But baby it's cold outside!

[old sweaters made into new warm mittens}

Long Johns

Have I told you how much I LOVE my long johns? Mad City is not the warmest city and during our 5 months of winter, my long johns become my best friends.

The most important part of my long johns is the brand. Hanna Anderson (www.hannaandersson.com)... the one and only. For all you non-believers out there, you must trust me! You have never really had a pair of long johns until you've owned a pair of Hannas. They are thick, comfortable, durable cotton that don't shrink or stretch too much.

I own 7 pairs and have had all of them for 5-12 years. None of them look more than a year old. Trust me, these are the real deal. If you are short like me, order the largest kids size (160cm) and you'll save some money!

In my opinion the stripe ones are the best. I own blue/green, turquoise/blue, lght pink/drk pink, red/green, and orange/blue. There are also some really cute patterns. I have swedish horses, and some skiers as well.

Now off to shovel, with a base layer of long johns!

hanna andersson

this is my new favorite color combo. did i mention they come out with new colors each year?!

Oh, if I could craft all day...

{ so much better than a star}

www.oncewed.com

{I'd need a bigger house}

by Cathy Callahan

{ I imagine Addie would LOVE these}

http://mayamade.blogspot.com

{ so easy! i may have to start this one soon}

http://papiervalise.typepad.com

Traditions

I love traditions. They go deep in my family. Not a holiday passes without some tradition to follow. Many may find these annoying or a bother to keep up. Not me. I find great comfort in following traditions my family has managed to keep over the years. It makes me reflect on my childhood and so many memories of my family. I especially think of my grandparents... GO & GO (Grandma Olson and Grandpa Olson). They were the best at keeping with tradition and always were around to join in. I miss them so, especially as this holiday season rolls around. This is part of my way of always keeping them close.

Some of my favorite Christmas traditions...

-Swedish Pepparkakor in a new Carl Larson tin from the Swedish Store(which Addie LOVES).. thanks Mom!

-Cookie Baking with the ladies (the guys help eat the burnt cookies... GO was especially good at this!). I am excited for everyone to come bake a TON of cookies at my place this year!

-Hanging the ornaments I received as a child.

- Receiving an amaryllis from my Aunt Nancy & Uncle Dale. Oh the anticipation of such a beautiful bloom!

-Cardamom coffee cake

-Hanna Anderson Long Underwear (if you don't have a pair, you should seriously invest!)

-English and Swedish Supper on Christmas

Addie enjoying her first birthday breakfast... a tradition of course!

What are some of YOUR favorite traditions?

trash reinvented

something to replace my 4ft. vase

my muse

The treats of life

Of course Alex & Addie. i am blessed to have them in my life.

the celebration of birthdays. a way of reflecting on the year.

warm, soothing coffee. my new daily addiction.

spontaneous dance breaks when Alex gets home and the giggles that flow from Addie.

Wednesday morning Encounter. so good to dig deep into the word.

my new zest for meal planning. so many food combinations to try.

community on our block that dates back 30+ years. we call them the Golden Gang.

stepping in to our heated home.

daily dose of blog posts on the Internet and the inspiration that follows.

a husband that keeps me laughing with his joking around.

Kleenex. a necessity for a one year old.

meeting Thursdays with life group. those ladies are real, thought provoking, and funny to chat with.

my Mom and the crafting bug she's given me.

never having to leave home to return a movie. Netflix.

holidays filled with Olson family traditions.

Starbucks luring me in with their holiday flavors. pumpkin spice latte is my favorite.

i know i shouldn't use them, but q-tips are hard to quit.

the continual refinement through relationships in my life.

deep connection and history i have with my sisters.

a holiday to reflect and remember. thanksgiving.

unemployment. love love love spending my days with Addie.

big or small, vacations are always great. can't wait for one this weekend.

very convenient to have a walking partner down the block with a kid the same age as my babe.

x. sorry i've got nothing.

the color mustard yellow. a fall favorite.

free zoo. a Madison mother's escape.

Pork Chops and....

Applesauce!

This year was my first attempt at making applesauce. After a trip to a orchard in the area, I set off on the first batch. The lady at the orchard recommended I go with Melrose because it is good for sauces. I worked through a 10lb bag of apples and ended up with 10- 2 cup Ziploc bags full of applesauce. I am contemplating even making more. It only took me about an hour and is SO good!

{peeling... and finally getting some technique after the 20th apple}

{Melrose from Eplegaarden}

{cooking with 8oz. of water for 20 minutes}

{my favorite work horse mixing in a little sugar}

{double bagged to keep it yummy}

Coupons!

I love to save. I love a good deal. If you're like me, it's hard to buy something full price. If I do pay full price, it is usually a well thought out purchase.

These are my two favorite saving sites...

Groupon.com

Hip2save.com

What are yours? I always love a new blog!

It smells like fall around here.

Love this recipe. It is the essence of fall if you ask me. The best part about this concoction is that it makes the house smell so good!

Mulled Apple Cider

2 quarts apple cider

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 t. whole cloves

1 t. whole allspice

2 cinnamon sticks

A dash of nutmeg

1/4 t. salt

Put the whole cloves and allspice in a tea infuser. Add all the ingredients to a large pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Just Dance

{thanks Kate and Ben for letting Addie borrow your toy... she loves it!}

Addicted

Felt felt felt. I just can't put the sewing needle down. I just jump from one project to the next. I think some of you may have to take them off my hands.

kate helping addie?

Toys

Who knew I would be so interested in toys. Was at Target today and saw the cutest wooden activity cube. It took everything in me not to buy it for Addie.

