Brandi's Baby Shower

 Brandi's shower was like 2 and a half months ago,and I am just now posting the pictures.  I know I know....I'm doing bad.  Any who, the shower turned out really cute.  The theme was "Little Man/Mustache" theme.  Baby Austin is already here and was born April 9th.  He is healthy, and a true blessing.  Here are some pics of the decorations.  Sorry no group pic of all of us girls.

Spot Be Gone

We had this really bad stain in our hallway.  It was a really old stain too.  Well, I got tired of looking at it, so I tried a Pinterest carpet cleaning solution.  You see the results below.  It got out an old stain that had been there for what seemed like forever.  You can't beat that with a stick.  See below what to do if you have any stains.  Definitely try it because it works!!!!!!!!!!

Before

After

Dampen the stained spot.  Sprinkle with baking soda, and wait 10 minutes.  Vacuum the spot.  Make a solution by mixing 1 tablespoon of dishwashing soap, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, and 2 cups of warm water.  Sponge on the carpet, and blot until stain disappears.  I will confess that I didn't blot the stain.  I scrubbed it.  It seemed like the stain was gone before I even put the water solution on it.

 On a side note, if you have a fresh stain, sprinkle salt on it as soon as the spill happens on your carpet.  The salt will absorb the liquid.  Just scrub it a little, and pick up the excess salt.  Vacuum and  VOILA!!!!!!  A clean carpet.

Weekly Menu

Monday:  Memorial Day, so we ate out.

Tuesday:  Dirty Rice with Roasted Aparagus

Wednesday:  Chicken Breasts, Au Gratin Potatoes, and Green Beans

Thursday:  Family Night

Friday:  Shrimp ala Scott...aka...Turned Up Shrimp Scampi

Fruit Salsa

I made this for a fish fry/bbq this past weekend.  It was soooooooo good.  I had it for the first time about 5 or so years ago at my wedding shower.  It resurfaced again at our baby shower.  I tried making it myself, and it was just as good.  Scott even liked it! ha!  Definitely a must try.  Will be very good for any gathering this summer.

Fruit Salsa with Baked Cinnamon Chips


Ingredients

2 kiwis, peeled and diced

2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced

8 ounces raspberries (I didn't have any raspberries, so I used pineapple)

1 (16 oz) carton of strawberries, diced

2 tablespoons white sugar (more or less to taste)

1 tablespoon brown sugar (more or less to taste)

3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor (I used strawberry)

10 (10 inch) flour tortillas

melted butter or butter flavored cooking spray (I used melted butter)

Cinnamon sugar:

1 cup white sugar

2 Tablespoons cinnamon

Instructions

1.In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.

2.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3.Coat one side of each flour tortilla with melted butter or butter flavored cooking spray. Sprinkle tortillas with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Spray again with cooking spray (not necessary if using melted butter).

4.Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture. This salsa can also be serve with cinnamon graham grackers or cinnamon pita chips. Best when made and eaten the same day otherwise the fruit gives off so too much juice and it gets runny.

18 Months Baby, Baby!

Today Kendall turned 18 months. Man, what a milestone!  She loves being outside, so we spent quite some time outside this Memorial Day.  Scott and I got ICEEs, and they were soooooo good.  Kendall thought so too.  Kendall also discovered the joy of playing with things other than her toys can be quite fun. 

This Icee is amazing!!!!

Borderline brain freeze

"Ok, I've had enough!"

"Just a little bit more."

"That's enough for now."

"Hey mommy, got anymore?"  lol

Here are some more pictures of Kendall just playing.  She is just soooo stinkin' cute!  Gotta love this kid!

 Kendall found these sticks on the patio and had a blast with.  All these toys she has and she chooses to play with two sticks.  Definitely a country girl.

Weekly Menu

Organization is an ongoing trait that I'm trying to tackle and possess.  With that being said, I have planned out our weekly meals.  We are trying to be sure to eat things that Kendall can eat as well to cut back on having to make two meals.  Here is this week's menu:

Monday:  Smoke sausage, macaroni and cheese, and roasted asparagus (Kendall loved the smoke sausage and mac and cheese is one of her faves!)  After dinner, we had a family stroll around the neighborhood. 

