. We started eating lots of yummy GF foods. I turned 33 and scored a Shark steam mop and began my Scentsy obsession.

*In February and March I was apparently too busy (read lazy) to blog and posted my menu and dealt with a lot of kid sickness. We continued to travel to Montgomery and Birmingham a good bit, too.

*In April, I read a lot of books during nap time, did a review for Fashion to Figure, and we took the family to a Braves game. We also had Easter in Birmingham with both sides of the family, went to Nashville to play with friends and see Grannie, and I dropped off my clothes for the big summer sale. This was also the month of Harrison pooping OUT OF HIS ENTIRE OUTFIT in Kroger and riding home with a plastic grocery bag as a diaper.

*In May, Harrison and Emma both got a haircut and we went to St George Island with Jason's family for a week of bliss!!

*In June, Harrison turned one and Emma became potty trained!!! We also celebrated sister's 30th birthday in Atl!! We also went to Nashville for a family reunion. Sarah and I also went to see Grannie in the hospital when she was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure. I am so glad to have had that time with her!

*In July, Emma had ballet camp and we had a fun 60th birthday (Alice in Wonderland tea party) for my MIL. I posted lots of weekly menus and teamed up with Campus Book Rentals to bring awareness to Operation Smile. Jason and I celebrated 8 years of marriage and I wrote about Project Hope and infant loss. We went to a super fun July 4 party and I almost lost my mind with Emma's picky eating habits.

*In August, we went to Orange Beach with my sister and brother for a week and had a blast!!! We also celebrated Emma's third birthday at my sister's house with a major Care Bears theme!! I also won an awesome Oreck Magnesium from Stuttering Shell!! Score!

*In September, I went to the Southeast's biggest consignment sale with my sissy and we scored all of the kids' fall and winter clothes, plus a few Christmas toys. I also almost lost my mind this month being with the kids 24/7, so we researched Christian day schools in our area and signed the kids up to start in October.

*In October, the children started day school three days per week, for four hours a day. And I became sane again. We also did Halloween with my friend Jill and had a great time at the pumpkin patch!! I also had to say goodbye to my precious Grannie Annie on October 13. We had a bit more sickness, too.

*In November, we got Mr. Harrison tubes. We went out of town for two family Thanksgivings and had a blast! It was great to be back at Grannie's house for one last hoo-rah! Also, Sarah and Scarlet came for a girls weekend!

*This December has brought the obvious with a lot of decorating, cooking, shopping, and crafting. We also went to a BBQ cook off in our town and Emma walked on water in a giant bubble. We had tons of play dates at the jump house. I got a double ear infection, so that was....cool. Or not. We are ending our year in Birmingham with my family and trying not to shank the kids who are in a bit of a funky mood.

I hope you all have a fabulous and safe New Years Eve and a wonderful 2013!!

Sorry for the lack of links, I'm working from my iPad!!

It's Christmas Eve y'all!

Well, we have baked and cooked and snacked ourselves to death these past few days! Lots of kitchen time is being logged! We have fed the reindeer, and laid out cookies, milk, and carrots. We have some soup simmering for dinner now and are anxiously awaiting for the "all asleep" so we can play Santa!

I truly hope that you and yours have a very merry Christmas and I will see you soon!

Christmas snacks and apps!

We are getting ready to host our second annual Christmas in the Edwards house, so I have been very busy menu planning for the week leading up to Christmas, and brainstorming some yummy snacks and apps to have on and around the holidays.

As for snacking, I will be making some tried and true things along with trying out a new recipe from Jennifer at Life in the Green House!

Sausage Balls

These are SO good. I have made them for a year now and they 

are always gone at the end of the party or holiday!

Taken from Plain Chicken 

Chex Mix

This is a great recipe for hot and spicy chex mix. I LOVE homemade chex! 

And, it is super easy to travel with!

Taken from Chex

Saltine Toffee

This is basically food crack. It's DE-LICIOUS. And, the blogger I got the recipe from recommends using grahams instead of saltines. Might have to try both this year!

Taken from Lick the Bowl Good

Holiday Pretzels

Taken from Jennifer

This is a new one from Jennifer and I can't wait to try it! Sounds yummy and EASY!

What are some things you are going to be making for the upcoming holidays? I would love to know!

Christmas Decor

Welcome! I wanted to show you around our Christmas-ified home! Excuse the pictures, a profesh I am not. 

Our entryway table with copious amounts of Santas all over. These were my moms and she handed them over when she quit going all out a few years ago. I love them and think they are a good addition! 

A desk in the foyer. I like this cute little gift box. Very rustic looking.

