A Bicycle Built for Two - A Blog About Food, Healthy Living, and The Adventures of Life

Current Loves

noreply@blogger.com (Cait Jensen) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 02:30:00 +0000

...cooking dinner for my hubby.

((Tonight I made some pasta with vodka sauce and chicken-simple & quick yet delicious)).

...eating dinner (candlelight) with my hubby.

...Matt Kearney Pandora station.

...Pinterest. Well, I'm always loving Pinterest, but this week I am specifically loving these DIY fabric button earrings. I've made so many to match every outfit!

...Ollie. I fall more in love with this pup everyday.

...reading in bed each night next to Jeff. We've recently started setting aside a half hour each night to read. I'm reading "The Unlikely Disciple"...an amazing and hilarious book!

Our Photography Story

noreply@blogger.com (Cait Jensen) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:39:00 +0000

Read our photography story on our other blog today!

http://www.photographyjensen.com/2012/02/katelyn-james-workshop-opportunityour-story/

welcome back iphone

noreply@blogger.com (Cait Jensen) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:51:00 +0000

I used to have an iphone-then I got married and lived on a budget (goodbye unnecessary iphone). Since starting our photography business, Jeff and I realized that iphones would come in handy in many ways! There have been so many times we have said to each other, "I wish my phone was intelligent." So, two weeks ago we upgraded. It's been great! I've particularly enjoyed spending countless hours on Instagram. This app didn't exist when I had this phone 4 years ago. I thought I would share with you some of my photos from this past week...

I get to see my adorable nephew every morning. It's so great! Here's some morning lovin' in our jammies...

In my last post I mentioned that I spent Friday afternoon's with my grandmom (known to all of her grandchildren as "Mammy"). My mammy is an amazing crafter. I have learned everything I know from her and love learning more from her! On Friday we made scarfs out of t-shirts.

There are so many different ways to make these type of scarfs. Here's one of the ones we made together...

We're not the only ones that love living beneath my sister and brother-in-law. Ollie has built in playmates! He pretty much plays all day long. Spoiled, spoiled pup. Here's an oreo..

Finally, as you might have noticed...I dyed my hair. I can't last very long with one hairstyle or color. This style is called "ombre." My hair dresser warned me that this style isn't really "in" around here yet (although Drew Barrymore has it) and people might think my highlights are way grown out, but I didn't really care! My mom has always told me that "I walk to the beat of my own drum."

Home Sweet Home

noreply@blogger.com (Cait Jensen) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:20:00 +0000

Remember me? Probably not after all of these months away! I can't even believe I haven't blogged in months. But, when life happens...blogging doesn't. And life sure has been happening. We're all moved into our new home in PA and couldn't be happier :) We are living right under my sister, brother-in-law and adorable nephew and it is so much fun. Here is a little glimpse into our apartment:

We invested in a few new pieces of furniture since almost everything in our last apartment were hand me downs. I spent a lot of time at a antique shop near my parent's house also! That is where the shelf (an old shutter) and our coffee table (a chest which we put legs on) are from.

A few DIY projects of course took place! Like the "EAT" sign in the kitchen. Who wants to pay

$22 a letter from Anthropologie? Not I. These were under 10 dollars made with crafts from JoAnnes.

Hello new computer! We bought this bad boy to edit with. Great investment...we love it :) We have more weddings than we can probably handle this summer so it will definitely be put to good use. Say hello to the lovely Chelsey & Alyssa on our wall-two of our beautiful clients!

And finally, our bedroom. Well, half of it (I never took a picture of the other half). I do love the color green...

Our apartment is great-not only is it much bigger than our other one, but much nicer. It finally feels like home. We are missing so many people in NY, but are so happy to be back with my family when they need us most. The family I used to nanny for e-mail me last week saying, "There are reasons you were called home." Her words could not have been more true. My uncle passed away last week and I can't imagine not being home for that. My extended family is

extremely close and we all need each other right now. I was brought home to comfort my cousins. I was brought home to be a rock for my mom. I was brought home to spend my Fridays off with my grandmother who is fighting pancreatic cancer. I was brought home to make my sister laugh and remind her how important her job as a mother is each and every day. I guess the saying, "home is where your heart it" is true. And how can I not love life when I get to look at these two cuties every day?

(Wyatt, my nephew, is on the left and James, who I nanny for now, is on the right).

Much love from us to you!!

Keep reading. I promise now that we are all settled in, blogging will happen more.

My best friend...

noreply@blogger.com (Cait Jensen) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:10:00 +0000

For the past two years I have had a best friend (besides my husband, of course) and he is 3 years old. Yup, you heard me right. You may think that me claiming a 3 year old as my best friend is silly, but it's the truth. You see...

A best friend is always there for you. Sean has always been there for me. We have spent every day together for the past year and a half. He was there to have good, productive days with and there to have lazy days with. He was there to comfort me and there to make me laugh.

A best friend listens to you. I could tell Sean anything. If I was having a bad day, he often reminded me, "But Caityin, it's a beautiful, sunny day outside." He always listened to me and offered his advice. While shopping at Target and looking at shirts, he sometimes turned to me and said, "I'm not sure you like that one." He was the best listener...

A best friend takes care of you. When my toes were cold and blue (which was very often), Sean would cover them up with his "bumpy blanky" (his very favorite lovey) to warm them up. He would check their heartbeat by "doctoring" them, as he called it. When my belly hurt, he would tell me, "Caityin, the bathroom is right in the other room, go use it please." He constantly comorted me and encouraged me. His is on of the most compassionate and empathetic people I know, and yes, he is only three years old.

