App/Snack Idea: Vegan Eggplant Stacks

Before I even get to the directions for this snack, I have to just share a funny story that this photo totally reminded me of. Many years ago Hank and I were at a charity event for a organization Shirley chaired. The whole set up was outside- walking around to various food tables and trying different items from local Scottsdale restaurants. We all stopped at one of the tables and I got what looked like a tortilla chip piled high with a delicious looking, chunky salsa. Tomatoes, onions, some peppers, really juicy looking. I got one for myself, and one for Hank. He already had his hands full with some other plates so I just fed him the chip with the salsa. Umm, except it wasn't SALSA at all...it was Ahi tuna mixed with a bit of pico de gallo... which is probably THE most disgusting thing you could eat as a vegetarian. And even worse for Hank because he can't stand the look, taste, etc. of fish. I don't think I'll ever forget the look on his face when he realized what he was chewing. So funny and so terrible all at once. He has been vegetarian since he was 12 so I felt really bad about my mistake but luckily after he kind of threw up and washed his mouth out one million times, I was forgiven. ;) The reason I even bring this up is because the tomato on top of these stacks reminded me of the way the Ahi looked, and the story just popped into my head. So random, but had to share!

And now...onto the directions. I shared this on my fun little health and fitness Instagram account earlier too.

 

You'll need:

2 eggplants
2-3 tomatoes
fresh basil
2-3 cloves garlic
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt/pepper

Directions:

Slice up your eggplants and sprinkle with salt, then let sit to tenderize for about 30-45 minutes. While the eggplant is tenderizing mince 2-3 cloves of garlic and sauté in a pan with olive oil. Set aside. At the end of the tenderizing time turn your oven to 450°. Line 2 baking sheets with tin foil. Rinse off the tenderized eggplant with cold water and dry thoroughly. Place the sliced eggplant on the first baking sheet. Brush each slice with olive oil then flip over, then brush with balsamic vinegar and season with freshly ground pepper. Put into the oven.  These will bake for about 20 minutes total. While the eggplant slices are baking, drizzle olive oil on the second tinfoil covered baking sheet. Slice your tomatoes and place them on the baking sheet. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and the garlic you previously cooked. When you have 5 minutes left on the eggplant, pop the tomatoes in the oven. When the timer for 20 min goes off take both sheets out of the over and let cool until you can handle them. Then just make into stacks- eggplant on bottom, then fresh basil, then the tomato, etc. If you have fresh mozzarella use that too! Drizzle with balsamic and serve. Delicious!

Journal Day Prompt #7

Here's this week's prompt- 

Do you use social media in your daily life? Do you think it adds to your relationships with others, or takes away from them? And furthermore, do you think social media adds more positive or negative to your life? Write about your relationship with social media, and talk a bit about how you got started, and what role it plays in your world.

I'll be back Thursday with my response, and that's when I'll ask you guys to share a bit from your writing in the comments, as well as a link to your post.

Read more about my Journal Day project here.

Read previous Journal Days here.

Road-tripping with Nitto, Part Two: Getting There

Like I mentioned in my last post (part one of a three part series on roadtripping with Nitto Tires), roadtrips aren't quite as spontaneous as they once were. When you add two kids into the equation things can get a little tricky. That's where the old trusty list comes in. Efficiency for me is all about planning, and when we take a trip you can bet I'm planned and packed well before it's time to go. And it's not just about the things we'll need once we get to our destination- it's the entire adventure getting there too.

The other week we packed the kids into the car, to head all over our great state of Arizona to check out some future camping sites along with my parents. They recently purchased a camper and we wanted to scout out some spring and summer spots in person. I knew we would be in the car a lot, traveling from one part of the state to another, so I sat down to plan out this multi-stop road trip. And it's not just any list- since I first started taking car trips with friends my Dad would always have a checklist ready for me (or whoever was driving) to complete before we could go. One memorable time in college a bunch of us headed down to Rocky Point for Spring Break. 6 girls, 6 suitcases...and one list from my father.

First things first, according to my Dad, is the obvious- you check the car. And there are so many things to check, especially during the summer. Gas (duh), oil, coolant, etc. You check the tires- pressure and tread depth. I had no idea how to do this myself even though it's very simple, so I was happy to have my Dad teach me a few years ago. If you're curious on how to do it yourself, this video makes it very clear, but all it takes is having a good tire gauge and knowing what pressure your tire should be at. And another helpful tip? Check the pressure in your spare tire too. Like I mentioned in that last post, since we are working with Nitto we have their NT421Q tires on our car and I love them. Thanks to this project I've had fun learning more about "car stuff" and researching Nitto's products, and it's a good feeling to know we have great, reliable tires on the car.

Next up on the list is emergency gear. Now some of this may seem crazy, and I used to think I might be the only girl in the world with emergency triangles and flares in my trunk but I've recently discovered that I'm not! My Dad always made sure I was stocked with these items, along with jumper cables and a AAA membership too. Although I was always told not to count on it, because you could be out of cell service or the wait might be hours. So you have to plan (if you could only hear my father's voice like I do while I type this...). And to round out the rest of the list- a first aid kit, a blanket, and a big jug of water, which is a necessity when you're traveling anywhere near Phoenix in the summer.

Never thought I'd see the day I had a photo of me checking my tire pressure! HA! Do I look like I know what I'm doing? ;) 

Making my Dad's list my own, I always add on the things I need to get together for the kids too. For Henry I make an entertainment basket for any car trips over 3 or so hours that will sit in the area between the boys carseats. This particular trip we were in the car for a collective 8 hours so it came in handy. His main form of entertainment comes from reading and drawing, so I usually include at least 8 books (with a few new ones from the library), a mini white board and marker or his trust Magna-Doodler, a pad of paper and some pencils, his camera, and little activity books with stickers. Henry is also a big time snacker so making sure we're stocked with his favorite- yogurt, apple slices, crackers and cheese, etc- is key. And then for Charlie the list is short- a favorite blanket, fun noisy toys to distract during a fussy moment, and some board books.

