NAPTIME MEETINGS

{Little} Big Girl in a Bigger City

Every year we do a big girls trip to San Francisco with a bunch of the girls in my family. The ages generally range from about 10 to 85. You wouldn’t think it would be that exciting but it’s the trip I look forward to every year. This year Kallie got to come with me! It was her first time on an airplane and as it got closer, I got pretty nervous for how it would be. To make matters worse, she has had a chronic sickness for like 5 months, and got tubes the morning of the day we left. She’s a trooper. Luckily she slept the whole flight there. Best baby.

Our first day there was jam-packed. We went to Sausalito and it was so much fun! It’s such a cute little town. We ate at a yummy burger place called Napa Valley Burger (http://www.napavalleyburgercompany.com). Kallie loved the slice of cheese they brought out for her and she slept like a champ on the fairy over. We had our first experience with Uber there and it was a little shaky (with 12 people) but we finally seemed to be able to figure it out. From there we went to the Golden Gate Bridge and the sun was shining the whole time! It was gorgeous. From the bridge we caught a bus on over to Ghirardelli and indulged in all the goodness. By that time, we were totally worn out and just went back to the room and laughed the rest of the night. Kallie was just an entertainer and loved being the center of attention for all of these girls who just ate her up.

The next three days can be summed up in two words: eating and shopping. But for real. We went to Mr. Holmes Bakehouse one morning in search for the infamous Cruffin. We got there 30 minutes before it opened only to find out the oven was broken. Jokes on us. We still had their amazing donuts but I was not pleased with our loss (#firstworldproblems). Our last morning there we ate at this adorable and delicious breakfast place called Mymy (not to be confused with Mamas, which was closed that day). We got a smorgasbord of food but my favorite was hands down the lemon ricotta pancakes. I’m salivating just thinking of them.

The flight home I think Kallie snorted caffeine because she was EVERYWHERE. I had never been more happy to hear the wheels and landing gear release and to finally be off of that airplane. Overall, she was awesome the whole trip but we were both ready to get home to Josh. She took 2 hour naps in her stroller everyday and was just another one of the girls along for the fun with us! Here’s to many more years to come!

How have your travel experience with your littles been?? Any tricks?

Share the love

To Cook or Not to Cook

I generally don’t make many New Years resolutions, not because I don’t have things to improve on, I just generally don’t keep up with them until I really decide I want to make the change. This year, I decided to be brave and make the resolution to stop spending as much money on things just because they were on sale and to spend less money eating out. Most days after working and coming home to play, the last thing I want to do is make dinner. My first week of January, I failed miserably. Athleta and Nordstrom had their semi annual sale, and I didn’t have any food that even seemed like they would be good for dinner, so we ate out a good 4 times that week. Ugh. I decided I needed to meal plan and get exactly what I needed for each meal so I wasn’t frivolously buying whatever I was craving randomly waking through the store. This was my first week of it and we’ve done great so far! Below is my meal plan for the week with the grocery list to go along with it! Everything has turned out so yummy so far and I have felt all sorts of accomplished. I’ve been so less stressed having it planned out instead of trying to figure out what I want driving home and inevitably ending up at cafe rio.

What are some of your favorite meals?

Grocery List:

Dairy

• Ricotta Cheese

• Cheddar Cheese (2% milk)

• Mozerella Cheese

• Grated Parmesan and Shredded Parmesean

• Butter

• Sour Cream (optional)

Grains, Pasta & Sides

• Tortellini

• Lasagna noodles

• Spaghetti Sauce

Meat

• Turkey Pepperoni

• Ground Beef

Produce

• Tomatoes (grape or cherry)

• Bell Peppers – 3

• Sweet Potatoes

• Lemons – 4-6

• Asparagus

• Fresh Parsley

• Garlic – 10 cloves

• Onion – 2 (optional)

Seasoning

• Italian Seasoning

• Salt and Pepper

• Olive Oil

• Balsamic Vinegar

• Taco seasoning

• Red Pepper Flakes

• Sugar

• Dried Basil

• Dried Parsley

• Dried Oregano

• Bay leaf

Soups & Canned Goods
• Crushed Tomatoes

• Canned Tomato Paste

• Chicken Broth

• Black Beans

• Salsa

• Olive Garden Italian dressing

• Frozen Corn

Seafood

• Salmon (1.5 lbs)
Baked Parmesan garlic herb salmon http://therecipecritic.com/2015/10/baked-parmesan-garlic-herb-salmon-in-foil/

Image from http://therecipecritic.com/2015/10/baked-parmesan-garlic-herb-salmon-in-foil/
So yummy!

