Fair Play

The Beanie Family went to the State Fair over the weekend. It was fabulous! Beanie Mom loves fairs and this one had it all - rides, animals, fair food, and well, strange-looking people. The fair tends to attract a nice cross-section of society....

JillyBean didn't know what to do with herself. She was full of excitement and wonder the whole five hours we were there. One of the highlights was the opportunity for Bean to play in corn. Yep, corn.

One of the exhibition buildings had taken a traditional sand box and filled it with corn feed. Kids had a blast scooping it up and dumping it into buckets or burying themselves in it. To be honest, we could have left Bean right there for hours and she would have been perfectly happy. It's amazing how simple things like scooping corn can satisfy a child.
Next up was the animal barn where JB was thrilled to finally see a cow up close and personal. Beanie Mom thought that she would be a bit scared of such a large animal but she stuck her arm in the pens to pet them while mooing. It was so cute. And although Beanie Mom doesn't like them on the football field, it was nice to see a piece of Texas in Virginia.

As far as rides went, Beanie rode the carousel and a flying elephant ride. She had ridden the carousel at the little county fair over the summer and loved it but was a bit apprehensive about this one for some reason. Still it was a fun experience and all of her fears were gone once she took her first bite into the smoked turkey leg. Ahhh...Nothing says fair or festival quite like a massive turkey leg.

The adventure was wrapped up with another trip to an animal barn. This one, though, was loaded with goats, which may now be Bean's favorite animals. She was so excited to see them and ran from pen to pen touching them. She even hugged the goats who stuck their heads out of their pen which was very cute. I'm pretty sure they thought her blond hair was hay because she walked out of there with a bit of goat slobber. Needless to say she got a good scrub down once she got home.

Baby Crocker

JillyBean and Beanie Mom made banana bread yesterday. It was the perfect project for a cool rainy fall afternoon. JB mashed the bananas and did a great job. And because we love all of you who follow along here, we are sharing our fabulous banana bread recipe. Well, it isn't exactly ours. We got it from a cookbook that JB's Great Grandma Patterson gave Mom many years ago. It's a compilation of recipes from members of her church - church cookbooks are the best. There are three banana bread recipes in the book and the one submitted by Mollie Erwin Custer is to die for. Enjoy!

Banana Bread
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 Tbs canned milk
2 cups flour
3 mashed (ripe) bananas
1 cup chopped nuts
pinch of salt

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs, flour and milk, then soda and baking powder. Mix well. Add bananas, nuts and salt. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour at 325-degrees

Ain't too Shabby

You may recall the cute black and white dress JillyBean wore to Beanie Uncle's wedding. It came from a shop called Shabby Apple and I just love their stuff - for both baby girl and mama. They have great dresses. Well, now through the end of the month they're offering $3 shipping, have a decent sale, and have added some new items.

I adore this little dress for fall:

Yo!

Beanie Mom has fallen out of step this past week. Things have been so busy and she hasn't taken the time to come in and share all of our happenings. So here is a quick rundown of what's gone on the past few days.

The Backyardigans came to town last Thursday and made a special appearance at Barnes & Noble. JillyBean didn't quite know what to think of the "real life" characters but enjoyed hearing them tell stories. Beanie Dad had the task of escorting the gang to the bookstore, so it was a special treat to see him in the afternoon. That evening Beanie and one of her buddies went to the show. She LOVED it and Beanie Mom had a pretty good time as well.

On Friday JB and Mom met some friends from our fabulous Mom's Group at the park. It was a blast playing with all of the kids. Beanie is beginning to show her sense of adventure by climbing up the big slide and going down all by herself - she gets upset if anyone offers her any help. I wonder where she gets that independent spirt?

We came home to find a treat on our doorstep. Beanie Grandma sent a box of goodies that included a new version of JB's true love, Elmo. Beanie wouldn't put him down and loved and cuddled him all afternoon. Of course he had to sit on the couch with her to watch Elmo's World. She even found it in her heart to share her milk with him. Now that's love because she doesn't share food or drink with just anyone. Beanie Dad wasn't too excited about the newest member to our household until he discoved that you can burp Baby Elmo. Boys!

On Monday JillyBean felt the nice fall weather setting in and decided that it was a boot day. Unfortunately she didn't see a need to wear pants, but she seems to have the ability to pull of such fashion risks. It did seem like appropriate attire for a morning ride on Mr. Horse.

