dancing

One of the cutest things Lily does these days (if I do say so myself) is dances. It's obvious that she loves music - maybe it's because Jimmy played guitar to her at night when she was in my belly and I'd sing and hum to her all the time while pregnant, or that music is almost always playing in our house, or that Jimmy takes her into the basement almost every night and plays guitar and sings with her while she pounds away on the hand drum and shakes the tamborine. Who really knows why it is but one thing is for sure - that girl loves music and she's not afraid to show it. Most every time music starts playing - whether it's a toy, itunes, or the radio she will start dancing and it's just precious. We've found her favorite to be Taylor Swift :) - here's a video of her "moves"!

what i will spend money on

People are always trying to save money – right? While I would say that statement for me is, generally speaking, correct there are a few things that I am not willing to compromise on and that I will, most likely, always be willing to spend a little more money on. So, I thought I’d share with you what those things areJ

Vacations

Jimmy and I love love love to travel. We did lots of it while we were dating and continue to value it as something we want to always do. When we were dating it was pretty easy to do – we didn’t live in the same state so we figured instead of flying to one of our places (which we did our fair share of too) we’d just meet somewhere. We spent weekend in the North Carolina Mountains, Chicago, Tenerife (Canary Islands), St Louis, Denver, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Dallas, and many more. Now that we are married, and hence live in the same household, we haven’t traveled as much but still enjoy getting out and exploring when we can. We honeymooned on a private island called Petit St Vincent whom is known for one of the most beautiful beaches in the world (kudos to Jimmy for planning that one)!, we’ve traveled to Punta Cana,  Eureka Springs, San Diego, Galena, Denver, and a few more places in the last few years as well and enjoyed every minute of it. Vacations are one thing that creates lasting memories and is something I’m definitely willing to spend a little extra money on when it comes to nice accommodations and great experiences!

Make up

Make up isn’t something I’ve always spent money on but as I’ve gotten older I’ve begun to significantly notice a difference in brands and price points. I’ve never had “bad” skin in terms of acne, excessive oil, redness, etc. but it was never uncommon for me to have a zit/blemish here and there, until I started using Bare Minerals for my base. I use the eye lightener, foundation, bronzer, and loose powder and love it all. It’s all in powder form, which took some getting used to but it's done wonders for my skin - I love it. I also can tell a huge difference in Mac eyeshadow compared to all other brands. All my primary colors, those that I wear on an everyday basis, are Mac and whenever I use a CoverGirl or Maybelline type product I can see the difference. Mac lasts longer and goes on so much better too!

Jeans 

This is also something I haven’t always spent money on but as I’ve gotten older I’ve gotten wiser and realized the difference in quality and fit of a good high end jean compared to the Old Navy $20 jeans. My absolute favorite brand of jeans is Joe’s Jeans and the pairs I have fit like a glove, have lasted a long time, and are so cute! I also really like the jeans they carry at Black House White Market and have a few for the same reasons as my Joes. As I’ve gotten older less is more and having a few great fitting and great quality items in your closet goes a lot further than 20 pairs of jeans that don’t fit right, look great on (not just good), and fall apart after 20 washes. Here’s a couple pictures and links to the few pairs I own and one on my wish list J



the honey



http://joesjeans.com/shop/product.php?productid=3372&cat=2

the best friend

http://joesjeans.com/shop/product.php?productid=3246&cat=2

loving this color!

http://joesjeans.com/shop/product.php?productid=3335&cat=2

Purses

I think this one goes without much explanation as we all know my love for Coach! In the past few years I think I have only bought one purse that was not Coach and low and behold it’s pretty much completely fallen apart – point proven people J Unfortunately I think I’m in the diaper bag stage for a good 3+ more years so not sure I will be investing in any additional purses lately. Good thing Coach makes diaper bags!

