Previous Peanut photos:
Joey: September 12th – 23rd 2013
Joey: September 24th – October 8th 2013
Joey: October 9th – October 24th
Joey: October 25th – November 23rd
Joey November 24th – December 18th 2013
All posts by Anne Younger
Crock-Pot Honey BBQ Chicken
We got a new crock-pot for Christmas from my in-laws…..an 8 quart crock-pot!! Having a crock that big makes cooking for a family of 7 so much easier. We used it last week to make soup and last night we used it to make Crock-Pot Honey BBQ Chicken that was absolutely delcious and easy to make!
I love anything that can be cooked in the crock-pot and I love it even more when it can be done using 6 ingredients or less.
[yumprint-recipe id=’34’]
Grab Last Minute Gifts from Target #MyKindOfHoliday
*This post is made possible by Target. I received a promotional item in order to facilitate this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links.*
Even though it is January, there are still holiday gatherings happening. We have a few friends who don’t have a chance to celebrate until late January because of their crazy schedules.
For our family, December is crazy busy with birthdays and multiple Christmas celebrations. No matter how early I try to get the holiday shopping done, I always find myself in need of last minute items. Regardless of who I am shopping for, I know that I can rely on Target to have the perfect gift for everyone on my list.
Right before Santa arrived, we found ourselves in need of a few more items for the littles. Since Target is our go to store and is close to our house, we decided to check out their Kid’s Toy Guide to find the perfect gifts for the kids. Be sure to check out the great deals on Kid’s toys only @Target and take advantage of some awesome clearance prices right now and stock up on so you have some last minute gifts on hand!
Another thing that makes Target great when coming up with last minute gift ideas is the ability to give a digital giftcard.
Even though it’s January, my neice is celebrating a birthday this week. What better way to send a gift then to send a giftcard that she can access immediately?
You can send a digital GiftCard via email or even text message and you are eliminating waste by sending electronically.
Be sure to download Target Cartwheel to your smartphone and Start Saving on the things you already buy @Target! With Cartwheel you can even save, share, combine a reload Target GiftCards!
Are you done celebrating the holidays yet? What do you do when you need a last minute gift?
Foolproof Shopping with the New Health Key™ System at #MyCopps + Crock-Pot Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Since we are eating clean these days, the new health key™ system at Copps makes it easy for us to locate the products we need. I am doing my best to shop for items that are organic, gluten free and stocking up on as much fresh produce as possible.
The new health key system makes it so much easier to shop for the products that your family needs. Since our family is trying to eat cleaner, we look for items that are fresh, organic and sometimes even gluten free and vegan. I am also a huge fan of the new system because it makes it easier for Alex to go to the store and pick up the items on the list as well….it’s foolproof!
Not only does the new health key™ system at Copps make shopping easier, it also helps us make better choices and stick to our plan to eat clean in 2014. To be able to walk up and down the aisles and see products clearly labeled means I don’t have to sit and read ingredients on bottles anymore!
Since we are freezing here in Wisconsin, we decided to create some dishes that will keep our family warm over the next few days. When we get cold, we like to turn to a nice warm bowl of soup to warm us back up and soup is also a dish that the whole family enjoys.
With some fresh, organic produce from Copps along with some organic spices and free range chicken, Roundy’s Organic Rotelle pasta (and a few other items) we created some delicious Crock-Pot Chicken Noodle Soup that the entire family LOVED!
You can easily recreate this dish in your home by grabbing the recipe below and hitting your local Copps store for ingredients!
[yumprint-recipe id=’32’]
2013: Our Year in Review
2013 was a crazy year for our family and a successful year for the site.
Let’s start back in January where all the craziness began when we learned we were expecting baby #5! I think I am actually still in shock about this life event which is crazy because we’ve already had 4 amazing months with the little guy.
When February arrived, I was still dealing with the shock of the pregnancy while dealing with all of the nausea and exhaustion that came with it, we celebrated Zack turning 14 and we ended the month with a trip to Disney on Ice, 2 littles with influenza, 1 with an ear infection and 1 teenager with a dislocated shoulder and the other with a concussion.
In March, we kissed cable goodbye and said hello to more money in our pockets. Alexander turned 5 and we celebrated with a trip to Chuck E Cheese and a Power Ranger Party at home. Right before Easter, we made a trip to Sneak-A-Peek, a local ultrasound studio to find out the sex of Baby Peanut. We also made our first official family trip to the National Railroad Museum here in Green Bay to attend The Great Bunny Train.
April came and with it came a stomach bug that kept Alexander home for more than a week, I made it to the half-way point in my pregnancy and Alexander finally started earning his keep around here. April also brought some scares our way as well when we had an abnormal scan with Peanut.
We kicked off May with the start of our big baby shower event which gave us the chance to check out and share some amazing baby products, we celebrated Alex’s birthday with a delicious new treat, the Fairy Hobmother paid us a visit and left us a little gift.
June welcomed the end Alexander’s first year in school, Zack finished his last year of middle school and Libby was promoted to 8th grade. With June came another stomach bug amongst the kids after a day of fun along with a little health scare for me. We celebrated Father’s Day with a trip to Point Beach where the kids enjoyed playing in the sand and Lake Michigan.
When July arrived, we received some amazing news about our little Joey in addition to some awesome pictures of him in utero. Things got even more exciting a few days later when Alexander learned how to ride his bike without training wheels. Of course, there was also that day that Alex had his SECOND vasectomy.
August brought Baby Watch 2013. Since my contractions had started in June and become pretty regular in July, there was A LOT of waiting. There were a lot of false alarms and we were left feeling very, VERY frustrated. Then, early on the morning of August 18th, I woke up and my water broke. 2 hours and 44 minutes later, Joey was here! Needless to say, everything was worth it in the end!
In September the kids returned to school. Zack started high school, Libby went off to 8th grade and Alexander started full day kindergarten. Mid-September, we made our way down to Sheboygan where Alex participated in the Legend Larry’s Wing Eating Championship Competition, which of course, he won.
With October, the cooler weather arrived and thanks to our friends at Pampers, we were able to help out a friend in need. Zack attended his first Homecoming Dance, we all continued to fall more in love with Joey and I dealt with a little Postpartum Depression and Alex and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. On the 25th, Joey underwent surgery to repair his umbilical hernia and it was an absolute success!
When November entered, I finally realized it was time to start preparing for the holidays at home, in addition to my holiday gift guide. Things got busy around the house and the kids demanded a little more of my time. Joey hit a huge milestone and started laughing and I finally found a moment to share some new pictures of all of the kids.
Before I knew it, December was here and it was time to really get things moving and finish my holiday shopping and plan Ellie’s 2nd birthday. So Ellie turned 2 and I turned 35 and boom….it was time to enjoy the holidays with the family.
We had a great Christmas and enjoyed our time together and we are looking forward to kicking off the New Year! I’m going to continue enjoying my little vacation and the extra time with the kids. I’ll see you on the 2nd when the kids head back to school.
I hope you all have a Happy New Year!