Beckett's First Valentine's Day

I will admit that Valentine's Day is not my favorite holiday.  Gift-giving is my love language, although I wish it was something cheaper, and I think any time is the right time for gifts.  Isn't Daniel so lucky?  

Something about Valentine's Day just rubs me the wrong way.  Maybe it's the fact that every year I get flowers from one of the florists in town and they usually are dead the next day.  Plus they have glitter on them.  You read that right.  Glitter.  The herpes of craft products.  It is tacky and I don't need glitter all over my dining room table but thank you for adding to my list of chores.  

I got worked up just typing that.

Anyway, I decided that I don't need to pass my glittery flower-hating attitude on to Beckett so for his sake I embraced the day.  We didn't do anything extravagant.  He got a couple gifts from me and Daniel and some money for his college fund from his Grammie and Pop Pop.  I would like to go on record that money for  college fund may be the best gift ever.  Beckett's sweet friend Emma also brought him a goodie basket.  Her mom and I decided that next year we should do a small party since our kids are too young for pre-school and aren't in daycare.

I think Beckett definitely felt the love.

One of the only pictures that isn't a blurry mess

Beckett's very practical gifts from his parents

I am a T-H-E-T-A!

There aren't many things that could get me to leave my almost four-month old.  There aren't many things that could give me the desire to pump every morning at 4am for a month and half so I can leave my almost four-month old.

However, there is one thing.

My sorority is celebrating 60  years on Texas Tech's campus!

I am beyond excited.  I got a letter in the mail months ago letting me know that this celebration of all things Theta was going to happen and I knew I had to go.  At the time I thought that Beckett was going to be a whole month younger than he is and I didn't know if it was possible.  Thanks to God's sense of humor and an amazingly gracious husband, I get to go!

I am looking forward to seeing friends that I have not seen in years, singing Theta songs with people who get the appeal of Theta songs, shopping, laughing, and margaritas.  Hello Chimy's!

I know that I will miss Beckett like crazy but I am only a few hours away.  I can't wait to Boom Boom with all my Gamma Phis!

Life update

This blog is not going to all religious but maybe a little.  I love daily devotionals.  I think they are such a great way to start my day and more often than not, the message is something that I needed to hear.

Recently, a few of my devotionals have been about not living fear-filled lives.  It's not what God wanted for us.  Fear is a sign that you don't trust God to do what is best for you.  I very often make decisions from places of fear.  I mean, it took me almost a year to finally go PRN at the hospital.

This devotionals really spoke to me and I decided no more living in fear.  I need to jump with both feet and have faith that the Lord will catch me.  And if he doesn't catch me?  Then there was a lesson to be learned.

So here is my big fat leap of faith.

I really love to shop and have been thinking about opening an online boutique for a while.  I thought that I spent enough time shopping that I should probably figure out a way to get paid to do it.  So I did.

It is definitely still a work in progress and I hope to have a jazzed up logo by the end of March but I like what I have done so far.  I have been shopping.  I have been shopping a lot.  I hope that people like the clothes that I have to offer and I am keeping the faith.

You can check out the store online or like us on Facebook.

February insta-update

Our life according to Instagram.

Beckett's first Superbowl

Loving walks in warmer weather

Teeny tiny aviators

Already best friends

I think he knows he's cute

Beckett loves his Wubby

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day photoshoot

My name is Heather and I have problem.  I have fallen in love with holiday-themed cards.  I found an amazing site when I was looking for Beckett's birth announcements and stumbled upon their holiday cards.  Say what?  You mean I could be sending out cards for holidays like Valentine's Day and Easter.  Count me in.

That being said, I needed pictures for said card.  I had wanted to get three month pictures taken and use one of the pictures for the card but his three month photoshoot had to be scheduled for just after he turns four months.  That meant that I would have to take the pictures myself.

It wasn't our best photo session.  Beckett is in that lovely in-between stage where isn't going to sleep through pictures and he can't sit up yet.  However, we got a couple good pictures and were able to make our card.

Side bar: Daniel made me tap the breaks on sending out 100+ cards like I did for birth announcements and Christmas cards.  Rude.

the. cold weather essentials. list.

Well, it was fun while it lasted.  It's cold in the Panhandle again.  This turn in the weather inspired me to create a list with my top three cold weather essentials.

For the record, I am not a cold weather girl.  I owned exactly two sweaters when I moved to Lubbock.  That being said I have had to adapt.

This little list is are three of the things that I hold near and dear when the weather takes a turn for the chilly.

1. L.L. Bean boots

I had been wanting a pair of Bean boots for a while and thought that I would buy the more traditional pair.  That was until I locked eyes on these beauties.  They are the perfect blend of function and fashion.  A practical snow boot mixed with a motorcycle boot.  Plus they are lined.  I love them.

