Rylee's First Birthday

Here are some pictures from Rylee's First Birthday Party!  The theme was 'Fun in the Sun'.  Everything was sun.  I love a theme.  Sun decorations, Sun food, Sun cake, Sun songs, Sun clothes, Sun pinata, and of course, Sunflowers! 

So I have been OBSESSING about this party for about 3 months. I'm not even kidding. There were lots of nights where I would wake up at 4 in the morning and start thinking about this party and not go back to sleep. Hence the title of this blog. So, here are the results of all my obsessing. It turned out really good, in my humble opinion...

I made this banner in the beginning of July.  Cute, huh?  I found a craft store that let me use their die cuts for free if I bought the paper there.  It was really fun.   I also hand made all the invitations with die cuts.  I don't have a picture of them.  They were really really cute.  If I do say so myself.

This fun netting was from Tai Pan, I love it.  I need more for my next party. (in a couple years.)  I bought all the decorations from one of my favorite websites, Celebrate Express.  They have everything for parties!

Another favorite website of mine is Oriental Trading Company.  They have so much fun stuff.  That's where I got all the sunglasses for these favor tubs.  Everyone was supposed to wear them, but the adults in my family were not cooperative.  Go figure.  I don't know if you can see the stickers, but they are custom Sun stickers from Zazzle.com, they say 'Rylee is One'.  Fun!

The banner in the background is all of Rylee's pictures each month of her first year.  I loved this idea, so I had to steal it from my friend Martha. (not Stuart, but close)  Also here is Rylee's first Traditional Birthday Rose.  We wanted a fun tradition, so we thought we would give the girls one rose for each of their birthdays.

Here is a closeup of the netting, it is so fun.  Ignore the blown off tablecloth.  I got these fancy tablecloth clips, but the tables were to thick to use them.  Sheesh. And of course there was a breeze, but that was lucky cuz it was freakin' hot.

Here is Auntie Terry filling up all the boys' water guns.  Perhaps the water guns were not the best idea, but it was meant to keep people cool.

I also found all these perfectly colored balls at Walmart.  Please ignore Erin's Finger, she was holding that sucker stick...

The Birthday Girl was being so cute and Smiley!  She is such a doll, and was so happy despite the fact that she didn't nap that day.

Her favorite presents were the clothes, funnily, and especially a cute jean skirt that Aunt Ashlee gave her.  She had a blast opening the presents!

Hitting things with a stick (or in this case, broom) is always fun.  I forgot to get a stick and a blindfold.  I can't think of everything, okay.

 

 

Erin stuffed all the candy in her pocket, she loves pockets right now.

 

Here are my Masterpeice cakes.  They weren't quite as monstrous as the Easter Monstrosity, but still they took a lot of hours over two days.  It was my first attempt at piping frosting.  Not too horrible, I thougtht.  I still need practise, though.

Here she is, eating her cake!  She is not very aggressive when it comes to cake.  It's not her favorite.

I love this pic of Steven and Cindy.  I wish I had a picture of Rylee's face, too.  I'm sure it was really cute! 

She wanted to share with everyone.  So cute.

My mom got the handful that was already in her mouth.  Gma is a good sport.

 

Here's the damage!  I love giving a whole cake to a one year old! 

 

I really had fun throwing this party, but I'm glad it's done!

In the Kitchen, all too rare...

This is going to be a pretty plentiful post, so if I don't get at least one comment, I'm going to be very very sad.  So I have been on Weight Watchers for about 11 months.  At first it was really easy, but now it's getting harder.  It has lead me to try to like things I haven't liked before, and try new 'Skinny' recipes.  My favorite new website is Skinny Taste, it has had all kinds of new things for me to try.  I had read this recipe for Chicken Rollatini with Zuccini and Mozarella a couple weeks ago and my mouth has been watering ever since.  So I attempted to make it on Sunday.  It is not for the beginner cook, which, sadly, I have become.  I have let my cooking skills dwindle to practically nothing, as we have had cereal most nights since having children.  It's just easier.  But anyway... this recipe had me using fresh garlic.  I have been introduced to fresh garlic since I found Skinny Taste, and I think there is really no comparison.  I had to get me a garlic press, though.  I had used the press once before.  It broke.  Apparently it is cheap.  So I had to finish "chopping" the garlic by hand.  It's not easy.  Then I saute, saute, saute, grate zuccini and cut my chicken breasts in half so that they are thinner.  That was not easy.  Then I had to dip the rolled chicken in oil and bread crumbs while trying to not let it fall apart, then bake it.  But people, it was all worth it.  Hopefully next time it will be easier.  Cuz I'm gonna make this again! It was so Yummy!

While I was making this for over an hour, Rylee and Erin were hanging out in the kitchen with me.  This is what Rylee was doing: 

For some reason I can't get the video of Erin to load.  Ug.

So, as I mentioned, I've been on WW, and I've finally hit 50 lbs lost!  Go me!!  I usually don't brag, but I'm so excited.  I can even wear my wedding ring again, after almost 7 years.  I stopped being able to wear it when I worked at a nursery; I didn't want it to get dirty and scratched.  Then my finger was too fat to wear it. :(  But now I can again!  WOO HOO!!!!!!

This is me at probably my most overweight, and the day I really thougth I had to do something.  Not pregnant.  At all. 

Here I am now, 50 lbs lighter!  Yay!  Still got a ways to go, but I'm pluggin' away!  You can't lose what you've gained in 9 years in just 9 months, right?

So, anyway, I'll try to post the Erin video on another post, maybe I can't have two videos in one post. 

Berry Princess

Our little Rye Rye looooves berries!   She just shovels them in.  She has been loving blueberries, having them every day for breakfast and she loves strawberries if I cut them right.  So I gave her a blackberry at Grandma's house, and it made a complete mess, but she loved it. So we decided to get some more for her and let her enjoy them in the tub.  What a mess!  She had a blast.

Then she tried a raspberry and I think they are her favorite!  She was gobbling them down.

She also likes other food besides berries.  Here she is eating a mmmmuffin, and some yummy taco meat.  You can't have enough pictures of her eating food, right?  She loves her food!

I'll do it!

This is what happens when Daddy feeds Rylee.

Like mother, like daughter

It looks as though Rylee likes KFC mashed potatoes just as much as me.  But only if she can feed them to herself.  You gotta click on these and have a closer look.  It's a mess!