Preciado Family Blog

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2012-02-08T02:28:00.000-08:00

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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins!

2010-10-25T00:44:00.000-07:00

The MUFFINS!

It's fall, and I really would prefer summer, but I'm adjusting, and everything pumpkin sounds delicious! Decided to make pumpkin cream cheese muffins because I had all of the ingredients already in the house (well-- I thought I did, but I was 1/2 cup short on the flour, so I had to go to the store!). Here is the recipe and lots of pictures...

It makes 24 muffins.

Filling:

8oz. of cream cheese, softened (It's one package from the box)

1 cup powdered sugar

Muffins:

3 cups of flour

1.5 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp baking soda

4 large eggs

2 cups of sugar

1.25 cups vegetable oil

Topping:

1/2 cup sugar

5 tbsp flour

2 tsp cinnamon

5 tbsp cold unsalted butter, chopped into pieces

Pumpkin seeds (optional- I used one small package)

Make the filling ahead of time! It needs to be in the freezer for at least 2 hours. Combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a medium sized bowl until smooth with a mixer. Put the mixture on a piece of saran wrap and make a 1.5 inch log. Wrap it again in foil, and stick it in the freezer.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (making the mix and filling the tins etc, to me a lot longer than it took for the oven to preheat, so you don't have to preheat it right away). Line 24 muffin tins with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients with a whisk until mixed. In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the muffin ingredients on low-medium speed until blended. With the mixer on low, slowly mix the dry ingredients in, just until they are incorporated.

For the topping, mix all of the dry ingredients except pumpkin seeds until combined. Then, add the butter in with 2 forks or a mixer until crumbled. Keep it in the fridge until ready to use.

Fill the muffins tins just enough to cover the bottom (1-2 tbsp). Slice the log of cream cheese fillling into 24 equal pieces. Place a piece of the filling in each muffin tin. (I didn't leave mine in the freezer long enough to slice it, so I just spooned it in, trying to keep each spoonful the same size.) Divide the rest of the batter into the muffin tins. It should cover the cream cheese filling completely. Sprinkle a little of the topping mixture on top of each muffin. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top.

Bake 20-25 minutes. Take the muffins out of the tins (I use 2 forks), and cool on a wire cooling rack (or on the counter if you don't have one). Make sure to let them cool before you try them, because the filling gets really hot!

It's best to take the cream cheese out ahead of time to soften, but my microwave has a 'soften cream cheese' setting that I used.

Lined muffin tins

My cream cheese filling "log"

Dry mixture for muffins

Muffin mix!

Topping- before crumbled

Bottom layer of muffin mixture

Cream cheese filling

Up close

Crumbled muffin topping

Muffins ready for topping

With the topping & pumpkin seeds-- ready for the oven!

Done!!

The one I ate

Yummy cream cheese filling

Porky Pine Balls!

2010-07-19T14:16:00.000-07:00

Not the most beautiful presentation, but they were delicious!

She loved them!

So I've been running out of ideas for lunch for Isabel, and I was pretty sure that she was getting tired of cut up hot dogs....My mom gave me this idea, and Isabel had them for lunch today!

Hamburger Porky Pine Balls

1lb ground beef or turkey

1/2 cup uncooked white rice (I used long grain)

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup chopped onion

1 tsp salt (I used sea salt)

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp paprika (optional)

dash of ground black pepper

2 tsp worcestershire sauce (optional)

1 can (15oz) tomato sauce

1 cup water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine all ingredients except tomato sauce & 1 cup water, in a bowl and mix together (use your hands, it will get messy!)

Make into little meat balls. Don't pack them too firmly or they will be tough to eat. Mine were about 3/4 inch size.

Place in 8x8 pyrex dish.

Pour tomato sauce & 1 cup water over them.

Cover with foil & place in oven for 45 min.

Uncover & cook an additional 15 min.

You could also ground up some veggies & hide them in there or add some cheese to the top. Adrian is taking them to work tomorrow for a meatball sandwich!

Getting Prepared for Christmas!!

2009-12-23T02:33:00.000-08:00

We put up our X-mas tree a few weeks ago with help from Oli & Ava with the ornaments. I am so glad that we have a fake tree (thank you G-ma & G-pa!!). When we first put the tree up (without any presents underneath) Isabel was rolling under the tree and grabbing the ornaments near the bottom and pulling them off. Everyday I would find glitter on her and I couldn't figure out where it was from, but then I realized that it was from the ornaments on the tree! We did move a lot of the ornaments around because Ava & Oli did a great job but all of the ornaments were at 3 foot height!