Fall into Books

JillyBean and I went to Barnes & Noble this afternoon for Toddler Storytime. It was a pretty positive experience, except for an incident with an older child who walked up to JB and began slapping her on her head and body in a fit of rage (seriously, it was scary). I really felt bad for the mom - she was so embarrassed and disciplined the child (actually they left). And while it was completely weird I just have to think that these things will happen and it's somewhat tolerable (though still unacceptable) when the parent of the bully is just as upset as you are.

But, moving along, one book that was read today was this fabulous, fun story:
It kept JB's attention because of the amazing illustrations. I think that she'll appreciate it on a whole new level as she gets older because you are able to see the various shapes made by the leaves as they scatter across the earth.

Thinkin' Christmas

I know that we have a bit of time until the actual holiday, but I feel like it's time to begin preparing for Christmas pictures. Think about it - if we're going to send out an adorable photo card that our friends will post on their 'fridge and feel guilty to take down (I find it hard to put away these pictures each year - but I never throw them away), we need to get things moving soon.

JillyBean loves to wear hats. It's the strangest thing because she won't keep a bow in her hair but she'll wear a hat all day long. Last year's photo was on the casual side:
So I'm thinking of doing something a little more formal/classic this year. I ADORE this hat and coat and think that they would look beautiful in pictures. Plus, JB's bright blue eyes are sure to pop with this scarlet red:

Fun With Words

I'm sure that you've noticed JillyBean's reading list on the right. She loves books and is now at the point where she is "reading" to me during the day as well as "reading" to her babies.

This is her latest love:

It's a delightful collection of poems accompanied by fabulous, fun illustrations. She doesn't quite "get" the stories but I know that they will completely crack her up when she gets bigger. Now she likes to hear the cadence of my voice and look at the pictures.

The author/illustrator, Calef Brown, has a couple other books, Polkabats and Octopus Slacks and Flamingos on the Roof, that Santa may have to bring her this year.

Sweet Remedy

JillyBean has had an awful cough the past couple of weeks. It's mostly due to allergies so at night the drainage just gets to her and she hacks most of the time. I finally wised up and started giving her a couple of spoonfuls of honey during the day as well as at bedtime. It hasn't completely cured the problem but the coughing fits are much less than previous nights.

So while I'm on the subject of honey, this is simply the BEST honey I've ever had:


It's Tupelo Honey from the Savannah Bee Company. It's so sweet and buttery tasting.

Ridiculous

Anyone who knows me knows about my love affair with shoes. Especially high-heeled, pointy-toed shoes. The skinnier the heel and pointier the toe the better. So one might think that I would find these high-heeled infant shoes adorable. Quite the contrary; I think they're a bit appalling and also quite ugly (especially for $35 a pop).

Don't get me wrong. I don't think that babies need to shrouded in bunnies, baby chicks, puppy dogs, and lambs. JillyBean tends to wear clothing that reflects today's style but with a juvenile twist. But exposing this "style" to babies is ridiculous. Seriously, I know that they're designed for kids who can't walk so it's just a look, but what's the point? Is this to make the child look adorable or for the mom to get a bit of attention byway of her kid? Leave the heels for playing dress up, Halloween, and that first formal dance. Kids are already dressing too mature too early, so don't start while they're still in the crib.

According to the company's website, the shoes: "May cause...hysterical laughter when in use"
So they're designed so that we can laugh at the child? Nice...Let's help tear down a little girl's self-esteem as early as possible. /snark

One of the cutest things is when Beanie tries to shove her feet into a pair of my Stuart Weitzman heels because she wants to be like mommy instead of mom putting these silly things on because I want her to be a mini me.

Beanie and Beanie Mom prefer Pedipeds like these:

Or See Kai Run styles like these:

What Not to Wear

I knew that this was a recipe for fashion disaster but this is what she wanted to wear this morning:

White onesie, pink polka-dot Baby Legs, pink water shoes.

Thankfully she got so messy (another morning with the chalk) and I was able to make her a much more presentable for a playground play date this afternoon.

