I'm back...sort of.

Friends, I am so sorry that I have yet again seem to have a taken a 'hiatus' from the blogging world. I'm sure everyone has had a great holiday season and a great New Year celebration! It has been crazy over in our world, I don't even know where to begin. 

We are preparing for a 2nd birthday celebration next month- and I am having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that my little baby will be TWO. He's been all over the place, we call him 'jabber jaw' now. The amount of information that he is learning blows my mind and I am so proud of him every day. 

I am still making projects left and right. I told myself (and a couple of my best friends) that I wasn't going to take on anymore, but I just seem to have to try one more thing...after another. I have been working with hand stamping jewelry-necklaces and cuffs to be exact! I love creating custom personalized things for family and friends. Check out my Etsy site for listings! 

Kaden and I have started our second semester of MOPS this past week! Its so nice to be around such a positive environment. As a mom, we have our moments-right? MOPS (to me) is a place where you don't feel judgement based off of your decisions, your good days and bad days, your frustrations, your accomplishments or for just being yourself. We have great meetings that really get my mind thinking. I have plans on sharing some of our discussions with you all after our meetings :) It is also amazing that Kaden has fun going. He's in a room with kids his age, they play and do crafts for a couple of hours which I think is great for an almost 2 year old. I think it could be great preperation for when he heads to school.....someday.

We are embarking on a new adventure, the Watkins family. I'm sure I will have a whole butt load of crazy stories coming your way, along with (hopefully) weekly delicious recipes. Thank you all for sticking with us so far, I can't wait to share the next year of adventures with you all!
Don't forget to connect with me on Instagram HERE
And Don't forget to get connected to the Facebook page HERE
xo

Crazytown- Population: 2

Hi friends! It has been quite a whirlwind around these parts. We are working on getting our Christmas decorations up, getting presents ready, the house ready all while we continue our daily activities. We started our new family tradition of getting our tree! Growing up, we had both fake and real trees-but we mostly had fake ones with my mom. They were easier for us I think so they just stuck. John grew up with real trees, so we decided to carry on that idea with our own family. This year we were able to go and cut down a tree instead of picking it up from Home Depot. Don't get me wrong-those trees were fine-but this was new. We got to hunt for the perfect tree, pick it out and even support local-all wins in my book! We went to Sneads Farm in Fredericksburg and it was wonderful!

They actually were hosting a USO event that we didn't know about but got to check it out. They were providing military families with a free tree, stand, decorations, wrapping paper, lunch all sorts of wonderful things all for free! You enter into a drawing and you get your voucher emailed to you if you were picked-but we were able to still participate. It was amazing! Not to mention the farm had fresh kettle corn...and if you know me-I love my popcorn.  Kaden had a blast, we have a perfect tree and all we need is for Santa to come down our chimney!

One of the great things about the Marine Corps is the friendships that we get to make. Granted we only get to stay (geographically) close for a few years at a time but with all the jobs stationed around the world (literally) you're bound to come across one another again-but if you're lucky enough to become friends with a few of these amazing people-then you get to plan a get together! One of my good friends from Twentynine Palms was here visiting family while her husband was training and we were so lucky that we got to have her and her wonderful daughter over! Kaden and Aleyna are 4 days apart and Laura and I were working together and pregnant together at the same time. It was amazing to see her and her little one. We joke that we already have our kids' marriage arranged so we'll see each other all the time. Kaden and Aleyna truly had the best time together- these pictures are about a year apart (exactly) look how big they are now!

I had some of our kickball ladies over with their little ones to decorate salt dough ornaments last week. We had lots of baked goods, coffee, kids running around playing and adult conversation-all amazing things in my book! We also had a holiday get together and bunco night the other night with the same ladies-a much needed 'mom's night out'! I'm so glad I joined this team of ladies-we all have different stories but we all have things in common and having our lifestyle- we usually have family far away so we get to 'make' our own family and that is an amazing feeling.

