A whole Lot of Shaking going on!

You know the saying about Arkansas "If you don't like the weather - just stick around a while?"
Well - the last two months have been something else. We've had a major tornado, two feet of snow, 70 degree days in February, more tornado warnings and a bunch of EARTHQUAKES - including one last night in central AR that was a 4.8! And it was felt up here in NWA!

Did you feel it?????

I was asleep and I don't know if we didn't feel it in Bentonville or I just missed it but it seems like it was felt all over the state. That is so crazy to me!

I was looking up some information on the fault line in AR - wondering if we should add earthquake insurance or not. ha! I found a few links explaining more about the fault line -
http://www.scchealth.org/docs/ems/docs/prepare/newmadrid.html
http://quake.ualr.edu/public/nmfz.htm

What do you think about these earthquakes? I would love to know if you have felt them - especially the one last night! I feel like we are the new California.

Oscars

Tonight is the Oscars - are you watching????

The nominees for the best film are:

Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids are All Right
The King's Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone


What movie is your pick??? I've only seen 2 out of the list so I'm not sure.

Are you even interested in the Oscars or do you care?

Hairy News

There are so many important news stories going on out there...........earthquake in New Zealand, the change in power in Egypt, rising gas prices, etc.......

But it seems like the big news lately is:

Jennifer Anniston cut her hair!

and GASP!
So did Justin Bieber!

This is total fluff - but what hair do you wish for?

I have kept my hair in mostly a short bob for forever but I'm SO wishing for long hair right now. What do you prefer - long,short, in between?

Wanted: Mom Advice

This is my 2 year old daughter Harper. She is a busy girl but she does NOT like to play by herself - EVER!! She does no independent play time and I have a baby coming in a few weeks and I really want her to start playing by herself some.

My friends suggested I try putting her in her room (which is cram packed with toys and a play kitchen she just got for Christmas - but has barely touched ) with a baby gate up and have her stay in there for a little bit to play and just kind of build on time how long she is in there.

I thought that was a great idea but my child is a Houdini. She took the gate down and escaped to find me 3 times in about 3 minutes yesterday. She can also unlock all doors so could go through her jack and jill bathroom and escape through the nursery - instead of playing!! She wants me to just hold her all day!

What do you do to get your toddlers/preschool aged children to play independently? ALL suggestions welcomed!!!

Tasty Tuesday - Cake Balls

Today's Tasty Tuesday is one of the best treats you will ever have - cake balls!!!

CAKE BALLS

This is super easy and you can make it any kind of variety you like. I've seen yellow cake and chocolate icing and chocolate and chocolate. But being the good Southern girl I am - I LOVE red velvet cake so I thought this would be good.

All you do is bake the cake mix according to directions

When it's still warm - crumble it up in a bowl and mix in a can of frosting (I used cream cheese with the red velvet!)
IMPORTANT STEP: Refrigerate the cake and frosting for about an hour before you start making balls!

I used this handy little scooper from Pampered chef to scoop balls

Melt almond bark (either vanilla or chocolate - depending on your cake) and dip balls in the bark. You could use toothpicks or a fork - but I used this egg separator and it worked GREAT!

And voila - one of the yummiest things you will ever taste!!!

Dressing Kids Well for Less!

I knew when I had a little girl that my favorite thing–especially when she was young–would be dressing her up. I’m a huge fan of smocked dresses, swing tops and ruffle pants and custom outfits. I especially love all things monogrammed.

I do love dressing her up each day but I’m also on a budget so I’ve had to find ways to dress her without paying a fortune. I did a lot of internet browsing and found brands that I loved. Ragsland, Kelly’s Kids, Petite Ami, Potato Saks, Bailey Boys and Orient Expressed are just a few of the brands I adore. So I began to shop eBay for those brands. I watch for my daughter’s size and sort by lowest price first and I have found many great deals this way. Nice clothes for toddlers are usually only worn once or twice so everything I have bought has looked brand new.

Another thing I do often is search eBay for “monogrammed H” items. That is my daughter’s first letter of her first name and I have found many custom outfits for bargain prices.

I also found well-dressed children a little older than Harper and offered to buy their hand-me-downs. There are also many great consignment stores in Arkansas as well as events like Rhea Lana and Duck Duck Goose that come to the area a few times a year.

Something I have discovered recently is Zulily.com. They have great deals daily - but you have to be fast - they sell out quickly. I think there are other sites out there like Hautelook.com and Totsy.com. Get on these sites early in the morning to find sizes you need at great prices!

I get asked about shoes also. I started out buying cheap shoes from Target or Wal-Mart and quickly realized they need good shoes for support. And then I kind of became a little obsessed with shoes. Here are a few sites that have CUTE shoes for toddlers or kids:

www.puddlejumpershoes.com
www.bellanovasqueakyshoes.com
www.itzybitzy.com

There are many cute children’s boutiques in our state and it is fun to shop and look for sales or find special outfits for full price. Just a few that I have visited are 3 Monkeys in Rogers, Bella Jacks in Fayetteville and Sara’s and Pink and Blue Avenue in Magnolia.

