The Pack Clan

Shabby Chic Girly Bathroom

2012-01-17T20:39:00.000-08:00

I am working on the girls room as much as I can these days but for some reason I've gotten into a funk. I'm not having many ideas flow and I can't decide where I want to put things. Once we got Hattie's big girl bed set up the room was looking ultra cluttered, so I took a lot of things off of the walls and now I'm just feeling stuck. Anyway, the bathroom is in their bedroom and it needed a little love. So I took a lot of what I didn't want in the bedroom and added it to the bathroom. Here's how it turned out.

This is the only "before" I really have:

After:

Considering this was a no cost update I am pretty happy with the end result. I am on the lookout for the perfect wreath/plate/mirror/something round that I can hang underneath the shelves above the toilet but haven't had any luck. Other than that I think this room is complete!

33 Weeks

2012-01-16T15:17:00.000-08:00

Pregnancy Highlights:
How far Along: 33 weeks - 49 days to go! :)
Size of baby: Size of a Pineapple
Total Weight Gain/Loss: + 15 lbs
Maternity clothes: Not yet! But considering buying some more STRETCHY PANTS
Gender: It's a GIRL! Holden Claire Pack
Movement: She moves all over the place. I love watching my belly roll all around--it makes me laugh! :)
Sleep: I've been sleeping pretty good but am definitely taking more trips to the bathroom
What I miss: Working out. Because I get so sick my first 20 weeks the workouts go out the window so I'm really excited to get back into my old routines. We just bought a double stroller/jogger and I can't wait to use it with the girls!
Cravings: A lot of chocolate lately. It always sounds SO GOOD! I'm making chocolate chip cookies tonight, ha!
Symptoms: Kidney stones. Yeah, not fun. I've never had them before and I hope to never get them again. I was worried it was some type of early labor because I was in a lot of pain all day and so we ended up having to go to the Hospital after going to my OB. When we first arrived I went straight to Labor and Delivery and they checked to make sure that everything was okay with little Holden. She was GREAT! She was moving all over the place and they had a hard time keeping the monitors in one place! Ha! Once we knew everything was okay with baby, we went down to the ER. After doing some different tests they sent me in for an Ultrasound. They did an ultrasound on my kidneys and sure enough saw a lot of swelling and knew it was kidney stones. The only FUN thing was that during the ultrasound the tech let me see Holden! How nice is that?! It was so fun and she is so cute--I think she'll look a lot like Hattie, we will see :) Anyway, kidney stones are painful and I feel so blessed they passed quickly!
Best Moment this Week: Seeing Holden's cute little face during my kidney stone ultrasound! I can't wait to meet this little gal :)

The Nester

2012-01-08T21:33:00.000-08:00

Hooray for nesting! There have been SO many things on my "nice to do list" that are finally getting accomplished! I attribute it all to the fact that I am 8 months pregnant and my nesting has kicked into overdrive! Mr. Pack just looks at me and shakes his head (and I know he thinks I'm absolutely nuts) but he knows better than to stop the crazed Nester.

The Pantry:
This was a virtually no cost transformation (I say transformation because it was a horrific site before - unfortunately there is no "before" pic) All I bought were the 3 large jars for my Flour, Sugar and Brown Sugar and 2 tall containers for Hattie's snacks.

I bought these pantry labels on GroopDealz ages ago and finally put them to use!

The Hall Closet:
This was a no cost transformation and a much needed one to boot (I'm debating about putting up the embarrassing before pic...) No, it's not exactly the way I would have it in a perfect world BUT I'll be honest, it was nice not having to spend a dime! Now everything has a place (and not to mention a label, ha!)

Next on my list is the Girl's room. It still needs some major decorating help and I REALLY need to tackle their closet. Pictures to come! :)

{Two Years Old}

2012-01-08T15:55:00.000-08:00

The wonderfully amazingly talented Amanda Hendrickson took Hattie's two year photos. I just love the way they turned out! She looks so old to me in some of these--baby girl, stop growing up so fast!

Two Year Stats:
Head - 18.89 inches (70th% - her brain must be growing :) )
Length - 36.25 inches (99th% - I have no idea where this comes from)
Weight - 25 pounds (30th%)

Favorite Songs:

- I am a Child of God
- I love to see the Temple
- The ABC's
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
- I love you, you love me
- Thomas the Train Engine Roll Call
- When Will My Life Begin, Tangled

Favorite Books:
- Goodnight Moon
- Cat in the Hat
- The Very Busy Spider
- A Fly Went By

Favorite Shows:
- Thomas the Train
- Tangled
- Sesame Street
- Mickey Mouse Club House

A note from mom:

My dear Manhattan, you are such a joy to have in our home. You are sugar and spice and everything nice! You have such a sweet spirit and bring such happiness to those around you. You are so SMART and you love to learn. You are always flipping through your books. I am always in such awe of the things that you know, say and do. You have such a good memory and are very observant--always taking in your surroundings. You are such a little helper and are extremely independent--always wanting to try things on your own, "No! My Hattie do it!" you'll often say. You love to please and make others happy but you definitely have a strong willed side to you and aren't too passive. You are so fun, charismatic, and full of personality! You love to be around people, something I hope you never grow out of. You are such an example to me and I learn so much from you on a daily basis, thank you. The past year has been such fun for me to watch you learn and grow. You are growing into such a beautiful girl and I cannot wait to see you in your new role as a big sister. I love you so much Hattie girl and no matter how old, you will always be my baby girl.

A Girl and Her Trains

2012-01-08T15:44:00.000-08:00

Hattie has been absolutely loving all things trains lately and so it was only fitting that Santa brought her this train set for Christmas. I couldn't believe how much she loved it! Once it was all set up she played with it for 45 minutes straight. I've never seen her sit for so long! (Best $10 Santa ever spent--haha!)

I adore these pictures I captured of her on Christmas day. She looks like such a big kid. Oh yeah, girls can like trains too :)

Pack Christmas

2012-01-08T15:29:00.000-08:00

The day after Christmas we went up to Alpine to enjoy the day with the Pack side of the family. It was SO NICE to have everyone together! We ate a yummy taquito dinner and opened a bunch of presents. We had a wonderful time!

Silly girls eating their suckers

Evalyn's first Christmas

Hattie LOVES her Tangled dolls from Kaylee

A Thomas train from Santa

Ryan and Halie gave us this BEAUTIFUL picture of the Mt. Timpanogos Temple! We LOVE it!

Colby's first Christmas

Matching jammies from Grandpa and Grandma

Seriously so cute! :)

Ayers Christmas

2012-01-05T15:40:00.001-08:00

Christmas Eve was spent up at the Phelps home with all of my cousins and my Grandpa and Grandma. This is something we do every Christmas Eve and we always enjoy the company and such yummy food!

Here is Hattie and I with my cousin Natalie and her adorable daughter Taylie. Isn't Taylie's outfit to die for?! Natalie made it! I need her to help me sew the girls' some cute matching outfits! :)

Christmas Day was spent up at my mom's house. Because Christmas this year fell on Sunday we had the opportunity to go to church with her. It was such a lovely meeting and it truly set the tone for the rest of the day. After church we came home and opened presents and then had a yummy enchilada dinner! It was a wonderful Christmas!

31 Weeks

2012-01-03T22:13:00.000-08:00

So apparently I have failed as a weekly pregnancy update blogger. Oh well. Life has been crazy. Here are Holden and I at 31 weeks! :)

And please excuse my nasty witch hand in this pic! Ha!

Pregnancy Highlights:
How far Along: 31 weeks - 62 days to go! :)
Size of baby: Size of Four Navel Oranges
Total Weight Gain/Loss: + 12 lbs (I'm sure this will go way up at my next appointment, ha!)
Maternity clothes: Not yet! But considering buying some more STRETCHY PANTS
Gender: It's a GIRL! Holden Claire Pack
Movement: She moves all over the place. I love watching my belly roll all around--it makes me laugh! :)
Sleep: I've been sleeping pretty good but am definitely taking more trips to the bathroom
What I miss: Bending over. I hate putting my shoes and socks on in the morning.
Cravings: Umm...how about...FOOD. Pretty sure I ate anything and everything over Christmas break and gained a billion pounds.
Symptoms: HEARTBURN like crazy--especially at night.
Best Moment this Week: Going and getting my 90 minute Pregnancy Massage! It was PURE BLISS to be able to lay on my stomach and not smoosh little Holden AND not to mention just relaxing for an hour and a half. Thank you Mr. Pack. It was AmAzInG!

A Visit with Santa

2012-01-01T23:05:00.001-08:00

We decided it would be fun to go to the Riverwoods again this year and pay a visit to Old St. Nicholas. We went with Dan, Kylie & Evalyn and Ryan, Halie & Colby. It was so fun spending time with all of the "Pack" family over the Christmas holiday!

Unlike her cousin Evalyn, Hattie still has an aversion to the Man in Red and we ended up getting the exact same picture as last year! Ha! After we got home she kept saying "I don't like Santa Claus!" Bless her heart!

Who knows, maybe we will have better luck next year. 3rd times a charm, right? :)

{TWO}

2011-12-30T15:08:00.000-08:00

Seriously, how do I have a TWO year old already?! The last year went by WAY.TOO.FAST. Hattie woke up the morning of her party to a surprise visit from the Balloon Fairy. She was SO surprised and loved playing with all of the balloon's that were left for her.

We celebrated Hattie's birthday with a much anticipated Elmo themed party. It was a lot of fun for me to put everything together for her big day! We enjoyed celebrating with family and a few friends.

Happy Birthday Manhattan Grace! We love you SO MUCH Hattie girl! We are so glad that you are part of our family. You bring an abundance of joy to our lives and we are so excited to see what the next year will bring!

Our Anniversary

2011-12-27T13:28:00.000-08:00

With all the craziness of Birthdays and Holidays the Mr. and I still haven't officially celebrated our Anniversary. We did however exchange gifts. This summer Sean lost his very expensive white gold wedding ring and has been wanting another one ever since. After doing a little online shopping I decided on this Tungsten one and I think he really likes it!

I also wanted to something a little more sentimental so I found this idea on Pinterest and decided to recreate my own version in Photoshop.

The original had wedding vows written out and although I know we have them somewhere, I couldn't find them. So instead I used a favorite song of ours that was played on our wedding day--"All I Ask of You" from Phantom of the Opera--so good!

The Mr. of course spoiled me with 2 dozen GORGEOUS roses delivered at work and a gift certificate for a 90 minute pregnancy massage at a local spa. I think all of the complaining about my back hurting paid off, ha! I cannot WAIT to use it this week!

Happy 3 years to us!

28 Weeks - 7 Months!

2011-12-12T14:54:00.000-08:00

So of course I forgot to do a 27 week post but Holden decided to grow a TON the last two weeks--I keep running into things with my belly! Ha!