A best friend makes you laugh. Sean made me laugh daily! By saying huge vocabulary words such as accordingly, actually, avocado and crescent. By asking me to say the word "mummy" and when I pronounced it wrong saying, "It's ok, that's a hard word for you Caityin." By telling me that my sister should name her baby boy "Monster Truckey." By singing "Moves like Jagger" and "Life is a Highway" at the top of his lungs to me. By walking into our house and seeing a pillow completely destroyed by our pup and saying "Uh-oh, Ollie did something very naughty." By simply laughing-his belly laugh is contagious.

A best friend teaches you. Sean has taught me more about myself than most people in my life (including highly educated people such as professors, pastors, friends, etc.) He has taught me the simplicity of life, and that is ok to "roar" like a monster truck in the middle of Panera Bread or Dunkin Donuts (our favorite morning date spots). He has helped me learn the meaning of selflessness. Sean has taught me the true meaning of love...

Sean may never really know or understand the things he has taught me, but I think that is the biggest reason why he is my best friend. A true friend does the above things without even knowing it. They do them because they love you.

I will miss my little buddy and best friend more than I can even imagine right now (considering I am typing his as he is napping and we haven't even officially said our goodbye yet). And although he may not remember me in years down the road, he will forever hold a special place in my heart and I will always be grateful for him-for teaching me how to one day care for and love a child of my own...

Leftover Thanksgiving Paninis

noreply@blogger.com (Cait Jensen) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 23:06:00 +0000

We spent Thanksgiving with Jeff's family this year. All of his siblings weren't able to make it so it felt very different to celebrate without them. Much quieter which was sad yet relaxing at the same time :) With just a small amount of people, we were really able to spend quality time together. Thanksgiving day consisted of staying in our sweats, playing games, writing down and sharing what we are thankful for and of course stuffing our faces :) On Friday we made the trip to PA to be with my family and celebrate Jeff's 25th birthday! We spent the day shopping for furniture for our new apartment, went on a Panera coffee date, had dinner at Bonefish Grill with my parents and enjoyed dessert at my sister's house after. I would have loved to celebrate my birthday that way and I think Jeff did too!

On Sunday evening we had a quiet dinner with my parents before heading back to NY. My mom had the greatest idea to make paninis with Thanksgiving leftovers.

Ingredients:
-Whole wheat bread (fresh baked, thick is best)
-Stuffing (my mom makes the BEST with sausage in it)
-Turkey
-Cheddar cheese
-Cranberry Sauce

Simply put all of your ingredients together and grill on a George Foreman for a few minutes to melt the cheese and toast the bread!

Hi Mom! Hi Jeff!

We enjoyed our sandwiches with a bowl of sausage & lentil soup.

We have been busy organizing and packing for our move to PA this month. Jeff and I have had a lot of fun picking out new furniture and decorations for our new place. The furniture we have now we actually picked up off the side of the road one day. It is pretty nice, but we have always wanted to upgrade. That time is finally here! I have an exciting coffee table project that we have been working on and can't wait to share with you. It involves an antique trunk :)

Did you do any Black Friday shopping? I hate supporting Black Friday but Cyber Monday did convince us to make a big purchase. An imac :) Jeff will be like a little kid on Christmas morning when it comes next week. We have needed a new computer for a while and this will help so much with all of our photography editing.

I'll leave you with two pictures that are on our Christmas card this year...

Off to roast a chicken before the hubs gets home from class! Enjoy your night...I'll be spending mine drinking vanilla & cinnamon black tea while watching Top Chef :)

Philadelphia Marathon Re-Cap

noreply@blogger.com (Cait Jensen) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:10:00 +0000

Well, we've had one day to rest our legs and I'm sad to say that they are even more sore today than yesterday. We expected it, but I still hoped it wouldn't be true. My toes are worse than my legs-with Raynauds and MAJOR blisters I can barely walk. It was all worth the pain though! Where do I start with this re-cap? I guess I'll start the day before the race. You're in for a long post so hang in there with me ;)

Jeff and I headed into the city Saturday afternoon to visit the Expo and pick up our race packet. Things were a bit hectic in the city but we were settled into our hotel by 4 pm and waited for our friends, Kimberly and Joe to arrive. I picked up two bumper stickers at the Expo, one that obviously said 26.2 (because if I was running a whole marathon and, of course, was going to tell anyone driving behind me about it) and the other said this...

We had a few hours to relax before heading to dinner to get as much energy and calories before the race in the morning. Jeff and I ate a pasta dinner at our apartment together Friday night so we wouldn't overdo it the night before the race. The last thing you want is a sick stomach the night before or morning of! We were asleep by 10 pm and up around 4 am (only because we couldn't sleep). We had all of our alarms set for 5 am but at 4 I heard Jeff and Joe stirring in their beds because were were all so anxious and excited! We dressed, ate our oatmeal (Joe's race breakfast choice) and peanut butter and banana sandwich for Jeff and I and were on our way to the Art Museum for the start.

Our adrenaline kicked in right away-there were 30,000 runners and the anticipation of the start was so exciting. The ONLY complaint I have about the race was the bathroom situation-it was pure chaos. There were tons of porta potties but the lines were so unorganized that several people were unable to use the bathroom and just ended up going on the grass nearby. Thankfully Jeff, Joe and myself made it to one before the beginning of the race.

