Moving day!

Head on over to THE NEW BLOG and catch up!

Toddler Valone will always be here, but going forward we'll be updating Twelve13.

See you there!

Top 10 reasons I have been a bad blogger

10) I started a new position at work in the beginning of July and it actually keeps me BUSY during the day.

9) My company has blocked Google Reader. Somehow I have forgotten how to read blogs without it...

8) There are 37 days to go until our wedding. THIRTY SEVEN!

7) Our 2 1/2 year old. What the what? How did he get so big? And fast? And has he always had this much energy???

6) Then there's this surprise we got on Father's Day:

5) Which of course means we have about 6,000 doctor's appointments scheduled.

4) Which also means we need to get the above referenced toddler potty trained. ASAP.

3) And there's the big boy bed issue to attend to.

2) And my need to sleep. All. The. Time.

1) Finally, there's the nausea. Let's not even go there.

So, there you have it. You're all caught up. Does anyone know if you can hire people to potty train your kids? That's about where I'm at right now. And every time I go to address the toddler bed issue, I just fall asleep in it. We aren't very productive these days. :)

How To: camp with a toddler

Make sure there are plenty of chairs for everyone.

Pack water shoes.

Bring a boat.

Slather on the sunscreen.

Take lots of hikes.

Climb.

Catch fish.

Smile. Relax. Get dirty.

Enjoy the company.

Shoes, cool sites, and saving money

First off, how awesome are these?!

They're wedding shoes. :)

79 days to go!

Let me tell you a little story about how I purchased them for 37% off without any sales or coupon codes.

First, Google's shopping search found them for me for $84.45 at ShoeBuy, which was the cheapest price online. Next, I went to Ebates to see if ShoeBuy offered a rebate through them. They did! 10% back! Not only was that awesome, but they also informed me that if I bought them on a Thursday and used EBillMe to pay for them, I would get another 20% back.

So, it's Thursday. I got online this morning to purchase my Navy Satin Nina Evelixas and first went to Ebates (in case you don't know, Ebates is a rebate site for online purchases-- it's FREE to join and you get a $10 credit just for signing up) and Ebates sent me to ShoeBuy.

When you create a ShoeBuy account, you get 10% off your first purchase, so that brought my $84.45 shoes down to $76. Since it's Thursday and I used EBillMe to pay (it's where you send them a payment through your bank's online bill pay), I got $15.20 back. Now the shoes are $60.80.

Ebates will give me 10% back from the original $76 price, so another $7.60 off. That makes my shoes $53.20. Just doing a couple extra things that took me maybe one minute to complete saved me $31.25!

Lessons learned:

1. ALWAYS go through Ebates before you make any online purchases.

2. Bookmark ShoeBuy for shoes and make purchases on Thursdays.

Meal Planning Monday

You know how life is... not always going as planned and all. That's what happened with the most recent meal plan. Between an impromtu camping trip, dinner with a friend, and some schedule changes, we ended up missing a few nights. Luckily, that means I can repeat some recipes over the next two weeks from the last meal plan.

As far as the meals we did make, the Cheddar Turkey Burgers with Guacamole were hands down my favorite. The BEST turkey burger I have ever eaten. Even Matt loved it.

Here is the menu for the next two weeks...

Monday: Cilantro Lime Shrimp and Rice
Tuesday: Chinese Chicken Salad (make-ahead meal)
Wednesday: Lasagna Roll-Ups with green salad (meatless)
Thursday: Chinese Chicken & Broccoli over rice
Friday: Pizza Friday
Saturday: Baked Barbecue Ribs and Garlic Mashed Potato Cakes
Sunday: Yosemite!

Buffalo Mac & Cheese

Monday: Yosemite!
Tuesday: Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese
Wednesday: Grilled Shrimp & Corn Gazpacho
Thursday: Black Bean Burritos (meatless)
Friday: Pizza Friday
Saturday: Blue Cheese Portabello Burgers and Baked Parmesan Fries
Sunday: Date Night

Blue Cheese Portabello Burgers

Have you tried any great new recipes lately?