Taco Stuffed Peppers

http://thecozycook.com/taco-stuffed-peppers/ (I added frozen corn)

Image from: http://thecozycook.com/taco-stuffed-peppers/
But the final product actually looked similar! Win.

One Pot Lasagna Soup

http://www.carlsbadcravings.com/easy-one-pot-lasagna-soup/

Spinach Tortellini Salad

1 bag spinach

1 container tortellini (I find in refrigerated section)

1 container grape or cherry tomatoes

1 small can chopped olives

1 package pepperoni (I use turkey pepperoni)

1 container shredded Parmesean cheese

Olive Garden dressing to taste (I use 1/3 to 1/2 bottle)

Slice tomatoes in half. Cook tortellini as per package instructions. Chill. Mix everything together. Enjoy!

Share the love

Snoozeaholics Anonymous

I am Abby and I’m a Snoozeaholic. Hiiiii Abby… I read this article (Why Hitting Snooze is Bad for Health) a little bit ago and realized how bad my morning habits are. I am the queen of snooze. Just ask Josh, it makes him really happy every morning at 5:30. My alarm goes off and it’s a good 3-4 9 minute increments before I actually decide to wake up. At 5:30 in the morning, there is nothing that sounds better than those nine sacred minutes bundled up in my warm, cozy, blankets that are at the perfect temperature. Since reading this article, however, and doing a little bit more research, it appears those nine extra minutes (or 18 or 27) are actually hurting my body more than helping. They are confusing my body so it doesn’t know if it’s supposed to be awake or asleep, leaving the grogginess (sleep inertia) for up to 2 to 4 hours.

Before the holidays, I tried to break my bad habit of pressing the glorious snooze button and did great for about 2 weeks and I was feeling great! I’d broken my cycle and had more energy in the morning and less dark circles under my eyes. Then time off of work hit, the holidays hit, my binge watching of Game of Thrones hit, and I have relapsed. Bad. Yesterday was a 5 snooze day and drip system of caffein day. Thats when I knew I needed to get back on the wagon. I think that Josh and my body would appreciate me waking up with my alarm goes off rather than pressing the holy snooze button 18 times. Don’t even get me started on how many times I think I’ve pressed the snooze button but have actually turned off my alarm and wake up in a panicked frenzy because I’m late for an early morning meeting. I need your help and support.

What tricks you how to get you to wake up without pressing the button? Who is on this Snoozeaholic journey with me? Have you broken your habit? And how in the world do you cope with Mondays? HELP!

Share the love

12 Things I Learned From My Mom.

Every year as the calendar flips to a new chapter, we think about who we were, who we are, and who we would like to become. As I sat pontificating what I would try to focus on next year, I couldn’t help to think of who I am, and why I am the way that I am (thanks, Eminem). My thoughts kept on going back to my mother dearest and how she paved the way for me and helped teach me critical things for me to be the person I want. She taught these not just by telling me what to do and who to be, rather by being an example in every aspect of her life. Below are the top 12 things (I could have done twice as many) that I learned from my mom and didn’t want to be selfish and keep them to myself. And what better time to share than when we are all looking for ways to improve.

