5 on Friday

I am changing up my traditional five on Friday today with a little Love & Loathe. 

Love

Berkshire Blanket

My first encounter with one of these blankets was while staying at a family member’s house.  It was very soft and comfortable but lightweight so I could still move around.  I knew I needed one for our bed.  We ended up purchasing one the first week we were home!  Quite frankly I’m not sure how I lived before having this blanket.  Since then we’ve added them to Tessa’s bed and the guest bedroom.  Best of all, it isn’t too hot for those warm body folk, aka the hubs.  You can find them here.  They come in a variety of sizes and colors to suit your needs.

Loathe

“Thorns”

Thorn is a word I like to use to describe people.  It references those individuals that look at what you are doing in your life and immediately become judgmental.  They ridicule you for the way you live and your daily happenings because it’s not how they would choose to live or maybe they’re frustrated they are not living their life to the fullest. Whatever the case may be, I feel like they become the thorns to the beautiful flowers in all of us. I’ve had thorns in the past and have limited my interaction with them or cut them from my life. Maybe you have a thorn or two that's taking your happiness?

The point of the segment is this – I ain’t got no time in my life for thorns.  I am at that age where I don’t need to compare myself to others, wish my life was different, or put people down.  Life is not a competition and nobody should be doing these things.  I live my life each day to the best that I can and surround myself with those I love and friendships I cherish.  I encourage all of you to strip your thorns.  Life if just too short.

Love

Tableware For The Littles

A friend of mine recently blogged about how much she loves the tableware that she purchased for her kids.  I instantly laughed and shook my head as they were the same plates and bowls that I use for my children! 

They are amazing for four reasons:

*They are microwave safe – a must

*They are dishwasher safe (I am OCD about washing dishes but the hubs appreciates this fact)

*They come in multiple colors (my kids have to use different colors for some crazy reason)

*They are under $1

If you don’t have any of these in your cupboard, stop reading this post and drive to Target now.  You’re welcome.

Loathe

White Wood Work

Ok, okay…any of you who know me well have heard my passion and appreciation for the cleanliness and bright lines of white woodwork.  Well, this has changed now that I live in a house with it!  We have a mixture of dark and white wood throughout our home.  I was initially in love with this combination as it represented a mixture of both David and my style.  What I didn’t know was how hard it is to keep clean.  The dust and dirt seems to stick to it so much differently than our darker wood or maybe I just can’t see it as well on there.   Either way, my passion has become a major annoyance.

Love

Sweatpants

I love comfortable clothes.  The first things I do when I get home from work are put on sweatpants, a cozy shirt, and throw my hair on top of my head.  After a long day it is nice to feel relaxed.  

I own four pairs of these sweatpants, in size x-large for added comfort, and they are my go-to outfit.  Sorry to all our neighbors and friends who only seem to see me looking like a hot mess. ;)

Loathe

Cheap Packaging

This probably seems a bit ridiculous to some of you but maybe you can relate to this a bit.  I cannot stand how some food and snacks are being packaged these days.  All businesses are attempting to save a buck here and there (which I can understand) but it’s at the sanity of the consumer!  Just last night I was bugged by this yet again when the bag to our Veggie Straws ripped nearly entirely during a simple attempt at removing a few snacks.  This makes it impossible to properly seal the bag without the food becoming stale.  Thus, I am scrambling to try and find some other type of container to borrow the remaining contents in so they don’t become wasted.  Sometimes it can really be the little things that burst my bubble.

Love

Library Books

Reading is one of those hobbies I truly enjoy but never make enough time for.  Slowly but surely, I am squeezing time in here and there to get back into it again.  The hubs loves to read and that has helped encouraged me as well.  Our town has the cutest little library and we frequent it often to check out books, movies, and magazines.

 There is something about the tactile feel and smell of a book that cannot be replaced by electronic devices.  A nook owner I will never be!

Loathe

Facebook

Can we rewind Facebook to 2008?  Let’s go back to the day where you could log on and see fun activities that your friends were doing and interesting status updates.  Now every time I check my Facebook, my feed is flooded with news articles.  It has become nothing but an avenue for arguments between each other based on someone’s political, religious, or medical views.  I want to see photos of your family having fun together, hear about milestones you’ve achieved in your life, recipes you’ve tried, heck even cute pictures of pets!  Am I the only one that feels this way?  Anyway, should this trend continue – you can find me solely on Instagram.  

