Healthy Meals

I'm trying to add more healthy meals to our dinner rotation and I found a great website to help me with that.

www.skinnytaste.com

I found some pictures of her recipes on Pinterest and decided to check her blog out and I am so glad I did! I think one of the only recipes I made at first was the chicken fajitas. We love those! I also made her Skinny Chicken Enchiladas and using the recipe to make the enchilada sauce she gives makes them so tasty! I love that she takes regular recipe ideas and makes them lighter. Last week I made Chicken Quesadillas* and we all loved them so I making them again tonight! I thought I would share her recipe with you today.

Be sure to check out her other recipes...you will not regret it! Her blog is now in my favorites online so I can easily get to it and when I'm making my menu for the week you better believe it's up for me to check out! Oh and the Slow Cooker Pulled Pork recipe was delicious too!! There are so many to choose from! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

*click on chicken quesadillas to get the recipe!

I love Fall!

The weather around here lately has been great! It makes me feel like it's Fall and it's still July! Although today it is starting to warm up some...it's still nice out though.

I'm ready for Fall! I love pumpkin picking, hay rides, apple cider slushies (amazing), I love the crisp feeling in the air, I love it all really and I can't wait for it to be here! We try to go to a few festivals, mainly the popcorn festival, and we always enjoy that. I think this year I need to get some fires going in the back yard to roast hot dogs or marshmallows.

All this to say, I am looking forward to Fall! It is by far my favorite season. Plus my wedding anniversary and birthday are in the Fall...two more reasons to love it!

What's your favorite season?

My Little Girl

This girl...she is the most hilarious, curious, stubborn, cutest little girl ever!

Although she made me sad the other day because I asked her if I could call her my "Twinkers" (long story but I like to make up silly nicknames) and she said no, she was a big girl and my son should be called Twinkers. She's growing up, makes me sad at times.

I am so happy I have my little girl and my little boy. I feel as though my family is complete, even if I am thinking of having more in the future, I am enjoying my time as a family of four. My daughter is such a curious little girl. She asks why and what all the time which can get old but I try to remember that she really doesn't know anything and she is learning. She loves to read, she loves to play spelling games on the iPad, she loves to make up songs to sing, she loves to talk and tell on herself, she loves princesses but she also loves to play outside and run. I swear the girl has so much energy and is never tired but the moment her head hits the pillow after a long day she is out.

I love my little girl! She may be more of a daddy's girl but when she is sick she comes to sit with me and I cherish those moments! We are very blessed to have this little girl in our lives and could not be happier to be her parents!

High Five for Friday!

Linking up with Lauren again for HF4F!

1. My daughter decided to work out with me this week! She had a really good time and she was so cute! 

2. I made this yummy snack/breakfast the other day. 1/2 cup plain yogurt, a tablespoon of honey and 1/4 cup granola. I added a few dark chocolate chips in and it's delicious! This is my new favorite go to snack!

3. The Royal Baby was born! We obviously know his name now but I was so excited! I know it's not as big of a deal over here in America but I still think it's part of history and it's fun to watch.

4. We found a new park this week and my daughter had so much fun. My son even got into the baby swing...he wasn't amused but I took a picture anyway. He will love swings one day! We will definitely be going back to this park.

 

5. I don't have a picture but my son got dedicated at church on Sunday and it was such a good time with family and promising to raise our son in a godly way.

 

That was my week! Hope you all had a great week!

 

July Favorites

A few of my favorite things for July...check it out!

V-Fusion Energy Drink
These are delicious! They come in three flavors, all of which are good but the Pomegranate Blueberry is my favorite. I will say the "energy" it gives you doesn't last as long as say a Red Bull but it does give you a nice kick to get through some early morning hours. They are only 50 calories a can which is good for me counting calories. If you do want to try these, I found them at Walmart for a good price. They come in a 6 pack or individually. Check them out!

Dark Chocolate Crunch Pretzel Crisps
Oh my goodness...these are so yummy. I could eat the whole bag, well they are sort of rich so maybe not the whole bag but I could eat a lot without even noticing. I eat a few to get my chocolate fix. They are a perfect mixture of sweet and salty because of the pretzel bite in there. This is something else you need to try...if you're a chocolate fan.

Etsy
I know this has been around for awhile but I'm just now really looking into it. I bought a bracelet from a shop and I love it. I really like that most of the items are handmade. I've found a few other items I can't wait to buy and I love that the site has a way to "favorite" items so you don't lose them. I don't know about you but I will find something I love on a website and I will lose it so the "favorite" feature is a big deal to me!

