Omaha Zoo 2015

Our first trip of 2015 was a success and a lot of fun!  My parents had wanted to take my nephew Eli and Annie to the Omaha zoo and earlier this month we were able to do so.  It worked out really well because my sister, Heather and her boyfriend Andrew were able to meet us from Colorado so not only did we all go to the zoo but it was a perfect get-together as we haven’t done a family vacation with my parents and siblings in years!   On Friday night we drove over and met up with my parents, my brother Cody and his son Elijah.  Mom and I enjoyed sitting the hotel lobby that afternoon drinking wine while Eli and Annie ran around.  It’s cute how Annie kept a watchful eye on what Eli was up to and how Eli kept a watchful but almost like ‘big brother-like’ eye on his little cousin Annie.  It’s the cutest to see them play together or when Eli reaches over and gives Annie a gentle hug.  Annie is pretty clingy to me but with Eli, she lets him come near her and loves his hugs and jumps right in to play.

While hanging out in the lobby, Heather and Andrew showed up, their flight was right on time which was great because we still had the whole evening yet.  We all grabbed dinner at a nearby restaurant and then hurried down the pool to get some swim time in before Annie’s bedtime.  Which we ended up letting her stay up later than normal, not sure if that was a good idea or not but it didn’t completely backfire on us.  It was the first time Annie was in a big pool and she was more intrigued in watching Eli jumping off the side of the pool.  

The next day we got to the zoo early, it started off to be a rainy morning but cleared up pretty quickly and really didn’t end up ruining our day at all.  Annie really loved the petting zoo, I think she could have petted the baby goat kids all day long.   She also loved the artic penguins and the train ride around the park.  We had a little trouble getting her to finally nap in the stroller but when she finally did, she was out for 3 solid hours.  Which we knew it was super important that she caught her nap but a bummer that she missed out on 3 hours of zoo time.  By the end of the day, we had walked 6 miles and seen just about everything there was to see except the Jungle, which at that point we decided we didn’t have it in us to walk thru that exhibit so we hit the souvenir shop and headed back to the hotel.

Speaking of the souvenir shop, I was really surprised, the prices were really good and not a total rip off like I was expecting.  Mom ended up getting Annie 2 animal books and a Lego set, all for $20!  And she loves it and plays/reads with them all the time.  

Back at the hotel, we ended up all ordering dinner in and spending our last evening together with some more pool time.  All in all, Annie really loved this trip to the zoo and we will definitely be hitting up the local zoo here in Des Moines this summer.  First trip of the year was a success and it was nice to get out of Des Moines, spend time with family and do something different for a change.

Dry Shampoo Reviews: Why to Use and What to Use

Confession time!  My hair is ‘dirty’ 50% of the time.  I do not have time to wash and style my hair every single day.   I’ve been thanking my lucky stars for the invention of dry shampoo.  It’s a real life saver.  I decided to try it just a mere few years ago and have been a dry shampoo addict ever since.  It’s way healthier for your hair too, shampooing all the time can really dry it out.  I'm lucky in that I have fairly normal hair, not too oily, not too dry so I am an especially good candidate for dry shampoo.  Some days, after I wash my hair I will even purposely add dry shampoo into my freshly clean roots as dry shampoo is a great texturizer and will help give your roots a little oomph!  I’ve tried multiple brands and lately found one that I’m just head over heels in love with so thought this is the perfect opportunity to share and give a review on what I’ve tried, what I like and what I don’t, and these are my un-biased opinions only, unfortunately I'm not getting paid for these opinions so you get them for free.  You're welcome.     

Let’s just start with my FAVORITE!  LUSH No Drought Dry Shampoo.  Love, love, love this stuff!  

So who has been in a LUSH store?  I have to admit that I’d walk by these in big cities and thought looks like a just another cool soap store {as I continued to walk by}.  We recently got one in Des Moines and again, it’s always looked intriguing to me but not intriguing enough to get me thru the doors.  Until I started to Google dry shampoo reviews and read about LUSH’s.  As soon as I walked into LUSH, I realized right away what all the hype was about.  All their products are handmade, and the picture of the person who made your product is right on your product as well as the date it was made.  All of their products are made from the freshest and purest ingredients, no harsh chemicals here (and p.s.... to my surprise it's not just a soap store, lots of awesome cosmetics to be had).  Price points in the store are good too for what you get, No Drought runs about $14 for the large bottle and $7 for the small.  I must say, I bought the small bottle and glad I did, a little bit goes a long ways and since it is made with fresh ingredients with no preservatives, there is an 6 month expiration date on the product so I suggest to start small and decide if you need a larger bottle or not.  Plus it’s a great size for travel.  I really love its lemony-lime scent which smells fresh and clean.  The main ingredient is corn flour, which is naturally super absorbent. 

