[Go Angels!] Take Me Out to the Ball Game.

Last Saturday, we went to the Angels game. I can't even remember when the last time we went was, possibly earlier this year?, but it had been too long. Before I met Seth, I rarely watched baseball and really had no interest to at all. Then I met Seth and he LOVED (loves) the Angels and watches it every night on TV and loves to go to the games. As we started dating, we went to games, and we even got engaged at one in 2009. So, needless to say, baseball and the Angels have become a big part of my life.

When we found out that we were having a boy, Seth joked that we would tie his right arm behind his back so he would become a left handed pitcher (in the major leagues, mind you). He was obviously TOTALLY kidding but then oddly enough, Mason was born and we've discovered that he's a leftie. What are the odds?! And while he does like to hit the ball using our little tee ball set, it's definitely too soon to say if he will be a left handed pitcher.

Anyway, long story short, we went to the Angels game last Saturday as a gift to Papa for his birthday... back in July. It was supposed to be me, Seth, Mason, and Papa. We didn't think anyone else in the family would want to go (they are more of soccer fans than baseball fans) but then one night my sister in law mentioned that they were thinking about going so we all decided to go together! The kids all did SO well (despite wanting every food known to man that the stadium offered), especially Mason, which is what made this baseball stadium trip so enjoyable. We've taken Mason to quite a few games and we've always ended up needing to walk around or needing to leave early, but he did so well this time. Our seat tickets included tickets for food too so we got Mason a hot dog and a lemonade and he literally ate the whole thing in 2 minutes flat. I was in the process of eating my hot dog when he looked over at me with hungry eyes and so I ended up giving him the rest of my hot dog. He also had a whole bag of watermelon, some fries, and later... a HUGE ice cream cone. Needless to say, he had a pretty great night. He did pretty well with sitting still too and seemed really into the game, cheering and clapping and dancing when music came on. I did have to take him on a small walk around the bottom of the 7th inning which was fine because I had wanted to see if the team store had a bigger size shirt for him anyway. He did great, held my hand the whole time, and actually walked the whole way too (which was pretty far and down 3 levels of ramps and then up 3 levels of ramps)! The game ended, the Angels won, and we got to see the Saturday Night Spectacular fireworks show. I was a little worried about Mason and the loudness of the fireworks, but basically all he wanted to do was sit on my lap and he felt comfortable. He was in awe the whole time and the loud "booming" did not bother him at all.

(If you follow me on Instagram (@lizbir), you might have already seen some of these pictures. And if you don't, enjoy the photo dump!)

mouth full of watermelon!

cousins

We seriously had the BEST time and I'm super bummed that baseball season is coming to a close. Mason did SO well and seemed to genuinely enjoy being at the game. Until next time... GO ANGELS!

[DIY] Children's Art Gallery Wall

I've been wanting to do something like this for forever. I've been looking for a way to display Mason's art work for forever and the only way I've been able to figure out to do it was on the fridge. However, the fridge houses many other things like his lunch schedule at school, invitations to parties, my "all out of" notepad, pictures, alphabet and animal magnets and much more... so it doesn't leave much room for art work, especially at the rate that he brings it home from school.

So, now before I show you what I've come up with to display his art work, I have to admit something. I don't keep all his work. I throw some away. *gasp* I know. Horrible mom, party of 1 right here. But before you go thinking I'm horrible, let me explain. Anything that he's truly MADE, I keep. Like painting projects, actual coloring projects, actual art projects (that require glue, etc), I keep. What I throw away is random stuff that's not really "made" like tear outs from a coloring book that he's scribbled on or letters that he's traced. Call me horrible, but I don't think I need to re put together a coloring book of pages that he's scribbled, so while I'm glad he's had fun at the time, it goes in the trash (when he's not looking, of course) when he's done.