Urban Decay Naked 2 Pallet
I like make up but I'm not the greatest at putting it on or figuring colors out but this pallet is great! I got it as a Christmas present and I've used it almost every day. The shadow stays on your eye really well and gives great color. There are so many ways to put this eye shadow on. I have my two favorite looks. I do a neutral/natural look for most of my days and then a smoky eye with the darker colors for special events or evenings. You can probable look on YouTube for tutorials for this specific pallet. I think this is a great addition to any make up collection.

Make up Brush Roll
I made this! Well, I pinned it and choose the colors and then my mom sewed it but she is going to teach me how to make it because I would like to say I made one myself! I found a tutorial on how to make my own make up brush roll and I loved the idea. All my make up brushes were hanging out in my make up bag and it was hard to find them, now I unroll and bam! there they are.

Rose Colored Watch
I've seen these watches every where so I guess I'm following the trend but I love this watch. I normally don't wear watches but when I saw this one I knew I needed to get it! I found it at Target for $17 so I didn't think that was a bad price. I love it so much I find myself wearing it with workout clothes and that is not too cute...it's more of a dressy watch but I'm glad I bought it!

There ya go! Just a few of my favorites for this month...check back in August!

*these pictures and opinions are mine. I was not compensated in any way.

Saying No to Negativity

Negativity.

I hate to even admit that I can be such a negative person. I'm sure my friends and family that are reading this can agree with me. I don't like to be negative but I think it goes with my personality. I mentioned in an earlier post that I worry so much and let fears run my life at times. Not good. Negativity can eat away at so much of your life!

I find that I cover up my negativity with humor at times (not that I'm the funniest person but I like to think I am!) and when I take a step back and shut my mouth I can see just how negative I've been. This is something I'm working on because I don't want it to always be a part of my life and personality.

It's hard to think positive in the world we live in today. Negativity is everywhere and I'm hoping to not be a source of it. I'm not perfect so I will most likely mess up but I am going to try very hard to stay positive. It goes with everything else in my life. Less worry, less fear and less negativity will make my life more enjoyable!

Time to start being positive! Have a wonderful day everyone!

High Five For Friday!

I'm linking up again with Lauren for HF4F!

1. It has been super hot here so I've been trying to stay cool as much as possible. We've been swimming and shopping...it's been great! I love air conditioning! I love swimming too!

2. As I mentioned previously, I did some shopping. I got the same shirt, in four different colors. Is that wrong? I mean, I really liked the shirt so I think it's perfectly fine...and normal. I also got some new shorts because my old ones were getting too big on me!

3. I started Turbo Fire week 2 and it's a hard work out but it's getting easier, if that makes sense. I'm figuring out how to do the moves so I am able to catch on quicker. I feel like it's starting to work!

4. I went to visit a friend at her new house last night and it was such a cute house. I'm very happy for her and her husband! I can't wait to visit more!

5. We are making homemade pizza tonight...I'm not the biggest pizza fan (I know, I'm strange) but I like being able to put my own toppings on. Something about making my own makes it more yummy.

Have a great weekend!

My Little Boy

This little guy will be 3 months old soon and I can't get over how much joy he has brought us!

I used to think that girls would be easier to take care of and I was actually nervous to have a boy but (and maybe it's just because he is my second kid) he isn't that bad! He's a content, happy, little boy and we are blessed! They say there is nothing like the bond between a mom and her son and I have to say, I agree. His little smiles just melt my heart! Although little baby smiles are precious on their own.

I feel very blessed to have two amazing, healthy and wonderful kids. Being a mom is one of my favorite things, that's for sure!

Exciting News!

After months and months and I guess you could say years...my husband has finally been offered a job and he accepted!

This is such an answer to prayer for us! I quit my job to stay home with the kids at the end of June so as of July 1st we were without health insurance and without a paycheck coming from me but my husband got offered an amazing job and we could not be happier! He will be working for a local hospital in the trauma department. I think it's exciting because I think of all these doctor shows and how intense ERs can get (I know...T.V. isn't real). It can be really fast paced! The nurse manager welcomed him to the team and they will be contacting him with further information.

My husband had been in school when we got married so we never went on a honeymoon. He then had to study for NCLEX test, twice but he passed the second time, then we had to go through filling out applications and sending in resumes...but after that, almost four years later, he finally gets a job! We can now start saving for a house and maybe even save for a honeymoon!

