Weekend Recap
Let me begin this blog post by saying I absolutely love our baby more than anything in the entire world. He brings me so much happiness and joy every single day and is, without a doubt, the light of my life.
(Check out Chase’s two bottom teeth!!!)
But, just to be real, I must admit that even though Chase constantly turns my heart to mush, he sure can kick my butt, too! Though our weekend included a lot of fun activities, it also included a lot of fussy baby moments that left me feeling a little exasperated at the end of every day.
I think a lot of it stems from the fact that Chase wants to crawl but just can’t master it yet. He whines to be held but when I hold him he twists and wiggles and wants to be put down. Once he’s on the floor, he immediately pops up on his hands and knees only to inchworm his way toward whatever catches his eye at the moment, which completely exhausts him and causes him to whine and fuss and want to be held again. And so, for the past week or so, we’ve repeated this cycle over and over again, all day every day.
Chase isn’t waking up as happy and playful as usual but seems to wake up from his naps feeling antsy and determined. He’s grunting a lot, rolling around like crazy and so darn active but his normally cheery demeanor isn’t lasting as long as usual and it can be a bit exhausting. According to my Wonder Weeks app, Chase is right in the middle of a leap marked by a lot of fussiness which makes me feel a little better about all of this since I don’t really know what to do to keep our little man happy other than distract him with a lot of fun activities outside of the house. So that’s exactly what we did this weekend!
Saturday
Like most of last week, Saturday morning was a bit dreary around here but when the rain finally subsided around 8:30 a.m., we were all itching to get outside!
In Florida, it rained almost every day in the summer but the rain would last for an hour and sunshine quickly followed. In North Carolina, it doesn’t rain much, but when it does, rain seems to last all day which can make me a little stir crazy. Three rainy days in a row were absolutely killin’ Sadie and gave me some serious cabin fever. I was ready for some time outside and while Ryan went to the gym, my sister and I took Sadie and Chase for a morning walk around the neighborhood. Chase entertained us with lots of tongue clicks while we covered two miles. By the time we made it home, Chase was ready for a nap and while he napped, Leslie packed for her afternoon travels home and we got ready for the day ahead.
Once Chase woke up, we all headed off to Discovery Place KIDS which seemed to be on everyone’s list of things to do on a cloudy Saturday morning because the place was slammed!
I’ve never seen the place so busy, but we still had fun at the water table, Lego station and other random exhibits. I loved watching Leslie and Chase have a ball together and seeing Chase look to his Aunt Leslie for fun, games and silly faces warmed my heart!
Our time at Discovery Place KIDS was cut a little short because we had to take Leslie to the airport to catch an early afternoon flight back home to Florida. I absolutely hate saying goodbye to my sister but she’s hoping to make it back to Charlotte for Chase’s first birthday at the end of July so at least we have something on the calendar to look forward to in the coming months.
After our goodbyes, I felt a little sad and decided to drown my sorrows in peanut butter and chocolate.
As you may have seen if you follow me on Instagram, I made a batch of chocolate peanut butter cereal bars on Saturday afternoon and they were a little too good. The recipe is an easy one and if you share my intense love for anything made with chocolate and peanut butter, add this one to your “must make” list!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cereal Bars (Plus Some Weekend Adventures!)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
Description
Made with only five ingredients, these chocolate peanut butter cereal bars are easy to whip up when you are craving a sweet treat that tastes like a crunchy peanut butter cup!
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
- 5 cups bran flakes cereal
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Place honey and brown sugar in a large pot over medium heat and stir until melted and mixture begins to bubble.
- Stir peanut butter into the honey mixture until smooth.
- Remove from heat and stir in bran flakes. Fold chocolate chips into the peanut butter mixture. (They will melt and create a delicious chocolate swirl through the bars!)
- Press firmly into an 8×8 pan sprayed with cooking spray. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
- Cut into squares and enjoy!
(Recipe adapted from my Peanut Butter Protein Bars)
Though I was craving peanut butter and chocolate (because I’m pretty sure I crave that particular flavor combination all day every day), I made the bars in part because I wanted to practice taking pictures of them since I’m making my way through the food photography e-book I recently purchased from Pinch Of Yum. I took a bunch of notes and am actually *shockingly* enjoying food photography a little more these days. Hallelujah!