Around 7:15 our corral (grey) started to run. It was really happening! I have run the Philly half marathon so I knew what to expect but Jeff and Joe had not. We were all smiling at all of the many fans and bands around us. It was hard to keep a slow pace in the beginning because of adrenaline. But, we knew that we had to. With my Garmin watch we kept a steady 10 minute mile pace. So many people started off so quickly and we knew we would end up passing them towards the middle/end of the race. Sure enough, we did.

Mile 1-6 felt great. We knew our fans (My parents, Jeff's parents and Kimberly) were waiting for us around mile 6 which kept us going strong. When we saw them I threw off my headband (I was WAY too hot) and we also grabbed some GU chomps that my mom held onto for us. It was just what we needed to keep us going. There were SO many dogs the first half of the marathon and Jeff and I loved seeing them. It kept our spirits up.

The first 13 miles were actually pretty easy. There were two hills around mile 8 and 10 which were rough, but I had run them for my half and expected them. Our fans were waiting for us again at mile 13. This would be the last time we saw them until the finish since there was no way they could have seen us again and made it to the finish in time. We knew the second half of the race would be harder, not only because we were tired but also because we had no fans and knew that more than half of the runners were finished at the 13.1 mile marker. It was harder than we thought, though. We were no longer running in the downtown part of the city and although the roads were pretty, they weren't lined with any fans and were quite boring. You don't realize how helpful fans are until you don't have them anymore!

At mile 14, Jeff and I unfortunately lost Joe because we stopped to pee. We both felt the urge and knew we still had 12.2 miles to go. No one wants to feel uncomfortable for that long! We tried to catch up to Joe but didn't want to kill ourselves running too fast. We did, however, see him in several parts of the race when we had to run up and back, therefore passing the other runners on the way back. We gave him high fives twice! He did awesome.

Around mile 17 I started to struggle. There were a few gradual hills, my energy was low and I started feeling major pain in my feet, specifically my right big toe. A few times I said to Jeff, "My toe might be broken." He assured me it wasn't and told me to keep running :) The first time we walked was around mile 17/18 through the water station. It was super hard to run and drink at the same time without it going up our noses and we knew we needed all the hydration we could get to be able to finish strong.

Mile 18-20 were my least favorite. We went up into Manyunk and back. I HATE going up and back because you can see the runners coming back and you aren't. We couldn't really see where the turn around was and it felt way more than 2 miles. Once we made it around the turn though, we knew we were on our way back to the finish with only 6 miles to go! At this point our legs were done. We were in pain and exhausted but we knew how close we were. It was so encouraging to hear other runners cheering each other on. You really did feel like you were all in it together. I knew I wasn't the only one in pain and if the 70 year old man next to me could do it, so could I!

Once we saw mile 24, we picked up our pace a bit. We were SO close. We started searching for our family because we weren't exactly sure where they would be at the finish. Mile 25 felt like FOREVER. But then, I saw my brother-in-law and immediately knew my sister had surprised us! We didn't think she would be able to make it since Wyatt is a newborn, but it was such a beautiful, warm day that they decided to drive in to see us finish. With an 1/8 of a mile left I saw Laur running towards us...she was going to run into the finish with us! We both started crying-the only time I cried the entire race. I was overwhelmed with happiness and pain at the same time and my emotions got the best of me :)

We did it. My Garmin says we finished around 4:45 but our official race time said 4:52. Our goal was simply to finish, and we did. We saw the 4:30 pace group a few minutes ahead of the entire time and staying somewhat close behind them helped. We grabbed our medals and immediately hugged our amazing fans who woke up super early and dealt with the craziness of the city to cheer us on!

The aftermath...

So, will we be running another marathon? HECK no. My 4'11 body was not made to be a runner. As much as I want it to love running, it hates it...and hated me for putting it through 26.2 long miles. It was the hardest thing I've ever done. I'm sure labor/child birth is harder, but since I haven't experienced that yet...this most definitely was. I don't regret it at all. Running a marathon is one of the best things I have ever accomplished in my life...and doing it with my best friend and hubby by my side made it that much better :) I was saddened to hear that two runners collapsed after the marathon and died of heart attacks. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not push yourself beyond your ability if you are running a marathon-it is not worth it. I heard the news once we got home and broke down into tears. My heart hurts and goes out to the families who lost loved ones yesterday morning...

We are Marathon Runners...26.2!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Cait Jensen) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:13:00 +0000

We did it! We ran 26.2 miles and completed the Philadelphia Marathon. More pictures and details to come tomorrow, but right now we are enjoying resting our legs and feet while watching some football with our amazing family that supported us all day :) Thanks for all of your support the past few months!

Running alongside my best friend was the best part of it all...

3 days...

noreply@blogger.com (Cait Jensen) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:39:00 +0000

...UNTIL THE PHILADELPHIA MARATHON!

Hi friends! I figured it was time for an update since it has been a few days since I have been on here :) As always, life is busy. Jeff and I have been traveling to PA almost every weekend for photography shoots, job interviews and family events. Along with all of this we have continued our marathon training. We cannot wait until we are settled in PA and life calms down a bit. I received a job offer today which I am thrilled about and last weekend we found an apartment to live in starting in January. Even more exciting, the apartment is in the bottom of my sister's house! We are all so happy. With my new job I have off most Fridays and plan on spending all day with my sister and Wyatt :) Everything is falling into place and we couldn't be more thankful.

