Kid Behind the Blog: November Interview

1.  What are three things you are thankful for?

I am thankful for my Mom, Dad and Truman.  I am thankful for food, for running, for music and race cars!

2.  What is your favorite food served at Thanksgiving dinner?

Stuffing balls are my favorite!

3.  If you could be President for one day, what would you do?

4.  How many feathers does a turkey have?

WAC: Six. Wait, Mommy... do they have five feathers?

Me: Their entire bodies are covered in feathers!

WAC: Well that would be one hundred feeeaaaathers! 

5.  Who is your favorite person to spend time with during the holidays?

My family!

A Thankful Heart Series: Part 3

For today's A Thankful Heart post, a list of things I am thankful for!

The love and saving grace of Jesus
My crazy ball of energy + my handsome hubby

A full pantry

Our vehicles

Our home

Hot water

Washing machines

Chick-fil-a

HEB, Target and Kroger

Shoes

Laughter

A sense of humor

Paper towels

Music

The Bible

A comfy bed + pillow

Sunrises + Sunsets

Public playgrounds

Friends

My husband's job

Good health + health care

Pei Wei

Online shopping {read Amazon.com!}

Family

Encouragers

Text messaging

Airplanes

Starbucks

Our church

Nap time

Bath time

Foot rubs

A good book

Having access to good schools and learning programs

Just a snipet of a huge list of things that I am thankful for!

And in case you missed it:
A Thankful Heart Series: Part 1 
A Thankful Heart Series: Part 2

If you'd like to be apart, click the image above and join the link up on sharing your thankfulness!

Thanksgiving Turkey Treats!

With Thanksgiving around the corner and because we signed up to provide desserts at Winston's class Thanksgiving feast, I turned to Pinterest for some inspiration on yummy treats that he could help me make. 

We scrolled through the options together, these cuties caught his eye and the decision was set!  I made a few modifications to the recipe + instructions, went to the grocery store to gather everything needed and that afternoon we create our turkey treats!

Thanksgiving Oreo Turkeys

makes approximately 24

1 package of Double Stuffed Oreos

2 package of Flips Chocolate Covered Pretzels

1 package of Candy Corns

1 package of Candy Eyes {found in the baking aisle}

1 large package of Milk Chocolate Chips

2 Tbsps of vegetable oil

I did a little big of prep work before bringing Chef Winston to the kitchen!  I put the candy corns and eyeballs in little bowls, lined a baking sheet with wax paper and set up the turkey feathers.  I also melted 1 cup of chocolate chips + 3/4 Tbsp of vegetable oil in the microwave in 30 second increments.  It took about a minute to melt the chocolate.  {Note: one cup of chips will cover about 12 Oreos.}

Winston and I both had a good time making our creations!  He really got into making sure each turkey had a beak and two eyes!

Winston did a very thorough job when it came to covering the Oreos in chocolate.  Swishing the Oreo in the chocolate proved to be a fun toddler activity!  I will say that we were both covered in chocolate when it was all said and done.  But then again some of the best times are the messiest times!  :) 

After the Oreos are dipped in chocolate, quickly set them on the trio of pretzels and then decorate their faces.  Once the tray is complete, set it in the fridge for an hour or so for the chocolate to set.  

Winston loved running to the fridge to check on his turkeys while they were cooling!  And he was super proud to take them to school to share with his friends and teachers.  Plus, these make great a great dessert {or snack} for Thanksgiving Day!

A Thankful Heart Series: Part 2

This November, I will be participating in A Thankful Heart Series. 

one || Houston & The Great State of Texas

{Winston was 18 months here!}

I have called Houston, or a suburb of it, home the majority of my life.  I grew up here, went to college here, worked here, met and married my husband here and my son was born here.  I have been afforded many fabulous opportunities because I have been in Houston: great jobs, access to fabulous theatre, museums, sports teams, concerts, the zoo, shopping, and unique sights!  There are so many diverse parts to Houston, it is easy to find something small or big to get out and have an adventure!  

My husband and I moved to Dallas weeks after we were married and we cherish that time in our lives with fond memories.  Being less than three hours away affords us the opportunities to visit and enjoy that city as well.  San Antonio and Austin are also close driving distances each providing fun family activities for weekends away.  

Houston will continue to be our home for many years to come as we continue to set down roots with my husband's job.  I am thankful that my Dad's job moved us here over 25 years ago when I was four.  Thank you Lord for the obedience of my parent's to follow Your leading for their future.  For this is where mine will take place as well!

two || Winston's Creative Spirit

Ever since Winston was tiny, I made an effort to do crafts with him.  What started out as a way for us to create home made gifts for family members has turned into a creative spirit within him!  We built our home with an additional room for the purpose of being a craft area/wrapping area.  It has been one of the best things we did!  Almost daily, I get to hear Winston say, "Let's go to the craft room!" and his little feet patter up the stairs.  We do everything from simply coloring, cutting and gluing paper to more planned and thought out activities like canvases and paintings.   Winston knows Hobby Lobby and Michael's well.  He enjoys picking out a new pack of stickers or a fun mini craft for us to create together.  

I truly believe that we were designed after our Creator's heart with a desire to create and have fun while doing it!  In doing crafts with Winston I have learned that not everything is going to be perfect, but it is going to be amazingly special because he made it and he had fun while doing it!  Teaching Winston how to use crayons, markers, scissors and glue has allowed him to express his creativity in imaginative ways!