Shortly after we put the tree up, I started wrapping presents, and a little after that, Isabel started crawling! Her favorite thing to do now is try and open the presents under the tree. We might as well have not got her any toys and just given her wrapped boxes...that could entertain her all day!

Isabel successfully ripped the paper on at least half of the presents under the tree!

Look at that smirk!

She pushed that box all around the living room

Our slightly lopsided tree

And....here is the final product of the pictures we hang on the wall! It's not crooked, just came out that way because of the picture...

Stage 2 foods

2009-12-16T11:48:00.000-08:00

Banana mango is her absolute favorite! She went from eating about half of a small jar to almost a whole jar of the medium size! She LOVED IT!

Banana mango 12/11/09

Green Beans 12/14/09

more green beans 12/15/09

Her fave blankey...

2009-12-16T11:26:00.000-08:00

I know I posted all of the details from Isabel's 6 month check-up, but here is a pic we took at the doctor's office. Poor thing wasn't feeling good...fever & a cold. I like this pic because she looks like a little queen with a cape! That's her favorite blanket by the way. She ALWAYS sleeps with it, and I am desperately looking for another one exactly like it. I bought it at Babies R Us for about $15 but they don't have it anymore. I did find it on Amazon, but it was $50!!!! No way am I paying $50!

New Foods

2009-12-09T14:28:00.001-08:00

Sweet Potatoes

11/24/09

Didn't get of a pic of Apples

11/29/09

Bananas

12/02/09

Didn't get a pic of Pears

12/09/09

6 months old!

2009-12-09T14:14:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it??!!! It has already been half of a year since Isabel was born! WOW!!! I feel like the past 6 months have gone by in the blink of my eyes.

Isabel had her 6 month check up yesterday, and here are her stats:

Weight: 15lb 3oz (35%)

Height: 26.75in (80%)

She is going to be tall! We have to buy 12month clothes now because she is so long. A lot of them are too big around her waist, but the smaller size is just too short.

The doctor decided not to give her immunizations yesterday because she has a little cold and had been running a fever. We are going back next week for them.

Isabel is now rolling all over the place, getting up on all fours and almost crawling, and grabbing everything in sight. She particularly loves rolling under the Christmas tree and trying to grab the ornaments. I kept finding glitter all over her, especially in her hair and I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. I thought maybe it was from work, but then on my day off I found glitter on her head and I realized that it's from the Christmas ornaments!

Christmas Pictures

2009-12-09T13:55:00.000-08:00

We have decided to make it a family tradition to take family pictures every year. This year we went to Balboa Park and took pictures all over! I wish there were a few more of Isabel smiling, but it was a long day. Here are a few of my favorites:

Thanks Ashli for the beautiful pictures!!!

Printing pictures is a very daunting task. We have tons of professional pictures on cds that have yet to be printed. We even have a bunch of empty frames just waiting for pictures! I finally decided that the pictures NEED to be printed. I know that I should have printed them through a "professional" printing company, but I decided to go with Costco because of the price. I have framed a few already and I am going to pick the last of them up this afternoon. Costco is a really great place to get frames...the last time the frames even came with a coupon for free prints! I will post pictures of my pictures (lol) once I get them hung up on the wall.

Chicago Trip

2009-11-09T18:51:00.000-08:00

Pictures are out of order:

The flight back..sleeping like an angel..

Navy Pier/Lake Michigan

He HATED me taking pictures of him

Navy Pier!

The Best Breakfast EVER

Navy Girl-Uncle Cony bought her this outfit

Sitting up

Enjoying his smoothie

We sat at the top row so we were able to sleep leaning against the wall

A lot has happened in the past month and I really need to document it before I forget everything!

We decided to take out first family vacation and go to Uncle Cony's Navy Graduation (Uncle Cony is Uncle Antony) in Great Lakes, IL. Even though the trip left us broke, it was definitely worth it. We left Thursday November 5th around 6am and came back Saturday November 7th at 10:10pm.