Once we have it all ready, we go. Although getting it all into the car (the diapers, the baby stuff, the stroller, the carrier, the suitcases...the PEOPLE) all seems to take a whole separate day, eventually we make our way out and hit the road. This time around we had a great time, listening to Disney music by request of Henry. Road trips might not be for everyone, but I feel like with the right planning and the right people, music, and snacks, anyone can fall in love with it.

Do you have any packing/planning must-dos or must-haves I may have left out? Feel free to chime in below with anything to add to the list, or any tips or tricks for car travel with kids.

And as always thank you so much for reading and commenting- I'll be back with the last post in this series next month.

*this post was sponsored by Nitto Tire but as always, all opinions are mine.

Journal Day #6

Everyone has different things that keep them going. Sometimes it's the people around us, other times it might be what's waiting for us on the other side of hard work. Whatever it may be, there's usually some sort of motivation to get up every day, get things done, or maybe even go the extra mile. With that said, what would you say is your biggest motivation in life? Has it always been this way? 

 photo by Emily Snitzer

A few years ago this may have been a little bit harder to answer, or at least more difficult to pin down one person or thing that kept me motivated. But now, it's easy: my kids. Sometimes when I go to bed at night I feel like I did the worst job- raised my voice or lost my patience, wasn't fully present...but I know that I can do better, and I know that the next day I have a chance to do better. Henry and Charlie are the reason for everything- and in turn they're my motivation to be better at everything. I want to be a better friend so they can see what a good friend is. I want to be a better wife so they can learn what a good partner is. I want to be a better daughter, sister, neighbor. I want to workout more and eat as healthy as I can, so can be around as long as possible, for them.

And then there are different areas of my life that draws motivation from all sorts of places. In love, it's Hank. He's my daily reminder to love more and to love harder. With my family, it's my parents. They motivate me every single day with their selflessness and example of what it means to be married. And to take a step back and look at all the togetherness they've fostered within our little family...it's pretty amazing. With this blog, it's you- all of the thoughtful comments and emails and messages I receive, when you let me know that something I've written really resonated with you, all of those things remind me why I started a public blog in the first place and motivate me to continue sharing here. With fitness, I'm my biggest motivator. I want to be stronger and healthier, and most of all, just feel good. When I see positive change, or more so feel positive change, it motivates me to continue on a healthy road.

So that's me- how about you? Share an excerpt from your post below, along with a link! xoxo

Read more about my Journal Day project here.

Read previous Journal Days here.

Must-See Movies...You've Never Seen

The other night I was talking to a girlfriend of mine over dinner about the films we LOVE. These are the movies we can't live without- the ones we watch over and over, recommend...okay, push on everyone in our lives, and instantly bond over when we meet someone else who loves it too. And of course, once we started comparing our lists were totally different. Mine was comprised of a very random assortment and hers were more in the 80s Brat Pack vein. A few from my line up: American History X, Good Will Hunting, Troop Beverly Hills, Rosemary's Baby, Death Becomes Her, and a favorite from my childhood, National Velvet with Elizabeth Taylor. After we both listed out our favorites, our conversation steered to movies that we feel are must-sees that we've never actually seen. I had six right off the bat that friends have recommended to me for ages but just never actually watched, even though I meant to. Have you seen any of these?

 American Grafitti // Gone With The Wind // Reservoir Dogs

Annie Hall // The Godfather // Top Gun

Okay, so what are yours? Do you have any movies on your "must-see" list that you still haven't gotten around to watching?  I have a similar running list in my head of television series I want to eventually watch (Boardwalk Empire, Dexter, Breaking Bad...) but I'm planning on carving out some time to start with these six films over the next couple of month first. Exciting!

xoxo

Modern Babybooking with Blinkbuggy

I've talked about Blinkbuggy previously, and gushed about how much I love the service they provide. To me they're a modern baby book, and perfect for someone like me who isn't the best at writing something down every single day...but always has something to remember every single day! All along I'd been using Blinkbuggy's regular site and then using my phone's notepad to jot down little one-liners from Henry or funny things I didn't want to forget, but sometimes I wouldn't remember to transfer them over when I got home. So when I got word that BB was officially coming out with their app I was ecstatic.

The app goes hand in hand with the site, and it's such a useful tool for me. No more notepad! It's very easy to use with clear options- it's basically just an on-the-go Blinkbuggy, which is exactly what you'd want in the app of a site you already use.

Since my last Blinkbuggy post there have been some amazing changes in addition to the mobile app launch. One of the best things is the ability to print books from your account. This was a game changer for me. I'm still very, very slowly working on Project Life baby books, but I don't have anything outside of Instagram for capturing daily moments in a tangible form. Blinkbuggy has teamed up with MILK Tailor Made Books to offer that option, through gorgeous gallery books and a couple other products too. The books are absolutely beautiful and it would be a great addition to any family's keepsake collection...or as gifts too.

A couple other exciting bits of news coming in the next few months:

1 // users will have the ability to upload video to their account (love this!)
 
2 // an Android version for all of you Android users!

3 // the ability to add users to your account. So in my case, I would add Hank to it so he could post special things, photos, moments, etc. and it would all feed right into our family page. I love this.

So yes! New, exciting stuff for Blinkbuggy. I know a lot of you started using it after my first post last year, and I'm curious to hear how you're loving it! I've gotten quite a few of my friends hooked and the app was really great news for them too, so if you've also started using the app let me know. Happy Blinkbuggy-ing!

Photo Credit: Raquel Langworthy, Raquel Bianca Creative

*this post was sponsored by Blinkbuggy but as always, all opinions are mine.

First Food!

Is it just me or did this day come WAY too quickly? This past weekend we made our way into the world of "real food" with Charlie, and although I'm constantly wondering "how did we get here?" this really did seem to just kind of sneak up on us.

I decided to hold off on solids until I felt like Charlie was fully ready, and right around the 7th month mark it seemed like it was time. He'd been grabbing for our food a lot, staring at us whenever we would eat (seriously entranced!), and smacking his lips while watching us. With Henry I had started with rice cereal, then oatmeal, then puréed veggies and fruits, but with Charlie I wanted to take more of a baby led weaning approach, although I didn't want to follow that exclusively. So we started out with mashed up sweet potatoes on his high chair tray and let him go to town. He was curious of course, and put some of it in his mouth, and loved it! After that I decided to purée a bit of it and spoon fed him, and he liked that too. It was so cute when he got his first taste- that little smile and those wide eyes.