That being said, I have all this art work that Mason's done over the past year at preschool and nowhere to put it, so what did I do? I made an art gallery wall to hang it! Coincidentally the timing was perfect because I had a ton of Halloween/Fall stuff from last year that I had saved that I was able to hang on the gallery wall. For inspiration on how exactly I wanted it to look, I used Sarah's gallery wall and various finds from my Home Decor Pinterest board. As for actual execution of the project, I followed most of the directions from this post.

Here's how you can make a gallery wall of your very own.

Supplies

- frames - quantity and size will depend on your preference

- 1/2 inch eye hooks - similar 

- monofilament - I used this

- clothes pins - I used the 1" ones below that I found at Michael's Craft Store

- picture hanging nails - similar

- tools - screwdriver, hammer, pliers, scissors

Step 1: Go shopping for frames. I found my frames at HomeGoods and IKEA. You can definitely find frames at other places like Michael's, JoAnn's, Target, etc but I was looking to keep it cheaper so we bought most of the frames at IKEA. Tip: Know what size art work you're going to want to hang. You might not know exactly what size the art will be (since it hasn't been made yet), but knowing kids, art work is never small. Having said that, I tended to buy more big frames rather than small.

Step 2: Go shopping for supplies. I had most of the tools on hand, so we didn't need to buy those, but I did pick up some monofilament (at ACE Hardware), the clothes pins (from Michael's), and the eye hooks (from Lowe's).



Step 3: Arrange the frames. I knew that most of Mason's art work was using horizontal so I tried to have most of the big frames face this direction. I didn't want them all the same though, so I used some of the smaller ones to go vertically. I rearranged A LOT. Don't settle on your first arrangement. Take a picture and rearrange. This is my third or fourth arrangement. Tip: don't delete the picture after you decide on an arrangement! The husband finds it very helpful when trying to hang the frames on the wall.

Step 4: Remove the glass and the backings from all frames. Discard. All you'll need is the frame itself.

Step 5: Screw in the eye hooks. Measure how far down you want the eye hooks to be. Keep in mind, this is how low the monofilament will hang as well. We measured down 1 inch on each side of the frame and made a little mark so we knew where to put the eye hooks where they would be even. I wanted the monofilament to hang slightly down but not too far, so we basically just gave the clothes pins a little leeway.

Depending upon how hard the wood in the frames is, you may need to use a hammer to get the eye hook started by creating an indent in the wood. Seth had to do that for only a couple of the frames. Then use pliers and screw the eye hooks into the frames.

Step 6: Attach the monofilament and clothes pins. Tie one side of the monofilament to one of the eye hooks. Measure out enough to stretch across to the other side and some extra to allow yourself to be able to tie. Before you tie the monofilament all the way across, string 2 clothes pins on the monofilament. Then tie the other side as tight as possible to the monofilament doesn't sag.

Step 7: Hang the frames on the wall.

 Step 8: Hang pictures in the frames.

And you're done! You can definitely color the frames too if you wanted them all to be the same color (as seen in this post). I preferred them all to remain in the colors that we bought them in since I liked the gray and black combination and they coordinated with the other frames that were already in our family room.

I absolutely LOVE the way it looks and can't wait to change out the art work for Thanksgiving!

My Birthday Wish List

Sure it might sound vain to have a wish list for your own birthday, but I feel like I have to keep notes on things I want, otherwise when my birthday comes around, and people ask what I want, I can never think of anything! I'm always like "I swear last week I had a whole list of things I wanted and now... nothing". So, I started a running list in my phone for occasions such as birthdays or holidays. And since it is officially birthday week, I thought I'd share with you what I'm wishing for come this Saturday.

Menage a Trois Rose and La Vieille Ferme Rose // I've been really into trying Rose's recently and actually had the Menage a Trois one (super good!). This La Vieille Ferme Rose got good reviews online, which is why I included it here, but if anyone has good recommendations, please let me know! I'm always interested in trying a new wine that comes highly recommended.

