Top Baby Bloggers!

I'm very humbled to have reached the top 200 {#155 to be exact} on Top Baby Blogs.com. Top Baby Blogs is a fun site where thousands of baby and momma bloggers are ranked with #1 being the most read. Baby Boy Bakery started out at the bottom and has increased greatly due to all you wonderful readers who vote for us! It means so much to me and my little family that you all keep up with us!
I would love it if you continued to voted for Baby Boy Bakery each time you visit...just by clicking on these buttons here...

                   

Thank you so much! Please leave us some love so we know you were here! You mean the world to us!
Also, if you are new please check out some of our most popular posts that raised our Top Baby Blog rating.

Arm Your Family With Cold Fighting Foods

Diaper Disaster

Make Time For Momma

Baby Teething Tips & Tricks

Organic Baby Food How To

Rad Rag Designs

I'm so excited to introduce you to this cute blog and shop - Rad Rag Designs. The designer Dannielle is super cute and crafty...her blog and shop shows off her talent and passion with all things pretty. I was so lucky to received some of her product and instantly fell in love with her funky fabrics and adorable bows and headbands!

What I love most about Dannielle and Rad Rag Design are all the fun "How-To's and DIY's" she offered on her blog. My most favorite yet is a recent post she did about how to re-vamp hair pins. Please check it out!

This has been a great way to start off the year...meeting new bloggers and recognizing the immense talent amongst us. I look forward to keeping up with Dannielle and her crafty designs! I hope you do too!

Keep up with Rad Rag Designs via blog, shop & twitter

Linking up with...

DIY Garlic & Parm Croutons

I shared this recipe earlier this month on my friends blog...I wanted to post it here in case you didn't get a chance to read it. Also, I wanted to remind you to start saving those bread ends....

When I saw that so many of you all throw away your bread ends....also known as bread butts, I was shocked! When we were growing up my momma always used them for french toast or croutons. So, I am here today to help you save your buns and some money!
Here is what I like to do....I hope you'll follow along.

Save your bread ends! As you go through each loaf store the ends in the freezer. Yes! Keep them in a zip lock bag and stock up. When you have about 5 bread ends you can do the following;

`Make homemade croutons to top your families salads!
`Jump up and down because now you NEVER have to spend 3$ plus on store bought croutons again!

Homemade Garlic Parmesan Croutons

What you need
`5 bread ends
`1/4 cup olive oil
`1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
`1 tbs garlic powder
`1 tsp salt
`1 tsp pepper
`1/2 cup ground Parmesan

Directions
`Pre-heat oven to 350
`Cut bread ends into cubes
`In a small bowl mix oil, vinegar and spices
`Spread cubes onto a foil lined sheet pan
`Pour oil mixture over bread cubes and mix with hands
`Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the bread cubes

`Bake in oven for about ten to fifteen minutes
`Let cool and store in an air tight container.....for a fun gift wrap in cellophane bags with a tag!

I hope you enjoy this guys....and please save your bread butts!

Saturday Snapshot III

oops! Posted a day late! Our Saturday was full of fun...and left our tummies large! We spend the day in the hot winter sun enjoying some of LA's most desired food trucks at a festival near our home. All three of us were in heaven, because us kids like to EAT! Our favorite was the Nom Nom truck where we had our fair share of Banh Mi and Honey Glazed Pork Tacos. The photo above captures Ry and I sharing a Blue Raspberry Italian Ice Cream. I was trying to help him eat it to save his shirt from getting stained. It didn't work...he wanted his own spoon to feed himself. Of course.

I hope you all had a great Saturday!

French Macarons

I am so excited about these! I have finally mastered the art of baking the delish French Macaron! They taste to dang good....I may or may not have eaten an entire batch SOLO! oops. I'm bake at it again, baking these tasty morsels of heaven for family and bloggy swap partners! I hope they love them as much as I do! Hope you all are having a yummy week!

