Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Pumpkin Carving


This is the first Halloween, in the 7 years that Tim and I have been together, that we carved pumpkins together. It was also Stella's first year carving pumpkins, since we didn't do it last year.

I thought it would be fun to make carving our pumpkins extra special, so I put together a last minute  carving party for just the 3 of us. We built a bon-fire, roasted hot dogs, and ate donuts while we carved our pumpkins. Stella was so cute carrying her tiny pumpkin around, and helping me clean all of the "guts" out.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Family Favorite: Kid's Book



Love Bean likes to read the same three books over and over again, Brown Bear Brown Bear, Oh The Thinks You Can Think and My Big Animal Book. But, Time For A Hug is slowly making it's way into the mix. I chose to feature it today, because it's one of my favorites to read to her. We've read it enough that, even when the book isn't around, I can say, "What time is it?" and she'll give me a hug. It's super cute!


Family Favorite Fridays is a new series, every Friday we'll be posting one of our family favorites, it could be anything, like a game, book, recipe or song.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Submit Your Own 20 Question Answers!



Our 20 Questions for Twenty Something Mamas series was a big hit! We're now opening submissions to any twenty something mom who would like to be featured on our blog. If you're interested in submitting your own answers, copy and paste the questions below into an email and send your answers and any pictures to 20somethingmamas(@)gmail(dot)com. If you're a fellow blogger, please feel free to include a link to your blog.

Read other's answers to our 20 Questions; Alexis, Mallorie, Jamie, Jackie, Angie, Amanda, Sarah and Morgan

1. Tell us a little about who makes your house a home.
2. What's a typical day in your household like?

3. How has your lifestyle changed since having children?
4. Have you ever felt the need to defend your decision to start a family in your 20's?

5. What's the most challenging thing about being a mom, and what's the most rewarding?

6. 
How are household chores divided up in your family?
7. How do you find a balance between your commitments and family time?
8. What's your most embarrassing mom moment?9. Who (or what) has influenced your parenting style the most?
10. Since becoming a mom how have your friendships changed? Have you made new friends, strengthened friendships, or lost friends?
11. How do you fit in time for your romantic relationship?
12. What's one piece of advice you have for future/new moms?
13. What's your childcare set-up and why does it work for you?
14. Do you ever get time to yourself?
15. What was the toughest adjustment going from 1 to 2 or 2 to 3 kids? If you only have one child what was the biggest adjustment after baby was born?
16. 
Has having children changed your relationship with food?
17. What are your plans for your child's education?

18. How is discipline handled in your family?

19. If you could change one thing about your current set-up, what would it be?

20. Finish this sentence, Before having kids, I wish I would have known….



Monday, October 22, 2012

Down With the Sickness


I have to shower to be productive, therefore today I have not been productive. I have not showered because I DON'T HAVE A WORKING SHOWER!!! Ahhh! It has only been out a couple days but still. I like to take showers, not short showers, like LONG, QUIET showers. We are remodeling our bathroom that had an old leaky tub. 

I am going to add in the fact that I wanted our bathrooms remodeled before we moved in and obvi that didn't get done. So we they are doing it now. 

Anyway, this means I have to decide on what colors I want to put in the bathroom upstairs. I have an idea of what I want, but not quite sure. BUT, this means the organizing that I just did, now means nothing. BLAHH!! We have been talking about doing it for awhile and then all of the sudden Jess took me to pick out a shower/tub and we are off. I was not ready for this but we are in knees deep anyway. 

On a different note we have had 3 of us get the flu bug. So last week pretty much sucked. Now that I have had it, I can rest easy a little bit. I seriously woke up Tuesday thru Friday wondering when I was going to get sick. Last Monday I started cleaning up puke around 3 am from Jo, then of course Rae woke up at 4 am. Because 2 is always better than 1, right? NOT!! Needless to say I chased Rae around with a bucket until 3 pm that day. Toddlers + Puke= NO fun. Then of course Rae woke up again on Wednesday puking again. Wish you were a Schrock don't you? So Gat and Jess are the only two left. Say a quick prayer for a healthy house please. . . Thanks!

