Crockpot Christmas Cider

Crockpot Christmas Cider

Ingredients:

64 oz Apple juice

8 oz caramel ice cream topping

1-1/2 teaspoon imitation cinnamon extract (way cheaper than cinnamon sticks)

1 orange (sliced into round sections)

Directions:

Add all the ingredients (except the orange) into your crockpot. Stir it until it’s well blended yo! Then – grab that orange that we left out and slice it into round sections. Add those into the mixture, they float on the top and it makes the cider look all fancy and stuff. Turn your crockpot on low and simmer it for about 3 hours or so. You can serve this drink hot or cold! Garnish it with whipped cream! If you save the apple juice bottle you can use a funnel and pour the left over cider in it and store it in the fridge! Enjoy!

Difficult Decisions / Biscotti & Kate Mack Dress Feature :)

Ok folks - I'm going to break it down for you. Firstly, I'm going to apologize for my lack of posts. (Sorry y'all!) There...that's over and done with. Secondly, I'm going to get really serious for a minute. And...go... I've been thinking a lot lately about my portraits. I think it is high time for me to make a very difficult decision in regards to my business. Now that I have an (awesome) full-time job...I no longer feel the need to bust my tail drawing all of the time. (16+ hours for $25-35 free shipping) I've reached the point that drawing has become more of a chore than a time that I enjoy. When I get home at 5 o'clock I shouldn't have to worry about getting a drawing finished within a time frame that I promised. (etc) I should be able to throw some pajamas on and play with my children. Then I can leisurely write my blog after I get them tucked in bed at night. I should "want" to paint Miri a (My Little Pony) painting for her room. I shouldn't want to purchase it off Etsy because I'm sick of painting. (Sigh) So...I have decided to stop selling my art for the time being. I am working on the last portrait right now. I want to sincerely thank everybody that has purchased my work. You helped keep this former stay at home mom (financially) going. You helped fund many family dinners and other necessities. For all of this...I am grateful. I hope everybody understands.  Thirdly - on a much lighter note...I want to talk about Miri's new dress lol! 

Urban Garden Long Sleeve Baby Dress in Pink

by Baby Biscotti & Kate Mack $72 ♥

It's simply precious right? Words cannot even describe! I wish you guys could reach through the computer screen and feel how nice this little dress really is. It does not feel like your typical poorly made infant dress from Walmart. This little beauty has some weight to it and you can really see what kind of care Biscotti & Kate Mack puts into making these outfits. This particular dress is available in 12, 18, and 24 months. Miri is modeling the 12 month size...she will be 9 months on the 18th...so I personally feel like they run a tad small.

This particular dress is perfect for Fall. When it gets a little colder I plan on pairing some plain white leggings with it. :) Maybe some little grey shoes? 

Now there's a happy face! ;)

You can rest assured that your baby is stylin' and profilin' when she is wearing clothing by Biscotti & Kate Mack. Many of their styles have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Women's Wear Daily, Vogue Bambini, US Weekly, and Child Magazine - just to name a few. Oh - and this brand is a favorite among stars like Katie Holmes, Victoria Beckham, and Heidi Klum. Malia Obama actually wore a red Biscotti dress on her father's election night! How crazy awesome is that? I actually remember seeing it! 

(Strike a post vogue...vogue...vogue)

Do yourself a favor...

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Review | Mommy-Baby Bonding Blanket

Mommy-Baby Bonding Banket

$29.99 on mommy-babybondingblanket.com  ♥

I was so excited to show Miri her new blanket that arrived in the mail on 9/20. It was waiting for me in the mailbox on my birthday when I got home from work. :) How stinkin' awesome is that? Miri loves all things soft and fluffy - so I knew it would be a big hit. I was right!

We had pizza with my parents that night - so I took the blanket with me over to their apartment in Auburn. Miri's initial reaction was absolutely hysterical. She seemed to think that the blanket was some sort of snuggly dessert? LOL She tried to eat it and was immediately disgusted by the minky texture against her tongue. This "taste testing" went on several minutes (much to our delight) before she decided that is was indeed a blanket haha. 