I procrastinated packing and we ended up doing all of our packing the night before until 1am! We went to bed at about 1:30am and work up at 3am to head to the airport....What a great way to start a 3 day trip with a 2 hour time change! I packed anything and everything I could think of. I am not capable of packing light...especially when traveling with a baby. My suitcase weighed 49.7 lbs (cut off is 50lbs). Talk about cutting it close! In my defense, the suitcase did not only have my stuff, but Isabel's as well. The flight there went pretty well. We did not pay for an extra seat for Isabel, so she traveled as a "lap baby". It was a little hard because she was really tired from getting up so early. She was so good though, and slept almost the whole way there on Adrian's lap. My wonderful hubby also let me sleep a little (he had to stay awake because she was on his lap...).

Grandma Nancy, Steven, Adrian and I went on the trip and we met my cousin Ashley there (she flew in from Sacramento). It wasn't as cold as expected when we got there. Our flight came in a little early, and Adrian was the BEST travel partner. We flew into Chicago O'Hare (a HUGE airport!!!), got our luggage and headed to the shuttle that took us to get our rental car. We rented a big van and drove about 30 miles to our hotel. We thought that we were going to Chicago, but we really went to the suburbs outside Chicago (aka Hickville!).

We ate at Cracker Barrel, which was delicious! The next morning (Friday) we got up at 4:30am (2:30am San Diego time) and we were at the Navy base at 6:30am. The graduation didn't start until 9am, so we sat in the bleachers waiting for a while (pretty uncomfortable, plus we were super tired). By about 7:30am, everyone except Grandma Nancy fell asleep in the bleachers! The graduation was pretty amazing. It was really hard to pick out Antony from the 100 guys lined up since they all were wearing the exact same thing and it was pretty far away. I finally figured out who he was about 15 min before the graduation ended. Once the graduation was over, Antony was free to spend the rest of the day with us!

Isabel was an angel the entire trip! Uncle Cony was extremely excited to see her. The first place Antony wanted to go was to the mall and to get some good food. We went to the closest mall called Gurnee Mills and we ate at Rainforest Cafe. It was delicious! I feel like the whole trip all we did was eat!

The trip went by pretty quickly, and I can't be thankful enough that Isabel is such a great baby. She slept through the night both nights we were there, despite a time change and being in a completely different place. On the flight back she was even better than the way there. We were extremely lucky that the flight wasn't full, so Isabel got her own seat! So much easier for us. The airline we flew on assigns seats ahead of time, so we got even luckier that the 3rd seat in our row as available. Isabel fell asleep in her car seat at the exact moment of take off and woke up right when we landed. Everyone keeps telling us that when we have a 2nd baby it is going to be a million times harder!

Solid Foods (not quite "solid" but...)

2009-11-09T18:47:00.000-08:00

Rice Cereal

11/08/09

Squash

11/15/09

Didn't get a pic of Peas

11/18/09

Carrots

11/21/09

We tried giving Isabel rice cereal at 4 months because I was curious to see what she would do. She wanted nothing to do with it! My happy baby just smiled when we put it in her mouth and it all dribbled down her chin. She is so sweet.

The doctor told us to wait until around 6 months to give her any solid foods because it prevents allergies and obesity. Adrian was really adamant about not giving her anything until 6 months, so finally I convinced him on 11/08/09 (5.5 months). We started with rice cereal that day and she did really well! It definitely is a lot more work to have fresh milk and all of the supplies needed to feed her. Everyone has a different opinion of whether to give fruits or veggies first, so we decided to go with veggies. We didn't want to give her fruit first so she didn't get used to the sweet taste and have any hesitation with veggies. Since starting with baby food, she has had a few veggies (1 new food every 3 days to make sure that she doesn't have any allergies). The first veggie we gave her was squash, then peas, and carrots. Next we will do sweet potatoes, and then start fruits (bananas, prunes, apples, & pears). I'm excited because she will be able to have her first Thanksgiving meal-- sweet potatoes!

Almost forgot to mention that we are doing organic baby food!

Daycare...or as I like to call it Isabel's "School"

2009-10-27T00:05:00.000-07:00

So, I decided that it is time to blog before I forget EVERYTHING that happened this month!

