Friday Favorites

Oh Hey Friday!!! 

It's been awhile, but I'm back today sharing my Friday Favorites and linking up with some awesome Mommy Bloggers! 

SCHOOL DAYS

Both Lacie and Blakely are in school, which is a HUGE change for me (and for Paisley)!  Lacie is in school full time of course, and Blakely has preschool Monday/Wednesday/Friday!  I didn't know how I was going to feel about it...and I do miss them during the day but I'm starting to like our new normal!  I think what made this transition easy is that they both LOVE school! They are so happy to go every single day!  I also LOVE their teachers, and being a former teacher I can be a tough critic! 

You can read about Lacie starting Kindergarten HERE!

You can read about Blakely starting Preschool HERE! 

If you've been a loyal blog reader, you know how much I love making chalkboard signs!  We have quite the collection of boards for different purposes!  I'm always looking for new ones too! 

I use chalk markers, rather than regular chalk, to write on the boards! I love the way it looks, and I love that there is no chalk dust!

Dance
Back to school also means we are back to dance!  It's crazy that Lacie is already starting her third year of dance and Blakely is starting her second!

Food Pajamas

Completely random, but I found these awesome pajamas for Lacie!  She is my little foodie and truly eats me out of house and home!  She loves wearing them! 

Halloween Pajamas

And if you know me, you already know that we are rocking Halloween Jammies at the Hilosky House! 

Sister Love

Like I mentioned above, poor Paisley is missing her sisters when they are at school!  Yesterday, Blakely was off so they got to spend the day together!  I caught this sweet picture when B was waking Paisley up from nap!!! Heart Melted! 

And I snapped this random picture after picking Lacie up from school the other day! 

Mommy Mondays: Blakely Goes to Preschool

I know, you're probably checking your calendar and thinking "it's not Monday..."

BUT

Yesterday got away from me, so you're getting my Mommy Monday post on a Tuesday! 

Last week, I blogged about Lacie starting Kindergarten!  You can read about that HERE! 

Today I am talking about the other member of the Hilosky Family who started school...

Miss Blakely Hope

She's been waiting for this day since Lacie went to preschool one year ago! 

Looking a little unsure, but ready! 

 Happier to be standing next to Lacie! 

These pictures were taken on 9/6/16 and this turned out to be the very first day of school....and the very last day at that specific school for Blakely.  

Blakely had a good first day, but there was a bad vibe that I couldn't shake.  So I trusted my Mama intuition and pulled her out as fast as I could.  I'm not going to go into a ton of details, because it's not my place to bad mouth a school and many people are happy there...but it just wasn't the place for us. 

I felt a very strong calling that Blakely belonged somewhere else!

Two Days Later we were at a new preschool!  Everything happens for a reason, because this is exactly where Blakely needs to be.  I can feel it in my heart!  

Blakely is SO happy at her new school!  I can tell how much she adores her teachers and her new friends!  She gets so excited when she wakes up and I tell her it's a school day (she's there Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:15-3)!

I think the only way she would be happier is if she was allowed to go to Kindergarten with Lacie! 

#hiloskyeveryday2016 Weeks 34 and 35

Day 233 - it took all summer, but we finally got Nana to Sesame Place! 

Day 234 - Sunday Night Closing Session for VBS camp!  Lacie and Blakely LOVED everything about this camp! 

Day 235 - Working on some new birthday puzzles!

Day 236 - when you're small enough to walk through the tunnels at the park! 

Day 237 - My Sweet B <3

Day 238 - it's blurry but it's a selfie of all 3!

Day 239 - *sigh* it was that time of year for allergy testing before school starts!  Lacie is so brave! 

 Day 240 - a lazy river kind of day! 

Day 241 - this is what bedtime looks like at the Hilosky House!

Day 242 - Preschool Orientation Day for Blakely

Day 243 - Lacie's 5 year old well checkup!  No shots needed and a clean bill of health!  32 pounds, 39.5 inches....5th percentile! 

Day 244 - Bedtime Stories with Daddy! 

Day 245 - HAPPY SEPTEMBER 1st!!! Pumpkin Spice Cheerios for EVERYONE! 

 Day 246 - Back to School Haircuts! These girls do not know how lucky they are to have such naturally gorgeous hair! 

Mommy Mondays: Lacie Goes to Kindergarten

Well it happened!  I blinked and Lacie Jane went from being my newborn baby who never slept to being a KINDERGARTENER! 

Tuesday September 6th was her very first day of school!  Last year Lacie went to preschool, but this felt much different, much bigger! 

CLASS OF 2029! 

I can't wait to put her in this shirt every year! 

Lacie was all smiles at home!  She was still all smiles when we walked out to the car (B was another story - and I'll share that next week for Mommy Monday)...

 Then we got to school and Lacie's beautiful smile turned into this:

And then I was that parent standing outside the window taking pictures and she looked like this:

There were no tears from Lacie (only Mommy), but she looked so nervous! 

And of course I started questioning my decision to send her and not wait another year....

She is young...the youngest in the class....

 But when I picked Lacie up she looked like this:

And by Day #2, our morning drop off was like:

Lacie LOVES her teacher (so do I) and she LOVES school! I think it's going to be a great year! 

Just for fun...this is what she looked like exactly five years before her first day of school...

 September 6, 2011

Back to School Banana Bread

It's THAT time!  

BACK TO SCHOOL!!!

And if you live anywhere besides New Jersey than your kiddos are probably already back in the classroom! 

When I think about Back to School treats, homemade cookies come to mind first...but I wanted something a bit healthier!  This banana bread is the perfect HEALTHY snack that is still a treat!  It's even great to put in your kids' lunch boxes or snack bags!

Your Shopping List for the Back to School Banana Bread:

• 3 very ripe bananas 
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips (optional) 

Now Let's Make the Banana Bread:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease two loaf pans (1 pound pans that measure 8 1/2 x 4 1/2)
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine bananas, applesauce, eggs, and honey
3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet, mixing until combined (do not over mix)
5. Fold in chocolate chips
6. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans
7. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes (until top springs back when touched)
8. Cool bread in pans for 10 minutes
9. Turn bread out onto cooling racks to cool completely
10. Slice each loaf into 12 pieces 

I use two of these my gold touch loaf pans from Williams Sonoma to make this bread, and it comes out perfect every time!