Stella and Dot Engravable Necklace // I recently got a super cute double heart necklace from my cousin (?) (Seth's mom's best friend's daughter) that I've been LOVING lately. I also love the look of the layered necklaces and have been dying for one to "tie Mason into". I really like this S&D engravable necklace and would love to put his birthday in Roman numerals on it.

A manicure and pedicure // Last manicure I had was I don't know how long ago and last pedicure was well over a couple months. I'd love to get a gift card to get a little pampering done!

See's candy // My FAVORITE chocolate of all! It's a little expensive but I like to splurge a little on my birthday.

Stitch Fix Gift Card // I've been wanting to try Stitch Fix for a while now but couldn't justify the monthly (or bi-monthly/quarterly) fun money being spent, so what better way to get to try it out than to get gift cards to Stitch Fix for my birthday?! I also wouldn't mind a gift card to Nordstrom or Old Navy/Gap to be able to shop for some new clothes for myself either.

The Whole30 Cookbook and a Cuisinart Immersion Blender // I really want to do the whole30 again. I think it was really good for my body and the way that I have been eating ice cream lately, I know I probably need it. I'm thinking of doing it again in January because it was good timing (I'm a firm believer in setting myself up for success) and it's after the holidays. While we did make some really good recipes that I'd love to use again, I've heard really great things about this cookbook as well. I'm hoping we can incorporate some into our normal rotation now and then continue using them when we try whole30 again. I'd also really like to get an immersion blender to make my own ranch dressing. I kinda love ranch and love dipping things in it (which I know is bad) and I tried to make my own ranch when we did whole30 last time but it didn't turn out quite right in the blender. I'd like a hand held immersion blender to make my own ranch (and hopefully never have to buy it from the store again!). I hear #dumpranch (on IG) is AMAZING and I've been wanting to try it!
(I know it's hypocritical to say I want chocolate (above) when I say I want to do another whole 30 eventually, but let me enjoy my birthday chocolate before I get it taken away for 30 days lol)

And there you have it. My wish list :) We'll see what happens come this weekend! Even though I'm turning 31, I'm still pretty excited to celebrate all weekend - 5 days and counting!

Friday Five

It's crazy that Friday is here already, but I guess a week will fly by when you have an extra day on the weekend! (Not that I'm complaining). We have a pretty low key weekend planned so far besides a Saturday night trip to the baseball stadium (go Angels!) and I'm more than ready for it to be here!

But before we get to that, here's my weekly five...

ONE.
Land of Nod USA puzzle.

My friend posted a picture of her son playing with this My Puzzle Tis of Thee at the Land of Nod store this past weekend and I thought it was SO CUTE. Not only is it cute but it would also be so educational as well! Unfortunately for me, when I found it on the website, I found that it was a little (a LOT) out of my price range, so unfortunately for Mason, he will not be getting one, but still, I do love it!


TWO.
Erin Condren for Staples.

I recently got an email from Erin Condren with the news that her products are being sold in select Staples stores nationwide. I quickly checked her website and saw that they were in a Staples near my work so I stopped by on my way home one day. Sorry for the bad pictures, I was trying to snap some pictures real fast without being caught :) It looked like the section had been quite picked over, but I was able to find the new planners in the horizontal layout and I have to say, it makes me SO excited for the one I'm going to get for my birthday (woohoo!).
If you click here, you can find out if her products are being carried in your local store!


THREE.
Mindy Mae Market's Sweatshirts.

tan // rusted // navy // black

It's NOWHERE near sweatshirt weather but I'm currently LOVING these sweatshirts! At $49.99, they're a little more than I'd like to spend on a sweatshirt though (but now that I can wear sweatshirts to work, maybe it's worth it?) so I'm totally just crushing on them instead of buying them (and hoping for a sale)!


FOUR.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas.

Apparently the other day it was Jonathan Taylor Thomas' birthday and US Weekly posted this on Instagram. Anyone else watch Home Improvement??? I totally had the biggest crush on JTT and I can't believe he just turned 34! Makes me feel old...

FIVE.
Halloween Oreos.



