Halloween 2015

The day before Halloween is my sister's birthday so they came over for dinner and cookie decorating with the kiddos! The sugar highs were borderline terrifying and the volume inside our little house was at a goal setting decibel but the kids were having so much fun. We finished the night off with hot chocolate and everyone went to sleep thoroughly exhausted and excited for trick or treating!

That night the weather was horrid and we weren't sure we'd be able to keep our plans but we trudged on (literally) anyway! It finally stopped raining mid afternoon and we headed to a local park to take the kids to the trick or treat trail. We live in the country so we don't really have a neighborhood for trick or treating and this was a lot of fun for both the kids! They had full buckets within 20 minutes of being there! They also had a ton of fun playing on the enormous inflatables. I also liked the fact that we didn't have to keep Gemma out past bedtime, or take the chance of her being terrified by some spooky house or creepy costume we might have encountered otherwise. 

We had planned for Gemma to be a princess. She had a poofy dress that was Jaden's when she was little and a crown and then she saw this Anna dress on a clearance rack while in line at checkout. She basically made it clear that she needed this dress and that she wouldn't be taking it off anytime soon if she got it. So she was Anna. She also got to wear her "Anna's Boots" which she was over the moon about! Cousin Joel was Miles from Tomorrowland! The Dad's were our kid carrying superheroes and my sister and I were just the Moms who carried all the stuff and we loved every minute of it. 

Hope your Halloween was wonderful!

Happy November!

XOXO

Miranda

Monday Randoms + A Cookie Recipe

We spent the weekend celebrating my dads birthday and being cozy at home. It poured all weekend, thanks Patricia for that... We ate our weight in No Bake Cookies and breakfast burritos...

Gemma insisted on feeding Coco everything she ate so that poor bear has been through the wash at least three times. He's aging pretty quickly... 

We got a visit from my sweet Nephew Joel.

 Gemma spent the hour making him coffee with "more sugah, jojo!?" 

We're still loving the table, by the way. I really recommend it if you have little ones...

Anyways, on to the important stuff. These cookies. So easy, so delicious. They're really my favorite cookies. I guess this is a family recipe because everyone I know makes them. My mom made them when I was a kid and my sister spent a good five years of her life trying to teach me to make them and finally I can! Unsupervised, even!

Here's what you'll need:

 2 c suger

1 stick butter

1/4 c Cocoa

1/2 c milk

1/2 c Peanut Butter

3 c Minute Oats

Melt butter in a soup pot over medium heat.

Add cocoa, sugar and milk.

Bring that to a rolling boil.

Boil for one minute.

Now, theres some controversy here. I only boil it for a minute but every so often I feel like that's just not enough. So, I let it boil until it starts to get sticky when I dip the spoon or spatula in it... Also, a lot of people add vanilla. I've found that it isn't really necessary and it doesn't at all take away from the flavor, so I leave it out...

Once it's boiled for a minute or until my no bake cookie instincts are satisfied, I remove from heat and mix in the oats and peanut butter. I really stir it well and try not to rush this part but you really should hurry and get it spooned onto wax paper that you've already laid out on the counter. Or you can stir your arm right out of socket while you yell at your husband to get the wax paper! Quick quick quick!

These should really be called anxiety cookies because everything happens so fast. I say they're easy to make but if you don't get your times and temps right you're basically screwed. What you're left with is lovely little piles of goodness that won't harden into cookies. Either way still very much edible with a spoon and a glass of milk. But when you do get it right! omg. So yummy. Although if you're making these for family they usually begin to vanish before they've even had time to set so I wouldn't worry too much about getting it right. 