Dressing a child well doesn’t have to break the bank–you just have to shop smart!

Favorite Shops

I don't know about y'all but I LOVE fun little local shops. I thought I would share about two of my favorite NWA stops and I would love if you would tell me yours. I'd love to check them out!!

I made a stop by one of my favorite little antique/junk stores today, True Treasures. I found this store in the last year and I'm in LOVE! It's right outside Bentonville and is filled with all kinds of fun things - lots of shabby chic stuff. I found this cute bow holder for my new baby's room today. Her room is that blue that the frame is and brown so I'm changing out the ribbon and flower and it will be perfect!!!
I also got this pink frame there recently. I LOVED it and it goes perfect in my daughter Harper's pink and brown room!
One of the shops I love dearly in Fayetteville is Riff Raff. They have so much cute stuff I can't stand it. I got this blue frame to go in my new daughter's nursery. I also got the flower there and just glued it on for extra glam! :-)
They also carry CUTE clothes and I found this top/dress that I am wearing even though I'm 9 months pregnant and it's not maternity. I'm hoping after baby comes to wear it as a cute dress with leggings this spring!

What are your favorite little stores around NWA?

Arkansas Children's Hospital

Two years ago my daughter was born and she wasn't breathing and had severe pneumonia. She had to be air flighted to a children's hospital to be able to have a chance to live.  Unfortunately Arkansas Children's Hospital didn't have a free helicopter that night so we ended up going to Tulsa. (Which was an AMAZING place to be.)  But I'm thankful for places like ACH who work hard to save children's lives every day. They hold a VERY special place in my heart. We have to go to ACH in a couple of months for something very minor for our daughter and no matter how big or how small the issue - I'm thankful that we live in a state with a children's hospital that has such a great reputation!

One of my good friends recently wrote a children's book called "Silly Sock".  50% of her sales are going to ACH.  She is doing this in honor of her nephew who was born several years ago at ACH at 25 weeks weighing less than a pound.  (Read Logan's story here on Jaimi's blog) This is a great way to raise money for a hospital who does so much! You can go here http://www.sillysockbook.com/ to purchase a book or even to donate one to go to a child who is staying at ACH! Little things can mean so much to a sick child and their family!

Do you have any stories or experiences with how ACH has helped you??? I know so many families in NWA have been touched by this great hospital! I'd love to hear your stories!

Bakeries

Do you have a favorite bakery???
I've lived in NWA for 15 years now and with all the birthdays and baby showers and wedding showers I am constantly throwing - it's important to have a good bakery!  I have long said that Benton county was in need of more good bakeries.  To get a cute cake or petit fours - we have to drive to Washington county.  But maybe someone knows of a secret bakery I don't know about?

 

Everyone knows Rick's Bakery is one of the best.  I had this cake made for my daughter's dedication at church. They also made her first birthday cake and they always make amazing cakes.

Another one of my favorites is Shelby Lynn's Cake Shoppe in Springdale.  I love to get petit fours there.  We usually serve petit fours at showers and I thought these I got for my friend Hillary's lingerie shower were SOOOO cute (and funny!)  I have had them put all kinds of things on top - from monograms to baby rattles.

The new trend is in cupcakes! I haven't been but I would love to try Bliss cupcakes in Fayetteville.  Bentonville had a cute cupcake place on the square that sadly recently closed down but I just read on my friend Amy's blog that there is a place in downtown Rogers called Kirby Cupcakes and now I am dying to try it out.

What other bakeries in NWA do you use or love???? I'd love to get your feedback!!!

Wednesday Video Update

The time has come. Baby Yazwinski is on the way, but we didn't want to miss another week. If you missed the video you can check it out here.
For baby updates you can follow Tom on twitter at @tomyazwinski or our personal blog yazfam.blogspot.com Be patient with us...after all, we're having a baby.
Also Kelly Stamps will be guest blogging while I'm home for a couple weeks so be sure to check back here for her updates. You can check out her blog at kellyskornerblog.com

Hope to chat soon!

Sydney

Tasty Tuesday: Chicken Pesto Pasta

Tom made dinner for Valentines and I love this recipe so I thought I'd share it with you on this tasty Tuesday.

Yummo.

This is Tom's secret ingredient. And he says you can only find it at Ricks Meat Market in Fayetteville now.

Love this! You can get the recipe here.

Oh the Dreaded Day is Here

Don't get me wrong I've never really dreaded this day. Let's face it, my maiden name is Hart so my parents always made sure Valentines was extra special. And I'm a lucky girl to have an incredible dad, so he spoiled me enough that I didn't need a boyfriend to take that roll.

