Who needs sleep?!

My three year old is sleeping less than an infant.

 Last night she woke us up SIX times. For casual conversation, whiny requests for blankets to be straightened and the ever-so-powerful hug request.

It hurts.

I think she is trying to ensure that we don't even consider adding a third child to our family.

Smart girl.

She's lucky she's cute.

Oh, so true.

Thank goodness for this:

And these:

Recipe coming soon!

Cross your fingers that this sleeping strike is short-lived!

Another Milestone- The Catfish Goes to Preschool!

Last week, another milestone occurred in our little world. The Catfish had her very first day of preschool! Although she was in full-time daycare while I work from the ages of 9 months to 3 years, this somehow feels different. 

The Catfish will be a part of the Rainbows class twice a week for 2.5 hours at a local preschool that came highly recommended by ALL of our neighbors. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when they had a spot open for her on the days we wanted.

Not to be outdone by her kindergarten sister, the Catfish eagerly posed with her 1st day of school certificate. When asked what she wants to be when she grows up, the Catfish quickly replied "a baker!" This definitely made me smile!

Of course it was a rainy day on our first day, eliminating any first-day playground fun. On the upside; however, she was thrilled to wear her new rain boots! After school she informed me that she was fine with not going outside for recess because the class got to play in the school's gross motor room, awesomely referred to as "the Rumpus Room". 

 For the first day, parents were asked to stay and observe. This was a great opportunity for me to meet the other parents, get a feel for Catfish's teachers' instructional style, and, most importantly, help my sweet girl feel comfortable in a new environment.

The Catfish loves a good craft, so this was right up her alley!

 The classroom is stocked with so many fun fine motor toys. The teachers even had a keyboard set up for the kids to use for imaginative play. The Catfish is all about pretend typing these days, so she was over the moon. Last week at Grandma's she spent quite a bit of time "working" on a borrowed laptop.

 The classroom also has a great little reading area with all sorts of fun books. My girl dug right in!

 What a great first week of school for the Catfish! She was so excited to meet new friends and talked all weekend about her new teachers. The school even has a secured website where teachers can post calendars, photos and other information about their programs. So far we're loving it (and this mama is certainly NOT complaining about a little child-free catch-up time during the week!).

Mum's the Word

I know, I know...again with the goofy title! I just couldn't help myself. 

I mentioned it last week, but I'll say it again. I am FALL PLANTING OBSESSED right now. The temperature is cooling, and I'm starting to see leaves dropping here and there. I've purchased my apple-pumpkin Yankee candle and pumpkin spice creamer, busted out my fall scarves and have begun plotting all of the fall treats I'm planning to make. So naturally, I've also been scoping out all of the amazing fall plants at the local nurseries. 

I am a novice gardener, and I truly mean that. When I go to the garden center I tend to say things like "So I bought a plant that looks like broccoli, only it's pink..." I am trying though, I really am! Fortunately, I am blessed with a neighbor who knows all things horticultural and gives me all sorts of tips  like "honey, I know you love that plant, but it's actually a weed!" Totally disappointing since I was very proud of its rampant growth! I am also very lucky that the previous homeowners did a spectacular job landscaping our home and, on a recent visit, let me pick their brains about how to a) maintain what they've done and b) add some new plants. 

So my neighbor, J. recommended that I try visiting a family-owned nursery about twenty minutes away. The Catfish and I wasted no time and headed right over! 

Look who we saw on the way! I was initially totally petrified about the winding roads of our new town, but seeing fauna like this on a daily basis is amazing.

So I definitely planned to photograph the plants at the nursery, but I was like a kid in a candy store. Row after row of beautiful mums in every color imaginable filled an entire field. There were lush, colorful hanging baskets and vibrant heads of ornamental cabbage as well as pumpkins and gourds of all different sizes and shapes. 

The nursery, Allyson's Gardens, is family owned and operated, and I can't say enough positive things about our experience. The owner's mother answered all of my questions and even kept a straight face when I'm sure I sounded ridiculous and indecisive! 

Allyson's even had a fun little area for the kids to play. The Catfish loves this sort of thing, so she was all over it! 

When we got home, the Catfish suited up, grabbed a shovel and went to work.

 She was a big help planing my ornamental cabbage! I decided to plant it over by the herbs since I'd just cut down giant stalks of dill and trimmed back my rosemary and basil. I am looking forward to seeing the reds and purples the cooler temperatures bring!

 After trimming back most of the plants in this front bed (I will definitely mix up all of the names, so I will just say "plants" and call it a day! Hey, it's all about knowing your own limitations, right?), I planted a few mums and the aforementioned "pink broccoli". Next week I'm hoping to split some of the lilies to fill in the empty spots. 

 And, without further ado, here is the incredible basket I mentioned. Every time I pull into the driveway, it just makes me happy!