XOXO

Miranda

Weekend Fun + Gemma's Play Table

Our Annual Camping Trip was this weekend and we had such a good time. We had an entire park to ourselves which was nice because when we get together we are LOUD and obnoxious. The weather was beautiful and as always the food was excellent. Although we managed to avoid any major disasters there were some plumbing issues which turned out the be the highlight of the trip for me! Backed up toilets + sinks that won't drain really doesn't sound funny but I swear it was. We were, after all, camping... The kids had a blast and Gemma was happy to see her bestie Skylar again! She spent the weekend professing her love as he diligently tried to avoid it. They're cuties. We took all of our animals except Eden so there was basically a zoo with us which is really how we like it. The dogs loved the lake and had plenty room to run and play. Kai hated it, as usual. He hates pretty much everything, though. He did enjoy the campfire as long as he could sit on my feet, and Gemma kept feeding him goldfish. We are truly lucky to have such great friends and to be able to spend a weekend with them in the woods, even if it is once a year!

Tea Party dreams came true last week for Gemma and Coco! We got this table from Ikea and I painted it with leftover paint from our kitchen cabinets. Not well, might I add. I'm not a painter. Surprise, surprise... Gemma loves it though! I really want to add a few more details and we probably will at some point but for now I'm really liking the grey... I didn't do anything fancy. I painted all of the pieces before I put it together which was a total pain. I hate paintbrushes. I just do. I'm not a very crafty girl. I'd recommend using spray paint. It'd be way faster.

Happy Monday Y'all!

XOXO

Miranda

P.S. I have to remind you guys about the bow Gemma is wearing in the tea party pictures. It is from Blush By Vieve on Etsy and she is offering all of my readers 20% off until the end of October! Also, she just put out her CHRISTMAS LINE! Use code: 5THANDPHILLIPS20 at checkout.

The Monday Blues...

We got a total of one whole day with Brandon this weekend. Needless to say that's made for a gloomy  Monday. Gemma woke up asking if she could "make Papa coffee" and the disappointment on her little face is heart breaking when I have to say he's gone to work already.

We woke up and made coffee and breakfast for all of the critters. Then snuggled on the couch until I was sufficiently caffeinated. 

Luckily we have a birthday to attend tonight so Gemma and I spent the morning making a cake! It is my best friends birthday today and I'm excited to celebrate her so I went all out with a peanut butter chocolate chip cake! Yum!

I used this recipe for peanut butter frosting and it is AMAZING! The chocolate frosting is from the back of the Hershey's Cocoa container. I just sprinkled some mini chocolate chips on top and it came out pretty cute!

We made an impromptu trip to IKEA for that awesome play table I mentioned last week and I painted  it the same grey as our cabinets. I want to add a few more details but really I just wanted to get it together as quickly possible so Gemma could get to town on those tea parties we talked about! We got to pick up my baby sister on the way and we all had a great time playing on the couches and eating some cheap hot dogs. I'll share some photos of the table once it is dry and assembled! 

Hope your Monday has been cheery! We're looking forward to birthday celebrations tonight!

XOXO

Miranda

The Friday Five

1. Peanut Butter Cookies!
1 Cup Sugar, 1 Cup PB & 1 Egg at 350 until golden brown usually about eight minutes for me. So delicious. So quick and so convenient at nap time! These are Brandon's favorite! Besides Pumpkin Pie of course... aren't they pretty!?

2.  These Advent Calendars
I really want to do a Thanksgiving Advent Calendar for Gemma. That kid is spoiled, y'all. Though she has pretty great manners for a two year old (a man at the grocery store said she was pretty and she said... "Thank you sir!") I really want her to fully understand the concept of gratitude and the impact that it can have on her life and the lives of others. It's a big deal and it just so happens theres a holiday for that! Yeah!

3. Ikea Latt Table
I know you've all seen the hacks for this on Pinterest! I want this for Gemma so bad! She usually sits at the island to eat and draw or play stickers, stamps, whatever... But it's tall and it's difficult for her to get up and down without a lot of help and has even caused two falls! One of which gave Brandon the heart attack of his parental lifetime. I love this tutorial and this one! Her pretending to have a tea party with Coco (her favorite teddy) really pushed me over the edge for this! How adorable is your daughter having a pretend tea party with a condiment bowl and the wisk!? She needs a tea party table, right!? Also, it might be a great opportunity to add some toy storage down stairs. Maybe create a micro play area, you know, for our micro home! Because right now it looks like this 23 out of 24 hours in a day...

