Our Pumpkin "Patch"

Down here in the deep south, we have a lack of pumpkin patches.

Don't get me wrong. We have pumpkins for sale, but no real pumpkin patches like I grew up with in Missouri.

Anyway, we decided to go to a local nursery, Courtney Farms, and pick out our pumpkins. I love Courtney Farms and we hadn't been back since Isabella was a newborn 4 years ago. Now we went with THREE little girls. Crazy!

Here are a few of my favorite photos from that day. It was a gorgeous day and just perfect for pumpkin picking!

Isabella wanting Madelyn to take it down a notch. And she rescued Madelyn's Ariel toy who was promptly dropped and forgotten about once she saw PUMPKINS!

What do you mean I can't pick this up?

My handsome husband and my sweet Brynlie

Brynlie and Mommy

Madelyn hugging the pumpkin. She is in LOVE with pumpkins!

Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Muffins...YUM.

Melt in your mouth, to die for delicious...

I have found a new love.

Cream cheese frosting meets inside of pumpkin muffin.

All topped with a streusel topping.

Holy yumminess. These things? Are insanely delish. 

And because I heart you all I am sharing that recipe with you today.

I originally got the recipe from Annie's Eats, but made some changes to make them my own little version.

Enjoy!

*****

Cream Cheese Filling


8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1 c powdered sugar

Combine both. Stick bowl of cream cheese filling in freezer to chill while you do the other portions of the recipe.


Streusel Topping


5 tbsp flour
4tbsp butter, cold, cut into pieces
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c brown sugar

Combine all ingredients in a bowl until crumbly. Place bowl in refrigerator as you make the muffin mixture.


Pumpkin Muffin


Add together the following dry ingredients. 


3 c flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

Combine the following (I stirred by hand, but you can use your mixer, too!)


1 can pumpkin puree (not the big can)
4 large eggs
2 c sugar
1 1/4 c oil


Add your flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture. Stir/mix until blended thoroughly.


*****

Preheat oven to 350

Line your muffin pans with 24 wrappers. (Or if you only have one pan use 12 now and 12 later)

*****

Spoon a small spoonful of muffin mixture so it covers the bottom of your liner.

Take your cream cheese mixture out of the freezer.

Spoon a small spoonful of cream cheese yumminess and place on top of the mixture in your liner.

Top the cream cheese with muffin mixture--be sure to cover the cream cheese all of the way.

Sprinkle streusel topping onto muffins. Push streusel down gently.

*****

Cook for 20 minutes at 350.

Remove from oven.

Serve muffins warm--they will seriously melt in your mouth.

*****


And that's it! They really aren't very time consuming. I omitted a few of her steps to save time.

My girls both LOVED them--and I even took some to my neighbors...

Enjoy--and seriously make these. Today.

And Now She is 5 Months...

Halloween costume rehearsal...

Holy cow.

Baby girl is 5 months old now.

To be official it was on the 21st--but it takes me a few days for reality to truly sink in.

Not a lot has changed since she turned 4 months, but here are a few of the things that are adorable:

~She rolls everywhere. As in I place her on her activity mat and within minutes she has rolled across the room.


~Still no laughs. We've gotten a hint or two of a giggle--maybe we just aren't that funny? Kidding--I happen to think we're pretty funny and soon she'll realize it...right?

~I finally took out the newborn pouch from her baby bath. Remember how I said I have a hard time with her growing up and the whole reality of it all? Case in point.

~She's eaten baby food. I swore I would wait until 6 months. She had other ideas. She loves it all so far--and she loves Mum-Mums. I swear by these--they help with her teething and with her learning how to eat. These are perfect for when we're out to eat, I've breastfed her and she's trying to grab my food. Mum Mums = amazingness.

~She thinks the world of her two older sisters. If she and I are awake in the morning she watches for her sisters to come out to the living room. And when they do? Her entire face lightens up and she gives them both her biggest and brightest toothless smile. Adorable.

Woozie--They're Fun for Your Wine Glass!

I love finding great wine glass accessories--who doesn't like to pretty up their glass of wine? You can match your glass to your mood, your personality or to match your favorite sports team. I like to think that life is too short to have a boring wine glass. Why not pretty it up a little bit and make yours stand out from the crowd?