I thought I would share a recipe with you that I made the other day. Jess' dad and grandpa were working on the bathroom so I made soup. 

I tend to change recipe's here or there and take shortcuts. So I am giving you my version.

Chicken Noodle Soup from Betty Crocker Country Favorites

2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
1 cup onion chopped

It calls for 2 Tbl green onion instead of the onion but I didn't have any. It also calls for 1/2 cup sliced carrot which I didn't have either. 

Put all of above ingredients in 3 quart sauce pan and cook until tender. 

Add in rest of these ingredients:

2 cups cubed chicken
4 ounces egg noodles (I bought frozen)
1 teaspoon dried parsley (1 Tablespoon fresh)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
3 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth. 

Heat to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

I served with french bread:)

I used boullian cubes to make my broth. My package of egg noodles said to cook for 20 minutes so I cooked my a little longer. And because of the massive amount of noodles and chicken I had I added more broth.

This didn't take long at all. I have made my own egg noodles before but, I got mine on sale this week plus had a coupon, bonus! Let me know if you try it and what you serve with it!!

Friday, October 19, 2012

Family Favorite: Kid's Game



At the Schrock household we like to play games. Now that Jo is getting older we like to sit down and play a game with her when we get the chance. This tends to happen when the other kids get put in bed first though, I think that is for obvious reasons. We play memory. Jo is good at it so she wins once in awhile.

That brings me to another topic though. We do not let Jo win any game by taking it easy on her. I am sure some people think this is ridiculous. But we are firm believers in the fact you need to know how to  win and lose. We do not want to have a little girl that pouts every time she looses at something. So, this is our way of teaching her "how to lose". 

Believe me though, there are some times where she wins. Actually more times then not she wins at memory. I think we need to teach her how to win more gracefully though. She does not take it easy on us by all means. 

When looking or thinking for Christmas gifts for your 4 year olds and older look into memory. Just beware that you may not get to win at it. The little ones are way sharper then we are. . . well maybe I should just speak for Jess and myself;)

Family Favorite Fridays is a new series, every Friday we'll be posting one of our family favorites, it could be anything, like a game, book, recipe or song.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Making Food Fun

I will be the first to say I am not the best mom when it comes to feeding Ruthie healthy food but I can say I do try. Some days better then others. We tend to get in food ruts, this includes us eating the same things for a couple days in a row. What kid wouldn't get sick of ham and cheese slices daily?

Ruthie is a great eater and will eat almost anything I put in front of her. I have noticed however that some days she eats more then others or some days likes something and the next claims to not like it by pushing it to the side of her tray.

With that being said I have come to conclusion that I am a firm believer that its the way food is presented to her that really determines if she's going to eat a lot of it or not. I have a few examples to share with you and perhaps they'll work with your kiddos. I've noticed, Ruthie eats more when the food is fun.

Breakfast: For a while there we were stuck on a two egg and piece of toast diet. But 1. Two eggs per morning puts you at more then a dozen a week, which can get pretty expensive. 2. That's just boring & I found Ruthie eat less every morning.

So to solve that I cooked up what I like to call candied french toast. I'll take one egg beat and add a little milk to make it go farther. Then I will cook up one piece of french toast. I then cut the french toast up into little squares and then put them in her bowl and toss them with JUST enough syrup to candy coat them. I then take the left over egg batter and scramble up some eggs and put them in another bowl beside her. Let me tell you breakfast has never been so easy. I know she likes it because its gone before it can make it to her hair! I really think its the candied french toast, she just picks them up and pops them in her mouth and replys with a mmmMMmmm. And that makes up for an easy clean up! That's just one of the breakfast options I have found to make breakfast time a little easier.

As for lunch or dinner or supper (whatever you like to call it, my brother in law Tim could talk hours about that topic but we'll just leave it at that)

Just a few things I have noticed.