I'm very proud of my husband and all the hard work he has put into this. I can't wait to see where this leads us!

Hot Days, Lazy Days

My posts will probably be short and sweet this week because I will most likely be out by the pool or taking naps in the air conditioning...it's so hot here I feel like those are the only two things I can do.

I had a good day yesterday. I got in the pool for a little bit but I really wanted to get some shopping done so my husband went swimming with my daughter while I took our son, who slept the whole time, shopping with me. He's such a good little shopper, for now! I didn't get a ton of cleaning or laundry down but it was nice to have some me time.

Today I really will be spending my time in the pool and then after that I will be watching Safe Haven in the air conditioning (my new favorite movie!).

What do you guys like to do for fun in the heat? Are you as lazy as me? It's ok if you are, it's summertime! Enjoy it!

Bye Bye Makin it Through Mondays

I've decided to stop doing the Makin' it Through Mondays posts. I follow a blog that does high five for friday posts and I linked up on Friday and I like it a lot better. They were pretty much the same thing anyway but by linking up you are able to check out what other bloggers have to say. It's a lot of fun!

 If you want to link up with HF4F check out Lauren's Blog and link up this coming Friday!

High Five For Friday!

Today is my first time linking up with another blog! I'm linking up with Lauren for HF4F!

1. I don't like storms that have tornados but there is something fun about watching a storm roll in (knowing it's not going to cause damage). Yesterday we had some storms that brought down some tree limbs in my area but nothing too bad...it also brought in some cooler weather which was nice because it was so humid!

2. We made homemade nachos the other night. I know they aren't super healthy, although I did add them into myfitnesspal app so my calories were counted, but they were so yummy! I felt like I was at a mexican restaurant!

3. We had another family day this week which are always fun. We went out for breakfast and went to Walmart. Nothing too fancy but still nice to get out as a family. Of course we went to Walmart for one thing and left with several things...whoever does the marketing for them is good because I spend way too much when I go...

4. We like to go to the Greene outdoor mall on Friday nights and listen to music and people watch...I'm looking forward to that and I always have such a good time.

5. I've realized this week that while I'm very happy to be a stay at home mom I do need some me time. I'm saving up some money to get myself a pedicure...I didn't think I liked pedicures but I really enjoyed the last one. Plus there is nothing wrong with pretty toes!

I Have Good Intentions...

This won't be a very long post today but do you ever have days where everything seems to be going wrong? That's been me the past two days. I wanted to wake up early, feed my son and then get ready for the day. I've found when I get up and get going it makes my day more productive. Instead I can't seem to get enough sleep so I'm sleeping later than I want and it puts my whole day out of wack! I vowed to wake up today and get ready but that didn't happen...there is always tomorrow!

So now that I am awake and ready to get moving (it's only 11:00 am, no big deal) I'm going to start cleaning, watch Price is Right, fix my daughter some lunch and get some more cleaning done...I WILL make this day productive (because watching the Price is Right is being productive), even if I didn't get going at the time I wanted...

I hope you all have great and productive days or you can be like me and start whenever you want! :)

New Hair Color

I want to do something different with my hair. I'm not cutting it but I want to figure out what to do about my color. Here is my hair right now.

I did have black hair color and then I started to grow that color out when I found out I was pregnant. I don't mind my hair color but I feel like it's a little dull and I may have some grey starting to come in. I really like Nina Dobrev's hair. I would love to have the length as well but her color is a rich brown that I think would be nice. I would really like to add shine to my hair...give it some vibrancy instead of looking just blah. So here is her color.

I like it! Even if I continue growing my hair color out I will do something to it to give it some shine...

So that's my dilemma for the day...new hair color soon or keep letting my real hair color grow back in. Oh the choices...

A Big Goal: To Write and Finish My Book

I had a goal years ago to write a book. Not a short story but an actual novel with about 20 chapters. Life happened and it was pushed to the back but now I'm ready to start up again.

I've loved writing and I used to write short stories when I was in school. I even had a short story accepted and published in a book when I was younger so this has always been something I've wanted to do. I started to write a story and let some friends read it, it was going alright but then I got nervous that I wasn't writing it right and I stopped. I talk about fear and worry and I don't want to let that stop me from doing something I love. This time I am going to write my book and let someone outside of my close friends read it. I'd rather my close friends stay my close friends. I have a few that were honest with me the first time around and I really appreciated that but I don't want to put them in an awkward position if I don't have to. I don't plan on getting anything published (if it were to happen that would be amazing but one step at a time) but I will find someone that can give me advice on how to make the story flow and sound better.

