Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Ok friends & family, here is the recipe to my favorite cookies!  During the holiday season, I like to use craisins & white chocolate chips to add a little more festive-ness.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup wheat flour
1/4 cup white flour
1 1/2 cup rolled oats
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
2 TB cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup raisins (or craisins!)
3/4 cup (white) chocolate chips


1. Combine the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and eggs.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt
3. Add dry mixture, a little at a time (about 1 cup) into the wet mixture, until well blended
4. Add the vanilla and blend
5. Stir the white chocolate chips and craisins into the mixture.
6. Chill the dough for 30 minutes
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet and spoon dough in 1 to 1-1/2 inch balls onto the sheet.
8. Bake for 9-10 minutes and cool on a wire rack.
9. ENJOY!

This can make 2-3 dozen cookies depending on the size of your scoop.

So chewy and delish, and I have convinced myself they are somewhat "healthier".  Haha! 

I originally got my recipe from Erica's Sweeth Tooth, but tweaked it in a few areas.

Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!

Lots of love,

Lex

December, really??

This will probably be more of a photo post(aren't they all?) This time of year is seriously nuts!  We have been doing the usual library time, a few dance classes, cousin play dates, goin to the park, and even the Zoo!

Veteran's day with my bestest, Monica and cousin Jace!

Library time: BUBBLES!

Dance class with some more self-love

Some fresh air at the playground

Cousin Alora came to visit :)

My amazing, beautiful super mom of a cousin, Megan, has been in town visiting from Iowa and it has been such a treat to spend time with her and her 2 adorable girls. Here are a few pics from our cousin play dates! Crossing my fingers they decide to move to AZ :D

Cousins Emma & Sofia

Had a blast @ the San Tan outdoor play area

Zoo fun! The girls are such divas in their shades ;)

"Ma, lemme outta here so I can run a mock!"

Obsessed with sand

Phoenix Zoo with fellow cuties Addi & Lily.

So hard to get all the girls to sit still.

Family love @ my cousin Alicia's baby shower (another girl due in March!)

Auntie Bre came with us to the Library

Rob overcame another crazy month at work, with being sick and missing some days and cutting it short for the holiday, he still managed to meet the goal him and his management team set out for.  I'm so proud of him for focusing at work, but still making time for his ladies.  We have been spoiled by the grandparents in the babysitting department.  Saw Catching Fire @ iPic and and had an awesome date night to see Michael Buble live and whoa mama! Hands down, best concert I've been to. He is so charming and funny, and of course talented.  Time for some more pics!

Michael Buble date night!

Work hard, play hard right? It's such a bittersweet feeling to spend time away from Sofia, I am still so used to being with her 24/7 *practically*.  It gets easier each time, and now I am workin towards spending a night away from her.  It's so funny how silly I thought FTM's were when it came to this, I will be the first to admit it! Things just change when you become a parent, and I am okay with admitting I am such a typical first time mom. I wouldn't have it any other way ;)

Anyway, back to Little Miss.  It is so true when they say that things change so quickly. Here are the highlights:

Age: Almost 14 months

Stats: 23-ish lbs, i think (need to do a better weigh in) Blue eyes & Lighter brown hair with a hint of red

Teeth: 8 total. 4 on top, 4 on bottom.  Still workin on those molars

Favorite Foods: Blueberries, Green grapes, Anything pasta, Pizza, black beans & quinoa, Cheerios, ranch flavored "cheetos"

Favorite Word: Dada

Favorite Toys: Non-toys, of course! Any type of ball, rubber ducks, stuffed teddy bears

Favorite Activities: Going to the park, playing outside, obsessed with sand & woodchips, bath time, running everywhere, reading books, Lapsit @ the library, playing at the gym child care, and ticklefest with daddy.
Other Favorites: Binky and soft blanky, clapping, doing moves to Itsy Bitsy Spider, Wheels on the Bus, and twirling to Hokey Pokey, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Pixar movies, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse!
What's new? Starting to talk more, but really only says Dada. Starting to say "oh-oh" when she pretends to talk on the phone, shaking her head no, Starting to climb on things, Trying to learn how to eat out of a bowl/with utensils. Loves to tactfully throw food over the side of her high chair

Her face when I added red grapes to the mix, haha!