Meet Woozie. Woozie is a wine glass insulator that both insulates your wine glass as well as feels great. What is a Woozie? It's a wine glass insulator! How many times have you picked up your wine glass to find that it's already warm? This has happened to me on many occasions and I never would have thought of having an insulator for my glass. Both genius and cute.

The Woozie is a drawstring wine glass sleeve that is made from top quality neoprene. This not only keeps your wine cool, but makes it soft as well. You can order your Woozie either on a card cutout or have it arrive on an actual wine glass.


With holiday season rapidly approaching--and not to forget the many birthdays during the year--giving someone a Woozie will definitely make me smile. Gifting a Woozie is great for Secret Santas, stocking stuffers or to give a hostess to thank them for the fabulous holiday party that they threw.

Woozie offers so many different styles that you can surely find one that will make the perfect gift. Not only do they offer the Original Woozie, but they also offer Bottle Stoppers, Bottle Bags, Coasters--and many, many more options that are all equally cute.


Be sure and keep up with them on their Woozie Facebook page to keep in the know with all things Woozie!


I was provided with 2 Woozies. All opinions above are my own and no other compensation was given. A huge thank you to Woozie for this awesome review opportunity!

Godiva Coffee {A Yummy Review & Giveaway!}

Congrats #57! You have been emailed--thank you to everyone who entered!

This review is sponsored by Friends you Love and Godiva Coffee

There's no question that I love coffee, especially once the weather begins to turn cooler and I can sit, drink a hot mug and watch my morning news. As a sleep deprived mom I sometimes think of coffee as my lifeline--if I don't have my coffee first thing in the morning? Forget it. I am basically a lost cause if that happens.

With that said, Godiva Coffee is amazing. I look forward to the morning when my home smells like Godiva Pumpkin Spice or their Caramel Pecan Bark. It's to die for delicious--I'm not even kidding.

Sometimes I get a flavored coffee and can't tell what the brand was trying to sell or market it as--not true with Godiva. The flavor is smooth, delicious and the coffee is an excellent way to wake me up in the morning. I've noticed since I've been drinking it that I love to wake up to the rich, fall reminder smell. And if you remember, I adore fall. Godiva Coffee is a total win-win for me.

Godiva Coffee is introducing a variety of everyday favorite coffees as well as my personal favorite the seasonal blends. Their flavors include Chocolate Truffle, Hazelnut Creme, Peppermint Mocha and the two flavors that I talked about above. Godiva Coffee is medium roasted and made with 100% Arabica beans.

Godiva Coffee is priced at less than $10 per 12 oz bag and will be sold nationwide at grocery stores. Their coffee will make an excellent gift for the holidays coming up! Target and Wal-Mart will be selling gift packs starting in November. Easy, yet affordable and it will make for a very happy recipient.

Interested in saving money with Godiva? Check out their coffee coupons to save $2 on your purchase!

Giveaway

Godiva has graciously offered a double pack of their delicious coffee for one of my readers! To be eligible tell me where you enjoy drinking your coffee. This must be done before any/all bonus entries will count.

Bonus Entries

{1 entry per each} Subscribe via email, become a follower and/or subscribe via RSS to Winey Mommy

{1 entry per each} Follow Godiva on Twitter and/or follow Winey Mommy on Twitter.

{1 entry daily} Tweet this giveaway! Copy and paste the following: Win 2 bags of #GodivaCoffee! http://bit.ly/r6fluz Thank you to @GodivaChoc and @FriendsYouLove! 

{1 entry daily} Visit Godiva Coffee and tell me something that you like/learned that wasn't mentioned in my review!

Rules

This giveaway will end on October 27th @ noon CST. Open to all US residents 18+. Leave a valid email in your entry so I have a way to contact you if you win. Winner drawn by Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond. If winner does not respond within 48 hrs a new winner will be drawn/notified. Winey Mommy is not responsible for prizes not being delivered, getting lost, etc. Winey Mommy is not responsible for anything that may result in using product(s) won. 

