Giveaway | Tiny Tags

I'm proud of a lot of things.  I've accomplished fetes that I never imagined I could ever do.. 

a few things stick out the most.. 

-I married my high school sweetheart and the love of my life.

-I (Jordan) payed my way through school to finish with a Bachelor's in Science.

-I was accepted into one of the top internships in the country to complete my residency as a Registered Dietitian.

-I sat for the RD exam and passed (barely).

-I became a personal chef, and watched the amazing powers of my food keep my client, with failed kidneys, from going on permanent dialysis while she waited 2 years on the transplant list.  

All of the above has molded my adult life.  The adult that I am, and will continue to be.  

But, what I can be most proud of are my two little birds.

Parker and Jolie made me a mother.

..and THAT makes me the proudest. 

Mother's have a type of pride that no one can explain to you until you've experienced it for yourself.  My girls are at the ripe age of 21 months, and haven't even gone into the stage of dance recitals, school programs, or sporting events - so my 'pride' of them is different than the typical.  But they still make me a proud momma on a daily basis.  Right now we clap ALL day long over going to the potty (because thats worth a round of applause, ya'll) or putting their arms through a shirt hole all by themselves, and even the simplest of coloring projects warrant excitement- with each clap I am 100% sincere.

When Melissa approached me with her brand Tiny Tags, I was automatically elated for this mail day to come.  I have blogged before about my initial necklace (HERE), but this necklace from Tiny Tags is something of a statement. 

photo credit: BFaith Photography

a Mother of a statement, really.

Parker and Jolie are my girls.  I am proud of it.  Once again, everyone should know it. 

 After almost 2 years if wearing my petite double initial necklace everyday, it was time for an upgrade.  Melissa did good.

I cannot say enough about this one.  It has been the perfect, and actually a favorite, addition to my jewelry collection - and while it is great for everyday, it adds the softest touch to dress up an outfit.

dress c/o sonnet james  // wedge boots / blowfish 

This girl, Melissa and her Tiny Tags are everywhere these days - special features and recommendations from People Magazine, InStyle, RealSimple, Galmour.. and you guys.. she's got a gig with Oprah in just a few weeks.  Now, you know you've made it when...

That is BIG time.

I turn 30 on Saturday.. and I need all the help I can get to make me feel pretty.
This does the trick.


I also wanted to mention Tiny Tags' have a 'MUST LOVE' policy which means just that… if you don't love send it back for a full refund  with no questions asked  - our tags are guaranteed for life.

I am SO excited to kick off my birthday week with a giveaway for you momma's.  Tiny Tags is offering up a piece from one of their newest collections: the personalized open loop.

Enter below for your chance to win!  Contest ends Thursday, September 25th at 12:00AM CST.

Winner will be announced on Friday, September 26th! 
{In the meantime, Tiny Tags has offered a discount code for my readers!  Enter fall14 at checkout for 15% off your entire order through the rest of September}  

Good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

OH.. and for the babes - head over to Instagram (@masseya) and check out what I'm giving away for your littles.. 

HINT: they go on their feet and are totally my favorite PICK, everrrr.

WE EAT | Weekly Toddler Menu Plan

Its getting cooler outside..and with the cooler weather comes all my favorite fall foods!  Root veggies, rich and warm comfort dishes.  Mmmmm- I love fall.  C’mon- you know you do too!  There are about a million reasons to fall in l-o-v-e.  Numero uno?  I’ve got just one word.. pumpkin. We could be living on pumpkin anything these next few months, so don't be surprised if it ends up frequently on our meal plans.  This week we are celebrating the cooler weather with a few soups thrown in the crock-pot, and one of my favorite meals- chicken pot pie.  Parker and Jolie help out with this one because it is basically chop (momma) and toss (littles).

There are also a few regulars in the rotation, if you follow these along much you've probably noticed that we stick to most of the same staples for breakfast.  We did try out a new smoothie - Pumpkin Banana with a pinch of maple.  H U G E hit, you guys.

Happy Fall, Ya'll!

