Santa Baby

Today was a very productive day! First we started off by eating some delicious breakfast at the famous Cracker Barrell. Like, seriously, delicious but it should come with a warning that even thinking about this restaurant can probably make you gain 5 lbs. So after we ate breakfast we headed to the mall to get some Christmas shopping done. We didn't really have anything particular in mind, we were just going to wing it.

First though, Santa was at the mall.

If your like most people, you will look at this picture and say "Aw, I can't believe he is smiling in the Santa picture! Aren't most babies scared at this age?"

I am very proud of how nice the Santa picture that I actually bought turned out. But it wasn't all smiles the whole time. My beautiful friend Sasha was along for this great adventure and I asked her if she would snap some behind the scenes photos. Here is your backstage look at how the Santa photo shoot really went down.

Getting ready to meet Santa!

"Hi Santa, nice to meet you! I've heard some really great things about you!"

Caden is just checkin Santa out at this point

Now he is making sure Mommy isn't too far away

Just checkin out his surroundings

"Hmmm" I think Santa is starting to look a little suspicious to Caden

"My what big, fluffy hands you have"

"Momma, I feel like I've stepped out of my comfort zone!!"

"Please come get me now!"

"No, seriously! I want down!"

"Mommmmmmmaaaaaaa!!!!"

"Oh! Thank goodness!"

"That was a close one"

"Thanks for the hat Santa!"

"Ya know? He wasn't that bad after all!"

Great Offer

So, there is this magazine that I love, well...there are several magazines that I love and subscribe too but this post is only about one of those magazines. This be the one

Good ole Parents magazine, I was first introduced to this magazine in my OB's waiting room and then accidentally received a subscription just for buying clothes at Motherhood Maternity. Okay, it wasn't really an accident, I was duped. They told me to sign this "thingy" and receive free issues of Parents magazine. "Well shoooooot! Why not?!" Ahem, several months later, a charge appears on my bank statement for a subscription that I never asked for, they gave it to me!!!! So I called them and told them that I didn't feel it was fair and I shouldn't have been charged this measly $20.00 for a magazine I didn't want in the first place! I let them have it, the charge was taken off. All smiles! Until I missed the magazine, it had such good articles on all sorts of cool things. And reviews on things to buy for babies and children. Yada yada yada, I'm weak, I gave in, I subscribed for 2 years. Whatever, don't judge my weakness for magazine subscriptions that I didn't even know I had until it went from Parents to Real Simple to Lucky to Us Weekly, ohhh the list goes on. Anyway, this post is all about Parents Magazine. And I think I just proved that it really is awesome.

It has really cool things in it for Moms and Moms-to-be! Really cool things like this...

Really useful health information on things like thermometers, apparently ear thermometers are easy but aren't the best way to go if you want the most accurate temperature of your young one.

And tips on how to make the Holidays your own, more memorable and meaningful for you and your family. Start your very own traditions!

And things for Momma herself!!! Because sometimes we need something for ourselves, I personally forget about my own self sometimes, but for good reason.

Perfect for this time of year, gift guides! I need help, I don't have time to be creative!

Soooo, there you have it. All of the reasons why Parents Magazine should be coming to you once a month. Well I know that subscribing costs money and it might not seem worth it for a magazine that you might not even read. So I am here to give you a nice little Christmas present. Kind of...Parenting Magazine sent me a thing in the mail saying I could give a subscription to a friend for only $5.00! $5.00 for a one year subscription! Well the most exciting thing about it is, I am going to pay for it. I will pay that whopping $5.00 so you can enjoy this magazine yourself, and maybe get a new subscription once this one is up.

Problem is, it is only for one person so I need you to help me out on deciding who gets this offer. All you have to do is, become a follower of this blog if you aren't already. Then, just leave me a comment telling me how sweet and wonderful I am for offering this to someone! Just kidding, you just have to tell me what YOU want for Christmas, like...what's at the top of your wish list. And tada! The magazine could be yours. I will do a drawing from all of the comments, and choose who wins. Now, I don't have many followers and I don't even know if anyone except for my grandparents really reads my blog but it's a good way for me to find out!