Loves books of all sizes!

Enjoying the park on a slightly rainy day

My last ditch effort to occupy her so I can put some makeup on, sheesh!

More park fun!

Play date with Max!

Can't believe it is already December!  We were blessed to have 2 thanksgivings this year, and I hafta say it was nice not rushing to split our day between 2 houses.  My parents hosted for the Duarte's and Michelle hosted for the Hegarty's.

Nana helping Sofie with her dinner!

Sofie's Faves: Ham, Mashed potatoes, hawaiian bread, & cranberry sauce! Oh, and pumpkin pie *of course*
Sofie's not-so-faves: This adorable thanksgiving plate I found at Target, turkey, or green beans. Haha

It was also our niece, Karlie's 7th birfday.  So crazy how fast these little cuties grow.  This was the only pic I managed of the 2 youngest cousins.

Karlie & Sofia

Gangsta baby!

We are having a blast decorating our new home, here is the entrance of our "Fall" decor.  (and the only pic I remembered to take, haha)

Now onto some Christmas stuff!  Our friend Desiree with Desiree Kristen Photography took some awesome family pics that we are using for our Christmas cards, woo hoo!  Here are few of my faves:

photo by Desiree Kristen Photography

photo by Desiree Kristen Photography

photo by Desiree Kristen Photography

The nice thing about not hosting Thanksgiving is that you can get an early start on Christmas decorations! We still managed to do a little shopping, see Trans Siberian Orchestra, and visit Santa too. It has been a wonderful, extended weekend with my two loves.

Sofie mesmerized by our Christmas Tree!

All said and done!

So glad Rob took today off, so we could go see Santa without all the crowds and waiting in line.  She wasn't in the best mood, but once we got there she was lovin all the colors and decorations. Of course she didn't wanna sit long, but she loved seeing Santa and didn't get scared at all. She loves men with beards! Haha

Looking forward to making many more memories this month with Zoo lights, more Santa time, and other fun actitivities.  I hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving and is soaking up this wonderful time of year!

Xoxo

Lex

Halloweenie & Pics Galore!

How is it already November? Seriously though, this whole year has flown by and the holiday season has crept up on me.  I know I'm a week late, but here are the highlights of what we have been up to and of course, HALLOWEEN pics!

Sofie loves to run around outside!

Realizing grass isn't so bad after all ;)

We were introduced to a free baby dance class by our friends Samantha & Addi.  Though it's 30 minutes of organized chaos, I think it will be great for Sofie once she is a little older and can follow instructions better.  For now, I love watching her run around like crazy nut and stare at her reflection in the mirror.  Plus, mama gets to have some adult interaction with some fellow mamas.  Yay!

Dance class with Addi & Lily!

Now that we are past the triple digit/high 90's..we get to go outside more.  Sofie absolutely LOVES her 4 in 1 trike that Papa & Gambers bought her for her birfday.  Isn't it the coolest?  We use it to check the mail and go to the playground near our house.

Fall-la-la-la-la time is the best!

Ok, time for some Halloween pics!  I really wanted to dress Sofie like "Boo" from Monster's Inc, as a little monster.  Mostly because it was her very first "favorite movie" and she has similar features.  But alas, I am still a novice crafter....and I don't really know how to sew. I use my hot glue gun and thats about it.  So I finally made a compromise to at least try and make something.

I was at Baby Town one day, and found a super adorable owl knitted hat.  I decided to build her costume around this adorable hat. 

Went on pinterest and this is what I made.

I already had a white long sleeved onesie lying around, so I went to Hobby Lobby and spent a few dollars on some felt sheets.  I hand drew the "feathers" and pretty much hot glued it all together and TaDa!  I also bought some knit fabric to make a no-sew cape, but ran out of time and decided to call it a day.  End of the month makes me feel like a single mother sometimes...makes me grateful for a great hubby & daddy to our little love the other 3-ish weeks of the month. Thankfully my SIL Amanda came to babysit so I could treat myself to a mani-pedi.  Thanks Auntie M!  Anyway, I put her in her birfday tutu, colorful pants, and shoes she already owns.  Now I really feel like a frugal mama.  I don't think I spent more than $20 and I can re-use all of it (less the onesie)

We had a pretty great Halloween.  Went to Michelle's so Rob's side of the fam could see our cute little owl, Rob made it home in time to trick-or-treat with us in our new neighborhood, and had dinner with most of my family to celebrate my Dad's birfday. 

