Christmas Cookie Recipes

Just because I'm feeling motivated, here's a follow-up post about some of my favorite cookie recipes.

And these are all Ryan-approved. Except for the sugar cookies. He kept trying to figure out what went wrong. I finally had to break it to him that I specifically searched for a recipe that would replicate the ones that are showcased at the grocery store at every holiday. The ones that I fight the temptation to buy, knowing I would be the only one gobbling them up. Probably before anyone even knew I had bought them. But if ever there is a sample of them, oh it's on!

Here's what's baking in our kitchen this season:

Peanut-Butter Cookies (and I opt for the chewier cookies, so take the tip at the end of the recipe to bake it at a lower temp)

Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies (like the store-bought ones)

Jam Thumbprint Cookies (brought to you by the woman that has literally taught me how to cook and bake, thank you Ina, from the bottom of my husband's stomach)

No Bake Cookies

Russian Tea Cakes

Chewy Ginger Cookies

Enjoy!

Love me some lists.

It's no secret that I love lists.

I create lists to get motivated. To feel accomplished. To organize my brain.

When I'm feeling really tired and unmotivated, I make a list of things where I have already accomplished a few. Just so I can cross it off and pat myself on the back.

I am very task-oriented and do not like to move onto the next task if the previous one is not completely check-off-the-listable. Ryan fully understands this. He sees the tension within my brain before I even do, if interupted by something that calls louder for my attention.

Enough about me though.

Let's move on to what I realized today and had to take note of.

Today's "I want to feel productive/My explanation of "what I did all day", I'll call it Exhibit A:

Looks like another ordinary day with multiple checklists (for you nosy ones that are squinting to read each post-it, the yellow is a list of 6 cookies I want to bake during the Christmas season which include: peanut butter, no-bake, sugar cookies w/ frosting, chewy ginger snaps, thumbprint cookies and russian tea cakes. (Ohhhh, I should do a post where I include all the recipes for these cookies, because they are my faves.....I won't promise myself to such a lofty goal for now though...but that would be fun.) So back to the post-its, the orange one of the left has a list of dishes that I need to make tomorrow for friends (birthday and new baby).

And that beloved one front and center, next to the pen? It is my to-do list for today. Here's a closer look:

It wasn't until I had finished #1 and #2 and crossed them both off, that I realized what my life had come to.

When did it become a reality that taking a shower was something I had to put on a to-do list? And not only that. But cross it off with a sense of accomplishment.

With all seriousness.

The title of my next book: "The Day I Realized I Would Never Be 20 and Free To Take On the World." With a sequel called: "The Reactive Life: Because I Don't Have Time to Be Proactive."

Noah is 9 months!

His stats:
Weight: 18 lbs (15th percentile)
Height: 28 inches (50th percentile)
Head Circumference: 45 cm (40th percentile)

Latest tricks:

1. Officially crawling all over the place. (My life is about to get crazy...I just have a feeling...)

Yes, that's dirt. From one of my two indestructible potted plants. Total side note: I can't believe how those plants have lasted this long. It's incredible how well I am at killing any living plant. It is such a shame. 

2. Using a straw. I secretly have feelings of such pride watching him do this. Is there some sort of prize for your baby being so advanced in the straw-sucking arena? Just kidding. At least about the prize part. 

3. Pulling himself up. It's usually to beg for food or to play with something I've put (what I thought) out of reach. Eating and playing, what this boy does best. 

All these milestones just whizzing by. Geesh. It's fun though, even with the third child, it's like the first time every time. Just love to watch him be aware of everything going on around him. He "gets" life.

When Ryan walks in through the door, he gets excited and squaks and sprint-crawls towards him. And does the exact opposite when Ryan leaves the room.

But he's still a Mama's boy. Yesssssss. Even at 9 months, I still catch myself being in awe that God has let a little man enter into our home.

Nothing sweeter for me than him reaching for me while he's in someone else's arms - sounds so narcissistic, I know - and snuggles right into me and assumes the "comfort zone" position with his head buried and fingers in his mouth. He's not the thumb sucker that I'd hoped he'd be. Just kidding, it wasn't that big of a deal. But I am a big fan of self-soothing, so I had thumb-sucking transitions for each kid at 3 months when I was tired of being the pacifier police and rescuing the pacifier every 15 minutes during naps. So this is what we have here:

After Noah's 9 month well visit, I was caught off guard when the receptionist said, "So we'll see him next at his 12 month in March." WHAT?! How has almost a whole year gone by? One year old just sounds so old. I am enjoying him more than words can express! 

Noah is 8 months!

This boy is a little hoss. An eatin' machine. Although baby food is involved in this sequence of photos, it is a rare thing. He skipped right over baby food. He can't be bothered. It takes too long to wait for the next spoonful. Naiya was the exact same way. Although she never did this:

"Mom, what's so amusing? A boy's gotta eat, right?"

To the very last drop.

Atta boy.