So get to following and commenting and I will announce the winner by Wednesday or Thursday, depending on how many people have chosen to participate! Good luck!

Rachel

messy, messy baby

Last night I was home alone with Caden and I decided to cook him a gourmet meal. I started off by cooking some Barilla Plus pasta, which if you haven't tried it, please do. It is a multigrain pasta in case you aren't in to the whole wheat pastas. This pasta is extremely healthy and has crazy things in it like lentils, oats and even flaxseed. It tastes JUST like regular pasta. Then a cooked up some ground, Jenny O turkey and got some low sodium tomato sauce. Put all of this together with a little bit of fresh, shredded parmesan cheese. We both loved the meal. I am loving how now, we can share food with each other. Caden doesn't really like to be fed anymore, he likes to feed himself, and who ever is sitting next to him while he is eating. Needless to say, it was a mess, a big mess. One that I didn't even really have the energy to run him up to his room, undress him and give him a bath. Instead, I stripped him down and put him in the sink. He loves the sink, and I I took some pictures so you can see this big boy bathing in the sink.

"what's this?"

"hmmmm, lemme see here..."

"are you sure about this?"

"ALRIGHT! I'm in! Let's do it!"

"I know, I'm pretty cute"

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, much love!

Caden's First Thanksgiving

I would like to first start off by saying that I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving with Family and Friends. I would also like to start this post off by sharing a picture of Caden playing with his lion. This particular picture is for my Grandparents across the pond, I want you to know how much Caden loves his lion.

Thank you Nana and Poppa

Bellow are a few of the many reasons why I love Thanksgiving....

Giant pots filled with...

Delicious mashed potatoes!

Dinner rolls....oh how I love thee

Turkey for everyone!

Wonderful women like this that slave away in the kitchen for hours, making delicious food

I love how the family comes in town and we are all under one roof

or outside on the patio

My cousins spending quality time with my son

Watching these two pester each other

Even though this happens at least once a week, it's always fun watching Caden and his Mimi play together

Watching Caden eat his first Thanksgiving meal

Watching him, watch everyone else

Watching two brothers enjoy the day together playing video games...

Having "fine" plastic ware wrapped all fancy in paper towels with a paper ring around it...

Having everyone love the Christmas Cookies I brought/made for dessert

How we get to start decorating for Christmas!!!

As for what I am thankful for........

Caden Joseph Giles

Gift giving

As Christmas approaches, I continuously think about what I am going to get everyone. Usually I am really good at this and most of the time I think I'm pretty creative. This year....not so much. I have been searching gift guides like crazy! But thank goodness I have been looking at all of these gift guides because then I would have never found these...

I am Oh so in love. These classics have had a makeover! But back to that original classic look. I have always been an avid book reader, I have cut back since Mr. Caden has come into my life but my love for books still lives on. My mom has the Kindle, which is basically like an iPod for books instead of music. She can literally download a book from anywhere if she wanted. I personally love holding a book in my hands, and the smell, and the fact that you can put them on a shelf when you are done reading them and BAM before long you have your own little library. The ONE good thing I do love about the Kindle is...most books, even hardcover, new releases are only $9.99! Whhhaaatt??? So just because I want pages I have to pay twice as much?? Alright, at least I get to keep it forever and ever. Eventually, when we get our own place I want a library with a reading chair and everything! Okay okay, not likely. I will take a nook in a room somewhere, I just need a decent size bookshelf.

Not only am I at a loss for what I to get for everyone else. I have no idea what I would like for Christmas. Honestly the only person I have any ideas for is my 10 1/2 month old son, only because that is easy for me, he loves anything that he can chew on and makes noise.

Oh so about those beautiful books, I found them in my Real Simple magazine but you can order them online here for only $20.00!

Much love and hopefully your holiday shopping is going better than mine!