I'll share with you a pinterest project Jeff and I have been working on-a new bed for Ollie! We've been searching for the perfect antique suitcase for this project. A few weeks ago we found one on Ebay and made the purchase. I found an adorable throw blanket at Marshall's (with whales on it) to put inside. Jeff added the legs on the bottom with some wooden candlesticks we found at Michael's.

We wish it was a bigger, but Ollie still loves it. We find him laying in it, all curled up, every night :) We're going to start looking for one that's a bit bigger because for some reason we thought Ollie was smaller than he is. Of course there is a little toy in there for him, too.

I can't write a post without a few pictures of Wyatt, can I? Here's happy Wyatt and happy Aunt Cait...

And mad Wyatt and mad Aunt Cait...

My sister is the best mama in the whole world (besides our own mama of course). I have loved watching her love her little peanut...

Oh hello, there...

It doesn't get any cuter, people. He is simply amazing.

As you saw in the beginning of the post, we are THREE days away from running the Philadelphia Marathon! Jeff and I are running our last run before the race (2 short miles) this afternoon. I can hardly believe it is here. I might be more excited for the race to be over than it to start. Kidding (kind of). I am just excited for the day to be here and to accomplish something that has always been of dream of mine. More importantly, I get to accomplish it with my husband by my side. We are heading into Philly Saturday afternoon to visit the race Expo and staying the night so we are well rested for the beginning of the race at 7 am on Sunday! I'll be posting a race recap on Sunday evening or Monday (depending on how exhausted I am) so stay tuned.

One last picture that HAS to make you smile! Jeff has been wanting to take this picture for a long time. Last Sunday we finally got it! It took 3 people (1 driver, 1 photographer and 1 person to make sure Ollie didn't jump out the window) but we finally captured our pup in his glory...

Hope you are all doing well, thanks for always reading commenting :)

Linguine with Sausage & Spinach

noreply@blogger.com (Cait Jensen) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 03:00:00 +0000

Do you read A Full Measure of Happiness? If not, you should. If you do, then the title of this post might look a little familiar. The author of the above blog is a dear friend of mine. Jeff and I went for a run and since Lauren lives about 2.2 miles from us, we stopped in to say hi one night. While there, Lauren was making a dish that looked amazingly appetizing. I decided to go home and try something similar! I didn't have any broccoli rabe on hand, but did have some spinach. Both green-both taste great with pasta.

Ingredients:
-1 box of linguine (or some kind of pasta)
-1 package of Italian sausage
-1 can of diced tomatoes (with basil)
-1-2 cups of frozen spinach

Begin by cooking the sausage. Once the sausage is almost fully cooked, add the spinach and tomatoes to the pot. On a separate burner, cook the pasta while the sausage is cooking! Add the pasta with the rest and you have yourself and incredibly quick and easy dinner :) This can easily be made gluten-free with some gluten-free pasta.

Lauren and Fritz also dropped off an early Christmas present for me a few nights ago and it might be my favorite present EVER. I know, bold. They got me these bad boys...

What are they, you ask? Slippers. Microwavable slippers. Lauren and Fritz were in Bed Bath & Beyond and saw these and immediately thought of my and my blue (raynauds) toes. I am wearing them as I type this-they're wonderful! If you have cold toes, I highly suggest investing.

11 days until our marathon! AHH! We have 1 more "long" run (6 miles) on Friday and then a 3 miler and a 2 miler then 26.2. We are so ready...

Saturday morning....

noreply@blogger.com (Cait Jensen) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:51:00 +0000

Jeff and I have been so busy with our photography business! As much as I want to complain some days because of how busy we are and how we find ourselves with just about zero down time to relax, we are so so thankful that our business has taken off so quickly. This weekend we had 3 shoots-1 wedding, 1 family and 1 newborn triplet shoot! We have found that photography is not as easy as we thought it would be! It is surprisingly very stressful-weddings in particular.

As a photographer, you are not only in charge of capturing pictures and memories of the day, but also the time line in some cases (and that's a very important job on such a structured day!) If there is not a wedding coordinator, it is the photographer's job to know when the bride needs to be done certain pictures and on to the next event. So, we always spend a lot of time preparing the night and morning before heading to the wedding. We have to be ready to bring our "A" game! Saturday morning we started out with a great breakfast-eggs, spinach, sausage and cheese scramble. We needed something filling that would last us until our first break...this did the job!

I always spend time carefully picking out my outfit and getting ready-although you aren't in the spotlight at all the day of a wedding, you are always seen. Meaning, there are always possible clients watching you :)

We had some fun with Ollie while we gathered up our props for the photo booth we set up during receptions...

Ollie wishes he could be our assistant. He promised to even dress up with his top hat if we brought him along...

Oh, and...HAPPY Halloween! Sorry, are we a few days late? I guess that proves to you how crazy our week has been :)

Pork & Zucchini

noreply@blogger.com (Cait Jensen) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 01:05:00 +0000

For Christmas last year, my mom made my sister and I a book of family recipes. It was probably the best present I have ever received. Not only is it super practical, but also very special. She e-mailed several family members to get their "famous" recipes and wrote a little story to go with each one. For this recipe my mom wrote,"Growing up, this was my favorite recipe and the one meal I always requested that Dad make for my birthday dinner. I've change the recipe to an easier version but it is definitely one of my favorites!" Since it is my mom's favorite, it's mine too! If you need a quick and delicious dinner, this is for you...

