Hamburger Cupcakes

My husband is a HUGE football fan.  His second favorite sport is hockey and then probably basketball.  If he's really bored he'll turn to the golf channel (but that's definitely a last resort.)

We were invited to our friend Deb and Ken's house this past weekend and I decided to make cheeseburgers.  Just not the type of cheeseburgers you're thinking of.

yum!

I had seen this hamburger cupcake recipe on DuncanHines.com and have been looking for a reason to try it for quite some time.  I knew as soon as Deb called and asked me to bake I had the perfect dessert!

adding the "cheese" and "lettuce"

they were a hit!

Family Vacation

For one of my Christmas gifts my husband surprised me with a gift that I NEVER would have expected- a vacation.  He was able to take time off from work and book our rental home without me knowing ANYTHING...which was kind of a shock!

This past week we made our way to the Bahamas.  It was so nice to be in the warm weather, bright sunshine and enjoying some downtime.  It's amazing with a little getaway will do to refresh your mind after the holidays.  Take a peek of the picture I snapped from one of our flights:

Just breathtaking!

This was also Lily's first time on a plane which was VERY exciting.  I'm not sure she understood what was going on, and we did have a little bit of trouble during take off (yes, we were those people with the screaming baby.)  But we did manage to calm her nerves and she was fine for the second flight.

Since we rented a house we didn't have childcare services which is what I preferred.  If we went out to dinner, it was with Lily.  This kept things pretty low-key and I wouldn't have asked for anything different.  We spent most of our time on the beach and exploring the little island of Green Turtle Cay.

Beautiful

It was wonderful to get away and spend some time with my husband and Lily.  We needed a little break from it all after the holidays and this really "hit the spot."

Guest Post: How to Take Better Baby Pictures!

Two posts in 1 day? I know. I know.  But this second post is a good one :)

I was fortunate enough to receive a guest post from my blog friend Vanessa over at her WONDERFUL photography blog that you can find here at VanessaSchrotenboer.com. Take a peek at her tips for taking better baby pictures.

Until your child can sit up and run around you may feel like all your images of your wee one look the same. Plopping them on the couch here and there is great but when they are constantly falling over it may be hard to capture the image you desire to grab. Below I am sharing 5 tips that have helped me when taking pictures of our little boy!

And p.s. you can use these tips to photograph your children at any age.

1. Find the light!! To me it's the MOST important part of your image- beside the sweet baby! So find: Big windows, glass doors, open your blinds do what you can to let the light shine in your home. We have awesome light that streams in through our back glass door. I love taking pictures in that area because I know it will provide us with some yummy light.

This doesn't mean every image you take needs to be posed in this spot that would get old! Instead, put their toys, blanket etc in the spot that has great light and then when you're ready to take a picture, they are in the location you want them to be without moving them out of their element. I don't set baby G facing the light directly. I like to turn him at about a 45 degree angle otherwise I find the light too harsh!

2. Get on their level! Lay on the ground and see the world from their view! This helps you have a variety of images from different angles. Down low, above, etc! But my favorite is to lay on the ground and talk and laugh with my baby!

 

3. Don't forget the details! Do you not just stare at your baby's face all day? Their cute nose, tiny hands, squishy belly! I could go on... I love to take pictures of these parts to remind me of his sweetness! Of course I love his face but I try to capture all aspects of him. Will he not stay this little forever? Please tell me yes...

4.  Rule of thirds! In order to make your images more dynamic and interesting don't always place your baby in the center of your image.  Mix it up and take a picture with your child on either the right or left side of the frame! Rule of thirds helps show off the environment, show movement and change it up from the typical center face shot!

 5. Capture parts of your day! Posed pictured are great as well but don't forget those moments that remind you of YOUR life with your babe- catch them sleeping in their crib, munching on their breakfast, practicing tummy time, cuddles with Dad, out for walk, getting a diaper change, playing with a pet or their favorite toys! Those are the moments that make my heart swell!

Lastly, keep your camera close by, keep shooting and happy picture taking!

About Vanessa:

Vanessa Schrotenboer is a blogger who shares many aspects of her life from her journey into motherhood, portrait and wedding photography as well as

beauty and lifestyle tips! She enjoys blogging, photography and a warm cup of hot chocolate. To connect with Vanessa check out her blog or her twitter, @vschrotenboer.

Christmas with the Moore's

It's hard for me to believe the last time I sat down to blog was nearly a month ago.  Where does the time go?!  I'll tell you- wrapping, trees, get-togethers, baking, more wrapping, gifts and more baking.  That just about sums up what the Moore family has been up to.

With the troublesome news that hit very close to home, I've wanted to sit down and blog about the Sandy Hook tragedy.  Watching the news reports and the vigils on television had me sobbing at one point.  Whenever I tried to sit down and put my feeling into words, I struggled.  I think as a mom it hit me harder than it would have prior to having Lily.  As a parent I could barely watch as other parents mourned for their children.  With everything that has been said, I suppose I will leave it at that.  No need to talk about the issues now surrounding it, just remember the young lives that are now watching over us and if you are at all religious, please say a little prayer.

Back to the Moore family Christmas...

This was Lily's second Christmas, but last year she was only three months old.  This Christmas was definitely more exciting- watching her unwrap gifts and stare at the tree.  My DH and I kept saying "NEXT year, she will really get it."  And maybe by next year, she will have a little brother or sister to keep her company while she opens gifts. :) :)

Here are a few pictures from our holiday this year.  I hope to have more up shortly for all of my bloggy friends.