Celery: If I gave her a stick of celery she would continue to suck and string it apart eating practically none if. But it I cut it up and dice it she pops them in her mouth and loves to hear them crunch!

Sandwiches: These are a big struggle. Apparently to her two slices of bread with something in between means pull apart the bread and lick both sides and leave the bread on the tray. But I did find and try this grilled cheese roll ups on pinterest and they actually worked. Rather then pulling it apart she just bit off the roll. They were fun and delicious I might add, I had to try a couple too.


Have any good meals or tips that help your kiddos eat more at a meal? Please share!!

Monday, October 15, 2012

The Parent Rap

Have you watched this video? It's pretty hilarious, and spot on. Enjoy :)

Friday, October 12, 2012

Pampered Chef

So you may think I am crazy but I am starting a Pampered Chef business! I am so excited about doing it too. Why am I excited about it you ask? Let me tell you.

  • I flat out LOVE Pampered Chef products. Seriously though, I didn't even notice how much PC product I had before I started selling.
  • I get some time just for me where I can talk with adults.
  • I want people to LOVE it as well.
  • Also being a one income family money can be tight. This is a fun way for me to pitch in.
I have had one cooking show thus far and I enjoyed it. I also really enjoy talking to the people on our PC team. 

Best discovery thus far. . . 

I have had a deep covered baker since we have been married. I thought it was one of those "use once a month pans." There are so many more things this baker can do!! 

First off it is a PC stone (which I am currently loving!) and secondly it can go in the microwave. And no, it does not taste like it either. I made a baked potato chowder the other day in it and it took 25 minutes. Anyone that has ever attempted to make baked potato chowder/soup or what have you, knows that it seems impossible to do that. 

There are three types of shows you can do if you are interested. A Cooking Show, Catalog Show or an Online/Facebook Show.


If interested in the upcoming host and guest specials please let me know:)

You can contact me via Facebook or email: mschrock89@gmail.com

September Love List


Like last month, this September we all have pretty similar Love Lists. So, we're just doing one joint list.
  • Stella turns 1 on the 20th!
  • Family vacation in South Haven
  • Little brother turns 20 on the 25th
  • Our cousin Kasey is getting married
  • Mallorie's new Pampered Chef venture
  • Mallorie and Jamie start their Fantasy Football league
  • Season premiers of some of our favorite TV shows (Modern Family and Once Upon A Time)
  • Jamie's friend is getting married
  • Baby shower for another one of Jamie's friends

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

It's My Birthday Peaches!


Standing 27 inches tall and weighing 17 pounds 4 ounces here comes Gatlyn Tobias! (ok so he isn't standing, but please tell me you said that with an announcer's voice!)
Amazing to think he started at 2 pounds 6 ounces and only 13 inches long.

One year ago on the 9th Gman, Gbaby, Gat, Gator, Cowboy or even sometimes called Gatlyn came into this big world. When I think about writing this post I think of the hardships we have faced this year. But, I don't want to just think about that. I want to think about how he overcame all this, how we did. When I think back and when I read back through old blog post, I realized some things.

Gatlyn is a miracle, all the odds were against him and God gave him to us. If you don't believe in miracles, look at Gatlyn. If you could have seen him about 11 months ago, you would never believe where he is today. 

I love the fact that this blog started because I needed a place to put how I felt into words. Through what I thought at the time would be the hardest 11 weeks of my life was really just the calm before the storm. Little did I know what the devil had in store. Gatlyn was brought into the world after 8 weeks on bed rest. God would never want this to happen to Gatlyn, we just have to be so thankful God won this battle. I am so aware of the angels surrounding us each day. The angels that were holding Gatlyn in their arms for those awful three months when I couldn't. 

Even though we couldn't hold him at first it was just so awesome to see him alive! Jesse was able to hold Gat after a week. I got to 2 days later then Jess. It is crazy to think back to that time. We were just so happy he was doing so well. He was defying all odds at the time. We were told of this infection call NEC but never once thought it could happen to Gat. He had been through a lot already. 