Pregnancy Highlights:
How far Along: 28 weeks - 7 Months! Where does the time go?!
Size of baby: Size of a Chinese cabbage
Total Weight Gain/Loss: + 12 lbs -Went to the doc today and had to be weighed! Darn it! BUT at least I am 5 pounds less than I was with Hattie, yay!
Maternity clothes: Not yet!
Gender: It's a GIRL! Holden Claire Pack
Movement: She moves like a champ and loves my right rib cage
Sleep: I've been sleeping pretty good but have started getting up more during the night
What I miss: Bending over normally--it's just getting more uncomfortable
Cravings: Pizza was ALL I could think about for 5 days and I finally had some last night, ha!
Symptoms: HEARTBURN and back pain. I really try not to complain about much but my back has been KILLING me for a while now and it's becoming more and more unbearable. And it doesn't help that sometimes I walk like a grandma! Ha!

Best Moment this Week: Hearing Holden's heartbeat today! LOVE HER! :)

{3 years}

2011-12-06T20:31:00.000-08:00

And more in love than ever.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2011-12-04T13:38:00.000-08:00

I'm beginning to have a love/hate relationship with the month of December. For us it includes our Anniversary, Manhattan's birthday, and Christmas which are all wonderful things but then with all of the other Holiday Parties that come up during the month it starts to become a little overwhelming. All in all I really do love it (sorry if I was starting to sound like a scrooge, ha!) and it's so fun to see Hattie in awe of all that Christmas brings. When you have the opportunity to see it through a child's eyes it makes it all so much more meaningful.

On December 1 I busted out some of Hattie's holiday attire. I can't help but smile when she is in such fun festive outfits! Luckily she only has an opinion on what shoes she wears (it must be a girl thing) but doesn't yet care what clothes I choose for her to wear!
Hattie also helped me make some Christmas sugar cookies. She loved pressing the dough and picking out which cookie cutter to use.

If you can't tell from the picture...from left to right: Santa, Candy Cane, Gingerbread Man, Snowman. LOL!

Didn't they turn out BEAUTIFUL?! Just like Martha Stewarts below right?! HAHA!!! Sean and I about died laughing when they came out of the oven! I'm not sure what the deal was but they definitely weren't the prettiest--oh well, they still tasted yummy :)
Something that did turn out was the Christmas Tree! Hattie and I decorated it yesterday and we are both very happy with the end result!

I wanted to incorporate some burlap into the tree this year so with some leftover yards I had on hand, I made a big bow, some ornaments, and wrapped it around the bottom of the tree. I love the woodlands/rustic feel that it brings! Got to love no cost decorating too!

Hattie was dressed for church this morning and I wanted to get a picture of her in front of the tree. Can you find her in all of that red?! HA! You can't even see her BIG red bows in her pig tails.

Hope everyone is starting to get into the Christmas spirit! :)

26 Weeks

2011-11-28T20:41:00.000-08:00

Can you see Hattie? :)

Well... I kind of missed my opportunity for a 25 week post...oops! Here's to only 14 more weeks though! :)

Pregnancy Highlights:
How far Along: 26 weeks
Size of baby: Size of an English hothouse cucumber (whatever that is?! ha!)
Total Weight Gain/Loss: + 9 lbs (went to the doc and visited the dreaded scale!)
Maternity clothes: Not yet!
Gender: It's a GIRL! Holden Claire Pack
Movement: She moves like a champ
Sleep: I've been sleeping pretty good but have started getting up more during the night
What I miss: Bending over normally--it's just getting more uncomfortable
Cravings: Pie has been at the top of my list this past week! You name it! Pumpkin, Banana,Chocolate, Apple, Cookie...YUM!
Symptoms: HEARTBURN
Best Moment this Week: Hattie giving my tummy kisses and asking "Where's Holden?"

Giving Thanks

2011-11-28T16:27:00.000-08:00

We had such a wonderful Thanksgiving this year spent with family. The entire Pack family was together and we couldn't have asked for a better weekend! We did so many fun things and I completely forgot to bring my camera to capture any of the fun times (totally lame). On Thanksgiving morning we woke up bright and early and did the a fun run / walk! It was a bit chilly (more like freezing) when we first started but by the end it warmed up a bit. Sean and the boys ran the 10k and all the girls walked in the 5k stroller brigade. We decided that it was so fun that it should be an annual tradition for us--not to mention that it makes everything you eat guilt free! Ha! Some other notable things we did: *Celebrated my mom's birthday with yummy Cookie Pie *Consumed way too much Thanksgiving Dinner and Dessert (for 3 days in a row mind you) *Roasted S'mores while telling what we are thankful for around the fire *Attended baby Colby's blessing *Went and saw Breaking Dawn *Went out for Blue Bell ice cream *Forgot Hattie's diapers and had to make a makeshift diaper out of paper towels, ha! *Made my chocolate pie and it didn't set up, bummer! *Visited Evan at work and saw him in action--he can make a yummy panini!

I often don't count my blessings like I should but I truly am beyond grateful for all that I have. Some things I am most grateful for are:

- Mr. Pack
- Hattie Grace
- A healthy pregnancy - Baby Holden Claire
- Our Families
- The Gospel
- Good Friends
- Good Health
- Our Home
- Our Jobs

I am extremely blessed to have all that I do and this Thanksgiving I remembered how much I need to continually strive to have an "attitude of gratitude."

"We can lift ourselves and others as well when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues."
- President Thomas S. Monson

This and that

2011-11-22T15:45:00.000-08:00

I should be posting about my being 25 weeks along but I really don't feel like taking a pic...so maybe later this week :)

BUT I did want to show you the new 16x20 canvas print that we got!

Isn't it pretty?! I absolutely LOVE wrapped canvas prints but I absolutely HATE the price so anytime that there is a good deal on them I snag one. This deal I got on EverSave for $35 to CanvasChic.com! Such a great deal I tell ya! The other two I got after Hattie was born from CanvasPeople.com and all I paid was shipping. Canvases are so nice because they make a statement and you don't have to go searching for that "perfect" picture frame. You literally can just hang them up! SO NICE! Anyway, just wanted to share :)

Another thing that we have been doing a lot of around our house is this...

Yes, you can see it for yourself, Hattie is OBSESSED with Thomas the Train! She wants to watch it all the time and her favorite train is Emily (naturally, the only girl, ha!) Seriously though, she sings and dances to it and can't get enough--we even own a Thomas toothbrush and sippy cup--now that's true love. HA!

24 Weeks - 16 to go!

2011-11-17T15:35:00.000-08:00

If you can't tell, I've lost my photographer! He always seems to be gone when I get around to blogging...sorry I know how dumb these pics are, ha!

Pregnancy Highlights:
How far Along: 24 weeks - I can't believe I am 6 months along!
Size of baby: Size of an ear of corn
Total Weight Gain/Loss: + 9 lbs (went to the doc and visited the dreaded scale!)
Maternity clothes: Not yet!
Gender: It's a GIRL! Holden Claire Pack
Movement: She moves all the time and always seems pretty cozy in my right rib cage
Sleep: I've been sleeping pretty good!
What I miss: I really can't think of anything
Cravings: CEREAL! It sounds soooo good day or night! Not prego I hardly eat the stuff!
Symptoms: Heartburn is getting worse as the weeks go by and I've been super moody lately
Best Moment this Week: Going to the doc and hearing Holden's heartbeat--love her! :)

23 Weeks

2011-11-07T21:20:00.001-08:00

Pregnancy Highlights:
How far Along: 23 weeks
Size of baby: Size of a large mango
Total Weight Gain/Loss: + 6 lbs
Maternity clothes: Not yet!
Gender: It's a GIRL! Holden Claire Pack
Movement: She moves a lot at night just like her big sis :)
Sleep: I've been sleeping pretty good!
What I miss: Nothing comes to mind right now
Cravings: Pretty much anything and everything FOOD lately. I feel like I'm eating all day long! HA!
Symptoms: Heartburn is getting worse as the weeks go by
Best Moment this Week: Feeling Holden move like crazy and the Mr. talking to her all the time :)

Chocolate Meringue Pie

2011-11-05T20:37:00.000-07:00

I made this the other night for dessert and it was a hit!

I found the recipe here and it is as follows:

Pie filling:
Frozen or refrigerated pie crust (I used refrigerated and it was great!)
1 3/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
3-4 tbsp cocoa
1 1/2 cups milk
4 egg yolks
1 tbsp vanilla
2 tbsp butter

Meringue: (I altered mine a bit since I didn't have marshmallows)
4 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
6-8 large marshmallows

Bake pie crust according to directions. Mix first 3 ingredients. Beat 4 egg yolks and save the whites. Sprinkle salt on eggs. Add milk in eggs. Add to dry and cook on stove top - stir until thick. Add vanilla and butter.
Pour in pie crust when done.

Take egg whites and beat until stiff. Take sugar and a "tad" of water and boil until it makes a syrup. Add marshmallows and melt. Add to egg whites already beat. Add on top of pie.

Enjoy!

All Hallows' Eve

2011-11-05T19:51:00.000-07:00

We had a fun but very low key Halloween this year. Halloween still is one of my absolute favorite holidays but this year I just wasn't feelin' it. I'm not sure what it was but I didn't feel like dressing up or anything--oh well, maybe next year? At least I put up my decorations :)

A few nights before Halloween we attended our ward Halloween party. It was a hit! The night included a trunk or treat for the kids, an array of tasty chilli's and even homemade doughnuts! YUM! We sat by two of our wonderful neighbors the Rucker's and the Johnson's. It was a great night!

Barrett, Berlin and Jeanine

Briana, Chloe, Vanessa and Ben

One of Hattie's favorite animals is a cat so I thought it would be fitting for her to be a little Kitty Cat this year and boy did she make a cute one! I had so much fun getting her all dolled up for Halloween night and this may have included a little mascara on those gorgeous lashes of hers--toddlers and tiaras much? ha!

She thought she was a scary kitty and kept saying "ROAR!" haha!

Papa Lynn and Grandma Janice came to visit

A visit to Hattie's wonderful sitter Julianne

A visit to Grandma Sue Sue

Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Patch

2011-11-04T21:12:00.000-07:00

Every fall we like to go visit the pumpkin patch near our house. Hattie absolutely LOVES pumpkins this year and every time she sees them she says, "Look mama! A pumpkin patch!" The things she says are so dang cute! :) It was such a beautiful day and we had a great time as a family.

22 Weeks

2011-11-03T21:12:00.000-07:00

22 weeks with Holden

22 weeks with Hattie

I didn't take many pictures while pregnant the first time around but I know that I was 22 weeks when we took these. It's kind of fun to compare!

