D and R Tabb

Let's Talk About Food

2013-07-12T14:28:00.000-05:00

A few things have gotten me thinking about my relationship with food lately.

photo source

First, as you may have read, we went to an out of town wedding over July 4th weekend. We had a great time, but I wasn't happy with how I ate that weekend. To start, my husband and I love stopping at a gas station on any kind of road trip and grabbing candy to eat along the way. We did that (coming and going) on our trip. I also ate a lot of candy during our stay because we had a stressful time with Eli (he wouldn't sleep in the hotel and I had to take care of him by myself a lot since David was in the wedding). So I used junk food to cope with the stress of that. Literally one day I had candy for lunch. Ew. Then of course we ate deliciously at the wedding (don't regret that, it was a special occasion). However, after the weekend was over, my "junk fest" seemed to continue for a few days even after I got home. (i.e. we had chocolate left over from before we left on the trip--I ate a ton of it. We went to the fair and I bought a huge Sprite and a huge bag of cotton candy because "I never eat those things". Etc.) One day I told my brother,

"I ate so much sugar yesterday I don't think I even fell asleep. I think I just went into a coma."

photo source

I was joking, but it wasn't really that much of a stretch :-)

The second thing that got me thinking was a trip to Wal Mart. I had a decent amount of healthy foods in my cart at the end of my trip, but I don't think Jillian Michaels would be giving me any awards for healthiest eater either. But, I saw a family in front of me that had a little girl Eli's age. We got to talking a little bit and they seemed sweet. Then I looked up at the foods they were buying, just absent-mindedly watching the belt move so I could put my food on the conveyor belt. I was grossed out. They had boxes and boxes of frozen dinners and sides, frozen pizzas, frozen kid's meals, white, bleached bread, bologna, mustard (the one healthy item), soda, snack cakes, etc. I really couldn't believe it. And the toddler was drinking some kind of "juice" that had dyed her face red, so it obviously not really juice but maybe some kind of Kool-Aid drink. I was so sad for her knowing all she probably ever ate was junk and processed, sodium-laden food-like products. The family wasn't overweight, but I really don't know how that was possible. (Side note: please don't take this to mean I never give Eli treats. Because I do. We just try to maintain a balance).

These two things started me thinking about me and food. Caveat: I know I don't really have weight I need to lose. My BMI is 21.1. (25+ is considered overweight). I weigh about 5 pounds more than I did when I got pregnant with Eli, and I've mostly been okay with that, because it's not much weight. But I also know that weight is a tricky, slick thing. It can get ahead of you easily and 5 pounds can turn into 15 really fast. After gorging one day during Eli's nap on tortilla chips and raisins (I don't know why I ate those at the same time, but they sounded good then) I started getting really frustrated with myself.

"Why can't I just eat a normal portion of a snack?"

"Why do I feel I have to eat candy if it's in the house?"

"Why do I think that just because I have a good meatabolism, it's okay to eat like this?"

I get that there may not be a lot of body mass for me to lose, but this isn't just about weight--it's mostly about how I relate to food. What I use it for.

Screen shot from calculator.net

(Hey, this one says I can have 150 more calories than My Plate does.... :-)

These thoughts led me to find an app called "My Plate" from Livestrong.com (I have the free version). I liked this app because there's a place to track your three meals, exercise, snacks, and water intake. There are several options for calorie intake: maintain weight, lose weight, and gain weight. I initially set it up to "maintain" but out of curiosity I set it to "lose 1 lb. a week". I was surprised I could only eat 1715 calories a day. But I decided that I would try it for a week or so. Keep in mind that whatever calories I burn through exercise are subtracted from what I eat. (i.e. a day where I eat 2000 calories and burn 300 calories during exercise would equal 1700 calories for the day). My goal is twofold:

1. To see if it works

2. To get a good idea of how much food I should realistically be eating.

photo source

The first day I was pretty frustrated because I wanted to sit my butt down after dinner and eat a big ol' helping of some kind of snack--because that's what I always do. But of course, food shouldn't be a cure for boredom. I need to find other ways to occupy my time and be okay sitting on the couch relaxing at night without stuffing my face. So, I have been counting those 1715 calories each day to see if I'm really satisfied. I've been really surprised that it's enough food to keep me satisfied. We live in such a culture of excess that I think I forget how much of the food I eat is "needed" and how much is just extra.

I don't plan on counting calories long term, but I want to get a better handle on my relationship with food. Not to be the one that can't stop eating from the communal bowl of M&M's at a meeting. Not to be the one that is always eating waaaay too much candy. I do not intend to stop rewarding myself or never use food to celebrate. That would be dumb. Food is a pleasure God has given us and we should enjoy it.

I've just been enjoying it a little too much and it's time to be more conscious.

PS--If you're looking for a little motivation, I found a fantastic blog called Attune Foods that I found to be really encouraging and full of amazing recipes.

*Note: This is not a sponsored post. My Plate and Attune Foods have no idea who I am. Just spreading some good info.*

4th of July Wedding Weekend!

2013-07-06T21:04:00.000-05:00

We spent our 4th of July weekend celebrating David's brother and his fiancé getting married! Weddings are like a family reunion of sorts so not only do family and friends get to watch a beautiful marriage start, but it's a great way to reconnect with everyone.

I had all these intentions of taking tons of great pictures, alas it was not meant to be. David was the best man in the wedding, so while we was doing wedding party-type things, I was wrangling our own personal Tasmanian Devil (more on him later :)

The wedding took place at this beautiful event center/old church:

It was pretty neat. After the ceremony, everyone went outside to a brick patio for cocktail hour. While we ate our appetizers and enjoyed a glass of wine, they transformed the ceremony area into the reception area. Pretty neat. I was way bummed because Eli didn't allow me to see hardly any of the ceremony. He was a total crazy man, whining and screaming and would NOT sit still. I managed to wrestle him still (ish) for long enough to watch the bridal party and the beautiful bride walk down the aisle, then I took Eli behind that big gold curtain so the rest of the guests could watch the ceremony without listening to a screaming toddler. I kept trying to peek around the curtain to see important parts, but Eli kept trying to throw the curtain open in the most dramatic fashion, so all I really got to see was the very end of the ceremony. I had to laugh because by the end of the ceremony there were three parents holding babies in the back of the room trying to keep them quiet :)

The reception was great too. The dinner was the absolute best of any wedding food I've had. Wow! And they had enough items that were gluten free that I was able to eat a meal. (Double yay!) After dinner we had a babysitter for Eli back at our hotel, but sadly that only lasted a little while because he got really upset. But in the mean time, we managed to take some pictures at the photo booth, dance a little, and see the bride and groom.

The next morning we met in the lobby and had breakfast with the family. We headed home and have yet to unpack. We'll leave that for tomorrow.

The one lesson I learned this weekend is that I'm never staying with Eli in a hotel again. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating, but it was rough guys. He slept from about 1:00 am - 4:45 am the first night. My sister-in-law (not the one getting married) got him asleep for a nap the next day, but he quickly woke up. Then I had to drive around the city for an hour and a half to get him to nap the next day. I expect he'll be tired for the next few days as he recovers.

Overall, it was a great weekend, minus the no sleeping. I think a BIG nap is in order for us all tomorrow after church.

Here is the rest of the weekend in pictures (the ones I managed to get anyways)

Tiny Kona ice truck for the rehearsal dinner

Eli enjoying some delicious ice

Being silly with Daddy

I was so happy I got him to sleep even if it was in the car!

Sweet cousins

This blurry picture was the best I could do--he wouldn't sit still

Playing outside Chipotle

Eli insisted that he hold his Grandmom's hand while he sat in the stroller. Funny kid.

The beautiful bride and handsome groom!

(Picture stolen from Facebook--sorry whoever you are!)

Check out this awesome picture by Studio 213 films.

They rented segways for the bridal party before the wedding--awesome!

Menu Plan Monday!

2013-07-01T12:01:00.003-05:00

Back again with another addition of Menu Plan Monday to give you some ideas and motivation for menu planning this week. I just realized after my careful shopping that we are going to be out of town for the weekend since my brother-in-law is getting married :-) Guess that means I won't have to run out to the store as soon as we get back, though.

On our menu this week are two favorite standbys, one meal I haven't made in awhile (but I think we liked), and two new meals (shhh, don't tell my husband! He gets nervous when I try new things).

I recently switched to making 5 meals a week (maybe I mentioned this in a previous post? I can't remember). This has helped minimize the mid-week runs to the store to round out the week. I think now that Eli is older and eats three good meals a day, he's eating up our leftovers and sharing our dinners so I need to start making more food.

To round out the week, meal #6 is usually leftovers and meal #7 will be at a restaurant of some kind. If you haven't read my Menu Plan Monday posts before, I don't really plan out what specific meals I will eat on certain days of the week. I just let our schedule determine what's easiest to make (i.e. on busier days I make simpler meals and on more relaxed days I'm more likely to try a new recipe).

