Annual Trip to Santa Cruz 2014

Hello my wonderful readers! Happy New Year's Eve! So this December marks 3 years since I met my husband and we went on our first date. Each year at this time we go back to the place that we had our first date, Santa Cruz, we eat at the same place, go kiss in the same place we had our first kiss and we go to the wharf and sit where we sat and talked all day that day. This year we took Penelope back to our places with us and she saw the ocean for the first time, it was so much fun. 

 Here are all three of us at Kianti's, where we always go to eat. 

 

Here we are at the wharf. She wore her cute little peacoat and pink furry boots, so cute!!

This is the best picture so far we have taken of the three of us, Penelope is so cute and looks just like her daddy. This is my 250th post on my blog!! See you in 2015!! Loves.

Bouncing Baby #29 - Penelope's First Christmas

Hello my wonderful readers. This year was Penelope's first Christmas and man was it a busy one. We realized having a baby is a lot harder when you have to go to four different Christmas' at four different places. We started out on Christmas Eve, we had brunch with my mother in law at her house for my husband's side of the family, then we had dinner that evening at my grandparents for my dad's family Christmas and our traditional walk down Christmas Tree Lane, Christmas day we had at my parent's house with just them and my brother, my sister in law and my niece, and last we had my mom's side of the family Christmas on the Saturday after. Good thing Penelope does well in the car because we were in it a lot. Here are some photos from all the Christmas'.

Above is Penelope with her first stocking at grandma's house. Below is the three of us at my mother in laws.

Above is her in front of my grandparents house with me after walking down Christmas Tree Lane. Below is Christmas Day and where she spent most of the day in her swing when someone wasn't holding her haha.

Above is her Christmas outfit. Below is the three of us on Christmas Day.

Above is her getting some books at my aunts house the Saturday after Christmas. Below is my husband and brother with Penelope.

It was a good first Christmas for Penelope. Hope all of you had a good Christmas! Loves!

Recipe Time - Peppermint White Chocolate Cookies

Hello my wonderful readers!! Merry Christmas Eve!!! It has been awhile since I shared a recipe with you, that's due to the baby I haven't had a lot of time to cook anything that I haven't already told you about before. But the holidays have got me a little time with my husband home and me to cook some simple things. I saw these cookies on Pinterest and had to try to make them. 

Ingredients:

1 roll Pillisbury peppermint sugar cookie dough, chilled (my store didn't have peppermint flavor so I used regular sugar cookie dough)

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

2 cup white chocolate chips

2 teaspoons canola oil

2 crushed candy candy canes (if you want more you can choose more)

                                                    

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets or I used non stick pans

2. In a large bowl, crumble up the cookie dough and add the flour and peppermint extract, mix in really well

                                                     

3. Mix in 1 cup of white chocolate chips

4. Make 2 tablespoon size balls and lay them out 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets.

5. Bake for 11-14 minutes

6. Allow to cool 2 minutes then move to wire rack to cool completely 

7. In a microwave safe bowl, put 1 cup of white chocolate chips and the canola oil, microwave in 30 second intervals until its smooth

8. Drizzle over the cookies and sprinkle with the crushed candy canes

9. Enjoy this holiday treat!

These were a hit with my husband and family! I loved them, hope you do too! Loves. 

Bouncing Baby #28 - Newborn Photos

Hello my wonderful readers. We decided to not have professional newborn photos taken to save a little money so we took them ourselves. They don't look as professional but we love them. I thought I would share a few with you. 

She went through a few outfit changes and these were taken within a couple weeks of each other. We learned that you can't do a whole lot of photos at a time because they don't cooperate very well haha. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do. We did take some Christmas ones too, those will be in a future post about her first Christmas. Loves.  

Bouncing Baby #26 - What's in my Diaper Bag?

Hello my wonderful readers. I guess I got a little out of order on postings since this is 26 and the last was 27 oops! haha I couldn't have a baby without doing a "what's in my diaper bag?" post.

In our diaper bag we have wipes and diapers obviously, a changing pad that matches our diaper bag, a little toy, some target bags for dirty diapers if there is no place to toss them when we are out, baby powder, nighttime baby bath soap and lotion(for if we are somewhere overnight), a pacifier with a cap on it, a comb and brush, diaper rash cream, an extra set of strap covers for the car seat (in case she spits up on hers in the car), pacifier clip, hand sanitizer, socks, baby shampoo, lotion and body wash (daytime formula), two hats, formula (in the container you pre measure into), receiving blankets, burp cloth and a Winnie the Pooh rattle. 

I also have this first aid kit, shown below, in there and it has everything.

Also I throw my wallet, phone and keys in when I go somewhere and we also have an extra onsie for her in case of an accident if we are going somewhere longer than a couple hours and a bottle with water in it ready for formula.

She also has a blanket over her in the carrier when we go out, since it is winter, so we don't carry that in the diaper bag. 

 This is our diaper bag, it came from Babies R Us, we got it as a shower gift. It has so many pockets for everything you can think of, also it has straps on the two sides that you can attach it to the stroller with, which is handy. 

Hope you enjoyed this quick What's in my Diaper Bag post. Loves. 

Bouncing Baby #27 - Penelope's First Thanksgiving

Hello my wonderful readers. Penelope's first holiday was Halloween, since she was born 4 days before, but her first holiday she saw all the family was Thanksgiving. She looked so cute in her little ready to gobble outfit that her great aunt Jill got her. We had a wonderful time with family at my parents house. 

 Below is everyone at the table at my mom's for dinner. Above is our beautiful niece, Sophia. 

 Above left is my parents with Penelope, and right is them with their two granddaughters. Below is my brother, sister-in-law and niece. 

 Above is Penelope with Great Grandma Mettler and Great Grandpa Campbell. 

 Here is Penelope with my mom showing off her cute little Thanksgiving outfit. :-) Hope you think she is as cute as I do. Loves.