Pregnancy Highlights:
How far Along: 22 weeks
Size of baby: Length of a spaghetti squash
Total Weight Gain/Loss: + 6 lbs
Maternity clothes: Not yet!
Gender: It's a GIRL! Holden Claire Pack
Movement: She moves a lot at night just like her big sis :)
Sleep: I've been sleeping pretty good!
What I miss: Feeling full
Cravings: Pretty much anything and everything FOOD lately. I feel like I'm eating all day long! HA!
Symptoms: Heartburn is getting worse as the weeks go by
Best Moment this Week: Having a healthy pregnancy--I feel so blessed!

It's what FUN is!

2011-10-25T20:55:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks back we headed up to Lagoon for my company's end of summer party. I hadn't been there since my Jr. High days and had no idea what to expect--especially with a toddler in tow. Well, to my surprise it really hadn't changed much and Hattie absolutely L.O.V.E.D it! She went on all of the kiddie rides without a fuss and had a smile on her face the entire time. We didn't stay for more than a few hours but it was well worth the trip! We all had such a great time!

21 Weeks

2011-10-25T20:31:00.000-07:00

Pregnancy Highlights:
How far Along: 21 weeks
Size of baby: Length of a carrot.
Total Weight Gain/Loss: + 6 lbs
Maternity clothes: Not yet!
Gender: It's a GIRL! Holden Claire Pack
Movement: She moves a lot at night just like her big sis :)
Sleep: I've been sleeping pretty good!
What I miss: Not having heartburn
Cravings: Lots and lots of Halloween candy--namely candy corns and candy corn taffy--YUM!
Symptoms: Pretty much just heartburn
Best Moment this Week: Mr. Pack feeling baby girl move

It's all in a Name

2011-10-23T12:08:00.000-07:00

As a follow up to this post...

We have finally decided on a name for this little girl growing in my belly! Can you believe it?! We have gone back and forth for weeks now between 2 (sometimes 3) names. I seriously feel like the two of us have never had so many discussions over something before! With Manhattan it was easy--we had a name we liked and never looked back--but for some reason this little girl being named Holland didn't sit quite right with me (mother's intuition perhaps? who knows?) So we took some time, reevaluated and have made our decision. We changed our minds on the name Holland and have decided to name her...drum roll please...

Holden Claire Pack

So that's that. We now have a name that the Mr. and I both love! We can't wait to meet this little girl in 19 weeks! Yippee! :)

20 Weeks - Half way there!

2011-10-19T15:47:00.000-07:00

So I've been kinda cranky this week and haven't wanted to take a pic...so you get this cute little profile instead.
P.S. her profile looks just like Hattie's did!

Pregnancy Highlights:
How far Along: 20 weeks
Size of baby: Length of a banana. She is in the 56th percentile, weighs almost a pound and measuring a few days early :)
Total Weight Gain/Loss: + 6 lbs
Maternity clothes: Busted out the leggings and lovin' it!
Gender: It's a GIRL!
Movement: She moves a lot at night just like her big sis :)
Sleep: I've been sleeping pretty good!
What I miss: Not having heartburn
Cravings: This week I HAD.TO.HAVE. chocolate pudding. I made some from scratch and it was absolutely terrible so angrily I threw it out. The Mr. asked what he could do to help and I responded in my demon pregnant lady voice "Go find me pudding!" (I know...not nice...I have since apologized to the Mr. for being a demon pregnant lady) Thank you to my sis-in-law Shara for having a box of instant pudding and saving this crazy pregnant gal :)
Symptoms: NO MORE ZOFRAN! (this week anyway, yay!) and megga, MAJOR heartburn (boo!)
Best Moment this Week: Going to our 20 week appointment and seeing the little cutie bug

Going CrAzY

2011-10-16T12:01:00.000-07:00

So lately I feel like life has just been just a little bit crazy. I feel like there is not enough time in the day to clean, make meals, pay bills, play with Hattie, spend time with the Mr., etc, etc, etc! So a few weeks back when I totally spaced paying Sean's car payment (yeah...i know...not good...) I realized that I needed to get organized. I talked it over with Mr. Pack and felt that it would be good for me to get a day planner. I love technology and all the conveniences that it at times provides, but for me, writing something down makes all the difference.

Mine looks like this but says, "the Pack Family"

I had seen a few blogs where people raved about their LIFE planners from Erin Condren (see them here) and I decided to get one for myself. Let me tell you--I feel like it has SAVED me! Everyday I sit down and plan and review the day and coming week. It has been wonderful. It's a little big but it fits perfectly in my "massive purse" as Mr. Pack refers to it :) and it has a place for everything--even a little notebook fits in the back! I L.O.V.E. it! It has enabled me to remember just about everything (unless I forget to write it down, ha!) and I've even started a cleaning schedule to help me keep the house in order:

Monday: Bedrooms
Tuesday: Bathrooms
Wednesday: Kitchen / Living room
Thursday: Trash Day
Friday: Dust / sheets
Saturday: Vacuum / mop / Prada's bath
Daily: Bed's made /1 load of laundry / dishes

This may seem silly to some but being a working mom it has helped me out immensely! Now I don't feel like I have to come home every day and clean the entire house, top to bottom, and not have time for anything else. Anyway, if you are looking for a planner to help get you more organized check out the LIFE planner from Erin Condren. It's simply wonderful.

19 Weeks

2011-10-11T16:24:00.000-07:00

Pregnancy Highlights:
How far Along: 19 weeks
Size of baby: Size of an heirloom tomato
Total Weight Gain/Loss: + 6 lbs
Maternity clothes: Busted out the leggings and lovin' it!
Gender: It's a GIRL!
Movement: She moves a lot at night just like her big sis :)
Sleep: I've been sleeping pretty good!
What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach and having a waistline (am I allowed to say that? ha!)
Cravings: I haven't had Mexican food in about a week and I'm definitely NEEDING it about now. Taco Amigo anyone? :)
Symptoms: I'm still taking Zofran for nausea but not every day. Also, the heartburn has definitely kicked in--NOT fun!
Best Moment this Week: Feeling her move more and more

The Key to His Heart

2011-10-09T15:04:00.000-07:00

I don't know about your Mister, but the key to Mr. Pack's heart is making his absolute favorite foods. I made these two recipes this weekend and I think we had a pretty happy Mr. around the house!

Chicken Crescent Squares
This recipe is super yummy and really easy to make. I received this recipe at one of my bridal showers along with the ingredients to make it. Every time I make it I think of our first apartment and it's teeny tiny little kitchen and it makes me smile.

Mix together:
3 oz Cream Cheese (I use 1/3rd less fat)
2 tbsp. Milk
1/2 tsp. onion powder
3 tbsp. melted butter (I use margarine)
a pinch of salt & pepper

Add:
1 12 oz. can Chicken Breast (drained)

Divide:
2 rolls of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls (I use the low fat ones). Press each roll slightly and put 2 tbsp. of chicken filling. Fold over and press corners and sides of crescent to hold in mixture.

Bake:
At 350 for 15 minutes.

Okay, so I know mine don't look very pretty put I promise they are YUM!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
When fall rolls around I can't help but make these. Normally I use the tried and true
(not to mention EASY) 3 ingredient recipe, but I didn't have a spice cake on hand. I found this recipe online and I think it's a definite keeper--considering they became my dinner replacement last night! HAHA!

Ingredients:
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Combine:
Pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.

Add:
Vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts.

Bake:
Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm. I make mine pretty big and baked them for 15 minutes.

They don't come out very orange in color. I'm sure that you could probably add food coloring to the batter to make them more orangey--is that a word? HA!

Wall Grouping

2011-10-07T16:15:00.000-07:00

So I kind of, sort of, REALLY like photographs. That's probably the reason that we are "that family" that gets family pictures twice a year. I like it though because that is how I decorate a lot of the walls in our home, plus with kids they change SO MUCH! With that being said, I've been meaning to post this for almost a year! This is a project that I did when we had our family pictures done last fall. When I hang groupings around our home, I first lay everything out on the floor to get an idea of how I want it to look and where I want things to go.

I almost cropped Hattie's little hand out but thought it was cute. I love my little helper :)

I then trace out each picture frame onto a large piece of paper (usually newspaper) so that I have a template to put onto the wall. This may not work for everyone but, I'm not the good, patient measuring type and would rather just eyeball it with my templates and the negative space. So I just tape my templates where I want them, hammer my nails in the wall and presto! Picture perfect every time...well most of the time...HA! :)
You may not be able to tell but this is a pretty large grouping--each picture is an 11X14. I really like what a statement large pictures make. This particular one hangs in the hallway outside Hattie's bedroom and I get to walk by it every day. I absolutely love the way it turned out!

Metal Scroll: Hobby Lobby
11x14 Wood Frames: Hobby Lobby
Photography: Brody Dezember Photography

18 Weeks

2011-10-06T20:39:00.000-07:00

Pregnancy Highlights:
How far Along: 18 weeks
Size of baby: Size of a bell pepper
Total Weight Gain/Loss: + 6 lbs
Maternity clothes: I'm on the look out for tunics and leggings for fall!
Gender: It's a GIRL!
Movement: This little girl is a MOVER. I feel her all the time lately and I love it :)
Sleep: I've been sleeping pretty good!
What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach
Cravings: Mexican food and this week I HAD to have cookie pie.
Symptoms: I'm still taking Zofran for nausea but not every day. Also, the heartburn has definitely kicked in--not fun!
Best Moment this Week: Hearing the heartbeat and scheduling our 20 week ultrasound

St. George Marathon 2011

2011-10-03T16:30:00.001-07:00

So I live with a pretty crazy Mister. Crazy AWESOME that is. This past weekend we packed up that car and traveled down to St. George so that Mr. Pack could run the St. George Marathon with 7,500 other crazy people. I honestly don't know how anybody can physically, mentally or emotionally run 26.2 miles and the Mr. did it without ANY training--well, unless you consider running the Red Rock Relay a few weeks prior to the marathon your "training" which soooo doesn't count. This is the second marathon that he has ran and the second marathon he hasn't trained for and the last marathon he will run WITHOUT training. It simply takes too much out of him. So, he finished at 4:14 which is SO AMAZING but not quite what he wanted--he was hoping for a sub 4. Regardless of his time, we are so SUPER proud of Mr. Pack and his athleticism. What's next on the horizon for Mr. Pack? Training for an Iron Man. Umm...see...I told you he was crazy, HA!

Sorry these are all proofs! We are still waiting for them to upload
all of the pictures before purchasing the rights to them.
Not to mention I took some pretty crappy one handed pictures due to the
holding of a sleeping toddler as he crossed the finish line.
Hopefully my cheering made up for the lack of pictures :)

17 Weeks

2011-09-27T21:46:00.000-07:00

No, I don't normally have a skull and cross bones for decoration, I swear!
Fall is in the air and I couldn't help but get out my Halloween decor this past weekend!