I went back to work Monday October 5th, and I was very lucky that Adrian was able to take Isabel to school that day. I got up at 6am, even though I didn't have to be at work until 9:30. I left an hour & 30 minutes before I had to be there, even though my commute is 20-25 minutes. I was really nervous (mainly about pumping--when, where, how long...etc). I was up really late the night before for two reasons, 1. I never go to bed early, 2. I went through my stuff for work & Isabel's bags like 10 times. I packed a bag of stuff for her to keep at school (change of clothes, bibs, burp cloths, blanket, diapers, bottles, bottle liners, nipples) and I also packed a backpack with the same stuff. Daycare closes at 5pm, and different people will be picking her up depending on our schedule, so they need everything to take care of her for a few hours. (Thank you G-ma, G-pa & Grandma Nancy!!!) For work, I needed my pump (with all of the necessary parts), purse, and lunch (since I pump on lunch, if I don't bring something, then I don't get to eat). I probably went back through every bag 5 times each. If I forgot something, I had no one to save me because Adrian worked the whole day too! Luckily, I didn't forget anything.

The first day at work went extremely well, and very quickly. I got home and had to get ready for our trip to Phoenix! I spend another few hours packing, and had to run to Wal-Mart (ahhh I hate that place) to get some last minute things. It was late, and Wal-Mart was the only place open. The next morning Adrian & Isabel took me to the airport, and I was there by 6am. We had a 2 day conference, which I loved. The only hard part was running back to my room on our 15 minute breaks to pump. Unfortunately, I got one of the farthest rooms from our meeting place. Ahhh the blisters I had after that! I felt bad because I was late coming back from break every time since it took me 5 min to run to the room (literally run!) and 5 min back. The 5 min remaining is NOT enough for pumping. Even worse, I had to DUMP all of the milk! HEARTBREAKING! All of that work!!! The reason I had to dump the milk was because in order to carry "baby" milk on a plane, you have to have the baby with you. I could have checked in it a cooler but that would have been a hassle.

The trip was a lot of fun and I got a bunch of goodies! Adrian & Isabel picked me up from the airport the next night. Even though it was past 10pm, Isabel was awake and smiling at me when I got in the car. I wanted to take her out and hold her so bad, but there wasn't time since we were in the loading zone.

Isabel did fairly well at school. She never cries of fusses and she loves the attention from all of the kids. When I drop her off, all of the 1-3 year olds coming running towards me saying "baby! baby! baby!!!!". She is a stubborn girl (I wonder where she gets that from? no one in our family is stubborn...haha). She doesn't like to take her bottle very well from anyone but Daddy. At school she eats better when she is outside.

I don't get to pick her because daycare closes at 5pm, and I never get off before then. But, Daddy says that she is usually asleep in the swing when he picks her up. I am so happy to have wonderful people taking care of her while I am at work so I don't have to worry about her!

4 months!

2009-10-02T08:02:00.000-07:00

Isabel is 4 months old! Wow, does time fly! She had her check-up the other day, and she is doing great. She weighs 14 lb 7oz, and 25 in long. I am happy to say that she has been consistently sleeping through the night. She did it for a while when she was about 2 months old, but then she got a cold and starting waking up for one feeding in the middle of the night. Now, that she is sleeping better, I think that it's her little present for me because I'm going back to work on Monday. She is also sleeping in her own crib, instead of in our room. She is a lot more active now. She rolls a lot, back and forth. Especially in her sleep...we put her to sleep on her back and usually find her in the morning on the other side of the crib on her tummy. She loves playing with the toys in her exersaucer, AND...she is a little ham for the camera! She already knows to smile for the camera. We visited her daycare this week, and all of the kids were so excited to see her. She just loves all of the attention they give her! Well, she's like her Mommy, an attention hog!

Feeding Frenzy

2009-09-22T22:08:00.001-07:00

Would you believe that I got all of this ORGANIC baby food for about $40?! I did! Thats 70 (yes seventy!) jars of baby food and 4 boxes of rice/oatmeal baby cereal. If you don't know anything about prices of baby food, these jars range $.69-$1.09 each. You do the math.

I am a firm believer when something (something meaning a necessity) is on sale AND you have coupons, you buy as much as you can afford and is reasonable at the time. Isabel won't be eating any solid food for at least a month or 2, but I like to be prepared, We are fully stocked on baby food. I was thinking about making it, but I just don't think I will have the time. All of the food I bought are Earth's Best, but Target only had 4 different kinds of 1st foods (Apples, Pears, Peas & Sweet Potatoes) and I need to get some bananas, green beans, & peaches too.

We also put Isabel's highchair together, and she sat in it for the first time tonight. It has straps that go over her shoulders, so even though she can't sit up, she can still sit in it. She sat with us at the table while we ate dinner. So, technically, we had our first family meal together! She has her 4 month check-up soon, so we will talk to her Pediatrician about specifically when we will try giving her rice cereal.