Ingredients:

6-8 pork fingers (I used boneless pork chops but like pork fingers even better)
1 can diced tomatoes (with garlic, basil and oregano)
2 medium zucchini
1/2 can green salsa
1 can corn

Brown the pork in frying pan (I skipped this step to make this dinner even quicker). In a crock pot place in this order: pork first, cover with tomatoes, add 1/2 can of salsa. Cook on medium for 4 hours or until meat is cooked through. About one hour before it is done, add the sliced zucchini and corn.

I also made some pumpkin spice cookies while waiting for Jeff to get home from class. I hate Wednesday nights because he gets home so late. But I know it's a long day for him so I always try to have a good dinner and small dessert waiting for him when he arrives home :)

I surprisingly haven't eaten as much pumpkin as usual this fall. Jeff and I had a very busy weekend this past weekend. Ready to hear about it? It started with a 4 hour drive home Friday night. We woke up Saturday morning at 6 am and did our last long run-20 miles! It honestly wasn't too bad. Our legs were definitely sore at about mile 16, but we ended with no tears. After our run, we saw my nephew for a few hours before heading to an engagement shoot. After the shoot we drove 3 hours to Annapolis, MD where we stayed with some college friends before shooting a wedding in Maryland on Sunday. By the end of Sunday we were exhausted! Too bad we still had to drive 7 hours home (and get a speeding ticket in between). The weekend was so worth it though! Here are a few pictures of our stay in Annapolis...

Meet the Kupfer's and their little peanut! Bess and Morgan have been good friends of ours for many years. I played lacrosse with Bess in college. They are expecting their first baby in April and we could not be more excited for them :)

And I'll leave you with a photo that Jeff took of me at the engagement shoot Saturday night...

Potato Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Cait Jensen) — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 18:06:00 +0000

I made potato soup for the first time a few nights ago! I didn't take great pictures but wanted to show you the few I did take. I used this recipe which was easy to follow. The recipe turned out great! It wasn't the healthiest soup in the world (at all) but it tasted great-just like a baked potato. Jeff and I don't normally eat heavy foods so our bellies were very full afterwards! It isn't something I would make or eat often but it was nice to enjoy on a perfect fall evening together :)

Lots of bacon. Lots of butter. Lots of cream. Lots of goodness!!

Our dinners have been quick and easy recently since we have been so busy with photography and marathon training, but this night's dinner was not quick! This soup took a while to cook but the end was worth the wait :) We enjoyed it while watching Up All Night, one of our new favorite shows, together.

If you haven't made potato soup yet, I suggest trying this recipe. Jeff and I have been crazy busy between traveling to PA to see my nephew, our photography business and marathon training. We are up to 19 miles...can you believe it? We can't. I am very anxious about the race but am hoping that my adrenaline pushes me through to the end on race day! I'll leave you with a few pictures we took yesterday. We recently upgraded one of our cameras to a Canon 5D Mark II so had some fun with the camera and a new lens yesterday at a nearby school/park...

This pup gets so much love it's ridiculous...

Off to watch the Giants!!! We haven't spent a weekend at our apartment for a while so it's been nice to just relax together today. Hope you are having as great of a day as we are...

Aunt Cait & Uncle Jeffrey

noreply@blogger.com (Cait Jensen) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 22:30:00 +0000

I have been MIA because I have been busy becoming an aunt to my sister's perfect little baby boy! I could not be more proud of my big sister and brother-in-law. They make one handsome baby boy.

I prayed for months that I would be home for the birth. Because we are living in N

Y and my sister in PA, I knew it would be hard for us to make it there for Wyatt's debut. I was so anxious and even started trying to plan different scenarios (quickly realzing that you can't plan a birth-especially for a baby that isn't your own). I truly believe that Jesus answered my prayers! I was right next to my sister her entire labor, exactly where I wanted and needed to be.

I've never been more proud of her. I already look up to her not only as a big sister now, but also as a mother. An amazing, compassionate mother that I one day hope to be as well. Jeff and I had to head back to NY Monday evening and Lauren and I both cried our eyes out sayin

g goodbye. My brother-in-law turned to me and asked, "When will we see you again?" I responded with snot running down my face, "Friday." He quickly rolled his eyes :) Yes, we cry about not seeing each other for 3 days. I am hating being away from them an

d counting down the hours until Friday is here!

Meet Wyatt Jeffrey Bryant.

Born at 11:19 am on Saturday.

Weighting 6 pounds, 3 ounces and 20 inches long.

The new family of 3...

She is already an amazing mama. Wyatt is so lucky...

My mom and dad (now Mimi and Poppy) looking at their grandson. This is one of my favorite pictures...

I am so in love...

The new family is now home. Everyone is doing really well!

Surviving Long Runs...

noreply@blogger.com (Cait Jensen) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 19:28:00 +0000

Jeff and I will be running the Philadelphia Marathon in less than 2 months! I can't believe how close it is...we have been training for so long and are so ready for this race to be here. Yesterday we ran our longest run yet-14 miles. I wish we could tell you all that we enjoyed running, but we honestly can't say that we do...especially runs that are so freaking long. We are not runners. I mean, come on, I am 4 foot 11 inches! My legs do not love to run. There are, however, a few things we do to make the runs a little more enjoyable....