I fortunately had some help in eating these bars because Ryan’s friend Eric arrived in town to visit soon after Leslie left! Eric has work to do in Charlotte next week but flew in from Chicago a few days early to hang out.(Ryan and Eric met in Ocala when they both worked for the same company and quickly became very good friends.)
The rest of our Saturday passed by in a bit of a blur of trying to entertain a needy baby while trapped inside since the rain picked up again in the early evening. By the time I nursed Chase and put him to bed around 7 p.m., it felt like 11 p.m. and I was exhausted. Ryan and Eric went out for a bit and I was 100 percent content to climb into bed early!
Sunday
The highlight of our Sunday was, without a doubt, taking our boat out for the first time this year! We’ve been itching to get on the water and finally made it out on the lake for a few hours after Chase’s morning nap.
The weather was gorgeous (though still too chilly to swim) and it felt incredible to be back on the water. I see a LOT more weekend boat adventures in our future!
Even though we had not been on the water in months, Sadie didn’t miss a beat and had the best time running all over the boat, watching the ducks and enjoying the lake breeze. She’s definitely water dog, through and through!
The end of our time on the boat coincided with Chase’s need for his afternoon nap which I spent working on this blog post and making a grocery list for the week ahead. And now I’m off to do a little grocery shopping before we grill out tonight and relax a bit before bed time.
I hope you guys had a great weekend!
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For weeks, my daughter was doing the same thing. This week my husband took her to visit his family and his sister had a little laser pointer that she uses with her cats. My daughter was so intent on catching the light that she mastered crawling one afternoon and hasn’t looked back. Sounds so weird but it worked! I imagine you’re tired and frustrated but it will click for him soon. I hope it hope that day comes quickly for you!
I saw those bars on your instagram! I make something similar for my husband every week with cherries and he loves them as an afternoon pick me up. Nothing beats chocolate and peanut butter together!
Hang in there, Chase is trying to figure things out and that can be frustrating. The WW app is awesome, as is the book. We referenced both offer when Mitch was a baby. It provided a bit of context and reassurance for me and helped me understand what he needed.
It really is helpful! It makes me feel better knowing it’s likely just a phase… and one that many parents/babies have been through before me!
i love how cooperative sadie is with the camera. my cat is so over it and runs.
these look easy and delicious! i need to get back on my meal prep game – for snacks, if nothing else!
Definitely making these bars before I fly home on Friday, gotta have my plane snacks!! 🙂 I’ve said this before, but babies and dogs are the two things that can ALWAYS make me feel better, so seeing your Snapchat always makes my day! Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe Julie 🙂
High energy babies can be exhausting! My daughter whose now 3 1/2 hasn’t stopped moving since I gave birth! She would be so fussy whenever she was about to hit a big milestone. Their little minds practice those movements when they sleep, making them restless, tired, and grumpy. Once she’d conquer whatever skill it was; she’d be right back to her happy self. We use to put toys just outside arms reach and lay on our bellies too to help get her to crawl. She would be so frustrated, but so proud of herself. Also, now that the weather is getting nicer you can start taking him to the park. I always brought a big blanket, lots of toys (that could be washed afterwards), and sunscreen. Let him explore-feel/crawl on the grass. And being outside is good for the mama’s soul too! Hang in there girl! Every stage has its own set of difficulties. But it sure is amazing to watch these little humans grow!
This was exactly how my son was when he was learning to crawl. Lasted about 2 weeks and once he figured out how to move he was so much happier. It was an exhausting couple of weeks though- he didn’t want to be held for long but got so frustrated when he was trying to move. It will pass soon!!
Thank you for sharing this, Jen! I hope he’s not too far away from crawling for his own sake! It definitely helps to hear from moms who have been through this fussy stage!
Wow those bars look amazing!!
It’s so tough when they’re trying to learn how to do something! One of these days it’ll just click. For my little guy, he ended up crawling to chase a water bottle that I rolled across the floor in front of him 🙂
Looks like such a fun weekend – time with friends and family and a delicious recipe. All ingredients to coming into the week refreshed and ready to go!
I totally feel you on the weather. We literally moved from Chicago to Denver for the weather, and we have the hour long “pop” of thunderstorms each day now. The hints of sunshine have given me enough of a taste of Summer that I already have my first Summer Giveaway on the blog today, ha! But hey, it’s almost Memorial Day weekend, so time for the pools and beaches to open, right?!