Love

Old Navy Workout Capris

Whoever said “the more money you spend, the better the product is” definitely had it wrong on this one.  

I have been wearing these pants for almost three years now and I really enjoy them.  At first I could only find solid black and grey.  It seems like demand for workout clothing has continued to increase (let’s be honest, we all wear them even when we have no plans to exercise) so there are a lot more design options out there.  If you haven’t tried these out, I recommend giving them a whirl.  Even though they are a nice price point, always wait for a sale.  I replaced my black ones this winter and paid around $15. 

Loathe

Technology Meals

Growing up, we sat down for dinner as a family at 5:00pm each night.  There was no T.V., no computer, and definitely no cell phone.  We communicated with each other.  We talked about our day at school, activities that would be that evening, or our plans for the weekend.  One of my biggest pet peeves is going to a restaurant and watching people talk or use data on their phones instead of engaging in conversation.  What puts me over the edge is when these adults have children who are completely being ignored!  Could that Facebook update not wait?  Did you have to look up that recipe on Pinterest?  Is the score of the game so important that you missed your child telling you what they did at school?  Our society looks at this new wave of technology as a groundbreaking way to increase communication when in fact; it is doing just the opposite.

Hmm...I didn't intend on ending this post with a negative comment so here's this:

Puppies make everyone smile, right?

Weekend Round-Up

I typically dread everything about Monday mornings.  Today was different and I think it had a lot to do with the fact that we had an all-around great weekend.   There were moments of downtime to relax, lots of kiddo playtime and cuddling, multiple house projects were completed, some grandma-mommy-daughter time, and we even squeezed in an adult night out on the town.  Whew – it does seem like we scrunched a lot into our two days but we have to take advantage of the hubby’s weekend “off” work. ;)
 

My Littles

Miss Tess went to her first princess party on Saturday morning.  Our local library invited Rapunzel to visit.  She read the little princesses stories, helped them make a craft project, and then everyone enjoyed some sweet cupcakes decked in purple icing and other chocolate treats.

 

Tessa was a bit timid of Rapunzel when we first walked in and a little overwhelmed at all the people that were able to fit into such a small space.  Once the story time began, she started opening up more with the group.  

Her little princess friend Madilyn was in attendance as well and it was so sweet seeing the joy on their faces during this event. 

I’ve said it once and I’m certain this won’t be the last time…I have a trivial obsession with Brady’s tiny little feet and super short and chunky legs. 

Some Of The Cutest Toes I Ever Did See

I honestly can’t get enough of this un-proportional goodness and find myself taking pictures of them way too often (insert weird mom emoji here).

I have also become extremely fond of his constant came of peek-a-boo.  I adore how he attempts to hide his entire face behind his hands and how he is completely certain that we can’t see any part of him when he does so.  It’s hard to take a photo of this child because he is the epitome of a busy-bee but I did snag these.

Awesome Hair Dude

Cocktails & Steak

As I was mentioning on Friday, the hubs and I went out for his shift Christmas party on Saturday night.  It was my first time at this restaurant (big surprise) and the whole concept was quite interesting.  We were walked up to a case where all the meat was on display.  And yes, that did bug me a bit.  We chose our steaks, chicken, or pork and were served it raw on our plates.  From there we went to a gigantic grill where we were able to season and prepare the meat ourselves.  They also had toast for us to grill, a potato bar to access, and a salad bar with all the accoutrements available to us.  Once we were done cooking, we grabbed our other desired fixin’s and went back and enjoyed our meal with everyone.

Here’s my personal opinion on this place.  The steak was ah-mazing!  I’m more of a cheeseburger girl myself; only ordering steak from a restaurant two other times that I can recall.  I may not be the best served to judge the meat but I think the consensus with everyone in attendance was that it was great.  I also think it was good entertainment to cook the food ourselves, something different.  Hubby and I even caved and had ourselves dessert. Who am I kidding, I have dessert after every meal but it was a big step for him. He claims he never needs it because he always eats enough dinner. Who said anything about needing it?

