Hair

I've been going back forth with the idea of getting a longer pixie cut. I think they are so cute, on the right face, very flattering and can be edgy and feminine at the same time. I get bored with my hair easily, and always like to change it up a bit - but going from shoulder length hair to a pixie cut is pretty drastic, so I thought about if for a while.

Here was my inspiration...

How cute and funky, right? So, I decided to take the plunge. It's only hair.

Here's my befores, both straight and curly...

And my new pixie!...



Pretty rockin', no? I'm so glad I did it. I realize not everyone is a fan of short hair, but I love it and so does my hubby! That's all I cared about! I was nervous he wouldn't like it, but he does!  My stylist is so awesome and he had fun with it since it was something so drastic and different. By far my favorite hairstyle I've ever had... it's so fun!

Recipe Binder

I am obsessed with my recipes. I look at my binder every single day. It was a big project for me to organize all of my recipes, type all of them up uniformly, make a list (index) of them all, put them in alphabetical order, and stick them in my pretty binder. I don’t have much spare time, but I spent all of it organizing this thing and it was so worth it. It not only contains all of my recipes, but also my coupons, menu planner, and grocery list. All my essentials.

I have divided it up into sections…

My grocery list section just has regular lined paper in there – nothing fancy.

I keep my coupons in plastic baseball card protectors. I’m still new to this whole couponing thing. I have no intention of creating a stock-pile in my garage, or anything remotely close to that. Just trying to save where I can on our grocery trips.

The menu section has these printable sheets of paper in it (from www.mommytrackd.com). I plan out the dinners I make for every week, and then make my grocery list based on the menu. This list is currently for this week – I’m so looking forward to that picnic in the park on Wednesday! I don’t use the grocery list section on these pages, because it’s not big enough. I just write in what sweet treat I’m going to make for the week.

Next is our dinner recipes. I only have 2 sections – Dinner and Desserts. I didn’t feel the need to make sections for breakfast, lunch, and sides.

When I typed up my recipes, I didn’t go into too much detail in each recipe. Just enough for me to understand. I left out the details in the recipes that I already know, and just typed up the essentials. So, my recipes are short. I always try to make a little extra so we have leftovers for our work lunches the next day, so I don't even measure out my ingredients exactly to what a recipe calls for. I know, it all can be a little confusing, but it works for me.

Desserts – the most important section. I have a plastic sheet protector on my index of desserts because every time I read through my list, I drool. You think I'm kidding?

This binder makes my life a little simpler. I’m not digging up cookbooks, or searching on the internet what the heck to have for dinner that night. I only make one trip a week to the grocery store, that day being Sunday. I don’t have time during the week to stop at the store, unless it’s an absolute must, then I have no choice.

I have an erasable menu picture frame that I made (idea from pinterest) that is hung up in my kitchen. I look at this everday as well, so I know what meat to take out of the freezer the night before for dinner the next day.

I’m hoping to post one new recipe a week on here, whether it be dinner or dessert – or breakfast, or snacks.

Serious-ness and the Weekend

Everything has gotten so clear lately. I guess that’s a part of growing older. When I was younger, I was so indecisive and very unsure of just about everything. And, I felt like I had to please everyone in order for them to like me. I cared a lot about what people thought of me. I don’t like that.

A lot has happened in the past year. I have learned a lot about myself. Things I like and things I dislike. Things that people would approve of and things they wouldn’t. But, I’m not on this earth to impress everyone or to care what they think.

I have come a long way in the past year. In the past several months. In the past few weeks, even days. And it’s a good feeling. I feel a new appreciation for everything in my life. I feel like I have a new light about me. I’m still working on improving and bettering myself… I don’t think I will ever stop doing that. It’s a never-ending internal project.

I enjoy doing so many things, for my family as well as for myself. I have so much I want to do with this precious life I have. I have so much I want to experience and learn.


Enough serious talk... But it does feel good to write all of that down.

We had a fabulous weekend! On Friday, Hubby and I had a sushi date which was way overdue and much needed and it was wonderful. I love that man.

Saturday, we took the girl to her skating lessons, and then came home and I made breakfast. My friend came over in the afternoon and we had a little Mary Kay make-over session that was fun. It was a crappy day out, so we just hung out at home - the kids jumped on the trampoline, I made dinner and we snuggled on the couch the rest of the night.

We went out to breakfast as a family on Sunday, which we haven't done in quite some time, so that was a wonderful treat. Then, we came home and went swimming! At nap time, my mother-in-law came over to watch the kids to Bobby and I could go to the gym together. I loved having a gym date with my handsome man! After the gym we got to go grocery shopping together, just the 2 of us! Once you have kids, you cherish every moment you can get alone with your husband... even if it's just going grocery shopping together. We went over to my parent's house for dinner last night and we all passed out when we got home.

xoxo

Wanderlust

I want to see the world with my husband by my side. I want to show my kids the world. I want us to discover new-to-us places, experience different cultures, see how other people live, have coffee overlooking the Swiss Alps while holding my husband’s hand, and go on as many adventures as we can. I have these images of us doing all of these things and it makes me smile. I want to see my husband and my children in different places, see them in a different light.

