Weekend Recap

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend! Friday started out with B's party at school.  As you can tell by all the dried frosting on his pants, he had a great time.

 Saturday was the first nice day in a while. It actually felt like summer was on its way.  We ran errands, wore short sleeves, and went out for a sushi/Thai dinner.  B was excited about the weather.  I loved his bright pink summer polo.

 Easter Sunday we woke up and decorated eggs.  B loved all the bright colors.

 Then he found his Easter basket.  He loved his ball and car the most.

We filled B's basket with lots of snacks, books, bath crayons, a new ball, a race car, and a new shirt.

 Later that afternoon we snapped some quick pictures before heading out to my friend Jaime's house for Easter dinner. I love B's pastel pink polo.  Real men wear pink.

 We had a great time at Jaime's house.  Brayden and Cole had so much fun playing around.

 Hope you have a great week!
xoxo,
Jen

Weekend Recap

With the Hubs being sick, we didn't do much this weekend.  I decided that Brayden needed new shorts and PJs since the weather is finally warming up.  So we headed to BabyGap.  They have so many cute things right now for Spring.  Check out these cute PJs and fun shorts.  B looks so cute in everything!



After the Gap, the Hubs needed to rest, so I decided to get B out of the house (so that the Hubs could actually get some rest!) and wander around Target.  I love all the Spring stuff that they have out right now.  I especially love this dresses and sandals.  And of course, they have cute shirts for B too!

Hope you had a great weekend too!  Happy St. Patty's day from our little leprechaun!

Target by jennifer-frisk featuring wedge heels

Wedge heels / Xhilaration Juniors Strapless Zip Back Fit and Flare Dress Assorted... / Cherokee® Boys' Long Sleeve Button Up Shirt : Target

Cookie Monster Cookies & Milk Birthday Party

Last month my little man turned 1!  We were so lucky to have so many of our friends and family celebrate with us.  Since B loves cookies and Cookie Monster, it was easy to pick a theme.  Besides, who doesn't love cookies?!  The party had kids and adult beverages (Sangria), lots of snacks (Chick-Fil-A nuggets, YUM!), and of course, a cookie and milk bar!  Below are some pictures to show how this party came together.

xoxo,
Jen

Birthday Boy!

Happy Birthday Banner (Etsy)

Banner made of monthly pictures of my little man (I made this!).

Cookie Monster Centerpieces (Cookie Monsters- Etsy)

I already had the bucket, so the centerpiece was easy to pull together.

Part of the Cookie Bar

(Cookie/Milk Jars- IKEA, Mason Jars- ACE, Straws- Etsy, Bucket- Target)

High Chair Banner (Etsy)

Take home bags for the cookie bar.  (Custom Labels- Etsy)

YUM!

Favor Bags (I made these myself!)

The "older" kids having fun decorating their own cookies.

Smash Cake!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Its been WAY too long since my last post.  Things have been so busy, that I just haven't been making the time to blog.  However, I felt that I needed to share our wonderful Thanksgiving day and meal with everyone.  I'm thankful for so many things, but this year, I'm most thankful for my perfect little man Brayden.  We're so blessed to have him in our lives.

The other day, the Hubs and I were watching Food Network and the Sandwich King was on.  He made this incredible looking recipe called the open faced turkey stuffing patty.  Originally, we were just planning on picking up Boston Market and having a simple, low key Thanksgiving for just the 3 of us.  However, after seeing this recipe, we ended up cooking all morning!  This Thanksgiving was special because it was Brayden's first, and the Hub's and I's first time not traveling or hosting anyone.  Although we missed our family, it was really nice to have a holiday all to ourselves.  I've listed the recipe (we decided to leave out the cranberry sauce) and our pictures below.  Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

xoxo, Jen

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon
• 2 cups Old Fashioned Turkey Stuffing, recipe follows
• Canola oil, if needed
• 12 fresh sage leaves
• 8 ounces leftover turkey meat
• 1 cup leftover turkey gravy, heated through
• 1/2 cup Simple Cranberry Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

Cook the bacon in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until extra crispy, about 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined-plate to drain and reserve the fat in the skillet.

Meanwhile pack a 1 cup dry measure tightly with a 1/2 cup of the Old Fashioned Turkey Stuffing. Dump the stuffing onto a baking sheet and press down into a 4-inch-wide-cake, using a flat spatula. Repeat until you have 4 patties.

Heat the reserved bacon fat in the skillet over medium heat. Carefully lay 2 patties in the skillet and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes each side. Transfer the patties to a plate and repeat with the remaining 2 patties.

Add oil to the skillet if needed. Add the sage and fry, about 30 seconds. Transfer the sage to a paper-towel-lined-plate using a slotted spoon.

Divide the turkey meat onto each patty and pour gravy over top. Crumble 1 crispy bacon slice over the turkey. Dollop with the Simple Cranberry Sauce and garnish with the sage.