Charger Girl

2009-09-21T22:30:00.000-07:00

Our (almost) 4 month old baby has more Charger gear than we do!

My Favorite BBQ recipe...Grilled Thighs & Drumsticks

2009-09-19T23:02:00.001-07:00

- This is the easiest marinade, and most of the ingredient are staples in the fridge/pantry.
- 2-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups cider vinegar (sub other types of vinegar if needed)
- 2 cups ketchup
- 1 cup canola oil
- 4 tablespoons salt
- 3 tablespoons prepared mustard
- 4-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 10 pounds (give or take) bone-in chicken thighs & drumsticks
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
Combine everything except chicken & season salt in a large bowl. Put chicken into a few gallon sized Ziploc bags. Spoon in marinade. Seal the bags and stick them in the fridge overnight. (I usually put the bags in a big bowl in the fridge just in case they leak.

Heat up the grill... (drain the marinade & get rid of it). Sprinkle chicken with seasoned salt. Grill chicken skin side down, covered, over indirect medium heat for 15 minutes. Flip it over & grill about 15-20 minutes longer

Rolly Polly

2009-09-18T14:33:00.000-07:00

It has been such an eventful week, and I haven't taken a break to sit down and document everything. Isabel is no longer a stationary baby. We put her to bed on Thursday night unswaddled, and on her back. I found her in the middle of the night on her tummy! I moved her onto her back again, and in the morning she was back on her tummy! I caught it on video, and I have been trying all week to upload the video...but there is an error every time! Unfortunately, I only took videos of her rolling over (no pictures).

Isabel also got an exersaucer! She loves it. She grabs and hits the toys, and her eyes get really big when they make noise or light up.

We also went to Julianna's 2nd Birthday party. I can't believe that she is 2 already. Time flies! With Nana Isabel at the party...

We went to (brother) Adrian's football game last night. It was little disappointing; hopefully they will do better next week! Today we ordered (brother) Adrian's letterman's jacket. It's going to take at least 6 weeks! I thought it would be a lot quicker...I'm looking forward to wearing it to his games (if he lets me!). I forgot to take picture at Adrian's game.

I am so happy because we are making so much progress on the house. I took some "before" pictures of our guest room/play room/office, and I will post them with some "after" pictures as soon as it's done! I love how the room has turned out. I scored a ton of great deals at Target thanks to their back to school clearance. We only have really small details to finish...a light fixture, a little touch up paint, changing a few outlet covers, etc.

Monday Funday! (I promise tomorrow's post won't include the day of the week!)

2009-09-14T23:49:00.000-07:00

Today was such a fun day! Yesterday was Grandparent's Day, so Isabel spent time with all of her grandparents! First we went to lunch with G-ma & Vanessa at a place called Fusion in Clairemont. It was so good! We had yummy spring rolls and boba. I had a watermelon frozen drink with boba (made with real watermelon!). It was so refreshing. An excellent summer drink (yes, it is still summer for 6 more days). Isabel took a good nap and was asleep the whole time we ate.

Then we headed to Target for some shopping. Seester (aka: Tia Lisa) and I LOVE to shop at Target. We could buy anything we could possibly need for our lives there. It's like therapy. They just got all of their cute fall baby/kids clothes in! G-ma spoiled Isabel with the cutest leggings ever...hot pink, black, grey with black that looks like lace. I can't wait for her to wear them. Just thinking about how I can dress her cute everyday when she goes to daycare makes me a little excited to take her and takes away some of the sadness of having to leave her. She is going to be the cutest dressed baby at daycare..yes I know that sounds very shallow, but who doesn't love dressing a baby girl in adorable clothes?

Next was BabiesRUs...Isabel is starting to engage with toys. She likes to look at them and tries to put them in her mouth (not with much success yet). G-ma got a few things for Isabel to play with when she babysits. Thanks G-ma! G-ma & G-pa will be babysitting for the first time this Friday--how exciting!

We had a minor setback at Target...we bought a bunch of stuff, got to the car, and then realized...THIS ISN'T GOING TO FIT! UH-OH! I need a bigger car. Luckily, Seester was there, and we were able to put the stuff in the back of her SUV. If she wasn't there, we probably would have had to return the stuff because there is NO WAY it would have fit!

