Bow Tie Birthday Cake

For Little Man's Mustache Bash, we used mustaches as well as bow ties to represent, well, big men in a smaller version. One way I tied in the theme was with a bow tie cake. I made a large one to share and a mini one for Garrett's smash cake! See below:

One 8-inch square cake was cut diagonally and then a mini cake was put in the middle. Mine is square from my Pampered Chef brownie pan but a round cupcake would work too. Once frosted, the side frosting of the center piece will hold it all together. Of course, frosting the cakey sides is a pain so coat it on thick in those two areas!

The reason I used the brownie pan was to make G's mini cake. I cut the rectangle mini cake diagonally and then cut the center out of another mini cake to be the middle piece.  The frosted result looked like this:

Mac & Cheese for the Masses!

I served this for a party where we hosted 40 people. I can't say they all ate some but it got rave reviews from many so I'm going to safely say you could feed 25-30 average appetites with this as the side dish! I looked for a couple recipes and most large mac & cheese recipes called for a crock. Well, I had already planned to use my crock for the maid rites served so I wanted to use my electric skillet. Couldn't I have used the skillet for maid rites? You bet! But, it was already set in my mind that that wasn't happening.

So, I dove into some experimental cooking. Great idea when you're about to feed a large amount of people, right? Well, planning ahead has gone a bit by the wayside in the last year so I dared to do it anyway! This could be done on the stove top for a family-size portion instead by doing just about 1/3 of the recipe.

You'll need:
Large electric skillet 
3 lbs noodles
2 pkg velveeta shreds
2 12-oz cans evaporated milk
1 can cheddar cheese soup (low sodium recommended)
10 cups water
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
1 1/2 tbsp salt (I used part seasoning salt)

Bring water, evaporated milk, noodles and salt to a constant simmer over medium-high heat.

Stir periodically until noodles are tender.

Add cheese soup, shredded cheese and pats of butter and stir until mixed thoroughly.

Reduce skillet temperature to warm and serve.

The result was thick creamy cheesy goodness that will probably taste even better reheated the next day! If you wanted to do thsi as a main dish, you could easily add in some meat. I'd suggest adding just a bit more of a moist ingredient however so it doesn't dry out. Try adding 2 pounds of browned ground beef to the tender noodles and 1 more can of cheddar cheese soup. Go ahead and experiment: occasionally, it works out! :)

Garrett's First Birthday Letter

Dear Garrett-

This is the first of many letters I hope to write to you throughout your childhood. Every year on your birthday, I plan to take time to reflect on the year past and make assumptions about the year ahead and share them with you in this format. You will quickly come to learn that this format is no longer common: a written letter, one on real paper with an envelope and the word “Dear” in the greeting.  By the time you learn the art of letter writing, it will be on some hand-held tablet that I’m too old to figure out. That’s technology!

This year has flown by. Everyone told me it would but it truly did. There were some extremely long days and short nights in the beginning. You came into our lives in time for lunch last October 25th in an extremely fast delivery and changed our world forever. You made me a mother and the next few months made me a mommy. Learning to understand your wants and needs is still a work in progress but finding ways to enjoy every little piece of you has come quite easily.

You love to laugh. I mean, we all love to make you laugh, but it is clear you enjoy laughter tremendously yourself. It’s as though you look at me sometimes just begging me to do it again; whatever “it” is on any given day that will rise up that gleeful giggle. Your laugh is contagious! You will laugh until you let out a deep-bellied sigh because you even wear yourself out with joy. You can cry just as loud but you rarely do. You’ve been an amazing baby. It did take you seven months to sleep through the night, but I’ve already forgiven you.

You’ve grown so much but are still a little squirt. You’re a skinny little thing yet often referred to as a “ham” over your amazing smile and flirty demeanor. We get “he’s so adorable” all the time (in public and on Facebook which I’ll show you when you’re older, you poor electronically-exploited child)  but they don’t stop there; people feel the need to reiterate that they’re not just telling us you’re cute because you’re a baby but that you’re REALLY CUTE. We get it (and we love it). Someday, you’ll get compliments about how amazing and smart and funny and special you are beyond being cute; don’t worry. And, yes, someday, an important special someone will use a word like hot or handsome instead but the most important woman in your life will use other phrases for a long time coming! That woman is me. Don’t forget it!

You do things on your own time. I’m guessing that is a trait that will stick with you and be a point of contention between the two of us for years to come. You’re not crawling, walking, talking, waving, climbing or standing alone at a year. I have about eight different sources telling me that this is, in fact, a problem. However, you are smiling, laughing, loving, growing and thriving in so many other areas. You will do the rest only when you are ready and I will continue to struggle to balance both my fear and faith in the meantime.

You love your parents and you show us every day. How lucky are we? I hope you continue to do this for years to come. You love your dogs and they’re pretty tolerable of your tiny hands and feet. . .  and lips on them so far. You really enjoy bouncing, swinging, and being thrown in the air and you smile slyly every time I sing to you whether it’s our morning song, clean-up jingle, kitchen dances, or bedtime. You laugh when we open our eyes from a dinner prayer. I think you’re confusing it with a very formal game of peek-a-boo and you must outgrow this habit! You are prayed for every night. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. I feel like I couldn’t possibly love you more but my prediction for the years to come is that you will show me otherwise.

I am coming to this birthday with so many emotions. I rarely cried (or hugged or expressed much excitable emotion at all) before you were here and now, I’m overwhelmed with tears over every happy and sad thought that comes to mind.  I am mourning the baby phase already but elated about what is to come; the things I can imagine and hope for and the things that will blow my mind and cannot be planned.  I will not be sad. We will celebrate. Probably overboard for a first birthday. Welcome to a likely scenario to be played out for the remainder of your birthdays under my roof. You are, to date and in conjunction with your father, my life’s greatest work and I look forward to your training!