Old Fashioned Turkey Stuffing:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing
• 3 large loaves white bread, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• Oil, for cooking
• 4 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, or turkey stock made from giblets
• 2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
• 2 large eggs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 14-by-9-inch baking dishes. Arrange the bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until lightly browned, about 8 minutes.

Heat some oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter, celery and onions and cook until the vegetables are lightly browned and translucent. Set aside to cool.

Add the bread cubes, celery mixture, broth, seasoning and eggs in a large bowl. Mix well until moist and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Divide between the 2 prepared baking dishes. Bake until the top of the stuffing is slightly crispy, about 40 minutes.

Simple Cranberry Sauce:

• Two 14-ounce cans cranberry sauce
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch ground cinnamon
• Pinch kosher salt

Add the cranberry sauce, orange juice, ginger, cinnamon and salt into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, stirring often to incorporate flavors, about 15 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and cool. Yield: 2 cups.

At The Current Moment...

I was reading through my daily blog lists and came across this post on Love Lipstick and Pearls blog.  I thought it was so cute and decided to take a stab at it.  Its basically an update on your current status of books, food, life, etc.  I've listed mine below.  I'd love to know how mine compares to yours!

xoxo, Jen

Current Book:
Not that I've had time to read lately, but this book is downloaded on my Kindle and ready to go!  I love Emily Giffin and can't wait to start reading her newest book; Where We Belong.

Current Playlist:

Anything on BPM.  I'm also loving Whistle by my boy Flo Rida (its so catchy!)

Current Color:

Still loving Mint (see my post here).  I'm also loving Hot Pink.  Gotta take advantage of the last few weeks of summer colors!

Current Food:
Chips/Salsa/Guac from Taqueria del Sol

Current Favorite Shows:
Big Brother, Project Runway, RHONJ, Teen Mom (don't judge)

Current Needs:
Essie Mint Candy Apple nail polish, J.Crew chevron cosmetic bag, a cute game day dress for FSU!

Current Triumphs:
Recently got promoted at work

Current Banes of My Existence:
Mine and the Hubs travel schedule, my alarm clock, Brayden's teething, my manicure not lasting more than a week without chipping.

Current Celeb Crush:
Ryan Reynolds :)

Current #1 Blessing:
My boys <3

Current Indulgence:
Cursing the Hubs for buying a box of these at Publix, but I love it!

Current Outfit:
Cute Maxi Dress and Bubble Necklace

Current Excitement:
The Hubs to come home from his business trip, Double Date with great friends on Friday (plus Brayden), Bid Day on Saturday for my sister (Go Chi-O!).

Current Mood:
Tired (staying up too late writing this blog!)

Current Favorite Quote or Verse:
Hmmmm, can't think of one :(

Current Wish List Items:
In addition to what was already listed above for "current needs"; cute sweaters for Fall! (see my post here)

Current Favorite Product:
My new Studio Careblend Pressed Powder by MAC

Vacation!

This past weekend, the Hubs, Brayden and I met my BFF, her Hubs, and her 2 cutie-pies Sadie and Owen in Jekyll Island.  This was the first time that I met Owen and Andrea met Brayden.  We had a great time!  Its definitely different going on vacation with kids.  The days of the Hubs and I throwing a bag in the car and only stopping once for 10 minutes along the way are OVER.  I don't understand how one little man can have so much stuff to bring for a long weekend.  When we arrived at the Jekyll Island Club, I instantly felt bad for the valet guy.  He packed up all our stuff and told us he'd bring it to our room.  The Club is an old, charming place with lots of stairs.  Even if you take the elevator, you still needed to take a flight of stairs to our room.  After unloading our room, and Andrea's room, I think the guy wanted to quit!  Below are some pictures from our weekend :)

xoxo, Jen

Row 1:  Jekyll Island Club, Round of golf for the guys, Family stroll, Future golf foursome, Andrea and Sadie

Row 2:  Mommy and Brayden, Andrea Sadie Jen Brayden, Daddy and Brayden, Family pic after the pool, Out to dinner

Row 3:  Mommy and Brayden, Brayden and Owen (only 4 months apart!), Rowlson Family, Ice Cream snack, Matching pedicures for the girls

Row 4:  Fun in PJs, Interesting people in CVS, Antique Shopping, Car ride home

Brayden Cole

Our little man is 7 months old!  Time is flying by.  I decided to take a break from my normal fashion, style, and food posts and dedicate a post to our cutie.  Brayden is growing up so fast.  He has 2 teeth and is showing signs (TONS of drool) of more to come soon.  He eats all of his fruits and vegetables.  We've recently started incorporating "dinners" (chicken and rice, etc.) and a little juice into his diet.  He's sitting up like a pro and can push himself up into the crawling position.  He can't crawl just yet, but can shimmy himself backwards and around in circles.  He's full of giggles and loves to babble on and on.  We had professional pictures taken last month by the talented photographers of Graceology.  They came out great!  Check them out below as well as a few pictures we took tonight for his 7th month.

xoxo, Jen