The Best Pumpkin Pie You Will Ever Eat

Ok, I know Thanksgiving was last week, but people, this recipe needs to be shared!!  Besides, surely you will have more holiday gatherings in the coming weeks - you should definitely make this recipe!

The best ever Pumpkin Pie using Young Living Essential Oils

I adapted my recipe using a Paula Deen recipe - she knows her desserts, right?  Here's what you do:

Ingredients

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

1 can of pumpkin

1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks

1 cup half-and-half or whipping cream (I used whipping cream)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
2 drops Young Living Cinnamon Bark oil

2 drops Young Living Clove oil

2 drops Young Living Nutmeg oil
1 piece pre-made pie dough
Whipped cream, for topping

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place 1 piece of pre-made pie dough down into a (9-inch) pie pan and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Prick the bottom and the sides with a fork and place in the oven until slightly golden brown.  Feel free to use pie weights if you are fancy, haha.

For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, and Essential Oils and mix until combined.

Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.

Hey Y'all, try this pie!!  (said in my very best southern drawl)  You will not regret it!

Inexpensive Fun for Dallas Kids

I've lived in Dallas for all my life. Now that I have kids, I am excited to explore some of the places where I made wonderful memories when I was a little girl. Some things have stayed the same, but most have changed. The Children's Aquarium at Fair park is one that has improved drastically. We took the girls today for some wonderful family time - it was quality fun on a budget!

One of the best improvements the Children's Aquarium has made is to lower their tanks so that littles AND big kids can all enjoy the view. Isabel loved being able to see the exhibits and run from tank to tank finding new fish to examine.

In the back, in a warmed area that is outside, you can pet a sting ray. All four of us really enjoyed this part of the aquarium. They are safe and playful - they want to be touched and swim right up to you when you put your hand in the warm water. It took Izzy a few minutes to get up the courage to touch a ray, but once she did, she never wanted to leave!

While Izzy was petting the rays for the hundredth time, Olivia checked out the shark tank. There was also a rescued sea turtle that she was partial to. The sea turtle was a relatively young turtle (10 years old) who was stranded in South Padre island. The turtle is, unfortunately, not able to be released back into the wild, so she is living the sweet life in Dallas now.

One of the best things for this mama is the price!

A day ticket for adults is $8 and for children ages 3-11 it is $6. Dallas Zoo members get $2 off daily admission tickets. You can also get a yearly membership. Instead of a price per family, they sell memberships for each person. Adults are $20 each for the year and each kid (ages 3-11) is $15 a year. But again, if you are a Dallas Zoo member, you get $5 off each membership! So, our family of 4 with 2 adults, a 3 year old and a 1 year old only cost $40 for an entire year! Talk about inexpensive entertainment!!

Check out their website at www.childrensaquariumfairpark.com and go check it out for yourself soon! I can't wait to hear what you think!

Lego Birthday Party

Saturday was Izzy's THIRD birthday!  I can not believe that my little baby is growing up so fast.  She is such a delight to us all, and our family went above and beyond to make sure that her birthday was special.  Legos are her favorite, so we went with a Lego themed birthday party.  Here is how I did it:

Being a working mom of two toddlers does not allow for much extra time to plan a party.  Thankfully, Legos were a fun, easy thing to incorporate into many different areas of the day.  The dining room table became the building area.  We had 7 sets of Legos constructed for the kids who all joined in, sharing the pieces, building new things and having a blast. 

Here are a few of the Disney Lego Duplo sets we had at the party: 

Jake and the Neverland Pirates - Bucky the Pirate Ship
Jake and the Neverland Pirates - Neverland Hideout
Planes - Skipper's Flight School

The cake was one of my favorite parts!  Three cake mixes (modified) later, and I had a giant Lego cake!  I made 2 sheet cakes and 6 cupcakes, cut the cupcakes in half and turned the bottom part upside down and iced the entire thing.  Instead of "LEGO" on the tops, I put Izzy's name. 

Thanks to House Party, I had some awesome Lego stickers and coupons to pass out, and for our part of the party favors, I went to Central Market's bulk section and found Lego shaped candies.  How fun is this!  I built a Lego shape in my Cricut and cut them out and glued them on for the top portion which I stapled to individual baggies.

We also had a Jake and the Neverland Pirates episode playing in the den for anyone who wanted to have a seat and watch.  Since it went along with the Lego sets, it sort of fit with the theme :)

The kids had an absolutely fantastic time and I loved getting to throw a party for my very favorite 3 year old girl.  Izzy, here's hoping your year is the best.  Mommy loves you!!

Toddler Sleep Tips

Over the past several weeks, my oldest daughter, Isabel, who will be 3 this week, has given us a total challenge at bedtime. She learned to open her door and would sneak around the house, pull up a chair in the dining room, and come find us every 10 minutes or so until well after 9:30pm. She was so tired, but her new found freedom was far more exciting than sleep. It was affecting her days at school, her evenings at home, and everyone was noticing that we were not dealing with our normal, sweet curly headed girl.

