Weekend Fun {Nienhuis}

 

Guess what? It is HOT! I bet you haven't heard that in a while...

We are doing anything we can to beat this sweltering summer heat.

A few years ago, the City of Broken Arrow built a very cool Community Center called Nienhuis {Neen-hys}, right by our house. We didn't have Dylan at the time, but we went on several trips to walk Chloe around the big park. There are so many neat things to see, they have a skate park, two sports fields, a center for art and recreation, a children's park, and an awesome aquatic facility.

Tasty Treat {Momma Milk Cookies}

I am sharing a most delicious and interesting recipe with you today! Lactation cookies are a yummy way to boost your milk supply while breastfeeding your little one. There are a few key ingredients in these tasty treats that are very helpful. Oats are packed with iron and are a fantastic source of fiber. They are dense and packed with healthy calories - very important for breastfeeding Mommas! Brewer's yeast is a natural source of B vitamin which helps both a Mother's supply as well as energy and metabolism. Flax seed is also full of fiber, but most importantly it is power packed with the important Omega-3's that are crucial to your baby's brain health as well as many other great side effects.

In the beginning of my nursing relationship with Dylan, I had many supply issues. With support from Ryan and my family, I found the help I needed through many great resources. While on one of my most favorite websites, The Leaky B@@B, I found this awesome recipe for Lactation Cookies. I have made them several times and they work absolute wonders for milk supply! They are seriously tasty too! I have been happy to share this recipe with other Mother's, and I like to tuck in the recipe with a fresh batch as a gift for new breastfeeding Mommas.

I hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

Recipe rundown:

Taste: Sweet with a slightly bitter aftertaste

Texture: Chewy

Ease: Time consuming - but worth it!

Appearance: Like your average oatmeal cookie

Expense: Pricey*

Pros: Tasty, incredibly effective, great gift

Cons: Brewers yeast and flax aren't the tastiest additives

Would I make this again? Yes!

* Brewers yeast and flax are both pretty expensive.
But once you have them, they will last you a very long time!

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons of water
2 tablespoons flax seed meal
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups oats
1 cup chocolate chips
2-4 tablespoons brewer's yeast

While the recipe calls for 4 tablespoons of water, I recommend using only 2 so your cookies will be thicker and fluffier.

Flax seed meal can be found at grocery stores in both the baking and pharmacy aisles. I got mine at WalMart. brewer's yeast can be found at health food stores such as Akins or Whole Foods.
*Again, both flax & brewer's yeast are pricey but will last you a long time!
** The first time I made these I couldn't find brewer's yeast so I left it out. The cookies were still very effective!

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Mix Flaxseed meal and water and let sit for 5 minutes

3. Mix butter, sugar, & brown sugar//mix well
4. Add eggs//mix well
5. Add flaxseed mixture and vanilla//beat well

6. Sift flour, brewer's yeast, baking soda, and salt

7. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture
8. Stir in oats and chocolate chips

9. Scoop on to baking sheet
{My cookies always flatten out a LOT, so consider making the dough balls on the smaller side}
10. Bake for 12 minutes
11. Let cool and remove from tray
12. Enjoy at least 4 a day...or more :)

{Why Boys Need Moms}

Dylan LOVES learning new things. He watches our every move, and often surprises us with new "tricks!"

This week he has learned how to:

1. Turn off the master power switch for the computer...while we are using it.
2. Take off his diaper...so strange to all the sudden see a naked baby run across the living room!
3. Use a spatula/spoon/drumstick/anything long, to push the ice and water levers on the refrigerator door! This one is quite fun & messy!
4. Right now he is working on trying to figure out door knobs and handles. Does the baby proofing ever end??

Thrift Treasures

Today was a "me" day! I got to take a few hours to tootle around town by myself and get a few things done. I went to the dentist, got my hair trimmed (ran into my Mom at the salon which was a nice surprise!), treated myself to my favorite drink of choice, then stopped in to look around at the Goodwill down the street from my house. It was a crazy successful day, and I always love coming home to see my baby D after being away from him for a bit!

I scored HUGE at the thrift store! My two beautiful cousins, Meggan & Mandy, have always frequented thrift stores and find the neatest things. I went once or twice during my high school years, but I never really got in to it. Then, about two years ago Goodwill put a new location right down the street. I {love} it. I have been to a few older shops that were dark, dirty & unorganized. This location is so very clean and is organized perfectly by size and color. The housewares and baby section always has some awesome finds.

