2.08.2012

A long time coming!

*Warning*
This will be a LONG post:
due to the fact I took almost a month off from blogging
not by choice really....my pictures wouldn't upload!
I had many sleepless nights thinking about how far behind I am....is this some sort of problem?! sleepless nights?!
YES,
I've realized.
I'm Hannah Barrick & I am a bloggaholic!
So here are a months worth of pictures squeezed into one giant post.

The daily life of a 21 month old (seems better saying that then almost TWO) booo hooo!
We wake up with a smile & of course pup pup

First word out of lil' man's mouth..."good morning mom, I love you"?  NOPE
VACUUM.
We are completely obsessed...ever since we gave our niece one for Christmas!!

and this is what happens when vacuum goes away...
Does it seem weird we take it away? Well, after him saying vacuum thirty million times because he wants it turned on...your vacuum would go night night too :)


Breakfast!
These may not seem soo appetizing (not the best picture) but I got this idea on pinterest:
Put eggs in muffin tins for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees!

And potato hash browns!
I just have to say how much I love my cast iron pan I got for Christmas from my hubby. BEST pan EVER!

Some days we don't have the "normal" breakfast foods and instead eat marshmallow cream!
AND
sit on the counters to eat it too!

YUM.
The ONLY reason this happened is because I was having a bunch of fun mom's and their kiddo's over for a play date/lunch date and I was excited to make a fun desert
VALENTINE'S WHOOPIE PIES
Ingredients


CAKES
2 cups flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg

FILLING
½ cup softened butter
1½ cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup marshmallow crème
1 teaspoon vanilla
Red food coloring (optional)
Sprinkles(optional)

Instructions
1. Heat the oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, stir together the buttermilk and vanilla extract.
3. In a large bowl with a hand mixer set at medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until evenly blended, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the egg, increase the speed to high, and beat until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute more.
4. Pour half the fl our mixture into the butter-sugar mixture, and beat at medium speed until combined. Add the buttermilk mixture and continue beating until just blended. Add the remaining fl our mixture and beat again.
5. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to place a heaping tablespoon of batter on a prepared cookie sheet. Add more mounds of batter, evenly spacing them, until there are nine on each sheet. Slightly fl atten each mound with a spoon.
6. Bake the cakes one sheet at a time for 10 minutes (they should be moist and spongy). Let them cool on the sheet for 2 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a rack to cool completely. Reline the sheets and scoop, shape, and bake the remaining batter.
7. Using an electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat all the fi lling ingredients except the coloring in a medium bowl until evenly blended, about 2 minutes. If you want to give the fi lling a Valentine hue, fold in drops of red food coloring until the desired tint is reached.
8. To make each pie, spoon and spread a heaping tablespoon of the filling onto the bottom of a cake, then gently press another cake on top
After tummies are filled we watch some Mickey or Little Einsteins..
I think they are great little shows for toddlers
and
Breck LOVES them too.

He sits on his "rocket" (airplane, but calls it rocket I think because it looks like the Einsteins rocket)
and watches his friends!
He even pats his legs when it's time to BLAST OFF!

Oh the joys of being a little boy!


Some days we even venture outside when there's
SNOW to play IN

The other day we went for a walk/sled ride.
I had to stay close to the side to acually pull him on the white stuff!
This day:
we were going through a mud puddle (due to lack of snow)
and he fell out of the sled face first in the puddle.
He cried, I laughed a little, then carried him back to the house!


It's all fun and games until....

it's time to go inside!
He threw himself in the snow...without gloves on

which made him even more mad...
Sometimes life is just not fair for a toddler :)

Some days he goes to daycare too.
He plays with his friends...sometimes nice, sometimes not so nice.
It looks like someone gave him payback by scratching his cheekers....BOYS! ruff and tough!

Other day's we have friends over to play
and share our toys.
(still working on the sharing part)

Breck & I look forward to the kids coming over after school.
Usually I find something to keep them busy and lately with my latest addiction pinterest,
I'm finding some cute cute cute ideas I've been trying!



My cute window display!

Melted crayon hearts!
Tissue paper hearts!

AND of course there is snack time!
Two of my favorites:
Chocolate & baking

My favorite is using cocoa to make homemade brownies & chocolate cakes with chocolate frosting
(recipes on back of cocoa)


Seriously people. Easiest, tastiest brownies!

In the evening we have bath time.
If Breck had his way...
bath time would be EVERY night!

Lately we have been working on brushing teeth.
He stands on his stool while we help brush.

Then he spits in the sink.

And is one proud boy!

And end each night with books and snuggles!
Jerod & I fight over this part of the evening....

What a life!

1.22.2012

The great outdoors...