Godiva and Friends You Love have partnered in order to facilitate this review and giveaway. All opinions expressed above are my own. I received the above product and no other compensation was given. 

Post #377 on Fall Love...

Just when you thought that I couldn't talk about fall any more than I already do, I bust out another fall post.

I can't help it--I just arrived back to Mississippi from my home state of Missouri.

It was a gorgeous trip (pictures to come once I'm done editing) filled with changing leaves, meeting my new 2 year old brother adopted from China, and celebrating my mom's birthday by her side which has not happened in years. We collected fall leaves, ate homemade pies, watched scary movies and just had a great time all around. Missouri? I heart you and everything that you have.

So with so much fall, I want to share a couple of things that I'm currently crushing on:

1) This candle from Bath and Body Works. It? Is amazingness with three wicks. I love it and promise you will, too.


2) My yummy banana bread recipe. Try it. Love it. Try it some more.


3) Scary movies. Halloween, The Strangers, Gothika. So fall, so fun.


4) LMN's scary movie weekend coming up. My DVR will probably be full come Monday, but that's okay with me!


5) Mums of all colors. I want to overflow my porch with fall loveliness. Hoping to slip away this weekend to go and buy some fall pretties for my front porch.


6) Warm recipes. I've been cooking, baking, you name it. Leo's in heaven, the girls are so happy. Fall is definitely a good time over here to eat.


7) And last, but not least, pumpkin spice coffee creamer. It's back and I bought some today--I almost did a happy dance right there--I was ecstatic.


What's making fall amazing for you this week? Share below and I'll have to check it out.

When Times Get Rough...

Sometimes you can feel like you are as prepared as you will ever be, but then something out of the blue can strike when you least expect it.

Maybe you unexpectedly lost your job. Maybe a family member got hurt without a moment's notice. Or even worse, someone who you love and care for gets sick all of all a sudden and it strikes you so fast, so quick that you don't know how it even happened.

No matter how rough times are or times can be, there are resources that can help you and your family during tough times that otherwise make you want to give up. Financial troubles are an extremely hard time and I understand that these troubles can make you feel like your financial problems are snowballing out of control.

Have you ever felt like everything that could go wrong inevitably does during the worst possible times? I know for me just having someone to talk to and just let it all out will release a huge weight off of my chest.

You can also make a game plan. Sit down with paper and pen and make yourself a list. What are things that you can do to help your financial situation? Is there any way that you can make some money with resources that you have at home? A garage sale, selling some of your items that may be stored away on an online selling site, or possibly selling a talent that you may have? For example, photography, crafts, sewing expertise--these are all ways to help make some extra money to help out during a rough time.

Start your own home based company that will allow you to sell items to people. Perhaps in vector marketing, selling makeup, selling candles or even selling jewelry. These ways can be profitable especially if you live in an area that a lot of other people aren't trying to sell the same service that you want to.

No matter your situation, know that there are people and resources that are here to help you and that you are certainly not alone.


This is a sponsred post. All opinions expressed above are my own.

Pardon....

My blog will look like a hot mess for a few days...bear with me, please--I wanted to simplify it for awhile, so it may be looking bizarre for a few days.

Thanks so much!

Madelyn. My Own Sleep Ninja.

Madelyn has been fighting going to sleep lately.

She used to be my girl who would practically beg for bed.

Now it's a battle of her vs mommy vs sleep.

She tries every trick in the book.

More water.

Cover up.

Potty.

Stinky.

Fan on.

Fan off.

Once she realizes that I am not going to come to her room with all said requests she starts in with her Mo-mmeeeeee. MO-mmeeeeee. MO-MMEEEEEEEEE!

I know naps won't last forever, but girlfriend needs a nap. A day without naps in my home is equal to a day from hell.

Take my word on that one.

Really, Target?

I am such a sucker for Target.

Seriously.

As in no will power, browsing the aisles, and forgetting what all has been thrown into my cart type of sucker.

Because when one goes into said Target to buy one quick thing and leave with said thing along with:

 A new ladybug quilt for Bella. Which means I need to buy a new lamp and curtains now...

Two bottles of nail polish, one for me, one for the girls.

Two pairs of pink sparkly shoes for the girls.

