Benjamin Fun

Get ready for Benjamin overload...

Let the matchbox fun begin!

Extreme bathtub Mohawk

I can always count on Benjamin for a good laugh.  He came running down the hallway screaming SHOES so I was expecting to see actual shoes, not a kleenex box :)

David found that scooter at a garage sale earlier this year.  Why do I see many boo boo's in our future?

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From the Kitchen

I knew I wanted to make something out of the apples we picked but wasn't sure what.  David suggested home made apple sauce and I figured why not.  I found a crock pot recipe and it was super easy.  The worst part was peeling and coring 4lbs of apples.  Other than that it was a breeze.

• 4lbs of apples
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 cup water

Add it all together in a crock pot and let it go on high for about 3.5 hours.  I used a hand mixer to blend it all together at the end.  

 Moving on to breakfast...

I found a pin on pinterest about making breakfast burritos and freezing them for later on and since I'm still on my semi organic / all natural kick I figured this would be a great alternative to some of the frozen breakfast meals you buy in the freezer section. 
I sauteed mushrooms, onions, red pepper and spinach then added 6 beaten eggs to make veggie scrambled eggs, threw it all in a tortilla with some shredded cheese and that's it!

My 6 scrambled egg mixture made 5 burritos - perfect breakfast for the work week :)
Oh, I forgot to mention to individually wrap each one with cling wrap before putting in the freezer.

My friend Stacy from work made mini Frittata's and they were so cute and sooo good! I decided to try them out myself and they were just as easy as the burritos.
Same Veggies sauteed, same amount of eggs but this time the mixture was poured in cupcake molds sprinkled with goat cheese baked at 350 for 15min.  Thanks Stacy for the inspiration!!!

Apple Picking in August

We normally wait until late Sept. early Oct. before heading to Eckerts for apple picking but we were bored Sunday morning so we decided we'll do it twice this year.

We went to the Eckerts in Grafton so we stopped at the loading dock for lunch first

I'm surprised how the loading dock and Eckerts were both pretty slow for a Sunday afternoon.  Maybe because it looked like it could rain at any possible second - that might have scared people away.  But not us, we were determined to come home with apples.

The wagon ride consisted of us and two other couples

Time for Apples!

Benjamin thought it was hysterical.  He was laughing the whole time

 



































I thought the fun fact signs were interesting...

We picked a total of 6.5 lbs of apples.  Not too shabby.  I  can't remember trying cold apple cider before so we tasted a sample (or two) and clearly Benjamin was a fan.

Sleep Head on the way home

Can't wait to do it again!

Grants Farm

David had the idea to get outside today since the weather was so nice and suggested Grants Farm.  It was the perfect day for it! We got there around 10:30ish and it wasn't too crowded.  I honestly can't remember the last time I was at Grants Farm, it's been over 10 years so I was pretty excited to see what it was all about.

David said the tram isn't what it used to be,  I guess they've upgraded it since the last time he was there.  But it was still fun to take the tour.

Getting ready to take off

Pointing out the animals

David just bought those white sunglasses for Benjamin earlier today - what a stud! He was very enthusiastic :)

The goat feeding was an experience.  They were brutal! And if you weren't careful, they'd eat at your clothes and shoes!

I tried to put Benjamin on the fun horses that move up and down but he was not havin it :( So we ended up on the bench-he was not thrilled.

David took this picture - pretty professional looking if you ask me. 

Benjamin and I were looking at some pretty parrots talking about all the different colors

Looks like Benjamin is wiped out! Which is a success in my book :)

Family Lake Trip

A couple of weekends ago we were at the Lake of the Ozarks for a mini family vacation.  A total of 16 adults and kids in one house for 3 nights - and we all survived :)

Vacations definitely aren't what they used to be now that Benjamin is here, it's fun but it sure is exhausting.

The Island of floating kids

Benjamin does not look impressed

Look at that hair

We managed to get a group picture - and of course Benjamin's belly is hanging out :)

I can't believe the summer is almost over.  I swear this year seems to be flying by! 

July Favorites

So I'm a little behind on this one...It's August 8th - Ooops!

Oh well, better late than never, right?

Chia Seeds

Ya know...like the cha cha cha chia heads.  But don’t be scared! Nothing is going to sprout up in your stomach after eating these seeds. (Yes, I already googled it)

Apparently these seeds go way back, the ancient Aztecs ate them so you know they’re legit – right?

Anyway, they’re high in fiber and a great source of Omega-3.  I’ve been adding a tbsp. in all sorts of things like my yogurt, oatmeal and smoothies.  Honestly I can barely even tell I’m eating them, but I feel good knowing about all the extra health benefits I’m getting.  I found the bag of Bob’s Red Mill (16oz) at Dierbergs in the organic aisle for $8.99.

MyFitnessPal.com

I love this little site.  It’s a very convenient way to track everything I stuff in my mouth throughout the day.  And best of all…It’s FREE! 

Kind Bars

Anyone else obsessed with all things coconut like me?  Anyone?

These little bars have the perfect coconut flavor.  I’ve found it’s a fine line of either tasting like a bottle of suntan lotion or a refreshing coconut, but I call tell you these bars are GOOD!  I think they’re perfect for that 2:30pm work snack.  It’s right around that time frame that I want to eat a candy bar or a full size bag of hot fries or anything else I can get my hands on and these bars have helped keep me sane until I get home for dinner.  I want to branch out and try the other flavors but I like the coconut so much that I’m scared I’ll be disappointed with anything else.

Febreeze Car Scents

I’m a sucker for Yankee candle car fresheners but they’re $5 a pop, and I hardly ever get to the mall these days to even have the chance to buy one so I’m pretty excited about these febreeze fresheners I found at where else…Target! I started out with the linen scent which David absolutely can’t stand.  As soon as he got in the car with me the first thing he did was remove it and gag.  It was a bit strong, but there’s a little dial that you can adjust the power.  I like the smell to smack me in the face when I open the door so I always have it on full blast.  The only other scent I’ve tried is the tropical orangey package (sorry I don’t know the actual name) But I’m happy to say that David doesn’t mind this one and will actually drive around with it still plugged into the vent – Success! 

I really could go on and on about products I love.  David always says I'm a marketers dream.  But I'll try to keep these favorites post to just a small handful. 

Ben Jammin

I almost died when I picked Benjamin up from school today.  I opened the door to his classroom and he had a spider hat on.  I could not stop laughing.  It was SOOO cute to see all the kids wearing them.  It's insect week.  Monday he came home with a snake made out of paper chains.  Yesterday it was a bumble bee made out of toilet paper rolls and today it was a spider hat.  I can't wait to see what they make tomorrow.

I went a long time without my glasses.  I usually switch it up every other day between my glasses and contacts but it seems I went a couple of months without wearing my glasses at all.  When I finally put them on again, Benjamin was kinda obsessed with them. 

My little artist