The next day wasn't as easy. It was just me feeding him and when I tried to do the puréed sweet potatoes again he continuously pushed the food out with his tongue, and I couldn't get him to "chew" and swallow. I was a little confused because I know that's a sign of not being ready for solids, but the day before he ate like a champ! So I put the food away and figured I would try again at dinner. When Hank got home I ended up running out to the gym so he was in charge of feeding. I warned him that it might not be easy, but he said he was good to go, so I headed off, thinking I would come home to a baby refusing to eat. But to my surprise when I got back Hank told me he had ate everything I set out for him! He told me he mimicked eating while Charlie was, opening his mouth when he wanted him to open his mouth, chewing, etc. and it worked! That was a week ago and since then he's been eating pretty well with the exception of a few instances.

So far we've tried broccoli, apples, and oatmeal. I make the baby food in a small blender and I've mainly been spoon feeding him, but also mashing up some of it and letting him feed himself, which is really more of him playing with the food and maybe accidentally getting it in his mouth! All in all though it's been a successful week and I feel like we're in a good place with solids.

Also, here's our schedule as of right now, in case anyone is interested. I know always love reading about things like this!

6:30am wake up and nurse
7:30am (breakfast)- oatmeal with pureed fruit
8:30ish-10:30ish nurse then nap #1, then wake up and nurse
12pm (lunch) today was the first day I gave Charlie a little bit of regular food at lunchtime too, while I ate. He did a broccoli/apple purée
1:30-3:30/4 nurse then nap #2 
4:30 (dinner) veggies- so far he's only done sweet potatoes at night
6/6:30 nurse then bedtime

A little sleep update too- up until this past week Charlie had been going through a really rough sleeping patch. He was waking up at least 2-3 times a night (sometimes more), and like I mentioned before, I wasn't sure what to do because he had no problem actually going to sleep. All of his waking would occur well after midnight after going down around 6pm, so I wasn't sure what approach to take as far as sleep training. We started the solid food and I think that definitely helped, because that first night he slept through the night. I also let him fuss a little more than usual before going in, and the one time he woke up around 2am I didn't need to go in there- he put himself right back to bed. It's been a week now and he's been sleeping MUCH better. If he wakes up it's around 5am, and I nurse him and he goes back to sleep until 6:30. His naps have been good too, so I'm hoping we're out of the woods for now. Although really, we all know this could change at anytime (probably tonight since I said "sleeping through the night" out loud! haha) but for right now I am soaking up any and all sleep I can!

xoxo

Journal Day Prompt #6

Here's this week's prompt- 

Everyone has different things that keep them going. Sometimes it's the people around us, other times it might be what's waiting for us on the other side of hard work. Whatever it may be, there's usually some sort of motivation to get up every day, get things done, or maybe even go the extra mile. With that said, what would you say is your biggest motivation in life? Has it always been this way?

I'll be back Thursday with my response, and that's when I'll ask you guys to share a bit from your writing in the comments, as well as a link to your post.

Read more about my Journal Day project here.

Read previous Journal Days here.

Weekend Links

These two are able to play together more every day! So neat to watch their relationship grow.

Happy weekend! Here are some of the things I've been loving this week:

Our friends over at 4moms are hosting a killer giveaway alongside aden + anais and Skip*Hop. Enter here!
 
My friend Miko started a blog- if you have a moment head on over and say hi.

All good things in moderation.

Jumping spiders, up close and personal. Ah!

I already shared this NASA article on Twitter, but how scary is this?

An interesting read: 40 Ounces to Freedom.

Wishlist: these shoes, these pants, and this cute bicycle bell!

One of my most favorite movies is 10 years old.

Is Twitter getting rid of @-replies and hashtags?

Oh, Shailene Woodley. Such a cool gal.

Springtime allergies? Read this.

Such a cute DIY project. 

Love this series that Hank does on his coffee blog.

Maybe Katy Perry is a feminist after all.

Happy birthday to two of my favorite blogging ladies.

Great mail day: these sunglasses and these tees for the boys!

On Turning 25 and Losing My Apartment.

Can moral injury be healed?

It's spring cleaning time!

Crispy smashed potatoes. Yum.

Almost 60% off the complete series of one of the best shows of all time.

Wow! Georgia bans smoking and tobacco products at state universities.

A history of Spring Break. Very interesting!

Some great Journal Days from around the web: one, two, three, and four.

And finally, I love this: "No more yes. It's either HELL YES. Or no."

xoxo

Journal Day #5

We all encounter challenges on a daily basis. You may consider yours something small, like having enough time in the day to accomplish everything you set out to do, or it may be a bit bigger- perhaps something you have to overcome mentally or emotionally, or even a struggle when dealing with a difficult person. Whatever the case, take a look at your daily life- what would you say is your biggest challenge? Or if you have a past struggle you were able to overcome, how did you do it? This week, write about a challenge you currently deal with on a day to day basis, or discuss one you managed to get past.

 source

This one was a hard one for me, because I wouldn't say there is any one big stand alone challenge I deal with everyday, but more so smaller ones that kind of vary based on the day at hand. I thought long and hard about this- maybe a little too hard as I'm only just getting my thoughts down now at 9pm, but I came up with two to share.

1. Waking up with a positive attitude each morning. This is one of those things that varies based on the days (and the hormones, you feel me postpartum Mommies?) but I'd say 75% of the time I wake up ready to go- smiling and happy and pumped to make it the best day I can. But on the other mornings I get up and it's hard for me to get into the right mindset. It's very helpful to be surrounded by two smiley, joyful little ones and a husband who really is the most positive person I know, but sometimes it's hard to get out of my own head and make that decision to have a good day. That sounds so funny- to know exactly what I should be choosing, and yet having difficulty making that choice- but that's just how it goes.