Pregnancy Highlights:
How far Along: 17 weeks
Size of baby: Size of a turnip
Total Weight Gain/Loss: + 4 lbs
Maternity clothes: Not yet but my regular pants are getting a little snug...bring on the stretch pants! Ha!
Gender: It's a GIRL!
Movement: I think I'm starting to feel little flutters
Sleep: I've been sleeping pretty good!
What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach
Cravings: I'm pretty sure I need to live in Mexico every time I'm pregnant, HAHA!
Symptoms: I went without my Zofran for the first time yesterday and survived! Now that's BIG deal I tell ya!
Best Moment this Week: Finding out the gender and having our super fun gender reveal party!

*Side note: So maybe I'm a little (or a lot) crazy but I am having second thoughts about the name Holland. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE the name but I am realizing rather quickly that it's more popular than we originally thought. I've never been one to like popular or common first names or even ones that people tell me are on their "list" so at this point I am unsure. We have another name that we like and have agreed on but now we can't decide between the two. I also feel bad changing it after we have announced it and not to mention the fact that if you ask Hattie what the baby's name is she says Holland. Oh my goodness! Anyway, I'm sure nobody cares, but this is what has been leaving me unsettled this past week :) At any rate Claire is definitely the middle name so at least we are half-way there, ha!

What will it BEE?

2011-09-21T15:57:00.000-07:00

After much anticipation and waiting, we finally were able to go in and have our gender reveal ultrasound! We did this while pregnant with Hattie and didn't even think twice about doing it again--I mean, who doesn't want to find out ASAP right?! After much discussion and debate (and perhaps a little arguing) Mr. Pack and I agreed that we would have the tech put the results in a sealed envelope instead of us finding out while we were there. A few days before, I had called our favorite bakery and ordered the cake according to the theme of our party. Then, that day we just delivered the envelope to the bakery and they assembled the cake with the right color frosting inside for us to cut into later and reveal the gender of our little baby!

I'll be honest, having to close my eyes during the ultrasound AND not being able to sneak a peek in the envelope was harder than I thought it would be. But I am an honest woman and knew better than to cheat! Ha! Plus knowing that we would find out only hours later definitely helped too.

We had so much fun having everyone come to our gender reveal party. We feel so blessed to have so many loved ones near that support and love our little family. Here are some pictures from the grand event :)

It's a girl! Holland Claire Pack

Team Boy = Losers

Team girl = Winners!

Big thank you's...
Yummy BEE Cake and cookies: Dippidee
Darling BEE printable party pack: Libby Lane Press

15 Weeks

2011-09-14T21:23:00.000-07:00

I'm a little late in posting this!

Pregnancy Highlights:
How far Along: 15 weeks
Size of baby: Size of an apple
Total Weight Gain/Loss: + 4 lbs--no, i didn't gain 4 lbs in 1 week, PROMISE! I don't weigh myself while pregnant because it messes with my mind. Instead I leave it strictly for doctor's visits (every 4 weeks is bad enough!)
Maternity clothes: Not yet but I swear it will be soon because I'm already starting to show
Gender: We will find out in less than a week!
Movement: I think I'm starting to feel little flutters
Sleep: I've been sleeping a little better but am having a harder time getting comfortable
What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach
Cravings: Mexican, Mexican, Mexican food!
Symptoms: Still feeling nauseous but I think it's getting better. Smells are about to do me in though and my back is starting to hurt.
Best Moment this Week: Hearing the heartbeat during my doctor's visit

Red Rock Relay

2011-09-14T21:01:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Mr. Pack had the opportunity to go down to St. George, UT and run in the Red Rock Relay. Because he is so busy he didn't really have time to train and only anticipated having to run 3 legs of the race, but due to some circumstances he ended up running 5--like practically a marathon! Umm...can I just say that he is pretty much a ROCKSTAR?!!! I am so proud of you babe :)

Cousin Love

2011-09-10T19:54:00.001-07:00

I don't think it gets much sweeter than this...

The end.

14 Weeks

2011-09-06T15:37:00.000-07:00

Pregnancy Highlights:
How far Along: 14 weeks
Size of baby: Size of a lemon
Total Weight Gain/Loss: 0 lbs
Maternity clothes: Not yet but I swear it will be soon because I'm already starting to show...ugh...
Gender: We will find out at 16 weeks!
Movement: Not yet
Sleep: I've been sleeping a little better but am having a harder time getting comfortable
What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach and my skinny jeans, ha!
Cravings: More Mexican food please :)
Symptoms: Still feeling nauseous but I think it's getting better. Smells are about to do me in though and my back is starting to hurt.
Best Moment this Week: Continuing to plan our gender reveal party and finalizing names.

Sick Days

2011-09-04T14:48:00.001-07:00

Today we have been lounging around in our jammies because Hattie and I have sick tummy's. We've taken a lot of naps, Mr. Pack has been a HUGE help in taking care of us, and I've tried getting some little chores done here and there so that my house isn't such a disaster zone! I am hoping we feel better by tomorrow so that we can enjoy our Labor Day.

While hanging up some of Hattie's clothes this afternoon, I came across two of her princess dresses that she got last Christmas. They were in the very back of her closet and I hadn't really remembered them. Well boy is somebody glad that I found them! I showed them to her and immediately she wanted to put them on. She trotted around in them until it was nap time and loved every minute of it. Who says you can't dress like a princess even when you're sick?

We've also been playing a lot with our new "tackpack" which is also known as a backpack. I've been wanting to get Hattie something to carry her things in for a while. The reason being that every single morning when we are rushing to get out the door Hattie has her hands FULL of little things that she wants to take with her: a washcloth, her piggy, two tiny little barbie brushes, her sippy cup, her babies, her books...you name it, she wants to bring it. I thought of a purse as an option but decided a backpack would be bigger, more convenient and easier to carry. After doing some shopping around online I decided on this one. I think it's darling and she loves it too! I still want to get the front pocket monogrammed with her name, I just need to find a place who will do it.

Hope everyone is having a great long weekend!

13 Weeks

2011-08-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

Pregnancy Highlights:
How far Along: 13 weeks
Size of baby: Size of a medium shrimp
Total Weight Gain/Loss: 0 lbs
Maternity clothes: Not yet but I swear it will be soon. I already feel like I'm starting to show
Gender: We will find out at 16 weeks!
Movement: Not yet
Sleep: I've been sleeping a little better but am having a harder time getting comfortable
What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach
Cravings: Lately Ketchup sounds AMAZING. And of course Mexican Food.
Symptoms: I have been suffering from morning sickness but take Zofran and it helps A TON! I also feel really hot all the time and have to have the A/C blasting all day. Strangely I have also been really weird about smells--I can't stand the smell of Tide and Downy. At all. It stinks.
Best Moment this Week: Scheduling our Gender Check ultrasound and planning our Gender Reveal party! September 19th!

A Cruise for Two

2011-08-29T16:24:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I never posted about our cruise! We had such a great time and loved being able to spend some quality time together. There were definitely some tears when we had to leave our baby girl but we survived and so did she :)

From wave runner's on the ocean, THE BEST shrimp tacos on the beach, to zip lining through the jungle and soaking up some ray's, we couldn't have asked for a better vacation!

12 Weeks

2011-08-22T11:15:00.001-07:00

So I totally love when people do pregnancy updates on their blogs and I seriously regretted NOT documenting my pregnancy with Hattie. On the other hand, I hate the way I look when I'm pregnant and will probably end up regretting doing this BUT I'm going to stick it out in hopes that in the end I will enjoy looking back at this time. Here goes nothin'...

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far Along: 12 weeks

Size of baby: Size of a lime
Total Weight Gain/Loss: 0 lbs
Maternity clothes: Not yet
Gender: We will find out at 16 weeks!
Movement: Not yet
Sleep: I haven't been sleeping very well and get up 2-3 times.
What I miss: Sleeping through the night. Ha!
Cravings: Mexican food. Salty foods.
Symptoms: I have been suffering from morning sickness but take Zofran and it helps A TON! I also feel really hot all the time and have to have the A/C blasting all day. Strangely I have also been really weird about smells--I can't stand the smell of Tide and Downy. At all. It stinks.
Best Moment this Week: Telling our family and friends the BIG news :)

Kind of a BIG deal...

2011-08-21T14:03:00.001-07:00

Well...we have an announcement to make...Hattie is going be a...

BIG SISTER!

She was a little surprised at first when we told her the news

But then she got pretty excited!

We told our families through a little "birthday" invitation I made online and Hattie handed them out in her Big Sister shirt.

(I blurred some of the details for privacy reasons)

Needless to say we cannot wait to add another addition to The Pack Clan :)

Sweet Baby Evalyn

2011-08-16T16:10:00.000-07:00

I am excited to say that I have a new niece! Evalyn finally arrived on July 29th and she is absolutely darling! We are so happy for Daniel and Kylie and loved having them visit for a few days! Every time I held little Evalyn I kept thinking, "Was my baby ever really this small?!" You forget so quickly! Hattie of course wanted to know where the "baby" was at all times and loved giving her kisses on her tiny head. She adores her new cousin.

Enjoy this time Dan and Kylie it goes by WAY TOO FAST!

We love you three :)

Fourth of July Fun

2011-07-27T20:40:00.000-07:00

Well...what can I say, July is practically over and I haven't even blogged about our 4th of July! Things have been just a little bit crazy this month! Here are pictures of our festivities.

Together we make a Family

2011-06-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

When you have kids you realize how fast time flies and how much they grow and change in such a short amount of time. Therefore, I felt like it had been too long since we last had our family photos taken. So, a couple weeks back I called up Photography by Amanda Hendrickson and scheduled a date to have them done. Although we were eaten alive by mosquito's (aka: bee-beeps) things went great! I am always so surprised at how many good shots Amanda always captures when we aren't even looking--she's brilliant I tell ya! Anyway, here they are! SO HAPPY with how they turned out. Enjoy :)

18 Months

2011-06-25T13:10:00.000-07:00

Hattie, how are you already a year and a half?! Where does the time go? I swear we just celebrated your 1st birthday and now in only 6 short months we will be celebrating your 2nd. I'm not ready for you to grow up! BUT I must say that these last few months have definitely been the most rewarding. You are learning SO MUCH, sometimes 5 words a day, and it is such a joy to watch you learn and understand more and more about your world.