Meal #1: Garden Tuna Melts. I alter this recipe a little because I don't always use the oregano (depends on my mood) and while I serve David's on bread with melted cheese, I usually eat mine with GF crackers and sliced cold cheese.

photo by Kraft

Meal #2: Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup. I don't believe I've made this one before, but it's been sitting in my "Dinner Recipes" bookmark waiting to be tried. It reminds me of the Taco Soup from Crockpot 365 that I make all the time, but a little healthier without the Ranch dressing mix. We'll see!

Photo by Miller Musings

Meal #3: Western BBQ Burgers from Patio Daddio (cutest blog name ever!) These look so tasty and since my burgers with homemade onion soup mix went over well last week, I thought I'd try another burger recipe this week. I'll probably eat this with potato wedges baked in the oven and the two minute GF bun

Photo from Patio Daddio

Meal #4: Crockpot Chicken Fajitas. I made these once before. I think I remember them being tasty. I will probably put them in taco shells since we have two boxes to finish up.

Photo from Stacy Makes Cents

Meal #5: Pancakes. I'm using the recipe on the bag of Pamela's baking mix. I might throw in some eggs on the side if we feel like eating them.

Pretty simple week and I'm looking forward to all the tasty food. What's on your menu this week?

Eli {18 months old} June 2013

2013-06-25T22:24:00.003-05:00

Eli is 18 months old! One and a half! Here's an update on my angel baby:

Vocabulary: I recognize not everyone will be interested in hearing Eli's (ever expanding) vocabulary but I think it's cute hearing how other babies "create" their own versions of words. This list expands every day and I'm sure I didn't remember everything. I've been writing them in my phone as he says them to help me remember. I didn't think the list would be very long but man, he learns more words every day now.

Words he can say (with phonetic spelling as needed :)

Bye
Oh
Wow
Ewww
Go
No (He's REALLY good at this one. Especially if I ask him if he wants to go "night night"). He doesn't say "Yes" he just smiles like a big goofball.
Hi

"Na"--banana
"Fwa" or "fah"--fan. He must point out fans to us no matter where we are. Repeatedly.
"Fah"--flower
"Dah" or "Dach" with a hard "ch" sound--dog
"Da"-Dad
"Ma"-Mom
"Moe"--more
"Peas"--please
"Pish" or "piss" (sorry best description for it)--fish
"Si" with a long i--he says this for inside or outside
"Shoos" or "Shis"--shoes
"Ho"--hello. He says this when he holds a phone or a "phone-like item" up to his ear
"Bay"--baby and my mom's dog, Bayley. He loves pointing out other babies we see in stores or in books.
"Booh"--book
"Ba"--ball
"Dakkkk"--sock. He says this with a really hard, drawn out "k" sounds like he's a little German :)

"Eeese"--cheese

Favorite summer activity...Water play!

Teeth: 16

Shoe size: 5

Clothes Size: Mostly 24 months. He can wear 18 month shorts but 24 month shirts fit a bit better

Height/Weight: I don't know :-( There was a time mixup on his doctor's appointment the other day and they can't work me in until July. Total bummer!

He loves snack time!

Foods he loves:

mashed potatoes, bananas (!!!), tomatoes, pineapple, cereal, broccoli, crackers, meat, tortilla chips, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, milk, OJ, gum (he found some one day and now he thinks it's candy I guess?)

Foods he dislikes:

Spinach, especially raw.

Walking a dog just his size!

Milestones/Personality:

-Can identify nose, mouth, teeth, eyes, ears, hair, feet, belly, and booty (my favorite)

-Makes "woof" sound for dogs

-Can run, but he hasn't reached full speed yet (I don't think?)

-Gives kisses

-He can get up stairs like a champ and has for almost a year now. But he's trying to go downstairs by holding onto the wall. It's a work in progress and makes momma and daddy nervous.

-Lots and lots of mimicking. He recently took some toy and was holding it between his ear and shoulder and pretending to talk on the phone. He likes to help us brush our teeth and picks up whatever we've touched to try and replicate what we did (i.e. grabbing the Windex and trying to spray it into the carpet this morning).

-He's in a makeshift big boy bed ever since he climbed out of his crib and fell a few weeks ago. We don't have the kit to turn his crib into a toddler bed nor any kind of bed rail. So I took the front of his crib off and laid the mattress on the floor. It's kind of weird looking, but it will work for now. He makes a huge mess when he's in his room "sleeping" so I have put most of his books out of reach and try to keep the room clean, but he still makes a mess

-He's down to one nap a day. He usually goes down around 1 or 2 and wakes up around 4 or 5. He almost always gets a good two hours of sleep, but he also plays for a good while before he finally crashes.

At the zoo with his cousin

Likes: Going outside (I hear "Siiiiii!" all the time), playing with the hose, pulling books off the shelf in his room and generally making a huge mess in his room when he's supposed to be sleeping, cell phones, watching TV (sometimes and not for extended periods), eating, baths, books, exploring, watching the neighbors' dogs through the fence

Dislikes: Going to bed, sitting still, brushing his teeth (we have to tickle him to get him to open his mouth)

Measuring up to a gorilla

I'll be real honest, he stretches me thin some days! He can be really wild when he wakes up from his nap. He either wakes up mad and just screams and screams for like 30 minutes. Or sometimes he just wakes up like he's had an espresso drip in his veins while he slept and he's a wild man. We try to get out of the house and do something in the afternoon, or go outside and play on the deck during this time period. But it's sometimes difficult just getting him out the door without something ridiculous happening.

I like to focus on the positive in this blog and brag on my boy, but mommas of toddlers I feel you! It's rough sometimes. It's amazing how something can be so hard and so wonderful at the same time. I love watching him learn and grow and sharing life together. But sometimes just feel beat! He's given me a break the past few days which is nice, but we have our rough patches like everyone! But of course it seems just when I feel I'm might just run off and join the circus, he has a few really good days so mommy can regroup.

So off we go into toddler-world. Ready or not! :)

Yummy Sweet Popcorn Snack

2013-06-20T19:56:00.002-05:00

I try not to keep a ton of sweets in the house because my self control goes down to zero after 7 pm and I want to eat anything with sugar...and NOW! So I was looking for a sugar-fix the other night and I grabbed some popcorn and came up with a super simple snack that has some sweetness but isn't overpowering and really hit the spot!

Ingredients:

1 bag of popped popcorn (whichever kind you prefer)
1-2 Tbsp. melted butter
Sugar
Pumpkin Pie spice (could also use cinnamon or other similar spice)

Directions:

Pop the popcorn and pour in a bowl. Melt the butter and pour over popcorn as evenly as possible. Shake it around to get all the popcorn coated. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of regular old table sugar on top. Then add a few shakes of the pumpkin pie spice on top. Shake and swirl to get the sugar and spice distributed.

I originally wanted to use cinnamon but didn't have any. I grabbed the pumpkin pie spice thinking it would be a little weird, but it's totally delicious and doesn't taste like pumpkin pie at all. Definitely just a cinnamon-y taste.

This is really delicious (and Eli approved!) and a good way to eat dessert with a LOT less sugar than my typical go-to bag of candy. (1 tablespoon of sugar = 12 grams, I believe).

Try it and let me know what you think!

Menu Plan...Tuesday

2013-06-18T10:11:00.001-05:00

I had good intentions of going to the grocery store on Monday (which would make the title of this post a much catchier Menu Plan Monday). Alas rain and lack of motivation kept me away. I missed Eli's 18 month doctor's appointment (18 month update in the works!) because of a time mix up and I was too irritated to go shopping in the rain. Can you blame me?

I'm sure my family is glad that my motivation has returned this morning and it's off to Kroger I go! I decided to plan 5 meals this week, instead of my usual 4. I don't know why but I have had to go grocery shopping at least twice a week lately. I don't know what's changed or what I'm doing wrong but that just isn't going to work for me so I thought another meal might help me stay out the store a little bit. Here's the plan for the week:

Meal 1: Taco Soup. This is a trusty favorite around here!

Meal 2: Beans and rice with sausage. I use Uncle Ben's quick cooking rice in a bag. It takes 10 minutes to boil the rice. Next I rinse and add a can of kidney beans. I follow this up with some Johnsonville Andouille sausage (gluten free!) that I heat up in the microwave and slice up. Mix everything together and top with salt, pepper, and whatever spices you like: cumin, italian seasoning, parsley. Whatever works.

Meal 3: Shepherd's Pie. Hopefully mine turns out looking like this one...

Meal 4: Potato Soup. I do this in a crock pot. Then I use my handy immersible blender to blend it (but not too much!) I made it really creamy two times ago and David told me he likes it more chunky. Then the last time I made it, I forgot about his chunky request and creamed it to smithereens again! I promise to get it right this time, babe.

