Disney Couples

Next month my husband and I celebrate our sixth anniversary!  Depending on where you are in your own relationship, you may think that I am still a baby learning the ropes, or a seasoned pro.  Honestly, there are some times that I feel like both (when are you officially not considered a "newly wed" anyway?)  All I know is that I am still head-over-heals in-love with my husband, and that's enough for me.  

Ok, enough with the gushy "newly wed" talk...

Last year we celebrated our anniversary at Disneyland!  That place is truly one of "The Happiest Places on Earth."  I'm a such a kid at heart!  

I created this printable to help us remember how wonderful our time at Disneyland was (as if anyone needs a reminder about how awesome that place is.)  Have I told you how much I love Disneyland yet?

I really believe that everyone's love story is as special and magical as any fairy tale.  So, your name definitely belongs beside all of these Disney couples too!

 

Do you love this lamp as much as I do?
I followed this tutorial when I made it.  Such an easy DIY project!

Thanks for stopping by!

You can purchase your personalized Disney couples printable here at Puddle Design on Etsy.

30th Birthday Celebration

The hubs just recently turned the big 3-0!!  I can't believe it!  Sometimes I still feel like we should still be in high school, but then I actually see high school kids, and I realize how incredibly loud and obnoxious many of them are.  Was I ever like that?  Maybe I am getting old...

With this being such a big birthday, I decided it would be fun to throw him a surprise birthday party.  I secretly love planning parties, so I figured this one would be no big deal.  Oh, boy was I wrong!  Throwing a surprise party for someone that you tell everything to, and spend all of your spare time with, is tough!!!  Geeze!  I had no idea what I got myself into.

Lucky for me, my parents were in town that same week, so they were able to babysit, or help decorate, or let me use their car, etc.  I wouldn't have been able to pull it off if they hadn't have been in town!  Thanks mom and dad for visiting!  The timing couldn't have been better!

I could go into detail about how I was able to keep everything a secret, and all the running around I did the day of the party (stress!!!), but I won't bore you with the details.  So, here are some pictures of the festivities instead :-).  Maybe they can help inspire you for your party planning!

Happy 30th Birthday!!

There were three tables set up, and on each of them was a vase full of one of my husband's favorite candies (Reeses, Kisses, and Peanut Butter M & M's -- he's kinda a chocolate guy).

In addition, there was a picture frame with a photo from his growing up years, and a 1984 random trivia sheet that I put together.  Did you know that in 1984 (the year he was born) the fastest street legal car was only tested at 144mph?  And that the cost of a postage stamp was $0.20?  Random... 

I had this awesome idea to have an original Nintendo set up on one side of the gym, and a current game system set up on the other, but the hubs showed up to the party almost an hour later then expected (a lot of hair pulling was happening on my part while we waited...), so we didn't really have time to play many games.  But it was a good idea, right?

We also had giant Jenga, just because it's fun.  I mean look at that!  How can you not have fun while you play!? 

This was one of my favorite decorations.  I would have wanted to put more pictures up to make the numbers thicker, but we didn't have time (that's a whole story in and of itself.  Lot's of things didn't go as planned.  Have I mentioned that I was super stressed the day of the party...?)

And of course we had to have the hub's favorite food group: PIZZA!

The diabetic coma inducing-peanut butter-chocolate-cake that I made for dessert.  This thing was ridiculously delicious, but also ridiculously rich!  You needed a gallon of milk with each bite.  My peanut butter and chocolate loving husband sure loved it though!

(For the cake, I followed this recipe from the amazing blog Kevin & Amanda.  It's seriously one of the best blogs!  You should check it out.)

I also made a Boston Cream Pie from scratch, but it wasn't even worth taking a picture of... I probably will never make another Boston Cream Pie again.  Just sayin'.  

See what I mean by rich?!  That's a chocolate cake, with chocolate chips inside the cake.  Then topped with a peanut butter butter cream frosting, all covered in Reese's Peanut Butter cups.  Phew!  You can almost get diabetes just looking at the picture!