The product is not as easy to apply as the other dry shampoos I've tried, mainly because its a dry powder.  I don’t suggest shaking onto your hands and then applying but rather shake directly onto your roots and into a paddle/bristle hair brush and then literally scrub it into your scalp with the brush.  It will help invigorate your roots to give you volume and to make sure the product is all absorbed into your hair.  The product is clean feeling but may feel a tid grittier than some of the other products I’ll be reviewing next.  I actually like the little grit it gives; it just helps add clean texture to my roots.  Overall, I can’t say enough good things about this dry shampoo, it really makes my hair look just as clean {some days even better than freshly clean} than any other dry shampoo I’ve tried.  I can’t wait to try more of LUSH’s products!

My next favorite dry shampoo is Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo.  

This shampoo gets high marks on Google reviews as well and it’s more common to find in retail stores.  I picked mine up at Target and for an affordable $5, you get a huge bottle!  This stuff works pretty good, I love the aerosol can for fast application and it absorbs easily.  It also does not leave any gritty feeling like most all dry shampoos do.  For $5, it’s a win.  A few drawbacks, it doesn’t have a really nice smell, in fact it doesn’t have much of a smell at all.  I prefer that clean smell in my hair.  And lastly, the ingredients on the back – I’m not a major organic freak but since having a child, I have paid more and more attention to what I’m buying and putting in and on my body and with this product I don’t even know what the active ingredient really is.  It’s reads like a foreign novel, as well as in big letters: FLAMMABLE on the back.  Well that’s because it’s an aerosol can but either way, not so comforting.

My very first ever dry shampoo was Suave Refresh and Revive, mainly because I just wanted to try something on the cheap.  And by on the cheap, I mean $3.  For $3, this stuff is amazing and has gotten high reviews on Google.  Who would have thought, right?!   

I remember using Suave as a kid and when I became an adult I swore it off like the plague.  Well folks, the tables have turned and Suave has made a great dry shampoo that I like to stash in my gym bag.  The best part is the smell, it has probably the best smell of all of them I’ve tried.  It works pretty much just as well as the Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak but more grittier feeling and takes a little more work to absorb in.  If you are looking for a dry shampoo to just start out with, this is the one I would suggest.  It’s cheap so if you don’t like it, then you can part ways with it. 

The last dry shampoo review is a total bust.  I love Redken products and have been using them for years.  I have a cabinet full of Redken and some of my favorite shampoos/conditioners are Redkens.

But I must say their Pillow Proof Dry Shampoo is a flop.  Same crappy foreign ingredients, the smell is not fresh at all.  It absorbs some oil but does the least for my hair.  Sadly, I cannot recommend this one, hence no hyperlink for this product.  And it's the most expensive one, $18 bucks for this can of crap.  And I'm the type that can't throw anything unused away.  So now I'm left with it. It's currently a fine flammable dust collector on my shelf. 

I cannot give Batiste a full review but it’s Google’s number 1 rated dry shampoo on many sites.  

I have tried it in-store (I’m totally guilty of this!  I try products in store before deciding if I want to buy them.  HELLO dry shampoo spraying in the aisles! Heck I even try the grapes in the produce department before I will buy them, I’ve bought my fair share of rotten products in my lifetime!) so when I tried it in-store I didn’t think it was anything special personally.  I think it gets most raves from brunnettes, they make one specific for brunettes because dry shampoo does have a tendency to spray in whitish in color and it needs to be brushed in good to eliminate any powdery look.  I never have this problem being a dark blonde and actually find that the dry shampoos usually hides the outgrowth of my highlights really well.  But if you have dark hair, Batiste might be right for you!  The one pictured above is not specific for brunettes, this is the one I tried in-store that I can attest was not that special in my opinion.  Wasn't bad but wasn't special enough to make it in my cart.  

** I want to put a disclaimer out there:  just because I don’t wash my hair every day, I usually do shower every day.  Key word being ‘usually’ as today in example I have yet to and may choose not to.  There is no excuse to be the stinky kid, I DO practice good hygiene while being a dry shampoo advocate!

