So I Smashed My Daughters Smash Cake ||Tips for Making a Smash Cake||

I've never been the type of person you'd find in the kitchen... Unless I'm sneaking the last piece of dessert right out of the fridge. Cooking has just never been a

great strength (and believe me, I've done my share of burnt and over salted cuisine). Thank goodness my husband is a fan of macaroni and frozen pizza dinner nights.

However, Little Miss turned ONE this week and I was determined to be that momma who saved a few extra bucks and bakes the most perfect pink smash cake ever! Well.... that surely wasn't the case. Honestly, I'm surprised I didn't cry. My whole heart (and not to mention a ton of frosting) was put into that cake. I finally admitted defeat when the wall of strawberry frosting literally jumped off my cake and onto the floor.

Never fear, Little Miss loved her store bought butterfly cake just as much (it tasted pretty good too). It made for really good Smash Cake photos.  Pictures are posted here.
In the mean time, I thought I would give out a few tips to the non-baker based on my experience.

1. DO YOUR RESEARCH

Honestly, I thought I did. I knew you were supposed to stick the cake layers together with frosting. I even knew to cut the top bulge off each layer so that the pieces fit easier. But there was so much information I didn't know. I thought making a cake was common sense. I guess not. I will just stick to cupcakes from now on.

2. SPRAY THE DANG PANS

Oh my gosh!!! How in the world did I forget this step! This is the reason I blame my cake failing. If I had just sprayed the pans before hand I wouldn't have had the cake fall completely apart. I first lost the bottoms when I tried dumping out the cake because the bottom half stuck to the pan. Blah, Rookie mistake.

3. KNOW WHAT A CRUMB COAT IS

My bad, it's not my fault my resources failed to mention a crumb coat (I can hear my baker friends laughing at my face right about now).  A crumb coat is a very THIN layer of frosting that is used to hold in the cake crumbs before you add on globs and globs of frosting. This is probably the reason why my frosting was so eager to leap onto the floor.

4. START SMALL

I was feeling ambitious and tried making a three layered cake. Bad idea Jen, very bad. Most things take practice before you can become pro. The next time I try making a cake I will start off with a two layer cake and if that fails, I will stick to cupcakes.

Covering a Lidded Box with Gift Wrap

Little Miss's birthday is approaching so quickly! I can't believe it's almost been a whole year since we met our baby girl for the first time. 

I have been brainstorming up a few ideas for her big smash cake event. I figured a few props in the picture along with a cake covered in frosting would help set the mood. This is how I created a nice look to an old cardboard box I had lying around.

You will need:

Tape

scissors

adhesive spray

wrapping paper (preferably the kind with suggesting lines for cutting)

box with lid (I used a box that our computer paper came in)

1. Place box in the center of your wrapping paper

2. Measure the sides of your box. This will give you a guide line to how much gift wrap you will need around the edges of your box

3. Be sure to add an extra half inch (or more) to your side length. This will come in handy when you secure the paper to your box leaving your edges smooth

4. Draw lines out from the point of your box (magenta line). These will later become your fold lines

5. Draw another set of lines 1/2 inch inside the outer four squares you created by your future fold lines (yellow line). This will be  your cut lines.

Your gift wrap should look similar to this once you have taken out the extra paper 

6. Cut a slit at the point of all four corners

7. Now it's time to use those fold lines. This will create the flaps that will wrap around the edges of  your box

8. Fold at the 1/2 inch mark o the edges of your corners

9. Unfold the top flaps and add a diagonal slit to all overlapping corners

10. We are now setting the creases that will be the sides of your box. Fold in all 4 sides

11. Unfold all sides and flaps

12. place box in the center of your gift wrap

13. Now for the spray adhesive. This will help your gift wrap remain tight and smooth against the box

14. Spray the side of your box that is closest and furthest away from you. 

15. Wrap the gift wrap flap around the box on the two sides that you have sprayed. 

16. Make sure the 1/2 inch flaps are stuck tight around your box 

17. For the other two sides, secure down the 1/2 inch flaps. You will not need to hug the edges this these little guys.

18. Use your adhesive spray to cover the exposed box sides and secure the gift wrap to your box

19. The extra 1/2 inch of gift wrap that remains at the top of your box provide the option to be folded down into your box giving it a smooth finish. I used tape to secure the flaps on the inside to avoid sticky over-spray on the inside of my box

20. Repeat the previous steps when creating the lid for you box

Wallah! Stay tuned for Little Miss's Cake Smash pictures to see this box as one of her props!

3 Things Motherhood has Taught Me

With Little Miss's birthday coming up in just a few days, it's safe to say that I've almost completed my first year of motherhood. And what an opportunity it has been! I believe that there are things in life that can only be learned with experience, and motherhood is definitely one of them. Because of this sweet little spirit entering our lives, it has taught me more about myself then I ever would have imagined.

Motherhood Taught Me to Prioritize 
We are sent here to earth for the opportunity to learn and grow. I have always found a way to love myself despite my many flaws because I know we aren't supposed to become the masters of anything without a little practice. However, I really surprised myself this year. I learned that I am truly capable of anything when I set my mind to it. At first, I was afraid that becoming a mother would subtract hobbies and interests that made up who I was. I figured my life would be so wrapped up with this "mommy business" that I wouldn't have time for anything other than poopy diapers, feedings, and baby snuggles.

