Life Lately | Simple Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe

December has been... trying to say the least. We started the month off with a stomach bug that was absolutely terrible for little Klair. I'm not sure I've ever seen her more miserable... and it broke my heart. Luckily she felt better in time for her birthday party, but this turned out to be a short reprieve because we each came down with a nasty flu/cold immediately after. That was over 2 weeks ago... and we all still have it to some extent. We still haven't even really had a chance to celebrate my birthday yet (which was on the 10th). Luckily Klair seems to be over the worst of it now, but I'm still quite sickly and Sam's symptoms are up and down. We're all feeling... exhausted and sick of being sick.

I will definitely appreciate having good health once we have it back again. Klair has some serious cabin fever lately, so I've been promising to take her all sorts of places once we're better. Everyday she tells me now "I get better, go to park" or "museum." I feel bad these haven't actually come to fruition yet, but I think the hope of them is still a positive thing for her to cling to. I'm praying that we will get better in time for Christmas. We have so many things going on this week with family and friends... I really hope we won't have to cancel on everyone.

Despite the misery of having a sick family, we have found ways to still have indoor, low key fun while trying to enjoy the Christmas season. We've been doing lots of puzzles, play dough, coloring books, reading, and bubble baths around here. Oh, and Christmas music. Klair loves singing all the different Christmas songs, and even though my voice is pretty awful right now we've been singing a lot. We've also taken drives to see Christmas lights and local temples, and I'll be honest, we've watched way more TV/movies than usual. I try to minimize that as much as possible, but when you have a sick kid it's sometimes all you can do to take their mind off of the pain and keep them happy/rested.

Tonight I was feeling extra ambitious and we even made these sugar cookies (the recipe is so easy and absolutely divine, definitely a keeper). I loved how truly happy it made Klair! She loved it. Sam and I even got into it, creating our own designs because my supply of Christmas cookie cutters is more pathetic than I realized. I'm pretty proud of my snowman and gingerbread man, but I think Sam's guitar takes the prize for most creative. Tomorrow we plan to use up the rest of our frosting on a gingerbread house for our family home evening activity. I want these activities to become traditions, and it's fun to have a kid that's old enough to start these kinds of things with.

Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe 

Ingredients: 
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups of white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt 

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. 

3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely. 

This recipe yields 5 dozen (60 cookies). That's way more than we needed, so I simply froze the dough we didn't use and now it will be much easier to make cookies in the future. 

Tips:
-Make sure you refrigerate for at least an hour. 
-You can cut a piece of parchment paper the size of your cookie sheet and roll your dough out on the parchment paper. Then press your cookie cutters down on the dough, peel away the scraps, and easily transfer the cookies to the cookie sheet without ruining them while trying to pick them up. 
-You don't have to simply use cookie cutters. We didn't have many Christmas ones, so we played with the dough and came up with our own designs. I actually thought this was more fun!

Here is a link to the buttercream frosting recipe that I used (that I always use for that matter--it's my go to frosting).

**I mixed the frosting with food coloring and poured it into empty condiment bottles I got at the grocery store. These made the frosting process so much easier, especially for little Klair!**

...

We've also busied ourselves with wrapping presents for others (Klair was particularly fond of "helping" us wrap, even though she complicated the process more than anything else). At first she struggled with the idea that the toys she helped us pick out were for her cousins, but once we explained the concept of giving she caught on quickly and now she is really excited to give everything away. It probably also helps that she knows she has presents coming too. We've explained the concept of Santa, and if you ask her what she wants for Christmas she'll tell you "a Frozen present." Apparently anything Frozen related will do.

Sam already built her this kitchen, and we hid it in our basement. We showed her a picture and asked her if she would like it, to which she replied "I like it! I love it! I want that kitchen. I get kitchen for Christmas and bake mommy a cake!" I can't wait to see her face light up on Christmas morning when she sees it all set up and ready for her to play with. And I'm pretty excited about my cake too :)

It only took Sam about 4 hours to assemble... when it arrived it came in the pieces you see in the first picture. Don't worry, I was there for moral support. Ha ha! He is such a good dad. (And yes, those are balloons from her birthday party that are still kicking around.)

It's funny how trials in life can make you appreciate things more. I won't sugar coat it--this month has been rough. It seems like we just can't catch a break. Yet, through all of it there have been a lot of silver linings. For one, baby boy is healthy and growing. Sam even felt him kick for the first time the other night! That was such a sweet moment. Additionally, Sam has a new job. He is working with some incredible people, and he has a lot of opportunity for growth and learning. We've also had some amazing loved ones serve us by bringing dinners, offering to watch Klair so I can rest, and simply checking up on us with loving calls of concern. And, last but not least, we have been able to spend so much time together as a little family. We've born forced to cancel all of our plans with others in fear of spreading germs, which has been hard. But, in a way, I've enjoyed this time with just the three of us.