 

8 Tips For A Successful Kid Photo Shoot

       

        Have a good photographer.  The reality is my tips I’m about to give only contribute a very small sliver of what it takes to have a successful photo shoot, it’s really the photographer that all the credit is given to.   We are extremely fortunate to have a very talented photographer who also happens to be one of my best friends!  Being she is such a good friend, we are super comfortable around her and it makes for an easy going photo shoot.  If you don’t have a photographer, my tip is to find one you are comfortable being yourself around, the shoot should flow comfortably and easily from there.

       Have a GAME PLAN!  I know Annie’s 1^st nap of the day is very dependable and I can rely on it.  I know her afternoon nap is a little shakier. Therefore I opt for the late/mid-morning photo session when she seems the happiest as well.  We timed this last one so that she would wake up 30 minutes beforehand and the other big tip is to have a well fed baby.  We gave her a few minutes to wake up, then we fed her, and I’m not talking just a snack, we fed her to the point where she would be plenty full.  A full, well rested baby is crucial for a successful shoot.

       2 outfit changes max!  I’ve done 3 outfits on Annie before, I would not recommend it, it’s too much work.  I do like having an outfit change in our session though to add a little diversity in your pictures.   Parents – 1 outfit for you, if you need to mix it up, throw layers on/off.   Make sure you have enough color coordination but not too ‘matchy-matchy’.  

      Bring ideas!  I always come with all my Pinterest favorites printed out for quick reference.   It will keep the shoot moving along quicker too, with a baby, you just never know how long their cooperation will last!  

       Have snacks.  This was a great idea my photographer suggested.  You can’t see the Puffs or Cheerios in their mouths while shooting and it keeps them a little more content.  When Annie started to finicky, snacks did the trick!

      Know how to make your baby smile.  I’ve really struggled with this one in the past!  What works for your baby several weeks ago, may not work the day of.  I reserved figuring out what will make Annie laugh a few days before the shoot.  I tried buying this contraption in the Target dollar aisle that had a long arm to it thinking I would be able to tickle her with it/amuse her.  I got home and tried it on her and right away she grabbed it and wanted it and played tug-a-war with it until I gave it to her.  #1stFail!  Then I went and bought a birthday noise maker, you know … the kind where you blow in them and the paper unrolls out.  Annie hated it, made her cry!  #2ndFail.  Then I just started doing funny things until I got a reaction out of her.  I found that if I puffed my cheeks out and then use my hands to ‘pop’ them or blow the air out, she would roll in laughter.  I was careful not to wear this trick out before the photo shoot by doing it too much beforehand.  On the day of, it worked like a charm!  Giggles and smiles galore each time I puffed my cheeks out and popped them.  This is why you have to be comfortable around your photographer because you will do some real idiotic, crazy things to make your child laugh!  Another thing that has somewhat worked for us is during a family picture, giving her a little belly tickle while holding her will bring on the smiles too.

      Have a pep talk with your husband.  Yes, we must address this ladies.  Before the photo shoot, I go over my Pinterest ideas and my game plan.  That way he knows what is expected and we are on the ‘same page’.  I also make sure to remind him of how important these pictures are to me and to work with me, not against me during the shoot.  I know for men, pictures can be painful.  But luckily, for his own good, he knows having a very mad wife is more painful.  And I just gently remind him of this about an hour beforehand.  

      Lastly, these are moments that are meant to be captured.  Thru all the stress, prep work, time involved… when you see those pictures for either the first time, or the 100^th time, you will constantly be reminded of how precious and priceless they really are.  It’s something that you really shouldn’t by pass!  This picture right here... melts my heart every.single.time..... 

Annie's 1st Birthday Party

Annie had a really special and fun 1st birthday party.  Family and close friends were there to help celebrate and overall we kept it fairly simple and laid back.  I love party planning so here is how it went down!

The invitation

I decided 11 am would be an ideal time as Annie normally goes down for a nap around 8:30/9am and is up around 10:30.  We ended up waking her up that morning so she wouldn't sleep in and stick to schedule and like a charm, between 10:30 and 11 she woke up from a good nap which was a relief to know we would have a happy baby for the party.