You are talking so much these days and say so many different things. I am amazed at how you will sometimes put 3 - 4 words together in a sentence! Some of my favorite things you say are:

"More Please Momma"
"I lub (love) you"
"Praba (Prada) NO-NO!"
"Hush" (very quietly)
"Neigh!" ANYTIME we see a horse, you LOVE them
"A BOOP! A BOOP!" (book)
"Here you go"
"A goller" (stroller)
"Night-night Momma/Daddy"
"A kuckle!" (buckle) Everywhere we go you insist on doing up the buckle on your carseat, stroller, cart, high-chair
"A bee-beep!" Went from bee's to any flying bug that you see, and no, you do NOT like them
"Wheeee!"
"Acycle" (Motorcycle) These are definitely another favorite of yours! You get so excited when you see one.
"There/here it is"
"I did it!"
"I tute" (I'm cute!) Haha! We may have taught her this one :)
" A geen/gueen" (A drink) I have no idea why you call it this, but it's pretty cute

You have also become quite the little singer! You are learning some of the verses to a couple of songs:

Twinkle, twinkle little star - 2nd and 3rd verse? I don't know why you won't sing the first, haha!
Old McDonald - E-I-E-I-OOOOO!!! With a (insert pig noise) here and a (pig noise) there.
Ring around the Roses - Ashes, Ashes, DOWN! (falls down on the ground)
The Itsy-Bitsy Spider - Hand motions and all!

You are very independent and insist upon doing so many things yourself. Some of the things you love to do yourself:

Take off your diaper
Put on /take off your shoes
Use a fork and spoon
Throw things away (luckily it hasn't been anything important! ha!)
Push the shopping cart
Walk Prada on the leash
Buckle the carseat
Get in the bathtub
Say prayers
Teach your baby to use the potty
Read books
Color
Navigate the iPhone / iPad

You have become quite the little eater too! Some of your favorite foods are:

Bananas
Strawberries
Grapes
Blueberries
Rice
Broccoli
Mac n' cheese
Fruit snacks
Cottage Cheese
Greek Yogurt
ANYTHING sweet (chocolate, ice cream, cookies, candy)

Reading is still one of your favorite activities. Some of your favorite books are:

Goodnight moon
Baby's first words
Turtle's take their time, Rabbits really rush
First ABC's
First Numbers
First Colors
Anything "Elmo" (Sesame street)

I'll be honest, from about 10 months on you have NOT been a good sleeper. Up until this month (aka JUNE) you were waking up 1-2 times a night--usually around 4AM. Well, finally our prayers were answered and you started sleeping through the night! Let's just say this is one of my favorite milestones, haha!

We are working hard on potty training. You have been pretty good with only a few accidents but we aren't quite there yet.

You wear size 12-18 months (once in a while 24 months) a size 5/6 shoe.

You also started nursery and you LOVE it! You are so good and absolutely love playing with all of the kids! This makes church a lot easier for everyone :)

Hattie you are such a joy to have in our home. You are so kind and loving and always seem to be so concerned for others. You have a very sweet spirit and you teach us so much everyday. We love you very much and cannot wait to see what the next 6 months bring.

Breakfast in Bed

2011-06-20T22:07:00.000-07:00

In my Father's day post I had mentioned that I made Mr. Pack breakfast in bed. This was something I had never done before and thought it would be a fun surprise! I made him yummy homemade waffles and the BEST most DELICIOUS syrup recipe on the planet--it's more like caramel sauce and I mean, who doesn't love caramel sauce, right? Below are the recipes I used:

This is the first time ever using the "Special" plate! Sean and I made this
beauty together at Color Me Mine for our 2nd Anniversary. It was so much fun!
You can't see it but the inside of the plate is red with white polka dots :)

Waffles
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat waffle iron. Beat eggs in large bowl with hand beater until fluffy. Beat in flour, milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla, just until smooth.

Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Serve hot.

Buttermilk Caramel Syrup
from Our Best Bites
3/4 c. buttermilk
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 stick real butter
2 Tbsp. Corn Syrup
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine buttermilk, sugar, butter, corn syrup, and baking soda in a LARGE pot (I use a stockpot). Bring ingredients to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring very frequently, for 8-9 minutes. When it’s done, it should take on this luscious golden-brown color. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Enjoy!

Dd is for Daddy

2011-06-19T21:53:00.000-07:00

"It should have great meaning that of all the titles of respect and honor and admiration that could be given him, that God himself, he who is the highest of all, chose to be addressed simply as “Father.”" - A. Theodore Tuttle, "The Role of Fathers", Ensign, Jan. 1974, 66.

I feel so blessed to have married such a good man and I must say that my love for him grew ten fold once he became a Daddy. He is such a wonderful dad to Manhattan and she is definitely a DADDY's girl! She has him wrapped around her tiny little finger and I don't think he'd want it any.other.way. Sean makes so many sacrifices for us (especially sleep!) so that we can spend time as a family. He is has so many qualities that make him such a good dad: selfless, kind, loving, driven, patient, devoted, fun, caring, virtuous--he fills the shoes perfectly! Sean, we truly cannot thank you enough for everything you do to make our lives better. Happy Father's Day, you are one amazing Daddy!

WE LOVE YOU!

Hattie and Daddy Father's Day 2011

This morning Sean woke up to breakfast in bed (homemade waffles and syrup--recipes to come!) and when he came downstairs he found a new little surprise waiting for him...

A new golf bag!

I made these little collage frames for the Grandpa's

Speaking of Grandpa's...I also want to say Happy Father's day to both my dad and my father-in-law Lynn. We love you both! :)

Side note: Sorry these pictures are from LAST YEAR!!! UGH! Apparently I'm not good at taking pictures of anyone but Hattie. I will do better. Pinky swear.

And of course we are thinking of my sweet Grandpa Ayers today whose health is declining quickly.
Happy Father's day to all the men who have touched our lives in one way or another. We appreciate all of the examples we have too look up to!

Another year...another WINNER!

2011-06-18T16:04:00.000-07:00

For the second year in a row we decided to enter Manhattan in the Freedom festival baby contest. Well boy am I glad we did because...

SHE WON FIRST PLACE

in her age category! We of course are a little bit biased and think that she is just the cutest thing on the planet so it really doesn't matter if she ever wins or loses. BUT, it's always fun to win a time or two right? AND do you want to know the best part? We get to walk in the 4th of July parade again! We've already decided that we're going to up our ante and get a wagon and decorate it like crazy--we are weird like that. HA! Anyway, I didn't even think to take a picture of her before and didn't take my camera with us but luckily there was a photographer there that got some cute shots. Congratulations baby girl on being an all American girl!

Doing her "pose" haha!

2010 2nd Place Winner

Have your {CAKE} and {EAT} it too

2011-06-17T11:03:00.000-07:00

Photo from awhiskandaspoon.com

This is by far one of my FAVORITE cake recipes and I thought I would share it with all of you. The cake itself is SUPER moist and the CHOCOLATE frosting you may want to double so you have enough to frost the cake...because you will eat spoonful after spoonful waiting for the cake to cool! It is DIVINE!

Banana Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Recipe from Southern Cakes by Nancie McDermott

Banana Cake
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk (if you don't have any mix milk and 1 1/2 tsp of lemon juice and let sit for 10 min)
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana

To make the cake, heat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in medium bowl and stir with a fork to combine well.

In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar and beat well, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one by one, and then the vanilla. Beat well for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl occasionally until you have a smooth batter.

Using a large spoon, stir in half the flour just until it disappears into the batter. Stir in the buttermilk and then the remaining flour the same way. Quickly and gently fold in the mashed banana and then divide the batter between the 2 cake pans.

Bake at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cakes are golden brown, spring back when touched lightly in the centre and begin to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Cool for 10 minutes in the pans on wire racks. Then turn out onto the racks to cool completely.

Chocolate Frosting
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup evaporated milk or half-and-half
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

To make the frosting, combine the butter, cocoa and evaporated milk in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a gentle boil. Cook, stirring ofter for about 5 minutes, until the cocoa dissolves into a dark, shiny essence. Remove from the heat and stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat with a mixer at low speed until you have a thick smooth frosting.

To complete the cake, place one layer, top side down, on a cake plate and spread about 1 cup of the frosting evenly over the top. Cover the second layer placed top side up. Spread the rest of the frosting evenly, first over the sides and then covering the top of the cake.

A Date with Grandpa

2011-06-14T13:56:00.000-07:00

This year my Grandpa Ayers was diagnosed with both Alzheimer's and Cancer. It's been a rough road to say the least. Because it's taking such a toll on things my thoughtful cousin suggested all of the local "older" grandchildren go visit him for a few hours at least once a month. This is not only good for us but it also gives my Grandma a little time away from home.

Can I just say that I am SO GRATEFUL that Hattie and I went and saw him a couple weeks ago? I had no idea how much both diseases were progressing. Here was my Grandpa, the one who remembered EVERYTHING and read 5 books a week asking me simple questions over and over. And here was my Grandpa, who used to be so big and strong, looking aged and frail. It absolutely broke my heart.

Needless to say it was good to just BE with him. He adores Manhattan and although he probably won't ever remember who she is for more than 5 minutes at a time, she definitely knows that he is "Pawpaw."

Goodnight Moon

2011-06-09T20:57:00.000-07:00

Manhattan at 6 months old

Tonight my sweet Manhattan was having trouble going to sleep. I think it was a combination of a long day and a not so long nap. I let her cry for a little while before realizing that she wasn't going to go to sleep. I finished up my mopping, grabbed Goodnight Moon, and headed upstairs. When I opened the door she just lit up and immediately stopped crying--Mom's have special powers you know.

I took her out of her crib and we sat down in her rocking chair. We read through the nighttime favorite twice. Each time pointing to the mittens, kittens, comb, brush, and the little old lady whispering "hush." Rarely does she just she ever sit still so I was definitely soaking up this moment with my little girl.

After we were done reading, she proceeded to say "night-night" to everything in her room. "Night-night shoes." "Night-night bows." "Night-night piggy." "Night-night baby." "Night-night Prada." "Night-night table." "Night-night Mamma." Hearing her sweet little voice saying goodnight to her room just made me melt. I wanted to hold onto this moment forever and never let go. It brought tears to my eyes.

Soon the moment passed and she knew it was time for bed. I kissed her goodnight and closed her door. Realizing how much she is growing up is so bittersweet. Why can't I just stop time even just for a moment?

It's moments like these that I always want to remember.

Sous Chef

2011-06-08T14:50:00.000-07:00

I have the SWEETEST little helper in the kitchen! She is always so interested in what's going on so I usually just let her sit on the counter and watch. But the other night she was up for a bit more action! Not only did she help me measure, mix, and pour, but she felt the urge to do a little taste testing as well. Who can blame the girl? I do it all.the.time. And if you don't you're weird! Ha! We made the following recipe from Our Best Bites and it was divine!