Meal 5: Burgers with homemade onion soup mix and potato wedges. I'm really excited about trying this. We love our burgers with regular onion soup mix but it's definitely not good for you at all. Thought this might be worth a try. The potato wedges I have been making at least twice a week lately. I just slice a potato lengthwise then cut it into wedges and bake at 425 for about 10 minutes or until a fork goes through them easily. Eli is a big fan of these!

What's on your menu this week?

New Cleaning Schedule {Once A Week}

2013-06-08T15:54:00.000-05:00

For several years I have been following a "one chore a day" type of cleaning schedule (i.e. dust on Monday, vacuum Tuesday, etc.) I think it worked well to keep me from having too much to do in one day, but I saw a post from Simple Organized Living on how she cleans her house in an hour or less and thought I'd try it.

I came up with my own version and let me tell you, I don't know how she does it all in an hour or less with a toddler because with Eli insisting on "helping" me vacuum and pulling out all the toys I just picked up, there's no way I can get the whole house clean in an hour. It took me about two hours to get the house clean this morning, maybe an hour and a half last week. So it depends on how messy the house is to begin with.

Ahh...clean living room. And Scooter looking ultra depressed (?)

I found that making a short, easy checklist made the cleaning go by faster and hopefully you will find it helpful too:

Living/Dining/Bedrooms

1. Remove items that do not belong in the room (I carry a black crate for gathering these items)

2. Put away any items that are out in the room (anything from toys to clothes to dishes)

3. Wipe down or dust (whichever applies) all surfaces

4. Vacuum (and mop hard floors)

Bathrooms:

1. Wipe down mirror, counter, sink

2. Clean toilet

3. Clean floors

This list is so simple! I generally start cleaning by gathering items in the wrong room in my crate, and put away items that do belong in the room, but aren't in their correct spot. It's pointless to clean unless the clutter is out of the way. I begin downstairs which includes our kitchen, eating area, dining room, and living room.

Then I dust or wipe down surfaces in those four rooms. I have the main furniture that I wipe down each week that collects dirt and grime, but I also keep an eye out for random things that only need to be cleaned as needed, such as a door handle or a light switch, etc.

Next I vacuum the whole downstairs. To mop I just use a cheap mop that has velcro strips on the bottom of it. I soak a rag or the microfiber-type mop head it came with in a little diluted Pine Sol and wipe down the floors. I also wipe down the bathroom surfaces/toilet in our downstairs half bath. It's a teeny tiny half bath so it hardly takes any time. (And bonus, I don't have a mirror in it right now so I don't have to clean that either!)

Clean kitchen, how you make me smile!

I grab my black crate and head upstairs and put away and "upstairs items" that meandered downstairs throughout the course of the week. I follow the same steps as downstairs by putting items away, vacuuming the master bed and bath (Yes, we have carpet in our bathroom...yay), Eli's room, spare bath, and upstairs landing (we have a 3rd bedroom but I don't really use it). Then I wipe down surfaces in the bathrooms and I'm done!

I set a timer on the microwave for an hour to see how close I can get to done in an hour. I also like carrying a little timer (or using my phone) to challenge myself to get a lot done quickly in each room. However, it always seems to goes off before I'm done. Boo.

The benefit of having everything done in one day is I get to enjoy a clean house for a few days and I'm more motivated to keep it looking clean throughout the week. I think this is better than having a semi, sort-of clean house all the days of the week, at least for me.

So how do you tackle your house cleaning? As needed? Weekly? Do a little every day?

2 Minute Gluten Free Bun {In The Microwave!} And Some Updates

2013-06-02T19:47:00.002-05:00

I have a quick, interesting recipe from the website of Pamela's products. (No I'm not affiliated with them in any way :) I have been eating a gluten free diet after I was diagnosed with Celiac disease a few months ago. I came across a recipe for a bun you could make in the microwave in under 2 minutes so I thought I'd give it a try tonight when I made Sloppy Joe's for supper (and finding Sloppy Joe sauce that's labeled gluten free was a bit tricky, too!)

Here's the recipe:

1 large egg
1 tsp. water
3 T. buttermilk (or 3 T. milk + 3/4 tsp. vinegar <-- this is what I used)

Grease a measuring cup with non-stick spray or butter.

Mix the wet ingredients well in a glass measuring cup (I used a 2 cup size).

Add in 1/3 cup of Pamela's baking mix.

This is what the mixture looked like after mixing. Next microwave on high for 1 minute and 25 seconds. Mine was not done after this so I continued microwaving in 10-15 second increments until the dough firmed up a little more. Check the bottom of the dough to make sure that's done too. I even popped the dough out of the measuring cup and put it in upside down to finish cooking the bottom.

After about 2 minutes of microwaving

The final product. The "bun" was sort of spongey and heavy. It reminded me of a breakfast casserole bread--you know the kind of casserole with an egg-y type bottom layer.

Taste-wise it wasn't bad, it tasted like spongey bread. Sort of like an English muffin, but with more egg...? It was definitely not as airy as a regular bun, but it worked better than I expected. Once you figure out how long your individual microwave takes to cook the bun, the process really will only take 2-3 minutes.

The nice thing is you could take this to a cookout if you know they are serving burgers, which is perfect for summer. It's nice to know I have a quick option for a bun. I think this would be really delicious with a sausage patty and a little melted cheese for breakfast!

Now on to the life updates! I know I've been major MIA on the blog lately. But I had to wait a few weeks before I could write about what I've been up to. In April, I applied for a teaching job at a local school. I was called for an interview in early May. After waiting a week or so, the interview team called me and OFFERED ME A JOB! It feels so good to tell you guys that! I had to wait until the school's site-based team could meet and officially hire me before I was able to tell anyone other than family.

So, that is a big part of why I haven't blogged lately. The whole past month has been spent either preparing for my interview, or preparing for next year. I am going to be teaching third grade and I am PUMPED about that. The school had openings in grades 2-5, and even though I had no idea if they would offer me a job, I was really really really hoping I would get a chance to teach 3rd or 4th since that's my "sweet spot" as far as teaching.

If you had asked me five or six months ago if I would consider teaching next year I would say no. But several things happened over the course of the semester that made me think it might be something I would enjoy.

1) I completed my internship for my master's degree this past semester and I remembered how much I love being in a school. Also, I had earned a master's degree and I felt like I had done all this work and wouldn't have anything to show for it.

2) I've been bored. Even though we have had a busy semester moving, finishing school, etc. I am mentally bored. Maybe that's part of why I hadn't been blogging. Life was sort of in a uninspired point. Not that I wasn't enjoying life, I just felt like I was not doing anything that interesting, you know? I am ready for the mental stimulation of a job. I know it's going to be tough leaving Eli, but I just felt like there was a reason the opportunity came when it did. Even though my plan all along had been to wait until I had another baby before going back to work, I have no way of knowing if a job would even be available when I had deemed it "time" to go back to work. And my dream grade at an amazing school 5 minutes from my house? How can I turn that down?!

In addition to this, we are know back in our hometown and I feel much better going back to work knowing I have family available for emergencies, days when Eli is sick, etc. If I wasn't around family, I don't think I personally could go back to work, yet. In addition, even with the cost of childcare, we would be able to make some serious headway getting rid of David's student loan debt and in paying down our mortgage. It just seemed like all the pieces fell into place and made it obvious this was the right thing for our family!

Hopefully I will be back soon with more blogs giving you guys a peek into our summer! Sorry for such a long update, but I had a lot to say! Happy June guys!

Thanks for reading!

Signs You Have A Toddler {And A Few Random Pictures}

2013-05-22T21:03:00.001-05:00

Eli is forever doing crazy silly stuff that I want to remember and thought you'd get a chuckle out of. This is not a kid who needs me to create opportunities for him to have fun. He's very creative and can find fun no matter where he is! Here's a list of funny, goofy stuff he does (and yes in case you're wondering I stop him when he's doing some of the gross or unsafe ones.)

1. Whenever someone flushes the toilet he runs over and lifts the lid so he can watch the water go down. Ewww...

2. Trying to stand on the coffee table

3. We have our nice set of silverware in a low kitchen drawer (I know, I need a baby lock on it) and he likes to pull various silverware pieces and tap them on the floor. When we go to use this set we're going to need to wash them really well :)

Riding a mower with daddy

4. At the store, he grabs whatever produce he can find and puts them in the grocery store cart. He started a little pile of limes in his seat the other day.

5. I very nearly saved a book from being thrown into the toilet the other day. I was not as lucky with the whole roll of toilet paper he dunked in there this morning.

6. Sometimes I can't finish making dinner because he is panicked that I'm not holding him right now! But when I pick him up and he lays that head on my shoulder and wraps his arms around me, I'm probably gonna sit down and rock him and put down whatever I'm doing. I can't say no to that :)

Pointing at something, as usual

7. He loves helping mommy with chores. The other day he helped me vacuum. Then he saw me folding clothes so he graciously brought me a bunch of ties David had sitting in a box on the floor and was adding them to my pile of folded clothes. So helpful :)

8. This morning Eli realized he could reach the ice and water dispensers on our fridge door. He's just tall enough to press the levers. He got a big surprise this morning when he pushed the water lever and got a shot of water right to the face!