Yeah, trying to plan and execute this was pretty stressful at times, but seeing the smile on the hub's face when he walked into the room full of his family and friends made it all worth it!  He is the most amazing husband (and 30 year old!), and I only wish that I could have done more!

Happy Birthday, babe!  I love you!!

Need a special invite for your party?  Check out Puddle Design on Etsy!

June Cards

We have made it half-way through the year!!  I can't believe that I have been able to stick with my new years resolution this long!  This is a new record for sure.  How are your resolutions coming along?  I am ashamed to admit, but this may be the only one that I have been able to keep.  Usually I forget about them, and slip right back into my comfortable routine.  It's amazing what happens when you are held accountable to other people.  There's my little piece of advice for the day :-)

Anywho...

Here are the June cards.  I love how they turned out!  The card I made for my husband for Father's Day is by far my favorite one to date!

The hubs turned 30 this month!!  I was actually able to keep all my planning for his surprise birthday party a secret, which was kind of a minor miracle.

So, I remember when Pokemon first came out.  Does that make me really old?  I can't believe that it is still huge with the kiddos!  My nephew just turned 7, and he is OBSESSED with Pokemon.  "Gotta Catch 'Em All!"

For my dad.  He's a pretty simple guy, so nothing but a simple card will do.  

Curious about the "R"?  I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and we believe that worthy men are able to hold the Priesthood, which is the power of God here on earth.  Want to learn more?  Visit mormon.org  

I am in LOVE with this card.  Probably because I am head over heals in love with the man that I made it for.  Each hand is the actual tracing of mine and my children's hands.  Yellow for me, pink for my daughter, and blue for our new baby boy.  

Life is SO good!  Thanks for stopping by today!

May Cards

May!!!  We have come to my birthday month!  I'm gonna tell you all a little secret: 27 sounds so much older then 26.  Is that weird?  It's only 1 year for goodness sake!  Some days I still feel like I should still be in high school, but then I remember that I have 3 kids, and I actually have to act like a grown up most of the time.  Life's tough for us big adults :-).

Anyway, sorry that it took me so long to get these May cards posted.  I have been feverishly planning my husband's surprise 30th birthday party (more on that later!), and some things have gotten pushed onto the back burner.  It's a good thing Mother's Day and these birthdays didn't happen at the end of the month, these cards may have not been finished if that were the case.  Dodged a bullet on that one!  

Thanks for following along with me and my New Year's resolution.

 

I am a sucker for all things daisies!

It's a bird!  It's a plane!  No, it's Super Mom!
I really do have the best mom.  Ever!

Freezer Meals

Have you noticed how "in" freezer meals are right now?  It seems like everyone is creating Pinterest boards chalk full of recipes that claim to be "The best freezer meals ever!".  Or they explain "How to make 50 freezer meals in one afternoon!"  Blah blah blah...  I don't have time to take an entire afternoon and cook, so I don't have to do any cooking later.  But I was curious about many of the freezer meal recipes that I found, so decided to give them a try.  

Before my little guy arrived, I wanted to jump on this little freezer-meal-band-wagon and give it a go.  But how was I supposed to find recipes that would be easy and that my family would actually like?  After lots of looking I found 3 "freezer meal" recipes that sounded good, and seemed really easy to make, but honestly I was a little skeptical about.  But I also included 5 recipes of my own that I thought might work as freezer meals.  The recipes that I created actually turned out to be our favorite :).  That's probably because I was able to cater to our pasta and cheese loving family.  Who doesn't love their carbs and gooey cheese, right?  So, if you're running out of ideas for freezer meals, think of some of your favorite regular meals and do what you can to turn them into "freezer meals".  It worked for us!