1. Drink a lot of water the night before. Since we wake up and are out of the door by 7:00 am, we really don't want to drink prior to the run. So we don't cramp up on the run, we always drink a few full glasses of water the night before (and unfortunately end up waking to to pee in the middle of the night!).

2. Get a good night's sleep. The last thing you want is to be tired on a long run.

3. Have a pit stop half way through the run. The family I nanny for lives about 7 mi

les from us, so we left a bottle of water and 4 small packs of gummy bears there to drink/eat half way. Although it is always hard to get our legs moving again for the last 7 miles, it is so helpful to get some calories and sugar into our bodies! We also stopped again around mile 11 for a bathroom break and some water at Panera. It is helpful to find places along your run to stop and re-hydrate.

4. Run with a partner. Jeff and I encourage each other the entire run. It is usually me (Cait) that wants to stop and complain, but Jeff always convinces me to keep running! Randomly throughout the run you will always hear us saying to one another, "Great job" or "We got this." The little encouragement helps so much.

5. Don't plan anything for the rest of the day. After our run yesterday we had a portrait shoot for our photography business-bad idea. We were completely exhausted and both ended our day with headaches :/ Take the day to relax! And remember to re-fuel with a meal after the run. Yesterday we stopped at a bagel shop and had some sandwiches on bagels-so good!

So, there you have it. Some things we do to help us through our runs. I'm pretty sure every run I turn to Jeff and say "I can't go anymore. There is no way I can run a full marathon." But we are so close! We have 3 more long runs left in our training program-16 miles, 18 miles, 20 miles.

I felt encouraged after yesterday's run, though. We ran our quickest average pace yet (about 9:45/10 minute miles) and I felt good the entire run. Some days runs go well and other days they don't.

We have already run more than a half marathon, so I know we can do it! Is anyone else training for a half or full marathon? If so, how is it going?

Mini Apple Pies

noreply@blogger.com (Cait Jensen) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 23:58:00 +0000

I promised you a recipe involving apples, so here it is! It is pretty adorable if I do say so myself. I wish I could take credit, however I found this recipe on foodgawker one day. I adapted it a bit, but mostly stuck to what this blog advised. A big thank you to Cat (the author of the blog) for coming up with this great, adorable and tasty fall recipe :)

Ingredients:
-1 box pie crusts (2 crusts per box)
-3-5 apples (I used granny smith)
-1/4 cup sugar
-1/4 cup brown sugar
-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
-2 tablespoons melted butter

First, peel and cut the apples into small pieces. Remember that it will be easier if you peel the apple before you cut it (something I forgot and hated myself for :)

Toss the cut up apples with the sugar and cinnamon and mix well.

Cut the pie crusts with a circle cookie cutter, or if you don't have one, use a mug like we did! The circle should be a little larger than the muffin cup size.

Press the pie crust dough into the muffin pan.

Fill the dough cups with the apple mixture. It should be pretty full.

Top the mini pies with another circle of dough and press around the edges. Use a knife to cut 4 slits in the top of the pie. Top them with a little bit of butter and sprinkle some sugar on top. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until browned, at 400 degrees! While they are baking, take pictures of your adorable pup...

And then of your handsome husband...

These are just too cute. And easy! If you are having guests over and need to impress them with a dessert, this is it.

So good and the perfect size. Enjoy it with some vanilla ice-cream and they're even better. Jeff and I ran 14 miles today for marathon training. I'll be back tomorrow to give you and update on marathon training and share with you some of our running tips :)

New Etsy Shop

noreply@blogger.com (Cait Jensen) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 18:35:00 +0000

My new Etsy shop is up and running! Visit it HERE. I've been working on lots of lace earrings and finally got around to putting a few up on Etsy for you all to purchase if you are interested. Let me know what you think and what you would like to see more of (or differently). And of course I can't post without leaving you with a few photos. So, here are some of yesterday's farm class with my little buddy...

I can't wait until Jeff and I are ready to have a little one of our own! We are waiting a few more years since we are so young and have so many things we want to do before children take over our lives ;) Some days I turn to Jeff and say "I want a baby." He immediately smiles then reminds me that we need to enjoy life together, just the two of us right now. I think it is so important to embrace this stage of life. So, as much as my heart melts whenever I am with the little guy above...I enjoy being able to give him back to his mama everyday and head home to just my hubby.

Ps. Are you wondering where all of my recipes are? I am too! I've been working on these earrings for another project I am getting involved in (will share with you in a few weeks) so I haven't spent much time cooking. This weekend I should have something up, though! Something involving apples...

Roasted Corn & Apple Picking

noreply@blogger.com (Cait Jensen) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 01:18:00 +0000

It finally feels like fall and that makes me oh, so happy! We spent Sunday with friends doing every fall activity we could think of (well, not really...just a few). We went to the eastern part of Long Island to apple pick, however quickly realized that we were too late. I always thought apple picking was a fall (aka September or October) event, but I was wrong. We learned that for the past few years apple picking in this area has been best in August. All of the apples were off the trees and on the ground and most were unfortunately rotted :/ So, we didn't leave with many apples...but lots of pictures instead!

Exhibit A: rotted apple.

Instead of picking dirty apples off the ground, we took advantage of some great scenery for pictures. Meet Brittany and Jon, an adorable couple...

We took the picture below 2 years ago at an orchard near our college.

Here we are again with a few changes. First, we're happily married! Second, my hair is longer and darker. Third, our pictures are no longer blurry. Fourth, there no apples on the trees.