When I unexpectedly had a four day weekend last weekend, I made a little solo trip to Target on Friday. I had a few things on the list, but really just intended on getting a Starbucks and walking around and checking things out. While I was kind of disappointed that they didn't have more Halloween stuff out, I was able to find these babies. While I KNOW they are just like regular Oreos, only with orange filling, I still seem to be addicted to them and had to talk myself out of getting them - not until October at least! For those of you who know me, or have been reading this blog for any amount of time, you know this is huge for me! (Sad... but huge! lol)

And that's that!

Hope you all had a great short week and have an even better weekend!

[Recipe] S'mores Brownies

I hadn't really intended on sharing the recipe for the s'mores brownies that I made last weekend, but with an overwhelming response and interest from everyone on my Labor Day weekend recap on Tuesday, I thought I would share the goodness with everyone!

First and foremost though, I can't take the credit for finding these brownies. I had been emailing with Whitney about the s'mores cookies that she made when she told me that she found a cookbook (Katie Lee's Endless Summer Cookbook) that had s'mores brownies that she was going to try. I immediately asked her for the recipe and the rest is history. So, first and foremost, THANK YOU to Whitney for introducing me to these brownies!

Ingredients :
- 1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 box brownie mix
- 3 cups regular marshmallows

Directions :
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly coat an 8-inch square baking dish with non stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Stir in the melted butter. Transfer the crumb mixture to the prepared baking dish and use a measuring cup to press the crumbs evenly over the bottom of the pan (I used a spatula and it worked fine). Bake until golden brown, about 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the brownie mix according to the package instructions. Pour the batter over the prepared crust. Bake until a toothpick comes out mostly clean, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and position the oven rack under the broiler.

Preheat the broiler.

Top the brownie with the marshmallows and put under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes with the oven door open a few inches, until the marshmallows are toasted (this happened QUICKLY for me. be careful!). Watch closely to prevent burning. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into squares and serve.

little hands wanted to taste!

serve warm and with vanilla ice cream - amazing!

I was a little worried about bringing them to my friend's house for their Labor Day BBQ only because I had never tried to make them before and I didn't know how they would turn out. I kind of assumed they would be good (can you go wrong with marshmallows and brownies and graham crackers really?) but I wasn't quite sure on the cooking time and if they'd be too dry, so I brought vanilla ice cream just in case :) Turns out, everyone LOVED them and even had seconds. Even their son, Logan, raved about how good they were and how he liked them so much. Toddlers are notorious for telling the truth right (even when you don't want them to! ha!) so that's a major win in my book!

So please, make these, enjoy, and come back and tell me if you loved them as much as I did!
Oh and if anyone wants a version to save on to your computer/phone, send me a message on Instagram (@lizbir) or let me know in the comments and I can email you over a picture of it!

Mason's First Day of [3 year old] Preschool

I self proclaimed yesterday as Mason's first day of 3 year old preschool. Even though he obviously turned 3 back in July and the very next day could have been considered his first day of 3 year old preschool, I believe it was the Tuesday after Labor Day last year that Mason first started preschool and since September brings a new school year (for most), I unofficially officially promoted him as of yesterday. I thought picture day was going to be this month, but it turns out it is next month and I CANNOT wait for him to take more school pictures. Just the comparison from his Fall pictures to his Spring pictures last year was so huge. As much as I hate to admit it, my little baby is growing up!

To remember this occasion, I might have taken a few pictures...

I bought a printable from Etsy and had it printed at Kinko's and then put it in a picture frame and snapped away. I was worried about how he would do because we haven't really done any of these "photo shoots" before, but he was totally into it and "cheeeeee"ed a lot!

I can't believe it's been a whole year since he started preschool. He's grown up so much and I can totally see the difference between this time last year and this time this year. He just makes me so proud and I'm constantly beaming when I'm talking about him. I might be a little bias, but I think he's the best :)

Happy first day of 3 year old preschool sweet boy!
To another wonderful year!
Love, Mommy