Romantic Park Date

We usually hit the park about 3-4 times a week. The park by our house is always crowded with kids and recently Ry's new hobby is chasing them all while screaming "HI HI HI!". Once he catches up to the kids (who are all older than him) he pokes them softly and says "Hi...." then turns to look me and smiles. Like he is saying "Hey Mom! Check this kid out! They are so cool!" The other day a little girl was wearing an Elmo shirt and he poked her chest and said "EMO! EMO!" The little girl freaked out and started crying. oops.

Recently, we had the entire park all to ourselves! We enjoyed a smoothie and had a romantic walk to the park. Since no one was there I played our favorite music and we danced around the park. Anyone walking by must have thought we were nut balls! Then again, we are pretty nutty!

 We love the park because...

`We can scream as loud as we want!
`We can get super dirty and make sand pies
`We can stand on the end of the slide and jump off. {100+ times}
`We can make new friends {If they aren't scared off}
`We can take turns on pushing each other on the swings {good thing Momma doesn't like to swing fast}
`We usually get a smoothie before or after
`We hold hands in between the slides and swings
`Momma loves the long nap Ry takes after a good park date...

If you guys are park junkies like us....enjoy it this week!

Vanilla Waffles w. Nutella

 

It is no surprise I love making breakfast. Our favorite are pancakes....but recently we are addicted to waffles. I jazzed them up recently by topping them with creamy Nutella and bananas. Yum!
Ry and I take our mornings serious and we don't mess around with breakfast.

Try this recipe next time you whip up waffles for the family.

Vanilla Waffles

What you need

`1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

` 3 tbs raw sugar

`3 tsp baking powder

`2 large eggs

`1 cup whole milk or buttermilk

`1/3 cup melted butter

`2 tsp vanilla

Directions

`Mix all the ingredients

`Warm waffle iron and spray with non-stick spray

`Cook according to waffle iron

`Enjoy warm topped with your favorite things!!

Saturday Snapshot II

Lately Ry has been so clingy. I am trying to embrace it. This stage we are going through it is up and down I tell ya! Although, my favorite is when I am in the kitchen washing dishes and he sits between my feet and plays. Sometimes he hugs my leg and kisses it, other times he throws a ball at my feet. Or like the photo above, he just sits there waiting for me to finish. 

"Let's go play Momma!" 

Mustache B-Day

I'm a little late in sharing these great photos taken by the lovely and talented Miranda {of Miranda D Photography}. I was so lucky enough to be in charge of every dessert detail for {my blog buddy turned soul sister} Alissa's son's birthday. The theme was Mr. Man which meant this party called for everything mustache. I might be steeling this one for Ry's 2nd birthday!

I stuck with our popular flavor Cookies and Milk and baked a tall  4 layered cake for her son and mini cupcakes for the guests and children. I also made Caramel Chocolate Dipped Honey Pretzels.....simply because those are the best.

I think it is safe to say that the party, paired with my dessert was a hit! Alissa and her husband really do know how to throw a party. {Read her party post here.}

Here are some of my favorite photos from the Mr. Man party!

Photos c/o Miranda D Photography

Headband Rouge and Whimsy

Bluum Box

For all you mommas out there with babies you have to get your hands on a Bluum Box!
Bluum box is a fun way to sample all the hottest baby and momma products popular brands have to offer! The best part is....the samples get wrapped up in a pretty package and each month are delivered right to your door! How fun is that?!
In your Bluum box you'll find brand named products such as; Plum Organics, Seventh Generation and NurtureMe. Also, each month the products match a unique theme. The best part about Bluum Box is the mommas get to try products they otherwise wouldn't purchase. As a new momma you can feel overwhelmed with the massive amounts of baby products out there all promising the same thing. Now with your monthly Bluum box you can test those products out and see for yourself which ones make you happy!
Don't forget...Bluum makes a great gift for your expecting friends and family!
Check out Bluum on there website and blog...tell them I sent you!

Dear Tantrums, I want my baby back!