Our luck turned down the wrong path and finally on November 9th they decided to emergency surgery on him. I remember that day like it was yesterday. It was so scary to think that your child is so sick that if he didn't have this surgery then he may die. Or even worse he could still even not make it through surgery. I received a text on the way to the hospital from a good friend of ours and a prayer warrior, it read May God's will be done for Gatlyn. (or something along the lines of that) While driving (me riding, Jess driving) to the hospital I was thinking no, he would never do this. He wouldn't take our baby away now. What if that is what God's plan is? What if we were only supposed to have him for a month? But thinking like that would get me nowhere. So I prayed, I don't know how long or how many times but I just kept saying, "Please don't take him. Please. Be the hands of the doctor. I don't know what to do. Please I need peace." It was like on repeat I just kept praying this in my head over and over. 

Now to the happy part, because I didn't want this to be a downer I swear! (But hey, when the words flow, they flow.) We walked in and saw all of these doctors/nurses/specialists surrounding our 3 pound baby and my heart dropped further. But once I saw him, I just felt it was going to be okay. I felt the angels around us. I knew that Jesus was by his side and helping him hold on until the surgery could be done. 

We got to go into a different room with Gat while they prepared everything for surgery and we just held his hand. I hadn't really gotten to kiss him even so I just kept kissing his head. Telling him we loved him. Jess was nervous I could tell, but I could see he was praying too. What seemed like forever but was only a short 10-15 minutes we sat waiting for the surgeon. He came in and made us feel ready for anything. We left that room and were at peace. I didn't have a doubt after that, I knew Gat would make it. We were getting to keep our baby boy longer. We sat in that waiting room for around 4 hours waiting for the news. It all came back very positive. Although we still had a lot of hurdles to cross I was ready to see him. Wanted to kiss him again, let him know we were there for him. 

Geez louise I never meant to go into this much detail! But I just don't think I ever could put into words some of the hardest times until now. 

But for you to fully understand why we are so excited about some of the things we are, I wanted to share that day with you. Although I can never fully comprehend everything that we have been through nor tell all of the "God sightings" we had while going through some of these times. I can tell you one thing for sure. God had his hands ALL over us. I had faith and faith is what got us through. 

I think back and thank God for giving Jesse and myself clarity in the decision we had to make. For guiding us and the family around us to help us make decisions that literally were life altering. Even more thankful for him keeping our heads just clear enough to comprehend the information we were given daily on our son. I can only imagine if my head was spinning the whole time (like it has been for the last six months) what I mess I would have been in the hospital. I am thankful for the nurses, doctors, secretaries and kindhearted staff at the NICU. I am SO thankful for our wonderful family who made it possible for us to do what we needed to do as parents. A a HUGE thank you to all of our Twenty Something Mamas out there, your kind words and encouragement means the world to us. (Not just regarding Gatlyn but we love when you give us feedback in general:))

After a long talk with J yesterday, I can't look back and look at the what ifs anymore. It's time to move forward. We had to make choices daily that would affect us later on no matter what. If I would have been at the hospital more I would have wished I was at home. There is no other way to think than just straight up be thankful. I am so thankful. 

I may be partial but we have a beautiful family of 5. We have a bossy, funny, sarcastic Jo who has a whole lot of attitude to boot. Rae makes me laugh and want to pull my hair out daily. (I swear I am gonna be all grey soon!) A Rae who walking into Target todays says, "MMM, I shmell shfriiiess." 
The little boy who I called Cowboy from the beginning because he was the toughest 2 pounder I know. The Cowboy who makes me smile and when I look at him I think of God. The little boy that is now eating a half jar of baby food at a time. When you look at him you can't help but smile. To be quite honest I will have a hard time disciplining this one!  How can you tell him, "No!" When he grabs your glasses or hair when two months ago he couldn't even do that. 

Thanks for your prayers and please continue to pray for him to cross each hurdle that comes his way. 

Our readers are the best and the support is awesome! 



Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Happy First Birthday G Baby!

