We are all recovering from the stomach bug in this house (thankfully feeling better). Whew. And let me tell you two toddlers sick at the same time as you are is a whole new level of stress. I thought that phase was over! Silly me :) Anyways, the little people seem to have some personality back and we even made it outside for a little bit today. I thought in the spirit of this steamy hot Saturday I would share some candid pics of us out and about lately. Summer Fun! Twin Picture Edition!
Park fun with Daddy! We have been going to the part several times a week and have met a few friends :) We also have a cute little pool setup in the back yard for those super HOT days. The girls are loving to splash around and we finally are getting to enjoy our patio! We also found these cute little lawn chairs for the girls. They pretty much love anything "adult" like. LOL.
Breakfast time! Oh that hair. One day it will be tamed :)
Splash Pad Fun! This was our first time at the splash pad. We will definitely be back!
Fun with the flowers. Katherine picks and talks to every single petal.
Rainy Day Fun!
I couldn't help this one! Because two is definitely a whole new level. Its like a secret club I never knew existed :)
Big sister is getting her senior pics taken tomorrow so we will have a few more to share soon! Have a great weekend!
A lot of my favorite blogs do these monthly wrap-up posts called "What I'm Loving". These are my favorite posts to read because they give me new ideas for recipes, workouts, decorating and all things life in one single source. Here is a snapshot of my current favorite things! Hopefully I can do the same for you and pass along some good ideas! I would love to hear yours as well! :)
Moo Cards
Aren't these cute? I have decided to try to take my blog and all things health, family and wellness to the next level (or at least keep it updated more frequently) so I made these online. They are tiny little cards with my contact information. So cute. (www.us.moo.com)
We are working on getting our patio ready for summer and I am obsessed with sitting outside. So far we have been able to have a few fires and the girls seem to be content climbing up and down the stairs a few hundred times to keep them busy.
Everything at Loft is on sale and these tanks (along with 100 other colors are $8!). I was given some as a gift and I am addicted. I also just realized is the Nordstrom half annual sale. YAH! (If you are looking for great workout gear try their Zella brand, the creator is an ex-lululemon designer. I also love the brand NYDJ. Their jeans seriously make you look a size smaller. I could write a whole post on Nordstrom! :))
I just bought this yesterday as I kept seeing it in the my fitness magazines and was convinced I need it. I just love the back. These tops are great for wearing everyday and for working out in. (Scott thinks I need a new hobby besides shopping for tanks! Lol).
This Life
Confession. I have a small obsession with photos. I ran out of space recently on my computer and calculated that I have over 8K since digital photos were in existence. Oops. I have done a bit of research and finally landed on organizing them on "This Life". Its by Shutterfly (which I have another obsession with), but it literally took me 5 minutes to setup and is amazing at organization. It even does face recognition. Its getting a little confused with the girls, but its easy to start a project, save and come back. I feel much more "together" with my 8,000+ pictures now.
Staycation
Last but certainly not least I have taken a mini staycation over the past week and kind of love being home with the amazing weather. Its awesome to feel caught up, rested and get to spend some quality time with the family.
I just wrapped a 5 day Breakfast Club Challenge (aka recipe exchange) and was so excited about some of the recipes I wanted to share! These are a fun twist to those morning eggs or cereal... p.s. If you enjoy these recipes and are interested a fitness / meal planning challenge let me know. Another group is starting Monday, May 25th!
I love making this and especially in cute mason jars. Its sure to get your week of to a great start. The best part, you can make it the night before! Great for a busy schedule.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup rolled oats 1/3 – 1/2 cup milk [depending on how thick you like it] 1/3 cup plain yogurt1/2 banana1/2 tbsp chia seedsPinch saltPinch cinnamon Stir everything together in a bowl. Place in fridge overnight. In the morning top with something crunchy and something with healthy fats – like nut butter or nuts.
#2 Green Monster Smoothies!
Smoothies are a great breakfast treat, but what really changed the way I made smoothies was an article on the "Green Monster" smoothie movement. What is this? A simple step to add spinach (or greens) to your smoothies. I swear you can't taste it. For every smoothie I make I use the following base.
- 1 banana (1/2 if you are on the 21 Day Fix!)
- 1 cup Almond milk (water if you are on the 21 Day Fix!) - 1 cup of Frozen Spinach
You can add additional fruit, protein powder and even peanut or almond butter to this, but this base is sure to give you a great smoothie every time!
#3 Frozen Yogurt Bark
This is the best breakfast ever. Frozen yogurt bark
Ingredients
2 c. plain greek yogurt
1/3 c. honey 1 tbsp vanilla extract (I used vanilla paste) 2 c. blueberries, washed and stray stems removed
Instructions:
In medium sized bowl, stir together the yogurt, honey and vanilla.
Gently stir in the blueberries and mix until all combined.
In a parchment lined 9x13 pan, pour in the yogurt mixture and spread out evenly making sure blueberries are evenly distributed.
Freeze overnight and cut into desired serving size
#4 Open Faced Banana Sandwiches
This is one of my new favorite recipes because its so easy! You can mix it up with different nut butters, add toppings, fruit etc. The possibilities are endless!
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix eggs, vanilla, applesauce, banana and honey together in a bowl. Add in oats, chai seeds (if using), cinnamon, baking powder, salt and mix well with wet ingredients. Finally pour in milk and combine. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners. Divide mixture evenly into muffin tin cups. I used a 1/4 measuring cup, measure just a tad under 1/4 cup to make 12 servings. Add the toppings...Bake 30 Minutes.