The kitchen table. Cute reversible placemats from Bed Bath and Beyond from my MIL! Add in a few holiday plates with glitter ornaments, and a trifle dish with faux cranberries and a candle, and you have insta table decor.

Our precious handmade stockings, all by my mom! See Emma's sweet hand holding them toward the camera for me? Ha! I love my red stocking from childhood! And I think it's cool that they don't all match.

Our pretty faux tree, with built in lights! Another hand me down from mom, I love it because I don't have to water or vacuum needles up, and I don't have to string lights! I went with a red/green/silver/gold theme this year. I love how it turned out! I'm not liking my window valances at all. Note to self, get some nice drapes, stat!

On the shelf in the armoire, a few Christmas books, a yummy winter candle from BBW, 

and last year's Santa pic! We will add this year's pic soon!

I looked everywhere for a card/invitation display holder, but couldn't find one! I found this metal artwork thing at Hobby Lobby for $15 and I like it. I just nestle the cards in each section. This will come down after the holidays, as it's right by the garage entryway.

Some festive garland with red ball ornaments going up the stairs. I will spare you

 the landing pic, since I was shooting from an awkward position.

And to just keep it real, the buffet in my dining room, aka the staging area for some of my homemade gifts. Yikes a roo! I need to get busy on that!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL! Love, The Edwards

Teacher Gifts

What in the world do you buy for FOUR teachers that is nice and meaningful, without breaking the bank? My favorite idea? A favorite things basket. I used to get things like this during Teacher Appreciation Week, and it was SO NICE because it was customized to me with my faves!

Here are two (unfinished) baskets. I included the teachers favorite drink, snack, a BBW hand soap, a homemade goodie, a personalized ornament I made, a cup/mug that was personalized, a small giftcard, and a holiday dishtowel from the dollar spot. In a very cute canvas "cube" thing.

All that is missing below are the soft drinks 

My Little Angel

Here is my sweet little angel after last night's school Christmas performance!

She was just precious and did a wonderful job! Too bad I left the telephoto lens in the car. We were pretty far away from the stage and I would've loved to have gotten some close ups of her singing! These were taken as the children "walked the aisles" after the show was over.

We love you so much and we are so proud of you sweet Emeline!

Randomosity (to make up for the bitching)

Well, an update to yesterday's post-my ear feels much better after another steroid shot and the CORRECT Mucinex prescription. You know, the one that you can make drugs from and have to show your driver's license for. Yeah, that one, I had the wrong one all week. So, hopefully all of my congestion will break up and relieve the ear pressure. I am feeling much better (and more hyper from the steroids), so shit has been getting done today. A to the men.

So, let's have some pics of the monkeys and see what they've been up to!

Okay, first up, that is my child in a bubble walking on water. Ha! We were at the BBQ cook off in Cumming and she saw this and begged to do it. She got in the deflated bubble, they blew it up, zipped her up, and pushed her off. I was expecting major wiggage, but she LOVED IT. It was hilar.

And here is sassy pants at Walmart, wearing a silver sequined Hello Kitty hat and tasting a chocolate sample. Just. Really? No words. (Except I heart iphone for the extensive capability of awesome pics like this.)

And Master Edwards at Academy Sports, eating a lolli and "fishing" while daddy shops. Just so busy.

Ha! Feel the burn! Emma at a birthday party at our favorite haunt, Catch Air. 

They had a kids workout section at this location. She was working it!

Ummmm. Yes. Feeding himself yogurt. Pretty much always ends with him 

licking the inside of the container. Oh well. He's cute and it's healthy.

Preshy on the first day of school in December. Still rocking last years Christmas dress and being adorbs. 

We are wearing Christmas outfits all nine days of school this month!

"Princess Jasmine" is wearing a couture scarf, dress up heels, and a denim purse. 

She had a date with the Sultan. According to her. Yikes.

And Buddy is cute in his Santa applique shirt on the first day of 

December school! Too bad it's covered up!

Harrison sat in Emma's booster for the first time ever to eat breakfast! He was a big boy!

And today, Emma and Harrison's FeFe sent them some Christmas slippers! Emma got light up Rudolph slippers, and Buddy got some Rudolph sock slippers! They are SO cute and Harrison will chase Emma all around to get those light up slippers! Thanks, Feef!

So, clearly we have been busy with such interesting things! What are you all up to? Besides shopping, decorating, and wrapping?

The week that kept punching me in the throat

This week has been a doozy. More than a doozy. I don't even know where to start except to go bullet style. I have to put this down so I can laugh (hopefully) one day, soon.