I couldn't have been more wrong. Yes, most of my time was spent trying to keep my baby happy, my house clean, and my GPA high. But somewhere amongst  the chaos, I found that there was always a little time left for me. In those first three months, that little time I found was spent sleeping. I wouldn't have had it any other way. Being a mother to a newborn was tough business, and spending my down time sleeping was the perfect escape.
As Little Miss grew older and I adjusted to the mommy lifestyle, I began finding fun things to fill my downtime with; crafts, painting, journaling, phone calls home, even the occasional Bachelor Marathon with the best friend. I learned that if something was important enough, I could make time for it.

Motherhood Taught Me to Love
I loved my baby before I even met her. I loved her kicks when I drank orange juice. I loved her hick-ups that happened at least three times a day. I loved thinking about her as I prepared for her arrival. But I loved her even more once she was in my arms. She was MY baby girl. The one who would look up to me for guidance; the one who would fix her boo-boos; the one she could count on.

But I knew I'd always love her. That was no surprise. The real surprise was the amount of love I had for my husband. We've always been that couple that gets along great and could be locked in a room together for months without losing the enjoyment of one other's company... Well that's how we were before Little Miss arrived. When she finally did arrive, it was a struggle to make time for each other and not focus all the attention on our new responsibility. 

Thankfully, the life of parenthood turned into a normal routine. And boy oh boy does my hubby shine at being a daddy. Seeing him love my baby girl just makes me love him more. Anyone could tell that he is her favorite by the big smile she gives him every morning saying "Daddy Daddy" over and over (you only hear her say "mama" when she is unhappy or needs something....that little stinker). 

He really has been the best helper to me over this last year. I don't think there is any way I could raise our daughter, go to school, and keep the house in order without him. 

Motherhood Taught Me to Listen

 Jump back a few years to when I was holding one of my baby cousins. I knew babies were cute and cuddly then, but as soon as they started crying, I was the first person to give them back to their mother. I never understood the magic powers a parent had with their crying baby... Until now. I realized that that the "magic power" comes from listening to their baby's cues everyday. Because I've listened to Little Miss's needs and wants, it's become easy to understand what I need to do to help her. 

My (2nd) First Mother's Day

Well, it's almost the second Sunday in May which can only mean one thing... MOTHER'S DAY! As a little girl, this always meant grabbing the scissors, colored paper, and markers from the cupboard and making the prettiest cards for my mom. My heart leaps with excitement just thinking about Little Miss doing the same thing for me in a few years. Although, if she is anything like me, I'm sure to receive a handmade card that says, "If you were a booger I'd pick you" (insert face-palm here).

This time, last year, I remember how thrilled I was to go to church knowing I could finally except those Mother's Day flowers with pride. After all, a mother-to-be needs some recognition for carrying, protecting, and loving that little spirit inside of her for nine months. I had decided that this, indeed, was going to be my first official Mother's Day. 

And though I came home from church with no flowers because my 37 week preggo body convinced me that I couldn't make it though all three hours (insert sad face here), I still celebrated because in my eyes, pregnancy was the beginning of motherhood. 

Fast forward to today. In just a few short weeks, I will have accomplished my first full year with a beautiful baby girl on my hip rather than in my belly. I have gained experiences and endured hardships of motherhood that I hadn't even considered as a mother-to-be. So I understand now why many would consider this my first Mother's Day celebration; and so I do. But what they fail to realize, is that this is my 2nd First Mother's Day.  Because without those first nine months, there would be no handmade cards for futures to come. Even when those cards proclaim me to be a booger.

Happy Mother's Day

It's not about the Socks ||Learning to not Sweat the Small Stuff||

We've all heard the classic, "He leaves his dirty socks around the house" phrase. Or worse, "He leaves his dirty socks on the floor NEXT to the laundry hamper!" Oh gosh. Depending on the day's frustrations, it's almost hysterical to see what silly and insignificant things get on our last nerve.

 Now I'm not here to rant about my husband. And goodness knows I have my own list of flaws (like eating all of his Holiday candy...oops). But today seemed to be one of those days when life had the best of me; it was hot, there were mountains of dirty dishes to be done, and a very sticky baby who was in need of a second bath.

Then and there I knew I had a decision to make. The decision to sink in a hole of frustrated emotions or to put on a smile and realize that life is too short to sweat the small stuff.

I decided a change of scenery would do the trick. So the family put on their flashy Nike shoes and headed for the hills. Let me tell ya, it was the best decision. My little family was so much happier after some fresh air and exercise. Little Miss has really gotten the hang of walking by herself lately, which made our nature hike so much more fun. It's exciting to see her experience things for the first time.

We climbed up hills, through sagebrush, played in the stream, and took many photos on the way. Before we knew it, the sun was setting and it was time to head home.

 It was the first real warm day of the season and we all turned a little pink from all the sunshine (don't worry Mom, Little Miss was wearing more than enough sunscreen).  But even though we came home from our adventure tired, pink, and sweaty; a sense of peace and harmony had returned to our home. Suddenly the day's frustrations didn't seem so great anymore.  It was now easier to see the big picture; life is too short to sweat the small stuff. 

We are all guilty of letting homework, chores, and even dirty socks rule over our emotions every once in awhile. The important thing to remember is to shake off those frustrations and focus on the JOYS.