Anyway, Valentines is dreaded for many reason. Obviously, the singles out there would probably just skip today. But also those with significant others in their lives...it can be a task to figure out what you're loved one wants. Do you do flowers that die, candy that makes us go to the gym one extra day, jewelry that breaks the bank, etc. Do you get my drift?

So instead of talking about what everyone got, or wanted I found an article about the top ten places to kiss in the Natural State. Hey, it's the day of romance, why not. I'm not one to kiss and tell, but I struck out on this list of 10. Check it out and tell me what you think. I definately think the Fayetteville square should be on there during the Christmas holiday and even the kissing bench at the U of A.
What do you think?

Stinky Situation

I don't know about you but our trash hasn't been picked up in 2 weeks. I mean look at the extra bags. That may not seem like forever, but with dirty diapers and a lot of home cooked meals the trash stacks up. So this is what it looks like in our neighborhood because before the BIG storm hit the city told us to put it out just in case they could get to it in the snow. Of course that was when the forecast was calling for 5-12 inches and well, we know what we got.I feel bad for the crews that have to play catchup because I know the snow is going to make it that more difficult. I hope you're not in a stinky situation. I have a feeling the crews will be around this weekend...or at least I hope :)

Speechless

Well, it snowed! Yep, this is a picture of workers at XNA...now you know why flights were cancelled. So we expected 5-12 inches of snow and NOW I have 19 inches in my backyard.

18 inches in Goshen.

Sweet Brayden bundled up and headed out in his yard in Bentonville. Just FYI, Brayden is 34 inches tall...so you get the idea.

Let me know how you enjoyed this SNOW day. As most of you know I'm 9 months pregnant so it's been a little interesting making a plan of action should the baby decide to come now. For now we are taking it super easy.

Happy SNOW day!

most of these pictures are from KNWA and KNWA Today's facebook pages. There are several to look at if you want to check them out.

Tasty Tuesday: Honey Onion Chicken

Yes, my mouth is watering. I was going to make this today but I didn't have all the ingredients so I'm having to wait until my next trip to the store. BUT let me tell you several of my friends have been treated to Rebekah's (she's a friend) Honey Onion Chicken and LOVE it. So instead of waiting for the next round of snow to melt since I wont be going to the store soon...I thought I'd share with you anyways. If you've had it or are going to make it let me know what you think!
I know my friend Rebekah is good in the kitchen, so I'm confident this will be a hit in your home too.
You can click here for the recipe.

Did You Have a Favorite?

I'm sure some of you are recovering from the Super Bowl hangover because if you are like me you ate too much last night!

I have to admit I didn't see much of the game or commercials because I was chasing a toddler, but what I did see I wasn't overly impressed.

I did however like the NFL commercial that used old shows to get their message across.

And Tom saw the VW commercials before the game, so I knew this one was good before game time and it ended up being one of my favorites.

So what did you like?

Going Crazy? Need Something to Do?

I never thought playdough would be such great entertainment, but it has kept my little toddler busy for quite sometime since we've been stuck inside. We have a jumbo pack of the store bought playdough with scissors, cookie cutters, etc, but if you're looking for something to entertain your kiddos and don't have playdough...you can make it. All you need is oil, flour, food coloring, water and salt...check it out here. That way you have two projects to kill time. One, you make the playdough and then you play with it!

Also, if you're not sick of the snow and want to make some snow my friend Jennifer has a super cute idea on her blog. You can go here for details on making snow flakes for INSIDE. Oh yeah, and if Jennifer looks familiar to you, she was interviewed by KNWA's Marci Manley the other day on how to stay sane when you're stuck indoors for several days :)

Dessert is Right Outside Your Door

If you've got cabin fever and need a little something sweet..then it's time to bust out the snow ice cream or snow cream as some call it.
We were going to make it tonight, but time slipped away and half the house is already in bed, but we've made it in the past and this household loves Paula Deens version.

What you need...
8 cups of snow
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
How to make...
Mix it all in a big bowl and serve immediately

Now that is our favorite, but I know a lot of you don't have sweetened condensed milk in your cupboards and you still don't want to risk it on the roads, so a friend sent me this version...

What you need...
Gallon of snow
2 cups of milk
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Make it the same way.

I hope you all enjoy. If you have ways to "spice" up snow ice cream shoot me a note or leave a comment!

Tasty Tuesday: Lemon & Garlic Roasted Cauliflower

I found this recipe from a Facebook friend and now I love her blog because it's dedicated to recipes for her family. Plus she tends to stick to the healthy side of the menu, so I'm sure I'll be trying many more in the future. But I've already made this recipe and plan on making again during the snow storm. It's super easy and quick. Check it out. Thanks to Amy James for sharing her kitchen secrets with the rest of us :)