My mother-in-law's Christmas tablescape, Banana Oatmeal bread (1 of 5 loaves!),  New earrings from my lovely husband (sorry for the blur) and one of our beautiful ornaments (which has our wedding invitation curled inside!)

A Royal Baby...

http://www.notmassproduced.com/

I was so excited to hear the great news yesterday!  Just as we all watched Prince William marry Kate Middleton, I was equally as excited to see that she is expecting her first baby.  I give her so much credit.  She manages to remain true to herself and carries out her duties in such a class-act fashion.  I can't wait to follow along her pregnancy journey!

Top Christmas Onesies!

Lily is almost 15 months and I'll be honest, I miss the days of her wearing the tiniest onesies around the house.  She still wears them, but they're not NEARLY as tiny as they used to be (I guess that's obvious.)

I've come across quite a few on Pinterest, Etsy and my other regularly visited websites and I wanted to share my Top 5 Christmas Onesies with all of you!  

Number 5

I have a special place in my heart for dachshunds because my grandmother had one when I was a child.  Her name was Stella and she was wonderful entertainment for hours.  So naturally I fell in love with this onesie as soon as I saw it!

via etsy

Number 4

Gap

Little owls are so big this season.  I thought this was adorable when I saw it and actually ordered one for Lily.  It's available at Gap.com.

Number 3

This next onesie is so feminine and adorable!  A very elegant look...

Ralph Lauren

Number 2

Who wants a little candy cane? I do! I do!

Giggle

Number 1

Brea's

Obviously for a little girl, but who can resist a tutu?  Not me!  I love it!

Thanksgiving Tips

Hi Everyone.  I'm in charge of making pies for A LOT of people this Thanksgiving so I was anxious to ask my friend Olivia to guest post for me.  She's a sweetheart and Lily adores her.  Take a peek at some of her helpful Thanksgiving Day tips! 

Hey Y’all!!

Katie here has inspired me in so many ways. I envy her passion and dedication to blogging. I thought I would give-it-a-go and write a post for Katie to share about the holiday season. Maybe someday I will start my own blog! Enjoy!

Have you ever felt so uncomfortable that you fear the button on your jeans will pop off if you don’t unbutton them first? Me too! I think this is something we can probably all relate to at one point or another in our lives (am I right, or am I right?). Thanksgiving and the holiday season is just another one of those occasions in many American households.

More than ever we find ourselves concentrating on ‘living healthy.’ But, what is healthy!? Not eating carbs or dairy? Maybe. Not eating processed foods? Maybe. Eating only 2x a day and no more than 1200 calories per day? Well maybe, but who really does that anyway? My point you see is there are many ways to be “healthy.” The various factors driving the ultimate goal of living a healthy lifestyle differ from person to person. My personal belief, especially during the holiday season, (aka the season of dessert temptation), is moderation. That one little word is my gift that keeps on giving all through the holidays.

Why? I’m so glad you asked! It is because it allows me to enjoy every flavor of the holidays. Whether it’s the sweet treats of Thanksgiving dessert or the calorie loaded cheesy potatoes my mother-in-law insists on making every year, I can happily taste each flavor of the season. Here are some quick tips of my own that might help you keep your healthy mentality throughout the holidays without skipping a beat, or a Christmas cookie!

Eat before you eat. How many times have you starved yourself all morning before that late-lunch almost dinner time meal? Or was that just me….? Either way, be sure to eat a plentiful breakfast, nourishing you for the day. Then, when the appetizers are put out, you aren’t diving into the table stuffing your mouth with everything in sight. You can enjoy nibbling on one or two of each of the appetizers, holding you over until the mealtime.

Fill your plate. Yes, I said FILL YOUR PLATE. First, take a little bit more veggies and fruit than you might otherwise, cover at least half of your plate, making sure you leave room for the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy though! This will ensure you don’t take too much of those guilt inducing, ‘leave you feeling groggy the rest of the day’ foods.

This looks great!  Just add more veggies!

-Want Dessert? Have Dessert. Depriving yourself of something is only going to lead to over-indulging later on. The longer you say “no thank you” to the pumpkin pie, or “I’ll pass” to the decadently frosted cookies, the more you will want them. Instead of giving them up all together, just eat dessert in small amounts. Ask for a smaller piece of pie, share a cookie with your little one. No matter how you do it, cherishing a sweet treat now will pay off in the long run.

Take it outside. It may be chilly, but the fresh, brisk air will do the body good. Bundle up after a meal and hit the pavement. Going for a short walk will burn some calories yes, but it will also keep you awake instead of that ‘groggy’ feeling I mentioned earlier.

Dress to Impress. It’s much easier to wear a big cozy sweater with loose fitting jeans, but if you take a little bit longer to get ready for your holiday gathering and wear something not so baggy, you will be more conscious of what you eat. The devil’s on your shoulder saying, “who cares, you’re wearing a baggy sweater no one will notice- just eat it,” won’t be as loud. Trust me, this actually does work. (And you can’t secretly unbutton your pants when your stomach expands if your top isn’t big enough to keep it hidden!) 

via pinterest

These tips may seem obvious, or they may be new to you. Either way, I hope hearing them helps. Like I said before, moderation is the key. Enjoying what the holidays have to offer is the most important thing this time of year, even if it means a few more calories. It’s better to be happy, friendly and enjoyable to be around than grumpy, stressed and constantly worried about what you are eating. Let’s be honest, no one wants to be around the ‘girl-who-only-talks-about-what-she-can’t-eat.’

Thanks again to Katie for letting me share my tips. Let me know if you have any holiday health tips to share! Wishing you all great health, and lots of happiness this holiday season!

Olivia