Isabel's new favorite thing is yelling really loud! If you weren't looking at her smiley, adorable, attention-loving face, you would think that she was crying..but no, she just likes to yell. "YaaaOoohhh!!!" You can hear her across the store! She is such happy baby..smiling and laughing all day despite teething and a cold. Poor thing had mocos coming our of her nose all day.

After a busy day, we headed to Grand-mom's house for the night. Isabel played a little with Grand-mom and Steven, and enjoyed a little more "yelling", as you will see in the picture below. Grand-mom was holding Isabel, talking to her, and she just kept saying "Yaaahooowoo". She is going to be a talker like Mama! Also, she is definitely TEETHING! Decided to put a bib on her just in time, because within 5 minutes it was soaked.

Adrian's out of town for work. It's only 2 days, but we (Isabel & I) can't wait until he comes home tomorrow night. I get to spend 2 weeks, 6 days more with Isabel...Last week I told someone that Isabel was teething, and drooling all over the place, and she said "Enjoy every little drool"...I definitely will being doing that.

Playing with G-ma, G-pa & her new toys

Look, she's holding the toy!

Ok, she got REALLY tired (not G-pas's fault she's crying)

Yelling/Talking with Grand-mom

SeaWorld Sunday: In Pictures

2009-09-13T19:32:00.001-07:00

Just arriving @ SeaWorld. Isabel eating the carrier...

Fishy Faces in the Sesame Street Play Area

Steven played in the jumpy-thing. Ava didn't want to & Oli was too small...

We usually see one show everytime we go. Perfect place to feed to a baby. This time it was the Shamu Show & Uncle Joey sat in the Soak Zone! 3rd row!

The rest of us sat OUT of the Soak Zone. Isabel enjoyed the show (after she ate of course)!

Ava played in the water...

While the boys (Steven included) went on Journey to Atlantis. It was Steven's first rollercoaster!

We had to get a group pic of the kids. It's hard to get them to all look the same way! Isabel fell asleep.

Sorry Uncle Joe's not in the pic & you can't see Isabel :(. It was a nice day. Perfect weather! Not too hot & not too cold. I should have cropped that random person out!

Steven's treat was a cherry icee. Look at those red lips!

It's nice to have yearly passes so that we don't have to rush and do everything in one day (and they are very affordable, pay every month). We definitely will be going again soon. Probably for Halloween.

My Mission: Get EVERYTHING in Our Lives Organized in 3 Weeks

2009-09-10T23:58:00.000-07:00

It's crazy how you can find everything you could possibly need to know about ANYTHING on the internet. I came across a website today called Simple mom ( http://simplemom.net/), and I am OBSESSED. As I mentioned in a previous post, I am trying to get 'all of our ducks in a row' before I go back to work . This is a daunting task, it's hard to decide where to start when it seems like everywhere you look, there is something to be done. We did a miniature version of this before Isabel was born, but having moved twice since then, it seems like we are back at the beginning.

So, there is a section on Simple Mom with all different postings about organization. I have exactly 24 days before work starts. I've started with a brain dump and used mind mapping (http://simplemom.net/steps-for-organizing-life/) to organize all of my thoughts on what needs to be done. I really like the idea of this. Once you think of one thing that you need to do, your brain starts going like a web, and you think of another thing, and another and it just keeps going. Even if you don't get everything done, at least you have that stress of trying to remember everything off your mind.

My two main goals are to create a

home management binder (http://www.essortment.com/home/createhomemana_sowk.htm) to try to organize everything in our life. There are a few things that go along with this, organinzing our extra bedroom, which is also our office and organizing our finances! We have a budget, Simple Mom reccommended

PearBudget (https://www.pearbudget.com/enter)

, which we are going to try out. We will see if maintaining all of this with simplify our lives or be more of a hassle to keep up. I'm sure it will take some tweeking to get it right.

Next is getting the whole house organized! 10 day (realistic) plan to getting the house organized (http://simplemom.net/category/organizing/ )! Tomorrow is day 1.

One of the other things that I want to do is get our photos organized. I've been trying to do this for a while, but it seems like a never ending project...once we are all caught up, we just take more photos! So I'm thinking about saving all of our photos until the end of the year and then just creating a

photobook (http://www.photoworks.com/)

Now, it's time to stop blogging about it and actually DO IT.