2. Finding time to blog or work on other creative things like Project Life. This is a new challenge for me, because when it was just Henry and me at home I had a lot of time. He's a big time napper, and always napped (and still does) for about 3 hours in the afternoon. Before Charlie came along I had those hours to do all blog related things, and it was a nice, big chunk of time to get everything accomplished. Now Henry and Charlie do take their afternoon naps at the same time, but Charlie's is a little shorter as he takes a long morning one too, and during that time I usually have other things to do around the house. So at night or the weekend I try to make time the best I can. If you notice some weeks I'll have posts scheduled to go up everyday at 12am, and other weeks I have just a couple I get out there at random hours. It all depends on what we have going on that week or the weekend prior. I wish I had more time to dedicate to this space, but one big challenge I got past over recent years is cutting myself some slack when I can't do it all. So now I just try to have fun with it, and make it work the best way I can. And Project Life- I need to refocus energy into that. It's something I really enjoy but after everything is done- family stuff first, then things around the house, blogging, random who knows what else, there isn't always time for it. I keep saying, oh, I'll get to it soon. But soon has come and gone and going forward I'd like to spend more time on that.

Both of these aren't big-time challenges, and after reflecting for quite some time about it I feel thankful that at this point in my life I don't have too much to list. This wasn't always the case, and I'm sure it won't always be the case, but right now I'm just grateful.

How about you? Link up below with a blurb from your entry, and a link back to your post. Thank you so much for reading!

Read more about my Journal Day project here.

Read previous Journal Days here.

My Team

 photo by Homespun Creative

It's been 7 months since I had Charlie, which means I've been a Mom of two for 7 months, the queen of this castle of three guys for 7 months, figuring out this new stage of our life for 7 months. It's a change, to go from three to four overnight. It happens fast, you know, this whole life thing. And before I knew it I was right here at this half past a year mark not even realizing it. Even though I kept telling myself things like "memorize every baby wrinkle on that baby's back!" and "tuck away those coos and the gurgles and the squeals the best you can!" somehow Charlie's baby-ness is slipping away quickly and he's on the verge of sitting and crawling and being more of a mover and shaker than a tiny little thing just tucked up in my arms. So I've come to the conclusion that no matter what you do, it will always feel the same. With Henry I took photo after photo trying to document every moment. With Charlie I relaxed more and tried to take it in more, but it's all the same standing here, looking back.

But this team we've assembled, oh, it's a good one. The Mom and the Dad and the big brother and the little brother. We're solid. We've got this. We wake up in the morning and the sun is shining through our windows and we hand off sandwiches and button up shirts and it's all hey! I love you! Have a great day! Smiles and hugs and See You Laters. In my wildest daydreams I couldn't have conjured up this reality. A bouncing baby in his highchair, a bed-headed three year old with peanut butter smeared across his cheeks, and that bearded love of mine laughing as he almost trips over that dang semi-truck toy, again, on his way out the door.

So you have to take a moment to just look around and feel it. We're in our bubble just bouncing along, this team of four, and I feel like this love is the reason for everything. The bad days, the good days, the really really terrible days, here we are bouncing along and I have faith that even when we're down, we're coming up again.

The point of this whole thing being, I like this. I love this! It's a whole bunch of thankfulness and I don't deserve this and happiness all rolled into one, and as my littlest baby sleeps and another one is off at school I just want to stop right here and exhale all this goodness onto the page to keep forever.

Monday Things

a blurry, happy photo from Saturday night. Brooke, Adie and me.

Hi. So right now I'm sitting here and Charlie is asleep and Henry is at school and I have given myself 20 minutes to type up an update. After the time is up I've promised myself I will be shutting this window and getting to some work I've been helping a friend with, and edit the pieces that need editing. I absolutely love it- editing papers has always been a fun thing for me, both as a teacher and way before as a college student helping friends. One day when my children are grown I think this is what I would like to do. Maybe. Or be a librarian, or a PE teacher, or a high school English teacher again. And isn't it funny how sometimes we think something, and then some time goes by and we realize how crazy we really sounded? That's how I feel about talking about working. When Hank and I first decided I would stay home with Henry I remember talking so grandly about all of it- yes! I will never work again! I will happily stay home forever! But as time has gone on I realize that there is a part of me that will always have a desire to write or teach or do in some way. And of course what I do now is doing, but I know that once the little people in my life aren't so little I would like to explore what's next.

This past weekend was a good one. I actually spent the week prior at my parents' house, and I didn't do much outside of spend quality time with my spring-breaking Mom and retired Dad. We did take a couple of days to do a mini roadtrip, but other than that it was just lots of hanging out close to home. One of highlights though was getting to see Shirley and Autumn and Erin and Alana. These are the friends I hold onto tight- the ones who have been around forever and ever. In contradiction to what you may think when you think "blogger," I'm a pretty private person, and so I don't let people in very often. I have my dear, deep, forever friends, but I allow the rest of everything to kind of swirl around on the surface. This is part good and part bad, I think. I make new friends a lot but I don't make close friends a lot...which is fine because I keep the important things to my little circle of family and can count the ones I love on two hands, but also bad because when you don't let people in, you miss out on a potential great relationship. This year though I've met one or two people I've clicked with instantly and that's just so exciting. It's rare for that to happen- that instant feeling of friendship. But when it does I hold on tight. So long story short, I got to spend time with some of those special people and as always I left our time at dinner feeling recharged in only the way one can feel after a night with good friends, good wine, and good pizza.

And then the weekend flew by of course, like every weekend does. This one felt especially fast though because we didn't do much. Hank and I divvied up some "me" time and he went out with friends Friday night, and I went out on Saturday night. And all of a sudden Monday morning was here and I was racing around trying to find something green for Henry to wear, feed Charlie, pack a lunch...the Monday grind. It's his third week of preschool though and it's so much smoother sailing than it was. I know I talked about the first week having its challenges- week two was much better, and this week is already shaping up to be better than that. It's nice to have this routine now, and it makes me happy that Henry is loving it. This morning we also had a vaccine visit for Charlie. He's 7 months (!!) and so much is going on with him. He tried his first food yesterday, is sitting up like a champ and growing like a weed. I'm trying to figure out though what to do with his sleeping because after a stretch of great sleep he is back to waking up every night a few times (usually 12am and 4am at least). I'm not one to just let him cry it out, and I know babies will figure it out eventually, but this is new to me because Henry was sleeping through the night much, much earlier. So any sleep advice is welcome!

And now off I go. Charlie will be awake soon, Henry will be getting picked up soon, and our Monday will somehow soon be over.