And a remote control Strawberry Shortcake doll.

That my friends?

 Is the definition of a momma who is much too in love with a certain store.

Bestie Photo Contest!

The Friends You Love Bestie Photo Contest is in full swing! This is your chance to submit your favorite photo of you and your best friend(s).

It's simple to enter--and the prize is from Bare Escentuals!

Simply submit your photo to: kristin at onlyparentchronicles dot com

Submissions will be accepted from 10/9-10/15.

Voting will take place from 10/16-10/20 on the Friends You Love site.

The winner will win a fabulous prize from Bare Escentuals!

Good luck everyone--I hope to see some of your photos during the voting phase!

Mattress Find--Let Them Help You

It has been almost 7 years since Leo and I purchased our first bedroom set. I remember how many questions we had when we were searching for the perfect mattress and pillows. I wanted desperately to be able to compare all of the different mattress types and brands. How would we pick one that would benefit us both? Which mattresses are recommended the most? Which mattresses are the most comfortable and best for our backs?

Now that we will be looking at mattresses once again I wanted the whole mattress and pillow buying process to be an easier and smoother process for both of us. We have children now which means that our trips to the bedding store will be an in and out trip--no leisurely lying down on mattress after mattress. I want to have our top few and test them out to decide which will be coming to our home.

Mattress Find is a website designed to help the mattress buyer. Once I went to their site I found the answers to my questions which is great for me. Time is a valuable thing to most people and they have definitely set up their site to provide answers to questions and to help you find that perfect mattress. They have a plethora of resources available to consumers to help us find simple answers to our bedding questions.

I highly recommend visiting Mattress Find to help you with your mattress buying process. Not only was their site extremely helpful, they also saved me hours of time in research, comparisons, and question answering which is great being a busy mom! A big thank you to Mattress Find. I suggest letting them help you find that perfect bed for you.


This was a sponsored post. I was compensated to review Mattress Find and give my honest opinion on what I thought about their website.

Bright Starts Pretty in Pink Collection

Brynlie is in love with this teething toy from Bright Starts. It is one of her favorite toys and girlfriend has a meltdown each time that it falls from her grasp.

I love to stick it in the fridge for her--she loves the cold feeling on the purse when it is on her gums. The purse is made of a softer material and filled with water which makes it the perfect texture for her to chew on and gum on. A lot of teething toys are so hard that she doesn't care for them as much as she loves her Bright Starts Pretty in Pink Carry & Teethe Purse! It's squishy enough to soothe her gums, but not so soft that it wouldn't be beneficial to teething.

The green handle is the perfect size for her to chew on and she loves to stick her hand underneath for a super grip. There are also two round bead chasers that can move around and allow your baby to watch, feel and move them around on their own.

I really like the different textures that this teething toy is made of. Lots of bumps and shapes so her hands and her mouth can explore, explore, explore. It's easy to clean and very easy to store. It has been a huge hit with Brynlie! It's on the top of her go to toy list which makes both her and me happy.

Right now if you purchase the Bright Starts Pretty in Pink Carry & Teethe Purse or any of their Pretty in Pink collection, a portion of their proceeds will benefit breast cancer research and breast cancer awareness.

I was provided with the Bright Starts Pretty in Pink Carry & Teethe Purse in order to conduct this review. No other compensation was given and all opinions expressed above are my own.

Simply Charmed Wine Glass Charms {Giveaway}

Being someone who loves to enjoy a glass (or two on a bad day) of wine, I also have to admit that I love wine glass accessories. I have found some really cute wine glass charms in the past, but just recently found Simply Charmed Wine Glass Charms.

I love wine glass charms for a few reasons. They can pretty up a plain wine glass and they are a creative way to show your personality. But one of my favorite reasons to adorn a charm to my glass is so that I won't get my glass mixed up with someone else's. I hate setting my drink down only to come back and see another one right next to it and then I have no clue which one is mine. 

Simply Charmed Wine Glass Charms are adorable and something totally different from what I've seen on the market. Their wine glass accessories are magnetic wine charms! Cute idea, right? What you do is place the charm on the actual glass portion of your wine glass. This is great because you don't have the clinking sound of the stemware charm. Simply Charmed magnetic wine glass charms are strong--they really stayed on my glass well, which was great. I was a little worried about the magnetic piece falling off into my drink, but that didn't happen. 

