chicco-6814

We’ve made big changes in our house since Macks was diagnosed with his food allergies a few months ago. It’s a process, but he’s learning. We’re all learning. He’s begun to ask on a regular basis if things have nuts in them. He’s always asking about whether or not his new friends from school or his sisters have allergies like he does. Our conversations often involve reminders for him to ask about food ingredients and to not eat food without asking us first. At two years old, he’s taking it remarkably well.

But while we’re being super diligent on what Macks eats, it hasn’t deterred his love for one thing; sweet treats. Macks is an incredibly picky eater, but doesn’t discriminate when it comes to anything sweet. Cookies, cakes, candy, it’s all free game in Macks’ mind. And he loves helping me make these sweet treats just as much as he loves eating them. To help accommodate to his allergies, I’ve started learning more recipes that we can make together that he will love and is safe for him.

All three kids are big on doing family activities. They understand how precious time is that we are all together as our family of five. And one thing that they love is sitting around the dining table with food in front of us and enjoying a nice conversation.

chicco-6604

chicco-6624

chicco-6636

chicco-6646

chicco-6651

chicco-6673

chicco-6711

chicco-6739

chicco-6761

chicco-6770

Last week after school, the kids and I got together to make cookies that we could all enjoy. It was a nice break of our routine after school. We’ve been big into sunbutter in our house lately, and I wanted to test out a recipe using it to make cookies. Much to our amusement, they turned out incredibly delicious!

chicco-6870

chicco-6840

chicco-6855

After we baked the cookies, the kids and I sat around at the table and talked about their first week of school. It’s those moments, sitting around the table, that I know they cherish as much as I do.

With meal time being such an important time in our family, I want to make sure that they kids are comfortable and secure at the table when we eat. Chicco has long been a brand that I’ve trusted as a mom. We bought a Chicco car seat and stroller for Harlan when she was born. And they’ve expanded their line of baby gear a lot since then.

chicco-6536

chicco-6501

chicco-6503

chicco-6508

chicco-6516

chicco-6519

chicco-6785

chicco-6791
chicco-6804

chicco-6906

chicco-6916

I love baby gear that can grow with your child. Not only does it require to you spend less, but it means you need to store less (that’s the minimalist in me speaking.) Chicco’s Polly Progres5 Multichair transforms to grow with baby through the five different chairs included in the all-in-one multichair. The Multichair is five chairs in one. Included are a newborn recliner, full-featured infant highchair, toddler booster, big kid booster and a youth stool. And you can also use it for two children simultaneously – one in the youth stool, and another in the booster seat.  It fits easily up to our dining table and can be folded compactly when not in use.

Our lives are constantly becoming busier as the kids get older, but there’s one thing that we can always count on to regroup and enjoy one another. And that’s around the dining table.

chicco-6476

Here’s the recipe for the Eggless Sunbutter Cookies:

What You’ll Need:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tbl brown sugar
  • 1 banana
  • 1 cup sunbutter
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ cup milk

What to do:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Mix flour and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside.
  3. Take rest of ingredients and mix in separate bowl. Mix with electric mixer until smooth.
  4. Slowly mix in flour and baking powder mixture into sunbutter mixture and blend until smooth.
  5. Place mixture in refrigerator for 1 hour so that mixture can harden and is easier to form.
  6. Roll dough into small balls and place on greased cookie sheet.
  7. Once you have all balls formed, press down on balls with fork to flatten.
  8. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
  9. Enjoy!

 

The Polly Progres5 Multichair is available at ChiccoShop.com and Babies “R” Us for a suggested retail price of $199.99.

 

All photos taken by Ana of AnaPhoto

 

img_5841

I’ve always known how affectionate Avery is. She loves love. And she isn’t afraid to show it. She’s such a free spirit, has a smile on her face most of the time, and is the most easy-going little girl there is.

Every afternoon when I pick up Avery, she comes running out the classroom with a huge smile on her face so excited to show me what she’s done in school that day. Yesterday was no different. She ran out of the classroom with her project in her hand and stood right there blabbering off about what the project was about. I looked at it and saw a book titled “All About Me.” It had a drawing on the front, Avery’s name, and a photo of her. Inside it was filled with drawings that Avery had done and sentences that Avery had finished and were filled in by her teacher.

As she read it to me, I was overwhelmed with happiness as I noticed a theme with her answers.

img_5840

img_5839

img_5838

She knows the power of family and of love. And I hope she remembers that for the rest of her life.

That’s what makes me happy.

Now tell me something good. Something that’s made you happy. It can be big, it can be small, just something that has put a smile on your face. You can participate by sharing a photo on Wednesday with the hashtag #WhyImHappyWednesday and tagging me @laurenjimeson or feel free to write it in the comments below. I do read them all and am happy to reply back on your good news! You can also join in the conversation on my Facebook page!

Since moving to Connecticut, my absolute favorite store in the entire world to go to is Terrain. I don’t know how I didn’t know about this place before I moved, but now that I do and I live so close, I visit at least once a week.

A couple of weeks ago, I received an email from Terrain with a gorgeous centerpiece that I knew I needed to recreate.  I’d never done something that looked as elaborate as this, but I figured I might as well give it a try.

My sister and I made the trip to Terrain last weekend and gathered all of our supplies to create this centerpiece that will be sure to make it feel like fall in our house!

Here’s how we did it:

img_5800

Here’s what you’ll need: dried flowers of different shapes and sizes, moss, flower foam, wire cutters, rectangular container.

Gather dried flowers of all different shapes and sizes. I bought some from Terrain, some from Michaels Craft Store, and Home Goods. Here’s what we bought from Terrain: Cotton, Synthetic Succulent, Dried Celosia BunchPreserved Indian Paintbrush Bunch, Dried Lavender. (Sorry the cone-looking flowers and yellow flowers are not on the website.) Dried eucalyptus leaves and green moss from Michaels.

img_5801

Place the green foam into the container and start placing the larger flowers first.

img_5803

Use the wire cutters to cut flowers at different lengths.

img_5804

img_5805

Putting flowers at different heights adds dimensions to the centerpiece.

img_5806

Use the flowers the cover more space towards the bottom of the centerpiece.

img_5812

img_5813

img_5814

Once you use all of your flowers, use the moss to cover the flower foam.

img_5808

img_5807

img_5809

img_5811

img_5810