*Sunday at church while singing, my ear did something and started hurting. It felt like something was stuffed down in there. I couldn't hear out of my right ear. Well, what are you gonna do? We had a birthday party that afternoon, so I went with Emma and powered through. Then came home and took some medicine and a nap while the kids napped.

*Monday morning I got up and went to urgent care right when it opened. I was diagnosed with a raging double ear infection (really, at 33 years old?). Lots of sinus pressure and other lovely things going on in my face, too. The doctor called me in some medicine and off I went. I got to the pharmacy and realized it didn't open until 9:00. So, I went home. Jason had to get to work. After Harrison's morning nap, we loaded up to go get the meds. Kroger didn't have it. It was a rare form of Amoxicillin-Augmentin. Very high strength. So they called it over to Publix. So we go across the street, after about 15 minutes. I assumed it would be ready. It wasn't. They hadn't gotten the fax. So we waited. I finally went to get it and the lady said, "It's kind of expensive. It's $131." I am not lying, I felt so bad and was so frustrated, I burst into tears. And then told her sorry but no, and walked out. I called the Dr. back and said get me something cheaper, for the love. So, I had no meds until that night when Jason got them and came home. (Sidenote-he brought me "treats" for feeling bad. Doritos, a cookie from the bakery, and nacho cheese in a cup, like from Taco Bell. Ha! So sweet!)

*Tuesday, Harrison's ENT called about a culture they did last week. Harrison has strep in his nose-hence the constantly running/clogged up/boogerfest he has going on in there. So he needed Augmentin. No joke. I couldn't make this stuff up. I've never even heard of a strep infection in the nose. Probably from me picking his boogers out so often. So we hit up the Kroger drive through and tried to rally.

*Wednesday, my ear started hurting again. After not hurting on Tuesday. So, yeah. Just feeling clogged. Then I pulled out some form of a crusty booger from Harrison's ear. About three weeks after tubes. I just pray to GOD that this is not drainage from an ear infection. This is on top of school, lots of holiday school obligations, shopping, etc. Fighting kids, miserable feeling mom and kid, etc. Just blah. And Jason has to work late (like 10 pm) every night this week since it's the end of the fiscal year (or whatever it's called in accounting). So he gets to come home and deal with me and the kids after working.

*Thursday I was so done with the ear, so I called the Dr so I could go back in and find out WTF. The kids had early release, so I had to pick them up by 11:30. The Dr. office told me they were packed and wouldn't be able to get me in before pick up. So, no doctor. After pickup and a McDonald's lunch/playground festivus, we came home and took early  naps. All of us. Me with alcohol and a cotton ball in my ear. Upon waking up, I felt much better. Until I blew my nose. Then it all started up again. And Harrison was a FUSS BUCKET. So I bundled both of them up like Ralphie in A Christmas Story (it was about 45-50*) and we played outside on our playground and drank cocoa. Cause something needed to redeem the day. And it was great until Harrison poured the whole dog water bowl on himself. And was freezing.

*Friday (today) we have a playdate with some friends. The Dr. just called me and said to come in so he could look in my ear. So I'm about to take TWO KIDS TO THE URGENT CARE and pray I come out alive. Then, we are going to play. We have a very busy weekend with Altar Guild, another birthday party, cookie making for church, etc, so I have to be feeling better. Emotionally and physically.

I am just spent y'all. Taking care of kids is hard enough when you are well. And when you feel like shit-it's even worse. Duh. Obvious statement. Hopefully I will get this ear junk resolved shortly. And then we can go back to life as normal, with less throat punches. Okay, life? Thanks.

Where do you hide the goods?

So, Christmas is fast approaching, and I've been socking away all of my presents for a few months now. The problem now lies in the fact that I have a few large items (dollhouse, toddler basketball goal, toy toolbench, Littlest Pet Shop, etc) that I have to hide, and I practically have no place to do it where the kids won't be. (#firstworldproblems)

I currently have all of the kids' stuff under a giant tablecloth in the majorly disorganized junkpit that we call a garage. Last week while packing the car, Harrison walked up to me with a Dora DVD from the stash. Problem dude.

I can't have them knowing/seeing/Santa stuff. We have no attic space (it's about 2x5 and full of suitcases and boxed baby keepsake clothes), we have no basement, we have no guest rooms currently. I would consider my closet, but some mornings while getting ready, the kids go in there and play with my shoes.

So, where do you hide the Christmas goods? The stuff I've bought for other family members is in the hall closet, but if they saw that, it wouldn't be the end of the world.

I guess I'm going to HAVE TO get my a$$ in gear and clean/organize the garage so I can properly hide the goods. But, I was hoping to avoid it. So, tell me, where do you hide your Christmas goods?