Another great tip--you can store them on your refrigerator being that they are a magnetic wine glass charm. No more worrying that they'll be lost in your kitchen drawers again--or in my case not having to store them up high so my daughters won't get into them.

Giveaway:

Simply Charmed is giving away the above set of charms to one lucky winner. To be eligible to win, simply visit Simply Charmed and tell me which set is your favorite. This is your mandatory entry and must be completed before any bonus entries will count.

Bonus Entries

{1 entry daily} Tell me another item you would love to buy from Simply Charmed. Cannot be something you previously left a comment on. This can be done daily.

{1 entry each} Follow Winey Mommy via GFC, subscribe to Winey Mommy via email, and/or subscribe to Winey Mommy via RSS.

{ 1 entry} "Like" Simply Charmed on Facebook. Please leave your first name & last initial in comment.

{1 entry} "Like" Winey Mommy on Facebook. Please leave your first name & last initial in comment.

{ 1 entry} Follow Winey Mommy on Twitter. 

{1 entry} Follow Simply Charmed on Twitter.

{1 entry daily} Tweet this giveaway! Copy and paste the following: Love wine? Win a set of #winecharms from @winey_mommy and @winewithcharms http://bit.ly/pBUc9d  #giveaway #fyl  (Leave tweet link in your comment.)

Rules:

This giveaway will end on October 18th @ noon CST. Open to all US residents 18+. To be eligible to win you must do mandatory entry. If you do not follow that rule all entries will be void. Leave a valid email address in comment or available on profile. Winner will be drawn via Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to notification email. If winner does not contact back w/full name/address a new winner will be picked. All winners will be posted on blog when picked. This blog is not responsible for prizes not being delivered, getting lost, etc.Facebook and Twitter have no bearing on giveaway or outcome of giveaway. I will try my hardest to work with company if something should go wrong. This blog is not responsible for anything regarding to your use of product. 

I was provided with a two pack of charms in order to facilitate this review and giveaway. No other compensation was given and all opinions expressed above are my own. 

How I Help My Family Stay Cold & Flu Free

Cold and flu season is rapidly approaching--and if you are like my family we have already had one round of the cold strike while we were visiting family in Texas. I dread cold and flu season every year, but with a few simple things to remember I try to convince myself that we will make it through another season with the minimal amount of colds and hopefully zero cases of the flu hitting our household.

The following tips are ways that I keep my family as healthy as possible during the season:

Tip One: We get our flu shots. My entire family drives up to our military hospital and gets our yearly vaccine. This year my husband, Isabella, Madelyn and myself have all received our annual flu shot. This was even more important to me this year because Brynlie cannot receive her flu vaccine until she reaches 6 months of age which happens to be in November.

Tip Two: Wash your hands! My daughters are constantly touching things from toys, items on the ground, door handles, you name it. To help prevent the spread of the germs that they pick up we wash our hands a lot. I try to have them wash their hands before they eat, after the bathroom, and anytime that we've been outside. It's helpful for my family to keep a stool in our childrens' bathroom so they can reach the faucet and soap themselves.

Tip Three: I buy disinfecting wipes. I love disinfecting wipes! I have a stock of them at home at all times. They are a great way to wipe down light switches, door handles, toilet handles, counter tops, toys, etc. And a bonus? There is no prepping of them. You pull it out and get to disinfecting. These are great to keep in your car and/or bag for when you go on a car trip or to wipe down the shopping cart handles. Super easy to use and a great way to kill off cold and flu germs.

Tip Four: I carry hand sanitizer with me at all times. I have it in my purse, my diaper bag, my car. Honestly I am within reaching distance of a bottle of hand sanitizer at all times. This is great for when you are eating out or eating on the go and are unable to wash your hands with soap and hot water. They have a huge variety out there on the market today which is great if you tend to get dry hands easily (I have eczema). One of my favorite types is the foaming hand sanitizers that are alcohol free. They aren't as harsh on my skin which is a major bonus.