All the laughing and commotion of the baby food drinking made it a family affair. Those sisters love their brother. Recently, we've had to instruct the girls (mainly Naiya, our nickname provider) what nicknames we accept. Those included are: Doodie, Boobie, Nonie (I like that one, but Ryan does not), DooDoo. My explanation to their "But why?" is that we don't want to call him a name that means poop or a name that is a body part. Enough said. Right? And I've also thrown in there a few times, "Because we named him Noah, so his name is Noah." Because I said so. And because I'm the Mommy.

Pumpkin Patch Weekend 2012

I have to say that of all the things I was most excited about for fall, going to the pumpkin patch and apple picking were my top two! The girls have been talking about last year's experience all year long, and so it was fun to anticipate with them going again this year.

On Saturday we planned to go to a place an hour away with my brother-in-law and new sis-in-law, to carry on the tradition from last year. (Here's the cute couple from last year):

And this year:

The place we went to was much bigger than where we went last year. Unfortunately, we weren't the only ones with that idea that day, so the bigger crowd made it feel somewhat of a tourist trap, and everything cost a pretty penny. But I loved it for the fact that we made memories. We took advantage of the hay ride, which was interesting...instead of seats, they had straw laid out on the wagon floor for us to sit directly on. Which was fine, but I definitely had to perform the pull-your-jeans-up-before-you-sit-down shimmy to gear up for sitting on the floor.

Noah seemed to like the hay pit though:

We finished our time there by taking fun pics:

Enjoying some treats, freshly fried apple fritters and hot apple cider:

This picture cracks me up, such a grown up sitting position:

After taking this photo of the girls on the pumpkins, I was given a tutorial by my loving husband about lighting and our camera. He's funny like that. I've been given many of those throughout my SLR career, I just really have no clue. I could probably help myself by making a rule of: Don't shoot the picture when you're looking directly into the blazing sun. 

My favorite part of our day was definitely apple picking. They had endless rows of many different varieties of apples. And we allowed ourselves to taste test the ones that had fallen on the ground. 

And the kicker? Our sis-in-law had spent her whole morning to making a homemade potato soup and homemade brownies! She is also a fall fanatic and memory makin' machine! It was delicious and the perfect ending to our fall festivity.

The Nerve...

Can you believe I have the nerve to come back?

After all this time?

I will spare you all of the details that caused me to waver back and forth between continuing to blog or not. I will share, however, that I did recently attempt to turn our 2012 annual family photo album into somewhat of a blog/photo album. Ask me how many times I made an "entry" for that. One. There's something motivating for me when I "think" I'm speaking to an audience. (That goes out to you, my TWO followers.)

So here we are. Almost eight months later. It could be my love for fall that has inspired me to blog once again. How can I deny you of all my thoughts, inspirations, and photos that just ooze fall? Yes, I said ooze.

I have a lot of blog post ideas running through my head. Some I will have to backpost. For now, I will share what fall has me singing and dancing about:

And laughing, too. I found this at a consignment shop and it made me laugh just thinking about it. Unfortunately, it was way too small. Ryan did not share the same affinity for the costume. I will admit the hat looked a bit like a french artist's beret. Oh well.

Here's our house fall-ified. It was so fun to get into the fall spirit this year, since last year I was baking a pumpkin of my own in my belly, and survival mode did not leave room for decorating my home to get into the fall spirit.

Welcome to our home...

Funny thing about that scarecrow. Naiya picked it out when we were on a date. It's the cutest little thing, pigtails and everything. But she is the same height as the girls, and has become somewhat of a playmate to them. They would dress her, make her play house, and I am baffled at how she made it out alive. I was sure she would be missing a limb (or head) by the time she was needed to be put out on our porch. (I was waiting for our pumpkins to accompany her out on the porch.) 

Moving on....

Entryway:

I found this fall subway printable on pinterest and put it in a black 8x10 frame I had laying around.

Formal Dining Room:

Living Room:

Some new fall things added this year, our fall bucket list that I intend tackling with the girls in order to make fall memories for and with them. This really helps me to be intentional with just being with them. My natural bent is doing for them. And I LOVE lists! I'm a cross-it-off kind of freak!

A tent you might ask? Yes, this was set up in our backyard for about a week. The first two nights the girls were all giddy to sleep in it, not even caring if we were out there with them or not. Naiya ditched Alexia the first night, and Alexia was completely fine being by herself out there in the cold and dark. Then Alexia ditched Naiya the next night and the same result. Although Ryan didn't feel right about them being alone out there, so he slept out there both nights, but both nights each girl was fast asleep by the time he got out there. The girls also begged me to take their naps out there as well, having no problem falling asleep. Good memories. 

Sunroom fall decor:

Naiya, who has the best sniffer around (as well as other observational skills that lead me to believe she is on the road to working for the CIA), ran by the cinnamon-scented pinecones the day I put them out and shouted, "something smells cimmanony!" Love her.

My Trader Joe's lovelies that have lasted SO long and make me happy every time I look at them. They just speak fall to me so perfectly. 

Fall treats include caramel candy corn (yum) and I ventured out to try caramel apple candy corn (no thanks). And Ryan made a batch of caramel popcorn. Man, there is nothing like warm, gooey caramel popcorn right out of the oven.

Taste testing his goods:

Hope you enjoyed our Fall Home Tour! Happy Fall!