Checking out Mommy's flowers

9. A box of toys can go untouched for hours or even days because other "toys" are all over. Such as: daddy's XBOX controller, a camera bag, a shoe, the dog's bowl, a sifter (for powdered sugar, etc.), a remote control (that doubles as a phone in toddler world!) etc.

Last, here's a funny toddler story to end on. I shared this on my personal Facebook page, but it's too funny not to share with you. I was driving with Eli the other day. We get down the road a few hundred feet and Eli starts bawling. Not just a frustrated or whiney cry, but his hurt/scared cry (the one that tears your heart up). So I pull over to check on him thinking he has got his finger stuck or hurt himself somehow. He's fine but he is reaching for me and had big, pitiful tears on his cheeks. We really needed to hurry to where we were going so I gave him a hug and got back in to keep driving. He calms down, but then starts the pitiful crying again. And I realize, the loud GPS voice coming through the speakers is scaring him. Poor thing! I cracked up. I guess if you are a baby and hear a strange, mechanical voice booming through the speakers it would freak you out too!

Don't you love that face?

And last, here are some pretty pictures of the herb garden we have in our backyard. The previous owner planted it, and I'm not exactly sure of everything that's in there. But here's what we have:

Something that looks like "pet grass" on the left, some sage or oregano in the front, a huge mum(?) bush thing in the middle, a lemon-y smelling herb in the back left and right. And the purple flowers are some kind of onion/chives.

Sliced some of these up and put them in my potato soup tonight. Yum!

Menu Plan Monday

2013-05-20T09:45:00.002-05:00

I haven't done a menu plan post in awhile and since I'm headed to the grocery store in an hour or two, I'll join all the ladies over at OrgJunkie share what's on our menu this week!

Dinner 1: Tequila Lime Chicken with potatoes and salad. The chicken is an Ina Garten recipe and will utilize our grill--yay summer! A nice marinated, grilled chicken is so easy and great for summer (i.e. husband cooks it, not me :) I also accidentally bought two 5 lb bags of potatoes (one was hiding in a corner of the pantry--I didn't see it so I bought another bag) so I need to use up some potatoes this week. I even dreamed about potatoes last night!

Dinner 2: Pineapple Chicken in the crock pot with quinoa and Cheesy Mexican Spoonbread. I have made the pineapple chicken before and wasn't all that blown away by it. But this time I'm going to use fresh pineapple instead of canned and I bet that will taste divine. There's just no comparison between the two. And the spoonbread is a favorite, a nice balance to the healthy chicken and quinoa :)

Dinner 3: Creamy Potato Soup with Roasted Green Beans. Granted this is sort of a "wintery" meal, but I have a lot of potatoes to use up and this will be a pretty low maintenance meal which is great since it's going to be HOT this week and I don't want to stand over the stove.

Dinner 4: Ginger Veggie Stiry Fry with chicken and basmati rice. I used fresh ginger for the first time last week and I need to use up the rest of it. This looks tasty.

For the other three nights of the week we do leftovers one or two nights, cereal one night, and usually end up eating out for the last night.

What's on your menu for the week?

image source

House Updates

2013-05-14T09:26:00.002-05:00

Hey there! Life's been a little nutty here lately but it's about to calm down, at least for a few weeks and I'm looking forward to resting! Thought I'd give you a little life/house update so you can see how things are progressing around here. This post is long. Grab a snack!

House Updates:

We are having a really nice lady paint a bunch of rooms in our house. Right now she's doing the foyer, hallway, half bath, upstairs landing, kitchen/eating area, master bathroom, and Eli's room. In the picture below you can see the difference between the very mustard yellow that the foyer/hallway was before, and the more tan color we picked.

The tan color we're using is called Fresh Bread by Valspar. It has very yellow undertones, which made for easy coverage over the surface of the sun yellow it was before. When the light hits the foyer it really looks more yellow than tan, but a much more muted yellow than it was before. Very pretty.

This really shows the difference between the paint colors in the foyer better. Upstairs is still yellow brick road yellow but the downstairs and the left wall have been painted.

Half bath wallpaper is stripped and it's ready to get some pretty Fresh Bread paint on its walls. Poor toilet ain't got no head.

Think I might want to change this fabulous light fixture? Yes! I think a pretty light fixture and a pretty mirror will go a long way toward making over this half bath. The mirror before was just one of those sheets of glass-type mirrors you get for 10 bucks at Lowe's. A pretty framed mirror will look so nice.

Master bathroom is all primed and ready for painting. We are using the color Bread Basket by Valspar in here. I so wish I had a before picture of this bathroom but I don't! The previous color was metallic gold. I don't know the paint name but it was something similar to the color of this random toilet seat lid but all over the walls:

(I don't know who's buying this toilet lid, but it exists)

So yeah it was very dark, especially since there is no natural light in this bathroom at all. So we are going much lighter with the paint color to brighten the place up and hopefully it will be light enough so I can see to put on my makeup in the bathroom. I also had to make three trips to Lowe's in one day to pick paint colors for Eli's room.

I think I was on trip number 2 in this picture.

The first time I went on got the three colors on the top right. Yuck. Yuck yuck. They were so cool and pastel I just hated them. So I went back and bought six MORE samples to try. We settled on Sparkling Lake, the one on the bottom second from the right.

I LOVE IT! It's a beautiful, dreamy blue but it has warmer undertones which goes better with the brown woodwork and it makes the white shelf along the upper part of the walls really pop. I just love love love it. Oh and Eli is pointing to the fan by the way. He's very into fans right now.

This picture didn't show the blue very well but I thought it was cute of Eli anyways.

And finally the outside of the house. I added some flowers and ferns that I thought made everything seem more welcoming. Maybe sometime this summer I want to paint the shutters and the front door. This picture doesn't show just how green the shutters are but they are like billiard green. I thought a pretty dark gray to pick up the colors in the brick would be pretty. What do you think?

What this picture doesn't show is that there are some foundational issues with the porch/garage that will require seven huge posts to be drilled into the ground to level everything out. Work is supposed to start the end of this month. We had an inspection before we bought the house and knew of the issues. The homeowner agreed to pay for the repairs but they weren't able to start on them until after we closed. So this pretty little porch's foundation will be all fixed up soon!

Lastly, at some point I think I'd like the paint the dining room. It is RED right now as you can see (and messy because all the junk is moved off the kitchen counters and into here so our painter has room to paint). I want to go with some kind of color in here so the whole downstairs isn't just tan all the way through. Any advice on a color that will add some interest and contrast without being quite so loud?

Life Updates:

Took Scooter to the vet which was much cheaper than our old vet but had a longer waiting period. Scooter's not a very good vet visitor because everyone he meets is his best friend so we had to hang out in the lobby for awhile to ease his excited nerves.

Cute baby on the stairs in flip flops. How adorable is that?

I love this French manicure I got the other day. So beautiful.

Little upside-down reader. When we read this book (Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?) every animal with four legs is a "daw!" (dog). This little guy is going to be 17 months old in a few days (tear). His vocabulary is growing steadily and it's been so fun to see him figure out how to make sounds and form them into (his version of) words.

I think that's all for now. My hands are tired! But it feels great to be back blogging. Hopefully I will be able to post a little more regularly this summer now that some of the crazy-ness of my schedule has died down. Looking forward to it. Any posts you'd like to see? Let me know in the comments. Or check our my facebook page where I share all my new posts.

Thanks for reading!

PS-If you subscribe to this blog through Google Reader, you probably know that Google is shutting down Google Reader in July. I recently imported all my blogs to Blog Lovin' so I won't miss a thing. Just an idea for you!

Happy Mother's Day (And A Few Pictures)

2013-05-12T10:13:00.001-05:00

Happy Mother's Day to all those who are, will be, or want to be mothers! I hope this day brings a smile to your face! Here's a few pictures and a few nuggets about what's been going on around these parts:

Sometimes little boy sleeps like this in his car seat. Crossed ankles...so sweet!

My brother graduated from college!

Eli was a little tired I guess

Daily Tidbits:

We are having someone paint our house right now and I am in looove with the colors! Eli's room is a beautiful, dreamy blue called Sparkling Lake and our kitchen/foyer is changing from a bright yellow (previous homeowner's color) to a beautiful tan color called Fresh Bread
I took my Praxis II for my master's in library media and I passed!!! It was not an easy test but I am so relieved I don't have to take (and pay for) it again!
I ran for an hour the other day, which is the longest I have run since Eli was born. It's wonderful! I have found that Insanity has really helped me with my cardiovascular endurance. I have continued to do Insanity work outs once or twice a week and it's given a big boost to my running.
Had lunch with a long, long time friend yesterday. The company was lovely and P.F. Chang's lettuce wraps are so delicious. Egg drop soup...not so much

Thanks for reading!