Today is Gatlyn's first birthday! Many of you know Gatlyn's story, and that he is and always will our family's miracle baby. Mallorie started this blog while in the hospital on bed rest as a place to release all of her emotions, fears, and hopes for her and her family. As you read, you were with her through all of that.

Holding Gatlyn for the first time!

In honor of his first birthday, I'd like to share Gatlyn's story, from his Auntie J's perspective.

I remember the day Mallorie's water broke like it was yesterday. She was 20 weeks along, that's only half way to full term. It was the morning after I returned home from a trip to Michigan, I hadn't even been back in Chicago for 10 hours. I was heading to work when I saw I had a missed call and voicemail from my mom. Though my mom didn't say what was wrong, I could tell by her voice it was bad news. I called her back, she told me something along the lines of, "Mallorie's water broke, she's at the hospital, the doctors say there isn't any hope and she'll most likely be delivering a still born today." It was really hard to believe, considering I had just saw her not even 24 hours prior. I got off the phone with my mom, called my boss at the time, told her what was going on and that I wouldn't be coming into work. I needed to go be with my sister. My little sister was facing something terrible, and if I wasn't going to be able to make it better I needed to at least go sit with her. I jumped on a bus, headed to Tim's shop to get the car and took off back to Michigan.

That 3 1/2 hour drive never felt so long in my life. And a lot happened in those few hours. My dad went into protective papa bear mode and had Mal transferred to a different hospital that was better equipped to handle such a high risk pregnancy. I was on and off the phone with my mom getting minute by minute updates about what was happening. The timing worked out so that I was the first one to meet Mal and Jesse at DeVos and I was able to be an extra pair of ears when the doctor came in to talk to them. We went from having no hope at all, to having hope in just a day's time.

In the coming days Mallorie and Jesse would have extremely tough decisions and sacrifices that would have to be made. Decisions that I couldn't even fathom having to make. I don't know if I ever really verbalized this to anyone, but for a little while, I had a really hard time dealing with all it. I felt guilty. You see, I was pregnant with Stella at the time. Having a completely healthy, uncomplicated, easy pregnancy. I struggled with "why her and not me?" "they've already had so many struggles in their lives." and "why do I have to live so far away, I wish I was closer so I could just go be with her." Stella and Gatlyn would end up being only 3 weeks a part. If Gatlyn would have been full term, they would been 3 months a part.

Mal ended up being on bed rest for about 8 weeks. Constantly, battling her guilt for now being able to run around with Andi and Rae, and knowing that if she didn't lay low, she could lose her son. What an awful, horrible, terrible situation to be in. Being the Googlizer that I am, I was continually researching premature labor and sending Mallorie articles about life as a mother of a premature baby. If I couldn't be there to sit with here, I would do what I could from a far. Every day mattered. Every day that she didn't go into labor was huge WIN. Goal after goal was met; make it to 25 weeks, make it to 26, make it 27, and the biggest one make it to 28 weeks and the percentage of survival went up and complicated birth defects when down. And they did. 28 weeks to the day, Gatlyn Tobias Schrock, entered the world. I wish this is where I could say that all the hardships ended.

He had won a battle, but the war wasn't over, in a sense it was only the beginning. Gatlyn would go on to stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for 186 days. For awhile he wasn't allowed visitors, and in the those 186 days I think I only saw him 3 times and got to hold him once. I was so overcome with emotion the first time I held him that I cried. While in the NICU he contracted Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) and had 5 surgeries. He's been a fighter since day one. Mallorie and Jesse showed such faith, strength and perseverance as they dealt with what was now their normal lives of daily trips to the hospital and again, processing information and making choices that I still can't fathom having to make.

At 6 months old he came home from the hospital with a broviac and a feeding tube. Since then he's had his broviac removed and his feeds have been increased, so that he can now spend time off of his pump. His physical care has become routine. His black backpack is normal, and Stella loves to try to steal it from him. Many months ago Mallorie set a goal that by his first birthday, Gatlyn would be able to reach for toys and be able to hold his head up off the ground while laying on his belly. She doesn't even remember setting that goal, that's how overwhelming her situation was at the time. Well folks, he's doing it! What a great gift for Mallorie and Jesse, to know they're on the right track and are still shattering the goals that have been set for them.