A Treadmill

When we moved into our current house this summer we invested in some home gym equipment – a treadmill, elliptical, stationary bike and punching bag. We have extra space in our basement and are able to have it set up with good visibility to the TV, ipod dock, etc. It works perfect. People often say to me “I have to go to a gym to stay dedicated, I won’t do it unless I actually have to leave and plan on it.” For me I think it’s just the opposite, especially for the phase of life I’m in right now with a young baby. It’s so convenient to have the equipment right in our home – making it possible for me to squeeze my workout in early in the morning before baby wakes up, during a lunch break while our nanny is here, or during nap times. It works really really well for us and I’m so glad we invested the money in the equipment. I wasn’t too vocal about brands, features, etc on anything except the treadmill as I knew that’d be what I’d use most. I don’t need lots of fancy stuff but a few basics were a must and we were able to find them within our budget – score!

Hansen’s Milk

Now this one is a bit different than the others I’ve mentioned but it’s important to us – especially since our little one will be transitioning to cow’s milk in a few months. I had always heard about Hansen’s milk and dairy products but never really bought into any of the hype until I randomly purchased a gallon of milk and a few other things while on that side of town this summer, and now it’s all we buy (with a few exceptions). You truly can taste the difference in the milk and I love knowing that it comes from a local source. They offer a frequent customer discount program too that works like a debit card – you put money into an “account” whenever you want and then every time you buy dairy products with that card you get 10% off. We love it and plan on using that as our #1 source of dairy for Lily in a few months as well.

So that’s pretty much it – at least the top 5 in my book of what I am willing to spend money on. Some may agree, others will not but isn’t that what’s so funny about different people – the different things that we find value in?

ice skating

This past weekend we spent the day in Des Moines with most of my family for lunch, ice skating downtown, and hot cocoa. We got a groupon for for ice skating for 2 at an outdoor rink downtown Des Moines and we thought it'd be a fun activity for us adults and the kiddos.

We started the day with lunch in Ankeny then hit the ice for ice skating at an outdoor rink. We bundled up and enjoyed a sunny 30+ degree day of ice skating. It was quite entertaining as several of us struggled to get the hang of it! We took turns sitting out with Lily and she was able to spend most of the time with my mom as she was sitting out due to some back pain and issues she's been dealing with lately.

We finished up the afternoon with hot cocoa and dessert at Perkins and then hit the road home.

It was a fun fun day spent with family for a good outdoor winter activity as sometimes it can be hard to find things to do outside the house in the winter months. Although I shouldn't complain because we've had pretty great weather this winter with relatively no snow!

nick & devin skating

eden all bundled up

mom & lily

jacinda and clint

jimmy & i

jimmy & lily taking a walk

crawling

We've officially got a crawler in the house! She has been roaming around army style the last few months but finally put it all together and is on the move. The baby gates are going up and project baby proofing better get finished up. Such a fun milestone but one I'm not sure I was ready for......

9 months

On Friday Lily May turned 9 months old. How is it possible that she will be 1 year old in just a few months?! The time literally flies by. Every day she looks older to me and gets more busy! I was out of town for work a few days last week and when I came back she really did look older.


She's still wearing 12 months clothes. This month she weighed in at 22 lbs 1 oz and measured 27.5 inches long. Still hasn't gained much weight in the last few months but is getting longer. She's still towards the top of the charts for weight and middle of the road for height. 


A big milestone this month is a tooth finally poked through! Lily has been working on teeth FOREVER, or so we've thought. Finally just within the last few days we felt it pop through the skin. The first one to show is the lower middle right one but I have a feeling more will be close behind.


She continues to pull herself up on everything, now getting into drawers and baskets - whatever she can get her little hands on, she walks around with her walker, has been feeding herself, "dances" whenever we play music or her toys that make noise sing to her, and is up to 3 meals a day and only 3-4 bottles. New foods this month included; broccoli, rice, potatoes, bread, oatmeal, chili, tomato soup, jello, chicken and turkey baby foods, noodles, grilled cheese, taco meat, and blueberries. She continues to be a good eater and likes most everything. She of course would almost always rather have what we are eating, and we let her try lots, but still stick to her baby foods, for the most part. She is becoming less interested in her purees and more interested in feeding herself everything.


She also spent her first weekend at Grandma's this month while Jimmy and I enjoyed a weekend away to Galena.