Weekend in Pictures

Concert in the park!

Matt, AKA The Playground

Happy Father's Day!

Notice the shirts? Oak tree... acorn... get it? Possibly my best freezer paper stencil yet. :)

How To: take a spontaneous camping trip

Thursday night Matt and I found out we would be toddler-free for the evening on Saturday. Here is a snippet of our conversation that night in bed...

Me: What do you want to do on Saturday?
Matt: Let's go camping!
Me: Yes!

It didn't occur to me until Friday when I was talking to my friend Heidi that that may sound crazy to some people. Here is a part of that conversation...

Heidi: What are you doing tomorrow?
Me: Matt and I are going camping.
Heidi: What? What do you mean? For the night? Like, you're going to set up a tent and everything?!
Me: Uh, yes!
Heidi: What a waste of a perfectly good Saturday night!

Granted, some people are just not "campers". :) I think there are a lot of people though, who want to camp but are overwhelmed by the thought of all the work camping can be. That is true. Sometimes. Here are some tips on how to enjoy a last-minute over-nighter in the woods and have it be relaxing!

Be prepared. I know, right? That seems like a lame one, but here's what I mean: make a camp box. Take a plastic bin with a lid and add the following...

• Box of matches
• Set of plates, mugs and utensils for each camper
• Sponge
• Dish soap (eco-friendly, please)
• Heavy pot
• Foil
• Barbecue tools
• Wooden spoon
• Perculator
• Instant coffee, tea bags and instant hot chocolate
• Water bottle with a filter
• First aid kit
• Flashlight with extra batteries
• Roll of toilet paper
• Roll of paper towels
• Wine opener
• Can opener
• Deck of playing cards
• Notepad and pen
• Poncho(s)
• Rope
• Clothespins
• Utility knife

Store your camp box next to your tent, sleeping bags, lantern, propane, camp chairs, tarp and ice chest so that when you are ready to pack up, you can just throw everything in the trunk in less than two minutes.

Keep it simple. The food, that is. For this one-night camping trip, our menu consisted of hot dogs, cole slaw (you could just pick up pre-made potato or macaroni salad) and baked beans for dinner, s'mores for dessert, and muffins, instant oatmeal and fruit for breakfast. Assuming you had NOTHING in your pantry, here is your entire grocery list...

• hot dogs (or, if you're fancy, chicken apple sausages... mmm...)
• buns
• deli potato/macaroni salad
• can of baked beans
• bag of chips
• beer/wine
• muffins
• bananas
• chocolate bar
• marshmallows
• graham crackers
• instant oatmeal
• orange juice
• ice

Pack up your vehicle and head to the store on your way out of town. We ended up having everything we needed for this trip!

Pack lightly. If you've had a baby, you packed a hospital bag. Same idea here, people. Just bring the basics and don't freak out if you've forgotten something. Say it with me, "It's just one night." Um, hypothetically, if I were to keep an over-night camping bag packed at all times, this is what would be in it...

• wool sweater
• wool socks
• flannel pj pants
• cami
• flip flops
• shorts
• swim suit
• towel
• toothbrush and toothpaste
• brush and hair ties
• sun screen
• baseball cap
• beanie

It all fits nicely in a small duffle bag with my pillow and water-resistant wind breaker secured on top. Since we are usually leaving late-afternoon after work on a Saturday, I wear jeans because it will probably be cool when we get there. Add to that a tank top, long-sleeved shirt, ankle socks, sneakers, and sunglasses, and I'm good to go.

Relax. Enjoy the drive. Play car games. Open up that bottle of wine as soon as you get there, take a few pictures, watch the sunset over the trees, and kick some butt in rummy. Or Go Fish. Your choice. :)

Next month's "How To" installment-- camping with toddlers... wish me luck...