We're obviously not as lively usual, but we've still found ways to have fun and come closer together as a family. Isn't that what the Christmas season is all about? I was feeling sad the other day because I didn't feel like we had had much time to foster the Christmas spirit, like the season had passed us by... but in reality we've enjoyed a great deal of the what Christmas really is--family, service, love, patience, and finding joy in the journey. Christ stands for all of these things, and I'm so grateful for his example to me. We're really quite blessed.

I mean, look at this face. We get to wake to this everyday.

Sam and I have been teaching Klair about Christ this month. Although we've told her about Santa and some of the fun traditions, we have really tried to center her thoughts and ideas of the holiday on the Savior. And, I'm happy to say that I think it's sinking in. If you ask her what Christmas is about, she'll tell you matter-of-factly "It's Jesus's birthday!" and "I love him."

I can find happiness, even in times of despair, because of Christ. He truly is the gift of all gifts, and I'm beyond grateful for the added perspective, beauty, and meaning that he gives to my life.

If you haven't seen this video yet, I highly recommend watching it. It's such a beautiful reminder of the true meaning of the holiday we're about to celebrate.

Klair Marie's 2nd Birthday

It has been birthday madness around here lately. Chaotic, and so fun :)  Klair's big day was the 29th, which happened to be the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Due to the undesirable closeness to a holiday that takes a lot of people out of town, I decided to postpone her party until the following week. Thus, on her actual birthday we simply spent the day together as a family and properly spoiled her.

The Actual Birthday

We woke up, I made breakfast (Klair requested eggs--her favorite--and I kindly obliged), and we headed out for a day of adventures.

First we took her to Target to pick out "one" toy. She walked up and down the toy aisles for what seemed like an eternity, excitedly exclaiming "I LOVE this!" or "This is cool!" for just about every toy. After awhile we realized she couldn't pick just one thing... it wasn't physically or mentally possible for her. She was never going to leave on her own. We let her take the next thing she admired--a broom set--and we also let her pick a few things out of the dollar section because they had Frozen books and we're kind of wrapped around her little finger. And then we finally left Target.

Next, we took her out to lunch. She told us with certainty that she wanted mac and cheese, so went to a local restaurant that serves the classic Kraft that Klair loves so much (I think she may have been more excited about the sucker that came with the meal than anything else).  Then we took her to the mall to ride the carousel--a favorite cold weather past time of hers. Had it been a warmer day we would have gone to a park, but when your kid's birthday is practically in December you have to get a bit more creative. Luckily the mall had other forms of entertainment, and we rented the cutest electronic cow and took turns riding it around the mall with her. She was the envy of all the kids (and some adults too) and you could tell she soaked up every minute of it!

Then we took her home and napped for a bit (she and I both needed it). Once we woke up it had really warmed up outside so we ventured to a nearby park. From there we took her on a little hike above the city so that she could see the sparkly lights. By this point we were pretty exhausted and we ended our birthday festivities with frozen yogurt from our favorite local fro-yo place.

It was wonderful day filled with all the simple things Klair loves. We really enjoyed spending so much quality time with each other to celebrate the fact that God blessed us with her exactly two years earlier.


The Party

I think I must be cursed. If I even think about putting an event together, the universe bestows a gift of sickness upon me. I wanted to make Klair's party extra special (I think I love to torture myself or something) so I decided to have it at our house and make/bake all of the food. I figured I could space the baking out and start early in the week, freezing the goods until it was party time. Unfortunately we came down with a stomach bug, and even though it was gone in time for the big day I wasn't able to start my baking and preparing until much later than I had hoped. Fortunately it all came together, but I was definitely down to the wire towards the end of it. It seems like this always happens. My dream is to throw a party, and to have the universe cooperate enough to make me feel at least a little less frazzled. Maybe someday.

The Decor

For the decorations I went with a simple color scheme of pink, yellow, and blue. You can see that our party decorations mingled a bit with our Christmas stuff, but Klair didn't mind--and the tree came in handy as a great place for gathering presents!
**also, just a tip--hanging lanterns are sooo much easier to put together than pom poms. Take it from me. I've done my share of both, and I love the simplicity of lanterns---no fluffing!!

Food (with links)
I made:
//french vanilla cake with buttercream frosting
//lemon cupcakes** with buttercream frosting
//brownies with chocolate frosting
//marshmallow pops (which were the biggest it with the kids and by far the quickest/easiest to throw together)
//Homemade rolls
//Sweet Pink Sparkling Lemonade

** I know the post says gluten-free cupcakes (because while I was pregnant and breastfeeding I had to eat gluten-free) but the same principle applies to regular cupcake mixes as well**

I also put out some animal crackers (one of Klair's favorites) and a big bowl of fruit to add a little health factor. My wonderful sister brought eclair cake (we call it e-Klair cake... get it?) and I put out some chips and salsa for variety. I also made some homemade rolls and offered meats and cheeses for some substance in case anyone was hungry for something a little more savory.