Winston loves to help with any project we are working on together.  He likes to be in the action.  Because of this, Benjamin and I have made efforts to teach Winston how to do things.  Sometimes it makes a 10 minute project take 20 or 30 minutes but it is worth it to see him enjoy himself!  {Don't worry, there was not actually any spray paint left in that can!}

Benjamin loves woodworking and Winston loves being in the garage in the evenings with him.  He plays on his tool bench and creates towers and ramps out of wood.  With patient anticipation, I cannot wait to see what the two of them create together as Winston gets older!

And in case you missed it:
A Thankful Heart Series: Part 1 

If you'd like to be apart, click the image above and join the link up on sharing your thankfulness!

A Thankful Heart Series: Part 1

I just love November!  The weather begins to turn cooler, the air a bit crisper.  November's arrival signals that Thanksgiving is around the corner and just behind that is Christmas and the New Year!  I often view November a time to really be intentional about being thankful.  It's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the routine of the year and I love that towards the end of the year we are given this opportunity to ponder and reflect on what we have.

This November, I will be participating in A Thankful Heart Series.  I thought today I would start with two things that are my everything.

one || Jesus, my Lord and Savior

I would be remiss if I did not say how thankful I am for the freedom that I have in knowing that Jesus Christ died for my sins and that through accepting His gift of salvation I live a life that is full of joy!  Loving the Lord and following Him does not guarantee that I have an easy life or a life free of challenges and hardships.  What it does guarantee is that I have a peace and comfort that is beyond anything that this world can offer.  It guarantees that I do not face the day alone, that I have God beside me to lean on and trust in.  He has provided for my every need; He has given me more than I could have hoped for.  He is my rock and my constant help.  It is to Him that I give my thanks and praise! 

two || My People

I cannot put into words how thankful I am for my people.  When I think about how Benjamin and I we trusted God and allowed Him to write our love story, I am overwhelmed by His goodness and how He fulfills the desires of our hearts.  Having the honor of being Benjamin's is one of my top five favorite things.  We compliment and challenge each other, we grow and learn together, we argue and disagree and through it all we love each other with a fierce and devoted love.  We created a new little unit and eight years later still enjoy every day adventures together!

Then Winston was added to our family!  I am thankful for what he has taught me about being a mom, loving others, appreciating small things and taking time to really experience life.  He is full of personality and abounds with love!  A soon we will have Truman in our midst!  Plus, we have our cute little fur baby, Lulu! 

We have much to be thankful for!

If you'd like to be apart, click the image above and join the link up on sharing your thankfulness!

Sarah + Abraham Thanksgiving Give-a-way

Now, one thing you must know about me is that I come from a long line of plate lovers.  I'm all about having a set of holiday plates for every holiday, season and occasion.  It could be labeled as a "condition." But like my mother and her mother before her, I look forward to busting out the cute dishes each season adding a bit of festivity to the table.  And when I say plates - I mean, plates, bowls, cups, serving platters, anything needed to make a meal cutesy and complete!

Enter Sarah + Abraham with their adorably sweet products!  They have personalized pillows, dish sets, lunch boxes, puzzles, iphone cases and on and on.  I came across them a little while ago and fell into love with all they have to offer!

These fancies caught my eye:

Their entire line of Thanksgiving platters is just precious!  With designs for all tastes, when picking out the one I am going to get myself, I decided to get one for one of you, sweet readers!  So visit the website, pick your favorite and fill out the rafflecopter below!  ...And we'll have it to you in time to use for all the festivities that fall time brings!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Images from Sarah + Abraham.  Sarah + Abraham do not know who I am and are not sponsoring this give-a-way.  It's just a little something for you from us!

One Little Turkey

This Thanksgiving we had much to be thankful for including this little turkey:

And in case you're wondering, yes, I put my child in a roaster with a hat that looks like a turkey on his head.  Cruel?  Nah... It makes for a delightful picture!  Don't you agree?

Want a turkey hat of your own? hat

Thanksgiving Day!

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

Hand {and Foot!} Made Turkey

Little baby hands and feet are just too cute for words!  Since this was Winston's first Thanksgiving, I got a creative|crafty hair and decided to make cards for the family.  I knew I had made turkeys out of my hands when I was little and thought it would be a good thing to do with Winston's small hands.  So together with Benjamin and our magical Silhouette, Winston "made" his first craft!

What you'll need:

colored construction paper

googly eyes

glue

scissors

red puff paint

orange puff paint

5 x 7 note cards

envelopes

To start, we traced Winston's hand and a socked foot onto a blank sheet of paper.  Benjamin then scanned them into the computer and imported them into the Silhouette software.  We then let the Silhouette do all of the cutting of the little feet and fingers.  This was much easier than me cutting them out by hand with scissors!

Then I took the body and added two googly eyes so that our little turkey could see!  A beak was created by cutting a small triangle from orange paper and glued under the eyes.  Then with the red puff paint, I drew the gobbler.

To make Turkey Lurkey pop, I put a bright piece of construction paper beneath the hands on the blank card.  Using four different colored hands, I glued them to the green paper creating the feathers.  Then I glued the body on top of the hands and voila! a little turkey is formed!

There was something missing as I looked at the little guy and after staring at it for a few minutes it hit me... LEGS!  With the orange puff paint, I gave Turkey Lurkey some legs and wrote a greeting above his head.

The inside of the card read this:

This little turkey made with Winston's hands and feet

wishes you a Happy Thanksgiving full of love and lots to eat!

And because this was made on a 5x7, it also fit nicely into a frame for a great keepsake to put out year after year!