Given my 11 am start, I knew we needed to serve lunch.  I was so undecided on what to do for lunch,  I'm not an indecisive person at all!  Grilling in March with the weather is too unknown.  Plus it creates work for Aaron, more of a mess to clean up, and takes Aaron away from enjoying the party.  I thought about doing pastas, but decided a little heavy for lunch.  So I ended up with a HyVee platter of deli sandwiches and I was very happy with them.  They were served on cibatta bread with a toothpick on top with a cherry tomato. They presented well and tasted fabulous!  With that I served a Ceasar salad and given macaroni and cheese is Annie's favorite, I made up a batch of that the night before and all I had to do was bake it before the party started.  Easy peasy and it seemed to go over well with everyone.  I know the guest of honor was putting the mac and cheese down so we pleased the most important {little} person of the day!

Annie and her Dadda (heart melting!)

Love this little girl -- who does she look more like?  I think she is a good mix of both of us.

Poor Charley, she is such a good dog but when guests are over, we struggle getting her to listen and calm down, I wish she wouldn't get so excited when guests are over, for most of the party we had to detain her at the bottom of the stairs.  At least it's because she is 75 lbs too friendly, could be worst! 

Grandma, Annie, Nana and Cousin Eli.  Eli is so good with Annie!   He is no longer the only grandchild and he shares and is amazingly sweet with Annie

Annie with Uncle Cody

Grandpa Hyde getting his cuddles 

Lots of smiles with Grandma Hyde

How many 1 yr olds have a true best friend?  Alaina and Annie are! 

Lots of playtime was had

These two play pretty well... most of the time.  We are getting a glimpse of the struggle to come with sharing toys!

After lunch, we opened gifts.  When guests asked what Annie wanted for her birthday, we replied with outdoor toys.  We are running out of room for indoor toys so I thought outdoor gifts would be the most useful.  We got some great outdoor gifts that I'm looking forward to seeing her play with this summer.  I was stumped on what Aaron and I were going to get for her.  We wanted something a little special given it's the first birthday.  At daycare they had a play kitchen that Annie seemed to really like, although a little too tall for her, it would be a gift she could grow into so a play kitchen it was!  It's pretty cute seeing her open the doors and hide toys in the oven and reopen to check they are still there.

Annie still doesn't get opening gifts yet, next birthday will be a different story I'm sure! 

After gifts we went straight into cake as Annie was starting to show she was wearing down a little and likely not far from her 2nd nap of the day.  I had a pretty good feeling the cake smash would not go over the best and I was right.  Surprisingly she didn't cry while we sang happy birthday to her but had zero interest in the cake and when I tried to put a little frosting on her lips, she started to give me that look and arch her back as if she was close to a meltdown.  I know this look and know what happens here, there isn't a chance at this point we will get her interested so rather than continually trying, the cake smash ended and we let her run the last bit of her energy out before going down for her next nap.

Cutest 1 Yr Old I know!

One taste and that was it! 

First birthday party is a wrap!  Good memories, great company, yummy food, new toys, 2 naps... what more could a one year old ask for?!

Now for some "behind the scenes" details...

When I was planning the party, I saw so many cute decorations to buy and personalize on Etsy.  When I added up all my favorite items, it was going to cost hundreds of dollars.  That just didn't make sense!  So rather I figured out how to replicate and make my own and you know what... my own turned out better than what I liked on Etsy.  I may show some tutorials in coming posts but for now, let me show you what we did!

Upon finding this sweet little outfit on Etsy, it was how I came up with our birthday theme.. which was simply the colors of gold and light pink.  LOVE!

Made all on my own!  The ones on Etsy are going for $30... mine is $5 made from scratch. 

DIY at it's finest!  Less than $5 -- a little scrapbooking paper , stickers and colored string. 

Another DIY project, making good use out of those stressful monthly photo shoots

A-N-N-I-E! 

Aaron's coworkers wife was able to make this for me, how nice was that! 

Since Annie's birth, I have spent hours documenting her life in 2 book. Left one is a memory book, right one my mom made to collect picture.  Both are full of the 1st year's memories! 

I did not make this.  Let's be clear, I do not sew and never will.  My Aunt/Uncle/Cousins sent this early for us to open.  How cute!  Loved it! And to have a hat and balloons on the bib to match the set up -- it was too perfect! 

Again... let's be clear -- I did NOT make this cake.  It was the same cake vendor we used for our wedding, so it was something special we wanted for Annie's 1st birthday.  The cake turned out exactly as I asked for it to look.  So cute!

Cake display, simple but cute

Smash cake -- again by our cake vendor.  Perfect for the purpose intended.  Although I just ended up eating all of it later that week since our little Annie wanted nothing to do with it! 