Ooey-Gooey Peanut-Butter Brownies

3/4 C sweetened condensed milk, divided (fat-free is fine)
1/4 C butter, melted and cooled (1/2 stick)
1/4 C non-fat milk
1 box devil’s food cake mix (18.25 oz)
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
cooking spray
1 7 oz jar marshmallow creme (about 1 3/4 C)
1/2 C peanut butter morsels (not gonna lie, I used a very “heaping” 1/2 cup :)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

With an electric mixer, combine 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk, milk, butter, cake mix, and egg white. Mixture will be very thick. Spray 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Press 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom of the pan. Use either floured hands, or spray your hands with cooking spray in order to press it down without having it stick to your fingers. The layer will be thin. Bake for 10 minutes.

Combine 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk and marshmallow creme in a bowl and combine until smooth. Stir in PB morsels. No one will tell if you stir in some extras. Spread marshmallow layer over brownie layer in pan. Carefully drop remaining brownie batter by spoonfuls over marshmallow mixture. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool before cutting into squares.

Mommy and her clean helper

Are they done yet?

Shoe Fetish

2011-06-03T22:51:00.001-07:00

What could be cuter than a diaper paired with heels?

Absolutely nothing.

Feathering the Nest

2011-06-01T19:13:00.000-07:00

We recently hosted a baby shower for my cute sister in law Kylie. She is expecting baby girl Evalyn next month and we are SO EXCITED for she and Daniel!

It was so much fun to throw a shower with my cute sister in laws and mother in law. I think everything turned out so cute and the food was to die for! In only a few short months we will be hosting yet another shower for Halie who is expecting the very first grandson for the Packs! We cannot wait for these two babies to join the family!

Tubby Time with Daddy

2011-05-30T11:28:00.000-07:00

On the weekends Sean is especially helpful with Hattie. Because he isn't home a lot (full-time work and school) he always wants to go in and wake her in the mornings and loves to get her ready for the day. Getting her ready of course includes a bath. Hattie has bath crayons and Sean will draw pictures for her to her hearts content. I always laugh when I go in there to see what they've created. This is what I found one day...

Some very detailed Hieroglyphs

A Tree, A House and...

A Horse? Haha! :)

He is such an amazing father and husband and I appreciate him taking the time to help me out whenever he can. I love finding little things like this throughout the day that always bring a smile to my face :)

Finger Painting Fun

2011-05-25T15:13:00.001-07:00

For Mother's day I wanted to give both of the Grandmas something handmade from Hattie. Because she is still young, we are a little limited in our choices for crafts. I saw this idea on my cute friend Shawnee's blog and thought it was absolutely PERFECT for a busy little bee and a very OCD mommy. Finger Painting in the "tubby tub!"

Naturally there was a taste test. Yes, it was non-toxic.

I think she LOVED it!

Look what you let me do mom!

After she finished her masterpieces I wanted them to make more of a statement. I saw this idea here and thought it would a great way to complete the project.

See how good they turned out?! I was SO excited in fact that I didn't even notice Hattie had been creative and created a MUTANT HAND! I was nearly in tears when Mr. Pack pointed out her EXTRA pointer finger THE NIGHT before Mother's day AFTER they had already been sealed. The perfectionist in me wanted to die. The mom in me thought it was funny. Sort of. Oh well, that's how it goes sometimes, right? Plus, I knew my mom would understand. She would have to.

My child is not an Alien. Promise.

Cruisin'

2011-05-18T21:08:00.001-07:00

The date has officially been set! We are setting sail in July for a 7 night cruise to the Mexican Riviera and we are SO EXCITED! Sean and I have not really had a true vacation since Hattie was born and we are really looking forward to some time away! Now that it's booked it's really time for me to buckle down on the diet and exercise routine so I can bust out (vs. bust out of!) some of my Betsy Johnson bikini's! HAHA! Mexico we will see you soon. We are ready for some FUN in the SUN!

ELLEN

2011-05-13T13:58:00.001-07:00

This is pretty much one of the coolest things to EVER happen...

An Expectant Couple's Huge Surprise! - The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Yesterday Daniel and Kylie were on The Ellen Show! How crazy is that?! SOOOO AMAZING I tell ya!!! I seriously couldn't be any more elated. They so deserve every bit of this!

The Pack Clan decided last minute to throw a viewing party so we could all watch it together. It was so fun to see them on TV and see their reactions to everything. We laughed with them, cried with them and I even did a little jumping up and down. HA!

We love you guys and congratulations again!

Mother's are so Special...

2011-05-08T22:49:00.000-07:00

With a very special love. They watch us and protect us. Guide us and direct us, back to our home above.

My heart is overjoyed on this Mother's day. I feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity to be a mother. The calling came earlier than I had expected but I would not want it any.other.way. Being a mom is the most rewarding and most challenging role and I absolutely LOVE every minute of it. I will never forget the day I became a mom.

Looking at this picture brings back SO MANY emotions...

Dearest Mother, I Love You
LDS Children's Songbook; Page 206
Gentle words I hear you say.
Your kind hands help me each day.
You're my mother kind and true.
Dearest mother, I love you.

I don't think that I will ever be even half the mother that my mom is. She truly is a gem! She is charitable, patient, virtuous, kind, loving, generous and so beautiful inside and out. She is such an amazing example to me and so many others. I love her so very much!

I am also grateful for my maternal grandmother, "Grandma Sweetums." She is such a neat woman and I love her dearly.

Four Generations

And how could I not mention my paternal grandmother, "Grandma Much" She sometimes says some crazy things but she sure does love with her whole heart! Love her!

I have also been blessed to have married a man who was raised by such an incredible mother. My mother in law Janice has the most infectious smile and is so kind, caring and loving. She is such a Christlike example to me and I am so blessed to have her in my life.

Me and my girl on Mother's Day 2011. I LOVE HER :)

A GORGEOUS gift from the Mr.

Hattie and I also made a little Mother's Day gift for the Grandma's but they have yet to be gifted so those pics will have to wait until later.

Happy Mother's Day!

Hopping Down the Bunny Trail

2011-05-06T21:24:00.000-07:00

Part 2 of 2

We spent Easter Sunday with both of our families. Can I just say that it is SO NICE both families live within 15 minutes of each other?! What a blessing! Of course we had such a wonderful time with everyone and as usual ate way. too. much. We really like eating. Like a lot. And it's starting to show! HA!

Our first family visit was to Grandma Suzie's for brunch. As soon as we got there I told my mom everything had to wait until after we ate because I was S.T.A.R.V.I.N.G. This lady can't wait too long to eat or she gets SUPER cranky REALLY fast. Like .0258732 seconds fast. Mr. Pack can attest to my psychoness. We ate RIGHT after I took pictures of the food...I may have stolen 2 deviled eggs before they were even blessed. Shhh! Don't tell.

World's BEST Banana Cream Pie. Thanks Mom :)

After we ate I felt much better and agreed that we could move on to some other festivities. We all found our Easter baskets that the Bunny left us and then finished with a quick egg hunt (Hattie's second of three!) before church. It was here that Mr. Pack TOTALLY outdid me this year. I received a gift certificate for a 60 minute relaxation massage AND in the very last egg I opened (one of these eggs is not like the other...) I found a voucher (that he made) for me to redeem a 5-7 night cruise for the two of us! I was SO SURPRISED!!!! He is a total keeper I tell ya! I don't know how I EVER got so lucky.

Have I mentioned where Hattie's dress is from?
Deseret Industries (a Utah thrift store)
$2.50 for this little vintage gem! All of those savings earned her
a very pretty (and pricey!) headband to match! HA!

The timeless yet elegant
"Stand in front of a Pretty Tree and Squint at the Camera Pose"
Email me if you would like step-by-step instructions on how to achieve amazing results!

Now, I am going to continue BUT will break several cardinal rules of being a "Blogging Mommy" in the process...

I mentioned that we spent time with both families right? Well...I may have forgotten the camera to capture all the moments.
Cardinal rule #1: Always take your camera with you and take pictures of anything and everything. FAIL!
To help you through the rest of our Easter happenings I will now proceed to steal pictures from another blog to make my blog seem legit.
Cardinal rule #2: Never use another blogger's pictures to make your blog seem legitimate. FAIL! (But thanks Shara for the pics!)

After church we headed up to The Pack's which included much more yummy food (Salmon, Spinach Strawberry Salad, Amazing Strawberry Pie...yum!) more fun gifts from the Bunny (Princess Cookbook, a bunny, and a sunflower grow kit) and another Easter egg hunt (Hattie's third of three! and by this time I think she was a little burnt out, ha!) We also made a good attempt to get a cousin pic of the 3 girls in their dresses but of course MY child just wasn't having it. I think it's the age...she never, EVER sits still! (Do those child leashes work? Hmmm...)

Through all the candy, craziness and surprise cruises I want us not to forget what is most important about Easter: Christ.

What a memorable Easter it was for us this year.

Here Comes Peter Cotton Tail

2011-05-04T15:11:00.001-07:00

Part 1 of 2

Okay, so I am sick of Easter not being blogged so I am doing it. I am doing it with only some of pictures and the inability to create any picture collages because yep, you guessed it, FULL Mr. MacBook. Annoying! And it's my own fault...hmmm...I'm still blaming the MacBook...and you should too.

On Saturday evening we celebrated with our Ward. They put together a lovely evening complete with an Easter egg hunt for the kiddo's (Hattie's first of 3!) and a yummy dinner. Before dinner the Bishop spoke about the empty egg that was found during the hunt and how it represented the empty tomb. It just reminded us all of how He is RISEN and THAT is what celebrating Easter is all about. I loved that analogy and want to incorporate this "empty egg" during the hunt into our family traditions.

Okay STOP right there! Do you see the "Hattie" Bunny Basket? It's so cute, right?! I have to tell this story! So I procrastinated (gasp!) a little bit this year and hadn't found a sweater to go with my new Easter dress. So on Saturday afternoon before the party I went on the hunt to find one. My first stop was DownEast Outfitters. It honestly was meant to be because right there in the VERY FRONT of the store in a basket sitting on the VERY TOP of a pile of bunny baskets was THE HATTIE bunny basket. I was so beyond thrilled! I grabbed it, may have jumped up and down a little, and yelled to the cashier "This is my daughter's name!" She wasn't as excited as I was, which let me down a little, but VERY exciting nonetheless. Oh, and did I mention that the bunny baskets were on clearance for $2? (Insert more jumping and a little flailing of arms here)

Love how she holds it like a purse

Precious

On Sunday morning the Easter bunny came! As soon as Hattie woke up I pulled Sean out of bed and we all went downstairs to see what we got. **Disclaimer: Mr. Pack did get me an AMAZING Easter basket but no pictures are allowed to be taken of me on Sunday morning. Or any morning for that matter. The contents of the basket will be blogged about in post 2 of 2**

I made her bloomers to match her dress

Nothing is cuter than a ruffle bum.

To be continued...