Photo c/o Gold Standard Photography

What is a tantrum exactly?
I have seen them before at grocery stores or the mall. A child is screaming, crying and kicking their legs as the mother tries a number of things to get them to stop. I used to try hard not to stare. I used to think "What the heck?! Good thing that will never be me!"

Fast forward to now.

I have recently found myself in the midst of 'Melt-Down City' and my son, my seemingly sweet son has become mayor and is determined to make me go insane. Long story short...if he doesn't get his way he does the following;
`takes a deep breath
`falls to the floor
`begins to scream/moan
`huge crocodile tears flow down his face
`legs start kicking everywhere

OH! So that is a tantrum! Got it.
Well, how do we deal with them? Or more importantly, how do we get them to STOP?! Every parents tactic is different. I'm not about to open that can of worms...Because most likely every parent thinks their tactic is right. Here is what I am currently doing...ignoring it. I let him have his moment. So far the longest 'moment' lasted 8 minutes in the cleaning supply aisle at Target. Ryan snatched a multi-purpose cleaner and stuck it in his mouth. I said "Oh no that's yucky! Yuck!" I put it back on the shelf and BOO-YA the storm hit. I continued shopping and he finally stopped when we were checking out. So embarrassing!
I have found that if I ignore his melt downs he eventually stops and realizes I am not giving in.
"After all that! Mom you are still not paying attention to me and you STILL won't let me play with whatever I want??...Ok fine."

The hardest part about this is feeling helpless. Usually when your baby cries you fix it. Now when my baby cries he is trying to get his way. Sometimes, I start to cry myself. Sometimes. I feel so overwhelmed I cant think. Sometimes, I want to scream myself and lay on the floor kicking my legs. Instead I muster whatever strength I have and walk away.

If you see me out, don't stare or judge. Just hand me a paper bag to put over my head.

Broccoli In Disguise

 

I have shared this recipe in the past and received a lot of positive feedback from readers via email. I am excited this combination worked so well, and had babies chomping away at broccoli {In disguise}. Enjoy!

And thank you to the mommas who reached out to me with feedback! It means the world to me!

 

 

Steamed Broccoli & Cinnamon Apples

 

What you need

2 heads of broccoli

2 large red apples

1tsp cinnamon

 

I have found that my son will eat most anything! Though, I know most babies won't! We all know broccoli is not at the top of our 'most yummy' list, however if you pair it with something sweet you may have struck a happy medium! Try this seriously healthy veggie with another vitamin packed fruit!

 

Directions

`Cut up both the apple and broccoli (mommas...leave the skin ON the apple! The skin has tons of essential vitamins and if you get your babe used to it now...you won't waste time (and food) peeling them in the future.)

-Steam the broccoli till barely fork tender (you don't want it too soft) then dunk the broccoli into an ice bath to stop the cooking and preserve that vibrate green color!

-Steam the apples until fork tender

-Put BOTH into a blender or food processor with the cinnamon and blend to your babies stage!

Helpful Hint: You can freeze baby food in BPA free freezable containers for up to 3 months. When you are ready to serve simply take it from the freezer to the microwave. Heat until PIPING HOT! Wait till it cools to serve.

 

 

Saturday Snapshot

This week has been a rough one. (More details on why later.) Our washer broke, which lead to a build up of over 6 loads to be done. Beautifully piled at the foot of our bed. Once it got fixed I found myself loading the washer more times than I could count. Ryan was feeling neglected apparently. SO, I strapped him in the ERGOBaby carrier while I washed clothes. Never have I worn him around the house and at 16 months he was begging to be carried. I caved when he held up his little arms. After all, it will only be a matter of time before he won't ask for me to hold him anymore.

When he is 16 I will remind him of when I used to carry him around while doing house chores.....

"Remember when you used to be so cute and want me to hold you all the time?! Now your are in and out and I can barely squeeze a hug out of you!!"

Have a good weekend! Cherish all the moments.

*The ERGOBaby-Carrier is one of the best. Made from all natural fibers, you can use it from birth to 40+ pounds to cuddle your little one. Perfect for the momma on the go! I have found that the ERGOBaby Carrier is better than the Ergo Sport because it has more padding and pockets. Check them out on giggle.com.