Just love this brand of B.Toys. The B.Sugar Chute and the B.Whacky Ball were just as neat.

Splash!

Addie took her cousins to a new favorite... the local splash park! Right now Addie just enjoys the show. Maybe next year she'll join in. It was a fun time, followed by a delicious meal at Bean Sprouts.

Spittin' & Scootin'

...now off to baby proof the house

Blackberry Cornmeal Deliciousness

With summer in full swing, you really must try these muffins!

1 1/4c. flour

1/2 c. cornmeal

2 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

1 1/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. buttermilk

2 large eggs

7 T. butter

2 containers of blackberries

Preheat oven to 375

Whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and 1c.+ 2T. sugar. In another bowl whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter; pour over flour mixture. Fill each lined cup with 1/4 c. batter. Top batter with blackberries (3 per cup), then sprinkle with remaining 2T. of sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to wire rack before removing muffins. Makes 16 muffins. Enjoy!

Fresh from our garden

A New Skill

With my Mom's old (but great) sewing machine, I have learned the basics of sewing. I first started with a few table runners and over the weekend my Mom assisted as I made my first baby dress! It was pretty easy and I just love the satisfaction of completing something like that. My Mom and I found a shop in Madison called Stitcher's Crossing that has super cute fabrics, which makes all the difference in a project like this.

The dress fits Addie perfectly! I am already dreaming of the next one I will make!

I have a talented friend

by Mariel

Safe Arrival

i just love these brothers

I just love new babies... especially when I'm related to them. The little babes with their baby fuss, baby feet and hands, soft breathing, and frail cries. Nothing beats welcoming them into the world.

Our new nephew came into this world on the 11th. A big boy at over 10lbs, who was smart to come early. I just love that Addie has a new cousin her age. They will be buddies for sure!

I can't wait to meet him in a couple weeks!

Yesterday I finally got to try the famous cake pops from Bakerella. I was waiting for an excuse to make 40+ cake pops and Sammy's graduation was just the event!

Here are some things I learned...

-Make sure to chill the cake balls for a few hours... it will make things a lot easier!
-Only remove a handful at a time from the freezer when frosting.
-The frosting of the pops definitely takes some perfecting and was by far the trickiest part.
-I am kicking myself because I let some bossy lady at Vanilla Bean convince me that the edible ink pen (that Bakerella suggests using) doesn't work. Next time I think I'll try ordering a pen online. I've never had someone try so hard to talk me out of a purchase at their own store!
-And finally, make sure you need to bring all the cake pops to your party, or else you'll start talking yourself into having just one more =)

garden delight

Da da

Dedication

Before you had a name, or opened up your eyes

or anyone could recognize your face,

You were being formed, so delicate in size

secluded in God's safe and hidden place.

With your little tiny hands,

and your little tiny feet,

and your little eyes that shimmer like a pearl.

He breathed in you a song,

and to make it all complete

He brought the masterpiece into the world.

With Pastor John at the Baby Dedication

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise: his greatness no one can fathom. One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. ~Psalm 145:3-4

6 months

the photo shoot started off well and then she started to get distracted....

Happy half birthday Addie!

embracing the mohawk

This may (and hopefully) be the only time that Addie has a mohawk, so we are embracing this new style of hers. I especially love when it shows up in her shadow as seen in picture 2!

Happy Mother's Day

years of dreaming

9 months of pregnancy

13 hours of labor

countless hours of lost sleep

many many diapers

laundry galore

but worth it all when I catch one single glimpse of those big brown eyes

Thank you Lord for the wonderful baby you have blessed me with.

bloom where you are planted

a glance out our window and you'll see spring is here.

Just call me Julia

Now that I am a stay at home Mom, I have been trying to expand my repertoire in the kitchen. I am not doing anything too fancy, just some simple cheap recipes I come across. Feel free to let me know some of your favorites and I'll continue to try to keep you posted on any new ones I try. One great source has been my Real Simple magazines. These two that I tried last week were a success...

Deep Dish Cheeseburger Pizza Before...

And After...

Also an easy Chicken and Corn Pot Pie... Before ... sorry I forgot to take the after picture)

here are the links for the two recipes...

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/deep-dish-cheeseburger-pizza-recipe-00000000033690/index.html

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/chicken-corn-pot-pie-00000000031380/index.html

5 Months... where have they gone?

Our dear little Adeline turns 5 months tomorrow. I am continually blessed by this babe of ours. I just love each minute of being home and would not trade it for anything! Each stage of motherhood has had it's highs and lows for sure, but this month has been especially fun. She is taking in so much these days and really developing her own, unique personality. Addie is such a smiley, bubbly baby who wants to be part of the action. Sometimes this trait becomes a little bothersome when she really needs to eat or sleep... she would much rather play!

This week was big for Addie because she started to roll over. She has not perfected this skill, by any means, but we are continuing to work on it. Right now she just knows how to roll from her tummy to her back. I will try to catch her on camera one of these days.

We are also loving the weather! Our family has taken to evening walks together and I try to get out during the day as well. A lot of neighbors are retired and always seem to see us leave the house. They are out in a flash! I think when Addie gets a little older, she will get tired of all these people pinching her cheeks!

This weekend we caught the first farmers market of the season. This is one of my absolute favorite things to do in Madison and I was so excited to introduce Addie to it. I love to stroll around the capital, sipping on a smoothie, and munching on some hot and spicy cheese bread from Stella's. If you ever come to Mad City, it is a must!