12 Things I Learned From My Mom.

Strong Work Ethic. My mom is one of the hardest working people I’ve ever met. She often works 12 hour days; will be the first one in and the last one to leave. And she does it all with a smile. If she feels like she’s spent too much time that day not working hard enough, she’ll even clock out and work an extra 15 minutes off the clock to make up the time. She works until the job is done and does the very best job she can. Or she will redo something until it is perfect. “Anything that is worth doing, is worth doing right.”
You Can Do Hard Things. Whenever I would complain about something or say that it’s too hard (as any good teenager would do), she would always respond to me with “you can do hard things.” And I can, even if it doesn’t always seem like it. She taught me that no matter what the situation is, I can do a great job because I can do hard things and figure out a way to complete the task. Never give up.
How to Make Rolls. My mom is an excellent cook and baker and I grew up loving to help in the kitchen. My mom’s most famous words at any given Sunday dinner are, “Hot roll, anyone?” I love the way my house smells when I’m baking and I’m grateful she instilled that love in me (although my waist line isn’t always grateful).
Serve and Love Everyone. I don’t think you can think of my mom and not think about how she serves and loves EVERYONE. She rivals Mother Theresa. But seriously. She will go out of her way to do anything for anyone and, again, do it with a smile. She never looks for an excuse of why she can’t but will always see what she can do and rearrange so that she can help. She is a better person than I will ever hope to become.
Always Look for the Positive. I think this is probably a result from #4 but my mom always looks for the positive. In every situation. She always looks for the good in everyone, doesn’t talk a badly about people, and could be happy about something in the most treacherous of situations. She lost a 5 year old child to cancer and rather than staying bitter because she no longer has her baby, she has written a story about all of the miracles during that time. #saint.
Address Things With Love, Not Anger. She has the patience of Job. Growing up, I don’t ever remember my mom yelling at me or even raising her voice. Even when I snuck out with my friends, a week before my 18^th birthday, got caught by the cops and they called her at 3:00 am, she still didn’t yell at me. Not to say I didn’t get in trouble, but she addressed it with love, not anger.
Have Fun, Laugh, Enjoy Life. My mom loves to be around people, is always up to go to a party, go to lunch/dinner, or do something with you at a moments notice. She is all about taking the time to enjoy life and find joy and laughter along the way.
Be Grateful. She is one of the most gracious people I know. Whenever I make dinner for her after she’s had along day, she will always call me up to thank me after and tell me how delicious it was (even if it wasn’t my best work). She never takes anything for granted and always wants people to feel appreciated for even the smallest thing they do.
Have Integrity. From the mouth of Sherri, there is nothing worth doing that will compromise your integrity. She makes sure that whatever she does is with an honest heart, and that no one will ever have to question who she is.
Stay Active. From however far back I can remember, my mom has always had a big focus on staying active. The level of activity will change from time to time, but she always has a big push to get her exercise in. She was on the swim team her whole childhood and continues to walk/swim multiple times a week. She has crazy energy [and doesn’t drink caffeine] and looks 10 years younger than she is.
Family is Everything. My mom was a single mom of 4 kids and we never had a ton of money growing up [although I never felt we went without either – thanks mom]. One thing I consistently remember her saying is “we are rich in everything that matters”. And now that I have my own family, I can truly understand how right she was.
Always Have a Welcoming Home. I think even if you were trying to rob my mom’s house, she would still greet you with a “HI, HONEY!! I’M SO GLAD YOU ARE HOME!” as she does to anyone who enters her house. That is one thing my friends always remember about when they would come over – her warm greeting and a big hug, no matter if this was the 1^st or 40^th time she’d met you. We didn’t even have a working lock on our front door for about 5 years growing up because the door was always open for whoever needed a couch to sleep on or somewhere to feel loved.

What have you set for your New Year’s resolution? Do any of these hit close to home?

My Family [less my sister and her family]

My Family with my darling mom in the middle with Kallie [less my sister and her family]

Share the love

Christmas Party Shenanegans

This year I decided to start the tradition of having my team at work come over for a Christmas party dinner to show appreciation for all they do (and they killed their goals this year so they deserved it!) I love hosting parties and having an excuse to try half of the things I see on Pinterest (and half of them end up being a Pinterest fail). The party was on Thursday so Tuesday we went to the store to get all of the fixins for the big day. The menu consisted of (all recipes and links below):

Appetizer: Bruschetta with baguettes, cheese with crackers, and fruit
Main Course: Pomegranate salad (with roasted pecans), beef roast and veggies, mashed potatoes and gravy, homemade rolls
Dessert: Cake batter truffles, peppermint bark, muddy buddies, a bunch of candy

: Desserts

: Main

: Appetizers

I was planning on getting a bunch of stuff made on Wednesday so that Thursday I could just do finishing touches types of things. Kallie had a different plan. On Wednesday morning, I get a call from Josh saying that she had thrown up twice and was acting pretty lethargic. I came home from work as quickly as I could and she wouldn’t let me put her down from pretty much the time I got home until she went to bed. We watched Frozen (or “Go” as she calls it) at least 6 times that day. As much as I loved the snuggles all day (but hated her being sick), it definitely thwarted my cooking plans, which was fine by me because she never just snuggles anymore. That night I stayed up until about midnight getting everything I could get done and would have to finish the rest up on Thursday.

