Pumpkin Patch

We are smack dab in the middle of MOVING, PTL, so I've not been on the computer much but this past weekend we went to our local Pumpkin Festival and I have to share the photos.  Winslow LOVED riding the horse and had his first bite of cotton candy!  Too bad it was 93 outside and didn't feel like fall, but hey I pretended it was 60.  And check out my little man's hilarious "smile" face.  He does this scrunchy nose smile that is so so cute. 

And can't forget the cowboy boots!

 

Why is my little man so big! 

Next year, we will have an 8 month old in tow too!  :)

My all time favorite pumpkin bread.

This is too good not to share. I've been using this recipe since I've been married (around 5 years) and I am surprised I don't have it memorized yet. 

To celebrate the second day of fall, I am sharing with y'all and you better make it soon!  This is a great bread to freeze two, if you don't think you'll eat both loaves in time. 

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup water
• 3 cups white sugar
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
3. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

 This bread comes out so moist and yummy! Enjoy!!!


*taken from allrecipes.com*

Dreaming of Fall weather...

Who cares if it's 94 outside...I am all decorated for my FAVORITE season! Fall.  I love it.

Maybe I'll just turn my air down to 60 and pretend like I won't be sweating two seconds after I walk out the door...  it's kind of depressing that I can't enjoy a PSL right now, but then again,  I love wearing shorts in January. 

Here's a peak of our fall home.  I only have a small are to decorate and since we are moving soon, I didn't want to go completely crazy.  But once we get into our new place, consider it done. 

Source List:

Farmhouse Table: Built by me and my grandpa
White Chairs: Thrifted and painted by me
Galvanized Bucket: IKEA
Glass Pumpkins on table: Dollar Tree
Canvases: DIYed by me
Literally everything else on the two shelves: HomeGoods or Marshalls :)


I can't wait until it gets a little cooler here...which will be in like December...

The things we do to our babies.

Looking back, this is a pretty funny story, and if someone would have video taped it, I'm sure it would have won on America's Funniest Videos.  Or maybe it would have started a new series on TV called "What NOT to do as a new parent."

So, as you know, it's getting close to Halloween...and it's also Autumn (duh).  That means pumpkins, hayrides, and cider...all my favorite things.

I've always wanted to have a picture of my little chunker inside a pumpkin..you know, the ones where the little fat babies are smiling and happy?

See exhibit A:






See exhibit B:


See exhibit C:


(All images taken from google pics)

So, it was DESTINED to turn out good for me, right?

I would cut out the pumpkin, stick Winslow in it, and he would smile and coo until I was done taking his photo.

Right?

See exhibit D, E, and F:

 He's not so sure...

 and cue the screams and tears...

 I even tried to cut out leg holes for him to make him more comfy?  It didn't work, obvoiusly.

Want to know what's even better about this story?

Hubby was helping me, begrudgingly, and was taking the photos while I was trying to soothe him.. (HA! Soothe a baby in a pumpkin who clearly hated it?  Yeah, good try.)

After about 30 seconds of him screaming we decided the photoshoot was over in case our neighbors decided to call Child Protective Services on us.

And so we tried to take little W out of the pumpkin...didn't happen.

His legs were stuck.

WHAT????

At this time, I was freaking out a little for many reasons..  I am a new parent so I'm supposed to freak out. His legs would forever be stuck in a pumpkin. He would be scarred for life.  He would pass out from being so upset...the list goes on.

So hubby picked up the pumpkin, with baby in it, and sat it on the kitchen table...I had a knife in hand ready to cut the pumpkin open.  (Bad idea)  and thankfully my husband still had some sense because he wouldn't let me use the knife.  He just started tearing the pumpkin apart, while the screaming babe was inside, and I was about to burst into tears because I was so flustered. 


What seemed like an hour of him being "stuck" was really like 30 seconds and he was fine right after we got him out.  His legs weren't really stuck, we just didn't have the right angle to push his legs back inside the pumpkin to take him out.

ha! Now that's a great story to tell him when he's 15.

Want to know the best part?  Hubby had two friends over from out of town who got to witness the whole event.

They told me I wasn't crazy.. but I know they really think so.

The things we do to our babies...goodness gracious.

Note to self:  No more pumpkin pictures.

 Bless. his. little. heart.

Proof that he wasn't too mad after the fact:

 And a snippet of my mom and my conversation:

 HAHA

Good thing he won't remember this. Otherwise he'd always hate Halloween..and his momma.

When it doubt, paint it out....

Okay, so that title doesn't really make sense...but that's okay! It sounded good.

My mom is in town visiting and let me tell you, it's so wonderful having help with the cooking and cleaning! And of course, she gets her share of Winslow too.  :) 

My baby boy will be SIX weeks old tomorrow.  HOW is that possible?  He is growing so fast and being a mom is the best thing I've ever experienced. 

It has also been well over six weeks since I did a little DIY project...so of course, when I have a live-in babysitter, I jump on the chance to do something. 

I've had the end tables in my living room for 3.5 years and I love them.  However I wanted to change up the look and so I painted them.

This is the only before photo I could find...and obviously, it's at Christmastime.

See the dark end tables?  They are now..WHITE! :)

 

Oh yeah, and I did change up my fall mantle a tad. I forgot I had this lovely wood piece in the garage that I made last year and I added some pine cone garland.  

I think I like it!

And I love fall.

The end.

Too early?

Is it too early to decorate for fall?

I think not.

Is it still in the 90's outside?  Well, yeah..but that doesn't stop me from wanting a pumpkin spice latte and ungodly amount of pumpkin bread. 

 Some of the best fall decor can be found in your backyard! I picked up the pine cones and the twigs from there.  It's so easy to decorate with them.  I think I may spray paint some pine cones too!

 I still think that turquoise fan is my favorite Goodwill find EVER.  And it was $2.99. 

It becomes quite the challenge when you have this little fella wanting your attention too:

Melt. my. heart.  He is precious, if I do say so.

So, I may not have gone ALL OUT like I usually do, but I love this season and I did what I could in ten minutes! :)

 No, that is not my child in the picture frame...I'm waiting on photos from Shutterfly!

 Cute little scarecrow man from Hobby Lobby for 80% last year!  I need to go back once the fall stuff is on clearance again. 

Doesn't my house look so clean with a newborn? HA!!  Take a look at what's in the corner.

WHO KNEW babies needed so much stuff?  It's like a baby explosion in here now.  But I love it.

And I wouldn't change it for the world.

(To be fair, his nursery is upstairs and I'm not about to walk up and down the stairs 123098 times a day changing his outfit from when he peed or pooped on himself and change his diaper a bazillion times a day..so this is his "station" which holds all of his outfits, diapers, and other baby items.)

Happy Fall, Y'all!