Shrimp Primavera Pot Pie

This is one of my new favorite recipes! I do not usually like shrimp, but Aaron loves so it so I thought it would be a nice treat if i made a shrimp dish. I have put this dish on my food calendar, but always seem to skip it. I finally actually looked at the recipe and it said it was 30 minutes for prep and cook time. I LOVE 30 minute meals start to finish so I decided to try it. It was one of the easiest dishes I have ever made and it only uses one pan. The shrimp primavera pot pie was fantastic, even I loved it! I left out the dill weed, because I hate anything that resembles mustard flavor. In my opinion it didn't need it, it was fantastic with out it. After the easiness of this meal, I am on the hunt for 30 minute meals. After a long day or what ever your doing, a simple but fantastic dinner is the key. I hope you all try this recipe and let me know what you think. My only other suggestion is to make sure the bread sticks cook all the way through, so you may need to cook it longer than the recipe calls for.

Side Note: You can mix what ever vegetables you want for this recipe, I used the stir fry mix you can buy at Costco or Sams.

Purple & Brown Tote Bag

So once my cousin called and told me that everyone loved her bag in her office, I wanted to make a bag that would be easy to sell. So I went shopping and found fabric that would be easy to reproduce in several colors and options. I also wanted to make the bag completely reversible because I couldn't decide which fabric I wanted to be on the outside. I came up with one solid print and a floral print, both of which have several color options and combinations. I created 4 pockets, each are lined to match the exterior fabric. Each pocket is the same size and can be found on each side of the bag. I also added a button to help keep the bag closed a little better than before. I have gotten a lot faster and it was something I whipped up during nap time and in between events. If you zoom in the pictures you can see the lining and stitching I used to make the bag a little more unique.

The outside of the bag

The outside Pocket

The Lining of the Outside Pocket

The inside of the Bag

The Lining of the Inside Pocket

Potty Training

So we have had a rather uneventful week because I decided it was time to get Ashton potty trained. We had started doing it when he turned two and he was doing really well. We had the potty chart and treats to entice him go. Then we realized that we were going to move and it felt like we lived in limbo forever. I knew the move would be an adjustment for Ashton so we would go potty on the toilette when he wanted, but I didn't push the issue. Now that we are moved in, settled, and getting into our routines there were no more excuses. The only advantage to waiting this long is that it has been relatively easy. I had him in pull ups for a week and was taking him to the potty every half hour to hour, but I couldn't get him to go poo poo on the toilette. Then I decided to let him run around naked and that seem to do the trick. After a day of that, I switched to real underwear. He had one accident and realized he didn't like the feeling. After that he literally runs to the bathroom when he gets the urge! I still remind him that he needs to go, but we haven't had any accidents and I didn't have to bribe him with a ton of candy to do it. He is even making it through his naps and through the night. I am so proud of him and am so glad I don't have to change his diapers any more. He is such a smart boy and knew he would get it fast as soon as I convinced him it was a good idea. And yes, Ashton has pretty much been running around the house in underwear or naked. He prefers to be naked and I always told him once he is potty trained then he could. Well the day is here and so Ashton is usually naked.

Latest Creation

Yes, Just call me the Bag Lady! My cousin Melissa wanted me to make a bag for her and I finally finished it this week. She told me the colors and the look she was going for and off to Joann's I went. I found the perfect fabric and got to work. Each time I make a new bag, I get to be a little more creative. I get to try different stitches and combinations of fabric. It turned out so cute! She took it to work the next day and it was a big hit. Needless to say, I bought more fabric and will be making more bags. It's great practice on my machine and its fun to piece different ideas together. On this bag I pieced together the outer pocket and even lined it. Make sure you zoom in to see all the fun details!

The Outside of the Bag

The Outside Pocket

The Inside of the Bag

The Lining on the Outside pocket

Ashton sat next to me almost the whole way through this project. He would hand me my supplies and wanted to watch everything I was doing. He was such a great helper! I used to do the same thing with my mom when she sewed, it's fun to have your own children do the same thing and be interested in what your doing.