I’ve traveled with my grandparents when I was younger, but not old enough to truly appreciate it. I loved traveling and seeing new places with them, but I feel like you don’t really appreciate that until you are older. If I could go to all of those places now… Oh man, I would have a new found appreciation for it all.

My favorite places I’ve been to are: Paris, London and Dover, England (I attended the Queen’s Golden Procession!), Niagara Falls, New York City (this past March with just my husband!), Lake George in NY, the British Virgin Islands and the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Block Island in Rhode Island, Key West, and of course Disney World! I’ve been to many other places, but those are the ones that stick out the most and have the most memories of.

I want to be able to let my kids experience travel, adventure, culture, see how other people live. I think that’s very important. I think they are at a good age now, especially Morgan, to start to travel somewhere new once a year, as a family. Every year, I want to save up for a family vacation to somewhere we’ve never been before: Grand Canyon, camping trip, Redwood Forest, Zion National Park, Alaska, Swiss Alps, Austin, Vancouver… Oh the list goes on. I will gladly give up cable (which we already have), shopping, new clothes, and any other luxuries if it means we get to travel as a family. That’s far more important to me. I also love the whole traveling experience – flying, roadtrips, hotels… I love it.

This past March I surprised my husband, for his birthday. He’s a HUGE New York Ranger fan (hockey) and he’s from New Jersey and most of his family is still in NJ. So, I bought Ranger tickets for Madison Square Garden and booked flights to go up to NJ for a little less than a week, without the kids. I gave the hockey tickets to him in a birthday card and he about freaked (as much as a man can “freak”). He was so excited! I think I may have been more excited than he was, since I had been keeping this a secret for 4 months prior! Anyway, he and I had a great time, and it was our first time traveling together. We spent a full day in New York City, which was my first time visiting the City, and of course I fell in love and told him I would move there in an instant. It was a very special trip and I think about it quite often. 

 xoxo

Opposite Eaters

I cook just about every night for my family and enjoy it. I love being in the kitchen and experimenting and just playing around with whatever pops into my head. I try to make everything as clean as possible, even the treats I make, but I'm also realistic. It seems as if I have two extreme opposite eaters on my hands... Parker has become extremely picky. It seems as if he will only eat goldfish, raisins, and peas. Nutritious, no? I give him a plate of whatever I make that night - it's never anything fancy or not kid-friendly, but he always has the same reaction: "Yuck!" ugh! I guess if the boy is truly hungry, he will eat whatever is in front of him. I know he eats at daycare with the other kids, so I guess I shouldn't worry too much about it. Look at the kid... he's definitely not starving.

Morgan, on the other hand... Put anything in front of her and she eats it. She's a fruit-a-holic, and also loves brussels sprouts and capers. Quite the mature appetite. She also has a strong sweet tooth.

I pack her lunch everyday for school. She tells me what she wants, which is usually always healthy foods.

Her Hello Kitty lunchbox she picked out...

Some of her lunch eats...



Turkey and spinach sandwich, cherry tomatoes, grapes,
olives, and mini M&M's



Turkey and spinach sandwich, watermelon, carrots,
low fat ranch dip, no salt pretzels, and mini M&M's



Peanut butter sandwich, cucumbers, low fat ranch dip,
 blueberries, goldfish, and mini M&M's

Turkey and Kale sandwich, orange segments, cherry tomatoes,
olives, and mini M&M's

 I haven't added a whole lot of variety to her lunches just yet. She really likes having some sort of sandwich everyday, so I'm sticking with that for now. The girl loves to have olives and mini M&M's for a little something sweet. And I always pack a mini bottle of water. Most days she eats all of it, other days (when the boys won't leave her alone, according to her) she only leaves a few bites left.

 

Overdue

So, it's been a year since I've last updated this. Seriously... Wow. It's insane where a year has gone. A lot has happened in the past year. Good and bad. I'm proud to be where I am today, and I'm proud of who I am.

Onto the updates... Last night my little Morgan lost her first tooth...

And the Tooth Fairy came to visit...





She also started Kindergarten in August...

And is loving every minute of it. She's doing wonderful and we all love her teacher. So proud!

Parker turned 2 in August... He is obsessed with golf, so we had a golf themed party and I made these cupcakes! They were so fun to make!

Our little man is SO stinking handsome...

And cool...

And studious...

He has become a little fish...

And quite the joker...

"Hey Ladies... wanna ride?"

Morgan has still been skating, and she's doing fantastic. She will be in a Christmas show this year!

As for me... I've been working out consistently...

I workout 3-5 days a week depending on my schedule. Somedays I get up at 4:30am and get my workout done before the sun rises. Those are my favorite days. I also run on my lunch breaks a few days a week.

I've been cooking and baking up a storm... Hubby has been my guinea pig for all of my new recipes. He doesn't mind!

I'm going to really try hard at regularly posting. I miss it terribly... How many times have I said that? But I really do. I think about it everyday. So that must mean something, right? I have new recipes I would love to share, post some fitness and health stuff, and of course my family!

xoxo