 I putzed around in the backyard a bit too, but I didn't take any pictures. While on a quick run to Meijer the other day, I found a HUGE selection of summer bloomers for 75% off and bought a few for the back yard. The hydrangea and rose of Sharon I planted a few months ago are blooming, so I am definitely feeling encouraged!

One last little funny for you. 

I thought I'd surprise my hubby by mowing the yard while he was at work. I have NEVER even attempted to start a mower, let alone actually mow. I mowed for what seemed like an eternity, taking  frequent breaks to lie flat on the ground and contemplate quitting/crying/eating chocolate. 

When my husband got home, I went on and on about how much work it was and how badly my back hurt. After pausing for a minute, he gently asked "You do know that the mower is self-propelled, right?" Um, no, no I sure did not. I pushed that beast ALL over the front, side and back yard. Ouch.

I was so proud of getting through it that I took photographic evidence.

On the bright side, I used it as an excuse to devour a big, old brownie.

My tenure as resident lawn mower is over, and I will stick to mislabeling plants and growing beautiful weeds!

Happy almost weekend, friends. 

Banana Chocolate Chip Waffles

One of my very favorite activities in the whole world is baking with my girls. One of their favorite activities in the whole world is consuming large quantities of chocolate chips while baking with their mother.

At the top of our list is banana chocolate chip waffles. These yummy little treats fill the entire house with the most delicious smells! These waffles are also really easy to adapt to change around flavors by using different add-ins or make a little healthier by playing with the type of flour or fats.

They also happen to freeze like a dream, so I make a lot and stick them in little baggies in the freezer. I pop them right into the oven, and they are ready to eat in minutes. Perfect for a special before-school breakfast!

*Recipe adapted from A Taste of Home

What you need:

2 sticks of butter, melted and cooled

3/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups 2% or whole milk

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 eggs, separated

2 teaspoons of vanilla

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

1 overripe banana

2/3 cups chocolate chips

Assembly:

Start by melting your butter and letting it cool completely while you get the dry ingredients going.

Then carefully measure out your flour.

Making sure you take turns if you have more than one little helper, ha ;) ;)

Then add your salt, sugar and baking powder.

Random little tip- crack your egg on the counter. This method avoids getting bacteria into your egg. Yuck!

Separate out your eggs, then whip the whites into oblivion until stiff peaks form. 

Definitely stop to sniff the vanilla. It's a must.

Then add your vanilla, milk, egg yolks and melted butter. 

Mix it all up with your electric mixer.

Fold the egg whites into the batter. Don't stir; you want to keep all of that air to make sure that your waffles are fluffy!

In a small bowl, mash your banana. Such a great activity for your little sous-chefs!

Here's Sweet Thing adding some blueberries some batter I separated out for her. She's much more of a waffle purist than her sister!

Back to the big batch- next add the chocolate chips with your spatula, using the same folding in technique.

Grease your heated waffle iron and drop 1/3 cup at a time.

Your waffle iron should let you know when your waffles are ready! 

Get a fork and dig in! No bite is too big for this girl!

Yum.

Remember, you can break these in half and freeze them for a perfect quick meal or treat!

What's your favorite kid-friendly breakfast?

Fun Finds and Fixations...

I was stalking the Nordstrom website and came across this gem:

Nordstrom Pop-In

It's Nordstrom's new site, Pop-In, and it is AWESOME.

It's Nordstrom's way of keeping its finger on the pulse of what's new and exciting in the world of fashion. In my first five minutes of browsing I beefed up my "to try" list of recipes by reading a list of drool-worthy summer berry dishes, checked out some fun new fall accessories and was introduced to three up and coming sunglass brands. Man, a girl could lose a day on this site!

And then there's this:

If you know me, you know that Kate Spade is my go-to gal for all things shoe and handbag. Well a few months ago, she introduced a new line, Kate Spade Saturday.

The Saturday line skews a little bit more youthful than the classic line, and the prices are definitely lower. Don't get me wrong, I am still a classic Kate devotee, but Saturday is a fun addition to her empire!

Fall mums-

currently obsessed and trying to hold out before buying any until it's not 100 degrees outside.

 That is all.

I'm pretty sure I need this JCrew cashmere boyfriend sweater in, um, all 16 colors. Just saying.

Also loving these videos:

These FREE yoga videos are great! The instructor makes the practice really accessible and throws in a little humor for good measure. Love her routines for a quick Vinyasa Flow practice!

And finally, I stalk Bed, Bath and Beyond's Yankee Candle of the Month sale and am super excited to go grab one of these babies: 

When I found this creamer

 at the grocery this morning, I knew it was time to get the fall decor going at my house. Looking forward to cooler days, scarves, pumpkin picking, changing leaves, the whole nine yards. 

Have a wonderful rest of your week, and I'll be back next week with a recipe!