We have a crazy week ahead of us with Christmas fast approaching. Kaden has his LAST developmental NICU follow up!! (insert happy dance here) I can honestly say I'm not as worried about this appointment as I was the last rounds-this kid is a parrot and repeats (or tries to) every word out of your mouth. He is learning new things every day and he's growing and getting through every stage of toddler-hood we can have-all while I'm pulling my hair. But I wouldn't change it for anything-he's doing what he needs to do and I am truly grateful for it.
My mom is coming to visit! I haven't seen her since last Christmas! This is the longest gap that we've gone not seeing each other, which is weird-but I know she's excited to come and see Kaden (and me too maybe...) She's coming from the warm weather of Arizona-and we're expecting snow soon-she's in for a surprise.
So between a big appointment, my mom coming and a few play dates scattered throughout the week. We have our hands full. One thing I do want to share with you is I just received this amazing new cookbook from the Birchbox Book Club that I am a part of- Homemade Decadence by Joy the Baker. Let me tell you-it looks amazing. I can't wait to share the recipes with you! I hope to share them on a regular basis with you all because I want to make everything. SO if you're local, get in touch with me because I need to share all of these baked goods with you.

I'm going to make it my mission to be better with my posts with you all-probably starting with a delicious baked good. Until then, I'm going to go enjoy watching "The Holiday" on Lifetime and mentally prepare myself for the crazy week we have ahead of us! 

Holiday Crafting

Happy December everyone! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and if you participated in Black Friday, I hope you got some amazing deals! I stayed in my PJ's and scored some deals online-my favorite way to shop :)
Everyone seems to either have their decorations up, or are in the process of decorating. Last winter we were moving across country, so we didn't have a chance to decorate so we are working on ours now! I'm excited to be able to with Kaden getting older so he can see everything and enjoy all the wonderful lights.
You may have seen this on Instagram or Facebook, but one of my newest crafts was our holiday chalkboard with a pompom garland-I love it.

 

A few weeks ago I made (with some help of course ha) a giant chalkboard. I found the tutorial on a fellow blogger's site over at We Lived Happily Ever After. She has amazing tutorials, graphics, printables and so many wonderful ideas! She's also a fellow Marine wife so decorating our homes can be kind of difficult because we move every few years. Go take a look at what she has going on! Anywho, a few of you have wanted to know how to make it-so I would love to share this with you! Click HERE for Hannah's chalkboard.  

For this project, you can get everything at Lowe's or Home Depot in one swoop. 
You'll need:

Two 1x4" boards cut at 27" 

Two 1x4" boards cut at 45" 

The plywood backboard is 4x2'

- See more at: http://www.welivedhappilyeverafter.com/search?q=chalkboard#sthash.RrDBJHkO.dpufer

Two 1x4" boards cut at 27" 

Two 1x4" boards cut at 45" 

One plywood backboard at 4x2' (make sure it is SMOOTH)

Metal braces

Chalkboard Paint (you can make your own, but I already have a ready made can)

Wood screws

any paint or stain for your boarder

1. Paint your big plywood backboard with your chalkboard paint. I put about 4 coats on it to make sure it is super coated since the wood absorbed most of the first coat. Paint your boarder boards as well. I did this one afternoon to let all of them fully dry overnight before I put everything together. 

2. Take your metal braces with your wood screws and connect the boarders with them. Make sure you put the braces towards the top of the boards-you will be attaching the main board to the same boarder! (I'm sorry I didn't take pictures of this while we were putting them together!) The two smaller pieces will be top and bottom and the longers on the sides (which seems pretty simple, but just to make sure we're all on the same page) 

3. After the boarder is put together, place your backboard on the boarder- and you guessed it-take your wood screws and attach the board. 

4. Flip it over and 'condition' your board with chalk. Rub rub and rub some more chalk on it and lightly erase it.

5. Take a step back and admire your new chalkboard! 

I apologize for the not so great lighting...eek.