Recipes and such

2011-04-30T13:45:00.000-07:00

First of all, the ONLY reason I have not posted about our Eater festivities is because our MacBook is FULL! How can it be full when it's less than a year old you ask? Answer: We take WAY too many pictures and on any given day I am too lazy to wait the 3 hours that it takes to back up our computer on the external hardrive. I may or may not be a little bit impatient.

Moving on...

I am by no means the chef in our home. I have an awesomely handsome Chef Sean that comes into my kitchen and whips together the most deliciously creative things in 5 minutes flat without the use of a recipe. He is amazing at cooking! I get a teeny bit jealous at his creativity in the kitchen but don't tell him I said that.
So you can tell my excitement when I actually put something together without following a recipe (line by line, measurement by measurement) that actually tasted good! So good in fact, that I wrote it down on a recipe card for future use! Don't judge me, I have "mom brain" and all of my memory brain cells went to my daughter.

I am so excited to present to you my one and only recipe:

Creamy Broccoli Tomato Sauce
2 cans 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
2 cans Italian diced tomatoes
1 bunch fresh broccoli
1 package fresh mushrooms
1 packet Italian dressing mix

Cut broccoli. Place in microwave safe bowl with a little water and microwave 6 minutes, or until tender. Set aside. In medium saucepan mix together cream of mushroom soup, tomatoes, and Italian dressing mix. Bring to boil. Add diced mushrooms and cooked broccoli and heat through. Serve on pasta of choice. (I put it over some cooked squash and it was SO GOOD!)
You can't have dinner without dessert right? Even better if you have your dessert before dinner (see picture below) HA! If you haven't made Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie, you need to today, like right now. It is SO much easier than it's cookie counterpart and SO YUMMY!!! It can be found here.
This cute little bug was sleeping while I was working away in the kitchen. When I went in to wake her up she turned over with a full hand print on her fore head. I thought it was so cute that (much to her dismay) I had to take a couple of pictures.

It had faded a little by the time I got the camera but her sad face is pretty cute to look at anyway.

Oh yeah. Here is Prada with her new do...

A little less homeless looking. Bless her heart.

Daddy's Caddy

2011-04-27T21:15:00.000-07:00

Daddy got new golf clubs and someone likes them almost as much as he does...

I know, I KNOW! Prada has since been groomed...

Pretty cute, huh?

S + A

2011-04-26T15:38:00.001-07:00

This has been on our vanity mirror for a couple months now and I can't seem to get myself to clean it off. It all started when Mr. Pack accidentally squirted some lotion onto the mirror, and counter and floors? (The lotion pump wasn't working so APPARENTLY you have to hit it several times in frustration in order to get it to work again. BOYS!) When I saw it later that day I thought it looked like one side of a heart. Instead of getting frustrated and wiping it off (because he didn't care enough to do so) I thought, what the heck? I'll make it special. Out came the eyeliner. The next morning, to my surprise, Mr. Pack had added a little more to it--with lotion, naturally.

What can I say? We kind of like each other :)

Elmo

2011-04-22T16:31:00.000-07:00

I never thought I would see the day that I would be writing a post like this. I always thought there is NO way MY child will EVER wear THOSE things. Well...I lied. There I said it.

For Christmas Manhattan received an Elmo doll. She loves him because you shake him and he talks. She thinks it's great! Soon after having him she learned to say his name, "Ellllmo." Well one day when I couldn't think of anything for us to do I put on Sesame Street. BIG OOPS!!! That's all she wants to watch now. Anytime she sees the television on she asks to watch "ELMO." Whatever makes her happy right? Wrong. Apparently it only gets worse. Keep reading.

My big girl watching Elmo

Dear Manhattan, STOP growing!

Earlier this week while getting some last minute Easter necessities at the store we passed the pajama section. Of course right there at eye level are some "ELLLLMO" jammies. I about died! What was I supposed to do? Just walk away? No. She would have a fit. Instead I gave them to her just to hold for the rest of our trip through the store. I thought FOR SURE I could just ditch those puppies down some obscure aisle and that would be then end of it. Well that's just what I did--right next to the Pillow Pets. Problem solved. Oh wait! Not two seconds later was she looking in the back of the cart screaming for precious Elmo. UGH! I thought those sneaky mom tricks worked. Apparently not. We had to go back to where I ditched the jammies, retrieve them from the VERY back of the shelf, and put them back into my little girls arms.

I bought the jammies.
She loves them.
I love them because she loves them.
And now we own our first set of character jammies. Now don't go all crazy on me thinking that I've turned over a new leaf. I'd be hard pressed to EVER find those light up shoes with Princesses on them in HER closet. But I lied once, who's to say I won't do it again. HA!

April Showers

2011-04-18T21:33:00.000-07:00

Me: "Erica, how does the saying go? April showers bring...?"
Erica: "A chance of rain."
Me: {Laughs uncontrollably}

Today it was raining a lot. Not a little. A lot. Like enough to fill a 5 gallon bucket with rain water in 10 minutes because your rain gutter is leaking (ugh!). A lot. So all this rainfall spawned the little conversation with my sis.

Two days a week she comes over to hang out with us until my mom gets done with work. I am so grateful! We have such a good time together--we are always laughing! Not to mention that I absolutely adore watching she and Hattie interact. Hattie is still working on names of family members but you better believe she can say one name loud. and. clear. "Erica."
We are so blessed to have her sweet spirit in our lives and can't imagine life without Erica.

Makeover: Laundry Room

2011-04-15T16:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay, so technically it's a laundry closet but room just sounds nicer. I can't wait to have a laundry room someday...but you get what you get and you don't throw a fit, right?
Anyway, I was really excited to do some no cost decorating and prove to Sean that you don't have to spend any money to improve things and make them prettier. I knew that I would have to start small so I took one look at my laundry closet and definitely saw that it needed a re-do. It was dusty and full of boxes and junk. NOT very pretty hence the reason for no before pictures...too embarrassing! In order to do this I basically went around my house and found a bunch of things that I already had and that were looking to be repurposed. Here's what I found:

the 3 glass jars
the washboard
the clothespins
the white wicker thing?
the picture frame
the wreath
the tin bucket
an old canvas
some leftover burlap from anther project

Quite a bit of stuff, right? And I know that you're asking yourself, "Who has a washboard just lying around?!" Umm...Me. I swear.

After that I knew that I wanted to add some type of "laundry art" that I could just print off. This lead me to The Graphics Fairy. Holy cow! I was instantly obsessed with all the images she has! You'll be lucky to find something that she doesn't have. If you need instant art for your home definitely take a look! There I found the cute laundry brushes that I put into the small frame. Cute and free? I'll take it!
Later on I had an idea to cover an old canvas with burlap and hang a picture from it. I found the blue Laundry print off of Spirk Space. She recreated a print that I have always loved from Ballard Designs and I got it for free! SCORE! She has tons of different colors too which makes it even better! Check out her other cute free printables too!
So after I got all of this stuff together I knew that the space needed more. It was just lacking. In comes the $$. Dang it! Oh well. I had seen on a couple of blogs some really cool bottles and I knew just the place I could find them! Sunflower Market! They have tons of different yummy sparkling lemonades and they are around $3 a piece. I of course needed 3 so there went $10. We drank up and then the Mr. helped take off the labels.
The room was almost complete. It needed something special. It needed a SIGN. If you have been in my house you know that I really like SIGN's. I can't help it. They make me happy. So off Hattie and I went to SIGN Heaven (Hobby Lobby) and we found the perfect one! And guess what?! It was the last one left and 50% off! BOOYA! $3.75 for that little beauty and the room err...I mean closet was D-O-N-E.
Here she is in all her glory! Haha!

So no, I did not succeed in NO cost decorating but in our house if it's $20 or less it's considered nothing (because when can you EVER find anything that is less than $20 these days?! Seriously.) So there :)

Lifesavers: Baby Products

2011-04-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

Well...there really isn't much to report as of late. We have all been sick in the Pack Clan the last little while and so life has been pretty boring lately. Poor Hattie has had horrible diarrhea and has the worst diaper rash! It is heartbreaking when she points to her diaper and says "OWEE!!!" Ugh! No fun! But through all this I have realized how many baby products that I love and that are true lifesavers in our household.

Product #1: The Diaper Genie II Elite Whether you have a newborn and are changing 5000 diapers a day or you have a sick toddler that you are changing all the time you need this in your nursery! It keeps all those dirty diapers in one handy place and contains all the nasty smell. I love this model because it has a foot pedal that opens the top and you just throw and go. So nice!

Product #2: Prince Lionheart Wipes Warmer When I was pregnant someone told me about these and I am so glad they did! It keeps the wipes warm and fresh and makes diaper changes a lot more comfortable for your little one. It uses a little anti-microbial pad that you get wet and put in the bottom and then your wipes stay moist and germ free.

Product #3: Boudreaux's Butt Paste This has been the best diaper rash cream. It's not sticky and goes on smooth and clears up the rash SOOO fast!

Product #4: Johnson & Johnson's Lavender / Oatmeal Vanilla Products

Let me tell you...these products smell YUMMY!!!! I love bath time because Hattie always comes out smelling divine! I love the both the shampoo and lotion because the smell lasts for hours and hours. There is nothing better than getting a whiff of a yummy smelling baby! Oh yeah, and don't skimp out and buy the store brand. I made that mistake once and don't like them nearly as well. The shampoo is watery and the lotion is runny. Johnson's is definitely the way to go!

Product #5: Baby Einstein My First Signs

I don't think Hattie would ever have her hair done if it weren't for this movie. HAHA!! I put in on in our bedroom in the mornings and she LOVES it! I love it too because she is learning! Around 6 months old we started teaching her some signs and now she signs quite a lot of words. It helps her so much to communicate her wants and needs. This movie not only reinforces the signs she already knows but teaches her the spoken words as well. It's wonderful!

Product #6: Infa Feeder This is probably the best all around baby product out there! It is truly a LIFESAVER for any of you busy moms out there. My BFF Amanda let me try hers one day when Hattie was being super cranky in the car. It worked wonders! Who knew you could feed your hungry baby on the go WITHOUT any mess?! You just put a jar of food in, screw the lid on, and let baby go to town. This has saved me countless times on long drives, road trips, and even church. If you have a baby that is starting rice cereal you need one these in your life! You can find them on Amazon.com. Love, love, LOVE this thing!

Spring Has Sprung!

2011-03-31T15:54:00.000-07:00

At the Pack home anyway...

Here are the springy things around our house that make me happy right now

My Easter decorations are up

My tulips are almost blooming

It's getting warm enough to swing

Easter candy is oh so yummy...and will be gone by tomorrow :)

I finally bought the wreath that's been keeping me up at night {you think I'm kidding? I've been looking at this beauty for months} it looks perfect paired with an old window I had {I know I'm kinda weird and like old used stuff} but now this duo needs a home...hmmm...