Oh and I threw together some Costco meatballs in the crockpot by adding a little barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's) and peach jam. They're so easy, and always a big hit.

Activities

//Bounce house-- we were going to rent one, until we realized that it was almost as much to rent one as it is to buy one on Amazon. After looking through various models and reviews, we found the perfect one for our basement. It became Klair's main birthday gift from us, and she is already obsessed with it. We told her we would set it up for her party, and for the week leading up to her get together it's all she talked about. It ended up being such a big hit with the kiddos! I'm so glad it's ours to keep.I have a feeling we will be using it a lot--particularly during the colder months to try and get some of her energy out in a productive way.

//Bubbles-- my original vision was to go out on our back deck with a bubble machine and let the kids have fun chasing/popping bubbles. Well, I bought a cute little Hello Kitty machine from Target and... it didn't work. I'm hopeful they'll let me take it back. We tried to find another bubble machine, but had no such luck. Instead, Sam just bought a bunch of bottles of bubbles and let the kids blow them up themselves. This ended up being a huge success--the kids loved doing it themselves.

//Unstructured Play Time-- I was going to come up with a list of specific activities--but then I realized that these kids are little... and they would have more fun simply playing. Thus, we just let them loose in Klair's toy room and in our basement where we scattered a bunch of toys--and they all had a blast! My little girl could not have been happier.

Overall the party really did go so well. We had a great turnout of both family and friends. Klair was surrounded by people that love her... it was enough to make my heart swell with love and gratitude until it felt like it was going to burst. We are extremely fortunate people to have so many loved ones in our life! And I'm incredibly happy knowing that my daughter is the recipient of so much genuine affection. She had the look of pure joy in her eyes, and it was more than worth any effort it took us to put it together.

So Many Reasons to be Thankful | 20 Weeks!

Yesterday I hit the halfway point in my pregnancy. I am officially 20 weeks pregnant! I figure this is the perfect opportunity to utilize the "glass half full" motto in my life. I could allow myself to be depressed by the idea that I'm only halfway through (and the thought has crossed my mind), On the other hand, I can choose to be elated that I have made it this far-- I choose the latter. After all, it is Thanksgiving. I should probably try to  express gratitude... especially on a day dedicated to the virtue.

And I am grateful! Yesterday was a profoundly beautiful reminder of what is important in life, and of how blessed I truly am. I was able to watch my baby boy move around on the ultrasound screen. I saw his tiny feet that appeared to be dancing, his perfect little hands moving as if they were waving to us. If the sight of him wasn't wonderful enough, the findings from the ultrasound were all very favorable. As far as they can tell, he is perfectly healthy--fears eased, tension dissipated. Medical technology truly is a modern marvel. And the life inside me, my son (still trying to wrap my head around that one) is a perfect little person. I love him so much already!

I'm also grateful for the increased time with my little family. Sam finished up at his (now) former job on Monday, and he is taking the week off before starting on his next grand adventure at a new company. After all the travel lately, this break from work has been a very welcome reprieve for all of us. Sam doesn't really know what to do without a phone that's constantly buzzing and ringing, but he's grateful for the change of pace. It has been soooo nice to spend so much unstructured time with my husband and our baby girl.

Today we woke up and I made chocolate chip pancakes with strawberries (whole grain with hidden chia and flax seeds for added goodness). Baby girl was particularly pleased, as you can see in the photo of her. I asked her to smile and this is what I got. Cute little cheese ball! We then took the photos in this post, lounged around, and now we're off to celebrate the holiday with my husband's side of the family--we take turns and alternate between Thanksgiving and Christmas with our families every year. Earlier this week we invited my side over for a pre-Thanksgiving feast, and we thoroughly enjoyed the company.Tomorrow I have less responsibility--all I'm contributing is some homemade rolls and a dessert, and I'm really looking forward to spending some quality time with my in-laws as well.

I'm also (obviously) grateful for my beautiful baby girl. Klair absolutely adores all of our family and has loved seeing so much of them lately. She constantly goes through the list of people who love "you" (she calls herself "you") telling me that "grandma loves you, papa loves you, aunt so and so loves you, etc etc." She also randomly prays for our extended family members, taking over family prayers and loudly requesting "Heavenly Father please bless..." it's adorable, and I'm so proud. I am grateful to live close to all of our immediate family, and to have so many loved ones to share our lives with.

Did I mention the food? I'm really grateful for the impending feast. I decided on comfortable/flowy/stretchy attire for the occasion, because let's face it--I'll likely eat my weight in mashed potatoes and pie. Hey, I'm "eating for two" right? (Nevermind the 2nd person is only the size of a banana...we won't worry about such things on a day like today...)

Oh life. You are beautiful. And, when I stop to consider my blessings and the things for which I am grateful, you never cease to amaze. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I sincerely hope everyone is able to enjoy the holiday to the fullest.

Pink Blush Floral Maternity Dress | Pink Blush Plaid Scarf | Target Mustard Cardigan | Polka Dot Tights (similar)