Overall, the whole experience could be summed up by saying we went to a really expensive buffet!  We had an awesome time though, and since this event is only once a year it was worth it. 

We continued our night after the meal, following everyone to a local bar for more conversation.  It was great meeting the fellow firefighters a little more and especially great visiting with the girlfriends and wives. 

A Little Time Just The Gals

My mom, Tess, and I snuck away for a couple hours yesterday for some girl time.  We didn’t have anything particular that we wanted to do so we did what any group of ladies would do and headed to the mall.  We walked around aimlessly and just had some laughs. 

I did manage to find a pair of jeans (something I have been searching to purchase for months now).  I always find what I need whenever I’m not shopping specifically for it.  Does this happen to anyone else?  When we got home we mixed up some dinner and spent the evening lounging in our pajamas and playing, with Miss Universe on in the background of course.

All in all it was a perfect little weekend.  Here’s to a fairly calm week ahead!

5 on Friday

Here is my round-up for the week.

1. Chatter Box

Looking back on the last three and a half years, some of my favorite moments with Tessa were during her 12-24 month development.  So much happens during these months.  You have a child who becomes mobile and a whole new sense of adventure (which becomes a new game for parents), a little personality really begins to develop, and best of all they learn to speak to you with the most precious voice and vocabulary. 

This is the stage Mr. Brady is in right now and it is so much fun.  His little legs, which quite frankly aren’t yet proportional to his torso, have begun to run all over the house.  It’s hilarious to see how fast he tries to move while being a bit top heavy.  He is such a lover and always wants to give hugs and kisses to anyone who will take them; especially big sis.  He is soft spoken most of the time, but if he wants your attention he will yell at the top of his lungs until you respond.  Last night in Home Depot went something like this; daddy – daddy - daddy – Da-ddy  - Da-ddy– DADDY – DADDY - DAAADDDYYY!  I think you get my point.

Best of all, the words that this little sponge has picked up these last couple of weeks is amazing.  My favorite of his sayings is “I don’t know” and “Tessa” because he says it with such a sweet tone.  However, yesterday he spoke a word that none of us had yet to hear.  It was the infamous “mine.”  Boy oh boy I think we are going to have a game changer with this one and sister!  Give me strength!

2. House Projects & DIY

Remember that DIY project I was mentioning last week?  Well, it got put a bit to the back burner because I can’t decide on a fabric for the chair!  I still feel that when I see it, I will know it is the right one.  So far nothing has quite done that for me.  Here is hoping this weekend I will stumble across an amazing pattern.

Nevertheless, I have taken advantage of having my mom here to help with some other projects around the house.  Believe it or not, we have been in our home for a full year now and we do not have a single room “complete.”  I haven’t been in a rush to finish things because I want to make sure that the work we do will leave the rooms in a way we would like them for the long haul.  Plus, up until recently we have had furniture placed in rooms that we knew would not stay there once the basement was complete.

 

Slowly Our House Is Feeling Like Our Home

This week I was able to round up most all the finishings for the basement bathroom, with the exception of a rug, so it is nearly complete.  This is currently my favorite room in the house (weird, I know) so I am ecstatic it all came together.  I also found towels for the kid’s bathroom (on clearance) which now makes that room finished.  My struggle is with the upstairs living room but I am slowly making progress.  Even with the delay in the chair project, I managed to find some curtains and a curtain rod that I think will work perfect.  We will get those hung this weekend and will know more if they are keepers or not.  David is working on a project for above the fireplace which will also help build up the room.  At this pace, maybe we will have it finished by Spring. ;)

3. Shoes



 

I Went A Little Subdued - Everything Out There Is BRIGHT!

 

There's just something about a new pair of workout shoes. Maybe Some of you may share in my excitement for such an item? I get an overwhelming sense of ambition, new determination, and positive thinking that my workouts will be better for the next few months because of them. Does that really happen? Ha, maybe some days. Nevertheless, I'm anxious to take these mamas for a ride!

4. Fit-Bit
Alright, alright-it's time for some input from all of you. Who has one of these gems? What are your thoughts on them; good and bad?