...And what an adorable blanket it is! (Let the snuggling commence!) It was handmade by the talented folks over at mommy-babybondingblanket.com - and I would not have been able to find something of equal quality unless my grandmother made it. (She is hardcore about sewing nice stuff) I especially like the size of this bonding blanket - (16x16) it's perfect for the wee baby on the go! (Miri doesn't like to stay in one place long!) We enjoy tossing it on my shoulder during our mama/baby snuggle times. She likes to rub her face back and forth on it. I would highly recommend it for newborn baby/mama bonding sessions. They come in several different prints for baby girls or boys. Definitely go check out their selection of high quality products. I plan on snatching one up for the next baby shower I get invited to! ;)

Would you like to sponsor a blanket for a baby in need? You can do so here!

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Review | Taylor by Taylor Swift Eau de Parfum Spray

Every now and then I feel so passionate about something that it requires me to go on a lengthy blog rant. I'm going to apologize for this one in advance. You best ready thyself!

----------> Begin rant <----------

Matt came home from work with a terrible headache today. Unfortunately - Miri decided that tonight was the infant night of screams. (Sounds like a bad M. Night Shyamalan movie) Literally...she would just sit in her bouncy seat and scream like a banshee. (Then she would purse her lips and glare/repeat) We have a professional diva on our hands folks. So - I decided that I would give Matt some relief and take Miri shopping with me. Miri and I love to go on mother/daughter shopping adventures. (We have loads of fun) I was on the hunt for roller clips for my hair...and hot chocolate...maybe lol. 

Our first stop was an unsuccessful trip to Wal-mart. We ended up finding what we were looking for at Sally's Beauty Supply instead. (5 mins till close) The cashier was actually really rude to me. :( I apologized to her for being in the store so near closing time. (I went right to what I needed and went straight to the register...probably 35 seconds of total shopping) She then snarkily said to me "Oh it's no problem! If you had been in any closer to 8...well...I probably wouldn't have been so nice." I just stared at her. I ended up hastily purchasing my clips and leaving. (Opelika location) At least they had my clips?

Crappy Sally's visit aside...Miri and I then travelled over to ULTA. We grabbed a couple items and were about to leave when I spotted Taylor Swift's new fragrance! 

"Taylor" by Taylor Swift

$49.50 for 1.7 oz at ULTA

Anything Miss Swift always catches my eye because my little sister India loves her. We have listened to her albums many a time in Wanda (Yolanda) the Honda. (Accord) lol So - Miri and I rolled over to see what this new fragrance was all about! (We are fans of the Wonderstruck fragrance btw) Firstly, the bottle is to die for. It may be one of my favorite bottles ever. It's a large vase-like clear glass bottle with a smaller bottle inside that holds the liquid. (It makes it magically appear that you are getting quite a lot of product when you really aren't) The top of the bottle is flat with multi-colored swirls with pearls and a fanciful cap. It's just the bees knees. At first sniff I "thought" I really enjoyed it. Similar to Wonderstruck - it had a very sweet scent. (Luscious fruits, blushing florals, and soft woods blah blah blah) Initially I was sad...I thought "hey, I like this and I'm poor and can't afford it." Even a crappy roller ball "Taylor" was $20. -_- (Don't get me started on fragrance prices y'all) I then decided to spritz it on myself...right when this stuff made contact with my skin I knew I had made a terrible mistake that only a shower could remedy. The best way I can describe this perfume after it sat on my skin for about 30 mins is a bubblegum scent?...with a hint of cheap hairspray. (It's shocking/sad I know!) It actually smells like something I would buy Miri in the kiddie perfume section at Wal-mart. I mean...Love's Baby Soft cologne is better by leaps and bounds. (I've always loved that stuff, sniff sniff mmm...childhood) I immediately called up my sister to tell her the disappointing news. We also had a nice laugh over the name. Original Miss Swift...real original. 

Please go to your local perfume counter and give this stuff a good test. Let me know how you feel about it. I know I'm rarely ever this mean in a review but I just found "Taylor" by Taylor Swift simply revolting. There...I said it. 

Happy Saturday y'all hahaha!

