1. B-Ro turns two on Friday. It is simultaneously the only thing on my mind and the furthest thing from my mind. How is that possible?
2. Speaking of birthdays, today is my Dad’s. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!! I love you. =)
3. I think I’ve found the perfect Christmas gift for my slightly neurotic oldest child. It’s a visual timer and it’s currently in my Amazon shopping cart. I used to have one when I taught kindergarten and it was the perfect thing for those kids who just needed to know how much time was left in whatever project we were working on. Sarah will think she’s died and gone to heaven with this timer, mark my words.
4. Speaking of heaven, Sarah asked me today how long it would take us to drive to Heaven. I told her that no one really knew where heaven was because we don’t get to find out until we die and go to be with Jesus. She asks me this type of thing a lot. After a few seconds of silence she sadly spoke from the backseat, “If I die and go to heaven before Daddy, I will really miss him.” First and foremost, I can’t even stand her speaking such things. And second, what about me?! 
5. We’re in the thick of the holiday rush with our business. Last year I remember feeling like I would never make it and this year I feel strangely okay. Feeling like I was drowning daily in the cr*p of our household, I seriously considered hiring a housekeeper last October, November and December but never got up the nerve to actually do it. This year I think we’ve found a system that is actually working for us and is keeping my insanity at bay. Every Sunday night for the last month we’ve finished up dinner, turned on some music and set to work cleaning the entire house. All four of us. Brent and I clean and scrub the kitchen, floors, and bathrooms while Sarah straightens up all the toys and miscellaneous plastic cr*p that has invaded the living spaces. Beds are made, rooms are picked up, and some level of order is found when the dust settles. B-Ro helps us out by watching Cars or occasionally helping Sarah sop up all the spray from the glass on our dining table. Granted our house is still not immaculate and I wouldn’t eat off the floor (wait, who am I kidding – sometimes I do) but we start Monday off in a calm and organized house which really sets the tone for the week. I’m liking it.
6. There are many things I get emails about – photography, paint colors, diapers, business – but lately one topic has risen to the top of the pile: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip bars. I’ve alluded to them several times and linked to them on Susie’s blog but apparently that era on her blog has become password protected and the recipe has been hidden. Many, many of you have been sent into a tailspin by this and, believeyoume, I understand. The bars are heavenly and to have them and then not have them would be too much for me to bear as well. So here you go. Don’t say I don’t love you:
Susie’s Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars:
2 cups flour
1 T. pumpkin pie spice OR 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. ginger and 1/2 tsp. nutmet
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 cups chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350. Grease or spray 13×9 pan.
Whisk together dry ingredients. Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled). Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and toothpick inserted in center comes out just a few moist crumbs attached, 35-40 minutes.
7. I’ve been getting lots of Facebook friend requests lately from names and faces I don’t recognize. My hunch is that they’re people who read my blog but since I don’t know that for sure I tend to just pass. If you want to add me as a friend on Facebook just be sure to add a little note with your friend request so I at least know you’re from here! I’m happy to add you! While you’re at it, if you want to become a fan of
Erin Cobb Photography I’d love you for it. =)
8. Okay, so it’s been a while since I’ve confessed my undying love for
Grow Alabama so I figure it’s time for me to gush again. Can I just say that it’s mid-November and we’re STILL getting loads of produce every week. This week’s list? Cabbage, pole beans, lettuce, sweet potatoes, squash, zucchini, apples, oranges and cucumbers. And mustard greens if we wanted them, which we don’t. Blech. Can you even believe all of that? All grown in Alabama and many grown purely based on the demand that Grow Alabama customers provide. I love it.
9. I just ordered our turkey from Grow Alabama and it will be my first time to ever cook a fresh (not frozen!) turkey. Apparently the big guys are still waddling around (free-range-like!) somewhere in South Alabama munching on organic whatever-turkeys-eat. Now that’s fresh! Shirley at GA told me this morning that they’ll take turkey orders up until Friday as far as she knows and you don’t have to be a regular GA customer to order one. So if you’re local click on their site and inquire or email me and I’ll hook you up!
10. Finally, one of my blog sponsors –
Amanda of Queen Bee Designs – is gearing up for her holiday rush with a giveaway! Amanda’s hand-stamped silver charms were featured in Wondertime magazine last year and are showing up everywhere! Here’s a look at the charm Amanda is giving away today:
And here’s what Amanda has to say about it:
“family** For most of us it is our everything. Being a stay at home mom, my family is my passion as well as my “job” and wearing this design tells everyone I meet just that. This piece was created using our new lowercase letters and hand-crafted flowers. With its snazzed edges and field of flowers it suits just about everyone. Wishing all of you and your families a blessed holiday season.”
Now here’s something kind of cool that warms my heart toward Amanda. When I posted early in the summer about my little friend
Ally and her battle with leukemia Amanda headed right over to their blog and started posting comments. Encouraging, kind, loving comments. She and Janel (Ally’s mom) have become “friends” and Amanda even did a fundraiser of her own to benefit Ally’s Light the Night Walk last month. Very, very cool.
So as a nod to Amanda’s kindness as well as in an effort to continue encouraging Ally, her mom Janel, and their entire family I’m asking you to head over to their blog to entire today’s giveaway.
Simply post a word of encouragement for their family (it’s been a loooong and painful fall for them), mentioning that you were sent by me so I’ll know which comments to count and I’ll check in tomorrow to let random.org choose a winner. Sound good? Head to Ally’s blog now. Share on Facebook
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