My New Blankey

2009-09-10T07:59:00.001-07:00

So this past weekend, Isabel met a new baby names Steven (or Steele as they call him, his middle name). Anyways, Steele had the cutest blanket. Not only was it cute, but super soft and thick...one side sherpa. Well, I just couldn't resist going to BabiesRUs & getting one for Isabel (having a coupon just meant that I HAD to go!). Not the same blanket...a girly one! I would have gotten a purple one, but they didnt have any. They never do. Pink is the color that all baby girls must have apparently! Doesn't matter because it is the cutest blanket! Now if only you could feel how soft...

Is a 3 month old baby capable of knowing that they should smile for a camera? I'm certian she knows...

And the other side is sherpa

Isabel has also moved up to size 6-9 month clothing! Well, the onesies at least. For dresses, jackets & pants, she can still wear 3 months easily.

Grandpa Style Macaroni

2009-09-09T13:04:00.000-07:00

This recipe is a tradition in our family. Every time we eat it, it reminds us of Grandpa Steve. It is really easy and I think it tastes even BETTER as a leftover.

16 oz package of large elbow macroni (small will work if you don't have it)

16 oz tomato sauce

7 cups water

1/2 cup chopped onions

2 tablespoons butter

1.5 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

shredded cheese (jack, mexican, cheddar all work)

In a large pot, saute onions until soft in butter.

Add macaroni (no water yet!) and brown it for about 5 minutes. Stir constantly. (this is what gives if flavor)

Add tomato sauce, water and seasonings.

Cook on medium heat until it boils (keep stirring!)

Cover and simmer about 10 minutes.

Serve with melted cheese to taste (add cheese to each individual bowl)

Swaddle Me

2009-09-09T12:12:00.001-07:00

See this cute, adorable, little baby? Well, she's not so LITTLE anymore. 3.5 months old and still likes to be swaddled everytime she sleeps. Naptimes & Nighttime. We've tried not swaddling her and she wakes herself up very quickly. SWADDLING is the secret to getting her calm if she's fussy.

By the way, this is my FAVORITE recieving blanket that she has...
Yes, those are her feet! Sticking out the end of the swaddle. She's so long!

Pinching Pennies but Still Eating Well

2009-09-08T22:57:00.001-07:00

When I first started writing this post I intended to write about my recipe for Grilled Chicken Thighs & Drumsticks but kind of went off in a different direction, so here it is...

This past Sunday we hosted a BBQ for Grandma Alma's Birthday. We weren't sure what to make; this was the 3rd BBQ in 3 weekends, and we wanted something inexpensive, easy to make, and most importantly delicious. So, we decided to use one of my favorite grocery saving tricks...look online at the weekly grocery store ads! I like to make our list based off of what's on sale. And, that is how we decided to make the chicken. We usually shop about twice a month at Costco for mostly everything (from paper towels, toothpaste to canned veggies and milk), but since we are a small family, we cannot buy EVERYTHING in bulk, so we also go about 2-3 times a month to the regular grocery store, mainly for produce and meat. So I needed to write these down so I can actually follow them consistently. I have to thank my mom for teaching me a lot of these tips!

Here are some grocery saving tips:

1. PLAN AHEAD!

Make a meal plan for the week and make a grocery list before you go to the store (best to keep a running list and not scramble one together right before you go to the grocery store, because you WILL forget something). Stick to your grocery list. A friend of mine always has one night a week that is "leftovers night" and one night a week is "eat out night" (this can be out at a restaurant, or even just someone else's house).

2. BUY IN BULK.

Memberships to places like Costco (where we shop) or Sam's Club, DO save you money over the course of a year. You can even get a membership that gives you money back on your purchases.

3. DON'T GO TO THE STORE HUNGRY. You will get things that you don't need, usually junk!

4. COOK ONCE, EAT TWICE (at least)

Cook things that will still be good once refridgerated and re-heated (steak/most red meat is not one of those things). There are some things that Adrian won't eat as leftovers, so I make sure to cook the right amount for just one meal when I cook those things. But, don't cook too much because then you will end up throwing out leftovers that go bad...my pet peeve.

5. BUY WHAT'S ON SALE.

Whether it's store brand or name brand (sometimes cheaper when on sale). Look online athe weekly grocery store ads before you go. I always choose what type of meat to get this way. I also look at the ads for different grocery stores and shop at the one that has the best sales on what we need/want.

6. STOCK UP! When something that you use often is on sale (and not perishable), buy as much as you can afford. If it is perishable, you usually can freeze it! Next time you won't need it and you won't have to buy it at full price. I also do this for other items such as shaving cream, toilet paper, etc.