You can't make a trip out easy without enjoying some Long Island roasted corn...

I loaded mine with salt (bad I know). They had so many different kinds of salt to add to the corn...I couldn't resist.

We ended the day with a stop at the beach. Jon and Brittany knew of a beautiful private beach nearby so they showed us the way. One of the few things I will miss about Long Island (yes I said few, I'm a PA girl at heart)...

If you haven't apple picked yet...go soon! Our next fall events will be pumpkin picking, haunted hay riding and apple cider drinking. Hoping to cross off the apple cider drinking tomorrow night :)

Shopping Spree

noreply@blogger.com (Cait Jensen) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 17:07:00 +0000

Jeff is working back in his hometown this weekend which leaves me and Ollie to hang out together for the weekend! Ollie had a lot of fun at a park yesterday so I decided to have some fun today...except at the mall instead of the park. We are on a tight budget so I probably shouldn't have bought anything, but everything was reasonable so I treated myself. I'm still very much into lace and fell in love with this shirt! $19.00...

The jeans I have on are 7 For All Mankind and I got them off ebay for $20.00! Originally $150.00, not bad right? I couldn't resist the scarf below. It was $12.00...

And last but certainly not least, I found this fun feather hair extension for $4.00...

Husbands beware...this is what happens when you leave your wives for a few days! But at least I'll look super cute for our apple picking date tomorrow :)

Wyatt's Nursery

noreply@blogger.com (Cait Jensen) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 12:43:00 +0000

So, you might remember my post about my sister's baby shower I helped organize this summer. Well, I'm here today to share with you pictures of her fabulous nursery :) I am in love with Wyatt's nursery-the blues, the oranges, the trucks...every little detail. I helped by making the crib skirt, pillows and curtains and my amazing husband made the puppy mobile (can you even believe him? I can't!) It is the perfect room for a little boy to spend the first years of his life. My sister is due on October 4th and I cannot wait to meet my nephew! Lauren is already such an amazing mom to her two pups, and I know she is going to be the best mama to Wyatt. He is one lucky boy-first to have a nursery as cool as this one, but second to have an amazing set of parents! Enjoy reading her blog today...

My Boys and Their Toys

Who needs to spend $100.00 on Etsy when you have a husband who can make this (below)? Lauren has 2 schnauzer pups, hence the schnauzers on the mobile. I don't know about you, but I think my husband is pretty awesome for this! The fabric on the little bones even match the fabric in the curtains, pillows and crib skirt I made.

I just hope our future child has a nursery as cool as this one day! Although Jeff said he was never making a mobile again :/ I'm sure I can convince him...

Grilled Mini Polenta Pizzas

noreply@blogger.com (Cait Jensen) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 21:30:00 +0000

I tried polenta for the first time a few months ago and fell in love. You can do so many different things with it and it is gluten-free! I've eaten polenta with eggs and also as a side dish, but yesterday I tried it as an appetizer. Very happy with the outcome...

Ingredients:
-10 slices of polenta
-Mozzarella cheese (I used string cheese that I had on hand)
-3 tablespoons pesto

Light your grill and place the slices of polenta on for a few minutes, until they start to brown. Once one of the sides is browned, flip it over and add the toppings. Place the pesto on first, then add the cheese. You could add any toppings you want...but pesto and mozz is one of my favorite combinations!

They are bite sized, gluten-free and healthy...3 of my favorite things.

Ollie really wanted a taste. Sometimes I wish he was a human so that he could eat what we eat (and talk to me when I'm bored and talk to him) -I'm sure the same old dog food every day gets boring.

We also had turkey burgers (made by Jeff), string beans and potatoes for dinner. Delicious!

On a non-food related note, I am opening up my etsy shop again at the end of the week! No more headbands though. I've moved onto bigger and better things. Lace earrings.

I'll have several styles for sale. Anyone interested?

Random Facts Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Cait Jensen) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 18:12:00 +0000

I wish I could share a great recipe with you today, but I haven't done too much cooking this week. We've been living off of pizza, soup and pasta due to a lack of grocery money this week! Living on a budget is so much fun (not). So instead, I'll share with you random facts about myself so you can get to know me a little better :) Feel free to comment and let me know if you share any of these traits as well...

1.I vacuum once a day. It's actually a very annoying habbit. I wish I didn't feel the need to because sometimes I just want to come home from work and relax, but if I see a speck of dirt I HAVE to vacuum it up.

2.I spelled my middle name wrong until middle school. I was making an 8th grade scrapbook and went to show the finished product to my mom. She responded, "You're not finished the cover, becuase you forgot a letter of your middle name." My middle name is "AnnE", not "Ann".

3. Jeff and I have had our baby boy and baby girl named for when we decide to have kiddos for years. I'll let you in on part of the secret. Boy name starts with "T" and girl name starts with "J." And for those of you who think, "You'll probably change it..." we absolutely will not :)

4. I HATE condiments. I don't eat mayo, mustard, ketchup, creamy salad dressings, cream cheese...nothing.

5. I played lacrosse and soccer in high school. I was also on the swim team...for two weeks...then I quit. It's hard stuff. A lot harder than it looks!

6. I used to be obsessed with fake nails. I had my nails done all the time in high school. And although they ruined my nails for a while, I secretly miss them (but maybe not the crazy length and designs I used to get on them). Oh high school...