Cousins Karlie, Kayce, & Hunter.  We bribed Sofie with a croissant roll! haha

Happy Birthday Dad!

Since I wasn't sure how well my half-assed owl onesie would hold up, I had to make sure Miss Sofie was festive during the day with this getup.

Obsessed with the yellow pumpkins

Cutest little Jack-O-Lantern ever!

Tried to be creative with some of the decor I had.

We also went to our first "Kids Club" @ San Tan Mall.  So thankful for fellow mamas, like Samantha, that share all their fun ideas! Though it consisted of me running after Miss OTG (on the go) as she ran a mock run all over the place, I'm happy to know about another neat thing to do with her when she is older. 

Addi & Sofie @ October's Kids Club

Rob decided to take a few days off once the "end of the month" craziness was over.  He has been working his booty off, so I'm glad he did.  We initially wanted to go up north, which turned into maybe a day trip? which turned into another "no agenda" go with the flow weekend.  It was nice until both him & Sofie got sick.  I can honestly say that Rob doesn't turn into a big baby when he is sick (like most men *apparently* do)  So, I knew it was bad.  He got food poisoning from our brunch date to BLD. Yuck! Poor guy was in the fetal position for hours on end, and Sofie was also not feeling well from her tummy.  Needless to say, we were quarantined and I almost wanted to get myself a mask to ensure I escaped the sickness.  Thankfully, I think I'm in the clear and both of my sickies are on the mend. Back to the fun stuff; had a mini "date night" and enjoyed wine and burgers with some friends, did a little shopping at the Phoenix Outlets, went to Freestone park for a "Be Healthy Gilbert" festival, and of course, gave the new house some TLC and hung up play room shelves & decor.  Caught up on some movies & How I Met Your Mother (love that show!), and I guess pretty much vegged out. 

Cousin Karlie & Sofie hangin out at San Tan Mall

San Tan Mall outdoor play area fun!

Freestone Park!

My whole world

Daddy came to dance class with us

Little Miss Sickie

Both my sickies watching "Tangled"

So happy both my sickies are feeling better.  Rob probably should have taken another sick day, but that's near impossible when you are in sales.  He is pretty determined to earn his spot for the President's Club trip and make some major mula. He is a go-getter!  ;)

Playground fun

Still not sure about keeping sunglasses on, haha.

And just because I love damask and this black/white/red combo:

I'm sure I've mentioned this, but Little Miss is starting to get picky about what she eats/drinks.  She basically loves her milk aaaaand the "Mean Green" juice that I make for Rob & I. It's so funny!

 I have tried to give her orange or apple juice, alone or diluted, and she just drops her sippy cup and gives me a "you're-kidding-right?" look. She is a girl that knows what she wants.  Oh, and pedialyte was not an option either.  But, daddy's orange Gatorade was acceptable (for 1 day, haha)  It's just so funny to see her reaction to certain things, she is so dramatic! It makes me laugh (and throw my hands up).

Ok, back to the photo-explosion.  We also had a play date with Paulina and Baby E while they were in town.  Seriously, so cute!  Kinda made me baby crazy for a nano second, then I realized I can barely keep my life together with my little energizer bunny.

Sofia & Elijah!

"Hey ma, remember when I was small enough to play here?!"

PS It's time to child proof our cabinets, yikes!

Here is the last pic I shall leave you with.  What's sweeter than a sleeping baby? Can't think of anything, to be honest ;)  Look at those cheeks!

On a personal note, training at my new job is going well.  Can't wait to get my own groove so I can get back to my usual "Type-A OCD" routine.  What is wrong with me?! Hahaha


Much love!

Lex