House Pics, Wallpaper Removal, And More!

2013-04-30T21:56:00.000-05:00

I have A LOT to share with you guys! Here's what's been going on with us lately. We'll start with a mini house tour and some of my commentary:

Our living room was looking pretty neat so I snapped a picture while Eli played. You can see the front door to the left. I will probably change the window treatment in the future, but for now it'll stay because it matches even though it's not my style. (Previous homeowner must have loved window treatments because that shade (curtain?) is custom made and I'm sure was not cheap)

Here's the view of the living room from the front entry. This view wasn't looking as neat, but whatever :) It's real life. The living room in this house is much smaller than our previous home, but that's okay because it works. And we have a lot more space in other areas of the house that are a little more useful to me on a day-to-day basis (laundry room, kitchen, bedrooms, etc.)

This is my beautiful kitchen! I am so loving it. The layout is absolutely perfect for cooking and I don't feel totally crammed if someone is in there with me. Just today we installed a microwave above the stove.

To the right of the stove is our WALK IN PANTRY (yeah, see why the smaller living room doesn't bother me so much?). This picture was taken before I organized it. It looks better now, but we're still experimenting. The light was out in the pantry at the time I took the picture, so I couldn't walk in and get enough light for a picture. Sorry!

In the eat-in-kitchen area there was this big mantle/shelf thing. I wasn't sure about it at first, but I decorated it and I like how it looks a lot. I think it'll stay.

I'm way pumped about this closet. It's in our basement and I put all our Christmas decor (except ornaments) on the top shelf. The bottom shelf is for games, fall decor, printed photos, etc. The floor has a basket of winter items (gloves, hats, etc.) and some wreaths. There's no light in this closet so this is the best I could do.

Next, we'll talk about what we've been doing lately:

The dryer wasn't working for awhile so the dining room became the line drying room.

I'd like to change the white countertops with something a little more forgiving. These are a few samples I grabbed at Lowe's. They pretty much look the same--so much for an easy decision!

I've also been thinking about paint colors because the bright yellow is a bit much :) Which one is your favorite? I think I'm going to go with the bottom right (Fresh Bread by Valspar).

We have some wallpaper to scrape before we can paint so I've been using this mixture a friend told me about. Mix several cups of water with a few tablespoons of Downy fabric softener. Then peel off the top layer of wallpaper. Spray down the wall really well and let sit for about a minute. Apply a second "coat" if needed. Then scrape away. Works great! The little tool I bought at Lowe's and it helps avoid gauging the walls. Works pretty well.

Here's step 1: Peel off the top layer of wallpaper

Spray the remaining paper until it's thoroughly wet

Scrape away

Here I am scraping off the Dorothy's dress-esque wall paper

Little buddy is enjoying his new home, too!

Excuse me, sir. I believe you're too big for that.

And finally, something weird. My mom was driving down the road and we saw this headless child mannequin thing chilling by the road. How weird!

Thanks for reading! Have a great day!

Make Your Move Stress Free

2013-04-23T12:38:00.002-05:00

I've never heard anyone, hot and sweaty from carrying boxes, stop and say, "Man, I love moving!"

Moving is long, hard work. Moving requires asking favors of friends while knowing the last thing they probably want to do is help you move (but being really grateful they said yes anyways). It requires a few too many trips to Lowe's because you forgot packing tape/packing paper/a mattress bag, etc. But once it's all done and you're set up in your new home, you forget all about the hard work and can relax.

So, the next time you move, here are a few ideas for making the process at stress-free as possible.

1. Keep a bag or a box with essentials

In this bag (or box) keep all of the things that you will want immediate access to. This includes toothbrushes, toothpaste, contacts case and solution, glasses, a pair of pajamas and a few changes of clothes, phone and chargers, computer or iPad, soap, shampoo, washcloths, towels, medicines, insurance cards, and some snacks. The other day I turned on the shower ready to hop in only to realize that I didn't know where any of my soap or shampoo was. Thankfully I found a few travel sized bottles in a box to tide me over. But one central bag with all the immediately necessary items would have helped.

We couldn't find Eli's sippy cup in all the mess, so we took a plastic water bottle

and poked a hole in the top for his milk. Not ideal...

2. Find a central location in your new home for items you use a lot.

Pick one spot on the counter or maybe the kitchen table and designate it as "the spot" to put things like car keys, phones, new house keys (!), paperwork you need to keep track of, etc. It might be a good idea to keep these items near an outlet so you can charge devices as needed. Earlier this week, I couldn't find my keys anywhere and I needed to leave the house to meet my husband somewhere. I finally retraced my steps from the moment I arrived at the house (which had thankfully only been about 30 minutes prior!) and found them in the BACKYARD laying in the grass. They had fallen out of my pocket when I walked back there. (Can you tell I'm getting a lot of these ideas from mistakes I've made? :)

3. Unpack main living areas first

The first room I unpacked was the kitchen (mostly because those were the first boxes I found) but this proved to be a really good decision. Even with the rest of the house a mess, I felt somewhat "together" knowing I could find plates and glasses for dinner (even if that dinner is take out). Next, unpack the living room and get it semi-functioning (aka have a place to sit) and then move on to bedrooms/bathrooms. Basements, spare rooms, etc. can wait until last.

4. Have an emergency moving fund

If you keep a tight budget without much wiggle room, it's important to know you will incur unexpected expenses when moving. It's hard to cook when you haven't been to grocery to stock up your pantry yet, so you will probably end up ordering pizza or eating out several times during the move. You might want to buy a gift card for a friend for helping you move, or the gas for your U-Haul could end up being more than you expected. Moving has a way of putting you in a tight spot with unexpected events. So be prepared and keep some extra cash in your bank account.

5. Arrange help before you move

It's a good idea to ask people a week or two in advance to block off the day if they are helping you move. Also, you may want to arrange childcare so you aren't chasing babies around while men are lifting heavy furniture up your stairs. Coordinate with the people who have graciously agreed to help you so that you know help will be available when you need it instead of asking last minute.

EST

2013-04-18T18:51:00.001-05:00

Today's been a little nutty. My iPhone sort of imploded last night and I've spent the better part of my afternoon trying to figure it out. Then I figured it out, and messed it up again. So, currently I have been able to restore just 30 of the 600+ pictures I had on my phone. (Back up to iCloud people!). And then, we found out we are going to most likely be closing TOMORROW on the house we are trying to buy and I have several things I need to get accomplished before that can happen. So, my brain has been bouncing around inside my skull a bit today and I came across a blog post that really spoke to me (and darn it I wish I had come up with the idea because I love it!).

Andrea Dekker over at andreadekker.com encourages us to strive to improve ourselves, not perfect ourselves. Small change of words, but a big change of meaning!

Here's a link to the full post, where she encourages us by saying:

"Progress is attainable. Perfection is not."

Which means I can't manage to deliver miscellaneous paperwork for our home purchase to my lender, while making sure Eli has a perfectly clean face and full belly, and have on lip gloss. Nope.

So, my challenge to you today is find something to LET GO and find something to IMPROVE. Not perfect, improve.

Then, go back up your smart phone so you don't lose months of cute pictures of your baby. Just an idea :)

Thanks for reading!

Eli {16 months old} April 2013

2013-04-13T15:45:00.000-05:00

We are seeing lots of changes in our boy the past few months, especially the past month. He has totally crossed over to a toddler instead of a baby now. This is sad, but tons of fun (when it's not exhausting :)

Here's a quick list of milestones, likes/dislikes for the past two months.

Words he can say: Hi, bye-bye, uh-oh (this is usually comes out as "uh uh uh" or "oh oh oh"), No no (his favorite!), Da! (another favorite). He also mimics words like "up" and "cheese" or "please" or at least he tries to say them.

Teeth: 14! 8 front ones, 4 molars, and 2 canines that have barely poked through

Shoe size: 4 or 5

Clothes size: Almost all 18 months, but he has a few 24 months shirts and PJ's

Height (at 15 month appt): 32 inches (75th percentile)

Weight (at same appt): 24 lbs 10 oz (75th percentile)

Favorite Foods: most fruits/vegetables, like oranges, avocados, tomatoes, raisins, BANANAS, blueberries, etc. quinoa, chicken, eggs.

Least Favorite Foods: raw greens like spinach or hard foods like carrots. I guess this a texture thing?

Milestones/Personality:

Very independent and not afraid of much.
Just about running which is funny to watch.
Can use a fork pretty well, not so much a spoon (he puts it in sideways).
Follow basic commands (i.e. give me your shoe, put the toy in the box, get your cup etc.) Sometimes we have to help him by pointing if we say a word he doesn't know, but he does pretty good at this overall.
He's also started noticing music and dancing when he hears it.
He can identify his nose and belly and usually his mouth. He just recently started doing this. We are still working on eyes/ears.
Bedtime is anywhere from 6:30-7:30 depending on how busy of a day we had and how his naps went. Wake up time is anywhere from 6:30-7:30.
Mostly still takes two naps a day, but sometimes just one. Again, it just depends.