 

Recipe Link List

Chicken & Vegetable Bean Soup

Black Bean Hummus

Turkey Meatballs & Guacamole

Peanut Butter Oats

Chicken & Veggie Pot Pie

 

Recipes

Pumpkin Banana Oat Smoothie

(serves 2)

1 cup vanilla yogurt

3/4 c canned pumpkin (chilled)

1/3 c 100% orange juice

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 small ripe banana (frozen)

1/2 c prepared quick cooking oats

Combine yogurt and next 7 ingredients (through oats) in a blender, and process until smooth. Garnish with dash of ground cinnamon, if desired.

Grilled BBQ Salmon

1/2 c bbq sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray's)

4 salmon fillets (4-6 ounces each)

Heat grill to medium high heat.  Grill fish 4 minutes on each side.  Brush generously with bbq sauce.  Grill 2-4 additional minutes, until fish flakes easily with a fork - turning occasionally and brushing with remaining sauce.

Chicken Taco Soup

1 pound chicken breast, cooked and shredded

1 (15oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15oz) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15oz) can golden kernel corn, drained and rinsed

2 (15oz) cans Italian diced tomatoes

1 (10oz) can original Ro Tel tomatoes

1 (15oz) can 98% fat free, reduced sodium chicken broth

1 packet buttermilk ranch salad dressing/seasoning mix (such as Hidden Valley)

1 packet taco seasoning

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.

Pumpkin Pancakes - made with a boxed pumpkin bread mix :)

BRANDS
Whole Milk Greek Yogurt - Greek God's

Chicken Nuggets - Dino nuggets (SAMs and Walmart)

Corn dogs - Mini Foster Farms
Macaroni and Cheese - Annie's Organics
Sprouted Toast - Ezekiel Bread
Hummus Chips - Boulder Canyon
Red Sauce - Classico

 

WE EAT | {Leftovers} BBQ Sirloin Meatloaf Sliders

I love making meatloaf, AND enjoying the leftovers- probably even better the next day.  If you are like me- you grew up on a classic style meatloaf.  The tomato based sauce (Ahem..ketchup) always brings me back to the days of my childhood cooking. 

I have adored the comfort of meatloaf and all things that go with it (mashed potatoes, macaroni, broccoli, green beans...) 

On this night we had BBQ Meatloaf, Homemade Mac & Cheese, and Steamed Broccoli

As an American staple, meatloaf is one of the most versatile dishes you can make, in my opinion. Ground beef is the typical go-to, but there is also turkey, veal, deer, chicken..really any ground meat will do. You can go for the classic ‘beef and a bottle of Heinz’ as I mentioned before of my younger days, or add tons of veggies with marinara, OR how about a cheesy meatloaf? Really, how can you go wrong? 

My personal favorite..Texas Style

BBQ Sirloin Meatloaf 

1 pound lean (96%) ground sirloin (beef)

one medium chopped onion

2 eggs

1 (8oz) can low sodium tomato sauce

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/2 sleeves crushed saltine crackers**

BBQ Sauce:

1 cup ketchup

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons yellow mustard

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 11X7 glass dish with cooking spray. In a medium bowl mix together all ingredients, one at a time, until incorporated. Pour mixture into the prepared glass dish and form into a loaf. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Pull meatloaf out and pour BBQ sauce over top. Return loaf to the oven and heat through until sauce is bubbly, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow meatloaf to rest for 5 minutes before cutting to serve.

To make BBQ sauce: In a small bowl combine all ingredients, stirring quickly until brown sugar is dissolved.

**Regular bread crumbs can be used, and I have also used high fiber cereal (that I ground in my food processor) instead of saltines crackers.

When I"ve made this in the past, the Fireman and I fight over the left overs.. which in turn means that I often double the recipe (which makes a HUGE pan), and we eat on it all week.  With the little birds in the mix for meal times these days, food doesn't stretch as far, but we still often have leftovers of most meals.

My favorite way to use up left over meatloaf?  Two words.. Patty Melt.

In this case, I snagged a package of Hawaiian Rolls earlier in the week for football watching Sunday, so we made mini slider melts.  

BBQ Meatloaf Sliders, sliced cucumbers (with light ranch dressing), and brown rice 

 Potty break.

Parker will now drop her panties and take off to the potty when she needs to go.. and will do all this solo.  Which is incredibly convenient when it is in the middle of dinner. 

 Jo wasn't super sure about this slider business.

 It was more appealing disassembled over actually eating it like a sandwich.. so I got her a fork.

