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instafriday!

May 11, 2012

here is my last 2 weeks in instagram photos!

1. i think one of my favorite things in the world is seeing clint play with the boys. makes my heart all kinds of happy and reminds me that i’m living out my dreams! 2. yesterday i celebrated -10 pounds in 5 weeks. this was my hip-hip-hooray face :) 3. riding bikes, to a park, on the beach, next to train tracks = little boy heaven. 4. something i’ve learned about food: it’s hard to go wrong when you combine fresh ingredients that you love. tried this new to me combo (mango, avocado, black beans, salt and pepper) and it was so yummy! 5. attended my first “mother’s day tea” at preschool and totally cried through it. so grateful! 6. sweet potatoes for breakfast! i bought a crate of sweet potatoes at costco recently, so we’ve been fitting them into breakfast, lunch and dinner! 7. another breakfast success: cheesy omelets with avocado and salsa. 8. made myself a green smoothie the other day and couldn’t help but add a cute lid and straw, since it already matched my outfit! 9. feeling so much more organized with a new assistant to help! 10. cousin bonding time while the sis soaks in the kauai sun. (not jealous AT ALL). my boys loooove their cousins! 11. owen was a little tired – but his flexibility is impressive, right? 12. suuuuper mooooon! 13. tried out fresh eggs at this cute (but stinky) egg farm. pretty good! 14. on the way to the egg farm we got up close and personal with some tractors. major mom points on that one! 15. beautiful sunset 16. can you tell these 3 ingredients are some of my favorites right now? 17. a hike with the boys cleared my thursday morning blues. 18. little blooms from the hike. 19. spaghetti squash success! with basil, parmesan, and lemon. 20. costco bribery at it’s finest! 21. i love mondays! our latest tradition, and i am so happy about adding this to our weekly menu! easiest dinner EVER. 22. another dinner on the fly- it’s crazy how good things can taste without a recipe when you are using yummy fresh ingredients! 23. another hike when the gym was closed. 24. spaghetti squash before the magic happens :) (how does it dooo thaaaattt???!!)

hope you had a great week, and that you have a fantastic weekend! xo!

4 Comments | Filed Under: family life, food, instafriday, motherhood

instafriday!

April 27, 2012

the week after a conference is always… strange.

after coming home from a fantastic week at SNAP! all i wanted to do was sleep and play with my kids. so that’s pretty much all i did! and stayed in jammies until noon ;) maybe it had something to do with this disaster:

oy. prepping for a conference and a queen bee is rough on organization and cleanliness around here. look away, mom.

i did, however come home to a happy husband who was thrilled at the productivity that comes with an empty house. he told me a saturday with no kids around is like 3 saturdays in terms of projects. no joke, dude. he painted the kitchen and fixed up all sorts of things around the house and even had time to get a little creative. who am i kidding, i probably have the most creative husband in the world. i’ll share some of his projects soon!

we tried out a new mommy and me music class, which the boys LOVED…

(owen is not ashamed to dance around with a scarf… no sir.)

we made crafty puppets in our pajamas…

we nursed our boo-boos…

isn’t this what little boys are made of? scrapes and bruises and skinned knees?

we even headed out to the beach…

i saw that rain was going to be coming later in the week and determined to get us into the sunshine for a few hours before the storm descended. kinda backfired as it was freezing and windy, but the fresh air was enough to satisfy me until the sun comes out again next week.

my adventures in healthier eating continue…

this is one of my favorite snacks, but i guess it’s what i get for sticking my whole hand in the almost empty peanut butter jar!

and my favorite dinner of the week:

a burrito-less burrito! owen had been begging for burritos, so i found a way to make it work within my restrictions. seasoned taco meat, black beans, pinto beans, tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, salsa, grilled onions and green peppers and a little bit of monterrey jack cheese… it was a feast! and totally fulfilled my mexican craving. bonus: the leftovers were just as good the next day for lunch. this might make it into our weekly rotation!