4. The Fortune Hunter by Daisy Goodwin
I'm not finished with this yet so it may not be safe to mention it but I'm liking it a lot! It's a very easy read and I'm a big fan of Daisy Goodwin. She also wrote The American Heiress. Also a good one!

5. Potty Training SUCCESS!!!
I really saved the best for last! Gemma hasn't been in diapers in the last 10 days! I am so impressed and so excited! She is so proud of herself and really getting comfortable and confident. She also really loves the piece of candy she gets when she goes! We started with a potty chart and stickers. That really worked for her. She'd get a sticker and a piece of candy every time she went and after 5 stickers she'd get a new baby... She got the baby! She was beyond proud of what she'd done and then she seemed to think the idea of wearing a diaper was pointless, which was really what I was hoping for. Also, she doesn't want us in the bathroom when she goes but she does want to show us immediately after. yuck. She's still using a training potty and so she made up a song for when she's finished... Dump it and flush it. Dump it and flush it. She's going places, that girl.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
XOXO
Miranda

Fall Bucket List

Happy Fall Y'all!

It's officially October, which means we are in full candy-corn-eating swing! Gemma is so into my over the top festive moods and halloween clothes! It's really the cutest thing ever and I really truly in the deepest part of my heart hope that she's a holiday fanatic like me. Ha! Her Dad would flip. That guy's middle name is scrooge. Although he does love me very much, so he tolerates me when I do crazy things... like start playing/singing Christmas music on October 1st. Anyways, I'm so excited about the holidays this year because Gemma is really getting it this time around! 

Here's our Fall Bucket List!

I figured I'd be smart and leave off the four and half bags of candy corn bought and eaten in September!

1. Buy Halloween PJ's! (Also, already done in September. Oops!)

2. Bake a Pumpkin Pie for Papa

3. Read Room on The Broom twice every night. I try to tell her no but she calls it Room On The StickBrooms and I can't say no to that! You couldn't either and you know it.

4. Two words. PUMPKIN. PATCH. Two more words. HOT. CHOCOLATE.

5. Have dinner outside again and again and again! Preferably underneath twinkly lights and in the middle of a load of pumpkins.

5. Carve all the pumpkins from the pumpkin patch!

6. Harry Potter Marathon! Probably after Gemma's in bed because You Know Who still scares her a little bit. Totally justified but still... Bummer.

7. Fall Family Pictures. Yeah, I'll get right on that losing ten pounds business... right after this next piece of pie.

8. Trick Or Treating. Duh.

9. Make Halloween Chocolate Bark with a gallon of sprinkles, caramel popcorn, pretzels and candy bars. Here's last year's bark!

10. Fall Festival Hay Rides & Corn Maze all at a local Christmas Tree Farm

11. Make some of these Fall Crafts! Especially the ones that teach Thankfulness

12. S'mores as many times as possible

12. Thanksgiving Vacation in the Smoky Mountains! We're all really excited about this one!

13. Our Annual Fall Camping Trip with great friends!

14. Hunting! Biggest thing on this list for Brandon and I. Hopefully we'll stock the freezer for the coming year. Wish us luck! Gemma & Brandon got started this weekend with some squirrels!

15. Get ready for Winter and make our Christmas Lists!

Somewhere in all of the hustle and bustle I plan to remind myself how incredibly blessed we are to be together and to have such love for one another. I hope you can all say the same!

Happy Fall!
XOXO
Miranda

Recipe: Easy Skillet Quesadillas

Happy Monday Guys! Hope you had a great weekend! I know how hectic our lives can get as Momma's and Wives so I'm a huge fan of anything that simplifies, like this recipe. It is a staple for us.