My Petunia bags came yesterday! Aren't they the cutest?! Perfect for spring

I absolutely ADORE this time of year and it never seems to last long enough here in Utah. Before we know it, it will be a blazing 100 degrees and too hot to do anything.

Happy Spring everyone! Hattie and I are going to the park now to watch Mr. Pack and the boys play tennis :)

California Dreamin'

2011-03-26T13:15:00.000-07:00

Over Sean's spring we headed out to California. The drive was long but we had so much fun visiting with Sean's Aunt & Uncle, Cousins, and of course Daniel & Kylie! We went shopping, to the pier, did a TON of good eating and went to the San Diego Zoo.

The first day we were there we there we went to the Fashion Island Mall. It was so pretty with some really fun stores. Inside there was a Koi Pond. Hattie couldn't believe all the fish! I couldn't either--they were huge!

The next day Kylie came to visit and we went to the pier and ate at Ruby's. It's this cute little place at the end of the pier with the most gorgeous view AND the yummiest milkshakes!

On the pier we even saw some dolphins swimming! It was so fun to watch them!

While staying at the Stinson's, Hattie was OBSESSED with going "up" (we are working on the word "outside"). They live on the water and she would sit at their back door constantly looking at it. She was so interested in the water and I'm thinking we will need to put her in swimming lessons this summer.

The next morning we took a drive to Corona Del Mar and Laguna Beach. GORGEOUS!!! In Corona we stopped at a little place called Rose's cafe for breakfast. They had the best breakfast burrito's!

Sean's cousins were so sweet and loved taking Hattie outside too. Here Hattie is playing with Chelsea.

Sean put her on the kayak much to my dismay...but of course she loved it :)

My baby is getting so big. Such a pretty girl.

Rod and Kris both adored Hattie and loved having her around. Everyday they would have her help them water the flowers and even bought her her own watering pail! How cute is that?!

That night we headed down to San Diego with Dan and Kylie. Funny story. We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel and when we pulled up it was 11PM on a Friday night. Well let me tell you, the club was BUMPIN'! There were so many people standing outside waiting to get in and of course it was right next to the valet. So here we are getting out with a baby in jammies and Kylie with her baby bump. All of us probably younger than several of those in line. SO FUNNY! It was like two different worlds had collided.

Once we got to our room I asked Hattie if she wanted to look out the window. We were on the 10th floor and when you looked out you could see the street below with all the lights and cars. I opened up the curtains and Hattie said, "WOAH!!" We all died laughing. She had never said it before and it was in perfect context--too cute!

We also had to get Hattie some milk so that she would go back to sleep. Kylie was nice enough to call room service for us and they brought up 2 big glasses of whole milk. When they brought it up, I told the guy it's probably the strangest request he's had in a while--he just laughed. HA!

The next morning we got up, went to breakfast and then headed to the San Diego Zoo. Unfortunately Dan couldn't join us because he was presenting a project at a Dental convention. He's kinda smart like that--go Daniel! Luckily though Kylie joined us and helped out so much with Hattie--THANK YOU KY!

Our first stop? The petting zoo. We probably could have stayed there the whole time--Hattie was obsessed! She kept running from goat to goat! HA!

The zoo is huge and there is just no possible way you can visit all of the animals. Here are some of our stops.

That night we went to a place called Hash House a go go. Sean had been there before and was super excited to take us there. Well...the pictures speak for themselves! The portion sizes were HUGE! Holy cow! And I must say that it wasn't my favorite dining experience. The boys loved it and I decided that it's a Man's restaurant-- the gigantic portion sizes of home cooked classics with a twist--what guy wouldn't love that? HA!

That is basically where our trip ended. The next morning we headed back home. Hattie did pretty well for both drives but I think we were all excited to be home. When we walked in the door I took Hattie up to her room and she pointed to her crib and started clapping! THEN she wanted IN her crib--I put her in and she hunched her bum up, snuggled her blanket then sat back up and clapped some more. I have to agree with her, nothing compares to your own bed.

We loved our road trip and can't wait to go back in July when Daniel and Kylie welcome their baby girl!

Upon the Shelf

2011-03-09T22:53:00.000-08:00

Remember that $5 shelf I bought at Saver's a few weeks back? Well, I finally got around to hanging it in Hattie's room! I was able to use existing things from her room to decorate it and I really like the way it turned out!

I guess I must really, REALLY like shelves to decorate her room...

Shelf #2:

Shelves #3 & #4:

Oh yeah, and see that gorgeous 16x20 of my baby girl? I found that frame at a yard sale and gave it a fresh coat of white spray paint to cover the NaStY gilded gold of another era. Then I took it to Hobby Lobby for the glass and mounting. I love how the colors in the photo match perfectly in her pink and green, all things girly, made for a princess room :)

Savvy Shopper

2011-03-08T15:09:00.000-08:00

Growing up I was a Nordie's kind of girl. Like father like daughter, right? Well, not anymore! I realized pretty early on after having Manhattan that dressing her had the potential to be VERY expensive. I've never really considered myself frugal but I am grateful that I am married to the "Deal King" and he has taught me that expensive doesn't always mean better.

This leads me to my latest shopping trip to Savers. Yep, you heard me right. The thrift store! I seriously can't get enough! Let me show you why:

From left to right:

Outfit #1:
Blue Tunic, Target - $3.49
Leggings (new) Old Navy - 2 for $12
Outfit #2:
Pink Tunic, Carter's - $3.49
Leggings (new) Old Navy - 2 for $12
Outfit #3:
Pink Shirt, Children's Place - $3.49
White Short, Children's Place - $3.49

From left to right:
Outfit #1:
Blue Dress, Gymboree - $2.75
Outfit #2:
Purple Dress, Gymboree - $4.99
Purple Sweater, Carter's - $2.99
Outfit #3:
Green Shirt, Janie and Jack - $1.65
Plaid Short, Target - $0.90

From Left to right:
Outfit #1:
Striped Jumpsuit, Target - $3.99
Outfit #2:
Pink Short, Carter's - $3.49
Khaki Short, Children's Place - $2.25

Now can you see why I love it?! These clothes are seriously {practically} brand new and super cute! It's fabulous! Now, don't get me wrong, I have to be REALLY picky and sometimes when I go I don't find a single thing. But I definitely think it's worth stopping in once in a while.

Want to know another thing that I do to save money and keep Manhattan's clothes in tip-top shape? I don't dry them. It may sound crazy but they keep their color so much longer and most of the time I don't have to iron them either, I just shake them out, and hang them to dry.

Hattie's Hair

2011-03-01T13:30:00.000-08:00

Hattie is getting quite a lot of hair! At times it is out of control and unmanageable but the other day I did this and thought it turned out so.dang.cute.

Do you like how I entice her with a movie and books? HA!

Without Bows

With Bows (of course!)

Say Cheeeeeeese!

Interiors

2011-02-26T20:29:00.000-08:00

I follow several design blogs to get fun decorating and storage ideas for my home. After reading blog posts here and here I knew that I needed this little beauty in my life--The Expedit Bookcase!

I couldn't stand the way Hattie's toys were piling up in the red bins and it was definitely time for a change. So the hubby and I went on an Ikea date and came home with one of my most favorite purchases in a long time. It holds all of her toys perfectly and keeps them so much better organized. I keep telling Sean that I want 5 more! HA!

Window Frame
I have had two old windows for so long and I've wanted to put pictures of Manhattan in one. Once she had her 1 year pictures I knew that they were the ones! I took it to Red Plum Designs in Orem and they did a fantastic job matting/framing it. I love the finished product! Now I just need to hang it :)

Fun Finds

2011-02-22T21:05:00.001-08:00

On President's Day Sean and I did a little shopping and we were both pretty excited with our finds. Sean got two J.Crew Sport Coats for less than $30 at DownEast! They are so perfect for him it was just meant to be--not to mention the fact that he could totally be a J.Crew Model {See Mr. Pack right} :)
Then I found a shelf at Savers for $5 that I want to spruce up for Hattie's room. The vintage kitchen scale and bird cage came from this little place in Lehi called Nook and Cranny. It is filled with TONS of cool stuff and a lot of junk too :) But they were having a 20% off sale and I got them both for $36. I was so excited!

Bath Bum and Beauty

2011-02-21T09:14:00.001-08:00

I have been wanting to take pictures of Hattie getting in the tub for quite a while. I've needed to replace the old pictures in her bathroom because they are way too similar and I'm tired of looking at them. One night I brought my camera up and did it! I think they turned out so cute {I must say, she has the cutest backside EVER!} Love my girl!

{Beauty Review}

I have seen many posts lately with peoples fave beauty products. They are all so fun! Sooo...I thought that I would follow suit and post some of my all time favorite things that I use when getting all dolled up.

-Bare Minerals Powder Foundation

I have used so many foundations over the years and this one is BY FAR my favorite. It goes on evenly, isn't cakey, and lasts all day. I love it because it's pure minerals and like the picture says, you can sleep in it...and I do all the time...shhhh...don't tell :)

-Acne Free Face Wash

I used ProActive for a long time but I got so tired of paying so much for such a small bottle. Then my brother's dermatologist recommended AcneFree and said that it is the exact same as ProActive but you get more for a lot less! I picked it up at WalMart and have been loving it ever since!

-MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study

I put this on my entire eyelid before applying my eyeshadow. It makes the color more vibrant and it keeps my shadow in place all day without rubbing off or creasing.

-CoverGirl Blush in Cheekers

This is a new found favorite. I was in need of some new blush and I read in COSMO that this is the closest shade to the infamous NARS Orgasm but ton's less ($26 vs $4). I picked this up and am loving it so far!

-Aveeno Positively Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in Medium

I apply this before bare minerals and it gives me the perfect "tan" without paying the price of wrinkles and age spots and it even has SPF 30. If you know me, you know that I won't go tanning and I use sunscreen/self tanner like it's going out of style. The reason(s): 1. I have faily light / sensitive skin 2. Melanoma runs in my family and I don't want cancer 3. I don't want to bring on wrinkles and age spots any faster than they will come :)

-Maybelline Great Lash Mascara

I have been using this little pink and green bottle since I was 12 and have never turned back. LOVE IT!

-Rusk Wired

I have naturally curly/wavy/crazy hair and I have to use product in order for it to do anything that I want. This is another thing that I have been using for years. I put this through my wet hair before I style it and it works really well and smells nice too.

-Paul Mitchell Freeze and Shine spray

I cannot say enough about this. It is my life saver! It smells lovely, keeps my hair in place but still manageable, and it doesn't give that nasty film or flakes that some other hairsprays do. I can't live without this stuff!

Now tell me, what are some of your favorites?

Momma's little helper

2011-02-15T21:11:00.000-08:00