Christmas gift guide

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Happy Holidays everyone!! I'm so excited to share with you some of my favorite things for Asher and some of my favorite things for myself. I hope you find this useful and maybe get a few Christmas gifts out of it, either for loved ones, a new baby coming, or just for yourself:) I linked most of the items so I hope it works to open them. If you have any comments or questions you can contact me. I pray that you all have a wonderful, safe, and happy Christmas with friends and family. And yes, I am giving you a gift guide..because come on who doesn't love gifts on Christmas...but we all, even myself, need to stop during this fun season and remember the true reason for the season:) 

The beauty of Christmas is not in the presents but in his presence. 

 

Gift Guide for babies

Essetinals:

Waterproof Silicone Bib Easily Wipes Clean   --I love these bibs!! They catch everything that Asher drops, they are so easy to clean up, and you can even throw them in the dishwasher.

Aquaphor -Baby healing ointment. -- Great for diaper rash! It works wonders.

NUK learner cup --This was the transition bottle Asher used going from his bottle. It was really the only one he'd use to drink milk out of.

MAM Orthodontic Pacifier --Some babies are picky with nuki's. Asher loves these!

Lillebaby baby carrier- I loved this carriers when Asher was a baby and even now. It has lower back support which is HUGE and Asher can face forward /backwards and you can even wear it on your back!

Toys:

Duplos legos

VTech Spin and Lern Color Flashlight

VTech Stack and Sing rings 

VTech Drop and Go Dump Truck

Leapfrog My Pal Scout

Fisher- Price Grow-to-Pro Junior Basketball

Clothing:

Toggle Toes --These are THE best! They are off etsy. I had them last winter when Asher was only a couple months old...and I bought another pair for him for this year (in purple and yellow, Vikings colors). They are sooo warm and go on and off your babies foot easily. They are super easy to tighten which makes them the best because they actually stay on your babies feet. 

OshKosh & Carters 

Little Wedgies-- They have thee cutest joggers for little boys!

Etsy- Pretty sure every mom know etsy. But it has super cute clothes, shoes, and headbands if you have girls. This is where I get a lot of custom Viking stuff for Ash man.

Cat and Jack 

Books:

*Asher just loves books and flipping through them. Some of his favorites are below...

Goodnight Football by Michael Dahl and Christina E. Forshay

Duck & Goose by Tad Hills (Colors, It's Time for Christmas, A Book of Opposites)- Asher has about 4 of these books (passed down from his cousins) and he just loves them! 

The Creation Story-  (Small Beginnings) Cute little book about how God made the world. Asher loves to look at the stars and moon. 

Taggies Buddy Dog's Soft Book by Taggies  

 

MRS T GIFT GUIDE--Below I'll share just a few of MY favorite things:)

Clothing (where I shop):

500 Level gear (Adam Thielen gear)-  Click here!  I love this website and the shirts are so cute and comfy! If your looking for some cool gear to support Adam look here. I have a few shirts/sweatshirts and I love them!

Kelvin Techstyles- These heated coats are unreal..especially for MN winters! You just charge up a little pack and plug it in inside the pocket of the coat...then you press a cool little button that lights up on the front of the coat and TA DA it gets warm (and actually works and gets warm)! 

Shit that I knit- I recently bought one of these hats and I wear it all the time! The little ball top part can come off and you can put different colors on. They are so cute and I love mine! 

Express

Lulus- Super cute dresses for not a bad price!

Aiden and Oak 

Live Love Gameday- Super cute football shirt sayings/ and other sports! I have like 4 shirts from here:)

Nordstrom/ Nordstrom Rack

DSW, Adidas, Macys, etc.

Beauty/Makeup-- I honestly don't wear makeup most days except when we have an event or going to dinner! I'm going to list a few of my favorites below...

* I honestly love all of the Philosophy products I have..the cleanser, moisturizes, under eye creams

Philosophy Purity Made Simple One‑Step Facial cleanser-- I have been using this for awhile and I love it.

Philosophy ultimate miracle worker-- Great moisturizer with SPF 30 in it too!

For a day to day light tinted mositurizer I wear Tarte BB tinted treatment primer. It's great for a light coverage when your out running around!

Maybelline great lash mascara

NARS Larger than life long-wear eyeliner

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12- hour blush- I have this in exposed and it's very natural/ not too pinky color. 

Tarte rainforest of the sea aquacealer concealer (love this for under eye bags when I'm extra tired)

* Random favs--

I love my Viva La Juicy perfume.

Diamond Dazzle Stik-- If you want your Wedding ring or any other jewelry to sparkle a little brighter, this stuff is legit (and just under 5 bucks)! 

Karen Kingsbury books. She is a great Christian author and her books are so engaging and tell such engaging and inspiring stories. The One Tuesday Morning series is sooo amazing.

 

xoxo,

MRS T

 

 

Becoming a family of 3

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Since I have already shared Adam and I's story of how we met and fell in love it only seems fair to now share a little about welcoming Asher John to the world. It seems like so long ago that I was pregnant but I am excited to share our journey to parenthood with you! 

Adam and I had gotten married in May of 2015. We both were eager to start a family shortly after but we thought we should wait at least a year to start trying and just enjoy being newlyweds. Well that didn't last...especially with an antsy husband who reallyyyy wanted a baby lol. So January of 2016, about 8 months after we married we found out we were pregnant. As soon as we started trying, we got pregnant right away. I thought it would at least take a couple of months so I really didn't anticipate it happening so quickly, but God willing it did. I know for many it doesn't happen that fast or easily so yes, we were very blessed that it happened so easily. The 9 months flew bye...well kind of, kind of not! It was nice because Adam was in the off season for most of my pregnancy so we could enjoy our time together before the little guy came. Luckily I felt great through all 3 trimesters, besides getting sick once, and feeling extra tired 3rd trimester like most women do. I was lucky enough to stay very active throughout and I feel strongl that is what helped me bounce back so quickly after having Asher. 

We had a gender reveal party around 18 weeks and we were so pumped when we found out it was a boy. I called boy right from the get go, and Adam guessed it was a girl...but obviously he was super excited to find out it was a boy ( I have two older brothers so I thought having a boy first was great)!

Love this song!

The crazies thing happened that summer when we saw the schedule for Adams 2016/17 football season. Asher's due date fell on his bye week!!! We were shocked and so happy at the same time. So October came and Adam had one of his best games on Sunday October 9th, the day before I was supposed to be induced (I was far enough along/dilated to get induced). My original due date was the 13th but we wanted to do it as early as we could in the bye week so Adam would be home while he had off. My doctor had always told us (jokingly) that there is no way we wouldn't get in on the day we were scheduled to be induced, unless there was a busload of pregnant women going into labor that day. Well that seemed to happen the morning of October 10th, the day I was to be induced. I had to call at 5:30am that morning to make sure we were good to go. Adam and I were both awake, showered and ready to go. When I called we found out there were too many women in labor that morning so they couldn't fit me in. Adam and I laid in bed for awhile, slightly disappointed that we would have to wait another whole day before meeting our little guy, and then we decided to go grab some breakfast. When we came home from breakfast around 10 we took naps and watched a movie. I got up to go to the bathroom (around noon) and my water broke! So then we really did need to go to the hospital. We always said, God wanted us to have our little boy that day (especially how everything was playing out)! I did not have any contractions or anything even after my water broke.

We did a lot of sitting around that afternoon/evening. Adam was just enjoying life, eating a burger and watching MNF...yes slightly annoying me because there I was, "dying" of pain (lol he did try his best to help me in any way he could). So after sitting around, getting pitocine, going through the "hard" contractions/pain, epidural, about 9 hours of labor, and all that fun stuff our little guy arrived on October 11th at 1:20am.  I'm not going to go through every little detail of that afternoon/evening because that is personal to me and my family (plus a lot of it would bore you...or just gross you out)! It was the best day of our lives by far. I don't think I had any idea how hard giving birth would actually be but it was the greatest, most amazing thing in the world. If you don't believe in the good Lord after having children I don't know what will make you believe. It truly is all in HIS doing. Adam and I are so unbelievably thankful to God for giving us the most amazing gift of a child. We have enjoyed parenthood so much thus far. Although the first 3/4 months were very difficult. I'm not going to sugar coat it and say it was the easiest time. With my hormones and emotions being all over the place, getting no sleep, and just plain old having to adjust to taking care of another human being 24/7. It was tough on Adam and I's relationship (mostly because I was crabby a lot and took it out on him lol). It was also hard because Asher was born during the crazy football season so that in general is just a busy time for us. But we got through it and now I barely even remember those sleepless nights. 

This first year of Asher's life has flown by wayyyy too fast and he has grown into such a sweet, and fun loving boy. He loves to give hugs (especially to his stuffed animals). He loves Elmo, Mickey Mouse, any ball (especially basketballs and footballs), dancing, eating (who doesn't), doing touchdown arms, clapping, and so many other things.

                                         Yes, this is a cake!!!

                                         Yes, this is a cake!!!

Here are some pictures from Asher's first birthday party almost two months ago now. The theme was football, of course (what else would it be during daddy's football season). He had the most amazing Hy Vee stadium cake and mini football smash cake. Many family members came and Adam and I's close friends. It was so great having all these people there to celebrate year one of Asher's life. He is so lucky to have such amazing people in his life, to guide him and help him grow to be the best person he can be. Parenthood has taught Adam and I many things over this last year. Patience is a huge one. I've never had much patience...and same with Adam, which really needs to change when you have children. You can't just think about yourself anymore. You have to take care of someone else before your own needs. I know many people say that motherhood is one of the toughest, yet most rewarding jobs...and I truly believe that now!  I love our little family and wouldn't trade my boys for the world. We love each other so much and most importantly love spending time with one another. It's so fun to watch our family grow and go through all the ups and downs of life together. I can't wait to create many more great memories and hopefully watch our family grow in these next years. Life really does goes by too fast, so my goal now and in the future is to really try and slow down and enjoy each and every little step of the way because, these day go bye:)

xoxo,

MRS T

Favorite recipes

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I'm so excited to share some of my favorite recipes with you all! Many of you ask for recipes from food I post on Instagram so this is an easier way to share then replying to each one of you. I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as our family does:)

Moist & Healthy Banana bread

2 eggs, ½ C melted coconut oil, ⅓ C honey, ¼ C greek yogurt, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 C mashed ripe bananas (about 2-3 medium bananas), 1¾ C whole wheat flour, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, ½ C dark chocolate chips (or chopped walnuts, raisins)

Directions: Pre-heat oven to 325F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, beat eggs, oil, honey, milk and vanilla for 2 minutes. Stir in the bananas, flour mixture and chocolate chips. Pour into pan, sprinkle with some more cinnamon. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, slice and enjoy! 

ENERGY Balls (I usually double the recipe because we eat them so quickly)

1 cup oats, 2/3 cup coconut flakes, 1/2 peanut butter (I usually do half peanut butter, half almond butter), 1/2 cup ground flaxseed, 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips...or raisins etc!, 1/3 cup honey, 1 TBS chia seeds, and I sometimes add a scoop of my favorite Isagenix whey protein powder for more protein.

Directions: First, stir honey and peanut butter and then add remaining ingredients and mix. Cover and let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like. Store in an airtight container and enjoy! I keep mine in the freezer.

Dinner recipes...

Healthy Crunch Wrap Supreme

2 TBS olive oil, divided, 1 lb ground beef, 1 (1.25-ounce) package taco seasoning, 4 (12-inch) flour tortillas (we use whole wheat), 4 tostada shells, 1/2 C sour cream (Adam uses plain greek yogurt), 2 C shredded lettuce, 1 tomato, diced, 1 C shredded Mexican blend cheese

Directions: Heat 1 TBS olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook ground beef, then stir in taco seasoning. Drain excess fat; set aside. One at a time place ground beef mixture in the center of each tortilla. Top with cheese and tostada shell. Spread sour cream in an even layer over the tostada shell; top with lettuce, tomato and a little more cheese (or whatever toppings you want). Repeat with remaining tortillas. Fold the edges up and over the center. Continue to work your way around the tortilla, folding as tight as possible. Heat remaining 1 TBS olive oil in a large skillet. Place wrap seam-side down and cook until the underside is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side, about 1-2 minutes longer.

Poppy seed Chicken

3 C chopped cooked chicken, 1 (10 3/4-oz.) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted, 1 (16-oz.) container sour cream (I mix sour cream with plain greek yogurt to make it a little healthier), 3 tsp poppy seeds, one sleeve of ritz crackers, crushed, 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions: Preheat oven to 350°. Mix first 4 ingredients. Spoon mixture into lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Stir together cracker crumbs and melted butter and sprinkle over casserole. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until hot. I like to make sweet corn for a side and eat together. Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas

9 tortillas (I use whole wheat), 3 4-ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded, 1 C red enchilada sauce, 1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce, 1 C 2% shredded cheese, 2 green onions chopped, 1/2 C fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Directions: Preheat oven to 375. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Pour enchilada sauce in a bowl and whisk in 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce. Add shredded chicken to a seperate bowl with 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Pour in about a 1/2 cup of enchilada/buffalo sauce mixture and mix thoroughly. Pour a drizzle of enchilada/buffalo sauce in the bottom of baking dish. Fill each tortilla with a heaping TBS of the chicken mixture. Roll up and place in baking dish, seam side down. Pour another 1/2 cup or more of enchilada/buffalo sauce on top of tortillas and add remaining shredded cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Southwest Chicken Bake

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced, Salsa( I use hot picante), 1 C sour cream, 2 C shredded cheddar cheese, 2 C tortilla chips, crushed

Directions: Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Mix chicken, salsa and sour cream in a bowl. Spread layer of chicken mix on bottom. Sprinkle with 1 C of crushed tortilla chips. Sprinkle with 1 C of shredded cheese. Repeat one more time. Bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 mins or until cheese is bubbly.

Crockpot recipes...

Crockpot Pulled Chicken

 2 1/2 - 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, 3/4 C ketchup, 1 1/4 C of your favorite bbq sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray's, Original), 1 TBS apple cider vinegar, 1 TBS Worcestershire sauce, 1 TBS soy sauce, 1 TBS light brown sugar, 1/2 C onion chopped, 2 large cloves of garlic, minced ( I sometimes don't even put garlic in and the chicken is still amazing), 1/4 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 

Directions  Spray crock-pot with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken in crock-pot. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl, pour mixture over chicken. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours. When ready, shred chicken. Discard any excess sauce you don't want. We usually enjoy on wraps or buns with shredded cheese and lettuce, so yummy! 

Crockpot Chicken tacos (love this one...super easy!)

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 C of salsa (we used hot picante because we like spicy foods), 1 TBS taco Seasoning 

Directions: In a crockpot, place chicken breasts (frozen) in the bottom. Sprinkle with the seasoning. Top with the salsa. Cook on low for 6 hours, or high for 3 hours. Shred the chicken and serve with your favorite taco toppings

Beer & Bean Chili (8 servings)

1 large onion, 1 lb lean ground beef, 1 lb jimmy dean ground sausage, 4 tsp olive oil, 2- 8ounce cans tomato sauce, 1-6 ounce tomato paste, 2-14 or 16 cans ounce diced tomatoes, 2- 14 or 16 ounce cans Bush's Chili beans, 1 package fresh diced mushrooms, 2 stalks celery diced, 1 small jar chunky salsa, 1-12 ounce V8 juice, 1-12 ounce beer, 3 tbsp chili powder, 3 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes if you want more heat

Directions: Brown beef & sausage in 2 tsp olive oil in heavy 4 quart sauce pan. Sautee celery, onion, mushroom in 2 tsp olive oil. Pour in 1/2 beer (drink the rest). Simmer until onions & celery become soft. Drain grease from meat. Add all ingredients together in 4 quart pan. Simmer 1.5 hours. Add flakes and tabasco if desired. Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, and crackers/chips. This recipes freezes super well! 

Amazing Queso (not the healthiest but it's super good)

1 and 1/2 lbs lean growing beef, 2 can original rotel, 32 oz velveeta, 2 tsp onion powder, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 TBS cumin, 1 tsp paprika 

Directions: In large skillet, brown beef and sprinkle with salt/pepper. Drain fat then toss cooked beef in a large crockpot. Chunk up velveeta and add to the crockpot. Add cans of undrained Rotel and various spices. Mix well. Cook on high 3-4 hours stirring occsssonaly, enjoy with your favorite chips!

Peanut butter protein rice crispy treats

4 C Gluten Free Rice Krispies Cereal (or brown rice cereal, 1/2 C honey, 1/2 C peanut butter, 1/2 C protein powder (I use Isagenix Isapro whey protein), Dark chocolate chips (I just estimate how many)

Directions: Pour rice krispies, honey, peanut butter, protein powder, and salt into large bowl. Spray a spatula with non-stick spray, and stir until everything is well combined. Spoon batter into 15 by 10 baking dish, and spread batter evenly into pan. Melt chocolate with a little coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl for 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until chocolate is melted. Pour the melted chocolate over the batter and spread evenly. Place rice krispy treats in the freezer for about 30 minutes, until they firm up. Keep them in freezer or place them in fridge and enjoy!

Desert recipes...

Healthy Avocado Brownies

1 large avocado, 1/2 C unsweetened applesauce, 1/2 C maple syrup, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 3 large eggs, 1/2 C coconut flour (I've used whole wheat and it's worked just as well) , 1/2 C cocoa powder, 1/4 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp baking soda

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a blender combine avocado, applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla. Add these ingredients to a large bowl and whisk in eggs. Add in (whole wheat) coconut flour, cocoa powder, sea salt and baking soda and stir until well-combined. Grease an 8 x 8 inch baking dish with coconut oil and add batter. Bake for 25 minutes (slightly less for fudgier brownies or slightly longer for more cake-like brownies). Allow to cool for 20 minutes before cutting into 16 brownies, enjoy!

 

I also wanted to quickly share a little bit about Lets Dish. My mom and I go once every few months and make meals (all ingredients included) that we can freeze. I love these meals and they are perfect for busy moms/families...we especially love them during the busy football season. It's so nice to have full meals that you can easily thaw out the day before and then follow easy instructions when you are ready to make it. It's hard to come up with meals every night of the week so these are perfect to add in!

 

xoxo,

MRS T

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10 random facts about MRS T

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So I started this blogging thing, yes to share more about our family/mom life but also to share about me in general. Sometimes I feel like my identity can get "lost" in my husbands fame and this blog is a great way for me to have my own fun "thing" outside of everything else. I also love how I can share things from my perspective!!! Not my husbands, not my friends or family but mine! So since this is only my second post I thought it would be fun to share some more about me, Caitlin! Here are 10 random facts about me and my life, enjoy:)

 

1.) My top 5 favorite foods are buffalo wings, (Adam and I are obsessed) pizza, popcorn, frozen grapes, and tacos. There are so many more to list but that would take all day:)

2.) I buy so much off of Amazon, I literally get probably 3 drop offs a week (Adam thinks I'm crazy haha). Anything from baby stuff to Kind bars you can count on Amazon! 

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3.) I'm addicted to working out (mainly so I can eat sweets, I do have a big sweet tooth). The main reason is because it makes me feel good, and it is a huge stress reliever of mine! I usually workout 6 out of 7 days (game days= Sundays are off). At the gym I enjoy jogging, doing sprint intervals, weight training, or yoga classes. I like to switch up my workouts and not do the same thing everyday.

4.) Super random but I watch Cupcake Wars every time I do my 4 mile run (which is usually 2-3x a week) ...so weird I know (unless I'm running outside of course)! If not Cupcake Wars I either watch Fixer Upper or 4 Weddings (lol). It just helps the time go by faster! 

5.) I have about 5 shows that I watch religiously (yes, Teen Mom is one of them ahh no shame here!) The Bachelor/Bachelorette, Lucifer, The Challenge, This is Us, The Middle, American Housewives..the list really does go on. 

6.)  I sleep with a retainer every night. I have a permanent one on the bottom but I've continued to wear my top one every night since I was like 14...unlike my husband, naughty naughty! (no wonder why his teeth have shifted a little;))

7.) One of my favorite things to do that makes me  happy is worshipping at Church with my family, whether we go Saturday afternoon or Sunday. It's just so awesome to be there together, singing and holding hands with my husband (a real feel good setting). Plus the music is outstanding every weekend (shoutout Crossroads Church)!

8.) My favorite all time movie is Grease. I grew up dancing to it and knowing every single word to every song. Some of my other top favorite movies include, How to Lose a Guy in 10 days, Sweet Home Alabama, Kicking and Screaming (pretty much all Will Ferrel movies), and so many more. Since Christmas is my all time favorite holiday I think you should know that The Grinch is my favorite holiday movie! 

9.) Children have always been a big passion of mine. Growing up I nannied/babysat quite often and loved it! I'm so blessed God gave me a child of my own. I love that I am able to be with him everyday and take in every first laugh, step, and word! 

10.) I am super super competitive. Even if we are just playing a board game at home it gets heated! Adam and I are both super competitive so good luck to our kids (lol). 

OK OK one more...

11.) I was born in WI...yes for those of you asking I grew up a Packers fan. Both my parents went to UW Madison and both sides of my family are from WI. My brothers and I had no choice but to grow up Badger/Packer fans. When Adam and I first started dating it was a compettion every time the Packers/Vikings played. It's ok everyone, I cheer for the Vikings now and obviously want my hubby to win...he does support this family and all (which I am so grateful for;)) At first it was tough for me..but mostly for my family to cheer for the Vikings. Relax Viking fans, we all cheer for them now:)

 

xoxo,

MRS T