Valentine's Day

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I love Valentine's Day. I love celebrating this holiday with a growing Ingrid. I love the simplistic nature of the day: make a card, cook a delicious meal and eat sugar (natch).

Since having Ingrid, I've embraced the holiday with open arms. It's know longer about a "fancy" homemade meal or dinner out with Dan. Last week, I spent a solid 15 minutes at Walgreens picking out a card for Ingrid. Then, I remembered she's not even two and anything with some sort of pony/kangaroo will work.

This year, Ingrid has taken a liking to pink M&Ms (and, M&Ms in general) and pointing out anything heart-shaped. It's incredible to watch that little face light-up, point and shout whatever she's identified: "HEARTS! RAIN! M&MS! DUCK! BUS! More M&Ms?"

I know the holiday gets a bad rap because of all of the above-mentioned "love-festness," but we all have someone, to be grateful for: wonderful parents, grandparent, friends who can make us laugh. If all else fails, there's always something magical about a night of online shopping with vodka tonics. It's a win-win combination.

For those of you who are embracing the holiday this year, I've created a Pinterest board with my favorite cards, decor and sweets treats. Check out the Heart-Shaped Bacon (Yes.) and Red-Hot Buttercream frosting (Ok, sounds great.) Is there any better way to say "I love you?" Probably, but meat and frosting can't hurt.

This year, we're celebrating simply by making the grandparent's cards and creating a semi-special breakfast-for-dinner meal. Breakfast for dinner is nostalgic, casual and somehow, exciting. It's like breaking a rule. Orange juice in the evening? Pancakes in the dark. I've really been into everything on SkinnyTaste.com and I'm excited to try these festive Red Velvet Pancakes for dinner.

What's on your Valentine's Day menu? 

What fun traditions do you celebrate with your family or friends? 

Advent Calendar

Growing up, one of my favorite holiday memories was the good ol' Advent Calendar. I loved opening the cardboard windows each day to reveal a little piece of chocolatey goodness. Goodness that my sisters and I could enjoy every day for 24 days. Simply wonderful.

I had high hopes of creating a DIY Advent Calendar. One that would last for years and years and become a sweet annual tradition. I would carefully choose daily treats for Ingrid: stickers, ornaments, candies, random things from the dollar section of Target. I would place them in special envelopes or boxes. On December 1, Ingrid would come rushing into the living room with slippered feet with anticipation of her first daily surprise.

I found these seriously cute ideas on Pinterest including a countdown to Christmas book idea. You wrap 24 books (new, used, borrowed from the library, holiday-themed, non-holiday-themed) for kids to open and enjoy each night. We have plenty of books so I narrowed down my options to these sweet ideas:

Home Advent Calendar - via

Kraft Box Advent Calendar - via

Old Window Advent Calendar - via

And....didn't feel like creating any of them.

I don't know about you, but sometimes Pinterest makes me feel like a worthless pile. I love the idea of these crafts but not the patience or energy. All of the beautiful homes, intricate desserts and crafts make me want to throw my laptop in the air in defeat.

Enough about Pinterest.

During a semi-routine trip to CVS a quirky Advent Calendar caught my eye and I figured that Ingrid would get a kick out of Santa and I'd throw a chocolate or two her way and we'd move on with our day.

I completely underestimated the power of chocolate and the memory of Ingrid.

For the first few days, I would offer Ingrid a little piece of chocolate and watch as her eyes would light up - just around the same time Dan would offer me a look of judgement from across the kitchen. I would shrug my shoulders as to say "Come on Dan, live a little!" And then pat myself on the back for being a Fun Mom.

The next morning her first words were "Chocolate?" and I knew I had created a treat monster.

We had to deny her the chocolate that I introduced. We had to deny her because the whole "one-chocolate-a-day" thing created a whiny child who would repeatedly point at the calendar and ask ever-so-sweetly for "More Chocolate?"

This afternoon I threw away eight pieces of unwanted chocolate. Eight! Ok, I had a rough case of food poisoning otherwise none of that chocolate would have seen the trash can. I guess any case of food poisoning is rough, but I had to miss my first day at my new job because of it, so I would say it rough.

Anyways - I don't know what I was thinking - that she wouldn't catch on. That she wouldn't ask for more. I thought it would be a sweet surprise to the end of the day or a post-nap treat. Those DIY Advent Calendars are looking pretty good right now - but I think next year I'll opt for the classic construction paper count-down chain.