Annie's 12 Month Update

Holy Cannoli, we got a 1 year old folks!  Happy, Happy Birthday Sweets!  Lots of fun stuff happened last month worth blogging about.

This picture took multiple days and hours each day of begging for cooperation! 

Blowing kisses!  She is learning how to do it on command and it is super cute.  We are still working on it but if you ask her to blow kisses, she has been able to do so without me doing it first; same with waving bye-bye.  I love that she is understanding what we tell her, she really seems to be comprehending a lot of words lately and it’s pretty cool when she picks up on one.  She has also learned how to hold her finger up to show you she is one years old when asked how old she is. Although this one is a little more tricky for her to want to do and we get her to do it about 50% of the time. 

One thing I’ve noticed that is so sweet is when she is studying a book or an item and finds something new about that item.  Example, we have a book with flaps that we’ve never opened, one day I opened the flap and her eyebrow rose and she starred like ‘Whoa…I didn’t know this book we read every single day does that.”  Her reaction is always the same; she slightly raises her eyebrows and stares in surprise, completely intrigued and taking it all in.  And then that stinker never forgets her knew found knowledge either, I think all the flaps are torn out of that book now!

One struggle I have never talked about is that for months now this girl just hates getting her diaper changed.  Screams, kicks, cries and fights it so hard!  And there is nothing about this that gives warnings signs to us that something is wrong other than she just flats out hates being pinned down on the changing table.  This has been going on for months now and we just try to get thru a diaper change as fast as possible!  Same goes for the car seat, we’ve tried 3 different seats, made sure the straps aren’t too tight… but doesn’t matter; we’ve ruled everything else out, it’s all about being strapped down, she hates it and screams like mad.  We purposely plan trips in the car around her naps or else it’s her screaming and us with a massive headache.

This month we weaned her off the bottle warmer in preparation for her to switch to cold whole milk, surprisingly it has gone way easier than I expected it too.  We just stopped warming her bottles one weekend and never have turned back.   May have been the easiest transition we’ve had thus far in this whole parenting journey!  Whoo hoo Annie!  {#winning!}

I am beyond happy to made it thru 12 months of these dreadful photo shoots.  Please remind me to never commit to such posts ever again.  I’ll still post on Annie, but don’t count on a monthly post as that stops here!   Way too stressful and not enough time on the weekends to make for picture perfect blog posts.  

Look for Annie’s 1^st birthday party post very soon!  Can’t wait to share!!

Happy Birthday Annie, A Love Letter From Your Mom & Dad

To My Precious Annie,

Today we celebrate your first birthday, what a sweet, sweet day it is!  You bring smiles and joy in the most awesome of ways.  Your twinkle and vigor for life is unmatched.  You are truly a one-of-a-kind…we love you SO much!  What a year your first has been…

You came into this world teaching your Daddy and me to have lots of patience and to love and to nurture in the toughest of times.  You suffered from colic for 4 months, there were a lot of trials trying to comfort you when you were in a lot of pain and would scream for hours on end!  It was heartbreaking and exhausting; we learned that patience, love and nurturing were what you needed most in those first few months.

When happier days were upon us, you wanted to be on the move constantly, you never cease to amaze me by how determined and tenacious you really are!  You are a go-getter, you are so driven, life with you is clear cut - you either like something or you don’t.  We’ve grown to love that so much about you, although you know how to put up quite a fight and are very bold in what you want… we see your strong personality as a positive and we truly think you will become a force to be reckoned with some day.  I pray that you use your strong willingness to bring good in this life and to others.  I’m beyond excited to see that tenacity of yours continue to grow!  

You are so fearless; you definitely don’t get that from your Mama!  You try and do things that make you seem so invincible.  It’s scary as your Mama to watch you be so adventurous at times.  There is not much that frightens you, your love and curiosity for life is without boundaries in your mind. Never forget that my sweet Annie, you can do ANYTHING!  Continue to live without fear. 

You have such a cute way of knowing when you are being ornery.  Most of the time it entails you running off with something you know you shouldn’t and squealing loudly as you pitter patter away, turning around as you run to flash me a mischievous smile.  You might just be the cutest when you are the orneriest! 

As your parents, we are your number one fan.  We run to your rescue whenever tears start, when you aren’t feeling well, to cheer you on when you took your first step, to share in the little celebrations, to laugh at all your silliness, to comfort you in the middle of the night… there isn’t anything we wouldn’t do to cherish every moment with you.  You bring joy to our lives, a fresh perspective to life; you are our blessing, our sliver of heaven on earth.    