Life Update & Small Amazon Haul

Things have been pretty rough lately. Miri has decided that she isn't going to sleep through the night. (dun-dun-dun) So - I've been getting up several times a night to pop a pacifier back in her mouth...eventually to no avail. :( You can add in the random bottles here and there too. I think we are going to have to break down and purchase a swing. (A nice one that has a pretty high weight limit) My mom has this ---->one<---- that she uses at her house. Miri adores it, but I just don't think we can spend $135.22 on a stinkin' swing. Miri just sleeps away while at my parent's apartment in Auburn. (Grrr) Mom watches the kids during the day, so I can't steal her swing. I just texted my cousin to see if she has one she will sell me. If not - I'm going to start scouring Craigslist and Facebook yard-sale groups. Something has gotta give! On a more positive note...I have declared every Friday to be "baked goods Friday" at work. (I need a more clever name lol) So for tomorrow...I have made a large assortment of cookies. (Vegan everything, peanut butter chocolate chip, and sugar cookies) I like to bake and it gives me something to look forward to preparing each week. Work is still going fantastic...although it gets pretty hot in there. (I will survive!) Tonight I'm going to post a small Amazon haul. I have a lot of cleaning to do around the house...and I definitely need a shower! (Treadmill too?) How has your week been? :) 

$12 on Amazon.com

This is technically the second American Apparel hoodie that I have gotten this week lol. (Along with a couple t-shirts) I picked up a regular style purple hoodie from work earlier today. Oh the soft-ness! I have become quite the t-shirt/hoodie snob since I started working at Mammoth Printshop. (haha) I think I could curl up and sleep on a pile of American Apparel stuff. It's exciting to start adding Fall items to my wardrobe! I'm gearing up for some cooler temperatures y'all! Now only if they would go ahead and get here...

$5 on Amazon.com

For the longest time I have been using a Kool-Kase (similar to this one) on my iPhone 4 that I purchased off eBay. It's all glittery and I really really love it. Sadly/lately it has been pushing all kinds of random buttons when I'm on the phone. For some reason the Kool-Kase is now covering part of the sensor on my phone. I finally got ticked off and decided that "this will just not do" and I purchased this case. I'm a sucker for anything galaxy print. Now that I mention it - I think I'm actually going to wear a galaxy bandeau and a tank to work tomorrow. Bam.

$8.50 on Amazon.com

Go ahead and snicker! I have to do a good bit of repetitive physical activity at work. (As fun as this may be) It has lead me to be in a great deal of pain for the majority of each day. I have a terrible neck and back that give me grief constantly. :( A couple of days ago I realized that my neck/shoulder hurt less when I held myself up straight. I thought that this support belt might make me feel better. At this point - I'm willing to try anything. I ended up at the Chiropractor today and I have an appointment scheduled for Monday as well. Here's to no pain! :) Cross your fingers for me! I will do a review for you guys on this device if it works. 

Silas Sunday

I took these yesterday at my parent's house with the Olympus E-410 camera. :) Not too shabby! These were taken shortly after we had a failed attempt to visit the Montgomery Zoo. (They were closed) We wanted to go see the new baby rhino named Ethan. Silas got very upset and cried when they wouldn't let us in. (It was a total mom fail lol) I should have called before we drove all the way over there. Oh well - we will see Ethan some other time. I hope everybody is having a nice weekend!

MLP:FiM Fangirl Ramblings & Review | Princess Cadance Toy

(Miri's first trip to the barn - she loved it & didn't want to leave!)

The apple has not fallen far from the tree folks! Miss Miri Mouse is just as obsessed with MLP as I was when I was little. Anytime she is crying - we just turn on "the ponys" and everything is suddenly right in the world lol. 

(Fizzy - Generation One)

Pretty much anybody that is female (or even sometimes male) and born in the 80s has been obsessed with MLP at one point or another in their lives. I never really stopped loving them. (Special case haha) I have a vintage Fizzy that sits on display in my bathroom - she was always my favorite pony. (I ended up having a Ferret named after her lol) I was completely unaware that Hasbro had reintroduced the franchise (for the 4th time/Generation 4) until after Miri arrived. When I first laid eyes on the show on Netflix, I was initially very irritated by it. (Who do these new ponies think they are? They don't have 80s hair - complaints hiss hiss etc.) We finally decided to give them a chance in the Cherry house, and we are all very happy that we did. I'm almost 27 years old and I will proudly say that I think it is a fantastic show. It's entertaining for both children and adults, and I find it to have very sophisticated writing and nuanced characters. So - if you have not heard of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic by now...you must be living under a rock, because it is a huge success. (Point and laugh at me all you want) I will always have mad love for the ponys. :) No shame.