 Parker didn't mind it.  Until half of the sliced loaf fell into her lap.. 

 Its all good.  Tastes just as well. 

Whats your favorite way to make meatloaf???

Something New

I'm often impressed by how well my girls do with change.  We can throw them into an unfamiliar situation, with unfamiliar faces, napless, without diapers (in panties, mind you), and expect them to follow through like normal. 

And they do.

We can take away their Puppy and Wubby during the day, after carrying them around for over 18 months straight, and expect them to be 'okay' with only getting to 'see' them at nap and bedtime.  

And they don't mind one bit (on most days..)

We can leave them, with perfect strangers, for almost 2 hours, name tags on their backs among 12-14 other kids around their age - and they are fine. (speaking of the church nursery, of course)

New foods?  Nailed it - for the most part.

New activities? ALWAYS the most fun - its like Christmas morning when my kids get to open a new $1 box of crayons.

bow / eastbrik // top / old navy //  yoga pants / kennedy's collections

New babies? ...and another one.  They love him. 

(this is not a pregnancy announcement)

 Last night we finally got to meet Mr. Truett Roy, Jordan's sister's second. < thats a mouthful..

We all know (and love) Miss Kendall (17 months), my niece and Parker and Jolie's cousin.

About 2 weeks ago (yesterday) this sweet one entered our family - and he couldn't be more handsome.  Poor guy doesn't actually know why he's in for.. a sister and two female cousins.. and an aunt that knows a thing or two about hair bows.

But I think he'll hold his own.  Between his daddy, Pappa, Dude, and Uncle Jordan, he's in for some model behavior.

I love him!  How quickly we forget how little and fragile they were.  Jolie was HALF his size, and I can hardly remember it.

 wubby / levi lion

At first, Parker and Jolie didn't pay much mind to his presence in the room.  They had a bag full of toys they needed to get through at BB's house, and Kendall was there to play, too.. so..who is this kid, anyway?

..and then it came.  All the sweetness.  

Jolie was first to really take interest.  Which doesn't surprise me at all whatsoever.  I talked about Jolie's maternal love in their 21 month update (HERE), and how while at a friends house she'd found a baby bottle and started feeding her Puppy and every doll in the room.  We had never ever showed her how to do that.. and I was impressed while my heart was exploding all at once.

See that - twin mom multi-tasking.

 VERY interested in his 'eeeyys' and 'ooosgh' (nose), 'browwww' (eyebrow)

 Where was Parker, you ask?  

Oh, just telling the whole world about her new cousin.

 ..and why it was time to go inside (there were warm cookies and milk waiting, people)..

 ..and about the dog.  ALLL about the dog running around the front yard.  The child has more things to say, with hardly any words.  Lord help us when she figures out how to put together a sentence.

FINALLY we were able to settle them down for a hot minute to love on Baby Truett before we left.
Saying our goodbyes- complete with sugars galore.

Parker, sweet girl, grabbed his little hand and laid it across her face.  I can only take this as her version of a hug.  The best hug she could get with that squirmy little guy at the moment.

 ..and then lean in for a kiss.

SO thankful for dinner with Jordan's family last night.  We don't live very close, so it takes a real effort to get together between all of our crazy schedules.

Once again, we threw Parker and Jolie into unfamiliar territory, and they did fabulous.  Minimal crying while momma was holding Truett (Parker yes, Jolie none), and then the sweetest touch and love for the little guy. They seemed to understand how to be as gentle as possible with 'the baby', and 'love on the baby', give sugars to 'the baby'.

I know it seems like a small fete to accomplish, but when you are 21 months old, small tweaks and changes to your routine/schedule and throw some babies for a loop and into the fiery pits of meltdown 4.0.

Adding a baby into the mix is a huge change - and a 3 hour trial run went perfectly.
not pregnant.

Welcome to Texas, sweet Truett!  WE love, love, LOVE you, buddy!

Can We Start the Weekend Over? I Wasn't Ready Yet..

It is a weekend like this thats you just want to go back to Friday and do it all over again. It was good. and I want to do it again.. so how about a play-by-play of the weekend's events?

Friday was good. 