Tuesday:  Spaghetti, sweet peas, and corn....Kendall will love all of this tonight

Wednesday:  Baked chicken wings, greens beans, and sweet potatoes

Thursday:  Family Night, so we will be going out somewhere

Friday:  Soft Tacos

Stay tuned for next week's menu.

Baby Mason is on the way!!!!!!!!!

My friend, Tan, is due June 15th.  We are all awaiting Baby Mason's arrival.  I had a little dinner for her at the Big Orange last week to celebrate.  We decorated the table, so it would be festive.  Everything turned out so cute.  Here are some pictures of the table.



The table all decorated for Tan



The place setting

Individual cakes that spell out the baby's name.  Brandi made them and got so many compliments.

Marshmallow baby rattle pop (I made these), Fanta soda with a diaper on it, "Tan's about to Pop" favor bag that included, Pop Rocks, Popcorn, Tootsie Roll pops, and Cracker Jacks

Tan

Tan, Telischa, Devae, Brandi, and Me

Happy Mother's Day!

I know this post is late, but hey, I'm a busy mommy.  This is my 2nd Mother's Day, and I feel soooooo blessed.  Kendall is the greatest gift from above.  She can always put a smile on my face.  When she says the word,"Mommy," my heart fills with so much joy.  She is just amazing!  Motherhood can have its challenges at times, but I wouldn't have it any other way.  Thank you God for the gift of motherhood, and for trusting me with this precious life.  Here just some random pictures of me and my baby girl.

My Mother's Day gift from Kendall that she made at daycare

 





I just love this saying! 



More Memphis Pics

                      

    Kendall in the car waiting to get to the next place

            The Memphis/OKC game....Memphis won!

                         The family at the game

       Kendall touching a horse on Beale St. after the game

Juicy Juice

Scott and I decided to join this juicing craze.  We have read that drinking the juice of fruits and vegetables can help prevent certain diseases, make you feel better and have energy, plus helps you lose weight.  We got an Omega® Vertical Masticating HD Juicer.  It was amazing to me to see the pulp in one container and all the juice in another.  Our first juice surprise was a Hurricane of sorts.  It consisted of Kale, strawberries, oranges, grapes, pineapple, and celery.  It was pretty good.  It did leave a little celery after taste, but I like celery so that was fine with me.  I plan to drink a juice concoction once a day.  I can say that I do feel more vibrant and full of more energy.  I don't know if its just my mind playing tricks on me, but I can feel the energy burst.  I will keep you posted on how this juicing craze continues here in the Dismute house. Stay tuned!!!!!!!

Our juicer during our first juicing

The Juicer

The first glass of juice

The Zoo Experience

This past weekend, we went on our first family vacation.  We went to Memphis, Tennessee, and had a blast.  The main attraction that we looked forward to was taking Kendall to the Memphis Zoo.  It was a first for all of us, so we were all excited.  Kendall was so cute!  The funniest thing was when she called all the pelicans, cranes, penguins, and all the other birds "Ducks," and all the other animals were "Dogs."  Here are some pictures from our experience at the zoo.  Memories were definitely made!!!!!!

 

 

 

Kendall getting ready to go into the zoo.  Cool Mama!

 

A White Tiger

A Bengal Tiger

Leopard

Puma

Cheetah

 

Kendall looking at a Hippo

Kendall pointing at the Hippo

Kendall staring at the Hippo

The Hippo

Penguins

Pelicans

Chimps

Panda Bear

Kendall looking at the Gazelles and Ostriches

Kendall pointing at the Gazelles

Kendall and Mommy

Kendall in the aquarium

Kendall looking at the Seal

Kendall pointing at the Seal.  "Where's he going?"

Kendall in a concave window looking for the Seals

Family Pic

Aren't they cute?



Two brown bears playing with each other




Playing chase

Yaks

A giraffe family: Father, Mother, and Daughter

The Giraffes eating

Elephants



Kendall and daddy looking at the elephants



Kendall doing her famous point

Zebra

Kendall the Gorgeous Giraffe



"Hello!"

"Hey Now"



Ain't I the cutest Giraffe ever?

Gotta Love Me!

Flamingos

The King of the Jungle and his Lioness

"Ok, it's time to go!"






"Bye, Zoo!"