I love to read as well but I need to be careful to make this story my own. I found myself writing last time and the story started to sound like other stories I'd read so I need to watch that this time around. Yes, a lot of books revolve around love and loss so that's going to happen but I don't plan on writing a story about vampires. I may like to read those books but my imagination can only go so far. Plus, I think the vampire book thing is done...

I'm excited to start writing and brainstorming about my book! This may take years but I can't wait to get this book done!

Healthy Starts

I'm going to start my Turbo Fire work outs again and I'm excited yet nervous. Tomorrow actually. They can be very tough but I know I'm getting a good workout from them. We are working on a budget as a family now that I'm not working so its nice to have some good work out DVDs since I can't get a gym membership.

I don't want this blog to turn into a weight loss blog like my last one. I tried that and it didn't work out but I do want to fill everyone in on weight loss things that may or may not be working. I'm still going to keep track of my calories because its working. I'm actually down a size because of it. I love that this time around losing weight isn't something that has taken control of my life but instead I'm taking my time and know that in time I will reach my goal of creating a healthy lifestyle for me and my family.

Thanks to everyone for the encouragement. I love that I'm not alone in getting in shape and getting healthy. I've seen some of my friends that have had amazing results lately and I'm so proud of them. Especially all of us moms out there! We are looking good ladies!

So here's to starting fresh tomorrow and achieving goals! 

How I Spent My 4th of July

My 4th included swimming (in the rain!), lots of yummy food, a very tasty latte, good times with the family, rain trying to ruin the chance at fireworks and then getting to actually see fireworks! I love fireworks and I was glad the rain held off so we could see them. And of course the finale is my favorite part. I think they went all out this year because they knew rain was coming or maybe they had it planned but either way I loved it!

Here are some pictures from my day. I took these with my iPhone so they aren't perfect, I'm hoping to get a good camera one day but for now these will do.

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July as well!

Happy 4th!

                                                       photo via Lewis Digital Imaging

I hope everyone has a happy 4th of July today!

We will be spending time with family, eating some yummy food and hopefully seeing fireworks later this evening. Check back tomorrow for a recap of our 4th of July!

Family Day

I love when we get the chance for family days.

My husband works at a restaurant and depending on how the schedule works he either works day or night...obviously...but I love when he has days off because we usually do some sort of fun thing as a family.

Yesterday we were thinking about going to the zoo but we decided to do something a little less expensive. There is a grocery store an hour or so away from us called Jungle Jim's. I'm not sure if you've heard of it or if you have one in your area but we love this place. We packed up a lunch for our daughter and grabbed bottles for the baby and we were off.

When you walk in you first see the deli where they have so many kinds of meats and cheeses. They have a section of cheeses from all over the world, labeled so you know where you're getting your cheese from. They have tons of bread (last time we got these big pretzels that lasted for a few days). If you're into drinking they have a big selection of wine, beer and other drinks. I'm sure they have some unique kinds. They have a large produce section with so many kinds of fruits and vegetables you would think you stepped into a farmers market. Then the rest of the store is split up by culture. They also have regular groceries and a section for healthy and natural products. And they have a Starbucks which is always a good thing to me!

We ended up getting some snack foods. My husband found some hot cheeses he wanted to try. I got some gnocchi which is an Italian pasta/potato dumpling. They always look so delicious when I see them made on the Food Network so I'm hoping they taste just as good as they look. My daughter got some chocolate milk and some candy...it was a special occasion for her. And I'm hoping to take my dad there sometime because he likes to cook and I know he would love a place like this.

Who would have thought a grocery store could be fun? We will definitely be going back there and I'm hoping soon!

Family day was a success!

Proud Momma Moment

Pardon me while I brag about my kids for a minute.

My daughter has been amazing at potty training lately. We haven't had an accident in over a month. People told me that one day she would just pick up on it and she did. I had to stick with it and I had to finally get over my fear of taking her places without a diaper on but she is doing great and I am so proud of her. Now we are about to take on night time without a diaper. I know it will take some time but with consistency she will do great!

My son turned two months and he is doing fantastic! He's a big boy, at 12 pounds already, but he is just precious. We tend to have chunky babies and I'm OK with that! He is such a little cuddler, he smiles and coos all the time and he's so content. My daughter got colicky around three months so I'm hoping it bypasses him. 

I feel very blessed to have these two kids. I'm proud of the milestones they are achieving and all the growing up they are doing. I'm so grateful to be their mom.