I celebrated the weekend and the arrival of cooler weather with my very first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season.  If you know me (and the hubby) well at all, you very well know how much we love us some coffee.  We are coffee people - and while coffee is always enjoyable in the summer, it is WAY better in the fall/winter.  I had some monies on a gift card I randomly found in one of my bags.. actually, PARKER found in one of my handbags (love that, right?) and paid a mere $0.17 for this grande.

Dont mind if I do!

headband / sweet t boutique // earrings / exquisite artistry  // initial necklace / bijoux by meg // cardigan / nordstrom (similar)

The little birds woke in some great little moods, and we opted to dress to impress in our sweats and tank tops.  Only in Texas.

Gloomy days are the perfect day to cuddle up -  played hard for the morning, lots of playing with they baby dolls, puzzles, read a couple books, and then it was time for nap.  Momma got organized for the weekend - meal planned and made a grocery list, folded laundry, and ate lunch myself, and finished just in time for Parker and Jolie to start stirring a bit.

It had been years months since it felt this amazing outside, so I loaded the girls up and went for a walk.  The neighborhood park is just around the block from us, so we decided to stop for a few to let off some steam before spending the rest of the afternoon indoors.

headwraps / sweet t designs // jacket / target // sweats / babyGap (similar) // moccs / freshly picked

I coached them back to the stroller with promises to see baby ducks on our way home from the park.  But as we passed the ponds, the disappointed looks I received when I told them that their were no ducks to see just about broke my heart.  Too chilly?  There are always ducks, so I was disappointed, too!

We spent the rest of the afternoon sipping hot coffee (me), burning Pumpkin Cupcake Candles, and watching The Little Mermaid (twice).

Saturday was great.

I was up early to get a move on so that when Jordan walked in the door from his shift at the fire station, I was able to walk out early enough to beat the crowds at the grocery store.

Opted to take a sultry(?) / non-makeup selfie to document my solo outing of the weekend.

The weather that came in on Friday was still amazing - which meant that it was the official start to the Fall season.  All the more reason to stock up on all our favorites.

After naps we all got dressed to run a few errands before heading to church.

Costco & Sam's trips are routine, and since we had been to Sam's earlier this week, Costco was due for a visit.

leggings / target // boots / old navy

This was the first time we've taken the girls to children's church  since we started potty training - I brought about 18 pairs of extra panties/pants in case we had an accident, but I was SO elated and proud of my girls for making it through the service in the same outfit I dropped them off in.

headwrap / sweet t designs // sweatshirt / kid & kind 

Sunday was amazing.
Going to church on Saturday nights makes for super duper lazy Sunday mornings. We came home on Saturday night to a porch full of happy mail-day items.. including this Twin Mom mug.

A couple weeks ago I chatted back and forth with Alexis of Twinkle Twinkle Lil' Jar to design the most perfect mug for my coffee obsession.  The font, the glitter, the size and shape - she nailed it.

Pumpkin Spice Coffee | Pumpkin Spice Candles ...

..and Pumpkin Walnut Pancakes.  These have zero recipe to share, as they are directly out of a box we picked up from Costco on a whim (and will be going back to purchase several more before it is gone).  It is actually Pumpkin Bread, but pancakes are so much more fun, don't you think?

I did take 547 pictures, tho.  So, I'll probably share at some point soon as a WE EAT post or something.

..more coffee.

Shortly after the littles went down for nap, it was time for football.  Football Sunday is where it's out, folks.  Jordan and I are in a 'pick 'em' league, which makes watching that much more fun.

The girls napped nearly through the entire game, but it still didn't mean we couldn't get them dressed to support our 'Boys.

wraps / ruby blue 

Mid-day I switched to Pumpkin Ale.. as I'm not totally sure coffee would be the best selection of pairing with my chips and queso lunch (Football Sunday, ya'll)

Dinner was ready in a zip, thanks to the easiest recipe on the planet:  Pulled Buffalo Chicken Sliders. My little helpers did plenty of tasting while I attempted to pull the chicken around baby fingers.

Crock Pots do their best work on the Day of Rest.

Bath, and new jams (part of the amazing mail-day we had this weekend) rounded out the evening.  With a little snuggle sesh while watching the end of The Lorax before bed.

jammies / baby Gap

Can we start over?  Just take me back.  I love these kind of weekends.

How was yours?