Your biggest fan,

Mom

A Happy Hiatus

There's been quite some time between this post and my last! There's a really REALLY good reason:

Mommyhood is tough and rough and tiring. It has plenty of glory and fun to share on a blog but plenty of reasons to find to spend time doing other things. Nonetheless, I'm back. I'm making no promises that I'll be as active as before but I do swear I'll have good stuff to share. And it won't just be about Garrett (but bear with me because a lot of G Man is likely). I've got projects and before-and-afters to show you. I've accomplished more projects than I would have thought possible a few months ago. So, while I had a happy hiatus, I'm glad to be back on the eve of my Mommyversary!

Sending you love already! ~Breezy

No More Mommy Wars

So, the headlines and news channels have been buzzing with interviews and stories covering the "Mommy Wars". It's been getting special attention during the political season with references to "stay-at-home" moms and "working" moms and differences, similarities & comparisons that supposedly place value on the two. It's crazy. I certainly hope that, as mommies, we are beyond being at war with each other and that this is only a war about others' (shall we say outsiders'?) opinions. In other words, I hope that today's Mommy Wars are about protecting the reputation of all moms rather than pinning those who stay at home and those who work against each other.

I've had many conversations about the two different roles, the struggle many go through in deciding, and the sadness that comes with the lack of being able to decide while forced into one mom role or another. I'm glad I made the choice to be a mom and had no idea that I'd have any internal struggle with the choice between which "kind" to be. I never knew the angst that leaving for work would bring with a beautiful baby to be left in the care of someone else (no matter how stellar she is). I never dreamed I would even consider not working after finishing two degrees and taking out my share of stduent loans (while my two shares, really). I also never truly knew (though never doubted) the WORK that goes in to caring for a child.

The mommy roles are still seperated into two categories: "stay-at-home" or "working". Neither of these terms is really appropriate anymore. As moms, we're all working and far more than the traditional understanding of full-time. To separate us into full-time and part-time moms would be equally misrepresenting because you're a mommy all the time even if you're not the one directly caring for your child. The most approriate term I've come across for a working mother is one who "works outside the home", but what does that leave for stay-at-home moms. How often do moms really stay at home when caring for kids non-stop? Perhaps, briefly during the baby stage but after that, they're running around to activities, errands, etcetera. Manager and CEO of (insert home address) Inc.? Perhaps. . .

We all have our own reasons for the choice we make about whether or not to work outside the home. There are personal pros and cons to both with reagrd to every family member's effectedness. For many of us, it's the financial impact first and foremost. Speaking of the financial factor, that brings me to another point.

Parent magazine shared a poll finding that over half of working moms feel guilty about the time they miss with their child(ren) and over half of moms at home feel guilty about not contributing to family fanances. Really? "Not contributing"? Savings on the cost of child care is just the tip of the iceberg. There's likely gas savings (no commute), often grocery savings (you have more time to coupon-clip and bargain-hunt at home, right), and many moms are finding other ways to add financial gains to their time at home (sales opportunities and caring for other children for example). Those are the financial contributions which can't possible take into account the advantages offered to the children and the entire family from such a decision. So this is shout-out to all the moms who are at home with their kids-you are valuable in both concrete and in immeasurable ways!

And to those mommies not at home feeling a bit of that mommy guilt, I have no great words of advice. I'm only mostly at peace with my own circumstances working outside my home and away from my little man. The only shout-out I've got for you: I'm with ya! Obviously, I think about this topic quite a bit to spend my lunch at work writing about my decision to be here whilst thinking about the spoon-feeding mess I'm currently missing out on followed by the snuggle during a bottle and the finger-crossing for a solid hour or two nap that SHOULD follow!

Mommies Unite! No more wars amongst ourselves devaluing one role over another. We all need support as mothers and the RIGHT choice is the one that is best for your family. There is a SUPERWOMAN in all of us!

Garrett's First Easter

Easter has not lost its meaning in our family and I love to see that represented in the next generation. I found myself missing Sunday School this Easter season. Remember how exciting the bible was the way you learned it as a child? Recall the excitement that was portrayed through every story and how it stuck with us as kids? Easter could get a little dark in the details but you still had the overall series of events and most of its meaning down by the time you were, what, four?!?

This recollection made me both excited and nervous for the Easter seasons to come (and other holidays). I want Garrett to get excited to hear those stories AT HOME! Can I be that interesting? Do I know enough of the bible? I know it's too early to actually feel any anxiety over this topic but I saw future Easters playing out before my eyes. Just knowing how quickly the past few months have gone, the Easters that he'll remember will be here before we know it. Maybe Mike and I should take a class!

Okay. I'm not really that nervous but I am reminded that parenting changes your perspective on so many things; now to include holidays and celebrations. I am so grateful to be a child of God who can be forgiven, taught, and blessed through His grace and His word. I've never felt like I needed it more than I do now with someone else relying upon me to share it with him. This little bunny has brought so much meaning to our lives. I look forward to every holiday and day with him in it. God is good. To Him be the glory (and in Him, the faith that Garrett finds us interesting for future holidays and bible story-telling)!

I hope you all had an amazing celebration with your own blessings!

Garrett goes Bananas!

More solid foods: Garrettt goes Bananas!

I'm not going to lie. While I thought this would be a fun way to introduce food, he doesn't end up taking in much so those "sleep benefits" so many refer to after starting solids are still not seen in our house, so I'm about to go bananas myself. I think we'll be adding some purees to the mix just to ensure he's actually EATING! But still, how cute is this: