Toddler Must Haves: Months Fifteen and Sixteen

Mr. R turned 16-months!!!! old on July 9. I am feeling like he is such a little boy now. And not a baby. He has a rather strong stubborn streak personality and most definitely wants things his way. All the time. Don't we all? But he is so much fun. Fun meaning he refuses to be still EVER and continues to abuse me during diaper changes. I have some nice bruises on my stomach as a souvenir of a rather lengthy change yesterday. I'll spare you the details but will say the washing machine was involved if you know what I mean. It's just no fun to have your diaper changed without kicking the crap out of your mom while getting things messy. Very messy. #lysol

Our goal these days is to stay busy. We spend a lot of time going to the pool (which is entertaining for about 30 minutes before he is totally over it and running like a mad man for the "big pool" section), going to the museum, and going on lots of early morning strolls in the BOB (BEST stroller ever if you do a lot of outdoor activities). We do still love our City Mini for errands. Because my little prince weighs 27 pounds, and doesn't stay still (or have the capability of listening - WHEN is that going to happen?!), a stroller is essential if we go anywhere that we may have to wait in a line or be contained. Just so you know, "containment" and "toddler" don't really go well together. With my toddler anyway. He be cray.

Robby 15/16 month update:

Current favorites: sliced bananas, grapes, watermelon, turkey, ham, cheese, avocado, and carbs, duh. The kid won't eat a vegetable to save his life so we just keep offering it and one day maybe he'll warm up to the idea. I thought he would NEVER be able to get off of pouches but we pretty much just took them away cold-turkey and he magically started to like more table foods. I recently gave all of our leftover pouches to my sister for her sweet babe. Sad day that there's no more baby food in our house. Sniff, sniff. After the trouble we had with Robby accepting table foods, I am going to make a much better effort with our next baby to introduce "real foods" earlier on and not just rely on the pouches.

Other favorites include: playing with blocks, being outside, pulling all the shoes off the shelves in my closet, screaming while running through the house like a maniac, and throwing all the food off his high chair tray then eating it off the floor.

Nice little breakfast. Off the floor.

Backyard fun! One side of this is supposed to have sand but y'all know my OCD can't handle that.

I think someone's been in my closet...

Least favorites: diaper changes, getting dressed, and being in his car seat for more than an hour. Those all involve being still...

He is starting to say lots of words. Some recent ones are: wall, fan, light, water (wa-wa), this, that, wow, woah, hey, hi, bye, dog, woof! I just about die every time he makes an animal sound. 

Fisher Price Shape Sorter - Mr. R loves to carry this bucket around. His favorite part is dumping all the shapes out. Over. And over. And over again. It's funny how loud noises used to bother me and now I can't even hear the ruckus of crashing toys on my concrete floors. If it keeps him occupied we're all happy! By the way, I despise my concrete floors. One day when I find some extra hundred dolla bills y'all laying around I'm putting hardwoods in the entire downstairs. Just throwin' that out there.

Aden and Anais Security Blankets - These are still a major favorite at our house. We introduced these when Robby was about 6-months old and I really believe they are part of the reason he goes down at night so easily. Let's not talk about what time he wakes up in the morning though. He is very attached to these blankets so we'll keep them around. Sometimes when I miss Robby while he is at Mother's Does Laundry, Clean, and Run Errands Day Out, I go into his room and smell these little blankies. Cause they smell like him. And I loooooove it.

Shortalls and Rompers - OK so my darling angel baby has developed a new, very disturbing habit. He sticks his hands down the back of his pants. Into his diaper. Well, we all know what can be lurking in diapers, so this is not good. I actually don't think Robby does this intentionally but that it is just one of his strange little habits. I still put him in shorts (and I just have to be really good at detecting and changing him IMMEDIATELY in case of you know what) but have been putting him in one pieces most of the time. This too shall pass. In case you didn't know, there are adorable options for a 16-month old who needs a one-piece. Robby wears a size 24-month or 2T now and I have been able to find some at Carter's and also locally at my friend's CA-UTE shop, Babies on the Boulevard.

Foam Blocks - These little blocks are great because they are lightweight and can't hurt anything/anyone. Which is key if you have a child who enjoys throwing things. They also have letters and numbers on them so Robby is sure to become even more of a genius as he learns the alphabet and how to count while he plays!

Munchkin Snack Catchers - I wouldn't dare leave the house without food for R. Snacks are pretty much how I can get anything done these days, making these snack cups an absolute must have. Trips to Target are so much easier with goldfish in hand. If there's ever a time that food equals happiness, it's when you're a toddler.

Happy Friday Eve Everyone!

More Summer Must Haves

Are you having a good Thursday? Need an escape from your daily routine? Bored at your desk at work? Children and/or husbands driving you nuts? Well, I can't help you with all of those things but I CAN give you a few more of my summer favorites! Some of these aren't actually just for summer. Most of them I'll use year round. Maybe except for the shorts. Because I don't really wanna wear shorts during our one month of Texas winter. When it may be below 70 degrees. Brrrr!

Big Sexy Hair Volumizing Dry Shampoo - So my hair has quite a bit of GF. GF means grease factor. It gets kinda greasy. And sometimes I just really, really don't want to wash it and then have to dry it. And fix it. And spend time doing hair when I can be doing something much more productive. Like catching up on The Real Housewives of New Jersey...Who else is excited the Jersey girls are back?! What I love about this spray is that it isn't powdery like other dry shampoos. It won't leave that white-colored residue that you have to brush out because it is not talc-based. I will caution you though: Use this with a very light hand. Or you will look like a scarecrow. It adds SERIOUS texture so only spray your roots. The first time I used it I sprayed it all over and let's just say that I could have put my hair in Pippy Longstocking ponytails and it would have stayed. For a week. I hope y'all know who Pippy Longstocking is.

Coconut Oil - OBSESSED. My sweet mother-in-law got me onto coconut oil a few years ago. It can be used for SO many things, which I love. #bangforyourbuck #winning #moremoneyforshoes I use it as an all over moisturizer/lotion, a face mask, and even as a hair mask. When you scoop it out of the jar, it will be solid, but if you rub it in your hands for a few seconds, it turns into liquid. Oh, I also made chocolate chip cookies with it and they were delish! This is the recipe if you're interested.

Crystal Light On The Go Drink Mix - I have been trying to drink tons of water to stay hydrated in this heat. It's also so good for your skin! And who doesn't want beautiful skin? Plain old water can get a little boring after a while so I've been using these cute little packets to add some flavor. I love that they come in individual packets so I can throw them in my purse. And they only add 5 calories so you don't have to feel bad about it. I despise drinking my calories because I'd rather eat them. But I'll make an exception for wine or vodka, ok? My current fave flavor is Peach Tea. I made the lemonade flavor for the guys painting my house last week and they seemed to like it too so give it a try!

Patterned Shorts - I used to hate shorts. But I have learned to embrace them. It is just too dang hot to wear any kind of pants in this heat. There are SO many cute and affordable short options out there this summer. My favorite pair is actually from Target but Old Navy and J.Crew also have lots to choose from. This is a great time to buy shorts and stock up for next summer because they are already on sale so stores can make room for FALL, which I cannot wait for! Pumpkin is already calling my name!

Happy Middle of Summer Everyone! And Happy Day Before Friday!

Lysol, Toddlers, and Barf. Oh My!

I learned last week that eventually your toddler will barf. All over the place. In the car. And you will survive.

If you read my blog, you know that I am NOT ok with vomit. Like the thought of cleaning another person's vomit gives me hives. When I get a stomach bug (which has been all too frequent since having a baby) there is lots of crying and needing my own mommy. It's bad, y'all. I'm not sure what the exact name for vomit phobia is but I have it. I have it BAD.

So last Monday Marmi was in town, and after we picked Mr. Robby up from Mother's Day Out (which should really be called Mother Does Laundry, Cleans, and Runs Errands For Everyone Else Day) we noticed he wasn't looking too good. His face seemed a little green. Wouldn't you know that in the car on the way home from getting Chick-fil-a, I hear gagging in the backseat. Followed by the worst sound ever. Mass amounts of vomit. Talk about ruining good Chick-fil-a.

I jump in the back (Marmi is driving) and assess the situation. It is not good. R ended up throwing up about four times in a row in the car. I actually SAW it projectile out of his mouth. I'm not sure if I've ever actually WATCHED vomit come out of someone's mouth.

Anyway, we get home and strip him down in the front yard and Marmi carries him directly to the bath. THANK GOD for Marmi. She always seems to be here when we are in need of help. And man was I needing support with my vomit phobia. I took a trash bag to the car and used about 2 rolls of paper towels cleaning up. And I have a confession to make. I threw away the clothes that Robby was wearing. I just couldn't deal. They went straight into the trash bag.

I learned that the trick to cleaning vomit is to breathe through your mouth. Because if you smell it, you will barf too. We finally got everything and everyone clean. Props to my cans of Lysol. It made me feel loads better to Lysol everything in the house and in the car. When I was little, my Mimi used to carry around a can of Lysol in her purse. Isn't that funny? I think that's where I get my germ-a-phobia from.

R threw up one more time but luckily Marmi was right next to him with a bucket. Here's a trick for the vomit bucket: line it with a trash bag and then all you have to do is tie the bag shut and throw it in the outside trash. Winning! Because you don't have to touch the vomit. 

Robby was so exhausted he fell right to sleep around 7:00 pm. I, on the other hand, only slept from about 3:45-6:00 am because I was listening for vomit. It turned out to be a silent night. Until I walked into R's room at 6:00 and saw that his entire crib and self were crusted in barf. I gasped and walked right back out of the room into the hallway to give myself a pep talk. And then the cleaning process began all over again. I sure had no idea there could be silent vomit attacks in the middle of the night. And I checked on him about 55 times so I have no clue when it happened.

Needless to say, we survived and somehow by the grace of God no one else caught the bug. Marmi got a good professional car cleaning and we sanitized the house from top to bottom. Marmi's car seat is as good as new thanks to a thorough cleaning and a new cover. I have to give MAJOR props to the Britax company. Naturally, I put the cover in the washing machine (even though the directions say to only hand wash) and the seams all came apart. I called Britax and told them I am bad and did not follow directions and put the cover in the washer and they sent us a new cover anyway. For free. What a great company. It took all of about 5 minutes to explain the situation and they didn't even argue with me.

In other news, the week before the barfing, Robby took a serious tumble over the back of a chair into a window ledge and gave himself two black eyes that took about two and a half full weeks to fade. I totally lost composure when it happened and called the doctor crying. Pretty sure they think I'm a lunatic. Grandma KK also had to come over and take a look at the injury. I learned that as long as they can still walk and their pupils look normal they'll probably make it. Although the doc did tell us R's nose still looked rather swollen a few weeks after the fall and that when all the swelling goes down we need to see if it looks crooked, in which case we will have to go see an ENT. Lovely. A toddler nose job? Lord, help us. I'm praying it doesn't come to that. Please send positive vibes for a perfectly straight nose.

Here's my little man and his swollen nose. Poor R.

Things have been uneventful after the black eyes and barfing. Except for me getting strep throat a few days before July 4th followed by all of us getting a cold. I guess it just never ends when you have a kid! Even my Lysol isn't a match for having a toddler in the house.

Happy Hump Day!

Summer Must Haves: Mama (or not) Edition

Hot days, humidity, and mosquitoes. Ahhhh, Texas summer. This is going to sound absolutely cray, but I have always been one of those gals who could just skip over summer. I do LOVE my pool time, but ugh, the heat. Oh, and the fact that I burn in like 2.5 seconds. Not blessed with Brazilian skin, y'all. Obviously, fall and winter are my faves because of the holidays, but if I have to do summer, I want to do it right. Here are my summer must haves!

Caldrea candles - These candles smell amazing. My current favorite is their signature scent, Vanilla Lemon. And you can pick these up at Target which is a major plus. I just love Target. Where else can you get toilet paper and home decor in one place? Oh yeah, HEB. But we don't have one here in the F-Dub. I hope some major executive from HEB is reading this. I WILL single-handedly support your store if you build one near me. OK, maybe not but I can fo sho find friends to shop there too. PLEASE.

Neutrogena Clear Face Sunscreen - I have worn sunscreen on my face every.single.day. since high school. Thanks Marmi Rose for teaching me about good skin care. Typically I wear Olay daily moisturizer with SPF but I feel that I need something heavier in the summer since we are outside so much more. This Neutrogena sunscreen has an SPF of 55. Yes 55. And it doesn't smell bad or make you break out because it is oil free. If you need a reason to wear sunscreen, wear it because it will help protect your face from sunburns and wrinkles. Oh, and cancer. There. I gave you not one but three reasons to wear it. WEAR SUNSCREEN y'all.

All For Color Tote Bag - I am loving all things brightly colored. There has been a major trend of neon colors for awhile now, and these bags are the perfect way to work it into your style if you are afraid of actually wearing neon. These totes are water resistant, come in fun patterns, and look great monogrammed. Perfect for the pool, beach, and great as a carry-on for summer travel. I have the Moroccan tile pattern and it's my new favorite bag. You can order online or if you are in the DFW area, Spoiled Pink carries them.

Clorox 2 Stain Fighter and Color Booster - Summer brings grass stains, BBQ spills, and snow cone dribbles. This stuff is nothing short of amazing. I have been able to remove set-in stains that have been through the dryer. For people who don't know much about laundry, when a stain has been through the dryer, it can be nearly impossible to remove. My mom told me about this Clorox 2 situation and it is the best stain remover I have ever used. Bold statement but oh so true. You can use it to pre-treat stains before laundering by just pouring a little on the stain and letting it sit for a bit and you can also add it to your detergent to keep colors bright and stain-free.

Swim Cover-Up - Everyone needs a great cover-up for pool time, and I have the perfect one for you! Old Navy for the win with their chic, cheap, and fun cover-ups. I recently got the teal-colored one pictured above and it's awesome. I was a little worried that the pom pom fringe wouldn't hold up in the wash but it has done fine. I just love finding something that looks more expensive than it really was and this is one of those!

Hope your summer is off to a fabulous start. Coming up soon, I'll be posting my favorite baby/toddler summer must haves. Happy Thursday! I don't know about y'all but I'm counting down to the happiest hour of all! Is it 5:00 yet?

Baby Must Haves: Months Thirteen and Fourteen

Well that was fast. Fourteen months have come and gone since little R joined the Lombardi party. Um, actually it's been fifteen months. I'm a little behind on blogging. Why am I behind? Not sure. Kidding. Chasing my running/climbing toddler who seems to be on a suicide mission, keeping up with Etsy and invitation orders, and you know, eating bon-bons and getting the occasional pedicure. Time must be made for pedicures. It's summa-time and my toes need all the help they can get, k?

Here are our thirteen and fourteen month baby (I guess toddler now...insert sad face) must haves!

Little Tikes 2-in-1 Swing - I am BESIDE MYSELF that I did not get a swing sooner. Like last year. IT.IS.AMAZING. The best thing is that I can put Robby in here and be totally hands free to do things in the front yard. Like you know, water plants, pull weeds, and all that fun stuff. OR ignoring all that stuff and just drinking wine al fresco. Robby screams with glee as I push him in this swing and it is a total mood lifter on those toddler tantrum days when you are like, "Why did I have a kid again?" Except I'm NEVER like that so we swing purely for fun. We (meaning my yard man - and don't judge - I was not about to risk my life or become a widow letting Andrew climb up a 20-foot tall tree. I simply do not want to be raising a toddler by myself if I can help it) hung this from a huge tree in our yard and it is the perfect spot in the shade for Mr. R. It really is necessary to drink wine while Robby swings because I have an irrational fear that I will swing Robby up to the highest height and then will hear a crash. As in a crash from the swing falling. So the wine helps with a little pre-swing relaxation. Pre-swing because you start sipping wine before you actually get in the swing and then throughout the swing session. I wonder if they make these in adult sizes? With a cup holder?

Munchkin Super Grip Bath Mat - My little (big) man has outgrown our very beloved bath tub ring. I was starting to have a hard time getting him out of the tub ring. Have you seen his thighs? Anyway, that left me in a real pickle because my guy is not one to sit still. I needed something to give him some grip in the tub to keep him from sliding all over the place when he repeatedly stands up. This mat is just the ticket! Easy to use (make sure you get the back wet before trying to suction it to the bottom of your tub), stays in place, and not expensive - which is great so I can save those pennies for my pedicure habit. Score!

Sassy Baby Disposable Diaper Sacks - Y'ALL. THE SMELL. OF TODDLER POO. Ok, let's just say that since starting to eat a wider variety of solid foods, well, R's diapers are gross. They're better in the sense that they're more solid (excuse my oversharing), but way worse in the smell department. WAY.WORSE. These diaper sacks really help disguise that odor. And I started NEVER putting poo dipes in the genie a long time ago. I keep a box of these sacks in the top drawer of the changing table and poo diapers go directly in one of these sacks and straight out into the outside trash can. There's a little tip for ya if you think your house is smelling like diapers. DO NOT put poo diapers in the genie. Like, ever. Have you heard me say POO enough yet? Oh the things I would have been appalled to say out loud pre-baby.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar book - For some reason this book is Robby's latest obsession. He will sit down and flip through this and "read" it to himself which is just about the cutest thing I've ever seen in my life. If you could use 5 or 10 minutes of somewhat quietness, get this book for your little guy or gal! Aside from The Very Hungry Caterpillar, all books in general are a big interest of Robby's these days. Because he's a genius.

This is a great age, but it is most definitely when they start getting independent. And by independent I mean resisting authority. I need to read up on toddlerhood and hone my skills before it gets too crazy around here.

Here's a rundown of what is going on with our little man if you are interested:

Favorite Foods: pancakes, goldfish, carbs in general, raspberries, cheese, avocado, peanut butter
Favorite Activities: eating carbs, bath time, swinging, being a wild man
Favorite Words: Dada, uh-oh, this (pronounced "dis"), that (pronounced "dat"), and baby James (pronounced "A-E Jayz") *Baby James is Robby's cousin whom he ADORES! Now every baby he sees is "Baby James." He also says "Hey!" I can't wait until he really starts talking. As long as it's not "No."

Having a Baby? May the Force Be With You!

I have so many friends who are about to have babies that I thought I would share some baby survival tips. I've shared a few of these before when I talked about surviving the first six months with a baby here and also in another post here. In random order, here are some things you should know, baby mamas:

• Paper Towels - Let's talk paper towels. I'm not sure what exactly I use so many for but we go through about one roll every two days. So my first piece of advice is to have plenty of paper towels on hand. Go to Sam's or Costco a little before your due date and stock up on paper products so you won't have to get out for a while. Don't forget toilet paper too! Sorry, trees! I recycle, I promise!
• Baby Wipes - Wipes are kinda like paper towels. I use a lot of them, and for way more than cleaning baby behinds. They're great for wiping up spills, taking off mascara, cleaning up boogers, giving yourself a bath...hey we don't all have time for a shower during the sleepless newborn days. Kidding. So stock up! I always buy wipes in bulk.
• Amazon Prime Membership - This will be your very best friend. It can be dang near impossible to leave the house with a baby sometimes. Especially if the babe is asleep and you have to catch up on reality TV. With a simple click, you can order just about anything right to your doorstep. And it includes free 2-day shipping! This is great for when you run out of paper towels and wipes. So if you're not already, get set up on Amazon Prime before baby comes.
• Babysitters - This is a complicated subject. Babysitters are like housekeepers. You can't steal them from friends. You've gotta find your own. And it can take some time to get a few good ones. We found a phenomenal one on Care.com. She happened to also be a local university (TCU) student majoring in nursing so I felt an element of trust with her from the beginning. Care.com may sound like a creepy way to find babysitters to you, but trust me, when you haven't been out in a while you'll look for a babysitter just about anywhere. OK, maybe not anywhere, but you know what I mean. Another great babysitter resource is checking with your baby's teachers if they are enrolled in Mother's Day Out (which I HIGHLY recommend). Everyone needs me time. I'll openly admit it: I'm a MUCH better mom when I am able to get time to myself. No shame here. My best advice is to start looking for babysitters before your baby is even here! Or at least get started on it when they are still teeny tiny so that when you are ready to par-tay, you're covered. And these days, by par-tay, I just mean go to dinner, have a few drinks, and if you're feeling crazy, go to bed at 12:00. GEEEEEZ those 6:30 am wakeups come SO soon. This brings me to my next piece of advice....
• Phases - Remember that everything is a phase, and your "phases" may be different from what the books say they should be. For example, my child rarely sleeps past 6:30 am. And sometimes he is up earlier than that. (Why do those mornings seem to ALWAYS be after one too many adult beverages and a 1:00 am bedtime?) Babies need 12 hours of sleep right??? Wrong. Mine is an early riser and as much as I have tried to change it, he just won't sleep late. I have read every book and tried every theory, and I have finally just accepted it. And don't even get me started on all the people who suggest to me to put him to bed later to make him sleep in...my child can go to bed at midnight people, and he's still up when the sun rises. I do try to leave him in his crib as long as possible in the morning. He'll roll around and talk to himself and then start screaming for "da-da." He knows who the softie is. Maybe my next one will sleep in? Please? God, are you there? Not sure where I'm going with this but babies go through lots of phases. One week they sleep great, one week they don't, one week they love bananas, the next week they don't. Try not to get too stressed and realize that it may not have anything to do with how you are parenting. They are little people with their own little personalities and will act accordingly. Joy!
• Diaper Rash - Dipaer rash SUCKS. But it happens. Especially if your baby is ever on antibiotics. Try to get ahead of diaper rash as soon as you think it's happening. I typically use Desitin every night since they are in a wet diaper for a prolonged period of time, and I use it at every diaper change if I notice ANY redness at all. Like even one little speck of pink. If things get hairy and the rash is bad, I use Lotrimin followed by Maximum Strength Desitin (the purple tube). Yes, Lotrimin is actually athlete's foot cream. But, some bad diaper rashes are caused by yeast and until you kill the yeast (which Lotrimin does), the rash won't go away. You can get it at any drug store. Disclaimer: I am NOT a doctor, and you should not use my advice as such. I'm just giving you advice that I got that really works. Ask your doctor if you aren't sure if you should use Lotrimin! (Mine actually suggested it to me).
• Getting Out - OK this is a big one. You are NOT going to feel like getting out those first few weeks post d-day. I was a hot mess for a good month (I've tried to erase it from my memory but it comes back in flashes. Isn't that called post-traumatic-stress-disorder?...) Anyway, please try to get out as soon as you are feeling up to it (which could be a while especially if you had a c-section or a bad delivery out the normal exit route...YIKES). Go somewhere, even if it is driving through the bank. Or grabbing some Starbucks (and man, will you need it). Or just sitting in your front yard. Ok, you could start with your backyard if you haven't showered in a while!
• It's a Love that Grows - When you meet your baby for the first time, you may not have a highly emotional reaction like in the movies. There may not be tears and choirs of angels singing. Wouldn't that be neat though? You will either have had your abdomen sliced open and be heavily drugged up or you may have blown out your downstairs, which I'm sure feels awesome. It for sure isn't a great state of affairs physically, and sometimes not emotionally either. It is ok to not immediately feel an overwhelmingly deep love for your baby at first sight. I mean, don't get me wrong, I loved Robby when he was born but not in the way I do now. It is a love that grows with time. Falling into a routine helps, and so does sleep. Now he is my little biscuit muffin and I am so obsessed with him that I can't imagine loving him more! In the beginning it was more like, "Hey kid, I love you. But you are kinda being an a**hole when you wake up all hours of the night."
• Speaking of A**holes - No one really told me what things look like after you deliver a baby. Why did everyone keep this a secret? And WHY are there mirrors in post-partum bathrooms? OY. All I can tell you is that after you have a baby, your stomach skin may be kinda puffy, a little soft, and slightly saggy. And I'm sorry for over-sharing, but your belly button may look like an a**hole. When the baby filled up your stomach, it made your stretched skin very tight, and now that baby is out, well, it's not tight anymore. It's sorta wrinkly looking, in fact. I cried when I saw myself for the first time. Like sobbed. Dramatic, much? I'm not sure what I thought was going to happen but I didn't like what I saw. So my advice is just don't look at it, don't dwell on it, and don't worry about it. It DOES go back but it will not be overnight. Can someone promise to tell me this when I do this again? I'm sure I'll listen....especially with those post-baby hormones raging.

I CANNOT believe my biscuit was ever this small. Thanks Sabrina Gebhardt for capturing Robby as a newborn. This picture is brought to you by three layers of Lancome concealer and a healthy dose of Motrin. 

 Happy Tuesday friends!

The Best Chicken Recipe Ever

I get tired of eating the same old chicken from the same old recipes every week! I found this recipe on the cutest blog, tablefortwoblog.com. Check this blog out if you haven't. She has some really great, easy, and delicious recipes.

Originally called Holy Yum Chicken, I call this recipe "The Best Chicken Recipe Ever" because that is exactly what it is. I've made it at least ten times and it ALWAYS turns out perfectly. Everyone needs a never-fail recipe, so add this one to your recipe box. Enjoy!

*In my adapted version, I lower the oven temperature and use dried rosemary instead of fresh.

Ingredients

• 1½ - 2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken thighs
• ½ cup Dijon mustard (must be Dijon mustard, no substitutes)
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup (again, no substitutes. No fake Aunt Jemima stuff)
• 1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 8x8" oven-proof pan with 2 layers of tin foil. *You MUST line with two layers of foil! Do not skip this step!
• In small bowl, whisk together Dijon mustard, maple syrup, rice wine vinegar, salt and pepper.
• Place the chicken thighs in the foil layered pan then pour the mixture on top of it. Turn the chicken around in the sauce to make sure it gets all coated.
• Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes. *Check the chicken around 30 minutes to see if you need to turn down the oven temp.
• Remove from oven and let chicken sit for 5 minutes then transfer to a plate. Do NOT discard the liquid.
• Immediately after plating chicken, whisk in the 1 tbsp. of cornstarch into the liquid in the pan. You'll create a nice, thick sauce to drizzle over your chicken. You need to do cornstarch mixing immediately because the liquid needs to be hot in order for it to thicken properly. If it's still not thickening after 1 tbsp., you can add a little more.
• Whisk in the dried rosemary. Pour some of the sauce over the chicken, and reserve the rest for extra drizzling if needed.
• Serve with rice and veggies!

Sorry I don't have a photo of the chicken. I promise it looks amazing and you will love it. In lieu of a chicken photo, here's one of my sous chef getting some work done. #businessbaby....wait, I mean #businesstoddler......insert BIG sad face on the transition to toddlerhood....BOO.HOO. I'm sad.

More than anything, I am needing a nightly vino fix these days as R shows more of his toddler self. WOW. He doesn't really say the dreaded "no" yet...but the writing is on the wall. He has a bit of a stubborn streak. I wonder where he gets that from. HELP!

Happy Tuesday!