Today we FINALLY made a trip outside to play!
We have been waiting for snow and although we only have a small amount...we'll take it,
and the temperatures are perfect...not to warm {so there's no snow" not to cold {won't freeze our tooshies off}
I still bundled Breck up to head outside with his cousins.
Jerod was making fun of me saying he looks like the little boy on Christmas Story
"Ralpheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee"
P.S. I copied a blog mom by putting on his gloves,
then a pair of his dad's wool socks to keep his gloves on!!BEST idea ever!

We explored.
Until our cousin's came to play.

Then sled rides and snow angels.

After over an hour of playing we came indoors for hot cocoa & snuggles because our little toesies were freeeeezing!

I hope there are more fun days like this.
I heart winter!

1.14.2012

sick days

My POOR baby was sick this last week :(
Ears, turned into cold and runny nose, turned into
RSV.
We had lots and lots of snuggle time,
which is usually my favorite, but not when it includes a sick and feverish lil' one.
but, I felt NEEDED and that I love.
We had to go visit the doctor.
So we bundled up tight to fight the cold outdoors
{a huge weather change of 40 degree swing from Monday to Thursday}
Although he wasn't feeling well...
he was still his silly crazy self and insisted on wearing my sunglasses to see the doctor!
After a GOOD night's sleep and a wicked case of bed head...
Breck woke up feeling 95% better.
Then an AMAZING afternoon nap and a nappy wild hair do..
he woke up feeling 99% better!
SLEEP, it's key to feeling better :)

The afternoon he spent playing with his dinosaurs.
Lining them up, then having them fall off the table, over and over again!

We are sooo happy he is feeling better, he had us worried for a bit.
He's almost back to his wild and crazy toddler self!

beep beep...

This boy loves cars.
Little cars, real cars, loud cars...
AND
this cozy coop car he got for Christmas
that only took his dad a month after to get it finally put together!
Sometimes in the morning he watches his toons while sitting in it.
And sometimes he pushes his puppies around the house in it.

We are looking forward to using this summer for walks around the blocks!
While Ellery is was here one day,
her and I were painting our nails and Breck wanted IN on it too.

So Ellery painted one fingernail blue...
He was thrilled...
and surprisingly sat still while it dried and helped Ellery blow on it!


He was so proud of his blue nail :)
I think it's "just fine"
Jerod....that's another story!
He'll be surprised someday when he finds his little toesies painted blue!

1.08.2012

AND another new blog :)

I've added another blog to my list
This blog is all about craft ideas, home improvements, kids stuff, baking & cooking....a mix of a bit of everything!
I have found that I'm addicted to Pinterest and all the amazing ideas, so along with "pinning" them on that website, I've added them to my new blog.
The idea behind it is that I always find neat ideas while searching the Internet, but soon forget about them.
NOW I am posting them on this new website and my "plan" is to try them out,
then post what I'VE done,
then check it off my list!
{The one problem I've found...I already have a LARGE "to do" list posted on my site"}
Wish me luck.



1.03.2012

A NEW..Years post

This year we brought in New Years a bit different then the past.
We were home
all night long
JUST ME & MY BOYS

although this wasn't the original "plan"
because an unexpected guest {the stomach flu} decided to pay me a visit...

it may have been one of my favorite NYE celebrations to yet...
1. a date with two of my favorite men! We spent the day/night playing, eating homemade wild rice soup {simply the best. recipe by Candice}, homemade bread, and 7 up ;)
Breck didn't quite make it to midnight..
he missed it by about hmmm...four hours!
but, neither did his mom who missed it by....40 minutes!

Resolution #1: Spend more nights IN with the boys!
2. it SNOWED! I just love snow and this winter has me a bit bummed out from lack of. So when the BIG FAT WET SNOWFLAKES came swirling down...we headed outside to play!
Resolution #2: Spend more time outside. Winter, summer, spring & fall! Walk, bike, hey why not even run :)
I'm attempting to run a 5K in the Spring

3. Bonding time with the boy!  After we got soaked with snow, we came inside, put on warm comfy clothes & snuggled on the couch.  Breck loves to read and we have about a thousand books for him, but he always chooses the same three books time after time {Counting, Poppy Barks, & The Hungry Little Caterpillar..in which they are all memorized by us & even him}

Resolution #3. Take more time for myself to READ!  I would LOVE to start a book club and a couple of us have mentioned it a couple of time...but it hasn't quite "stuck" yet! I think it would be great to actually have a reason finish a book, get recommendations for books, and have a little "ladies night out" time too!  BTW: I'm reading The Hunger Game Series and I just LOVE it! I am on book two. {if anyone has a Kindle and wants me to borrow them the first book let me know!}


This year:
We took trips to the cabin, Northern & Southern MN to see friends and family.
We celebrated my last year in my 20's, Jerod's 1st anniversary of being 30, & Breck turning 1 with a BIG duck themed birthday.
Two new babies, a niece & nephew.
A beautiful wedding & new sister-in-law.
And tons of other fabulous memories!

We had an AMAZING 2011
and looking forward to an even better
2012!