Today, Gatlyn is such a happy little man. He has an infectious smile, that will brighten anyone's day. He's reaching for toys, babbling, growling at his cousins, and gets lot's of love and attention from his big sisters. Yes, there is still a long road ahead, but every mile marker is reason to celebrate. There was a time, when we didn't think we'd ever be celebrating his first birthday, which makes today extra special!

People ask her all the time, how they could manage all of it, how they got through it. She doesn't really have an answer for them. I do. They did it because they had to, because they had no other choice and that's what had to be done. And most importantly because Mallorie has faith that can move mountains. Not once did she ever lose faith that God would bring her family through the storm.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Stella's 1st Birthday Party

On the 22nd we hosted Stella's first birthday party! Knowing the cost of a party could get out of hand, with invitations, decorations, food and favors, we decided to see how cheap we could do it. We saved a lot of money and I had fun finding ways to do it. All together we spent $43.32 on her party! Brace yourself for one long break down of how we were able to it!





The most obvious and easiest way to save was, to limit the guest list. Tim and I both have large extended families, and the list could have gotten really long, really fast. But we decided to only invite immediate family and Stella's Great Grandparents. This put our list at 20 adults (including me and Tim) and 7 children (including Stella), so it was still a full house! Neither set of Tim's Grandparents could make it, so our final tally came in at 16 adults and 7 children.

We knew food would be the bulk of our spending, and it ended up being our only spending. Well, besides a pack of napkins and a few postage stamps. To help us save as much as possible when it came to food, I planned a menu around what we already had on hand. We went with baked potatoes, chilli, homemade French Bread, mac and cheese for the kids, s'mores, and tangy popcorn favors. We didn't end up making s'mores, but I still included them in the total cost of the party. The original plan was to have her party outside around a camp fire, but the weather was yucky, so we moved things indoor.
Stella's 1st Bithday Party Menu a breakdown of what we had on hand and what we purchased

Baked Potatoes and Toppings
Potatoes (I had a whole bag on hand)
Sour Cream (I had two half containers that needed to be used up)
Cheese (Purchased a brick on sale at Meijer for $5.49. This was my single most expensive item)
Butter (on hand)
Salt and Pepper (on hand)

Tim's Chilli
1lb. Ground Beef (on hand)
Diced Tomatoes (on hand)
2 Green Peppers (purchased)
3 Red Peppers (purchased)
Onion (on hand)
2 cans Chilli Beans (purchased on sale for 59 cents each)
Sm. can of Tomato Paste (purchased on sale for 50 cents)
Various chilli spices (on hand)
Saltines and Pretzels for topping (purchased)

Homemade French Bread (all ingredients on hand)
Mac and Cheese (purchased 2 boxes of Meijer brand for .49 cents each)

S'mores
Graham Crackers (purchased)
Marshmellows (purchased)
Reese Cups and Hershey Bars (purchases 2 for $6)

Tangy Popcorn
Pop corn kernals (on hand)
Jello (purchased)
Honey (on hand)
Butter (on hand)
Sugar (on hand)

Birthday Cake
Funfetti boxed cake (purchased)
Vanilla Greek Yogurt (on hand)
Funfetti vanilla frosting (purchased)
Since we had decided to throw her party on the cheap, I couldn't justify spending any money on decorations. But, I really wanted to go all out for her party, so I decided to make all of the decorations myself. Luckily, I'm sorta-kinda a paper hoarder, so I had plenty of materials on hand. I made paper flowers out of newspaper and tissue papper, bunting that spelled out "Happy Birthday Stella" our of scrap paper in coordinating colors and strung together with ribbon and tape, and paper placemats that Stella helped make with her footprint. It sounds like a lot of work, but they all came together pretty quickly. I think the longest part was waiting for Stella's footprints to dry. Tutorials to come? If you want them, let me know in the comments.