Luckily, I have a small army of support close by. My darling sister-in-law Hanna came over Thursday morning and helped Josh get all of our family pictures hung (which we got taken in July – oops) and came back that night to help me set things up. Paige came over to help get everything cleaned up. Josh ran and grabbed all my last minute items (including a new roast to cook because I’d turned the crockpot to high instead of low the night before and ended up burning the original roast) I’d forgotten and finished cleaning parts of the house, and my mom came over to help with Kallie that night so I could get everything complete. And Diet Coke. We can’t forget Diet Coke. Everything ended up coming together at the last minute as it always seems to do!

The people came, the food was eaten, gifts were given, and games were played. We laughed all night long and Kallie made a few cameos to come and hang out with the big kids. And she stole the show every time. She is such a ham when people come over and I love it! This kid doesn’t even know what social anxiety means. The more people the better!

It was such a fun night and made me appreciate even more the wonderful people I am lucky enough to work with and the wonderful people in my life that help me everyday. And Kallie was feeling great by the time the party hit which I was extra grateful for!

What are your favorite holiday recipes?? What holiday party disasters have you had?

Bruschetta This was so delicious and easy! I’ll be making it again Christmas Eve!

Cake Batter Truffles Need I say more?

Muddy Buddies I only used 8 cups of Chex instead of 9 and mixed in red/white peanut M&M’s before serving.

Peppermint Bark:

1 bag semi sweet chocolate chips

1 bag white chocolate chips

1 box (12) peppermint candy canes

Line 9×13 with foil. Melt in 30 second increments semi-sweet chocolate chips. Pour and spread on pan. Let harden – I put mine in the fridge. Unwrap 11 candy canes and place in ziplock back (I double bag mine). With hammer or meat tenderizer crush candy canes until fine. Melt white chocolate chips in 30 second increments until smooth. Mix in candy cane bits. Pour over the hardened semi-sweet chocolate. I crushed up the 12^th candy cane and sprinkled on top. Put in fridge to let harden. Break apart (I just dropped mine on the pan multiple times until in smaller pieces). Serve chilled or at room temperature! Eat and enjoy!

Pomegranate Salad: (From my MIL Kim Nuttall)

1 head of Romaine Lettuce

1 Pomegranate

1-2 Gala Apples – sliced/cubed

Glazed Pecans (can buy in store or use recipe below)

1-2 cups Shredded Swiss Cheese

Dressing:

¾ cup Olive Oil

1/3 cup Red Wine Pomegranate Vinegar (Popeian Brand)

1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

2-3 Tbsp sugar (to taste)

Salt and Pepper

Sugar and Spiced Pecans:

½ lb pecans

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp ground cloves

¼ cup of sugar

¼ cup melted butter

Line a baking sheet with foil. Mix all spices/sugar together. Spread pecans on baking sheet, drizzle with melted butter. Sprinkle spices/sugar on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, toss pecans so all are coated with spice mixture. Set aside to cool.

Roast Beef and Veggies:

1 Roast

1 packet Onion Soup Mix

½ cup of water

1 bag baby carrots

1 bunch of celery

1 onion (optional)

Place in crockpot. Cover roast with onion soup mix, pour water in crockpot. Cook for 8-10 hours on low. 3 hours before serving, add veggies. Shred and enjoy! Use drippings to make Gravy.

Gravy:

Drippings from Roast

1-2 packets of brown gravy mix (depending on flavor)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Drain drippings from roast into a pot on the stove. Mix gravy packet with ½-1 cup of cold water. Pour into drippings while whisking. Bring to a boil. If need thickener, mix 2 tbsp of corn starch or flour into ½ cup of cold water. Whisk swiftly. Bring to boil while whisking then reduce heat. Salt and pepper to taste.

