toddlerhood...

Avery's favorite phrases lately are:

"let me do it"

or "Avery do it"...

I walked out of the room today while Avery was eating breakfast & about a minute later heard some rustling around. I knew that couldn't be a good sound so I rushed back to the kitchen to find this:She poured herself a bowl of cereal...

and the counter,

and some on the floor for the dogs!

For those of you that think leggos are just for building,

think again:

they also make a lovely pedestal cereal bowl...

with built in storage underneath!


Avery had been on a cleaning kick lately!
She LOVES to wipe off the counters...
and really goes to town!


Do you need some free entertainment for your toddler?
Check out this cute {& free} I Spy coloring printable!

30 meals in 30 days {DAY 12}---breakfast

cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting ninety minute cinnamon rolls

from allrecipes.com

this recipe was fairly easy,

and the results were definitely yummy!

even better when topped with

cream cheese frosting

{my absolute FAVORITE frosting}

I used a recipe I found on slashfood.com

and I have to share part of the post, just because it made me laugh out loud!

"Cream cheese frosting, you see, is the best frosting out there, and I have stumbled across the end-all, be-all recipe for it. Strangely enough, it's been under my nose this whole time in my trusty Joy of Cooking cookbook for years. I just never noticed it. At first I didn't trust it because it seemed way too easy compared to "fancier" recipes that make you think you need to be Ina Garten to make it, but this recipe is almost so easy, even Sandra Lee could make it. Ouch. Was that too harsh? See, that's how easy this recipe is."

Here's the recipe:

ingredients

8oz cold cream cheese

5Tbsp softened butter

2tsp vanilla

2-4C powdered sugar {I used 2 and thought it was plenty sweet}

Beat cold cream cheese (not rock solid, but it means you can use it straight out of the refrigerator) with softened butter and vanilla until combined.

Gradually add 2 c. powdered sugar that has been sifted after measuring.

Continue to add more sifted powdered sugar until you reach a consistency and sweetness that fits your taste.

This recipe was also Avery approved!

cookie obsession

Lately, I have been obsessed with trying out different sandwich cookie recipes.

So I enlisted my little helper and got to work!
I thought I would share a few of the recipes here...

I made these chocolate sandwich cookies over the weekend...

usinge this recipe.

I did not make the filling the recipe called for, but instead took the easy way out and just cut a big marshmallow in half!

{I cooked the cookies for about 7 minutes, pressed the marshmallow halves into half the cookies and cooked for another minute or so. Once out, I let them cool for a few minutes then sandwiched a marshmallow cookie together with a plain one.}

They remind me a little of the oreo cakesters. ;)

I made these oatmeal sandwich cookies a few weeks ago... using this recipe.

They were YUMMY!

If you loved those Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies as a kid, then you will LOVE these!

And finally...

I saved the best recipe for last!

The Better Than S'mores Sandwich Cookies...

I have made these several times since finding the recipe on Heather's blog here.

They are to die for...and have been a HUGE hit everywhere I have taken them.'

I highly recommend you try this recipe out...

I don't think you'll be dissapointed!

ENJOY!!!

mommy & daddy's little helper...

Daddy was seasoning the steak & wrapping bacon around the shrimp, getting ready for the grill.

Mommy was seasoning the ahi and heating the pan to sear it.

Avery thought she should be helping too...

she grabbed the corn and {after getting the plastic wrap open!} began pulling the husks off the corn. I grabbed my camera and caught her in the action!

I guess she couldn't wait for it to go on the grill...

Happy her work was done...

and this is why we call her "little stinker"...

look at that face!

kitchen helper...

So, ever since my friend Marisa told me about the "Learning Tower" she got for her daughter Emmy, I have been wanting one. But, they are CRAZY expensive! So I thought...maybe we can build our own...

So I searched the internet and found someone else that had built one.

With the info from their blog, Mike, Avery & I headed to Lowe's...

We turned this pile of supplies:

Into this:

Now Avery can get right up to the counter with us!
Woo Hoo!!!!

Plus, I L-O-V-E the color we painted it...
Martha Stewart for Valspar
Green Eucalyptus #MS317

Hope everyone else had a productive Memorial Day!