I hope you have a wonderful week. xo

Journal Day Prompt #5

Here's this week's prompt- 


We all encounter challenges on a daily basis. You may consider yours something small, like having enough time in the day to accomplish everything you set out to do, or it may be a bit bigger- perhaps something you have to overcome mentally or emotionally, or even a struggle when dealing with a difficult person. Whatever the case, take a look at your daily life- what would you say is your biggest challenge? Or if you have a past struggle you were able to overcome, how did you do it? This week, write about a challenge you currently deal with on a day to day basis, or discuss one you managed to get past.


I'll be back Thursday with my response, and that's when I'll ask you guys to share a bit from your writing in the comments, as well as a link to your post so we can all check it out.

 

Read more about my Journal Day project here.

Read previous Journal Days here.

Journal Day #4

If you had unlimited resources, what political or social issue, or area of scientific or medical exploration would you fund? Do you have a cause that is near and dear to your heart that you'd put your time, energy, and money into if you had the means? Tell us about it, along with a bit of background explaining where you're coming from.

I thought hard about this one- there so many different things that come to mind when I think about causes or issues I would love to contribute to on a large scale. Imagining having unlimited resources and being able to help advance something I believe in is amazing- working on equal rights for everyone regardless of sexual orientation, clean water, autism research, arts in schools...I feel like anyone would have a huge list full of things that matter to them or strike a chord. It's different for everyone and it's hard to put one idea over another, because they're all so important, but my mind always goes first to the same place- cancer research.

In my lifetime I've been affected by cancer many times- my Aunt passed away from ovarian cancer, my Grandpa and Uncle had colon cancer, my Mom survived breast cancer, and I've had a few friends battle various types. It sounds so weird to list it out like that and to realize just how close to home cancer has been. It almost feels silly to say "help cancer research," because there are so many different kinds and I don't even know how you would go about doing so, but if things were as simple as this week's prompt makes it sound, then I would just say here, take it all and CURE IT. I wish.

There are other issues too, that perhaps aren't as pressing as something like cancer or AIDS research, but still are things I think about often. One of the areas I'd also love to focus on would be early language learning and literacy programs for children. Even as a high school teacher I saw issues with illiteracy, and it would be great to work towards making sure all kids regardless of where they come from are in a position to learn to read from the start. Another in the same educational vein would be arts in classrooms. I have great memories of the art and music classes we'd have everyday in elementary school and it's a shame that this isn't always the case in all schools these days. A lot of children don't have the means or support to supplement these things outside of the classroom once the programs are cut, so either working on getting them back in the schools, or or creating/supporting community-based programs would be great.

This was a little harder than last week- it's difficult to really narrow it down to one or two major issues and then to talk about them without sounding like I'm answering a Miss America question, but it was good, and a good reminder to think outside of the comfortable bubble I live in. It also made me realize that there are a lot of things I could be doing to help or work on issues I care about, and I should look at ways to do so.

So, that my response for this week. How about yours? Share a blurb and a link below if you'd like to participate!

Confessions of a Hairstylist Giveaway

My friend Jenny is one of my favorite people for a few reasons- she's super supportive and kind, and she's also incredibly inspiring and so talented. I'm sure you've seen her hairstyles pinned all over Pinterest, and maybe you've seen some of her awesome YouTube tutorials too. Jenny has a knack for taking styles that may seem a little complicated and making them totally doable, and then sharing tutorials that make it possible for us to create them at home too.

Jenny has just relaunched her own YouTube channel after being part of a network for awhile, and I wanted to help her spread the word as she's in the beginning stages of rebuilding her viewership. We talked aboutit for awhile and thought the most fun way to do so would be to team up to offer a really fun giveaway. And this is a particularly great one because there are THREE winners, and a bunch of ways to enter. Watch this for all the details:



Up for grabs:

Grand Prize: the entire Label M Age Defying line
1st Prize: Amika Curl Wand and Ceramic Flat Iron
2nd Prize: Kerastase Products: their new Form Fatale, Lift Vertige and Spray a Porter spray wax

There is one mandatory entry below- follow Confessions of a Hairstylist on YouTube, there are also a ton of bonus entries if you feel like upping your chances.The widget chooses 3 random winners one week from today, and I'll post them right here on the top of this entry. Giveaway open to US entrants only. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Charlie, 6 Months Old

6 months old. Half a year! Charlie officially turned 6 months old on the 16th and this past month has been so much fun. He's starting to do all of those things that build on each other everyday, and before you know it, the little baby that was once just kind of laying there is rolling and sitting...and almost crawling! 6 months has brought about a lot of fun milestones. The biggest would be rolling and sitting. Charlie is rolling EVERYWHERE and is just starting to push himself up to all fours. And then you know what comes next- crawling. He's also sitting on his own, but will topple over after a few moments without support. He's almost there though!

Charlie at 6 months:

has two teeth- the bottom middle, and working on more
is rolling everywhere. If I set him down in one place within a minute he can be on the other side of the room
is still exclusively breastfed, but is very interested in food so we will be starting any day
has been back to waking up 2-3 times a night...usually 12 or 1 and always right at 4am. I'm tired. haha.
although his nighttime sleeping has regressed he's napping like a champ 2x a day
laughs and squeals and giggles and babbles all of the time
his "babble" of choice is "mama" and we think he really said it and meant it for the first time last weekend (Saturday, March 8th around 5:30am). He was in bed with us and was reaching for me saying "mama, mama, mama!" I don't know if it's his official first word but maybe?
went from being a side sleeper to a full blown tummy sleeper
is almost crawling and kind of pulling himself around
sitting on his own, a little more everyday. Not quite there yet 100%
in the thick of teething right now, and like Henry his main symptom is a very runny nose and rosy cheeks
Madeline and Henry are his favorite- he lights up whenever they're by him
his eyes have settled into what I think is his final eye color- a greenish brownish, sometimes blue-tinged color that changes with whatever he's wearing. Similar to my green but darker.

6 months has flown by and it's equal parts crazy that he's been here for so long and also that he hasn't always been here. I feel very grateful to be able to watch this little boy grow up and this second time around it's very neat to be a bit more relaxed about all of it. I'm not reading things online and stressing out about this or that. Charlie is such a sweet, lovable babe and he makes it easy...or as easy as it can be  as we navigate through teething, night wakings and all. That sweet smile though, makes the tired mornings so, so worth it.