Likes: Playing outside, random "toys" (like a bottle warmer or a phone charger), stroller rides, playing with the dog, going on errands (I call them adventures so they sound exciting--haha), eating, toys, baths, shoes, puddles, dirt, music/dancing, having quiet time in his crib. He usually lays in bed and "talks" to himself and plays around sometimes for up to an hour before he falls asleep at nap time.

Dislikes: Sitting still unless he's sleepy. We just got an iPad, so sometimes he'll sit still and watch it while we play baby apps. He also doesn't like when he doesn't get his way (duh). He sometimes flops on the ground when he's mad but no full out tantrums...yet.

Insanity Review!

2013-04-07T20:51:00.002-05:00

photo source

I have just finished my final workout and I am DONE with Insanity. If any of you have done even one of these workouts, you know this is a big accomplishment. I can honestly say I think I am in the best shape I've ever been. I have probably been at this level of cardiovascular endurance in the past from running, but when you add in the resistance/strength aspect that Insanity offers, I think this wins out. This post will cover my experience with Insanity and a review.

First, a few caveats:

1. I did not follow the Insanity program exactly. (Find the recommended Insanity schedule here).

I did do 8 weeks of work outs, but I didn't do them 6 days a week like the program recommends. At the beginning I probably did them about 4 times a week. In month 2, I think I did them 6 days a week, however.

2. I followed my own schedule. This was partly because I didn't think I would truly be as into it as I was. But also I just had my hands on the DVD's. I didn't purchase the whole system (just borrowed the DVD's) so I didn't know there even was a schedule until Month 2.

a. I didn't do the Fit Test every two weeks. I did it at the beginning, after month 1, and after month 2 (my results are below).

b. I also didn't repeat work outs twice in one week like the calendar says.

c. Instead of doing a full six days in a row of Core Cardio and Balance, I just included it in my weekly rotation.

I still feel like I got great results! I'm sure they would be even better had I followed the schedule religiously. But had someone put the calendar in my face the first week I was doing the program, I don't know that I would have finished knowing what was ahead!

So now for my results. I'm not going to do a before and after picture because that would be embarrassing but I have seen and felt results all over!

My biceps and triceps are bigger and stronger
My abs are more defined. They are probably the strongest they've ever been. But of course since having a baby the skin on your belly is just looser so the abs don't "show through" as well as they would pre-baby. But there's still a visual difference. I also like that his moves work all parts of your abs--so you get good definition in your obliques and lower abs (where it makes the "v" shape)
I have pectoral muscles! I've really never had these before. (Okay, yes I HAD them, but you know what I mean).
My legs are WAY stronger. My thighs feel much tighter and they should after all those quadricep exercises!
Even my back feels stronger and more defined.

Starting at Day 1, and every two weeks after, Shaun T has you complete the Fit Test. This is a set of 8 exercises that you do for 1 minute each and record how many you complete each time so you can see your progress. Since I only did it three times, I have three results to show: beginning, middle, and end. And if you don't know what these moves are, I've included links so you can see (FYI YouTube is full of people showing off their Insanity moves--and not all of them are doing it with good form :)

Switch Kicks	125	95	100
Power Jacks	43	45	46
Power Knees	83	89	97
Power Jumps	22	35	39
Globe Jumps	8	11	11
Suicide Jumps	15	17	19.5
Push Up Jacks	10	26	25
Oblique Planks	23	50	49

(*Note: I don't think I was doing switch kicks at the same height as I did the second and third time--which accounts for the drop. Oh, and I only do push up jacks half way down, because I still can't get my chest to the floor for any kind of push up :)

Now, would I recommend this work out? Definitely Yes! IF you don't have any kind of spine/neck/knee problems. There is a lot of jumping and there were a couple times I tweaked my knee and hip. Nothing that kept me from working out really, but do be careful. Sometimes he yells at you for speed, but he always mentions keeping your form. Do not sacrifice form to get more reps in!

Timewise, month 1 requires about 45 minutes a day. Month 2 requires 45 minutes- 1 hour a day (sometimes a little more if you follow his calendar). I sweat like a pig when I do the work out, but I got strangely addicted to all the sweating. Call me weird, whatever. Each work out (except the Fit Test) starts with a fairly intense warm up, followed by a nice long stretching session. Then you get into the actual work out, followed by roughly 5 minutes of cool down stretching at the end.

As far as Shaun T, the creator, I love him! I like his attitude and that he is challenging and encouraging at the same time. Overall, this is a fantastic program. I definitely recommend it and I know you will see results quickly, which is probably why people like it so much.

If you're bored, check out some of the before and after pictures of Insanity through a Google search. They're pretty cool. And I feel like they're probably pretty accurate! Like this one:

photo source

That's not me! But somebody with pretty good results!

Have any of you ever done Insanity? Or have a recommendation for another program for me to do now that Insanity is over? Let me know!

*FYI: Not a sponsored post. I'm not affiliated with Insanity or Beachbody. Just my two cents.

Toddlerhood

2013-04-05T21:07:00.000-05:00

I was reading another blogger's post about her son and she commented that 15 months was when she felt the toddler stage really started. And I agree completely! This month, Eli seems to have turned a corner from baby to toddler and WHEW! Today I woke myself up half an hour early just so I could have a few minutes of quiet before he woke up.

Now, I don't have a 'bad' baby at all. I'm pretty lucky. There are some people who just seem to have so much more patience than I do with the constant attention babies require. It's hard for me to let go of my Type A nature that wants to knock out a To Do List by 10 am. Just ain't gonna happen anymore. Here are some snippets of what he's been into the past few days (this is a short list). Prepare yourself:

Hands in the toilet. Eating fireplace rocks. Throwing rocks down the driveway. Running to the playground every time we walk to the car. Rocks in his car seat (he has a rock "thing"). Feeding the dog his lunch. Playing under the dining room table with a container of lemon juice with the dog. Dragging the iron (unplugged!) from the bedroom to the living room and dripping water everywhere. Opening the cabinets and slamming glassware on the tile floor. Dragging the hand mixer around the house. Cry if I don't blow bubbles for him. Freaking out if he couldn't walk the dog on a leash, despite the fact that the dog walks much faster than his little legs can. Screaming "Da!!" as loud as possible as we walk through stores.

This is a video of Eli walking the dog. He falls at the end but he kept whining to do it again and again. So I guess it didn't hurt too bad.

This is what I looked down to see the other day when I was making dinner. He is carrying a phone charger around, he had a piece of tupperware on his head, and a red candle in his mouth (which was promptly thrown away).

This post probably sounds whiney, but grant me some leniency. I'm a little worn out. And the sad thing is: I have lots of help! Haha! So toddler mamas let's all send some energetic, patient vibes each other's way and join me in my toddler mantra:

Thank God for naps!

Motivation and Ideas For Improving Your Diet

2013-04-02T15:55:00.001-05:00

If you compared my diet to the typical American diet, I think it's fairly healthy. If you compared it to say, Gwenyth Paltrow's diet, it might not be so good. But in general, I think I eat fairly healthy. However, for Easter, I had a kind of glutton-y day. I knew I would be eating a large lunch, so I just agreed that I would go ahead and just eat whatever that day and return to my more healthy ways the next day. I did. And I felt...heavy. And I don't mean "fat" although I felt that way, too. I mean I felt lethargic and kind of sick and slow. Like my blood was struggling to pump through my body kind of slow. That day I was reminded of a few lessons about changing your diet and lifestyle and I hope they encourage you on your journey to health. I'm no health guru, but here's what I've learned along the way:

photo source

1. It's hard to get healthy.

Remember that eating healthy is a process. And changing it is not like changing something surface-layer, like fashion. You might feel weird if you started wearing totally different types of clothes one day, but it wouldn't be hard. Changing your diet is hard because food goes beyond just fuel for us, but it's a stress relief, a social vehicle, a hobby, etc. So give yourself some grace when it's really hard. It feel so frustrating sometimes that food--food we shovel in our mouths, chew up, and travels through our digestive system can be the hardest thing to modify and get under control. It's important that you start looking for ways to allow food to fill the aforementioned roles, but in a healthier way (ideas below). And cut yourself some slack when you mess up.

2. Aim to add, not subtract.

A diet of deprivation doesn't work well. But, if you focus more on what you're adding, rather than what you're taking away it can get easier. Let's say you are just jonesing for dessert, but you really haven't had many fruits or vegetables that day. Well, you can have dessert, but you need to eat a serving of something healthy first. This allows you to feed your sweet tooth, but by filling your stomach part way with something healthy, you don't have as much room to overeat. And, you got another serving of something healthy in your diet. Win-win!