 Well there you have it my friends! Easy peasy cost effective chalkboard, just my style. I also made the pom-pom garland that went on top of the board-which I will be happily sharing with you all- so stay tuned! 

xox

Two 1x4" boards cut at 27" 

Two 1x4" boards cut at 45" 

The plywood backboard is 4x2'

- See more at: http://www.welivedhappilyeverafter.com/search?q=chalkboard#sthash.RrDBJHkO.dpuf

Two 1x4" boards cut at 27" 

Two 1x4" boards cut at 45" 

The plywood backboard is 4x2'

- See more at: http://www.welivedhappilyeverafter.com/search?q=chalkboard#sthash.RrDBJHkO.dpuf

World Prematurity Awareness Day

My goodness, you guys- I haven't posted in almost a MONTH. I have been busy making and sending our crochet headbands to help raise awareness for cervical cancer. We are about half way to our goal, so thank you so much for all of your support-please keep the orders coming! 

I want to share another awareness with you all- today is World Prematurity Awareness Day. This day floods my mind and heart with memories and emotions. Each year, nearly 500,000 babies are premature, or preemies. That's 1 of every 8 infants born in the United States. These little miracles come for all sorts of reasons, medical or not. You can read about Kaden's story HERE.

I still remember basically living in the NICU for 6 weeks, doing everything in my power to help him get stronger every day, and waiting 4 days to hold him for only 15 minutes-because he was so fragile. 

I remember bringing him home and waking up every hour to make sure he really is breathing, because that is what kept us from coming home-he would forget to breathe, which would drastically drop his heart rate. I remember having to take him weekly for weight checks because he was born weighing in at 3 lbs 2 oz. and I would worry and stress about if I can produce enough milk since I exclusively pumped for him-because he wasn't strong enough to nurse naturally.  I remember driving over an hour one way bi-weekly to get his eyes checked because he had ROP  (Retinopathy of Prematurity), to a cardiologist to check his heart murmur, and weeks of physical therapy.  But I also remember emailing my husband videos and pictures daily of this little guy and telling him all of the amazing things he has been doing and how he has been growing. 

OH and his first birthday, when he first sat up, smiled at me, laughed, trying new foods, his first word (for the record- it was 'mama'), when he started walking and the smile that will melt the coldest of hearts. We have so many memories that both terrified us and made us laugh so hard we had tears running down our faces-all because he is a healthy, happy growing baby (or should I choke out the word 'toddler'?) 

Once upon a time, doctors told us that he may not be developmentally on track with kids 'his age' because of being born so early. But I beg to differ. We've been meeting with doctors and specialists and they sometimes have a hard time believing he is a preemie. This little guy is growing and thriving SO much every day, it blows my mind. He's been hitting milestones left and right and 'passed' his NICU follow ups with flying colors. 

SO today, I am wearing purple to represent World Prematurity Awareness Day for all of these little miracles everywhere. 

Cervical Cancer Awareness

Alright friends-this post is more of a personal one from my family to you all. I am helping my wonderful sister in law with this new project and we need some help. Let me fill you in:
3 months ago, my sister in law, Brittany, received some devastating news that she has been diagnosed with cervical cancer. I can't tell you how she felt, but I can tell you that the news hit us like a ton of bricks. She is only 27 years old and is one of the healthiest, and bravest people that I know. She took a huge leap of faith and dug deep for some courage and  wrote a little story to share with everyone, so I'm going to share it with you instead of me telling you the details.

"Those of you who know me well know I am a fairly private person. So, it takes a good bit of my courage to share with you what my family and I have been going through the last few months.

About 3 months ago, I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is a very survivable disease and I was diagnosed at an early stage. However, I was told at my first oncology appointment that the current “gold standard” treatment for my condition is a radical hysterectomy. Maybe this isn’t so daunting for the majority of cervical cancer patients as most women are diagnosed in their late 30’s and early 40’s and have already had children. However, at 27 years old, I was devastated. I expressed my desire to have children to my oncologist who told me about an option at MD Anderson in Houston, Tx that could potentially preserve fertility. I recently found out I was a candidate for a brand new research study that would still afford me the chance of becoming pregnant.