Mashed Potatoes:

5 lb bag of red potatoes

1 cube butter

½-1 cup of milk

1 tsp garlic powder (to taste)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Wash and boil potatoes. Drain and return to stove. Mix in butter, milk (to desired consistency) and seasonings. Use hand mixer/blender or hand masher to mash potatoes.

Potato Refrigerator Rolls: (I doubled the recipe – these are great because you can make the night before. Recipe from Claire Mellor)

1 pkg. yeast—dissolve in 1 C. warm water

½ C. sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs—well beaten

½ C. shortening

1 C. mashed potatoes—use instant potatoes

4 ½ – 5 cups of flour

Mix all ingredients into yeast and water. Add shortening to the hot potatoes so that it is easier to mix. Add about half of 41/2 -5 cups of flour and beat with mixer until it is smooth. Gradually add the remaining flour to make soft dough. Keep in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Two hours before serving, shape the dough and let it rise for 1 ½ hour. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Share the love

Get-Ready-Quick Hacks

As much as I’d like to have a beautiful smokey eye and look like I’m walking off of the cover of Vogue every morning, that’s just not the reality. I’m lucky if I actually wake up to my alarm at 5:25 every morning. More than I’d like to admit, I somehow unknowingly turn off my alarm and wake up on my own (worst feeling) 5 minutes before I’m supposed to leave and the only thought that comes to me is not appropriate for this platform. Because of this, I’m always looking for ways to get ready quickly, still look professional, and try to not look like I climbed out of a dumpster. Here are my top 5 most favorite get-ready-quick hacks. Eyeshadow is lucky if it makes it in the line-up 2 days out of the week.

Suave Dry Shampoo. I’ve tried others out there, the more expensive ones, the less expensive ones, and this one is hands down my favorite. My go-to is the Keratin one but have actually liked all of the ones I’ve tried. They have 3 or 4 different kinds. I’m currently using the Moroccan Oil infused one and it’s been working great! Who has time to wash their hair every day (or more than 2x a week). This is a lifesaver and only around $5.00.
NYX Nude Lip Crayon. As fun as bright lips are, I’m all about the nude lip. It doesn’t wash me out and doesn’t overpower my lack of other makeup. It can keep a little bit of professionalism and is perfect for the everyday use. I normally will get it at The Rack for about $6.00.
Seventy7 Eyeliner. Go get this. Now. I know it’s going to seem like I’m the unofficial spokesman for Seventy7 Cosmetics but I truly love their product. Especially this eyeliner. It doesn’t smudge after it dries so when I accidentally rub my eye because I’m on 4 hours of sleep, or am digging at my eye because one of my eyelash extensions is poking it – no worries! This eyeliner isn’t even phased. It stays on all day and gives a super smooth line. It will be $13 you will have zero buyers remorse over.
Seventy7 Face Products. OK. I know. I love their stuff. For the every day I use their Concealer ($18) which does wonders at hiding the bags and dark circles of said 4 hours of sleep, their BB Cream ($25) (super light weight so you don’t have a cake face), and then add some color with their Dusty Rose blush ($17). They have a quad contouring foundation that I want to try but am too scared right now. Maybe I’ll learn how to do it one day. But when I am in a rush in the morning, the concealer, BB cream, and blush are my go-to that makes my face look smooth and awake (http://seventy7cosmetics.com).
Maybeline Brow Define and Fill Duo in Deep Brown. I’m still a novice at doing my eyebrows but I love this duo of the pencil and fill powder to help it all blend together so I don’t look like the 83 year old grandma that has a perfectly squiggled eyebrow penciled in. (I also use the Seventy7 brow powder which I love as well, but if I’m going fast I can grab my 2-in-1 pencil).
Tanwise. BONUS ITEM. I love Tanwise. No one likes the gross oompa loompa look of self tanners. Tanwise does a great job of giving a good brownish glow without turning you orange or making you look like the person that has an unlimited tanning pass and uses it accordingly. I have multiple friends with all different skin tones that have used it and it looks great. Just make sure to get your neck as well so it doesn’t look like you went tanning with a turtleneck on and wash your hands with soap ASAP after rubbing it in. A lot of days, this gives me the extra pick-me-up my skin needs!