Other than that she continues to be such a happy baby, a little mama's girl, and the center of attention. She loves when others talk and interact with her and is always willing to put on a show.


We love you to pieces baby girl and each day love you more and more. We love watching you explore and learn about the world around you and always want you to keep learning. You lighten our lives in so many ways and we can't imagine our lives without you. 
Love you monkey!

As you'll see in the pictures it's getting harder and harder to keep this girl still!

love

Happy Valentines day to my two loves who make my heart smile every single day.

to my one and only who will forever and always have my whole heart.
i love you with everything that i am.
always and forever.

to my sweet baby girl who taught me a whole new definition of love.
i will forever be your mommy and will forever love you unconditional.
happy 1st valentine's day baby girl.

a weekend away

This past weekend Jimmy and I spent our first weekend away, just the two of us since having Lily. We left Lily in the trusted care of his mom and hit the road for a relaxing weekend in Galena, IL. I planned our little trip as a chance to get some one on one time, an early Valentines get away, and a chance for us to relax, especially Jimmy, after lots of hard work and long international travel for work lately.

We stayed at the Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa and it was wonderful! I didn’t spend a whole lot of time researching and had only been to Galena once but it was one of the top rated placed and the first to show up so I booked itJ I had planned on a night in on Friday, outside snow activities on Saturday followed by a nice dinner out, and then Spa treatments on Sunday morning before hitting the road home. However, the lack of snow and abundance of warm(ish) weather messed up my Saturday plans a bit. So instead of cross country skiing and snow shoeing we hit up the indoor pool, found a great burger spot for lunch, walked in and out of a few shops (I’m sure Jimmy loved that!), and then caught a movie on Saturday instead. Oh yeah – we also enjoyed an afternoon napJ

Sunday morning we hit up the resorts spa where we indulged a bit in massages, facials, and a pedicure – loved it! And then hit the road home to see our beloved monkey!

I was pretty proud of myself for not thinking of her or consuming my thoughts with her the whole time. Now I did have one small crying episode the first nightJ which Jimmy handled well by kindly comforting me and reminding me that his mom knew how to take care of a baby (not that I doubted that!) J But after that I did my best to enjoy my husband’s company and spend some time together, and it was so wonderful. I honestly felt like we were dating again – laughing at dinner, wrestling and joking with each other, holding hands, talking about places we want to go and things we want to see, and some focused conversation on our marriage too.

It was a fun fun weekend and something we hope to do at least once a year. Sadly I didn’t take a single picture all weekend but here’s a few from our many adventures and get aways when we were dating – enjoy!

our 1st trip together to asheville, nc in may08

chicago

merry christmas - off to tenerife!

chicago - this time for a marathon!

snow showing in denver

what's cooking

When we got married I set a goal for myself to make 1 new recipe a week for the first year of our marriage and I’m happy to say I succeeded, with a few exceptions J

I was always afraid to try new recipes in case they didn’t turn out or we wouldn’t like them, but really who cares? If it doesn’t turn out or you don’t like it – order a pizza, right?!

Through that year of trial and error we stumbled upon a handful of recipes that have become favorites and I thought I’d share them with you.

This year I’m trying to do better with my meal planning in attempt to cut down on our eating out budget. I have always done some sort of meal planning/thinking ahead but I’m working to be more intentional this year. So I thing I started doing was actually writing down our menu using a framed menu that’s in our kitchen and stands on top of the fridge. That way Jimmy knows what we’re having and I know what I need to set out and/or prepare for that night’s meal ahead of time. It has worked really well for us so far and now I just need to focus more on weekend meals as we tend to get lazy and eat out 2-3 times during the weekend!

our menu (we were out of town for the weekend hence no weekend meal plan:) )

Anyways – here’s some of our favorite recipes!

Feta Chicken

4-5 Chicken Breasts

1 Green Pepper

1 Red Pepper

7-8 green onions

1 container feta cheese

Kosher Salt - to taste

Pepper - to taste

Red Pepper Flakes - to taste

Fresh Garlic - to taste

Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 350.

