A Day in the Life, Things I'm Loving and a Little Giveaway

 So this little miss is a high energy, fun-loving, running through life kind of girl. She has been doing much better at playing by herself and keeping herself occupied, but yesterday was an exceptionally good day. I'm sure it helped that I was up and around and not sitting and sewing or being on the computer. She loves to help in the kitchen, so in the morning we made granola and the pie that's coming up further down in the pictures.

 I'll be honest, I didn't know you could love someone quite so much and then sometimes be that frustrated with them all at the same time. Actually, I guess I did, but maybe just not on someone so little. She is so much fun. I think I've said this before, but I am loving this age. She chatters nonstop. I don't know what it will be like when I can actually understand what she is saying. Her main words seem start with b. Ball, Baby. A similar word that starts with B for puppy. Ni-ni is night night and good bye. And to be really sappy, she has started to give real hugs, not ones where she leans in for you to give her a hug, but if you make sure her arms are free, ones where she actually squeezes you and that melts this mom's heart completely. She is a four-wheeler fanatic. All we have to mention is going on a ride and she is all over it, knows where the keys are kept, knows where they go in the four-wheeler, and is unhappy until she gets her ride. Okay, enough of an update on her life. Boring for most of you, but the family of Amber might be interested.

She had toys strewn from one end of the house to the other yesterday. There was coconut all over the floor from her attempts to eat it yesterday morning while making granola. But in the midst of all that mess, I got some stuff done. 

Like this yummy Cheesy Basil Stuffed Chicken made with fresh mozzarella cheese and fresh basil and fresh picked cherry tomatoes.

I also made this scrumptious Magnolia Lemon Pie

Finally, finally, my sign for behind the couch is taking shape and so far I am tickled with how it is turning out. Hey, we've only lived here for 2 years. It's a little embarrassing considering how quick it is coming together, but I wouldn't have used discarded pallet boards from my brother's burn pile two years ago, so good things come to those who procrastinate. 

This is a sign I saw on the world wide web somewhere and it's one of the things I loved or actually it was a sign and then my blog host or whatever you call them freaked me out by telling me that hackers might be trying to steal my information from that site, so I'll just tell you what the sign said: "It's not procrastination, if you're drinking coffee; it's procafinating."

Let's play under the table where mom is working because it's more fun there. These markers are washable stamps that I thought she could maybe manage playing with. Oh play with them she does, but not with the lids off. 

The storage room because lids and rings from canning jars are just the best toys and while I'm at it, I may as well drag out some books, some legos, and some balls. 

I peeked at her yesterday because it was quiet of course and she was sitting by the love seat looking at a book. She has been loving books lately. I don't read much to her, because book lover that I am, it drives me nuts that her attention span barely lasts a page. If I'm reading a book, I want to read the whole book and not half a page.

And I didn't post the picture that showed where she had dragged the kitchen run into the living room because it wasn't at its normal spot in the kitchen. It had been put out in the entry so I could sweep and mop the very dirty kitchen floor. She was busy, busy, busy, but it was fun to watch her bustling about. 

Other things I'm loving right now is as always this website: Mel's Kitchen Cafe I have been making such yummy food from there, like this and this and this.

I actually have two homemade cookbooks with 99.9% of her recipes in them. I print them out, stick them in sleeve protectors, and organize them by category. My first book is a 3 inch binder which covers from the beginning to the end of 2014. My second book is 2015 and 2016. I know I have expounded the virtues of her blog before, but her food is so so yummy. 

And last, but not least, is my giveaway. As I mentioned in my book review, Tyndale accidentally sent out two copies of this book to their book reviewers. They encouraged us to pass them along through a giveaway, etc. So I decided I would do a giveaway. Now, I would feel so much more noble if this was a good inspiration nonfiction book that I was giving away that if you read it, it would change your life. But it's not. You can't look a gift horse in the mouth and I'm not about to give away my own books at this stage in my life. So to enter the giveaway, comment on my blog and my blog only what three things you are enjoying in life. Also you need to make sure that I have a way of contacting you if you won. I will close out the giveaway around August 15th. I'm leaving myself lots of options and leeway here because after all, it is my first giveaway. So go ahead and enter. I'll even let you enter once each week until then, but you have to have three different things you're loving, no copying and pasting. Now without further ado or making this more challenging for myself, you may now enter your comments. Thank you for your cooperation!!!!!!!!!