What are you favorite get-ready-quick items?!

Share the love

Thankful Turkey Hands

Growing up we would always make a thankful turkey, artfully crafted out of the shaping of our hands (man, our moms were geniuses) and would then write things we were thankful for. Back then, a good majority of what I was thankful for encompassed things such as my favorite blanket, my books (nerd alert), candy, Beauty and the Beast, etc. Although I’m still extremely thankful for all of those things, they’ve moved their way down on my list…slightly. This year, my thankful list is hard to include just 5 things, but I’ll see if I can prioritize.

Kallie. This has been hands down the greatest year and so fun to see each new thing that she does. She has such a funny personality that is also sweet and sincere at the same time. She has such a light about her that she literally is the sunshine in every room. I know I am so biased in my opinion of her, but she really is such a perfect little baby.
Josh. I guess I could have combined 1 & 2 in “family”, but I think this year Josh deserves his own bullet point. This past year I’ve had to get a few different surgeries and Josh has been so helpful and supportive through it all and helped me do things and has seen things that I’m sure he never thought he would have when I was his blushing bride on our wedding day. He is always supportive of me with every new, crazy idea I have and will back me up, even if he doesn’t fully agree with me. As much as he tries to hide it, he’s a genuine softy and is always looking for ways to help other people. And he’s loyal as I’ll get out. Something I know I can rely greatly on.
Work. As silly as it is, work this year is in my top things to be grateful for. I not only love what I do, but I love whom I work with. It’s like I get to go and hang out with my bff’s everyday and get paid to do it. I keep on waiting for it to be a big surprise that I’ll wake up from, but I actually am able to do something that I enjoy with people that I love, that also allows me to work a flexible schedule so I can still be present with Kallie. My job definitely makes the cut this year.
Modern Medicine. I’m extremely thankful for modern medicine this year. As previously mentioned, after I had Kallie I had to go in for 2 D&C’s because I started to hemorrhage 2 different times. Without the great doctors, I could have easily bled out and would not even be here today to be writing a thankful list. With Kallie’s bouts of RSV, multiple colds, coughs, eczema, allergies (I swear this kid has been sick for 3 months straight) I’m glad there is medicine that can help her to feel better and allow her to be the sweetheart she is. Now just knock on wood that Josh isn’t next…
Support System. I wouldn’t be able to function everyday without my wonderful support system. This goes so beyond just friends and family (but they are included too). From the people that bring me a Diet Coke or Rice Krispie treat when I’m having a bad day, to my mom and Paige and the people that help me with Kallie every day, to the person who will make a comment on something they enjoyed reading on here (you don’t know how happy that makes me – it’s like my 2^nd baby with my thoughts vulnerably out in the open), to my people I can just vent to and be fully myself to, to just the overall awesome group of people that are in my life; I am thankful for you.

It’s interesting that as I get older, my turkey-hand thankful list is comprised less of actual things and more of the people that are in my life and make my life happy. Thank you for being you.

What are you thankful for this year? What made it on your thankful turkey hand??

Share the love

BLOG TAKEOVER: J.A.G. CO

I’m so excited to have my FIRST blog takeover! Each month I want to feature another mom/woman that is finding their balance, and how they are the supermom they are day in and day out! For my first feature, I’m happy to announce…[drum roll]…The lovely and inspiring J.A.G. CO! And now.. TAKEOVER!!

J.A.G. CO:

When I first thought about being a “working mom”, I have to be honest, I didn’t think I should qualify. My mom and I started JAG CO 12 weeks ago and there are some days I’m drowning in choosing clothing, calling vendors, scheduling photo shoots, and updating the website. Sometimes the TV babysits my two year old while I respond to ten emails and sometimes I have to do more work than I’d like when the girls aren’t sleeping.

When I graduated from college in May, I was 9 months pregnant praying I wouldn’t go into labor and praying my 21 month old was going to adjust to all the changes ahead. Thinking after finals week was over I’d be able to sit back and relax and have too much time on my hands, we decided to start the business. I find my balance in working hard. I was used to raising a child, taking 16 credit hours, while my husband worked 20 hours and took 19 credit hours. We were lucky enough to balance our schedules so Gracie never went to daycare. I knew I could start the business but I also knew it’d be hard.