2. Hot chocolate

Source

I am a creature of habit.  I am not kidding when I say that I ate the exact same thing for breakfast every morning of high school.  It was a frosted Pop Tart with hot chocolate (in case you were wondering).    While I have ditched the Pop Tarts, I have not ditched the hot chocolate.  I have been drinking it every morning and on cold days I drink it all day.  The good news is that Nestle's Fat Free version is zero Weight Watchers points.  Victory!

3. A car with heated seats

Source

If I absolutely have to go out in the cold weather, it better be in a vehicle with heated seats.  I never knew the glory that was a heated seat until I moved to Dalhart and now I will never go back.  Our garage is not insulated, we're not that fancy, so it is either stone cold or a sauna.  Thankfully my vehicle has seats that heat and cool.  They are the only thing that make it possible for me to leave my house on days like today.

So that's my list.  What cold-weather items do you consider a necessity?

Superbowl Sunday

My parents were in town for the Superbowl this year.  We had planned on stopping by a friend's house but decided that we wanted to just hang out.  I didn't change out of my pajamas all day and it was glorious.

Since we decided to stay home, I got to cook.  I was inspired by the Pioneer Woman and decided to make my first ever brisket.  I also made a hashbrown casserole and two different dips.  All the of the recipes besides the brisket were on Pinterest and I think that all the found turned out perfectly.

Here are the recipes that go along with our Superbowl menu.  Oh, and even though I am on Weight Watchers, there is nothing skinny about any of these recipes.  Consider yourself warned.

Artichoke Bread

I pinned this recipe a long time ago and I have been dying to try it.  It is essentially artichoke dip served in a hollowed-out loaf of bread.  It was really good but I think next time I may make it the traditional way.  It was a little bit messy.

Ingredients

• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
• 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
• 1 loaf Italian bread, sliced in half lengthwise

Directions

Mix the artichoke hearts, green onions, garlic, cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, mozzarella and parmigiano reggiano reserving some of the cheese.

Hollow 1/2 an inch out of the center of both halves of the bread.

Spread the mixture into the hole in the bread slices and top with the reserved cheese.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven covered in foil for 20 minutes.

Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Recipe from Closet Cooking

Charleston Cheese Dip

This recipe is from Trisha Yearwood's cookbook and was also on her show a few weeks ago.  I didn't have high expectations for it but that was a mistake.  It was good.  Real good.  So good that we ate half of it before I remembered to take a picture.

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Monterey jack cheese
2 green onions, finely chopped
Dash of cayenne pepper
8 Ritz crackers, crushed
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, mix the mayonnaise, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, Monterey jack cheese, green onions and cayenne pepper.

Transfer the mixture to a shallow baking dish.Top mixture with cracker crumbs and bake for 15 minutes, or until heated through.

Remove the pan from the oven and top with the bacon. Serve immediately with corn chips, bagel chips or crackers.

Recipe from Mommy's Kitchen

Tangy Tomato Brisket

This is the recipe that got my wheels turing and inspired the whole menu.  I had never made a brisket before but let me tell you, it was so easy.  All I had to do was dump a few ingredients in a pan and six hours later dinner was done.  Plus it makes a ton of food.

Ingredients

5 to 8 pound brisket, trimmed of all fat

1 (24 oz) bottle of ketchup

1 package of dry onion soup mix

A few dashes of hot sauce

Directions

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.

Place the brisket in an oven-safe pan. Combine the ketchup and soup mix in a bowl, and then stir it around to mix. Pour in 1 cup water and stir to combine. (You can add more water if needed!)

Pour the sauce all over the brisket, and then flip the brisket over to coat the other side. Now just cover the pan with foil and roast in the oven for 6 to 7 hours.

Remove the pan from the oven and test the brisket to make sure it's fork-tender. The brisket should fall apart if you look at it! Slice the brisket into thin strips, then return the beef to the sauce and keep it warm until you're ready to serve.

Recipe from The Food Network

Hashbrown Casserole (or Crack Potatoes)

I had made these potatoes before but when I was trying to think of what side dish would go well with brisket they were the first thing that came to mind.  They are definitely not healthy.  My mom and I started calculating the Weight Watchers points and got to 102 points before we decided it was best not to know.  Aren't some of the best things in life the worst for you?

Ingredients

2 (16oz) containers sour cream

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

2 (3oz) bags real bacon bits

2 packages Ranch Dip mix

1 large (28 - 30oz) bag frozen hash brown potatoes, shredded 

Directions

Combine the first four ingredients and then mix in the hash browns.

Spread into a 9x13 pan and cook at 400 degrees F for 45 to 60 minutes.

Recipe from Plain Chicken

That was our Superbowl.  Like I said, it was nice to just hang out.  Beyonce was amazing and my crazy hormones had me nearly in tears when the rest of Destiny's Child came out.

And now time for a token picture of Beckett.