Happy 6 months, Charlie! We love you.

Fitness Favorites

Today I wanted to share and recommend some of my tried-and-true workout items. And really, my everyday clothing too. I have so many fancy friends that wear real clothes everyday but a lot of the time I am in active gear. It's just way more comfortable for me, and I love getting up and putting on something I feel good in. Plus, yay spandex. Almost as good as maternity clothing.

And do know that I included affiliate links from both Reward Style and Amazon. If you're not familiar it means if you buy something I recommend I get a small percentage of that sale. It doesn't affect you whatsoever as far as what you pay, etc. I just wanted to let you know. And if you think that's just terrible, just open a new window and search on your own without my link. Either way please let me know if you decide to get any of these things. I'm such a pusher when I love something- just the other day I tried to make Hank and Henry try a bite of the sandwich I was eating because it was THE BEST SANDWICH EVER- and I feel that way about all of these things. BUY THEM, TRY THEM, YOU'LL LIKE THEM! See? Pushy, pushy. Onto the stuff-

1 // Zella Space Dye Leggings (full-length version here and here): So I waited a few months to give this review because I wanted to be sure about them. I'm very picky about workout pants. I have muscular thighs that definitely touch and can't stand when they pill in that area, stretch out, get see-through, are weird after washing...basically I just want the perfect pant. I've tried every kind and I really think that these are the best and much better than the very expensive Lululemon. These fit well, are great quality, and are much cheaper. So basically, I found my perfect pant and my favorite active wear company too. Zella is AWESOME. Everything I've gotten from them is quality, and super cute too. When I tried them on at Nordstrom the saleswoman said that they probably aren't the best length on someone short like me (!!!) and although she's probably right I still really like them. And as someone who loves Lululemon but doesn't like the insane price point, it's nice that this is cheaper. Still pricey, but like I mentioned above these are the things I wear everyday. I'd rather spend $50 on a pair of pants that will last for years than a bunch of $20 Target ones that fall apart. And speaking of falling apart, I've worn and washed these pants a million times and I've had zero issues. The pants are as good as the day I got them.

2 // Nike Pro pants and shorts: I love these for many of the same reasons I love Zella- good quality, no pilling, but these sentiments are specific to the PRO line Nike has. I've tried the other kinds and I'm not the biggest fan. The Pro line though, is awesome. Have you seen the striped pants I wear to the gym? Those the Nike Pros. I've had them for a long, long time and they still are in great shape even after really thrashing them at CrossFit between the jumping and getting on the ground, and hitting my knees on who knows what. The waistband is also great- very comfy and non restrictive, yet stays up while running.

3 // Nike Frees. I've worn Nike Frees for years now and love them. They're very light, super comfortable, and come in a million cool colors. Now I will be the first to tell you that if you want a true running shoe this probably isn't for you. I love to run, but not regularly. So if you're someone who runs long distances or very often, you probably want to try something else. For me though, they're perfect and I'm a huge fan.

4 // My Polar FT4 watch. I already gave my review of this watch, but I'll add quickly that I really like it. I just wear it when I workout- I don't count calories of what I eat or what I expend, but I do like being able to see when I'm working hard and at the end, how hard I worked. It's motivating as I get back in shape post-baby.

This isn't the biggest list but these are the few things I like to wear when exercising. As far as tops I just wear an old tshirt or this one particular Target one from years ago that's on its last leg but I just can't get rid of.

And if you have any favorite fitness items please add them below, I would love to check them out.

xoxo

Weekend Wrap-Up

1 // Charlie already has his two bottom teeth but is working on more, and we are in the thick of teething all day, everyday. Like Henry, his major symptom is a stuffy, very runny nose so it's been uncomfortable for him to eat too. Poor baby. It's so hard seeing him in pain.

2 // On Friday we had a little (cauliflower crust) pizza party with my friend Jana and her two boys. I'll share the recipe we used later this week, but I will say that it turned out SO well. I was expecting it to be good, but I was surprised with how delicious it actually was.

3 // The end of the weekend always leaves us with leftover produce from the week before. I'm still getting the hang of figuring out exactly what to get each week, and although meal planning does help with that sometimes we just aren't in the mood for something we planned for. So in the past things have gone to waste. Lately though we've been using almost everything, and on Sunday we'll cook up some random things to use up the last of our perishable stash. Delicious and fun, too.

4 // Our weekend started off with ThaiFoon takeout on Friday night. We haven't gone out to eat or ordered out in what feels like forever so it was a nice treat to get dinner from one of our favorite places. Hank and I are such homebodies that the perfect date night for us is curling up with good food and a new movie on the couch while the babies sleep. So fun.

5 // On Sunday I woke up at 9am (!!!) to the sound of everyone playing in the front room. Charlie had woken up at 6am and ate, and I put him back down to sleep. When he woke up again at 7 Hank got him and ended up taking care of the boys until I woke up. It was SO nice to get some extra sleep. It's crazy though- Charlie has been waking up in the night (usually 1 and 4) due to teething so no matter what I always feel like a zombie. Even with the extra sleep I still don't even feel close to caught up.

6 // Yesterday we headed out on a little walk. It was a beautiful day- not a cloud in the sky and the sun was shining. It definitely got me in the mood for spring. I can't wait!

I hope you had a great weekend too. I'm excited for this next week- SPRING BREAK!

xoxo

Journal Day Prompt #4

Here's this week's prompt-

If you had unlimited resources, what political or social issue, or area of scientific or medical exploration would you fund? Do you have a cause that is dear and near to your heart that you'd put your time, energy, and money into if you had the means? Tell us about it, along with a bit of background explaining where you're coming from.

I'll be back Thursday with my response, and that's when I'll ask you guys to share a bit from your writing in the comments, as well as a link to your post so we can all check it out.

 
 

Read more about my Journal Day project here.

Read previous Journal Days here.