XO, Jessica
http://www.semisweettooth.com
Those bars sound too easy NOT to make, and I’m glad you were able to enjoy the weekend despite the constant rain.
I agree with the previous posters about the developmental leaps! But it’s so frustrating – I call my daughter “the Amazing Velcro Girl” on clingy days. I actually just read this post and think it explains it nicely: http://kellymom.com/parenting/velcrochild/
PS: That page is more about extended nursing, but the beginning part is helpful to think through clingy/challenging days!
Goodbyes are always tough… I went to college in Baltimore and my parents lived in Seattle at the time. It didn’t really get easier as the years went on 🙁 but we are lucky to have someone so special to make goodbyes hard!
Oh my gosh. That pic of you and chase is the best ever. You can’t help but smile when you look at it. Precious!
Holy camoley those bars look divine!
What a fun weekend! Can’t believe it is already Monday… Those bars look so delicious.. I love no bake bars!
It’s been raining off and on for what feels like days in New York, too. I’m looking forward to sunnier days this week! Also, those bars look delish!
Oh my goodness those cereal bars look TOO GOOD!!! I need to make them asap
How are you liking the E-Book?? I have been thinking of getting one to work through as well….food photography can be a bit of a killer. I am curious to know what you think and your photos are looking great!
These look delicious! Looks like Chase had SO much fun playing!! I can’t wait for when Adeline really starts “playing” when she’s a bit bigger!
Hang in there Mama! Sending hugs your way.
Sorry that Chase has been having a rough time. I totally know what you mean. My little girl didn’t crawl until about 16 months, so she would whine and whine at me when she wanted to move. He will master crawling before you know it though. 🙂
These bars look so good! I want to make these asap:) Oh my gosh, a day on the boat sounds fantastic right now! We were in Chicago all weekend traveling and all I wanted to do was find restaurants/bars that had a rooftop patio or outdoor seating.
I can’t get over Chase’s mop of blonde hair now! When did it go so full?
yay for boating and warmth! I am loving the fact that PA has finally started to warm up too! 😀 It’s the best time of year!!
I crave chocolate and pb all day everyday too–its a problem! haha
Chase is so cute, Sadie is so cute, and you are so beautiful! Oh, mothering babies – So many mixed emotions. This may sound mean to others, but I have a fussy baby, and sometimes have to repeat to myself “I always *love* my daughter but it’s okay if I don’t always *like* my daughter. Hopefully this phase passes soon for you both!
Those bars sound incredible and almost dangerously easy to make. I can’t wait to give them a try! I’d love to hear your thoughts on the Pinch of Yum book; I’ve been considering buying it, but just haven’t taken the plunge.
This behavior–“whines to be held but when I hold him he twists and wiggles and wants to be put down”–describes my son, too, who is a little older than yours. He can crawl, though now he’s working on walking. I think the behavior reflects their sort of confused desires; they want somehow to simultaneously be comforted and to be independent. But it is so annoying! I find myself having to take a lot of deep breaths to get through the day without snapping at him, even though I love him to pieces. I just thought it might make you feel better to hear that it gets to other people as well!
Chase sounds just like my son around that age. He would get so frustrated wanting to crawl (then walk) and as a result, I wanted to pull my hair out with the up, down, up, down! Just remember “it’s all a phase” (until the next one, haha).
Isn’t the wonder weeks app the best? It brought me so much relief!
Those cereal bars look SO GOOD!
Those chocolate peanut butter cereal bars look delicious! I”m definitely going to have to try making them.
Definitely going to check out the e book on food photography. Your bars looks delicious. I can certainly understand why you love your little guy so much. He is adorable! And a shout out to Sadie as well. xo Lauren
How refreshing for you to both own how much you truly love Chase and also be honest that babies can be TOUGH sometimes!!! We’re going through a mad teething phase and I swear one minute my little one is bopping around happy as can be and the next she is in a fit of rage! Chase is lucky to have such a loving and patient mom 🙂
Yum! You posted a recipe awhile ago (it’s got to be at least a few years now!) similar to this with peanut butter & bran flakes & it’s a favorite in my house… I’m sure that the addition of chocolate chips can only make them even better! 🙂
Yum! Do you have a recommendation of what to substitute for the bran flakes if I’d like to try a gluten free version?
Thank you!