Last week, Pickle & I stopped in to drop off a big bag of clothes and I happened upon these two darling purple, linen pillows. My Mom is redecorating her whole house, and these now have a home on her comfy purple reading chair. They fit in perfectly! I got two of these darlings for $3.00 a piece. I found pillows made from the same material on Etsy for FORTY dollars a piece!

Most visits I will find one or two things, but today I left with my hands overflowing.

Check out my treasures...

I am in LOVE with babywearing. While my two favorite carriers are still Ergo & Moby, I have always wanted to try a ring sling. I saw a tiny corner of this pretty blue linen popping out from under a pile of clothes, and I was elated to pull out an embroidered ring sling! It is a bit girly, but I can use it around the house and with our {fingers crossed} baby girl! (*note* No, I am not pregnant - just looking into the future!)

I have been wanting to start a picture frame installation on one of our livingroom walls. I have gathered a few smaller frames over time, but the big ones are always so expensive. I was shocked to find this very heavy solid wood frame for so cheap. I also found a small frame that I want to paint a fun color.

Ryan and I have wanted a glass drink dispenser for quite some time - we have bought and returned a few, always disappointed with the spout quality. I tested this baby out and it works wonderfully! Patience obviously pays off!

On a semi separate note, a few weeks ago we cut cable. Since then we have started eating as a family at the dinner table! It has been so awesome. I dug through the kitchenwares today and found a huge, really neat Lazy Susan for our table.

I also got a few comfy tees for Dylan, as he is growing out of his clothes at an alarming rate! I also got Meggan a tiny pair of orange overalls. She is due with her first sweet little baby in January! She won't be finding out the gender, but I think they will be darling no matter what. Her and her husband, Scott, are huge OSU fans, so baby can be in the team spirit :)

So there you have it, my finds for the day for just $33.00!

• Six photo solid wood frame (Hobby Lobby, normally $60.00):$8.00
• Three (Old Navy) baby shirts: $3.00
• Overalls (Children's Place): $3.00
• Glass drink dispenser: $10.00
• Lazy Susan: $3.00
  Ring Sling: $6.00
• Small black frame: $1.00

Go dig around somewhere and find something neat!

Antiques Road Show was here in Tulsa last week and a man brought in his 5 Chinese tea cups made out of rhinoceros horn. They ended up being the most valuable thing to EVER be featured on the show. They are valued at 1.5 million dollars! Cool huh?

Thanks to Chloe for inspiring me to get out and go treasure hunting!

What is the coolest thrift item you have ever happened upon?

Gree Gree

Dylan just adores his Great Grandma, Rosemary! When I was a kiddo, I called her Gree Gree. Now that my Mom is a Grandma, every time I said Grandma they would both answer! It got very confusing so we brought my beloved nickname back for baby D.

I have always loved spending time with Gree Gree, and now that I am a stay at home Mommy I have more time to do just that! Dylan and I spend the day with her at least once a week. I call her to tell her we are on the way and she gets all giddy and excited and waits at the door for us. She is always there with a smile to welcome us as we pull in the driveway. Gree Gree is a retired teacher, so she has all sorts of creative ideas to keep Dylan entertained. Two weeks ago we walked in and found hidden toys all over the living room! She had Easter eggs with surprises in them, measuring cups full of treats, empty thread spools stacked on tables, and even a card-table covered with sheets - Dylan's first of many forts! I put him down and he just stood there, not moving, looking at all the fun possibilities with a grin on his face.

This week when we pulled up, she was outside filling up a swimming pool! Mom and I went shopping last week and she bought a mystery surprise for us - I knew at that moment what it was! Grandma had it under her carport in the shade, and even put down quilts underneath so it would be soft - darling or what? Dylan LOVES to be outside, but with this crazy Oklahoma heat wave we haven't been outside much lately. We take him out for 10-15 minutes after dinner when the sun is going down, but I can tell he yearns for more warm sunshine on his face and grass under his little toes. It took him a few minutes to get used to the chilly water, but once he did, he loved splashing around! Gree Gree gave him ice cubes to play with and he thought it was so neat!