I have had a watch for almost four years that went kaput on me recently that tracked time, steps, etc. Are the fit bits worth the money? If so, what style do you have? What color is your favorite?

5. Weekend Shenanigans

This weekend we have an adult only outing planned!

David's shift is finally celebrating with their Christmas party/dinner. In years passed only the men were in attendance but with a new year comes new attendees; the women. I'm anxious for a child free evening with adult conversation. Who knows, maybe I'll even break out the heels buried in the back of my closet!

 

What's on everyone elses' agendas?

I Sleep A Wink

I really do not know if an issue of mine is something all females face or if there is an alarm that goes off in your body the second you give birth to a child; but in either case, I am no longer a sound sleeper. 

One of the kiddos will cough, a car will drive by, the hubby will begin to snore and that’s the end of a peaceful nights’ sleep for me.  I awaken to such a sound and then I have to begin the difficult task of falling asleep again.  I find myself lying there for minutes on end to ensure that it will stay quiet before I can begin to rest.

 

This seems to be happening two to three times a night.  Now subtract that time from the seven hours of interrupted sleep I average a night; multiply this by the last three and a half years and I believe the math adds up to

…..me always being tired!

I am hoping some of you beautiful ladies out there can relate to this.  With the demands of schedules now days it seems like we are constantly on the move.  Sleep is oh so critical, yet very few of us actually attain decent REM sleep.

Am I the only one with this special gift?

5 on Friday

Today’s five on Friday is a bit of a mixed bag.  But hey, that’s my life so here goes.

1.  I’ll Take It Hot Please

I have been suffering from a sinus cold this week.  Whenever I am feeling under the weather, all I want to do is lie in bed and have warm drinks.  As a wife and mommy, the lying in bed part was never going to happen.  I did, however, embrace my warm drinks at every opportunity.  I like coffee but don’t generally have more than two cups or it is a caffeine overload.  Tea is just okay in my book.  It is soothing but I really haven’t found a tea that I can say I love.  I resorted to some hot chocolate, but there again I can only have one because it makes my tummy so full.  Finally, I gave up and went to drinking hot water with lemon.

 

  I can’t believe how much I love this.  I have been sipping on this concoction throughout the day for the last 48 hours (a great way to get my water intake in too).  Here's to hoping it makes me feel better soon.

 

2.  Spring Cleaning

Anyone else out there have the spring itch?  I know I mentioned it in last week’s post, but I am ready to move on from winter and am doing everything I can to make it seem like the cold days are coming to an end.  I am hoping to do some spring cleaning over the weekend and all next week.  I don’t want to spend an entire weekend day with this project so I have some ideas on how to break up the tasks.  I can’t wait to tackle this; I have a hidden passion for organizing!

 

3.  Another Holiday Is Soon Approaching

I don’t know about the stores around you, but here in Iowa everywhere I turn there are Valentine’s Day decorations and candy throughout the isles!  Over the years I have grown fonder of this holiday and I like doing a little celebration with the kids.  Last year I gifted Tessa with a little bag of heart candies, a new “big girl” cup with decorative hearts on it, and some matching silverware.  Her white fork and spoon with the red hearts are still her favorite set to use.  Mr. Brady was only six months old so he couldn't quite appreciate the holiday. Never the less, we got him a little beanie since it's still cold here in February.

I haven't decided what I'm going to do for the littles this year but I am on the hunt. I included some of the contenders below.  I also found some great heart headbands for Tess that I'm looking at but couldn't find a photo to post. :(  If they make the cut, I'll update later.  Also to note are the fun heart jammies for moi!

 

I Heart U Hat - Red Shirt - Cutie Tee - Grey Beanie - PJs - Socks - Bowl Set

I have also seen some cute ideas on Pinterest that I need to take advantage of.  One of them involves a weakness of mine. 

 

Aren’t these the cutest?  There are few times when you can make eating donuts even more enjoyable, but I think this qualifies.

And why not compliment the sweet tooth with some adorable heart shaped fruit!

 

4.  Rosey-Posey

As of late, I have been loving on my blush.  I had been wearing the same color since our wedding  (five years ago) and these past few months I ventured out to explore some new colors.  I did some 'research' before I purchased and neither of them disappoint!  