I designed her invitations myself, and printed the at home on card stock we already had. I hand delivered the invitations to my family, since I see them quite a bit, and mailed the invites to Tim's family in envelopes I already had, so postage was the only expense here.


We borrowed card tables from family, and I lined them all up to form one long table. My mom had leftover white plastic table cloth from a bridal shower she threw, so I used that and then laid a huge piece of lace over it. We used our own dishes for serving (we did borrow some from my mom because we didn't have enough bowls and spoons) rather than buying paper plates/bowls and plastic silverware.

I had so much fun planning her party. I look forward to throwing many more parties for her!! My only regret is that I didn't get more pictures! I got caught up in everything that was going on, and didn't get any good pictures of the decorations, and the table all set.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Family Favorite: Movie




































If your looking for a good movie, like literally a good ass movie, you MUST watch Warrior. I have watched this movie no lie 6 times this year. That's because I insist people watch it an then of course I have to watch it with them. This movie will make you laugh, cry, scream, cheer, and yes maybe even stand up and clap.

It is about two brothers and UFC/MMA fighting. Ladies, don't let that scare you off if its not your thing, I guarantee the story line will have you emptying a box of tissues.

I know its a great movie because even my dad liked it! He's hard to please in the movie category but he loved it, mostly because he couldn't predict it. At the beginning of the movie he said "this that and that is going to happen, but I will watch it anyway," along with an eye roll. But let me to tell you, I just smiled and laughed inside the whole movie because, HE WAS WRONG!

So if your bored stuck inside this chilly fall weekend, rent a movie and grab some popcorn, and if you're like us a Speedway fountain pop, and watch Warrior.

Enjoy some pics from the movie to get a little sneak peek. Don't be alarmed by the abnormal beast like shoulders Tommy has.

Have any favorite movies that you vote a must see?! Please share, I love a good movie :) And let me know what if ya think of Warrior!

-Alexis

Family Favorite Fridays is a new series, every Friday we'll be posting one of our family favorites, it could be anything, like a game, book, recipe or song.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Organizational Success

Remember this post here? I asked for help, and you guys answered! I finally finished getting my bathroom organized. I took the advice everyone gave me and made it happen.

I didn't want to have to buy more storage containers. So the week before I did the bathroom I reorganized Gatlyn's room. When he came home from the hospital we bought a few different things to help with keeping his medical supplies sorted. Plus some of the nurses sent home some containers with him. Now that he has his broviac out we didn't need as many things. So I used left over stuff from there to come up with this.


I rolled the towels as suggested by a reader as well as open baskets. 
I grouped the baskets in these catagories.
  • Nail Polish
  • Daily Items (deoderant, gel, contact sloution, hair spray)
  • Lotions
  • Make up
  • First Aid
  • Perfume/Cologne
The blue containers are from the hospital, tan picture box from hobby lobby (got them when Jo was born for organizing), 3 drawer thing from when I thought I was going to be in a dorm;). Black basket came in a 3 pack for $1 from Target. Other basket is from a gift I received awhile back.

I would say this is a success. 

Thanks for the input and am now looking for cheap, doable "Home Office" spaces. PLEASE help me become more organized!!!


Monday, October 1, 2012

Love List



  • Halloween is so much fun! Be on the lookout for Snow White, Cruella Deville, and a Gnome.
  • Three weddings for the Schrock's, of course all on the same day. And yes they are all at least a hour drive from each other. 
  • Gatlyn's birthday! He is going to be ONE, ahhhhhhh!
  • My Pampered Chef business is in full swing:)
  • Halloween, by majority vote we will have an oompa loompa roaming around.
  • Cider, especially Mal's hot cider she just made for Stelly's party.
  • Fun fall things!
  • Gman's 1st Birthday!!!
  • I'll be transforming Love Bean into a rockstar for Halloween
  • Leaves changing colors
  • I'm starting a bootcamp class
  • We're going to check out Artprize next weekend