3. Your reactions to food will change over time.

Like I mentioned earlier, I had a day of eating really rich on Easter. I started with sugary cereal (which I've been avoiding lately, although it was a diet staple for me for years). Then I had a very heavy (and yes, delicious!) Easter lunch. Followed by plenty of Easter desserts and candy. By 5 pm, I felt gross. All I wanted was to detox and get something healthy in my system. I ate some baby carrots, followed by a spinach salad and some quinoa a few hours later. I felt a million times better. And I noticed that allowing myself a "cheat" day of eating what I wanted was nice, but nowhere near as satisfying as I thought it would be. Remember, changing the diet is hard work, but over time you will develop cravings for healthy things that maybe you don't really like right now. Not that your sweet tooth or your desire for comfort foods will go away, but it's easier to eat in moderation when you look forward to eating healthy, too.

4. Know what you can and can't keep in the house.

This one is tricky because if I want dessert and there's nothing sweet in the house, I get pretty irritable. But there are certain things I can not keep (at least not in large quantities) or I will eat it all. And quickly. If I have a big bag of candy, I have been known to throw some of it away because I just can not be of those people who just eats a little (possibly because sugar is the devil, but that's just my theory :) If I have a big box of cereal, I'll eat two bowls. But, if I keep something in the house that I like but don't love it can help satisfy a food craving but keep me from totally gorging on it.

March: Favorite Things

2013-03-30T21:07:00.003-05:00

I watch a lot of vloggers on YouTube that post monthly "favorites" and today I have a post for you on items I have been enjoying this month. Let me know what your favorites are!

1. Tostitoes Bite Size Tortilla Rounds

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I was always a fan of the Santita chips (only $2!) but this kind is only 50 cents more (if Kroger has it on sale) and I think you get a lot more chips in the bag because the shape makes it easier to fit more in. Plus they are thinner and crispier and great for dipping. Yum! Also it's way too easy to eat too many.

2. Maybelline Master Drama Eyeliner in Midnight Master (black)

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I have had the brown, and I still use it on my lower lashline, but the black is so great for lining my upper eyelid. So creamy and easy to use! I used to use Mary Kay eyeliner and it tugs a lot more. I also have tried a black liquid liner and it's nice, too. But I really like this one the most.

3. Lime water

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I squeeze a lime wedge into a glass of ice water and it's so refreshing. Way better than a boring lemon wedge :) Try it and see!

4. The Following

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I recently started watching this show with Kevin Bacon on Hulu. It's definitely got some violence, but if you can get past that it's a very interesting story. The plotline revolves around a serial killer who is in jail, but has developed this cult-like group of followers who carry out his bidding while he sits in jail. Kevin Bacon plays FBI detective Ryan Hardy who was an expert on this serial killer, Joe, years ago. When Joe starts getting his cult to commit crimes again, Ryan is pulled back in to help.

5. Target tan flats

These little shoes make me smile. They aren't going to last forever. For $15 I never expected them to. But the flowers makes me smile, they're comfortable, and they go with everything. Perfect spring shoe. If I could just figure out why the outer flower pops up on one shoe and not on the other, my shoe utopia would be complete.

6. Blue Diamond Nut Thins

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I have only tried the Cheddar Cheese version of these tasty almond and rice crackers. There are several different types (including a Pecan one, sounds tasty!) They are yummy, reasonably priced, and they are gluten free! However, the package does state they are processed where other wheat products are made. But they claim to test every batch to make sure the gluten level doesn't exceed 20 ppm.

7. Insanity!

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I've mentioned that I am using this program in a recent post. I am currently on Week 7 of the 60 day Beachbody challenge. I love this program! I will probably do a full review later.

8. Podcasts

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My new (to me) van has bluetooth capability and I love listening to podcasts in my car. Sometimes I listen to them while I'm getting ready, too. My favorites right now are Nutrition Diva, Get Fit Guy, and Stuff You Should Know.

And for the sake of balance, let me mention one product I am NOT liking this month

1. Maybelline Expert Eyes Eye Make Up Remover for Waterproof Eye Makeup

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I just really really don't like it. It's greasy. It gets in my eyes and my vision is blurry after I use it. It's thick. It smears the make up everywhere when I put it on a cotton ball. I just hate it. I'm going back to my trusty Mary Kay Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover. Nothing compares.

I hope you have a lovely Resurrection Sunday. Here's a link to one of my favorite Easter-y songs:

We also saw Bruce Marchiano speak this weekend. He played Jesus in The Gospel According to Matthew. From clips I've seen, it does seem a bit hokey like Bible movies can be, but when he talked about the process of making it and the physicality of playing Jesus and how much it impacted him, it made me want to see the whole movie. Pretty cool.

Thanks for reading!

PS: If you're so inclined, head over and like my Facebook page. It's only a few away from 350 likes! Thank you :)

Lean In: A Review

2013-03-26T13:23:00.002-05:00

I just finished the book Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg (COO of Facebook).

I have learned a lot from this book and have a lot of different quotes from the book that still need to sink in and marinate for awhile. I'm hoping this post not only gives you a good overview of the book, but helps me sort out what I think about all the highlights I made in my Kindle.

The basic idea of this book is Sheryl is encouraging women not to pull back from their careers, but to embrace ourselves as valuable members of the work force with many resources and skills to offer. She does not say that she thinks every woman should work, rather her message is for a woman not to underestimate their abilities and not to make career decisions based on what their family members of friends have done with their careers, what others want her to do, or anything other than what she (and her husband if there is one) have decided is best.

The best way for me to wade through all of the things that stood out to me is to quote from the book and sometimes give you my opinion on those passages/quotes that spoke to me the most. Also note that a lot of the quotes I chose from the book relate to motherhood and working. But even those who aren't mothers yet, or have older children can benefit from reading this book.

"How individuals view what they can and should accomplish is in large part formed by our societal expectations."

I have always found it fascinating how much those we surround ourselves with affect our thoughts and opinions. Same goes for what we read, listen to, and watch. What goes in, comes out.

"When a girl tries to lead, she is often labeled bossy. Boys are seldom called bossy because a boy taking the role of a boss does not surprise or offend."

I find this statement very interesting. It's something to be aware of when we talk to our children. I met someone recently and I thought this exact thing! "She's kinda bossy" but then I thought twice and realized "Maybe so, but man she would be really good at being in charge of a project or coordinating an event or writing a book." Sheryl says that women are expected not only to be nice (as men are) but to be nice ABOVE any other trait (See Gruenfeld quote below).

"Framing the issue as "work-life balance"--as if the two were diametrically opposed--practically ensures work will lose out. Who would ever choose work over life?"

The way we view something strongly influences how we feel about it. If we view something with a negative mindset we have no choice but to feel negatively about it. But if we try to frame something as a positive thing, that's when a happier outlook is possible.

"The current negative images (note: referring to images of working mothers i.e. holding a briefcase, a baby, and a cellphone) may make us laugh, but they also make women unnecessarily fearful by presenting life's challenges as insurmountable. Our culture remains baffled: I don't know how she does it. Fear is at the root of so many of the barriers that women face. Fear of not being liked. Fear of making the wrong choice. Fear of drawing negative attention. Fear of overreaching. Fear of being judged. Fear of failure. And the holy trinity of fear: the fear of being a bad mother/wife/daughter."

Ah yes, I definitely feel the pressure to be 'likeable'. I feel like its easy to make choices based on fear, even small ones.

"When a man is successful, he is liked by both men and women. When a woman is successful, people of both genders like her less."

Oh, very interesting. Makes you think back to old bosses.

"Our entrenched cultural ideas associate men with leadership qualities and women with nurturing qualities and put women in a double bind. We believe not only that women are nurturing, but that they should be nurturing above all else. When a woman does anything that signals she might not be nice first and foremost, it creates a negative impression and makes us uncomfortable."--Deborah Gruenfeld

Ah yes, always afraid to be the bossy one that no one likes. When maybe you aren't trying to be bossy you're just trying to get things done.

"From an early age, girls get the message that they will have to choose between succeeding at work and being a good mother."

On some level, yes I agree with this. I think it varies depending on what you saw growing up, whether your mother worked and how that affected you, etc.

"When a couple announces that they are having a baby, everyone says "Congratulations!" to the man and "Congratulations! What are you planning on doing about work?" to the woman.

Whoops. I have been guilty of this one SO many times. How about next time someone tells us they're pregnant we just keep our mouths shut and let them make their own decision.

"Imagine that a career is like a marathon...the men and women run side by side. The male marathoners are routinely cheered on: "Lookin' strong! On your way!" But the female runners hear a different message. "You know you don't have to do this!" the crowd shouts. Or "Good start--but you probably won't want to finish"...As the women struggle to endure the rigors of the race, spectators shout, "Why are you running when your children need you at home?"

This is a top three favorite quote from the book, if not my favorite. Of course, some women need to work as they are single mothers or they need the joint income. When it comes to a woman who doesn't 'have' to work, some people wonder "Well, why doesn't she just stay home?" as if the idea of her wanting to work is so foreign.