Meal Planning Monday

I got some great recipe resource suggestions on the last Meal Planning Monday post. Thank you so much! I stuck to the last meal plan for the most part. There were a couple of days where our plans changed mid-way through the day, so we didn't end up making dinner at home. Luckily, that makes the next two weeks' meal plans that much easier, since I can re-use those recipes I had planned. I'm trying to be organized and pinning the recipes to my edible board, so I'll do my best to review the recipes in the comments below the pins as well.

Here are the next two weeks at Casa Knifton.
Anyone want to come over? :)
One of these weekends, my future in-law's are. We'll be having this French Toasted Angel Food Cake for breakfast...

Monday: Cheddar Turkey Burgers with Guacamole and Quinoa Salad with Lime

Tuesday: Maple Balsamic Glazed Salmon with jasmine rice

Wednesday: Black Bean & Corn Quesadillas
Thursday: Chinese Chicken & Broccoli over brown rice

Friday: Pizza Friday

Saturday: Lasagna Roll Ups and Pesto Cheese Bread with green salad

Sunday: Baked Barbecue Ribs with Twice Baked Potatoes

Monday: Cilantro Lime Shrimp and Rice

Tuesday: Penne with Roasted Asparagus & Balsamic Butter with parmesean bread sticks

Wednesday: Pesto Caprese Grilled Cheese

Thursday: Chinese Chicken Salad
Friday: Pizza Friday

Saturday: Lemon Garlic Tilapia with garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach

Sunday: Father's Day barbecue

Hopefully I'll also find an excuse to try these Sangria Cupcakes...

A Day in the Life: 30

Since Mason gets his "A Day in the Life" posts, I figured I could do one of my own. Heck, it's only once a year. Too bad every day isn't as exciting as this one... :)

Such a perfect way to usher in my 30's.

Thank you so much to my wonderful friends and family.

I am SO incredibly blessed!

Weekend in Picture

That's no typo. This one picture is from Matt's iPhone. The rest from the weekend are held captive on the memory card of a new camera Matt got my for my birthday. For some reason we can't get the camera to sync up with the computer. Doh!

At least the one we do have is a cute one.

Matt was a groomsman in our friends' Shawn and Mary's wedding.

Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Holland!

What I Wore Wednesday

Brace yourselves.

Have I mentioned that "style" is not my strong suit?

That would be putting it mildly.

Fortunately, I have Heidi to consult for events and parties, but the rest of the time, I'm left to my own devices.

I thought it would be fun (for me) to get out of my comfort zone, be challenged, and do a "What I Wore Wednesday" post. Uploading these pictures knowing I intended to post them was, indeed, uncomfortable and I was definitely challenged. The nice thing is, I did learn a few things! First, the (very poor quality) photos, so here we go...

I actually started with Tuesday, which was my day off last week. I drew some inspiration from my Stylish board on Pinterest (are you sick of hearing me talk about Pinterest yet?) and put together this ensemble. It was raining that day. And I'm a dork. So I included the umbrella. Go ahead and laugh, I am!

The jeans are my Real Straight's from Gap

Ruffled tank and black cardi from Old Navy

Pink pom scarf, silver bracelet and earrings from Old Navy

Ballet flats from Gap Outlet

I had to include a gym outfit, because I don gym clothes as often as I do work clothes, and I still want to make an effort. You're lucky I spared you the "flexing" picture.

Layered black and white tanks from Old Navy

Dark grey yoga capris from Old Navy

My trusty Vibrant cross trainers

Armitron watch I jacked borrowed from Matt

Ipod on my left arm (behind the camera)

Gym towel and Nalgene bottle

And yes, even a black head band to keep things contained

Next, work attire. I can only wear company-branded tops to work with black bottoms and shoes. And this picture was taken at the end of the day, hence the "What are you looking at?" expression on my face.