We eat Mexican Food at our house at least four to five times a week. I know. Insane. But delicious. It occurred to us that we spent so much time and money eating out that we could just as easily make it for ourselves at home! These quesadillas are extremely versatile. It's a super easy recipe to switch up... Brandon eats basically nothing but meat and cheese. I, on the other hand, want all of the vegetables and about seven gallons of guac. With the juice of approximately fifty two lemons. With this recipe we can all have our cake quesadillas and eat them too.

Ingredients:

1 pound seasoned skirt steak cut into thin slices
(We buy ours from the Mexican Meat Market down the road... It's pre seasoned which is a lot like cheating, but it's soooo good.)

1 tblsp olive oil or butter

1 large block or Monterrey Jack or Muenster Cheese Grated

16 Flour or Corn tortillas

1 Onion Thinly Sliced

1 Bell Pepper Thinly Sliced

Start with a hot skillet! Add the sliced bell pepper, onion and oil or butter.

I let the onions caramelize and the bell peppers get soft and then I add in the meat.

I let that all cook over medium heat for probably about 8 minutes, stirring it around occasionally!

Remove that deliciousness from the skillet add a little more butter or oil and toss in a tortilla

Top it with some meat, veggies, LOTS OF CHEESE and another tortilla

Now your basically making a grilled cheese so... yeah... do that.

A minute or two on each side and you're done.

Now (if you're me) repeat seventy eight times because Brandon and Jude are bottomless Quesadilla pits.

The kids eat it just like that right out of the skillet with sour cream and salsa. Minus the veggies. 

I add lots of guac and lemon juice.

This makes 8 small quesadillas for us which leaves no left overs, so maybe make a few extra for lunch throughout the week.

I am by no means a good cook and I don't claim to be. I honestly don't enjoy cooking that much but this is just too easy and too rewarding not to love! Now if we could figure out how to make those amazing margaritas...

Enjoy!

XOXO

Miranda

P.S. We found about a million of these Hardy Orange Plants in the woods this weekend. I found an old recipe to make Lemonade with them so I'm super excited about that. They taste like a cross between a lemon and a grapefruit which I love. And aren't they beautiful!?

Our Weekend

Happy Monday! Hope y'all had an awesome weekend like we did! It's been a very VERY long time since we were able to spend an entire weekend at home without being in a complete rush to mow the grass and clean the house and pack our bags to be back on the road by Sunday night... Yeah. Not so fun. We made up for it this weekend! 

Turns out this girl thinks checking the mail is MAGICAL. Pretty sure all of that is going to change when she realizes the only people who send you mail are the people who want your money... So sad.

We had the cheesiest pizza EVER for lunch on friday. Gemma had two pieces which is a real feat for a tiny two year old. and I may have had two pieces too which is not a real feat for me at all. Unfortunately. 

Gemma spent all day Saturday baby wearing and dressing up in Sissy's old dresses (that almost fit!)

We finally emptied out our storage unit and organized a yard sale. You really don't realize the amount of junk you accumulate in such a short period of time... Unfortunately it rained cats and dogs and the yard sale became a catastrophe but we were able to save this awesome recliner for later use!

After the rain the weather was amazing which was so wonderful for us. We spent the whole weekend outside with all of the animals including this little monkey who took her cowboy boots off for a total of four seconds all weekend.

For some reason Saturday night I was really in a baking mood so Gemma and I made a red velvet cake and she helped me pipe some frosting... into her mouth. and maybe mine. Because Papa was asleep on the couch ;)

Sunday was for lunch on the porch and long four wheeler rides in the woods to choose spots for the deer blind and climbing stand. We're getting super excited for hunting season and our annual camping trip coming up next month!

Brandon built a fire, strung up some lights in the trees and grilled steaks and we had dinner outside...

and made great use of that recliner I told you about earlier...

Weekends like this remind me of how blessed my life has been! 

We're lucky enough to get today off but tomorrow it's back on the road and back to work! I hope you all had a great weekend!

P.S. Forgot to mention the teepee Brandon built. Gemma thought it was truly amazing.