Lake Mojave

This last weekend we were able to meet my family at Lake Mojave for some boating fun! Aaron finished his school early so that we could take off for a few days to play on the lake. Ashton loved the boat! He kept telling papa to go faster and just loved to ride around. It was so nice being able to see all of my immediate family in one weekend. I was able to ski, which I haven't done in a long time, and boy was I sore. If I could go skiing every weekend, I would be in excellent shape. We also got to go tubing which was a blast. My dad is the best driver when it comes to tubing, I don't think I've laughed that hard in a long time. It was a wonderful trip and we can't wait to do it again. Ashton had some good training as a co-captain. He always helped pull in the ropes and would always tell us when someone fell down in the water. Here are some pictures of our fun family vacation.

Fourth of July - Friday

What a packed weekend we had! Aaron was lucky enough to have Friday off of work so we decided to hop in the car and head to California. This was our first trip home since we have moved to Vegas. We have only been gone a little over three months, but it has felt a lot longer than that. It was so fun to see everyone and be able to spend the fourth of July with our family. On Friday night we were able to go out to dinner with my parents. Since we were all dressed up we had to take some family pictures!








Ashton wanted to go for walk before we loaded back into the car (the last place he wanted to be) so he climbed in the stroller and I pushed him around. Who said you can't walk in heels looking fabulous :) Hey it's a great work out for the legs and tush.

Fourth of July Day

So the Fourth of July is not only the celebration of our Countries Independence, it is also my uncle Sheldon's Birthday. Every year Grandmommy throws a hug BBQ and Pool Party to celebrate. We swim all day only taking breaks to eat and to enjoy her fantastic home made ice cream.

Ashton loves being in the water! I did mommy and me swim classes last year and he really believed he could swim all by himself. Last year we didn't want to put him in floaties because we wanted him to know he couldn't do it by himself. This year we decided to put him in his life vest (it was also good practice for our lake trip coming up). Of course he was reluctant, but once he realized he could swim all over the pool with out us, he loved it. It actually really helped his form and learning to use his arms and legs. I took some video footage because he is just adorable and we were so proud of how hard he was working.

I have lots of pictures I want to share so bear with the length of this posting.

Here is Aaron, Ashton and I (at this point in the day Ashton was getting pretty tired).

My Mom and Dad and Me

My Mom and I (Can you guess who I look like?)

Tressah and I at the firework show.

Ashton and Me at the Firework Show.

Our little family at the fireworks (Picture courtesy of Jaclyn, thank you so much!).

More Fun Pictures

Like I said, I have tons of pictures to share. Here are just a few more pictures from the rest of the weekend. I finally got to wear my dress I made, so of course I had to take a picture of it. I also had to include a picture of my cousin Dallin because he is just so cute! He was always smiling and such a sweet baby.

Sewing Projects for the week

It wouldn't be a blog week without updating the projects I have been working on. Before I left for California, my cousin Krystal asked me to make her a tote bag. I of course said yes! I can use all the practice on my machine I can get and its one of the only things I know how to make right now :). It really turned out cute. I had used a synthetic silk for the lining instead of canvas and that was a learning experience all by itself. I didn't have an over lock machine and the material frayed really bad so I had to double stitch everything. It was definitely a good lesson about other kinds of materials. None the less it turned out great!

My second project was making a baby quilt for my friend Krystal who just had a baby girl. I called my mom and asked her what to make and she suggested a rag quilt. So I went to the store and picked out pink and purple fabric and cut out all the pieces before driving to California. Once I got down there, my mom told me how to sew the quilt together. She kept me company while I sewed. This is the opposite of what I am used too. Usually I am keeping her company while she is sewing, it was nice being the other way around. The blanket turned out beautiful, I am going to have to buy more fabric and make one for myself. I realize I didn't take a picture of the back, but I alternated pink and purple stripes to tie in with the front.

Coming Home - The Park

On our way home from California this morning, I was thinking of how I could possibly wear out Ashton before bed. When you spend half the day in the car, it's usually pretty hard to get them to sleep later. I called my friend Becca to see if she wanted to meet me at the park with her two kids. The park we go to has a giant play area with at least ten different slides and a huge water play area. Ashton has always been afraid of playing in the water, which is odd because he loves to swim. Well tonight he conquered his fear and was soaking wet after playing in the water for so long. After playing in the water, I of course had to strip him down naked to get him dry. He ran to the car like a naked superman with only a cape. I took captured some of his play on video, right before I got the camera out he was literally running in circles. Here he is kind of just standing in the water, but none the less it was huge progress!








The little girl is Ashton's friend Brynlee. They are the same age and in nursery together. They have a lot of fun together.