Holiday Traditions

This weekend truly felt like a weekend. To me that means: time with family, time with friends, brunch on Saturday, brunch on Sunday, a little baking and a lot of relaxing. This stress-free weekend was especially energizing for me as I'm between job changes. You could say that I've been a "hot mess" and I wouldn't argue with you. Leaving some place you love is a bummer. The anticipation of a new challenges\ is nerve-wracking.

Looking ahead to our holiday gatherings, the to-do, to-make and to-buy lists are slowly and steadily growing. Compared to the stress of a job change - the next few weeks feel like they are going to be a piece of cake. 

Speaking of cake - have you guys ever had sponge candy? You probably have. But if not, it's one of those wonderful, sugary confections that surfaces this time of the year. Dark chocolate surrounds a piece of crunchy, cake-like candy. A friend introduced me to this last month and I'm officially hooked. I've allowed myself to buy two bags (so far). It's over-priced and worth it. 

Back to the holidays. 

In addition to drooling over sponge candy, introducing Ingrid to Christmas traditions has been incredibly rewarding this month. We took her to Cathedral Square Park and admired the lights. Ingrid insisted on visiting the playground for a quick swing and loved laughing at us through the looping lights. 

This weekend, we made Cranberry Bread for her daycare teachers. Ingrid stood proudly at the counter and sprinkled on a topping while reminding us "Ingrid help! Ingrid help!" 

Then, we pushed the envelope and had her paint mugs. What a brilliant idea it was to use the smallest bib imaginable in hopes to catch the multiple paint splatters.

Even though her clothes were painted in the process, she did a really great job using the paintbrush. I think it's because it involves dipping the brush into the paint. Kids love to dip. I'm starting to learn that carrots are best with ranch and chicken is best with a quarter cup of mustard on the side. 

Baking and crafting are holiday traditions that I loved as a kid. They were traditions that I could carry with me to college and to my first apartment in Milwaukee. We don't have the room for a tree, Ingrid doesn't know who Santa truly is and we're still in search of a church - but these simple traditions always get me in the holiday spirit. 

What are your favorite holiday traditions? 

What do you recommend we try with a young toddler? 

Fourth of July Favorites

Happy Monday! Highlights included: running around Madison to celebrate my friend's birthday, snuggling with Ingrid as she ate ice cream with her cousin, spending time with the in-laws and meeting my friend's little son for the first time. As Ingrid would say, this weekend was "go, go, go." 

Dan and I came home with the goal of creating a meal plan, grocery shopping and getting ourselves ready for the week. I have yet to leave the couch and "grocery shopping" has been replaced by "watching old episodes of The Hills...while sort-of making a grocery list." 

While procrastinating Sunday to-dos, I stumbled upon these little photos from Fourth of July.  

The Fourth of July has always a favorite of mine - Dan and I have always spent the weekend (or day...) doing our own thing in Milwaukee, and then in the evening, we crash my best friend's family party and watch the Bay View fireworks. Very simple, very chill, very opposite of this weekend.  

Even though this weekend was a blast, lets be honest, the older we get, the harder it is to recover from a crazy, hazy weekend. Even if "crazy" means "driving in the car with a 15 month-old for four hours." Because driving in the car with a tired baby for four hours is equivalent to going on a hungover bike ride. Everyone on the road is annoying and you can stop wondering why anyone ever chooses to do this. Seriously, bike riding is the worst. 

 With that, here are my favorite memories from The Fourth: 

Harper and a patriotic Ingrid patiently wait for the parade to begin. 

Later, Ingrid was in a "westerny" mood and Dan was in the mood to build a four-foot-tall block tower. 

While Ingrid napped, we learned how to play Backgammon.
I hung my head in shame as I thought it was called Batgammon

Parade swag included: candy, instant coffee, political brochures and bubbles.
Ingrid's favorite item of the bunch was...

BUBBLES.

That's right, bubbles won over Double Bubble. Weird right? Because doubles normally win. 

I know, I know, not funny. 

I'm taking my tired, unfunny face to bed. 

I hope you all had an enjoyable weekend and have an abundance of coffee (I'll be tapping into this instant coffee stash!) to tackle your Monday morning. 

If not, I have a solution for you. Come on over, blow bubbles at Ingrid and her squeaky screams will wake you up.