I'd like to share with you what I have learned over the past few weeks. In no way do I consider myself an expert. In fact, after 3 weeks of frustrating nights, I reached out to the experienced Mamas I know who gave me lots of good ideas. I'd like to pass along some of these ideas to you.

1. Make sure you have a time at night to relax.

Do not rush to sleep, have time with no tv, no iPad... Just wind down time. Perhaps a warm bath with a handful of Epsom salts. Maybe you read a book each night. Set aside a few minutes between wrangling kids into their pjs and putting them in their bed to have a special routine that helps your toddler know that sleep is coming soon.

2. Grandma knows best.

Certain things do, in fact, make you feel relaxed. Diffusing Lavender Oil at night can give a soothing effect. A glass of milk (warm is good) can help fill the tummy and relax you (dentists and pediatricians recommend not giving babies milk or juice in bed - save those teethies!)

3. Assess the reason why your toddler is not wanting to sleep.

For mine, it was just because she thought we were having more fun than she was, but for some of the littles I know, there was fear or discomfort involved in their sleep issues. Too hot or too cold in their room? A light shining in the window? A fear of something like monsters or robots? (Yes, that is Isabel's go to thing she is afraid of.) Give your baby a sense of courage by making monster spray (just water in a spray bottle, though you could add some lavender for added benefit). Or you could do what we do every night and pray - we thank God for his blessings and we pray that He would watch over the girls and protect them through the night. When we skip this step, Isabel always reminds me.

4. No talking.

Once the night time routine is done, the lights are off and your toddler is in bed, that is the end of communication (obviously there are exceptions to this rule). This was the game changer for us - when Isabel would get up, I could hear her door open and I would meet her at the door, pick her up, kiss her head and put her back in her bed without saying a word. She did not like this one bit. On the first night of doing this, she said, "Mommy, why are you doing this to me!?" It just about broke my heart! But I was not doing this to be mean, I was ensuring that she was getting enough rest. I was not having a discussion with her about whether Darth Vader was a good guy or a bad guy - even though that might be an important discussion (yes, we are nerds), it was not important right then. I only had to do that 2 nights before the waking and walking around then house stopped.

5. Stand your ground.

Remember, you are the parent. What you say goes. When you BELIEVE this, your children will get that. Our kids test us - not to be disrespectful, but to see how far they can go. It is so important for us to empower them, but to also set boundaries and to help them grow up to be respectful adults. Believe it. Do it.

Thankful, Day 1

It is so easy to get bogged down in the daily grind - the dishes, the laundry, the carpool - seems to be never ending!

I propose we take 1 month - just one (though maybe it will be contagious and sneak into the other months, too) - and just be thankful.  Look for something good in every single day.  Seek our our blessings, not our curses.  And in return, possibly see a change in ourselves, in the way our home runs, and in our attitudes.  *fingers crossed*

When we were little, my mom was a crafty genius (still is), and always had some fun ideas to get us kiddos involved.  One of the things that sticks in my mind the most is the Thankful Turkey on the pantry door.

This is ours so far this year.  Every day, make it a routine to write down one thing per person that you are thankful for.  You can do it at dinner time or maybe at night as part of the bedtime routine...

Now is the time to break out that construction paper!!  Let your inner 7 year old out and have FUN creating a memory for your kiddos.  For the center shape (the turkey body), I used butcher paper because I had it laying around.  You can also use a sheet of poster board.  I made it easy on myself and folded all my shapes in half so that they were symmetrical. 

Here are the shapes you need:

Be creative!  Use whatever colors you want.

For the beak, I folded the triangle in half, then cut a tiny slit on the side opposite the point and folded about a quarter of an inch down so that I would have a way to glue it to the body.

My girls are totally into this already.  Izzy wanted to do all of them tonight - she is already looking forward to tomorrow night's feather!  Even daddy got in on the action!

Tips for Tantrums

Whether it is time to leave the park, time to go to bed, or because a favorite toy was taken, inevitably all of our children throw a few good tantrums in their toddler years. As a parent, this can be incredibly frustrating and can easily escalate into a shouting match or display of dominance where everyone leaves with their feelings hurt and nothing real is accomplished.

I would like to give you a few tips on how to tame a tantrum. Please know that I write this as a parent that has been there - today even! I am not perfect, but sometimes we all need a little reminder or a new idea.

1. Slow Down

Understandably, life is busy. Imagine how stressed you feel when you are running late to work, your daughter won't put her shoes on and your other daughter is sitting on the floor crying because you can't pick her up. Our children sense our stress. Make sure that you have enough time to allow little ones to contribute by putting on their shoes, walk down the stairs by themselves and jump into the car seat. Simply slowing down can stop tantrums before they even start.

2. Be Consistent

Make sure there are clear, easy to follow rules that are consistently communicated. When small children (any children really) know what to expect, they are more well equipped to handle the situation.