I grew up in a big family (8 kids, 5 of them being boys), so my mom taught me how to cook for the masses.  This is a habit that I have had a hard time getting out of my system.  I don't know how to cook for a family of just 2 adults and 1 toddler, so inevitably we always have leftovers.  Each of these recipes could easily feed a family of 4, so you can adjust the ingredients accordingly.  Or, you can do what I did: follow the entire recipe as listed, eat half for dinner that night, then freeze the other half.  Not only does it save you on the cooking time (you only have to cook once...), but you also already know that you like the meal, and will look forward to eating the rest later.

These recipes are listed in order from our favorite to our least favorite.  (sorry I didn't get pictures of all the completed dishes...)

Here's a quick tip before you get started:
- write the cooking directions on the tinfoil or plastic bag before you put the food inside.    

Ok, let's get to those recipes!





Pizza Pasta
olive oil
1/2 onion - diced
1 package pepperoni - diced
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 regular can tomato sauce
1 can black olives - sliced
2 Roma Tomatoes - diced
1 tsp Italian seasoning 
salt and pepper to taste
16 oz box pasta (we like Rigatoni the best) 
1/2 bunch chopped fresh basil (can substitute dried basil, but fresh is MUCH better) 
1-2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

1.  In a large pot/pan brown onions in olive oil
2.  Add pepperoni and cook until almost crispy
3.  Meanwhile, boil a large pot of water and cook pasta until al dente, making sure to reserve about 1 cup of the starchy water.
4.  Add vinegar to pepperoni to scrape off all the yummy stuff from the bottom of the pan
5.  Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, olives, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and 1 cup of reserved pasta water
6.  Simmer 2-3 minutes
7.  Add cooked pasta to sauce
8.  Add basil
9.  Add as much cheese as you want to make it extra cheesy and delicious 
10.  Eat immediately or pour pasta in a 13"x 9" foil pan, cool, cover with foil, and freeze.

When ready to eat: thaw and cook at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.   



Baked Chicken Chimichangas
2/3 cup picante sauce or your favorite salsa
1 tsp ground cumin 
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 cup cooked chicken - chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 green onions - chopped
8 inch flour tortillas
2 tbsp butter - melted

1.  Mix together chicken, salsa, cumin, oregano, cheese and onions.
2.  Place about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture in the center of each torilla
3.  Fold opposite sides over filling.
4.  Roll up from bottom and place seam side down on a baking sheet.  If wanting to eat immediately, brush with butter and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

-Or-

Roll up from bottom and place seam side down on a baking sheet.  Freeze for about 30 minutes, then place chimichangas into a gallon size freezer bag.

When ready to eat: thaw, place chimichangas on baking sheet, brush with butter, bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  

Buffalo Chicken Chile Mac and Cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into small bits
1 large carrot - chopped
1 large onion - chopped
3 ribs celery - finely chopped
4 garlic cloves - finely chopped
1 tbsp paprika
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 to 1/2 cups hot sauce (depending on how hot you like it)
1 15 oz. can diced or crushed tomatoes
1 pound whole wheat elbow macaroni 
1-2 cups of your favorite cheese
2 scallions - thinly sliced

1.  Place a large pot over medium/high heat, add olive oil, once pot is warm add chicken and brown them.
2.  Add carrot, onion, celery, garlic, paprika, bay leaf, and salt and pepper.  Cook veggies, stirring frequently until tender.  
3.  Add chicken stock and scrape up any brown bits from the pot.  Add hot sauce and tomatoes, and bring to a bubble.  Simmer for 8-10 minutes.  
4.  While simmering, cook pasta until al dente.  Once cooked, drain the pasta and toss into the chicken mixture.  
5.  Transfer everything to 13"x 9" casserole dish.  Sprinkle with cheese and place under broiler for 2-3 minutes.  Sprinkle the chopped scallions over the top, serve and Enjoy!

-Or-

* If wanting to freeze: place the mixture in foil casserole dish, allow to cool, cover with cheese, cover with foil and freeze.  When ready to eat: thaw, and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.  Sprinkle chopped scallions over the top of the cooked casserole, and enjoy!