Let's go for a hike...

I'm not the best hiker.

Ask anyone...I'm a complainer and clumsy.

I usually over pack, dress wrong or beg to stop sooner than planned.

One time I went for a hike in strappy sandals....and got stung by some random evil plant. Lesson learned. I never go anywhere with out tennis shoes, and cortisone cream.

Now don't get me wrong, I do love being outside. I love spending time with family and exploring new places. This past week we did a lot of exploring and saw some beautiful sights. The best part was experiencing them with my two guys. I loved seeing nature through the eyes of my son. He already is very much the outdoors, thrill seeker type. Also, stopping to take in the gorgeous surroundings with Dan was romantic.  

After many hikes I have learned a few things;

`Look up and enjoy everything around you, but also be aware of weird things like evil stinger plants and gross bugs.

`Wear sunscreen even though there is no sun out.

`Wear layers. Because even though its cold out it will change and you'll end up sweating. 

`Bring lots of snacks and water. And save a really yummy snack for the end of the hike....so you have something to look forward to. A reward for walking your butt all over kingdom come!

`Take lots of pictures. To later use as proof! "Oh ya I went on a crazy hike in the mountains, LOOK"

Lastly...

`Have fun no matter what. Even if your leg is stinging with pain, Even if your so cold you can't feel your fingers, Even if your so tired you want to cry along with your niece, Even if the hiking backpack is digging into your hip, Even if you tripped on a stick and ripped your new jeans! Because some of the best moments can happen during a hike. Especially while walking along side the people you love.

Let's go for a hike!

Nursery Tour

Before another year gets away from us...I wanted to capture my son's adorable nursery.
A lot of women pine over their unborn child's nursery. Everything is taken into account; the colors, theme, crib etc. For us that wasn't the case. Everything was handed down and I just didn't know the difference between a breast pump and a crib at that point......basically I was lucky to have anything. I was lucky.

On the eve of Ryan's debut my closest cousins and my super talented step-mother threw together the most amazing nursery a new momma could have! Space themed! Equipped with a rocket night light, toy chest, and hand painted decor. I am not even going to tell you that they fully stocked Ryan's new room with diapers, wipes, clothes, toys, a new hamper and crib sheets.....because thinking of their kindness and generosity makes me tear up even now.

Sometimes our family surprises us in the most amazing ways. Family pulls together to help each other and I will never forget the gracious acts my family gave Dan and I during our first days as parents.

With that said....Please let me show you around Ryan's Spaceship Lair

My favorite are the hand painted rocket ships my step-mother painted to match his bedding.

My step-mother also hand painted this antique toy chest to match Ry's rocket ship them. Like as I said before, we were super lucky to have our family surprise us. Below is Ry's antique dresser hand painted by my step-father. He also cut rocket ships out of wood and painted them to match the room. My favorite touch are the baby blocks he put on each drawer that spells out his name.

Ry's growth chart....

Diaper changing station...equipped with wipe warmies, a bink to suppress melt downs and hand sanitizer for those out of control poo moments. I used to used the tiny rocket ship light in the middle of night while changing diapers. (Now I give it Ryan to keep him occupied and still while changing him.)

I took my little brother to see Toy Story 3 while I was pregnant....I think it stuck with me because now I love having these little guys decorate Ry's room. Some other fun things that are on his shelves are; ceramic piggy banks filled with change I find while doing the laundry, 1st Disney ears and my baby shower invite thrown by Dan's sister in-law. {Vintage surf theme}

Lastly, the outfit we brought Ry home in. I can't bare packing it away, so I hung it on his wall. Now when he tackles me or asks me for more juice I can glance at this tiny outfit and remember.....those beautiful first moments.

I love Ryan's little room! Around noon the sun beams through the window and a lot of times we will sit in there and read books or play trucks.

I hope you enjoyed taking a look around! It may not be much....but it is everything for us. And signifies my families greatness. We are so blessed.