Grow Something Greater: A Story and Giveaway

"Growing Adventure"

Growing up I always loved being outside- taking long walks with my parents through the trails in our backyard, looking for “buried treasure” and digging for dinosaur bones, or simply helping with our backyard garden. So when Hank and I found out we were expecting Henry, I was over the moon. A million thoughts and excited plans swirled through my head, and one of the best things on the horizon were all the adventures I’d eventually take with our future son. And now that he’s three, adventuring is exactly what we do- we wake up each morning and ask ourselves “what should we do today; where should we go?” The other morning we decided to take a walk across the street to check out a new area of the park that was being built. As we got closer Henry started to get really excited when he realized that today was the day the flowers were being planted. We must have sat there for an hour, just watching the landscapers put in the beautiful bright blooms. It sparked something in Henry, and on our walk home you could tell he was inspired. Amidst his curious questions about flowers and plants he asked, "Mommy, can we plant pretty flowers in our backyard too?" Seeing those bright colors gave him an idea, and that idea turned into a whole trip to the garden store that afternoon, walking up and down the aisles, an excited glimmer in his eye, so happy to be doing something so new to him. And I hope he's always like this; I hope that he always finds inspiration in nature, and a sense of adventure and excitement wherever he goes. And now when we go in our own backyard and see our soon to be growing flower garden, I'm reminded of what lies ahead- a whole childhood with Henry, exploring and learning new things every single day.

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This month I'm teaming up with Miracle-Gro on their "Grow Something Greater" Campaign- a movement designed to encourage all of us to "grow something greater" ourselves, in all that we do. I love the whole concept and the idea of encouraging community and public gardening, and this spring and summer Hank and I hope to really try out our green thumbs and see what we do in our own backyard. I've also been loving reading all the stories via this project, and have found even more inspiration through the awesome "growing" projects and stories featured.

So to celebrate springtime and the idea of growth, Miracle-Gro is giving away one grow kit to a lucky reader.

Here's what it includes:

-Gardening Moleskin Journal
-Gardening Shears
-Gardener’s Hand Therapy Lotion
-Gardener’s Soap
-$50 Amex gift card to purchase seeds and gardening supplies of your choice

To enter, first visit the Grow Something Greater page and check out all the ways people are growing something great themselves, then see ways to enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

this post was sponsored by Miracle-Gro 

Weekend Links

Lots of things to share, so let's get right to it!

First off, I decided to move all of my #sometimessweeteats and my cookbook project over to my second Instagram account @sometimessweaty (thinking of changing that name because posting food with anything related to "sweaty" makes me want to puke). I also decided that I am going to cook from a variety of sites and cookbooks from here on out. I just feel too limited doing one cookbook and I'm excited about this switch. Still focusing on trying new recipes, but not doing a new book every month. You live, you learn. I hope you'll still join in and share what you're making too.

Pop over and say hi on the Little Hip Squeaks blog- I'm over there sharing a delicious recipe!

No, this author will not take the "Men's Rights" movement seriously.

Which fitness tracker is the best?

Currently reading: one and two.

What I Won't Tell You About My Ballet Dancing Son.

Such a great list of postpartum must-have for Moms. 

Loved this list of favorites. I'm inspired to do something similar at the end of this month!

I'm not watching it this time around, so it's been interesting for me to read a lot of the stories about just how bad The Bachelor is this season.

How to talk to your kids about special needs.

I have a post on my favorite workout gear coming next week, but had to share these- my most favorite workout pants, ever- the full length version is great too.

Spaghetti squash pizza crust! Awesome!

10 painfully obvious truths everyone forgets too soon.

Wishlist: this banner, these pants, this tank for working out, and these pants too.

Wow- Amtrak is giving writers free rides across the country.

Mug, Mug, Mug!

Absolutely love this shirt.

Katie, you are beautiful!

6 fascinating people who own almost nothing.

A more important talk than "the birds and the bees"? A big talk with your kids about the internet.

A very interesting read: How Much My Novel Cost Me.

Space rules.

I love stripes, and I love this.

"I'm coming out to my parents in this post..."

For the boys: this shirt, this pillow, and this tee. And how great is this tee for Lucy?

My forvever (kind of weird?) crush.

What you learn in your forties.

10 of the best state parks in America.

Always love Small Fry's Frydays.

My current favorite blog.

If you still are in the mood to check out more links, hop over to Kaelah's round up!

And finally, this is amazing and crazy and hilarious all at once: A Guide the Best Places to Cry in NYC. 

Happy weekend! xo

Journal Day #3

They say hindsight is 20/20, and with good reason- looking back at something always gives us a better view. We're often able to really see how our choices and decisions then shaped our today, and examine what we would have done differently given the chance. When looking back though, we often look way back, but for this exercise stay a little closer to present time and look back just 12 months. If you could go back just one year, what would you tell yourself? What advice would you offer about everything you've experienced?

photo by Amy of Homespun Creative

This past year has been the best year of my life so far. Kind of a big statement, but I mean it wholeheartedly. You know when you feel like everything is just kind of clicking into place? That's right now for me. I think the biggest part of it is being surrounded by a great support system- there's so much love in my life and I would credit that to this overwhelming feeling that all is well. But however good that feels there was a road to get here, and that's the part I look back on over this past year and see where I could have done things differently or made things easier on myself. More than anything I'd gently remind myself that people worth having in your life should bring out the best in you- not bring negativity or leave you feeling sad. Sometimes in my quest to see the good in everything and everyone I gloss over red flags that might be obvious to other people. And even if I could go back and tell myself to keep a healthy distance, perhaps it was good to finally learn it through the doing and the realizing of it all.

There are other things too, that I would tell my one-year-ago-self. Even though I was very aware of its quick passing, I would slow down even more during those first 6 months of Charlie's life. I'd make us stay in for days at a time, hunkered down under blankets, ignoring all clocks, until I felt like we'd really stopped time for a moment. I'd tell myself to hug my Grandma a little tighter, and make those videos of her talking about growing up in New York I'd always wanted to. I wouldn't know it then, but when Nanny would pass away last summer there would be parts of me that regretted that very deeply. When I think about other areas of life though, over the past year I can see so much growth. In years past I might have wanted to go back and tell myself to work harder, be healthier, but it feels good to say that for the most part I did my best.