Chicken Enchilada Casserole 
2 (12 oz.) cans cooked chicken chunks 
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 small can green enchilada sauce
2 cans diced green chilies 
1 small onion - diced
1 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
2 lbs. grated cheddar cheese (or any cheese mixture of your choice)
24-30 corn tortillas

1.  In a large bowl, mix together everything but the cheese and tortillas.  
2.  Layer in a 13"x 9" casserole dish starting with the chicken mixture, then cheese, then tortillas, chicken, cheese, etc. ending with chicken mixture.  
3.  Cover with remaining cheese and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes until bubbly and brown 

-Or-

* If freezing, cover with foil and freeze unbaked casserole.  When ready to eat: thaw, remove foil, bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. 

Cheesy Potatoes and Ham
1 26 oz bag of hashbrowns
1 10.5 oz. can cream of chicken soup
1 10.5 oz. can cream of celery soup
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
2 cups cheddar cheese
4 green onions
2 cups cooked cubed ham
Salt and Pepper
Corn Flakes crushed

1.  Mix together all the ingredients except the corn flakes.  
2.  Pour into a 13"x 9" casserole dish, sprinkle with cornflakes and bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes.  

-Or-

* If freezing, pour into foil casserole dish, cover with foil, and freeze.  When ready to eat: thaw casserole, sprinkle corn flakes over casserole, bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, remove foil and bake 15 more minutes.   

Cheesy Garlic Chicken
http://organizerbyday.blogspot.com/2013/11/20-crockpot-meals-under-20.html?m=1
2 large chicken breasts
2 Cans cream of chicken soup
1 Can cheddar cheese soup
1-2 tsp garlic powder
2 T butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients in gallon freezer bag and freeze.  

Day of cooking: grab from freezer, pour all contents into crock pot and cook on high 3-4 hours or low 6-8 hours. Can be served with angel hair pasta or mashed potatoes. 



Chicken w/ Pineapple and Rice
http://www.dollopsofdiane.com/2013/04/crock-pot-freezer-recipes-chicken.html?m=0

4 boneless chicken breast halves

1 can (14 oz.) pineapple tidbits in juice, undrained

3/4 cups finely chopped carrots

1/2 cup each chopped sweet red peppers and green peppers

1/3 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cups chopped green onions

2 cups of chicken broth

Combine all ingredients in gallon freezer bag and freeze. 

Day of cooking: grab from freezer, pour all contents into crock pot and cook on high 3-4 hours or low 6-8 hours.  Serve over rice. Sprinkle with sliced green onions.  

Cilantro Lime Chicken 
http://freezermealsforus.com/2013/01/cilantro-lime-chicken-by-amity/

1 ½ lb diced chicken
2 juiced limes
1 bunch fresh cilantro chopped
1 16oz bag frozen corn
2 minced cloves
½ red onion chopped
1 t. cumin
Salt & pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a gallon sized freezer bag. Freeze.

Cooking day: Thaw. Cook on low in crockpot 8 hrs or on high 4 hrs. Serve w/tortillas & your favorite toppings (sour cream guacamole cheese)

April

April was a slow month in the homemade card department.  But busy in every other department!  Being a mom of two is a lot harder then just being a mom of one!  Especially when you have a busy (and potty training) two year old to run after.

Anyway, here is my lonely single card for the month of April.  It was made for my older brother who is pretty much a soccer star.  He has been on many semi pro teams, and is seriously one of the best soccer goalies I have ever seen (and that's not just a proud little sis talking.)

One thing you can't see in the picture, is that I made this card to open left handed.  He is a proud lefty, so I had to make the card with the open side on the left instead of the right.  I hope he appreciated it :)

  

Doing good so far with my resolution!  Bring it on May!

March cards

Phew!  March was a busy month.  But I still got all the cards done that I needed.  Hooray!

My nephew is absolutely OBSESSED with Legos.  I couldn't help myself :)

My dad is pretty much a musical genius.  He would definitely know just by looking at this that it was the birthday song.  

Well, that's it for last month.  Now onto April!

How are your New Years resolutions going?