Ok...

---------- Let's chat about the FiM toy line ----------

I'm not going to lie, the single packaged G4 pony toys have left me a little disappointed. I think the price is great ($4.99-ish) but they are tad too small in my opinion. But - then again I will always think G1 ponys are superior. ;)

(See G1 verses G4?)

I will say - that Hasbro has introduced some larger toys recently that I am pretty impressed/pleased with.

MLP:FiM Princess Cadance Pony Figure

$19.99 at Target ♥

Miri and I are loving our new Princess Cadance! Yes, I am aware it is for ages 3 and up. (I always stay near while she is playing with it.) Silas asked me where Shining Armor was when I showed it to him lol. Cadance stands about 8.5 inches tall with a 7.5 inch wingspan. She comes with a a styling comb and her crown/dress are removable. She requires 2 AAA batteries (included) and she plays 8 phrases/songs when you push the blue button on her cutie mark. It's made of hard plastic which seems very sturdy, and her wings move/light up when you push said button. I only have two minor complaints with this pony. She has a cutie mark on only one side of her body. (I know I am not the first person to complain about this) The bigger problem I have is with the quality of her hair. It tangles horribly - I had it knotted all on my own within 2 minutes of taking her out of the packaging. I was being extra careful too! (My Fizzy is over 20 years old and her hair is fine!) Whatever - I plan on trying to take extra good care of it so Miri can enjoy it for years to come. I think it is totally worth the $19.99 price tag. (Not saying that $14.99 wouldn't have been better lol) We actually purchased another one tonight for Silas and Miri's cousin's birthday. I feel that with supervision Princess Cadance would be great for all ages. :)

Hasbro.com

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FYI | Orajel Baby

I thought today I would do a FYI post on a product that has me pretty shocked. I wanted to make all the other parents out there in the blogosphere aware. :)

(Sleeping beauty right before she got her shots.)

We just started using a new pediatrician that is located in Opelika. (Our old doctor was in Montgomery - about an hour away.) There are several doctors in this group at the Pediatric Clinic LLC, on the 4th we saw Dr. Fuller. This would be the third time that we have taken Miri to this pediatrician thinking that she had an ear infection. She was up screaming bloody-murder on Wednesday night. (We were up till about 2 o'clock in the morning.) Nothing would console her, she just cried and cried. Dr. Fuller decided that it was probably (ears were clear) just her mouth giving her pain. She currently has two bottom teeth and several teeth cutting in on the top. For weeks now we have literally been coating Miri's pacifier (popping it in and then spinning it) with the nighttime formula of Baby Orajel. We thought it was a safe way to provide her with some relief, and hey...the nighttime formula was like extra-strength right?

The possibility that this stuff might not be safe for our kids never even crossed our minds. It seemed to significantly help Miri's discomfort, so that was enough for us. Plus - look at that peaceful baby on the box! (#1 teething brand too!) You can find teething gels pretty much everywhere, so we thought nothing of it. Thankfully - when the subject of teething eventually came up Dr. Fuller decided to inform us about the possible danger associated with Orajel. 

He told us about something called methemoglobinemia. (met-HEEM-oh glo-bin-EE-mee-a) It can occur after just one use of benzocaine (Orajel) or several applications. (Just minutes or up to 2 hours after use.) Dr. Fuller had a child actually suffer from this condition because of benzocaine teething gel, she turned blue right in front of him! 

Symptoms include: headache, tired feeling, confusion, fast heart rate, and feeling light-headed or short of breath, with a pale, blue, or gray appearance of your skin, lips, or fingernails.

(In infants I believe you mainly look for change in color of appearance.) Methemoglobinemia is a life-threatening condition in which the amount of oxygen in your blood stream becomes dangerously low, how terrifying is that folks? I just wanted to put it out there and make everybody aware. :) Dr. Fuller recommends freezing a teething toy to help with the discomfort. Miri really enjoys chewing on her Nuby Teether. (Photo below) They are $4.12 on diapers.com, and they come in three colors.

