Ava aka: the Cougar

Two of my girlfriends had babies in January. It works out well because we all have babies pretty close in age and while they don't play together, they do like to stare at each other. Friday, Amy came over with Carter and they played in the kiddie pool in our backyard. Before they came over I was telling Ava that her "boyfriend" was coming over to play and later that night we were going over to Colleen's to see her other "boyfriend", Sean. Ava is 10 months and Carter and Sean are 5 months, so Steve and I started joking that she's a cougar going after such younger men. I think a new nickname has just been born ;o) The poor kid has about 20 already. Here are a few pics of Ava and her younger men.

Seaside

There is a small town about 10 minutes east of where we stay in Florida every year called Seaside. It is the perfect small beach town. We have never stayed there because it is ridiculously expensive but every year we visit. There are small shops and a great little gelato place that we indulge in every year. There are plenty of artists, boutiques, and cafes for every taste. Everyone in the town bikes everywhere. Steve and I rented bikes there one year and rode along the coast and then back to Seaside. We always joke that we will move there and I will teach in the little school and Steve will design websites for all the stores. Maybe that will happen some day...

Family Vacation #1

For the past 2 years, we have taken a family trip to Santa Rosa Beach in Florida with my family. It's been a great time to relax and let the cousins play together. My stepbrother, his wife, and 3 girls live in KC, so we don't get to see them that often. This year there was one more little girl to add to the mix. The guys got to golf, the girls shopped, and we all enjoyed the sun, sand, and ocean. Ava loved the sand and the pool. We can't get her to stop splashing in the tub now. It's so nice to slow down for a week and enjoy spending time with the ones you love.

Blueberry Cobbler

I am in love with baking. If I am stressed or feeling overwhelmed, baking seems to calm and solve all problems (if only it actually were that easy!) I love to try new recipes too. One of my favorites sites for discovering new treats is http://www.allrecipes.com/. One of my go to desserts now is this great cobbler recipe. I have made it several times and each time it has quickly disappeared. I have made it with all blueberries and also mixed in strawberries when blueberry prices were outrageous. Warm cobbler with cold vanilla ice cream is pretty close to perfection. Here's the recipe...

3 cups fresh blueberries

3 tablespoons white sugar

1/3 cup orange juice

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 pinch salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In an 8 inch square baking dish, mix blueberries, 3 tablespoons sugar, and orange juice. Set aside. In a small bowl, thoroughly mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Gradually add flour mixture, stirring just until ingredients are combined.
4. Drop batter by rounded tablespoons over blueberry mixture. Try to cover as much of filling as possible.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbling.

I sometimes double the recipe and bake it in a 9x13 pan. I also like to sprinkle the top with raw sugar. It adds a nice crunch to the topping. It is the perfect ending to all those summer BBQs.

Do You See What I See?

I realize it is very hard to see but if you look really close there is a little, white tooth. Yay, Ava!! It only took almost 10 months for one to show up but it finally did. The drool has not stopped since either. She is too cute rubbing her gums together so she can feel the tooth but that does result in a rather goofy looking face. As you can tell from the smile in the picture, she is quite proud of the tooth too.

Coupons

Just thought I would pass along a good source for coupons. Now that we are down to one income I have really started to watch where we spend our money and who doesn't like getting a good deal anyway, right? http://www.coupons.com/ has great coupons to download and print off on your own computer. You do have to install a coupon printer but only once and then you are on your way to saving money. There are a lot of coupons I don't print but several that I always do. Right now there is a coupon for $1.50 off a bag of Starbucks coffee. Target is the cheapest place in our area to buy it so it makes a 12 oz. bag around $5.50. Way cheaper than actually going to Starbucks for a cup! You can print the same coupon up to 4 times too. I know I printed 4 Starbucks coupons and gave 3 of them to my Dad, who goes through more coffee than I do. If you shop the ads, you can combine coupons and weekly ad sales and get some items really cheap or free. Happy shopping!