"Tina Fey noted that when she was promoting the movie Date Night with Steve Carell, a father of two...reporters would grill Fey on how she balances her life, but never posed that question to her male costar."

I feel that there can be a stigma for some people. Sort of a "Oh you work, so you must not be caring for your children as well as a stay at home mom." But then, do we have to extend that to everything? I.e. "Oh you don't homeschool, you must not care enough about your children..." or "Oh, you're sending your children to PUBLIC schools and not investing lots of money in private schools..." Again, neither homeschooling or private school choices are bad! Everyone just has a different set of circumstances, needs, and desires. But those decisions are not black and white "good" or "bad" they are just individual.

"We compare our efforts at work to those of our colleagues, usually men, who typically have far fewer responsibilities at home. Then we compare our efforts at home to those of mothers who dedicate themselves solely to their families. Outside observers reminding us that we must be struggling--and failing--is just bitter icing on an already soggy cake."

The comparison game. All mothers do it. And it does.no.good!

"I had to decide what mattered and didn't and I learned to be a perfectionist in only the things that mattered."

If I go back to work, I know I will have to let certain things go. This is very, very hard for me but I'd rather look back on my day and remember snuggling with my baby before bed and impacting children's lives rather than mopping the floor.

"Exclusive maternal care was not related to better or worse outcomes for children. There is, thus, not reason for mothers to feel as though they are harming their children if they decide to work."

This is based on a study that she cites in the book. In fact, her book is quite well-cited and many of these studies and research she cites would be worth checking out.

"I don't know any woman who feels comfortable with all her decisions. As a result, we inadvertently hold that discomfort against those who remind us of the path not taken."

Working moms remind those at home that they don't have a career. Stay at home moms remind those who work of the hours they are missing with their babies.

I will end my long-winded review here. The short version is that this book made me think a LOT. It's always refreshing to get a new perspective on something. If you're looking for a quick, interesting read, I highly recommend this book.

*Note: Not a sponsored post, just my own two cents. I purchased this book with my own money.

Checking In

2013-03-14T19:10:00.003-05:00

It's been over a week since my last post and I am here to check in with you guys. Here are some tidbits of things that have been going on in our lives lately:

1. Working on accepting an offer on our house and hoping it goes through because we have another house we are hoping to buy in our new city. Fingers and toes crossed, guys!

2. I have been plugging away working on my internship for my master's degree. I am working in an elementary library 1-2 days a week and I love it! I am learning so much and have so enjoyed getting to know the kids.

3. David has a birthday coming up, and he is entering a new decade! 30s here he comes! Woo hoo!

4. Hit a consignment sale last weekend and found the cutest Easter outfit for Eli for $4!

5. We bought a juicer and it's a beaut!

We've been working really hard on eating a healthy diet lately so we are juicing for breakfast and adding juice to a light lunch and having a healthy dinner. We haven't been perfect eaters but we sure are doing better. Here is one of our many concoctions:

6. A little boy turned 15 months this week. This is a seriously fun stage. We are working on getting him to say words, but he mostly prefers to grunt. He's struggling with naps lately, but boy he sure is a charmer! He is finally cuddling with me for the first time ever! He actually lets me lay down with him at nap time or bed time and snuggle and it's amazing.

Here he is playing:

And hanging out with his Gramps.

Hope you are all having a great week!

Thanks for reading!

Grocery Items Worth The Splurge

2013-03-06T18:30:00.003-06:00

If you had an extra $50 to spend on groceries this week, what would you spend it on?

Desserts? Gourmet ingredients like expensive cheeses? Organic produce? Treats for the kids? Forget the food and spend it on shoes? ;)

It's an interesting study in human behavior to see what people spend their money on. This is a list of items that I feel are worth the splurge in the grocery store. I might not get all these items every week, but when I do, I think about how good they are when I eat them, not the price.

Your list of what's "worth it" might be totally different. Share it in the comments!

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1. Fresh fruits and vegetables

It's expensive to buy certain fruits, like raspberries for example. Especially if it's not in season. But I think any time you buy a super food, it's a good investment for your body. Even more deluxe is buying pre-sliced/chopped/diced fruits. But if it's going to be the difference between eating it and letting it rot in your produce drawer, then it might be worth the splurge. I recently bought a pre-cored pineapple with a "from Costa Rica" label. Wow. Absolutely nothing compared to canned pineapple.

Obviously it makes sense to buy in season, but some of these foods are so good (and good for you) it's the worth the splurge every now and then.

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2. Good quality meat

I know I can get meat relatively cheaply, but when I think about the conditions those animals live in and the extra gristle I get in cheap meats, I can't help but buy better quality. My favorite brand of chicken is Harvestland (Walmart) and Perdue (Kroger). Somebody inform me if I'm wrong about these being good quality brands! But they seem fairly safe to me without having the expensive organic label on them.

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3. High quality cheese

This is definitely an every once in a while purchase for me. But a good block of Havarti or Parmesan. Yum! I buy a block of Parmesan and keep it in the fridge. I grate a little on top of all kinds of things, even meals that don't call for it. Delish.

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4. Fruit pouches for Eli

I love the ease of giving him these for snacks. SO much easier than whipping out the baby food jar and spoon and healthier than handing him a bag of Cheerios (well, I do that a lot too. I'm not judging you Cheerio moms!) Also, some of the brands have some really interesting fruit and veggie combinations. It's a great way to incorporate some of the foods that are either hard to prep or hard to get them to eat.

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5. Cage free, organic eggs

I don't know if I can technically count this because I only buy this when it's on sale. Kroger's Simple Truth brand eggs go on sale every now and then and I grab a dozen when they do. Something about a chicken stuck in a cage its whole life ovulating over and over just seems...icky to me. Call me crazy.

Shopping Haul {TJ Maxx and Walgreens}

2013-03-04T20:04:00.000-06:00

My mom gave me a gift card to TJ Maxx that she wasn't going to use and I had LOTS of fun with it. I hardly ever have good luck at TJ Maxx, but I scored yesterday. And I only spent $7 out of pocket! Then I headed over to Walgreens for some cough medicine and naturally had to pick up a few things while I was there. Here's what I got:

Red and white iPhone cover. I bought my current cover at a garage sale for $3 and it was breaking below the little circle button, so I grabbed this cute one. The only thing that is weird is the red part is kind of a slick plastic, rather than my old one that had rubber to help the grip. Just have to get used to it.

Sweet little book for Eli

Any cute outfit I see on Pinterest seems to include a scarf. I thought this pretty pink and orange one would be perfect for spring. It has a pretty ombre effect that you can see better in the photo below. It's also thin so it won't be too hot for warm days, but there is a lot of fabric so it will work for cooler days, too.

See the pretty ombre effect?

I was pumped (hehe) about these shoes! They are Bandolino (which I've never heard of, but I hear are good shoes). I have been wanting a nude pump but didn't want to pay a lot of money. I hate spending a lot on shoes (except maybe tennis shoes). I bought one pair of nice black pumps like 4 years ago and I still rock them a lot. But I can't bring myself to spend that kind of money again! When I bought the black pumps, my husband had to convince me to buy them because I'm just so dang cheap. But these puppies were $30! Score!

Also, the heel wasn't unreasonably high. I tried some Jessica Simpson pumps on and there was no way I would be able to wear them. If you can wear those sky-high stilettos, props to you!

I love the patent leather look and the pretty lining. Plus the scalloped detail on the side is really pretty.

I grabbed this Yes to Carrots Color Balm in Rosy Bloom at Walgreens. The color looked a little scary at first, but it's very sheer. I have tons of lip colors, but I didn't have a "chapstick" type balm. I wanted something with a tiny bit of color, but not a gloss. This fits perfect.

I grabbed this round brush. It has boar bristles and plastic ones. It's kind of funky and doesn't run through my hair very easy, but it's fine.

This pretty eyeshadow trio is Sweet as Candy from Wet 'n' Wild. It looked nice and fresh for spring.

The color pay off with these colors isn't as good as some of the other Wet 'n' Wild shadows I've tried, but they're still very pretty.

Anybody grabbed any good deals lately?

Thanks for reading!

Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie (Easy!)

2013-03-02T15:12:00.000-06:00

I have seen variations of this smoothie/milkshake circling Pinterest, so I whipped up my own version. Super easy, super fast, super tasty!

Ingredients:

One banana
2-3 Tbsp. peanut butter (smooth works best)
Enough milk to make the smoothie "drinkable" (roughly 1/2 - 1 cup)
1-2 tsp. honey, if desired
3 or 4 ice cubes

Directions: Drop everything in a blender and blend!

This makes an excellent dessert. It's a bit calorie dense with the peanut butter, but it's very sweet and creamy. It would delicious spooned over some ice cream or brownies too. Or just sip it through a straw like I did.

Enjoy!