Home Entertainment

JillyBean isn't huge on watching TV and I don't have it on much during the day. However, we record Little Einsteins every morning and she watches it about mid-day. She ADORES this show and begins patting her legs (the way to give Rocket more power) as soon as she hears the music or whenever she wants to watch. Here's the intro. The song is really cute but it gets stuck in my head most days:


It's even cute in Japanese:

Crock Recipes

I fell short of my goal to come up with a week's worth of meals to fix in the crock pot. I found three and tonight's meal was one of them. It was really tasty and JillyBean gobbled it up like she hadn't had food in a week.

I'm posting this from memory...Also, I sort of changed it up a bit from the original recipe. I think that the original called for whole cranberries but I couldn't find them and used a can of whole cranberry sauce instead.

3-5 pound pork roast
1 can whole cranberries
1/4 cup of honey
a bit of ground cloves (maybe 1/2 teaspoon)
a bit of ground ginger (again, maybe 1/2 teaspoon)
about 1/2 tablespoon of orange rind

Season pork roast with salt and pepper and place in crock pot. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl then pour over roast. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. The pork was so yummy and tender. It fell apart as I took it out of the crock pot.

I served this with fresh green beans cooked the following way:

Add 2-3 tablespoons of coarse salt to boiling water then add fresh green beans and cook for 5-10 minutes (you want them crispy). Drain and put in a serving bowl. Drizzle beans with good extra virgin olive oil and serve warm. (this is one of JillyBean's favorite things to eat. she'll much on left over green beans at snack time)

Foodie

I don't know what it is but I usually feel compelled to snap pictures of Beanie while she's eating. We have an awful lot of pictures of her stuffing her face - including today's lunch of peas and cheese ravioli and an orange at snack time that she had to eat whole instead of sectioned. This may lead you believe that she weighs a ton. Thankfully that's not the case. In fact, she has really slimmed down these past few weeks. She used to have a bit of a belly on her and now she has a flat little tummy, so small that some of her clothes are now too big.

Still, the kid loves to eat and eat well. I had always said that I would not be one of those parents that makes one meal for the family and another for her. JB simply must eat what is presented to her and if she doesn't eat it, then tough. Thankfully we haven't had to battle her at breakfast, lunch or dinner time. She has gone through a bit of a phase lately where she won't eat dinner, but she doesn't demand anything else. She's simply not hungry.

I am amazed by how much JillyBean loves to eat veggies. There was a time when she didn't go a day without eating broccoli but that love affair has fizzled. Her fave things now are green beans and peas. I HATE peas but I'll be darned if I let my food aversions affect her. Two books were published a year or so ago that teaches parents how to "hide" veggies in their kids' food. On the surface that seems like a good idea, just to make sure they're getting the nutrients they need, but I think that it should be a last resort. I believe that it's important that kids get the chance to know what they're eating and we should find ways to make them try it. I don't think that many parents think about adding spice to their kids' food - ginger to cooked carrots, a drizzle of olive oil to beans, curry to peas. It gives the food a much more appealing aroma as well as interesting taste. Sure it takes a bit more imagination that many parents have at this stage, especially working parents, but it's worth letting the child know exactly what he/she is eating. The Petit Appetit Cookbook was a huge help for me. It is packed with fabulous recipes that start with beginner purees and takes you through the toddler years.

Backyardagains

I'm not familiar with the Backyardigans but apparently they're a cartoon on TV. Well, they also have a live show and it's coming to C'ville on Thursday, Sept. 18. Get your tickets by clicking here.

Still Summer

Thank goodness it's still summer. It may have been our last hurrah so Beanie and Beanie Mom spent the afternoon at the pool today. This picture isn't from today since it's a beach scene. Silly Mom didn't have her camera to click photos of JB running through the squirt park and floating in the big pool. Maybe we'll have good weather next weekend - it will be our final shot at pool life until May. Beanie Mom has decided that summer has got to be way better than Fall or Winter.

Dinner Bell

I ventured into the world of freelance writing a year after Beanie Dad and I were married . We got our first taste of strict budgeting very early on in our marriage since I was not contributing a steady income and it has proven to be invaluable. Shortly after I changed my career path, a Good Morning America segment aired that showed that the best way to cut a family budget was through your grocery bill. It was suggested that you make a weekly menu, make a grocery list that was comprised of only the ingredients necessary for those meals as well as other necessities, and stick to that list. Basically, if it's not on the list then you don't buy it. The exception to that rule, though, is that if there are great prices on certain items - like buy one pack of chicken breast and get one free - go ahead and stock up. It only means a smaller bill down the road.