3. Be Present

Be present with your kiddos. When you get down on the floor with them, play, listen to their stories, sing songs and giggle, there is a stronger bond between you and your child for when those tough times do come. I know that load of laundry needs to be started. Trust me, mama, I understand. But when you come in the house from a day at school, take a moment to play and get them started with an activity. Then it is easier to slip away to start a load of laundry or put something in the oven.

4. Get Down on Their Level and Talk Softly

When the inevitable tantrum does ensue, yelling across the house will not solve anything. Get down on their level, look them in the eyes and speak to them clearly and in a soft voice. You might even try whispering so they have to quiet their cries to hear you.

5. Time Out/Time In

Even as adults, sometimes we just need to separate ourselves from a situation in order to calm down. When my daughter is crying for what seems to me to be no reason, she knows that she has a chair where she can sit, or she can go sit on her bed and "take a breath." It is not necessarily a time out (we do not call it that) because she is not being punished. She knows once she calms down, she is free to get up and play again. It is just a separation from the event that caused the meltdown.

6. Redirect

Did a tantrum begin because of a particular event (ie: a toy being taken)? A good way to approach this issue is to simply redirect to another activity. I have seen tears stop in an instant by just suggesting a different toy or giving the opportunity to color instead.

7. Go Outside

When tempers are short in our house, one of our tricks is to go outside. It is amazing what a little fresh air can do for your perspective.

8. Speak Kindly and Lovingly

Remember that these are children. They process differently, they need guidance for how to act, and their environment does affect them greatly. Your words now dictate their words in the future to their friends at school, to their siblings, etc. As a mom, I have had many, many "check yourself" moments when I have heard Izzy say something like "stop that RIGHT NOW" to her baby sister. Is that what I sound like? Yes, on occasion it is. Sometimes these reflections through our children are good teaching tools for us parents

9. Give Affirmation

Do not focus solely on the negative. Find things that your children are doing right and give them a high five for those awesome things! "I saw that you shared with your sister. That is so awesome!" Or "Wow, you are such a big kid when you take your plate to the sink all by yourself!" Children will beam with pride hearing your words. Give them positive things to live up to.

10. Give Oils a Try

When it seems that my girls are having melt down after melt down and nothing specific seems to be triggering them, I love the option of turning to my shelf of essential oils. A drop of Young Living Peace and Calming on the back of the neck, or a drop of Joy over the heart, or a drop of Frankincense over the liver.... Calm, promote a sense of togetherness and joy. I have seen some pretty rough days turn into peaceful nights by using essential oils.


Always remember, as hard as it is sometimes to believe this, that this too shall pass. The days go by, bedtime comes for a little breather, and soon, this stage will be over.

Get Those Babies Outside!

How often do you and your children stop the errands, slow down, go outdoors and take a deep breath? This is one of my goals - as often as possible, whenever the weather is good, whenever our patience is thin - stop and go outside. When we were driving home one day down a street with a few trees and Isabel, my 2 year old proudly proclaimed, "Mama! We are in a forest!", I knew it was time to reconnect with nature and get outside!

Simply being outside has many benefits for mind body and spirit.

Running, climbing and playing is good for the body - it develops muscle, helps to strengthen the bones, develops coordination and even can help your child's eyesight!

Being outdoors exposes us to vitamin D, a crucial nutrient that so many of us are lacking that can be preventative for heart disease, diabetes and so may other health concerns.

With my children, even from a very early age, if they were cranky, overtired, or even unhappy, going outside was the easiest, quickest fix.

There is something about being outdoors that uplifts our moods and calms our spirits. One of the biggest reasons behind our lack of outdoor play is a busy, hurried lifestyle. This go, go, go pace can contribute to anxiety and depression in adults and in children. Giving our children time to play, specifically outdoors, reduces these feelings of anxiety and promotes creativity.

And this is not a mommy opinion! A recent study shows that being in green space outdoors "reduced symptoms significantly" of ADHD. "Notably, 1 study revealed direct evidence of superior performance on objective tests of impulse control in a sample of urban public housing children" exposed to nature. (A Potential Natural Treatment for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Evidence From a National Study, Frances E. Kuo, PhD and Andrea Faber Taylor, PhD)

Going outside promotes a sense of curiosity in our children. Even something as seemingly mundane as a squirrel with a nut is immensely fascinating for a child - and those ants climbing over that rock! And birds! And counting the petals on this purple flower!

I also believe that spending time outdoors gives us the opportunity to connect with something that is greater than ourselves. How better to get a sense of the Creator than to be in His creation?

My children are collectors - we have to schedule an hour to walk around the block because we will stop a thousand times to pick up rocks, sticks, and look at flowers, tree stumps and cacti. They have an empty pot by our front door to empty their hands and pockets before going in the house. Doing this routine has lead Isabel and I to some wonderful conversations. When they see new things, they become inquisitive - and isn't that a trait we should encourage?

So, mama (or daddy, aunt, grandma, big brother, etc), your mission is to slow down, get yourself and those you care about outside and spend a little time seeing things you don't normally have time to notice. Literally stop and smell the roses.

Go outside. Smile. Relax.