I find my balance in putting most of my time into my girls. I make sure they are learning and loved! And as soon as they sleep I work; sometimes an hour sometimes three. I work out everyday, even if it’s only thirty minutes, I find this helps stress. I keep my spirit calm and growing with my religious studies, and sometimes I cry and let my husband tell me it’s okay.

I’ll tell you, there is nothing, I mean nothing better and more powerful than following your dreams. I’ve never been busier and honestly, I’ve never been happier. Whenever I see someone in our clothes I feel successful. I feel like I’ve done well. And of course there is always going to be the bad apple in the tree, sometimes even family, that wants to shatter your happiness. But it’s part of growing and I’ve learned a lot about people and myself through JAG CO. It’s definitely made me want to be kinder and more loving. That’s how I know I’m doing the right thing, because I want to be better.

Share the love

A Humbled Heart

A few nights ago, I was rocking Kallie to sleep (as I do every night) when Josh came in after she’d been asleep for about 45 minutes, and I finally conceded to put her in her crib. There are certain nights (more often than I’d like to admit) where I hold her perfect sleeping little innocent body, and my eyes well with tears and I fully understand the expression that “my heart just might burst” because of how grateful I am for her, and the opportunity I have to be her mom.

This same night as I was looking down at her sweet face, my mind wandered to the people in my life (and all moms who have experienced this) who have lost a child or who have difficulty getting pregnant, and my heart goes out to them. I am continually impressed with the strength they have. On my sleepless nights when Kallie isn’t feeling well and just needs to be snuggled, I am not upset that I have to get up with her and miss out on my precious sleep (that’s what caffeine is for). Instead, I am grateful for the chance to hold her and be with her. I would rather have a million sleepless nights than one night without her, and I can’t help but think about and send my love to those that are having struggles that I can’t even pretend to understand.

Each one of you is an example to me of how to be strong day after day when you feel like you are crumbling inside. And no matter how much it hurts, you are able to be the one that encourages me and puts in perspective what a struggle really is. Your example helps me to see that a deal that falls through or that a meal that goes unmade because I didn’t have the energy really isn’t that big of a deal. My arms are outstretched and my heart is humbled at the thought of what you are experiencing. Tonight, I will hold my baby extra tight. Tonight, I will be extra grateful for my miracle little one. Tomorrow, I will look again to your strength and perseverance to lean on and learn from, and hope to offer some comfort and support to your anguish.

What does your mind wander to at night? What are you grateful for today? Who in your life is an example to you?

Share the love

Fast Foods Friday: Raspberry Chipotle Turkey Meatballs

Friday’s here!! Yay!! This week has been one of “those” weeks and a Friday has never tasted so sweet. Partially because we have delicious fast foods to feature today and what better way to honor a weekend than with a yummy meal! I first found a similar recipe on the infamous Pinterest and have adapted to make faster and easier. I love how quick and easy these are but make you feel like a rockstar cook! All you need for the Raspberry Chipotle Turkey Meatballs is 4 ingredients and about 30 minutes total for them to cook! I use the extra lean ground turkey, but you can use whatever you like!

1 lb Lean Ground Turkey
1 tsp Minced Garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste
Raspberry Chipotle Sauce (I use the Fischer & Wieser kind from Costco but have found different brands at Target and Wal Mart that have worked great!)
Optional: Fresh or dehydrated onion.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put all ingredients EXCEPT sauce in bowl and mix. I use my hands to mix it – kind of gross but works great!
Form into 1-2 inch balls, should make 10-12 meatballs. Put in cooking-sprayed pan (I generally spray additional cooking spray on during the process to make sure the meatballs don’t fall apart as they are browning.)
Brown on all sides for 10-12 minutes.
Transfer to oven and bake for 5 minutes, remove, add sauce and make sure each meatball is coated, return to oven for 5 more minutes.
Remove and enjoy! Serve with rice and veggies, or roasted potatoes and asparagus, or you could even put it on a sandwich with some provolone cheese! The possibilities are endless!
Time Saving Tip: Most times I’ll double the recipe and freeze half of the raw meatballs and cook again in a few weeks!

Happy cooking!!