Tip Five: Cover your nose and mouth when sneezing/coughing. Now that two of my daughters are getting older they are catching on to cover up when they sneeze or cough. I still reach over to do it for them if I can tell that they will forget, but Isabella especially has been really good at covering up to help stop the spread of germs. It grosses me out when I see an adult who sneezes/coughs and doesn't cover up their face. Ew! Remember to wash your hands afterwards--and if that isn't possible use some hand sanitizer to kill off any germs.

Those are five of my favorite tips in stopping the spread of cold and flu germs. Do you have any specific tips that you want to share? Leave your comment below and maybe I will learn another way to keep my family healthy this cold and flu season.


I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Lysol blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

I Want S'More...

These?

Totally made my bad day a good day.

Thank you,

Marshmallows 

Milk Chocolate

&

Graham Crackers.

You're 4 Months Old Now...

Now that you are over 4 months old...I can't believe you're already over 4 months old...I wanted to capture a few of your sweet Brynlie moments.

~You are still my breastfeeding champ and I love it. You love it. We're both so happy and it's our own special time together. I love having our quiet time together...it's been wonderful for our bonding.

~You have laughed for a total of ONE time. Lots of smiles. Sometimes you try to laugh, but you cry. Or cough--like a fake cough. Which makes me giggle and you start doing the whole cough/cry thing all over again. One of these days you'll get it.

~You look so serious in almost all of the pictures that I have of you. But you're really not so serious. The nurses and pediatrician were in love with you and your baby coos and baby grins and your love that you have for your momma. I beamed when they asked if you were always so happy. Yep, you are baby girl. Just not so much in pictures.

~You roll everywhere. Okay. Let me be clear. You rolled from tummy to back from before 7 weeks old. I'm not joking. I thought it was an "oops" moment, but nope. You're now a back to tummy roller. You tend to roll from one way to another. You're my little super baby!

~Your stats from your 4 month old checkup: 13.1 lbs (so itty bitty) and 24 1/2" long (so petite). You're in the low 30% range for everything size related--my dainty little baby girl.

~You are obsessed with your hands. You pray, you suck your fingers, you suck on your thumb. You're adorable.

So, that's it baby girl. You're growing up so quickly and I really need to get better at chronicling everything on my blog for you and your sisters. After all, my blog is a baby book for you all to read throughout the years. I promise to write more about you girls AND take more pictures, okay?

World's Greatest BFF--Link Up!

<center><a href="http://www.friendsyoulove.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Friends You Love" src=""/></a></center>

Is there a friend in your life that makes you think that they truly are the best friend that a girl could have? Maybe they are that friend that you can tell all of your deepest thoughts to. Maybe they drop everything to be there for you when you need them the most.

Now is your chance to tell everyone why your best friend is amazing. What makes this friend stand above the rest?

To enter: 

Write a post about your BFF to include:

How do you know one another?

What have you been through with one another?

What makes her the World's Greatest BFF?

Include the Friends You Love button from the top of this post.

Come back and link up your post.

Entries will be accepted now through 10/22

On 10/25 five posts will be chosen as the top five.

Beginning 10/25 there will be a public voting phase.

Voting ends on 10/30 @ 5 pm CST

The winner will be announced on 10/31 at Friends You Love

from Earth to Alice for her AND her BFF!

She's Four.

Four years ago, on October 2nd, I gave birth to my first child.

My Isabella Marie.

This little girl has changed my life. For the better.

She has taught me so much about life. Love. Myself.

She has taught me that it's okay to be scared sometimes.

She has reminded me that laughter is truly contagious.

She has taught me that eating chocolate chip cookie dough is one of the best things ever.

She has reminded me that bugs are still scary and scream worthy.

She has shown me first hand what it truly is to love someone so much that it hurts sometimes.

She has made me realize that I am a great mother--even when we are having the worst of days.

She has made me remember that being outside with sunshine on my face is one of the greatest things ever.

Isabella has shown me that I can be proud of myself as a mom. She has turned into the sweet, loving, laughable, beautiful little girl that I am proud to call my daughter.

Happy 4 years, sweetheart. I hope this birthday is your most memorable one yet.