Without research like that being performed at MD Anderson, I would most likely have undergone a radical hysterectomy and been unable to bear children at 27 years old. I share my story with you to raise awareness of the importance of research in cancer treatment. As a way to give back, my family and I are selling handmade ear warmers/headbands to raise funds for cancer research. The headbands will be of teal color to represent the cervical cancer ribbon. All proceeds will be donated to the Foundation for Women’s Cancer.

My family and I are incredibly grateful and blessed to have been provided this opportunity. Please help us in spreading the word in hopes of raising funds so we can pay it forward."

Without research, doctors would be jumping to solve these issues with such drastic measures. Please help us with our goal to spread the word of how important other options are for cases like Brittany's. We are truly grateful that she has amazing doctors to take care of her and that research like this has allowed her to keep her ability to have her own children someday. 

Our teal handmade, knit and crochet headbands are avaliable for purchase at my Etsy shop. You can also contact me directly if you would like. We can make them for both adults and little ones- 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Foundation for Women's Cancer. We hope to raise at least 1,000.00- so please help us reach our goal and spread the word! 

Although you may not know her, thank you for supporting my amazing sister in law in this journey, our family is incredibly grateful.
xo

 Etsy Shop

New Changes!

Hi everyone! I have some exciting news to share with you all! If you're friends with me on Facebook (on my personal page or the blog page) you may have seen that I have started to create amazing sparkly jewelry!

I am happy to announce that I have officially created an Etsy shop and I'll be adding more wonderful gifts as they are being made!  I love supporting small business, especially ones owned by moms creating things based off of what they love to do.

With this shop opening, things have changed around the blogging world. I thought it was important to create a united tie with both pages I have and so came the new name, Watkins and Co. The logo is close to my heart because of the elephants, especially the little one holding on. Kaden's baby shower theme had elephants and I carried that into his room, so they have a special little place in my heart-because of my baby.

 

Anywho, I'm taking a jump into the world of Etsy and I am very excited for this new adventure! I hope you'll come along with me on this one.  Currently the shop is little, but I have plans on expanding to different items and adding more wonderful beads in new colors as they come in! These rings are perfect for anyone who loves a little sparkle-including yourself! Keep your eyes peeled for new items and take a look at these amazing hand made rings and think about your holiday shopping list and lets get some presents ordered!

Etsy Shop

(click to be redirected to the shop)

Cinnamon Roll French Toast Bake

Every other Friday, Kaden and I head over to our local MOPS group that we joined this past late summer. If you're a mom with little ones, I highly recommend checking your local chapter out. There has been a lot of negative social media about 'mom' life and there has been a lot of moms tearing each other down. This group comes together to build each other up and provide words of encouragement to each other. Our table had to bring our breakfast/brunch items for this week's meeting and what I made turned out to be a hit (yay!) and I want to share it with all of you! I made this delicious Cinnamon Roll French Toast Bake. It's as good as it sounds, I promise. The last time I made this, I was fighting off contractions right before Kaden was born, which makes me chuckle now. Well shall we get started? 

To make this, you'll need:
9x13 pan (I used a foil pan since I was worried I would possibly drop this while chasing/carrying a toddler and didn't want to shatter my glass pan-but either works!)
1/4 cup margarine, melted (I used butter)
2 cans of cinnamon rolls with icing
4 eggs
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (I used milk instead)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon

1. Gather all of your ingredients and preheat the oven to 350.
2. Melt your butter and pour it in the pan.
3. Open and chop up the cinnamon rolls. The recipe I used said to cut them into 4 pieces, but I made them smaller.
4. Once both cans are chopped up and spread out evenly in the pan, combine the eggs, milk, cinnamon and vanilla together in a bowl and pour them over the chopped rolls.

5. Pop the tray into the oven for 25-30 minutes.
6. Once they're done (resist the urge to take a bite) melt the icing that came with the rolls a little bit so it is easier to pour- and pour that sugary delicious treat over the rolls. 

 And there you go! It smells amazing, tastes amazing, looks amazing and is perfect with a hot cup of coffee. This doesn't take much to get together and would be perfect for the upcoming holiday with family! Happy weekend friends!