As your Mama, I have so many hopes and dreams for you!  I pray over you and pray that you will be a child after God’s own heart, that you continue to be prosperous in good health, that your joy for life never fizzles, that your Dadda and I will be the parents we need to be to lead you on the right path. I want so much for you and can’t wait to see what the future holds! 

You came into this life as a handful and a handful you continue to be!  You keep us on our toes, I can’t imagine it any other way… we love you Annie.  So, so incredibly much!  Today is a day to celebrate your life.  What a sweet day it certainly is.  Happy Birthday My Sweets! 

Love,

Mama 

_____________________________________________

Annie,

I remember the day you were born like it was yesterday. After hours of anticipation you were finally born. The moment I became a father was a surreal moment for me.

Wanting to be the best parents we could be your mother and I went to several classes, watched videos, and read books. We always have and always will want the very best for you. Nothing can truly prepare you for parenthood. All of the worrying about whether you’re doing this or that right is only relieved with time.

As I write this we are fast approaching your first birthday. It is amazing all of the changes and advances you have made over such a short period of time. I am amazed at how big you are, that you’ve been walking for a couple months already, and how intelligent you are. Your birth has been one of the biggest changes and greatest challenges of my life.

I love to hold you tight and read you stories. I will pick you up when you fall. I will be your cheerleader in the stands and will be there for hugs to make it all better. I am far from perfect but will do the best I can to teach you and protect you.

As you grow older you’ll find out all too soon that the world is a rough and crazy place. But I can already see that you are courageous and persistent. You will be fine. You will fail but that is because you are trying and pushing to be the best that you can be. When you fail now you pick yourself up immediately and try again. I have no doubt that that is how you will approach life.

Be open to new experiences and other cultures. Be the one who doesn’t care as much about clothes as the person wearing them. Be kind, be compassionate and be humble. Love others, as God calls us to love all first and foremost. 

You (and your Mother) are the absolute loves of my life and it’s impossible to fully express the depth of feelings and hopes I have for you. I want so much for you. There is the stuff that’s easy to say: I want you to be happy; I want you to find love; I want you to be smart and ambitious; I want you to be kind; I want you to visit your Mom and me often.

Lastly, you can have whatever you want in life. When you’re younger it is easier to think material possessions and money is important…but it’s not what’s most important. As you get older things will get taken from you and people will pass. The sooner you realize that life is about the people around you and experiences you go through, the happier and more successful you will be.

Love,

Dad

Monster Cookie Dough Bites

Monster cookie dough bites are way out of this world!  So yum.  You could call them energy bites, as I have referred to them at times, but let’s get real…they taste so good because they are full of sugar, they aren’t exactly a healthy energy snack.

 

I am trying to be mindful of my sugar intake recently.  I have always known that I eat way more sugar than the average person but it’s been a real problem for me lately.  I can’t go cold turkey on sugar though.  That’s why these bites are great, I can just have a small nibble without going completely nuts and eating a whole bag of Starbucks jelly beans or 2 sleeves of Chips Ahoy or those devilish boxes of Girl Scout cookies (I may or may not have done all the above recently).  There is something about opening a whole bag of something that makes me out of control versus something that I spent the time making therefore I want to savor it and make it last longer.  These bites are just that.  They really don’t take a lot of effort to throw together either!

Several things come to mind about this recipe.  First, no oven heating required!  Secondly, they are super quick to mix up and enjoy immediately.  Third, I see this recipe as a good one that kids can join in on.  No flour here to make a mess out of!  You could even make it a lesser sugar version easily by cutting back the measurements of the sugary ingredients (kinda wish I would have considered that before I made them!  Will do next time.)   And the best part of all… you can freeze them, hence more control over how many I eat at once.  I don't see a lot of cons here. 

   Monster Cookie Dough Bites  

Yields: 30-36 cookie dough bites, depending on size

3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (optional, but it adds a distinct "dough" flavor)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 cup quick cooking oatmeal
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup mini m&m candies

Stir together the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, baking soda, syrup and vanilla until creamy. Add the oats and stir again. Add the chocolate chips and m&m candies and stir once more. Scoop into 1" balls and smooth with your hands. Refrigerate until ready to eat. Bring to room temperature before serving, if desired. The cookie bites will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week or in the freezer for 3-4 months. Enjoy!