7. My sister and I call each other "Willis." She is "Willis" in my phone, my e-mail and in person. Why? I really couldn't tell you. All we remember is that my mom had a guinnea pig as a class pet many years ago named Willis and somehow it became our nickname for each other.

8. I currently have 3 cavities. Oops.

9. I want to go to seminary. I can't now because Jeff is finishing up PT school and we have a crazy amount of loans to pay off first, but one day I hope to make it there! I studied Christian Ministry in undergrad and just want to learn more...

10. My next car will be a Kia Soul-a green one.

DIY (Anthropologie) Lace Earrings

noreply@blogger.com (Cait Jensen) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 01:25:00 +0000

I'm into lace. A friend of mine saw an adorable pair of earrings from Anthropologie and asked if anyone could make similar ones (for cheaper, of course). I decided to give it a try! Although mine aren't exactly the same as the link above, I'm a fan. They were super easy.

You will need...
-Lace
-Scissors
-Ear wires
-Water and elmer's glue (only if lace isn't stiff)

I have tons of lace from an old wedding dress I found in my grandmother's large pile of scrap fabric in her basement. I picked a patten that I liked and carefully cut it out. The lace was already stiff, so I didn't need to use glue, which would make it more stiff (follow this blog if you need to do this step). Add the ear wires and you're done!

I also made the same pair for the friend that posted the idea on Facebook :) This was my first mirror picture...kind of fun!

Ollie wanted to join in on the fun, as always.

Go find yourself some lace and start crafting. I promise it will cost you less than the $20.00 Anthropologie sells them for and they will be more awesome since YOU made them!

Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (Cait Jensen) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 01:07:00 +0000

Today I am sharing with you a recipe I grew up eating. My mom made this casserole dish every once in a while, and after making it for Jeff about a month ago he requests it often now! I think he likes that it fills him up and that he can take leftovers to work/school easily the next day. It beats his everyday turkey and cheese sandwich, that's for sure! I don't make casserole's often since they aren't always the healthiest, but once in a while is fine :)

Ingredients:
-2 cups of cooked white rice
-2 chicken breasts, shredded
-1 head of broccoli, steamed and cut into small pieces
-1 can of cream of broccoli, chicken or mushroom soup
-3/4 cup shredded cheese

Simply combine all of the above ingredients together in a dish and top with the shredded cheese. Place in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted (the rice, broccoli and chicken should still be warm from just cooking beforehand). I do love how quickly this dinner comes together.

We took Ollie downtown to meet some people and pups yesterday. We also enjoyed some Starbucks since we had a few dollars left on a gift card.

Caramel Macchiato (Jeff's choice)...we shared.

Ollie had a great time sitting on the bench observing the people and other dogs and sniffing the air from tons of different smells. We meet so many more people with a dog by our side! And surprisingly, almost every time we have Ollie with us, someone comes up to us who has or had a Westie. I never thought they were such a popular breed, but I guess they are.

Lastly, when is fall going to be here? We are sick of summer. I know, I will probably regret saying that when my toes are blue from the cold this winter...but I'm really sick of this heat! We put away our air conditioners to save some money this month and are starting to regret it. Hopefully fall is on it's way :) I'm ready for pumpkin spice lattes, apple picking, boots and sweaters!

DIY (no sew) Bracelet

noreply@blogger.com (Cait Jensen) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 23:45:00 +0000

Jeff and I spent labor day relaxing (as I hope everyone did)! While Jeff was watching a "manly" movie that I lost interest in, I opened up by craft boxes. I remembered seeing a tutorial for a no sew lace bracelet and since I had tons of lace that my grandmother gave me, I gave it a try! I wish I remembered where I saw the tutorial (I searched on google but couldn't find it), so if you recognize it please send me the link so I can give credit. This bracelet is super easy and cute. Who needs to spend $10.00-$20.00 to look cute and fashionable? Not me.

You only need a few materials (many that you probably already have if you craft often) to make this. Gather together the following:

-Fabric (color of your choice but a neutral brown, burlap, or light green like I chose would look nice)
-Two different kinds of lace (one should be thick, one thin)
-Small pearls or a string of pearls would work too
-Scissors
-Hot glue gun

Start with a fabric of your choice. Make a strip the size below by cutting the first small bit then ripping (so the edges fray a bit).

Next, cut a piece of lace big enough to fit around your wrist. I made mine a little bigger so that it would wrap around the back of my wrist. Glue the piece of lace to the bottom middle of your strip of fabric as seen below...

Then, glue a smaller piece of lace on top of the larger piece of lace to create a layered look. I probably would have used two very different laces since both of mine were somewhat similar, but I was working with what I had!

To cover the top edges of the lace that was glued onto the fabric, I cut and ripped another (very) thin strip of fabric and glued it to the top of the lace.

Finally, dress it up with some pearls! I cut pearls off of another piece of fabric I had, but it would be easiest to just buy a pack of pearls. Glue them onto the lace in any pattern you want.

Once the glue is completely dry, you're done! Wear your trendy bracelet with anything. You could dress up a pair of jeans with it, or wear it with a simple dress. So many options :)

Just tie the back (I ended up tying a small ribbon and cutting off the excess fabric since it seemed a little too long) as tight as you need to and center the lace on your wrist.

Hope you found this tutorial easy and helpful. Let me know if you end up giving this a try! Pictures of our day and dinner tonight to come tomorrow. Off to watch the Bachelor Pad..whooohoo!