and my favorite pictures from the week:

i call these “scenes from a target near you.”

we needed to get out of the house yesterday.

i needed to get out of the house.

i had a few things on my list that probably could’ve waited until my next shopping trip, but i thought i’d brave target with 2 wild ones anyhow.

i normally make the boys sit in one of the double carts. they don’t do well walking next to me – they touch everything, run around screaming, and basically make me want to hide and pretend they aren’t mine by the end of the shopping trip.

i decided to take a chill pill and just try and have fun with it. afterall, we didn’t have anywhere to be – we were kind of just killing time anyhow.

it started out innocently enough:

“look mom! we’re a puppet show!”

awww… cute! take a picture… or 2…

then we found some irresistible little boy trucker hats… and the mess began.

by the time mom was done looking through the clearance rack, we had a full blown disaster on our hands! they were climbing up inside the racks and pulling clothes down like it was their job! somewhere in there a meltdown started coming on, and i had to abandon the premises leaving that poor clearance section in ruins.

dear target team members in escondido,

i’m sorry.

see you next week.

love, the mom of 2 crazies. (but at least they’re cute, right?)

lastly, i have been wearing these 2 bracelets all week:

i’ve had the sharlie’s angels one for awhile, but picked up this “choose joy” bracelet from ashley at SNAP! i can’t tell you of the courage and happiness i am able to muster up when i look down and am reminded of 2 amazing women, who against all odds, choose to live a happy, joyful life. thanks sharlie and ashley! your examples have changed my life!

happy friday!

5 Comments | Filed Under: family life, instafriday, motherhood, the boys

instafriday!

April 13, 2012

here’s a look at my week through my cell phone pics:

our easter was really chill, but really great. of course we were late for church because the silly macy’s employee left the security tags on the boys’ shirts and i didn’t notice until 10 minutes before church, but thank goodness the hubs is macgyver. other than that, we had a great day! food, family, treats, church – the recipe for a fabulous easter!

1. we had fun experimenting with dotted, striped, and ombre eggs for easter 2. brotherly hug. or headlock. 3. henry’s happy/excited face to see what the easter bunny brought him 4. family photo. 5. yes, the easter bunny shops at target. at 10pm the night before easter. nothing like waiting till the very last minute!

i have really been trying to eat better and am so happy to say that my relationship with food is MUCH improved. i am happier, feel healthier, and feel so much more in control. if the pounds would start dropping i’d feel even better, but that’s ok.

1. strawberries are my treat these days. sooo glad yummy fruit is in season. 2. fave salad this week: spinach, mango, green apple, strawberries, avocado, walnuts. 3. tried a new meal this week: stuffed peppers. the boys had to be convinced, but i was excited to try something new 4. new favorite snack. yum, yum, yum!

such a great treat – sharlie came to visit this week! it was surreal being in the same room with her since the last time i saw her was right after the transplant. she is doing so well, and will be coming home for good soon! yay!!!

1. playdate with 2 of my favorite people and oldest friends=the best 2. that we all have boys who love to play together too =the cherry on top.

the boys. i keep wondering if they will ever sit still. nope. they are moving, wiggling, dancing, yelling, laughing, fighting or sleeping. nothing in between!!

1. the only 3 seconds this boy wasn’t wiggling around that day. 2. love it when they fall asleep on their own. i thought he was being awfully quiet! 3. family run on the trails when the boys decided they didn’t want to come to the gym with me. don’t you love henry’s glasses? too bad he broke them like 2 days later. 4. splash park! yes, we think it’s summer here in san diego.

a few fun ones of me mixing it up a little this week!

1. sweet bows make me happy. thinking of adding them to the shop. 2. curly hair day = ronald mcdonald/little orphan annie/margaret thatcher/ golden girls. but sometimes you just gotta go with it. 3. new shoes- yay or nay? 4. love mixing a little allora with a little pleated poppy. (it rained in the morning this day and i busted out a scarf, boots and tights. and then was sweating by mid-day!)

this guy is so good to me.