May 30, 2013

My baby is 2!

My sweet little Ashlan just had a birthday and my baby girl is a big TWO years old now! We are having a princess themed family party in June for both girls so Ashlan's actual birthday was low-key but still special. She had a Cinderella ("rella") cake celebration at her school to celebrate with her little friends. She was so excited when I showed up with a cake and was all smiles as she kept repeating " rella, rella..." She dressed in her oh so cute Birthday Girl outfit on her special day. Her sister wore the same outfit almost two years ago so it was neat to pass down that tradition. She looked so precious in her tutu and pigtails. Later that day we took the girls fishing and Ashlan caught 3 fish! She absolutely loved it and Josh & I realized that it was time to get her her own Barbie pole. Mady is an 'ol pro and wasn't too excited about sharing her fishing pole. She was a good sport though and got used to the idea. Both girls caught several fish and had a great time. We all did. Daddy was so glad to be home on her actual birthday so we had rella cake later that night too. Our little family sang Happy Birthday to our sweet girl and she blew out the candles like a big girl! She has been asking for a "Lalaloopy" (Lalaloopsy) for a while now so she got to open that gift from mom, dad, and sissy. She was excited! Both girls now have a Lalaloopsy and were playing with them all night. Both of her sweet grandmas stopped by for a visit and surprised her with a darling Hello Kitty dress and a very cool Leapfrog read along book. I would say that Ashlan had a great day and a very special birthday. Josh and I now have a two year old and a three year old!! Man does time fly!!








May 11, 2013

Soakin' up the Sunshine

Yesterday was a hot day but we waited until late afternoon and really enjoyed the sunshine! The girls played in their kiddie pool and spilled some water for a little mud fun! We found a wild blackberry patch beside our house and had fun filling up a mason jar. Then we planted some herbs. I planted cilantro, dill, basil, and spearmint, while the girls planted their "basil greenhouse" ($1 spot at Target!). I also planted my marigold that Mady gave me for Mother's Day (thank you CCC). Of course we had help planting.....Josh got to come home for a few days while his company does local work. Yay! He is really the one with the "green thumb!" A few grilled steaks and veggies later and we were happy with full bellies. Just enjoyed our Friday :)









April 21, 2013

Vanilla Almond Butter & Banana Sandwich

1 cup roasted almond butter
1 Tbs agave nectar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. sea salt
About 1/4 banana thinly sliced
2 slices whole grain bread

1. Combine almond butter, nectar, vanilla and salt.
2. Stir ingredients until well combined.
3. Spread onto toasted bread and top with banana. Store leftover butter in fridge. Makes 1 cup.

Ashlan loooooves bananas so she loved it!! Mady isn't a big fan of bananas so I replaced her bananas with raspberry jam & she was a happy girl! Homerun! ;)

April 18, 2013

The Dirty Dozen

So in my "about me" I promised posts about nutrition. That is what this post is all about. I have a huge passion for all things healthy! I love natural remedies, teas, herbs, and of course, all things organic!! If I could afford it, everything we eat would be organic........but I cant. I dont know many people who can! So I am thankful for the USDA's list of top fruits and veggies to buy organic. This helps the cost-conscious person to know when to splurge on the organic produce (The Dirty Dozen) and when its not absolutely necessary (The Clean Fifteen) Below is the list.............enjoy :)

The Dirty Dozen
Celery
Peaches
Strawberries
Apples
Blueberries
Nectarines
Bell Peppers
Spinach (and the like.....kale, collard greens)
Cherries
Potatoes
Imported grapes
Lettuce

The Clean Fifteen
Onions
Avocados
Sweet corn
Pineapples
Mango
Sweet peas
Asparagus
Kiwi
Cabbage
Eggplant
Cantaloupe
Watermelon
Grapefruit
Sweet potatoes
Sweet onions

So you might be asking yourself, why are some produce more prone to sucking up pesticides? The answer is simple. Some produce have protection in their outer layer, such as pineapple, or corn. Others dont have this defense such as strawberries and peaches.
I hope I have educated you a bit on organic :). Eating organic can reduce the amount of toxins you consume on a daily basis by as much as 80%!

** more to come on my nutrition obsession soon! Including my back-story on why I'm so in love with all things healthy!!!!! :)

March 28, 2013

Starting Tradition

Mom and I have decided to start an Easter tradition with the kids! The plan was to meet at her house for some egg decorating fun and then have an egg hunt! Well mom really got into it and when we arrived, the house was covered in Easter decor! It looked awesome and the girls loved it!! We made some fun glitter eggs and then had friends over for the hunt!! There were tons of eggs!!! ReeRee did an awesome job!


There were even pink glitter bunnies that were so cute!! Here the girls are giving the bunnies kisses ;)



More beautiful decor.......





Egg decorating mess fun!!!




And then it was time for the hunt!! My cousin's kids came over for the fun, and also a few neighbors!







My girls!!!!!!