We are so lucky to have such an adorable, loving {Great}Grandma!

Get Crafty {Book Slings}

We completed the book slings for Dylan's room! I am so excited for the way they turned out. They fill the cozy corner with the perfect touch of cuteness and functionality. I have been dying to share this project with all of you!

I blogged earlier this year about one of my favorite websites - Odeedoh. There was a darling room named "Leighton's Lovely, Lively Nursery," and immediately I became obsessed with the unique yellow book slings that hung on the wall.

Ryan and I have been reading books to Dylan since before he was born. During the late months of my pregnancy, we would snuggle up before bed and read a nursery rhyme to our little one.

When he was teeny tiny in the early months, we would lay him on a blanket and read him books with bright, vibrant pictures, and he would kick and squeal.

His love for books keeps growing, and we are ever so pleased! When he was about 10 months old, Ryan was sitting on the floor amidst a pile of books in the nursery, and Dylan walked up and scooted his way into his Daddy's lap.
Now he loves to bring us books and cozy up while we read him a story. His attention span is very short - there is so much to do and see - but we can make it through a few of his favorites.

When it came to organizing, I wanted a spot that was easily accessible for him to get his own books. We didn't have room for a big bookshelf, so I was delighted when I found the pictures of the book slings!

I found an awesome tutorial for the project over at Penny Carnival. When i realized just how simple they were to create, my heart was set on the project.

Dylan and I made several trips to JoAnn, Michaels, and Hobby Lobby, searching for the perfect fabric. I have been adding a few more touches of color to his nursery lately, and I love the bits of orange and yellow that brighten up the room.
With those colors in mind, I finally found a cute flannel with orange, green, brown, and blue swirls. We gathered the rest of the necessary tools, and to work we went!

{Tools Needed}

-A 47-inch by 42-inch piece of fabric

-Two double curtain rod brackets. {Lowes $5.00/bracket}

-Two, 4-foot long wooden dowels or curtain rods that fit into the brackets. {Lowes $2.00/rod}

-Drill and drill bits

-Level

-Pencil

-Sewing machine, thread and scissors

SO simple and cheap! Again, I will sadly admit that I am sewing challenged (not for long!) so I asked my kind Mother In Law for her skills. She came over on a Wednesday afternoon and whipped them up in no time. This weekend Ryan got out his trusty tools and in a matter of 15 minutes we had the most darling book slings. (It sounds like I didn't do a thing, huh? Somebody has to come up with the ideas!)

{Here are the finished book slings}

Ryan and I were elated - immediately Dylan walked over, smiled, and pulled out a book. Perfect :)

Want to see the rest of the nursery?
Welcome <3

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So happy to have you drop by - Please stop and say hello :)

Summer Rewind {Bright's Lakehouse}

A few weeks ago Ryan, Baby D, & I got an invite from the Bright Family to spend some time at their family lake house! We packed up and headed to Ft. Gibson. The weather hadn't climbed into the sweltering triple digits yet, so we jumped at the opportunity to spend the afternoon in the fresh summer air with our friends. We had a scrumptious lunch served by Arlynda & Jim, played with all the kiddos, and even went for a swim - the babies' first! It was such a fun trip. Here are a few pictures from our day:

HP7DHp2

Closet HP geek here!

Ryan and I just watched Harry Potter Deathly Hallows Part I, and it was fantastic! I have read all the way through to book number 5, The Order of the Phoenix. I very much look forward to finishing the series. If I had any self restraint, I would finish the last book before I watch the final movie, but I just can't wait!! We are going on a date this weekend to see the eighth and final movie. I can't believe it is all over. My 14 year love affair coming to an end - so bittersweet!

1. Harry Potter Illustrations {NanLawson}

2. Hogwarts

3. Harry in the Park {The Night Descending}

4. Gryffindor Granny Scarf {TakoInk Online}

5. The Silouette {Dribble}

6. The Platform {Bella Sugar}

{Wordless Wednesday}

Happy, But Not Always!

I often hear sweet comments from acquaintances that see my pictures that go like this...
"He is ALWAYS so happy!!!"
"Dylan is ALWAYS smiling!"
"What a happy kid - he NEVER looks upset!"

You guys are sweet. This one's for you...

He is a handful! But we love him, big alligator tears and all!