That system has worked well for us over the past 5+ years and has become even more valuable as JillyBean has started eating "real" food and as I am no longer supplying a regular paycheck. Still, the rising cost of food the past year makes it challenging without compromising quality. I buy as much fresh fruits and vegetables as I can. We don't eat processed foods. We have fish at least one night a week. I buy organic when possible and when I know that it makes a difference. Heck, if Kate and Jon Gosselin can feed their family of 10 on $150 a week, also using healthy, mostly organic foods, surely I can feed my family of 3 on less than $100.

I'm always on the lookout for ways to create interesting menus while maintaining a tight budget. I was excited to learn about e-mealz. For $5 a month you receive a weekly planned menu, the recipes and a grocery list for either a specific grocery store (Kroger, Wal-Mart, etc.) or you can get a general list. We signed up for it a couple of weeks ago thinking that it was a minimal investment. It hasn't been as great as I had hoped. I receive the menu based on the specials at Kroger and the price for making that menu is pretty much in line with what we are already spending, once you add in milk, cereal, fruit for snacks, etc. Still, I thought it would be worth having someone else come up with the menu because, frankly, I get tired of doing it each week. Still, I'm not too crazy about the offerings. I tend to use one or two but that's about it. I am going to change the plan that we are on to the "low fat" and that may make a difference. By the way, if you're interested in trying it out, click on this link because I'll get credit for it:
E-MEALZ Easy Meals for Busy and Frugal Families

Needless to say, I pay attention each time I see an article, tip or overhear a discussion on ways to trim the grocery bill while creating healthy meals. This segment from a recent Good Morning America is a great one. It gives recipes for lower-priced cuts and types of meat but the meals still look appealing.

Depending on how our e-mealz menu looks this week I have in mind to do a week's worth of crock pot meals. As much as I love to spend time in the kitchen, it is a tad bit difficult to do when you have a toddler tugging for your attention. The crock pot is fabulous - put everything in it in the morning and serve it when Dad gets home. I'll share what I do and give reviews along with my regular posts next week.

Play Groups Rock

Jilly Bean and I went to our first official play group today and now we're part of a mom's group, Mommy Needs a Glass of Wine. Great name, huh? What did our mothers and mother's mothers do before play groups? I guess there was more of a community? Were there more women who stayed home so they didn't feel so out of touch with the rest of the world? I don't know, but I do know that this is going to become an invaluable group for us. For one, Beanie will get to meet other kids, and hopefully I'll begin to feel a little more connected with the community here.

Today's gathering was at the home of a buddy from Kindermusik. We had actually gone over there last week to play one-on-one, but this was the first time with multiple kids. It was a lot of fun, although JB didn't interact too much with the other kids until it was time to leave. All of the moms there were fabulous and it was interesting to chat with everyone. All had careers before having children and have made the decision to stay home. Most are new to C'ville so it's good to have that common struggle of trying to figure out how to fit in here.

And just when I thought swimming pool season was over for us, another friend invited us to their club to swim for a bit. Who said staying home would be boring?

Gong to the Chapel

Beanie Uncle's wedding was a smashing success. The ceremony was lovely, it was great to reconnect with old friends and family, and Beanie was easily entertained by the lights swirling around the dance floor.

The bride had hoped that Beanie would walk down the aisle, but nope, she wouldn't even try. Heck, she wouldn't even keep the pretty white bow in her hair that the bride's mom made for her. It would have been a different story if was a hat, but the child wants nothing to do with bows. JB was very stylish, though, wearing an adorable black and white China doll dress from Shabby Baby.

It was a great weekend and JB got a chance to play with one of her cousins. It's funny to watch her play with boys and their toys. I guess that girls find trucks, trains and cars so interesting since they're not the typical toys they have at home. They spent much of Saturday night running up and down the halls of the hotel. Thankfully there were a lot of groups there making tons of noise so no one seemed to mind.

Here's a little Beanie family picture that has become a favorite. It's funny. When you have children you tend to have tons of pictures of them alone or with one parent or the other. Rarely do we have a good picture of all of us.