Lindsay
We live right near Discovery Kids so I know we’ll be there often once we have kids, especially seeing as how much Chase seems to love it! I am itching to get out on Lake Norman soon. I’m glad the rain cleared this weekend for you guys!
This post was such a relief to me! My son is 6.5 months and is going through the same fussiness!!! He wants to get down but isn’t happy sitting. I’ve been so frustrated because we recently sleep trained him and he started sleeping through the night (yeah!!), but his mood is still fussy. I thought he should be happy as a clam with the nights of sleep and better naps, but it hasn’t been the case. Glad It’s not just my baby!!!
Could I sub the bran flakes for any kind of cereal? I have some really cool Chocolate Power O’s that would suit this recipe so well!
definitely!
Hi Julie! I’ve been reading your blog now for a few months but haven’t posted anything. I really enjoy all of your posts so first off thank you! Also my husband and I live in NC too! We were in Durham for 10 years and just recently moved to Greensboro. We have a 4 month old so I’ve gone back to your monthly posts about Chase to compare notes. Did you post about your transition to the crib? I know you did one on sleep training. We are working on the crib right now but our little guy is going through a “I only sleep on people” phase. Lastly, I made the bars this weekend and boy were they delicious! It reminded me of a healthier version of the “puppy chow” mixture that’s coated in powdered sugar. I’ll definitely be making them again!
Hi Jennifer! I posted about it — but only briefly: https://www.pbfingers.com/2015/11/16/the-big-crib-transition-weekend-fun/ All of these transitions are enough to stress anyone out, right!? 🙂 It actually went a little easier than we anticipate (though I still cried because I felt like it meant Chase was officially no longer a tiny baby…) Also, I’m so glad you liked the bars!!! They were a little TOO addicting! 🙂
Thank you! Sounds like the transition was very smooth. With Our little Luke that has not been the case. He hates the crib. ;( it is a sad time and I have shed many tears probably just as many as him. I’m happy that you guys got in a groove and that it was an easy but sad transition.
Hi Julie,
I know you talk about the walks you go on w Sadie and Chase. I was wondering if you would give a stroller recommendation. I’m looking for a durable outdoor walking / jogging stroller. Something more than the Chicco bravo that I have.
Any other readers who have insight, please share! I’m a FTM and my daughter is only 3 weeks old so I’m still learning about the necessities.
Thanks!
M
Hi Mandy!! I need to write a stroller review on the blog, but I actually have two jogging strollers (the Chicco TRE and the BOB) and love them both. I would whole-heartedly recommend either stroller, but if I had to choose only ONE, I’d go with the BOB. It’s sooooo lightweight and easier to fold up and store in the car than the TRE, though the TRE feels a little more durable. Definitely check out Lucie’s List for AWESOME stroller comparisons! That site is a tremendous resource!
hey julie! i love your simple wedding band in the boat pix. i’ve been thinking about getting simpler band for more active days too. did you ever post about that? thanks!
I felt like throwing a party when we were 100% done with ALL wonder weeks! I hated them. We would count down how many more wonder week phases we had until we didn’t have any more. Now we just have a silly, sassy and very opinionated toddler, but I don’t miss WW one bit.
These have definitely made it onto the weekend treat list!
Thanks for sharing, and let’s see how my very limited cooking skills stand up to making them! Fingers crossed they will look as good as the picture!
Tom
Everyone told me that once my baby started crawling/walking, life would get harder, but I swear it got easier! Once he could move, it was definitely harder to go out in public and especially to friends’ houses that weren’t baby-proofed, but he’s so much happier at home and he can entertain himself for much longer periods of time. Definitely something to look forward to 🙂 and those cereal bars look amazing, I’m feeling like they’re going to be my next pregnancy craving, aka I’ll have to make them very soon!
I ran out & bought the ingredients for those bars due to my obsession with the choco-peanut butter combo. They are so good! Thanks for the recipe, Julie!!!
I made these bars with my 8 year old daughter tonight. We loved them!
Your little guy is so stinkin’ cute! 🙂 I totally understand the feeling of wanting to soak in every single second of your sweet baby….but still looking forward to bedtime! 😉 On the really hard days, after my husband gets home from work I give myself a “mommy time out” and go up to my room to sit in peace for 5 minutes. 😉 No question asking, no booty wiping…just 5 minutes of silence to regroup and go back down and enjoy their craziness some more!
Do you have nutritional content for these bars??