I think it's good that I don't feel too much of a pull to change this or that. The biggest thing of all would just be to slow down more and enjoy the now. But I think that might be the theme of every year for me. Life has a way of speeding up, and no matter what I do, and the older I get the faster it goes. There's that saying- "the days are long but the years are short-" and that's exactly how I feel. Sometimes the days drag on, and I'm wishing for 5:30 to come around and for Hank to get home and help. But then I blink and it's the weekend. And a new month. And another year.

So if I could tell myself just one thing over the past year it would be to focus even more on this little bubble I'm in- hold my family even tighter. Cherish the everyday moments more than I already do and remember to take some deep breaths every now and again too.


So, that's my response. How about yours? If you'd like, leave an excerpt from your response below, along with a link to your post. I can't wait to read it.

Read more about my Journal Day project here. 

Read previous Journal Days here.

Beginning/Middle/End

What to do when you don't have an appropriate photo to go with a post? My answer: stick a cloud photo in it. ;)

Where are you right now? Sometimes I like to take a step back and really look at everything that's going on and the other day I got into a conversation with a friend about where we were. I'm the kind of person who always feels like I'm in the middle of something, but when I look a little more closely I can see lots of beginnings, and some ends too. Right now we're at the start of this whole new busy season of our lives. I realized this when Charlie and I dropped off Henry at preschool, ran off to run errands, popped home to go on a run, only to get us back in the car again to pick Henry up again. The days are flying by, and I can only imagine how much crazier it must feel with older children and much fuller days. We're at the first of them, with a million more stretched out in front of us. So many other beginnings too- new friends, new projects, new motivation to be better. Spring does that to me. It makes me feel like anything is possible; like I am able to start again and be renewed.

It's crazy that Charlie has already been here for 6 months, and that adds to the feeling of beginnings. He's just starting to do all of these things- almost crawling, kind of talking, just getting so much bigger. And there's an end in there too, you know. The end of the baby days. And that's hard for me. Hank and I would love to have more children but in reality, you never know what will happen. Maybe we won't be able to get pregnant again? Maybe life's circumstances change? You never, ever know. So I always kind of keep that in the back of my mind, that these days could be the last of those cooing, giggling, wide-eyed first months.

And I think about being in the middle of all of it too. I'll be turning 32 in 2 months and although I feel like I'm still so young, I know I'm getting closer to the middle of my life. Isn't that a weird thought? Not there yet, but much closer to the middle than to the beginning. Although if we want to get into it we actually have no idea if we're at the middle or maybe even close to the end, right? But that's whole different post. I also think with middles it's sometimes hard to know when you're in it, because the whole world is going by so fast and to notice a middle means you have to be aware enough to hit pause and see everything for what it is.

So yes. Beginnings and middles and ends. I've been in one of my self-reflective moods lately which always brings about posts like this and long talks about life with Hank. I partially love it but sometimes I kind of wish I was someone who didn't think about so much, so much. I have a few friends like that, who are much more just "whatever" about things- much more laid-back in attitude, and I admire that quality. The grass is always greener though, right?

If you have a moment, tell me where you are. Do you have some beginnings happening? Middles or ends?

xoxo

Preschoolin'

Henry started preschool last week, yay! It's been a wonderful thing, but definitely a transition...and because he only goes two half days so we're still in the transition really. On his first morning I was a little emotional- half sad that this was the start of Henry being away from me more and more, and half in shock that this day was already here. The whole morning went by quickly and before I knew it we were right there, walking up to the gate to enter the school. Right away he let go of my hand and ran off to the playground, yelling "see ya, Mommy!" with a big grin on his face. So funny. I had already known that that part wouldn't be hard for him. As much as he loves his mama, he's fiercely independent and not shy about new people or situations, so I knew that saying goodbye wouldn't be too bad.

I went over and talked to the teachers, put his lunch in the fridge and his water in his cubby, found Henry for a little hug goodbye, and Charlie and I headed home. It was very weird to have Henry away from us all morning. Weird and a little sad, but also great to have one-on-one Charlie time. I thought about that more throughout the day, and how Henry had undivided Mommy time his entire life until Charlie was born. Subsequent children never really get that, and I'll be soaking up every minute of it with sweet Charlie boy.

So. The very quiet day at home flew by of course and before I knew it it was time to pick up the big preschooler. When I arrived the kids were outside again and Henry ran up to me and gave me the biggest hug. "Mommmmmyyyy!" Smiles all around- the best feeling ever. I talked to the teachers for a bit (there are three of them for 10 kids, very awesome), and they let me know that he had a great day and that it was no big deal but he had had some trouble with the transition- playtime to circle time, or sitting still when it was time to sit still etc, and would get angry when told what to do. It made sense to me because although we're around other kids all the time, he's never been in a structured environment with someone else giving him direction.

We went home and Henry and I talked about it and ran through scenarios together, and ways he can respond and act, but I will still nervous for the next day he attended school. That drop-off was great again, but when I came to pick him up he was sitting in a side yard with one of his teachers, crying and angry. The teacher let me know that Henry had refused to sit at the lunch table while eating and got very upset when he was told that he had to. The three of us talked for awhile once he calmed down, and we left with him smiling (which is what matters) but I was feeling a little upset that this second day not only didn't go better than his first day, it actually seemed to be worse.

So over the weekend we talked and talked about school. We practiced sitting and eating our lunch at the table, we role played circle time, we discussed saying "okay!" instead of being obstinate. And this morning while driving to school we talked about it again. I dropped him off and made a little wish that today would go better. And guess what? It did! I went to pick him up a little early and watched the class for a bit (Henry didn't notice I was there) and he was being so great. Sitting when it was time to sit, listening when it was time to listen. He ate lunch at the table, no problem, and the teachers told me he had the BEST day. I could have cried.

I know it's only week two and there are all sorts of days on the horizon- good, bad, terrible- but we're a week and a half in and I'm just so happy that he's loving it. It's weird this uncharted territory stuff- aka all of parenting with a first child. We're all just doing the best we can, and it always seems a little harder when you introduce outside things into your little bubble. School, sports, new friends...it's all such a new world for us and it's exciting and a little scary too. At three years old and this is just the beginning for Henry, and I feel lucky I get to be on this adventure right alongside him. Here's to week two!