Work cardigan layered over a black lace cami from Old Navy

Skirt is Banana Republic Outlet

Black heels from Forever 21

Pearl beaded necklace and pearl earrings from... no clue

Accutron watch I wear every day

And glasses, because I'm blind from staring at the computer

Here's where it gets interesting... and proves I need help.

(Although Matt loved this outfit)

Real Straight denim

Black cami from Old Navy maternity (I am TALL. They are LONG.)

Grey top from Forever 21

Silver bracelet and necklace from Old Navy

No idea where I got the biggest sunglasses ever

And the "I need to run some errands but don't want to look too much like a slob" outfit...

Way too-big Seven's

Black cami and yellow striped cardi from Old Navy

The Gap Outlet ballet flats again

Thrifted black acrylic bracelet and necklace

The giant bug-eye sunglasses again

And the church outfit-- with a picture of me thinking, "I am so glad this is the last dumb picture I'm taking of myself in the bathroom mirror!"

Dark plum ruffled dress from Banana Republic Outlet

Black leggings from Old Navy

Tan flowy cardigan from Target

Tan shoes I've had forever

Felt flower headband I made for our engagement shoot

A few observations:

- I need to branch out from Gap Inc. stores. Seriously.

- Accessorizing is key. And it's also really hard.

- The outfits I liked the best were the ones that involved layers and big jewelry. I should stick to those.

- We need a full-length mirror in our house!

- Finally, I have a lot in my closet. Like, a LOT. I just need to get used to combining pieces I haven't ever thought to combine and I'll have infinitely more to wear.

Um, okay. I did it. Your turn! Obviously, I need to steal your ideas. :)

Meal Planning Monday

I'm making up my own day-of-the-week blog feature. You know, like a "Wordless Wednesday" or "Insta Friday". Except this is one I'll probably be the only person participating in, and it's only for my own benefit (sorry). Meal planning is always one of those things I intend to do, and then I don't do it and find myself on Allrecipes.com at 5:30pm, searching for something to make for dinner with whatever ingredients I can remember we have at home. I figure if I try to blog my meal plans every once in a while, it will help me stay accountable, be creative, and maybe you'll find a good recipe or two.

I gravitate toward recipes that are simple and I can either prepare them the night before (or morning of). I also have to take into account nights where I work later than usual, so slow cooker and cold meals are my favorites for those nights. I also try to go meatless one night a week.

These days I've been collecting recipes I want to try on Pinterest, so I spent a few minutes today browsing my Edible board and compiling a meal plan and grocery list for the next two weeks...

Monday: Lettuce Wraps
Tuesday: Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls + Quinoa Salad with Lime
Wednesday: Tomato Soup + Grilled Cheese
Thursday: Mel's Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken
Friday: (Date Night-- dinner out)
Saturday: (Rehearsal dinner for a friend's wedding)
Sunday: (Wedding)

Monday: Spicy Honey Chicken + Garlicy Mashed Potato Cakes
Tuesday: Chicken Meatball Subs + Baked Parmesean Fries
Wednesday: Greek Style Quinoa Burgers
Thursday: Barbacoa Beef Burritos (this makes awesome leftovers)
Friday: (Giant's game-- garlic fries!)
Saturday: Chicken Enchiladas (these are the best EVER)
Sunday: (Date Night-- dinner out)

Do anyone else actually meal plan? Where do you find your recipes? Please share.

Weekend in Pictures

Graduation party. Way to go, Katie!!!

Love restaurants on the river. I am so ready for summer.

Poker night (I lost, but Matt won about $60!)

Bacon Pancakes. Thank you, Pinterest.

A walk to the park with my three M's.

A gorgeous, relaxing weekend. And I'm ready for another week...

Weekend in Pictures

Saturday we had a birthday dinner for a friend...

Which makes for a fun play date for Mase...

Meet Moby! Our newest addition.

He is a 4 year old lab mix from the animal shelter. He loves racing cars...

Playing with Dad...

And naps...

We love him. :)

And now, for your viewing pleasure, a duet by the V&M Band...