Put small amount of olive oil into skillet on stove. Cut chicken into small pieces and place into skillet on the stove -cooking until no longer pink. While the chicken is cooking chop and add in the red pepper, green pepper, and green onions. Add kosher salt, pepper, garlic, and red pepper flakes to taste - light on the red pepper flakes at first, adding more to taste.

Once chicken is cooked remove from heat and pour all contents into a greased 8*8 pan. Stir in the feta cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes, until cheese is melted and all blended together. Enjoy!

Lemon Garlic Chicken – super easy and healthy!

4 chicken breasts

Garlic - to taste

Minced Onion - to taste

1 Cup Fat Free Chicken Broth

Lemon Pepper Seasoning

Parsley - to taste

Salt

Lemon Juice - to taste

Coat chicken with lemon pepper seasoning and salt and place into crock pot. Pour in the rest of the ingredients covering the chicken breasts. Cook on low to medium for 4-6 hours until chicken is cooked.

Smores Bars – not so healthy but so so good!

1. 1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker

2. 1/3 cup melt butter

3. 1/4 cup sugar

4. 1/2 cup butter, softened

5. 1/2 cup shortening

6. 3/4 cup sugar

7. 3/4 cup brown sugar

8. 2 eggs

9. 1 tsp vanilla

10. 2 1/4 cups flour

11. 1 tsp baking soda

12. 1 1/4 cups mini marshmallows

13. 1 bag chocolate chips

14. 3 Hershey Bars

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix together items 1-3 and place in bottom of greased 9*13 pan. Bake for 7 min.

Cream together items 4-7, blend in eggs and vanilla (8 & 9) Stir in flour, salt and baking soda. Then by hand mix is marshmallows and chocolate chips.

Spread mixture over graham cracker crust. Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and top with individual squares of Hersheys and bake for another 10 minutes.

Served warm with ice cream is the best!

So Long Insecurities

This fall I did a women’s bible study at Prairie Lakes church called “So Long Insecurities”. It’s a Beth Moore study and after going back and forth a bit – they offer 4-5 different studies - I settled on that one with a friend due to our current feelings after having a baby, primarily thinking about my insecurity regarding my post baby body. However, I soon realized that not only is this a universal struggle for so many women (body image) but there are so many other “faces” to insecurity.

There were about 30-40 women in our study and it was both large group discussion based and smaller discussions with those at your table. I got to know some women really well as we discussed issues in our lives, past and present, that make us who we are.

Beth Moore is such a talented writer. I had done one of her studies while living in NC and really liked it but with this book I was taken aback by the amount of research and opinions she provided us from the male perspective.

As I discovered my own insecurities with my body image, female relationships, past dating relationships, creativity, etc. it never once crossed my mind to think about how those insecurities affected Jimmy, and the other men in my life.

Beth Moore provided extensive research that she compiled from hundreds of men to share with us their perspective. I remember reading things like “its pathetic” “why don’t they just believe us when we tell them they’re beautiful” “it affects every aspect of our lives in one way or another” “why does she always need my reassurance that she looks good” I mean honestly, think about how those responses sound? “It’s pathetic” is exactly what it is.

I feel a constant struggle between my own feelings and sense of ownership to them and the “it’s pathetic” there are so many more important things than _____ response.

Aren’t we allowed the chance to feel unworthy, not pretty, fat, not a good enough friend, etc? And if so where is the line between God’s image and our own selfish desires to want to be more or better?

I think it’s such an interesting topic and good food for thought. The idea that we are enough and that God designed us exactly how we are, with these talents, and this body, and that he truly doesn’t care if you weight 100 or 500 lbs is refreshing isn’t it?!

While I think it’s good to always keep perspective of God and his perfect image of us it’s also good to want to better yourself, be healthy, work on your struggles, let go of your past. After all, those are the things that make us who we are, right?!

I decided not to do a study this winter/spring because of my work schedule and wanting to keep my days off to spend with Lily but, I really enjoyed my time with that group of women this fall and plan to do it again down the road to see what else God has in store for this little mind of mine J