Thankfully - there is a cure for Methemoglobinemia! The treatment consists of supplemental oxygen and methylene blue administered intravenously slowly over five minutes by IV. 

---------->Today<----------

I took Miri back to the doctor today for her 4 month shots. (We are a little off schedule) She is no Silas-man, so I see lots of rocking in the near future. (Silas has a very high pain tolerance) We are having a big pity party at the Cherry house tonight. She had to get two shots in each leg and she also had an oral vaccine. :( Poor baby!

I had a person comment that my blog appeared to be overlapping when viewed though Internet Explorer, anybody else having this issue?

My Current Hair Care Routine

It's about time I did another one of these posts. :) It has been highly requested! The last one I did was all the way back in May. A lot has changed since then, and for the better! The shampoo that I'm going to mention today has been an absolute life saver. 

About 8-12 weeks after Miri was born I started to notice a little hair loss. I've mentioned it briefly a few times before here on my blog. Well - it escalated...and I panicked/cried. (It was everywhere!) I tried everything under the southern sun to save my poor locks - and nothing was working. The clumps of hair didn't stop falling till I finally found this lovely combination of products. :) 

--------------------

BIOTA Botanicals Herbal Shampoo For Thinning Hair

$10.99 at CVS

I do not understand the science behind this miracle product - all I know is that two days after I started using it my hair stopped falling out. I only use about a quarter size drop of the shampoo, then I massage it on my scalp. I let it sit for about 3 minutes and rinse. (Then I repeat with the conditioner) It's only been a few weeks and I have baby hairs growing back in! :D I could do a commercial for these people I love this shampoo so!

Garnier Fructis Fortifying Conditioner FALL FIGHT

$3.99 at Drugstore.com

I first spotted this stuff on our trip in North Carolina, but I finally made the decision to buy it after I bought the BIOTA. (Back in Alabama) I figured it could only help the situation. It claims to contain energizing caffeine, fortifying Biotin, and fruit vitamins. It's a pretty good quality conditioner for $3.99, no complaints here. 

1000 mcg Biotin by Spring Valley

$2.94 at Wal-mart

I take about 4-5 of these little pills a day. Warning: They will break your face out. :( That is the one downfall I have experienced with them. It's my understanding that you can take about 10,000 mcg of Biotin a day. I'm a little scared to do that considering the 5,000 mcg already makes my face act-a-fool.

With their powers combined they have saved my hair! If you are experiencing hair loss problems please give these products a shot. Maybe they will work for you too!

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Mini Review | La Fresh travel lite Baby Cleansing Wipes

8 Wipes for $1.99 ♥

Correct me if I'm wrong - but I don't believe you can purchase these in a larger size.

Today I'm reviewing a baby related product, so Miri gets to be the star in this particular post. :) La Fresh seems to have a little something for just about everybody I tell you! 

Miri and I have been very much enjoying these baby cleansing wipes. She is what we affectionately call a "blanket baby." She is always snuggling/rubbing a blanket near her face. This creates lint in strange places lol, like under her neck. (If you can call that a neck) These wipes are perfect for carefully removing blanket debris! So - our new bath routine begins with a gentle La Fresh wipe down. It's nice being able to rest assured that the products I'm putting on Miri are safe for her. :) These wipes claim to be a sensitive formula, hypoallergenic, and fragrance-free. I will say that I do find them to have a slight scent, I would almost call it a lime smell? I enjoy it - so that factor really doesn't matter much to me. 

Naked baby alert! Diva extraordinaire! :)

We use these for unexpected diaper changes too, I find them to be the perfect size for my purse. (Hence the name) Sometimes it's nice to have a stash of wipes in a few convenient locations - the car etc. (You never can be too prepared) These wipes are perfect for families on-the-go!

Miri and I hope you are having a loverly week!

Miri's OOTD | Sunday

I thought it would be fun to share Miri's outfit of the day for Sunday. :) It's a zebra explosion! Oh so adorable. I hope everybody is having a nice weekend!