7. BUY A FEW SPLURGE ITEMS. We do this to prevent ourselves from eating out. If we have "fun" items that we want to eat here, it's much cheaper. Ice cream for example, buy a half gallon for about $3 or go to an ice cream shop when you randomly want it one night and spend at least double that.

You're probably thinking, "what about clipping coupons?"...in my experience, clipping coupons doesn't really save money on groceries (plus it's such a hassle!). But we do clip coupons for other items like razor refills or cleaning supplies, especially diapers!

Pictures by Sophie Crew

2009-09-08T18:45:00.000-07:00

Since I made the new header today, I thought that i should post all of the photos from our maternity shoot and newborn shoot with Sophie Crew. I realize that they are quite small, but if you want to see more, just post a comment, and let me know!

Here are the links to her website and blog (you can also find her on facebook):

http://sophiecrewphotography.com/index2.php#/home/

http://sophiecrewphotography.blogspot.com/

PS: Picasa is the program that I used for the header and these collages, and if you have never used it, it is the BEST! It is so easy to use, it's like Photoshop but easier! (Actually I have never used Photoshop, but I heard that this is easier) It's free to download, just google it. You can use it for all sorts of picture stuff to make them more interesting. If you want to know how I made my header, follow the tutorial here (simple & beautiful!):

http://memoriesoncloverlane.blogspot.com/2009/08/tutorial-on-how-to-make-blog-banner.html

Bittersweet

2009-09-08T02:03:00.000-07:00

There is a feeling that every Mom gets when their child reaches another developmental milestone. It's defininately bittersweet. Every time Isabel does something new, whether it's laughing out loud or batting at toys above her head, I feel proud and excited that she's learning new things. But at the same time, I feel anxious and scared because she is growing up so fast. It seems like just yesterday we were in the hospital with a newborn baby, sleep deprived and in shock that we were parents. Now, only 3 months later we have a happy, smiley, 13lb baby girl who babbles and almost rolls over. We seem to have the parent thing down pat. Sometimes my mind wanders off, how will I cope when she goes preschool, graduates from high school or has a boyfriend (ahhh!!!)? So, in the meantime we will cherish every single moment that we have with her. Some people say, "don't hold your baby all the time, you're going to spoil her!" But in my opinion you can never spoil a baby. We are going to hold Isabel every second we have the chance. She is only going to be a baby once so why not give her all of the love, hugs and attention that we can?

4 Days Old

3 Months Old- What a difference 3 months makes!

She's a Lady!

2009-09-08T00:52:00.000-07:00

Isabel is now 3 months old and we decided to her get ears pierced! I was unsure whether or not to do it. I kept going back and forth, pierce them..don't pierce them. After Adrian reassured me that it would be just a quick poke, we spontaneously went to the mall. It was so fast and Isabel didn't even cry! Now she proudly wears beautiful emeralds (her birthstone).

The Beginning of the Rest of Our Lives

2009-09-07T22:03:00.000-07:00

The past year has definately been a whirlwind! In September of '08 we got engaged and shortly after found out that we were having a baby. Isabel Josephine Preciado was born May 28, 2009. We moved 3 times and finally became homeowners in July. Over the past year I have been constantly telling myself "things will settle down after [insert event here].." but I have finally realized that life is hectic and we will constantly be rushing somewhere or planning something, but that's what keeps it interesting. Every minute of our lives is entertaining; we never know what Isabel is going to do next. She always keeps us smiling.

Isabel has been the greatest gift that we could have ever asked for and we couldn't imagine living our lives without her, or without eachother for that matter. She is such a happy baby and her smile will brighten anyone's day. We have definately learned to be more organized and prepared. We schedule our days around 3 hour feedings and diaper changes, and don't leave the house without a fully stocked diaper bag. I must admit that we are not perfect parents (surprise!) and there have been a few times when we have forgotten key items...One time we thought we had everything but when we were changing her diaper we opened up the wipes case and it was empty! The other day we forgot a blanket, but luckily it's been over 90 degrees outside.

I go back to work October 1st and I'm trying to make sure that I have all of my ducks in a row before then. It is going to be really hard to leave Isabel but I am happy that we have found great babysitters for her; an in home daycare some days, and her grandmas the other days. On the brightside, at least I still have a job in this rough economy (knock on wood!).