 

The first of my must-haves is Soft Mink by Cover Girl. It's subtle and gives just the right amount of color. Best of all, it's only $5!

The second one I’m loving is Sweet from Younique.  I discovered this when I hosted my on-line party.  It comes in a powder form; which was worrisome to me at first, but it has been very easy to control the amount of color I want to use.  If you’re in the market for some new blush to ring in spring, try one of these.  

 

5.  A DIY – Not By Myself

This upcoming week I my mom (and probably dad) and I are going to tackle a do-it-yourself project.  Can I still call it a DIY? ;)  I have a chair that I purchased when I moved off on my own many moons ago.  I love the style of the chair but I’m a bit bored with the fabric; it’s just time for a change.

 

This Isn't My Chair But Rather The Photo Used In My DIY Instructions!

I am hoping to find some upholstery this weekend that I love and that will speak to me as I have zero idea of what I’m looking for.  Neither my mom nor I have ever tackled a project like this so let’s pray we are successful in our venture!

Chicken Avacado Burritos

I wanted to share a recipe that we had a couple weeks ago.  It was a hit with all four of us, which is rare, so we will definitely be making these more often.  It is really simple and quick which is a must in our house.  The ingredient list is fairly short.  You will need some chicken, cheese, tortillas, avocado, sour cream, and a few kitchen staples. 

Season and cook your chicken on the stove.  When it’s done cut it up and mix it with your cheese and avocado.  Spread some sour cream on your tortillas and add the chicken mixture.  Then you’ll roll up your tortilla and cook it in your pan so it’s crisp and warm.  This only takes a minute or two and you are set to eat!

Brady will eat avacado like an apple so I like to buy extra for an appetizer for him.  Also, I need to have salsa with tortillas so if you’re like me you may want to add that as well for a little kick.

Another idea to make this meal even faster would be to use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.  They are fairly inexpensive and you would be able to use the remaining for another meal as well with a little planning ahead.

I hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

 

Chicken Avocado Burritos

Author: OMGChocolateDesserts.com

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

·         2 cups cooked and shredded chicken (or 2 chicken breasts, salt and pepper- to taste, 1 Tablespoon mustard, 1 Tablespoon olive oil)

·         1 cup grated cheese (I use mozzarella)

·         1 avocado -diced

·         2 Tablespoons cilantro-chopped

·         4 large tortillas

·         4 Tablespoon sour cream

·         1 Tablespoon oil

Instructions

1.     Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan, place chicken breast sprinkled with salt and pepper and roast for about 5 minutes on each side. Spread 1 tablespoon mustard over the chicken, add about ¼ cup water add cook covered for a few more minutes.

2.     Cut cooked chicken into thin stings.

3.     Mix the chicken, cheese, cilantro, and the diced avocados.

4.     Spread 1 tablespoon sour cream on each tortilla, add ¼ of the mixture, form a roll.

5.     Heat 1 tablespoon oil into a pan and place all four tortillas on the pan, cook for 2 minutes on medium- high heat. Flip on the other side and cook for another minutes or until the tortillas are golden

6.     Serve warm.

Monday...

 

During the holidays it is so nice having short weeks.  Two days of work here; three days there…it was something I could get used to!  Last week was my first five day work week in quite some time.  I was dreading my alarm going off on Monday morning.  But believe it or not, it wasn’t bad and the week went by very quickly.   

Fast forward to today and I had a whole new set of reasons as to why I didn’t want to go to work.  The first of these being this…

 

If you are a working mom, you probably have to deal with this as well.  Some days are “good” days and other days are “bad.”  Plus, that can go either way or both ways if you have multiple children.  Today was a “bad” day for Tessa.  When she woke up, she ran into the bathroom and sat on the floor the entire time I was getting ready.  After a weekend with her mama, she didn’t want me to leave.  I was late for work today but spending a little extra time with her was what we both needed.  We read a couple books together and I put her hair into a big girl pony tail.  She was happy when I left and I felt better about leaving as well. 

Whether you are a stay at home mom, a part-time working mother, or a full-time working mother – our jobs are tough! We all have good days and bad days and finding the balance is a challenge every day. Here’s to hoping your Monday is a good one – no matter what you have to do to make that so!